CHAPTER 9 - "REVELATIONS"

Striding in a field of death - slaughtered bodies of men, women and children, even animals within the thousands - Damascus felt proud that he had vanquished a city of sin, albeit he had killed them all to do it, which in of itself, was a sin. But he was a demon and it was now allowed. He had to laugh at the irony.

It was a small village on the outskirts of Judah, where those of faith in God resided. But faith could not save them. Their sin was to now to heed to the wishes of his master. And his master then gave them all to him. He devoured each one of their souls, and like often at supper time, when he was human, Damascus felt gorged. He could not "eat" another soul. But he knew that feeling would soon pass in a day or so.

His body was slummed with blood and he kicked the dismembered arm of a slaughtered and bloodied man to the side where he was walking, as he made his way to his master in a clean place. His master had observed Damascus's actions and smiled pleased when he arrived. Damascus bowed, even kneed, to his master. It had been ten years since he had become Master Belial's apprentice, but he had not aged.

Master Belial had explained to him that now that he was a demon, he could be whomever or whatever he wished to be, and in the first couple of years of his apprenticeship, Damascus had practiced transforming and tricking people, and then slaughtering them. His humanity awash, he accepted his new life keenly and readily - for without souls to help him grow stronger, and his absolute obedience, he would be deadened and his master would send him back to Pompeii to die in agony and to be buried for millennia without rest.

So fear was a great motivator. But he was not afraid anymore. He enjoyed his new found existence. Had he been corrupted? He didn't think so. God had turned His back on him, killing his city, his parents, and laying utter waste to his world without any forth thought, so why should he accept God's faith if he was a butcher? Master Belial told him the truth, and Morning Star didn't lie either. They had both told him just how sinned the world had become, even with God's grace. And Damascus knew it their words were true.

Damascus had only met Morning Star once. And who he was had been greatly "exaggerated" by his enemies. Master Belial was one of Morning Star's most trusted lieutenant's and had trained many of Hell's soldiers. The list was very long and in due time Damascus would met them all, but for now, he had to train and develop his new found powers - powers of a unique nature. And not only was he assuredly strong, he was exceedingly intelligent and a quick learner. So much so, he had already suppressed all of Master Belial's previous apprentices, who eventually became full-fledged demons, at this stage of development.

"You have surpassed my expectations, my dear child," Belial spoke highly. "I have never educated one such as yourself that has had such tenacity and fortitude and viciousness."

Damascus, his face smeared in crimson, looked up at his master and smiled broadly with bright, white teeth. "I endeavor to grow even stronger, Master, and with your guidance and education, I know I will shine," he said, making subtle reference to Morning Star. Lucifer.

Belial gave a grin. "Morning Star is most pleased with you."

"Thank you, Master Belial."

The hours until dawn had been fought with uncertainty.

Sebastian still lain unconscious, laying on the floor in Lukas's bedchambers, and today, scheduled, was a business meeting in town to discuss the expansion of Italian toy markets. But that would have to wait. Albeit, he could sent Lukas, for he was becoming a very savvy businessman in his own rite. Lukas acquired multiple contracts for Funtom Co. In fact, in the last two to three months alone, he had acquired seven new contracts for Funtom Co. Ciel was pleased.

Ciel knew he had never thanked Lukas, nor had he said he was impressed. There was something about Lukas that people liked and made him more enjoyable to be around. Perhaps it was his "good-natured" attitude? Before, Ciel had people come to him, but with Lukas, Lukas volunteered to go to them, which may have resulted in a more favorable gesture. It was to say, "We want your business, so we are willing to come to you to get it."

And that was a good attitude to have, and it levityed a lot of responsibility off of Ciel and Sebastian's shoulders. Now Sebastian could concentrate on his rightful duties as butler only.

And yet, there were some people who preferred to deal with Ciel for strictly personal reasons. Unfortunately, today he had one of those meetings with one of these people that he would have to cancel. Once explained that there was a family issue, this person would understand. Sebastian's condition was a relatively minor convenience that Ciel knew would be rectified soon enough once the Undertaker arrived.

Albeit Sebastian's job, Ciel drew his own bath and added a scent of Lavender bath soap. Then he slipped into the warm, relaxing water, and sighed, as its warmth quickly began to ease muscles that he had not even realized were tight. He hated when things did not go right and Sebastian's condition was so. But for a moment, he felt pleased with himself for drawing his own bath without Sebastian. It had not been difficult, and it made him feel proud, and gave him a sense of independence that he had been lacking.

