A/N: I will say this, if you guys don't like blood and gore, creepiness and murder, these next… 1-2 chapters won't be for you.
These demonic names I made up were, well, made up. Using a quick google search for 'fantasy names', as well as twisting already known names of demons, and such. You can tell which demons are more demonic/powerful/overworldly by how strange their name actually is.
So… yeah…
The next chapter will be the gross/gory one. Just a warning, before the warning I'll be giving next chapter. Also, I probably won't be posting that chapter tonight. Maybe… tomorrow? Later in the week? I'd like to work on writing more of this story, first. That's my plan, tonight, after I post this particular chapter.
Anyways, if you guys have any questions, don't be afraid to ASK!
! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !
It took you a moment to gather your thoughts, standing in the cemetery as you stared thoughtfully at, well, the world around you, occasionally tugging at your gloves before you slowly took out your ring. Cleaned up, shining almost like new. Always sparkling in such an eerie way.
It wanted you to put it on… but not yet. Not now. Not until… you know.
That you really, really want to do this.
Yes… you long for that reaper half of yourself. Now that you know it's there. Always, you want to be that deadly beauty that stalks the night, like a spook, specter, phantom, ending the lives of so many entities… but, now, you hesitate. You hesitate because… what if this is all one big mistake?
Again?
It was survival. That's why you did it. Coming into contact with Claudia, seeing the dead, feeling your overworldly powers surging through you, boosting your frail body… You… miss it, but…
You thought that… maybe… you could live a human life…
But then again, you've found this life to be rather boring. Mundane. Sure, it's enjoyable, in its own way, but…
It's not the same. It's just not the same.
You miss the action. The adventure. The thrill of the chase. Fighting in a war, destroying whatever came in your path. Doing things you never thought you could do. Being someone you never thought you could be.
Your soul misses the action. Your heart… wants to stay. Human.
And if you lose your humanity… then what?
That's your biggest fear. Everything Undertaker told you about the council's plans. Why you were born. What you were born to do. To be. You thought that you could just live this life then be done, but now… if you die… and not kill yourself… and die an honorable death on the battlefield… what if you do become Death? What if you come back?
Your soul doesn't want to life, anymore. You don't want to keep doing this, anymore.
Coming back from the dead. Being reborn. Living another life, again and again. You're tired. You truly are. And Claudia confirmed that for you. Every past life you've ever had has confirmed that.
It's time to die. It's time to rest, eternally. Just… be at peace. Not in a war.
But as your hands shook, your ring close to slipping out of your fingers, you felt hands gently grasp your own, as a body leaned against your backside and you felt a deep, warm breath against your ear. "Love. Are you alright?"
"… No. Far from it," you spoke, honestly, your eyes gazing down at the ring as you frowned. "… What if this is a mistake? I-I just… I'm scared. I'm not sure if I want to be a deadly efficient shinigami. I-I don't know if I should do this," you sighed, only to feel a hand upon your heart, and your head glanced upward as you saw that Undertaker's eyes were closed, while he sighed tiredly.
"Do what you think is best, Clara. I will support you… no matter what you choose," he told you, opening his eyes to gaze down at you and smile in such a manner that caused you to blush.
What is this feeling? Love? Really?
You cannot help but question your own feelings. This just feels… too easy.
If you lose him… God… if you lose him you don't know what you'll do.
"Thank you," you mumbled, suddenly grabbing his face and kissing his cheek, stunning the man for a moment, but you took a step away, your gaze falling back upon your ring, as you closed your eyes.
And concentrated.
You could feel… the dark, evil, raw energy emitting from your ring… and the bright, shining glow of your own soul, deep inside of your chest. You concentrated… on… becoming whole.
Whole… complete… absolutely you. Both death and life, together in unity… That… is what you are…
A perfect combination of the two. Good and evil. Light and dark.
Yin and Yang.
You breathed, before… you slowly slipped the ring onto your right ring finger, and then… you opened your eyes and let out a surprised gasp.
