AN: Ack, I'm sorry this is late. It's been a year since this story was published and wanted it to be published on that date, but I was caught up with school and health issues. I'm back though so I hope you'll forgive me. I want to make this story awesome so I do apologize if the updates are longer than it should be.

Again I really struggled with this chapter...man I rewrote it at least four times. *falls on the floor*

Warning: Contains major spoilers from chapter 129 to 136.

Chapter VIII

The Ties That Bind

It was him again. The same disfigured figure she encountered before. Skin fell off the bone. Red liquid dripped from open wounds. He called her. Over and over and over he called her by her full name.

"Charlotte."

It was a familiar voice. A voice that used to tell her bedtime stories about far off castles and fairy-tales when she was little. A voice she would often repeat in her head to help her sleep at night. A voice she long craved for comfort during her dark, long nights of hunting hellish beasts.

A voice she knew when she moved overseas she would never hear again.

And yet she did.

She couldn't move. Terrified, she tried to close her eyes and pretend she was off in one of those fairy-tale settings; however, the castle she was in was no place for a princess. The iron still felt cold on her hand, even though she was no longer touching it. The wires still cut her skin, even though she could no longer feel it.

The ghost of her father….

He haunted her mind like a virus. It overtook her, controlled her like a puppet. She wanted to make sure he was proud of her, happy of her actions growing up. She was worried when she saw him, falling apart before her eyes, but not through fear of his decaying body.

"Why have you not…avenged me?"

His voice hissed through her mind like a poisonous snake biting her. There was no pride in his tone, only disappointment.

Lotte shivered, feeling the oxygen slowly dissipate from her surroundings. Pale moonlight flooded the room, revealing her grandfather's chambers. She felt as if she was underwater. The gravity pushed fifty stone weights on her body. She couldn't escape! She couldn't breathe! She tried to reach out to her father for help, but only drowned.

And the only sound she could hear was the ring of a phone.

Standing right in front of her.

The room she was in had disappeared and now stood darkness. The phone still rang as she circled around trying to locate the sound. She started to run, feeling like she was getting nowhere. Her breathing came out in loud huffs of air, weighing on her. Then it appeared behind her - the sound of the ringing. A black phone, illuminated by a small light, floated like a ghost above. She walked slowly towards it as the ringing continued.

The phone taunted her as she stood in front of it, hesitant to pick it up. If she did who would be on the other line?

But her hand grabbed the cold handle and said a simple, but careful hello.

"Lotte…" the deep, smooth voice replied.

Her eyes widened from the familiar voice. Tears formed in her eyes. "Sebastian?"

"Lotte, it's time to wake up," he said, his tone calm.

Lotte felt his calming tone confusing. She was trapped, didn't he know? "Wake up? I am awake! Sebastian…"

"Time to wake up," he repeated again.

"Sebastian, I can't!" She started to raise her voice in panic. "I'm trapped!"

Then her ear's started to ring. She hissed as the ringing intensified like someone had pierced inside her ear with a needle. She dropped the phone as if it had burned her skin and looked up as she felt warmth. A white light in front of her appeared, moving closer and closer. As it grew, she saw what it really was.

A fire.

A burning blaze engulfed the entire dark room.

xXx

Lotte opened her eyes to the green canopy above her and the constant ringing still reverberated throughout the room. She was awake.

With nobody lying beside her.

She sat up to see Sebastian in his full alter standing beside her bed, and the ringing of the phone on her nightstand. She looked at him once before answering the phone, ceasing the repetitive noise.

"Yeah," she answered groggy, rubbing her temples.

"Miss Phantomhive," the voice of Lawrence Wilson echoed through her ear, almost worse than the ringing. "I found him."

Her eyes shot to the demon staring deeply at her in return.

"He's a large estate thirty-five kilometers north of London. It's hard to find and it's concealed by a mass of trees, but my liaison found it with only a little effort."

She didn't question it. Not with Sebastian in front of her. But she knew…she knew he could hear everything Lawrence Wilson was saying. She gave a short, "Thank you," and hung up the phone.