Perhaps some of Lukas's mind-set's of independence was indeed rubbing off him without him realizing it. Much like when a person spends quite a long time in another country, they begin to pick of that country or culture's accent and way of speaking. This happened to a childhood friend before Ciel's parents were murdered. The boy had gone to Ireland for a few months, spending time with distant cousins, and when he returned to England, he had an Irish accent, that he never knew he was speaking with.

Sometimes he wondered if England was going to the dogs - the immigrants that were continuously washing ashore hoping for a better life, poisoning a proud English-bred nation. They resided in slums built by their own hands and then begged for money when no honorable Englander will hire them. They should have stayed where they belonged, and died there. England was for the strong.

Queen Victoria was strong. Ever since Prince Albert died, the Queen made few public appearances; longingly in mourning, but she was strong. And Ciel was proud to live in the greatest empire in the world if someone like Her Majesty could continue to live on through adversary. She was also one of the main reasons why he continued to live strong, with his revenge to punish those who murdered his parents, that is.

But he put all that out of his mind and sunk deeper into the bathtub, up to his chin, and sighed deeply, closing his eyes. He was completely alone and had locked the door, so he would be disturbed.

"Greetings Ciel Phantomhive," a disembodied voice echoed the bath room.

Ciel opened his eyes startled and jerked up, water splashing over the side of the tub and onto the floor. Then a blue translucent glow began to fill the room in form into a young boy. By appearances described by Lukas, this had to be Renfrew Phantomhive. But of course, what other ghost haunted his mansion than he?

Ciel's eyes narrowed, he did not even attempt to hide his demonic covenant embedded in his right eye. "Greetings," he said, if only out of courtesy, "Renfrew Phantomhive. Now before we enter into pleasantries, albeit I being without clothes, restore my butler to the living, so he may resume his duties."

"So, Lukas told you - "

"Indeed." Ciel settled his arms on the edge of the tube, as if sitting in the chair in his office. "And I demand you reverse it!"

"I will not." Renfrew tilted his head, smiling haughty. "He must learn the errors of his ways."

"And what precisely does that entail?"

"He is reliving his past."

"You mean his history? He is a minion of Lucifer. He has none to live."

"That is where you are mistaken. Sebastian has a very colorful past, indeed."

"Explain."

Renfrew shook his head. "Perhaps when or if he awakens, he may reveal it to you. But much like yourself, demons are notorious for keeping secrets, dear cousin. And Heaven-forbid he would ever tell you."

"I warn you ghost, if you damage him in anyway, I know of people who can exorcise you."

Renfrew's eyes narrowed. "Exorcise me? Explain."

Now Ciel had the advantage. "I will keep this secret, ghost. But know this, you are not infallible. Even the dead are susceptible to the whims of the living."

Renfrew frowned. "I know that too well, but your threats are meaningless to me." And with a flick of a hand, the tub turned over onto its left side, dumping Ciel out, awash with its water.

Ciel blinked, his hair drenched and fallen over his face. He looked back at Renfrew, sprawled out on the floor, his nakedness in full view. But he cared not about it.

"Like him, you too, bare the mark of impurity - the Mark of the Beast!" Renfrew's voice elevated. His blue color turning a light purple.

Ciel rose to his feet and faced Renfrew. "He is a demon! He is indeed impure. And my circumstances are different. The covenant I made with Sebastian was prudent to my survival and revenge. The man or men who murdered my parents are still out there, the reason for my parents' demise still unclear. The Inner Circle - a group of sadistic men - summoned a demon, but I made him my servant, and had him slaughter all those who may have had a hand in my parents' deaths, and who now, as I see it, may have also had a hand in my brother's kidnapping and seven year absence from me."

Renfrew laughed. "Your servant? He is using you. And your brother knows much more than he is not telling you."

"That is obvious, but it is not yours to judge what he is in deserving to know, and to send asunder those who aid in his memories' recovery, namely Sebastian."

"I do what I please."

"And so do I."

Renfrew gave what could only be contrived as a snort of annoyance. "Has Sebastian revealed to you the true nature of that mark branded into your skin?"

"It is the Mark of the Beast, it needs no further explanation."

"Then you are naïve. It is much more important than you or even he realizes. It is a keyhole to a gateway for Him to enter this world. Thus, I suppose you are the Gate Keeper."