Lotte kept her eyes on the demon as he gave her a small smile and left the room saying breakfast was on the table. There was no mention of what happened last night. No mention of her skin touching his in a terrifying embrace. She felt her face grow warm from the thought of it.

But it chilled once she realized he had left her side before she awoke. She felt a twinge in her heart.

She shook her head, trying to clear the thought from her head. It wasn't as if she was upset with his departure. He was a demon! Her being upset with a notion such as this would be inconceivable! But as her feet touched the cold marble floor, she paused to realize her heart felt different than what her brain knew to be true. She was upset. She was upset that she didn't wake up to him lying beside her still comforting her about last night. It pissed her off that she felt like this.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath. I'm acting like a child!

So she took a deep breath, deciding to let it go.

She dressed slowly, placing her gun in the holder on her belt, hiding it from view. She looked into the body length mirror, missing her leather jacket that had gotten her through some harsh battles. Her dark hair was loosely hanging over her substitute jacket, black still but not the leather touch she was used to.

Lotte took her time going down to the dining hall for breakfast. Her hands felt wet as her nerves rose. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and walked down the wide, worn-out red carpet staircase. Her footsteps echoed once reaching the reflecting marble floor. She looked around, feeling an empty presence, and of what, she didn't know.

There was no part of her that forgot her father's ghost was still looming inside the shadows of this old manor.

But another part wondered where her grandfather's soul hid. Her eyes looked down to her left side at the other weapon hidden under the black jacket. Her grandfather's pistol, the radiant silver reflecting off the light in the large room; and her hand touched the cold iron, not knowing what to do with it. In her pocket she felt the heavy weight of her grandfather's ring, the sapphire stone rubbed against her finger prints when she touched the gem. She felt it.

It burden of her family's past decisions.

It caused her head to ache annoyingly.

She silently groaned as she opened the dining room door, rubbing her neck to loosen the built-up tension, pausing when she noticed the empty table. The wood shone with fresh polish, but no dishes decorated the surface. She walked around it, eyeing the space as she called out Sebastian's name.

Receiving no answer.

She walked over to the other entrance, sticking her head out into the darkness of the servant's quarters and the hallway to the kitchen.

"Sebastian?" she called out again, receiving no reply.

Lightning struck the room, illuminating it in a white flash. She jumped slightly, twisting towards the rain splattered window. She walked towards it watching the rain fall onto the glass. The only sounds she heard were the rain drops falling and distant thunder.

Cracked lightning flashed in the sky in front of her eyes.

She looked down at the misty road.

There was no hesitation in her steps. Lotte knew this was her only chance. Sebastian had disappeared and from what happened in the last twelve hours, her confrontation with him could be postponed for all she could care. The more time she could process her decisions the less she would blush in front of him.

She opened the door, looking back at the empty foyer behind her. If Sebastian was around, she knew he would be giving her a disappointed expression through his own accord. He wouldn't allow her to step foot outside.

And yet she closed the door behind her, and leaned against it in the rain. She rested her head back, looking up, feeling the raindrop on her face. Her breathing was deep. She bit her lip and opened her eyes to the dark skies.

She raced to her bike which rested on the side of the building. The key entered the ignition, and the engine roared to life.

With one last look at the dark windows of the manor, she raced off onto the wet, dirt road.

Thirty-five kilometers north of London.

Her eyes narrowed at Mr. Wilson's words. It rang in her head like a broken record player. She was to meet a relative, and not just any relative.

Him.

The man who would look exactly like her late grandfather.

The man they all called 'Ciel'.

The entire way she tried to think about what kind of man her great uncle would be. Would he have a kind smile? Would he carry the same hard, blue glare as her grandfather did in all the painting in the manor? What would he sound like? The man would be in his nineties, so Lotte could see him with less of a smile and more of an uncanny expression of disgust.

Her hands shook through the rain, and it wasn't because of the cool air.

The man she would meet scared her.

Sebastian's perception on her great uncle's character seemed concerning. Lotte felt as if Ciel was a powerful person in Sebastian's eyes. When Wilson spoke of him, the demon butler seemed fearful of the old man.

What about Ciel Phantomhive made a demon feel fear?

One thing Lotte knew as she reached a thick, forest road was Ciel Phantomhive would not be an easy person to question.

The forest branched in all directions. Tree scattered the landscape like a maze. Tall wooden skyscrapers reached into the heavens. The road was mudded and non-existent. Lotte growled when her bike slowed and her wheel glued into the soft, damp earth.

"Dammit," she cursed under her breath.

She hopped off, sticking her boots into the mud. Her steps were slow walking through the sticky ground. She trudged her way through the thick brush, shivering slightly from the rain falling through the leafy ceiling.

When she emerged from the thick greenery, she was met by a vast pastor. A green meadow stretched for over hundreds of acres like ocean waves, with a large walls and a building rising over the misty horizon.

She quickly moved through the tall, green stems. As she closed in on the walls, she noticed the extent of the height. Tall, silver-colour walls stretched thirty feet into the grey, misty skies. On either side, the walls ran across the ground like a giant box. As she walked along them, she guided her hand across the wet, cold metal until it reached the end. Lotte backed away to take a look at the main entrance. It was a giant gate, a few feet taller than the walls. It was a mess of gothic circles and spikes sticking out like a medieval weapon. The iron twisted like iron vines to paint of a picture of death to demons. Through the gate she got a view of the giant manor beyond. It was taller than the Phantomhive manor, reaching at least fifty or sixty feet into the dark heavens. The walls were made of iron, with the door and all windows shut tight with iron shutters and bolts. There was no life to this property. It was then Lotte shivered, releasing the shaking breath she had been holding in.

Ciel Phantomhive had created a fortress to keep the supernatural out at all costs.

Her hand gripped one of the cold, wet metal braces of the gate. It didn't look like it had been opened in years. She shook it, trying to see if it would do something, but once she noticed the large chain and lock, she sighed heavily at her stupidity.

They had to get out from somewhere, she told herself.

She looked at the dark house again, staring at it as if it would crumble to pieces.

Lotte rested her head on the iron gates, trying to figure out a way into this impossible fortress. She refused to give up. Ciel Phantomhive needed to be warned, and as Lotte backed away from the gates, she knew what she had to do.

She climbed.

The spiraling curves of the iron were small, but perfect footholds for her tiny feet. Her hands grabbed the spikes sticking out from the gate, a few grazing against her stomach. She had to be careful, one slip or wrong move would cause one of the spikes to pierce her pale skin. Her breathing heaved as she carried her way up the thirty feet of pure iron death.

She climbed over the top, slowly descending into the iron cage. Once at the bottom and on the other side of the gate, she took in the manor before her. The gothic-like fortress stood like a metal giant, trying to intimidate every nerve in her body.

It didn't work.

She walked down the barren, dirt pathway and stood face to face with a doorknob shaped like a gargoyle's face from Paris.

Then she knocked.

And waited.

And took a deep breath as the door opened with a loud creak.

There was a woman on the other side, around the same age as she, with hair braided neatly and wearing plain grey clothes. She looked at Lotte nervously, figuring out why a strange girl was standing outside in the rain and how she got inside the massive iron cage.

"Yes?" she asked. "Can I help you?"

As Lotte answered, she read the woman's expression. Her eyes moved constantly behind Lotte and she knew why. Lotte narrowed her eyes, and realized it wouldn't be easy getting to see her long, lost relative. So she lied. "Yes, hi, I'm here from the London Press and I'm doing an article on the top most interesting houses in Britain, and I just happened to come across yours accidently and thought I could ask you a few questions."

"Oh…uh…I don't own this house," she answered, hesitant on her words.

"That's alright, is the owner-"

"He's busy," the woman cut her off.

Lotte opened her mouth to reply then smiled kindly. "My apologies, but it is honestly an interesting-"

"How did you get in here?" the woman asked, cutting Lotte off again.