"Him? So I hold the keyhole for Lucifer to enter the human world? Where is the key?"

"Not Morning Star - another one - but just as powerful," Renfrew said, answering the previous question. "That mark was pre-destined to be given to you. Your brother is the one who holds the key and has held it for many years. This, indeed, entails a new chapter of your family history, those who wish to do your family harm, separate from the murder of your parents. And it is what I have tried to prevent Sebastian from acquiring, hidden deep inside Lukas's mind because of a vow I took to protect him for saving me from the torment of my old master…"

"Ah, so something is finally made clear. You told Lukas it was 'information' of a sort, not a key."

"I told him this to protect his thinking, so he could not look for the pass-phrase to open the sealed door for which I guard. I made a vow to him years ago to protect this key. I suppose this makes him the Key Master, but he has amnesia of it. He holds many secrets inside his mind. Lukas is very special."

"From whom are you keeping this key secret from?"

"I have told you."

"No, this other you speak of. For if I am the 'Gate Keeper' and Lukas is the 'Key Master', for whom does the gateway allow to enter into this world?"

"I will not speak his name and I will say no more on the subject."

"I demand you do, or I will tell Lukas what you have told me."

"I surmise you will do so, notwithstanding."

Ciel tilted his head slightly, smiling smugly, and grabbed a towel from a chair in the room. He wrapped it around his waist. Then it occurred to him. If Renfrew knew this mark on him was pre-destined to be given to him, then Renfrew may know who murdered Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive.

"Bryon Kelvin, do you know him?" Ciel asked.

"I know of him. Why do you ask?"

"Certain associates of his, namely his nephew, and twin men, serial killers, attacked me and my brother, with Sebastian, at this very mansion, months prior. They are dead now, but it is most assuredly speculated that these men were well known by Bryon Kelvin, and may have had a hand in my parents' deaths. Lukas said he and other children ravaged my parents' mansion and set it ablaze under the brainwashed influence of Kelvin, and my elderly butler, Tanaka, confirmed this when he witnessed 'hearing' the sounds of children just before the fire broke."

"What is it you are asking of me?"

"Did Bryon Kelvin murder my parents? Others have said with uncertainty they do not know. As you have been with Lukas since before their deaths, I ask you if you knew of any plot against them and who are the perpetrators? And if you do, I will heed all my resources for your spirit to be set free of this damnation, including those whom I said earlier that can exorcise your spirit."

"Damnation? You have no inkling of my damnation! And I do not take lightly to threats."

"Threats? There is no threat in my words."

"Your words contradict your meaning and your emotions. Your eyes say if I do not help you, you will exorcise me, and if I do help you, you will do the same for what I did to Sebastian. You care for him more than are willing to admit, even to yourself. You admire him like a son does a father."

Ciel scowled. "You misunderstand me, ghost. And do not assume such untruths!"

"I understand enough, and I can see through you, Ciel Phantomhive. I have seen into your mind, as well. The loneliness and the fear. And you can not help me. And I care nothing of you, only for your brother."

"You will tell me what I want to know, you bastard ghost!"

"I AM NOT A BASTARD!" Renfrew shouted, and a swirling invisible wind blasted Ciel.

Ciel put up his arms to shed his face, his wet hair whipping in the massive gust of wind that suddenly immersed him from Renfrew's rage. Then his arms were spread asunder and his whole body was levitated into the air like an eagle, the towel around his waist falling to the floor beneath his feet. He was raised to within equal lateral distance between the floor and ceiling of the room, and his limbs were pulled hard in every direction. It felt like that were being pulled out of the sockets.

Ciel clenched his teeth from the pain, eyes closed. "You damn ghost! You will tear me apart!"

"I can do much more than that, and you do not have your demon butler to help you now. I fear, too, that you are in need of a little discipline - to learn the errors of your ways. You have been coddled for far too long."

"Do…your…worse…ghost!…I…am…not…afraid!"

"Like I told Sebastian Michealis right before I rendered him unconscious, everyone is afraid of something. And I know for a fact that you fear not being able live up to your parent's name. So that is why you consistently discipline yourself, act proper and pigheaded, so you do not embarrass them. Their greatness. At your age, children are playing carelessly. But you do not afford yourself that luxury, wagering a daily war with yourself and what society begs you to be in light of who your parents were. You and Lukas are the last of the Phantomhive line, and soon, Lukas will be the last. Once I kill you, He - the other - will never be able to return, but I will still be able to get what I want, when they come for Sebastian."