Lotte paused for a few second. "Oh, well the front gate of course. It was open," she gestured her hand towards the gate, "So I thought I would let myself in. My apologies if I did something wrong. I did close the gate and saw there were locks, so made sure it was secure."

The woman opened the door a little more, placing her hand to her chest as if she had done something embarrassing. "Oh dear, I must've forgotten to lock the darn thing. Sometimes the chains are so heavy you see that it's hard to lock, especially in this weather when it's so wet and cold. The master would be very unimpressed with it. I thank you for doing that. I'll see you out now."

The woman began to force Lotte more out into the open when she stopped her. "You're welcome, and to repay my generous actions in securing your house, if I could ask the owner of this beautiful establishment a few questions, that's all I would want. Then I shall be on my way."

The woman's eyes moved over her shoulder and back towards Lotte, still avoiding her gaze. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. The Master is very busy."

Lotte pushed more. "Please, just a few questions. That's all I ask for. This…this may be a huge find for me. I could finally put good food on the table for my children. Please…"

Lotte knew her words were wrong, but if it was the only way to be in the same room as Ciel Phantomhive, she would do anything. Her time with the FBI wasn't all bad, and she smiled as the woman finally agreed letting her into the great iron castle.

Inside was pure silver in colour. Tall ceiling covered head to toe in a silvery reflection. A large staircase, with grey marble, led into disappearing corridors which Lotte assumed were nothing but grey in colour. There were no bright arrangements of reds, blues, or other colours. Only silver or grey. Lotte frowned at the sight.

"You're lucky that you're wearing proper clothing. The master isn't too fond of colour," the woman mentioned, as Lotte was led into a small study with two black sofas and a black table in between. The fireplace on the other side of the room was not lit and looked like it hadn't been lit in sometime, making the whole room feel cold and depressing.

"Why?" Lotte answered, sitting on one of the sofas.

The woman paused for a moment with her eyes gaze down, and then shook her head. "I don't know. He doesn't speak much about it." Lotte watched as the woman began to walk out. "The master will be but a moment."

Lotte didn't reply to the woman as she closed the study doors. Lotte took the time to look around the empty room. The walls were bare, clearly made of iron. The metal reflected slightly off the little light from the small lamps. Otherwise, she kept still. Nervous as she was, her little training with the FBI had made her like a statue when confronted with people or demons. Show no fear, speak of no fear, and they would feel no fear.

There were voices. She turned her head to the left of her as she heard the loud voice of a male. It echoed through the entire mansion, reaching her ears clearly. Clearly her distant relative was upset with this unexpected visitor. The woman's voice was small, but still reached her fine. She was trying to apologize and yet, couldn't. A loud slap bounced through the doors, and Lotte stood up immediately just as the doors rapidly opened.

It was then she came face to face with an old, but very annoyed man.

He shuffled forward with his cane aiding his sore legs. He's brilliant blue eyes, plural, stared at her with pure disgust. As if a speck of dirt had appeared on a white table cloth, he wasn't happy. She had found him.

Ciel Phantomhive.

He stopped to stare and judge her as she did the same. The woman came back in and asked quietly, "Would you fancy some tea, Master?"

He did nothing.

"And you, Miss?" she asked, Lotte.

Lotte looked at the woman briefly, spotting the newly, red mark on her cheek- the only colour in the manor. She gave the woman a small shake of the head, and she disappeared quickly after.

Lotte blinked back at the old man. His thin, grey hair was brushed back neatly. He wore black, nothing else. His clothing was elegant though, clearly high class and expensive. His face, although full of many wrinkles due to his age, and a mouth surrounded by a well-trimmed beard, painted a frustrated expression. Lotte had interrupted his life after all, trespassed onto a land not many people could find. She already knew he would have more questions than she had.

"So," he began, sitting down, "my handmaiden tells me you come from the London Press because of my home. Tell me, how did you find this place?"

His voice made Lotte's skin crawl. Was this what her grandfather would sound like if he was alive? The thick, London accent sounded the words through a way that could give children nightmares.

"I was just driving around, Sir," Lotte answered with a smile, continuing. "I'm glad you have time in your busy schedule to speak to me about your home."

The old man leaned back against the sofa, and gestured his hand for her to continue.

"First off, why here?" she asked. "You could live anywhere else, why out in the middle of nowhere and yet close to town?"

"I don't like noise. Next"

Lotte blinked at the unexpected response. She was hoping for more.

"I see your home is made of some sort of metal, iron to be exact. Can you expand on the reasoning behind it?"

"I like to be unique."

Another short and simple answer. Lotte moved on. "I noticed coming inside there is no colour. Not even flowers planted neither outside nor any kind of colour inside. Can you tell me why?"

"I'm allergic to flowers. Besides, it's always raining. Why have a garden in a place with no sun?"

"And the lack of colour?"

He shrugged. "I like grey."

She nodded, realizing she was running out of fake interview questions.

"Why aren't you writing this down?" the old man asked unexpectedly.

"Oh, I write it all up in my head," she replied, pointing to her head.

"You are a strange journalist, child. You even remind me of someone I used to know," he grinned lightly through his beard.

"Oh? Interesting. Next question-"

"You aren't from here, child." He suddenly interrupted. "Your accent is American."

Lotte blinked at his comment, wondering why he decided now to mention it. "Yes."

"So why come to Britain of all places? Tell me that."

Lotte froze at the question, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Do you have family here?" he asked.

Lotte's eyes locked with his.

"Did you inherit something that made you come back?"

She felt her heart begin to race.

Ciel leaned forward, his blue eyes glaring into her soul. "Or perhaps you carry something with you. A burden- one that you feel you must end before moving on with your life. A sort of… curse placed on your family due to a certain member of blood."

Lotte's glare hardened with each word spoken. And at the very end, she cut the journalist act and went back to her hunter-like personality. She said in a low tone with her lips pursed. "You know."

He continued his grin. "You're a Phantomhive, and not only that, you're his granddaughter. It's Charlotte, isn't it?"

"If you knew that much, why wait to speak up?"

He leaned back against the sofa, coughing slightly. "My dear, I am old. I am not as sharp as I used to be. But I am sharp enough to notice those damn, blue eyes walking into my house."

Lotte remained silent as she felt the old man's shadow grow bigger over her.

"I'll answer one of your questions truthfully now, Charlotte; the reason why I live in an iron fortress." He leaned forward. "It's because of Her."

Her eyes widened. "Lilith."

"I am not sure if you know, but a long time ago, she brought me back from the other side. Of course, I later realized she was only using me. Typical demons. Never trust them.

"It was an order for her to break a damn curse. For years, she's tried to capture me, but I was smarter than her. I live in a solid fortress she can't even step into without suffering. Even now at the end of my life, I can always see those damn demons at my gates wanting my soul. She's waiting for me to pass over so I can finally be hers. This is why I do not associate with the Phantomhive name anymore. I haven't for over fifty years now. I do so to hide away from them. I'm safe here and when I go out I make sure to go with protection. And it's all because my idiotic brother wouldn't keep his mouth shut and stay out of supernatural family affairs."

"You said for an order. Who ordered her?"

"The very same that the curse is placed upon: The Father of Darkness himself."

Lotte knew who he was speaking of. "Lucifer."

"You're a smart child. Good to know you got the smart genes from the other side of family."

Lotte ignored his bitter comment. "So Lucifer ordered her to collect our family's souls to break a curse? So what? He can make the living world a part of Hell? "

"I do not know the small details, but she told me when I was brought back that my purpose was to wait until the sky turned red at the break of day, then I would help turn the world around. I learned later on it was because of some kind of power that was imprisoned centuries ago and once released would…transform the world."

"You mean end it."

He placed his wrinkled, arthritic finger to his lips. "Best be quiet, Lucifer is listening."

"Listening?"

"He's still walks the Earth in physical form. He preys on those whose lives have ended and are not protected from that which can harm a creature not from this world. Nobody knows what he looks like. It is his power that has been imprisoned, but that doesn't stop him from collecting the dead with a scythe."