"They?"

Renfrew growled angrily, as if Ciel had quickly caught on to something Renfrew had mistakenly revealed.

It was then Ciel dropped, and hit the floor very hard. He cried out in pain as if he felt something snap. Maybe his left arm. And suddenly, blood began to ooze out of the mark on his left side - a lot of blood. He looked at it, and saw the massive amount of blood mixing with the surrounding water on the floor that was coming from the Mark of the Beast, from every orifice of it branding.

"I will drain your blood, so He can not use you. And then Lukas will be useless to him, and be safe."

"Noooooo!" Ciel cried out painfully. With every breath he took, he could feel himself quickly weakening. His left forearm was indeed broken between the hand and the elbow and with every moment, a lightning surge of pain encapsulated his body.

"I will leave you to your death, Ciel Phantomhive." And Renfrew quickly vanished.

Ciel's blood awashed the floor in crimson and his body was covered with it, and as he crawled using his right hand to pull himself forward towards the door, he realized that he locked door.

"Lukas!" he cried out. He knew Sebastian was subdued, so he could not count on him. "Lukas, help me!"

But he feared with Lukas all the way down the hall in his quarters aiding Sebastian, that his voice would not be heard - and that his death would be a certainty.

The fear Renfrew spoke of was true. This now, he could not deny.

"Mother, father…I am sorry," he apologized, and fell unconscious.

Lukas never thought of himself as a care-giver, especially after his murderous past, but perhaps, in some small way - giving Sebastian this attention, however seemingly useless after what Renfrew Phantomhive did, rendering the demon unconscious with phasmastic powers - it was his way of redeeming himself.

And yes, he saw the irony in it. A murderer, albeit involuntary, but done nonetheless, giving aid to a demon, who sole purpose it to devour souls and to cause chaos in the human world for its own selfish purposes.

But Sebastian had helped him when he truly didn't have to against entities that this demon could have just allowed to succeed - what did it matter to him? Sebastian had made a covenant with Ciel, not him. And yet, Ciel ordered Sebastian to protect Lukas at all costs, and this may have accounted for Sebastian selflessly entering into a temporary covenant at the time with him, in a way to protect him - or perhaps, and it could truly be said, a non-selfless act, to one day devour Lukas's soul as well as Ciel's.

Regardless, it may also have been merely a method to an end to protect Ciel, above all else, from a group of Fallen Reapers who could have eventually killed Ciel Phantomhive later on if their plan to retrieve their original bodies, taken from them from the Reaperdum for unsaid crimes, sending their spirits to wander for all eternality without rest, succeeded. If they had, the Fallen Reapers would have become unstoppable in their plight for revenge against the Reaperdum. When they were punished, no one knew that these three Fallen Reapers would find a way to possess human bodies. And the only way this could happen was if the human hosts were already dead, or near dying.

Salem, the Undertaker, had told them everything that occurred during and after the Great Death, where Sebastian slaughtered all the members of the Inner Circle, who had summoned him, and how Mathu Kelvin, (nephew of Bryon Kelvin), Savannah (the gypsy woman and fortune-teller) and the twin serial killers, Sasha and Samuel Ironstadt, barely survived the carnage, and were then possessed by the Fallen Reapers at the brick of their deaths, attending this sacrificial ceremony of sorts, and they themselves gunning down those who had not attended, later on, murdering the last five members of the Inner Circle, and simply annihilating their entire secret society for reasons unsaid. For all intended purposes, to hide their secret of resurrection.

There was nothing that escaped the Reaperdum, albeit of importance or not. Salem had said to Tanaka, who had called him on the telephone, that he was planning to attend the mansion sometime this evening, when hopefully, he could convince Renfrew to reverse what he did to Sebastian.

Notwithstanding all that, Sebastian was Lukas's main concern at the moment.

Mey-Rin was helping him despite his brother's strict instructions for her to continue with her regular duties. But Lukas had recanted Ciel's order and asked the house maid to aid him here. When Ciel heard that his order was recanted, an argument erupted. But Lukas stood his ground, and Ciel stomped off in a huff and went somewhere.

He knew Ciel had a business appointment today, but Lukas had asked Tanaka to cancel it. Once Sebastian was again at his best, the house could once more return with some normality.