Lotte's mouth gapped open a bit. "Are you telling me Lucifer…is Death itself?"

She was surprised from his words. She had heard of Death, and the Shinigami or grim reapers that followed him like mindless puppies. But there was nothing in the books she had read, demons she had come across, or hunters that have told her Death and Lucifer were the same thing.

"You finally figured it out."

Lotte blinked, trying to figure out the puzzle. She stood up, walking towards the window and watched the drops of water follow a steady stream down the glass. "Why though? How did his power get imprisoned in the first place?"

"Did you not read the Bible when you were younger?"

Lotte turned on her heels slowly, keeping her eyes on the man. "No, my beliefs ended when my father was murdered by Lilith."

"I, too, no longer believe. However, that does not mean They don't exist."

"If you are speaking about God and Angels and all that Heavenly crap, I don't care. All I care about is finding Lilith and destroying her before the curse can be lifted so I can avenge my father's death." She crossed her arms and went back to staring outside.

"As well as release the one still trapped in the Phantomhive manor." Ciel Phantomhive added.

She twisted her body around and marched over to the old man, towering over him. "What do you know about that?"

"My child, it was all because of that damn butler that we are in this mess. He's all part of it. Haven't you figured out?" Ciel Phantomhive's face changed into a concerned expression, one that Lotte found disturbing.

"Figured what out?"

"Who he really is?" he remained in a frown that made Lotte's skin crawl. "There are many things in this world we don't know. Mysteries we cannot explain." He raised a finger. "However, there is one thing we know of: Lilith wants our souls to release Lucifer's power so he can control the souls of the dead. But what does the butler have to do with it?"

Lotte struggled to answer. "Lilth was after him from the beginning. He already told me he worked for her and he disobeyed orders."

"Is that what he wants you to think or what you want to think? You stay with him even after the fact you despise demons. Why?"

Lotte narrowed her eyes at the man.

"Do you care for him?"

"I..." she blushed slightly.

"Or maybe it's something deeper." He gave her a small smile. "Perhaps, you are in love with him."

Lotte's eyes widened with the words, moving her gaze away. She shook her head. "I…."

"He may not know who he truly is but he will soon." the old man coughed, taking out a small white handkerchief. When he pulled it away from his mouth, Lotte noticed the specks of blood.

Lotte shook her head, arms crossed. "You know Lilith will come after you whether you stay in this iron prison or not."

Ciel Phantomhive sighed. "But I am living my life until the end. That's what I wanted. She can have my soul after for all I care."

"Don't you care what will happen after the curse breaks?"

"No," he replied shortly, leaning back once again. "I will not be here to witness it, so why should I care? This place is a Hellhole anyways. It deserves to become what it is already. Let them return to this world that was once theirs. Let Them come and claim what is theirs. Let God suffer for once from what he did to me and my family…to His family." He spat. "I can care less."

Lotte clicked her tongue, feeling the rage build in her system. "So that's it…you're giving up. You won't help me. I thought you were the great Ciel Phantomhive that lived through a cult summoning. Guess you are nothing more than a fake." Then she pulled the sapphire ring from her pocket and slammed it on the table.

The man looked at the ring with no expression on his face. "Why are you here, Charlotte?" he asked simply, ignoring her angered words.

"For help."

"My help? I am an old man."

Lotte struggled with her words. "I need to know how to find and kill Lilith before it's too late."

"So you think because I have met her and she brought me back that I would have step by step instructions on how to kill the most powerful demon that ever existed and the daughter of Death itself? You are a fool."

She pursed her lips, leaning down at him. "I'm a hunter, old man. I can do it if I just know how to find her. I know she can't be killed like a normal demon, so how can I destroy her?"

"You can't."

She blinked. "What? Of course I can. It's not impossible."

"But it's impossible for a human. Lilith was created by Death, therefore only Death or one of his brothers can destroy her."

"Brothers?"

Then everything went silent before the man could answer. Lotte looked around the room quickly to see any changes and saw it. The window.

The rain had stopped.

The sun had gone down.

And the moon was out.

The door swung open and the landlady came rushing in. She was out of breath and Lotte had a feeling it wasn't because it was tea time.

"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but they're out there."

The man quickly stood up, giving Lotte a cold, hard glare. "I think it's time you left."

"Wait," Lotte tried to halt the rush of the two humans shoving her out into the outside. "You can't just…"

The door opened and the landlady pushed her outside. The cold, brisk clear air hit her skin at a rapid rate. Behind her, she could feel them lurking in the shadows, waiting…hunger touching their tongues…desire. She turned her head slightly before looking back at the landlady and Ciel Phantomhive inside the iron fortress. Ciel said one last thing.

"Time will come when red will paint the skies in the Devil's blood. It will be then when the Four Horsemen will rise from their slumber and rain upon the living world with their terror and fright. The world will not be prepared for what is to come for Heaven's Archangels may appear in sight."

Lotte gave him a questioning stare.

"I will be in touch," he finalized.

And the shut the door behind her.

Lotte started at the door for some time, trying to figure out his final words. He was a crazed mad-man, but what if his words are true, she would be facing a harsh battle ahead. Lilith could not be killed by a normal hunter's weapon, but what if there was something else besides Lucifer's destruction that could kill?

I have to at least try and figure out something. She stared at the iron gate in front of her. But first….

She climbed quickly over, landing on her feet on the other side. She looked back one last time at the dark building behind her. The moonlight reflected ominously on the metal. She would not be returning.

It wasn't long until she started for the forest edge, pulling her gun out from her holder. The first one appeared a few hundred yards before she entered the dark shadows. Before the thing could open its mouth, she shot it right in the head, not paying mind to its falling body.

She continued in the forest. Although the darkness from the tree made it hard to see, the sensation of her mark made it easy for her to figure out the others' location. The creatures didn't get close as she shot them without fail, walking through the forest floor as moonlight blared down to illuminate through the trees.

There were more, at least five from the rustling implementing from the bushes. She stopped. Listened. The wind calmly ran through the leaves above. Then it came. Like fast moving water in a stream. They appeared.

Lotte didn't have time to hesitate. She fired her gun on her first target as it ran towards her. She kicked the one coming behind her, throwing her foot backwards into its stomach, while firing again right between the eyes of another in front of her. Shots of her gun echoed through the empty trees.

While she twisted in the dark, shooting and fighting with these hellish beings, she couldn't help but think of Ciel's words about her feelings towards Sebastian. He was a demon, and yet he was not. As much as she should be thinking about destroying Lilith and the apocalypse ahead, she couldn't stop her mind from leaning towards the demon butler. His small smile he adorned her made her heart leap when she thought of it. His soft, red eyes gave her the protective feeling like a mother towards a child. His voice – calm and collected – showed no anger, but enough emotion for her to know he did carry a human side. His touch – his hands – when he held her that night, she felt safe; the most safe she had ever been since she was little.

It was impossible.

And when she realized she had run out of bullets, she knew then.

She needed to know if he felt the same.

There was one demon left. It stood in front of her as if it was a statue. Its yellow eyes glinted in the dark. It hissed low then disappeared into the shadows.

She was out of breath, exhausted, and needed to leave before more returned.

She ran through the woods, trying not to trip on the shadowed, muddy ground. She huffed through every step, racing around trees, finding her bike still lying sideways on the ground. She picked it up, pushing it through the mud and onto the dirt road.

With the stars and the moon watching her, she hastily road away, riding back to the manor she called home and the demon that waited for her.

That chapter was a looong one! Hope you enjoyed it! Drop me a review on your thoughts :D

Just a few notes on this chapter so you don't come to me like "what?". Ciel Phantomhive is original Ciel's (Lotte's grandfather) elder twin brother. Yes, this is canon and he does appear in the manga. And yes his name is actually Ciel so fans have started to call him R!Ciel. No, we don't know O!Ciel's name. Yana Toboso has yet to reveal that. What a drag.

Hopefully this will clear a few things up.