"He looks very pale, yes he does, Master Lukas," she said.

He always does,

Lukas thought, demons don't have much pigmentation in their skin tone. Instead he said, "Yes, he does, Mey-Rin. We must keep him comfortable and safe." And he was almost about to say, "Mey-Rin, you can drop the dizty-woman act. I know who you really are and what you can do." But he didn't.

And maybe she couldn't, with Sebastian casting a spell on her glasses to make her act this way in public, to disguise her true nature, as an assassin - whom Sebastian had picked up to protect Ciel. A person like Ciel, in his position - the Phantomhive's were also known to have great affiliation with criminal underground facets - needed more than a butler's protection. And the son of Vincent Phantomhive would need it.

Suddenly, he grabbed his head as something delivered a great deal of pain to it, and a voice rang in his ears, that only he could hear: "Lukas!…Lukas, help me!"

He snapped his attention to the hallway.

"What is it, my lord?"

Twins were known to have an unconfirmed psychic bond, or that's what he had read in a medical journal that Sebastian had given him to read. Throughout the years of their separation, he had never felt it. But when he was reunited with his brother, he felt this bond grow strong. Yet he had not heard this "voice" like a normal out-spoken one, but one that came from inside his mind, and it had shouted at him loudly.

"Stay here, Mey-Rin…"

And he ran out of his quarters and into the hallway.

He just barely heard her say, "Yes sir," when he started to quickly follow this strange feeling he had. It was a feeling of foreboding and of dread, and it was about his brother. He was close to death! Following it to the bath room. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. Then he heard swishing and the sound of suction at his feet. He lifted on foot and saw he was standing in water. The hardwood floor had masked it.

And there was only one reason that he could think of why there would be water here, the bath had over flowed and someone was in the room. He had not seen Ciel where had stomped off to. Perhaps, without Sebastian, he had attempted to take a bath alone - without knowing Lukas had asked Tanaka to cancel all his business and social appointments today. And something went horribly wrong.

"Brother!"

Lukas shouldered the door as hard as he could, throwing it back, slamming it against the back wall. And here he found Ciel, sprawled face first and naked on the tiled floor awash in water and blood. Ciel's body was covered in crimson.

Lukas slipped once on the floor but caught himself as he ran to Ciel, dropping to his knees. Lukas turned Ciel over, put his brother's head on his knees.

"Brother! What happened?" But Ciel was unconscious.

It was then he noticed the blood was coming from the mark branded into the side of Ciel's lift ribcage, given to him by the Inner Circle and it bleeding profusely. He applied pressure to it, but to no avail. His own hands now saturated in Ciel's blood.

"You will not die!" he demanded. "Not after everything that has happened to us! Not yet! I forbid it!"

He knew if Sebastian were here he would not allow it and would use his demonic powers to heal Ciel instantly. But it was strange. The blood was coming from a wound that had been branded and cauterized long ago with intense heat, why was it bleeding now - and with so much blood?

But he would not relent in his pursuit to save his brother and pressed even harder against the mark to make the blood stop!

And then it happened, beneath his hands, something glowed, and he felt a small volt of electricity surge down his arms and through his hands into Ciel's body. His brother jerked, as if zapped. Lukas lifted his hands and looked at them, dumbfounded at what whatever had just happened. Had he just delivered Ciel an electrical shock? He knew that if you rubbed your feet on carpet and touched someone's bare skin, you can give them a small static shock, but there was nothing but water surrounding him, and no electricity.

But the flow of blood had stopped.

And as he looked at the mark, he saw it begin to miraculously reverse the blood's flow and absorb it back, re-entering the wound - all the blood - as if it had a mind or intelligence of its own. And soon every ounce of blood had returned from once he had come.

Ciel gasped for air, jerking forward.

Lukas braced his brother's back, taking hold of his shoulders. "Take it easy, brother. You are okay now." Although, what had happened, not even Lukas could explain its supernatural essence in nature that apparently he had done.

Ciel took in several deep breaths to fill his lungs and Lukas could feel Ciel's heart pounding with intensity through his back as he held his brother upright.

"I found you laying on the floor…"

Ciel cringed, favoring his left arm. "You came," he said, looking back with a hint of smile. "You heard my call."

"No, brother. I can't fully explain it, but I felt you dying and the feeling lead me here. What happened? What or who did this to you?"

"That damn ghost!" he cursed. "That bastard of a ghost!"

To be continued…