The world turned bright, your eyes glancing around, to find a familiar face. A familiar figure standing before you, smiling sadly at your current state.
"Clara… you didn't have to do this."
"I need to, Claudia. This… I cannot let more innocent people die because a bunch of idiots think they can play God," you scoffed, but you flinched as you felt the ghostly woman's face upon your cheek, so cold, so chilling… but so familiar. "… Is this wrong? W-what I'm doing?"
"Not wrong. Simply… I wish there was another way, but there is not. We have unfinished business to attend to," she sighed, her figure slipping away, her chilling presence disappearing from your sights, but…
You could feel her, again. She was there.
They are all there.
Every life, every death. Every Phantomhive… everyone before that name. Every life you've lived, and…
You couldn't help but begin to tear up, your arm going up to your face as you began to cry. They're all screaming, no. No! Life has been so hard. You are supposed to die, but now…
Again, you're stuck in the loop. The loop of reliving another life.
A mistake.
It's always a mistake.
A curse.
A curse to continue to live on, like this.
Just what… did your soul do in order to get trapped, like this? To live for eternity, like this? To never die… to never pass on… It's the same, every day. Day by day by day. Time never stops. Why won't Time stop this torment?
But then…
You breathed, softly, clearing your mind. Your anger, frustration… sadness, and betrayal. You breathed, cleansing yourself of your bad thoughts. Your pain, your suffering… It's there, but no longer driving your thoughts. Instead…
There was one goal.
And that was Death.
"… Okay. Undertaker. Let's go," you spoke, your suddenly calm, slightly cold composure surprising the man, but you gave him a light smile before you grasped your scarf, placing the front up upon your nose before you began to step forward.
And step… into the shadows… and disappear… into the darkness of the night.
! #$%^&*())(*&^%$# !
"I'm surprised you managed to follow me," you stated bluntly, while Undertaker turned to you and gave you a devious smirk.
"Of course~, love. What sort of death would I be, if I couldn't keep track~ of Death itself?"
"Hmm… anyways," you continued, ignoring his words as you calmly made your way into a particular building, noticing the recently dead on the ground, and making sure the reaper had done its business and has already left, "looks like a mass suicide."
"Maybe you could have prevented it? –"
"No. I know how the death book works. These humans would have died, regardless of my involvement," you told him, but you walked into the satanic looking circle, glancing at the white marble stone slab for any clues.
Until you felt a familiar tingling sensation in the back of your head, and you turned in the direction to notice something written on the walls.
Written in blood.
You scowled, walking up to the wall to get a closer look, with Undertaker walking behind you. Staying… strangely close to you. Maybe too close.
"… I'm killing them. Screw this crap," you scoffed in disgust, only to hear Undertaker snickering behind you.
"What? No mercy~? –"
"Why should I give any sort of mercy to a bunch of idiots?" you huffed, before you sighed, tiredly, and began to sniff at the air. You noticed Undertaker was giving you a confused, even a weird look, but you ignored him as you paused, narrowing your eyes as you began to walk outside, through a side door. And then… you were off.
You ran, ran, and ran as fast as you could through the woods. You ignored the fact that Undertaker was trailing you, and instead took care to pursue these… devils. Demons. Whatever they are. You could sense them… but they were there, not too far off.
Waiting.
Expecting you.
You stopped, putting up a hand to stop Undertaker as well, and you cast him a narrowed look, hoping he got the message. Noticing the man gave you a nod, you slowly crept through the brush towards the demons… until you stepped into a field, in the middle of nowhere.
Upon the ground, a satanic circular symbol was written in the ground, with blood. The blood of humans, to be exact, and standing within the large circle were seven demons. And…
One boy, tied to a white marble slab, beaten and bruised, cut and defiled, and you couldn't stop the low irritated growl that left your breath, signaling your presence to the group. But… no one turned to notice you, except the wide eyed boy, though you weren't quite sure if he was human or not, and one of the cloaked beings as he lurked closer, a wicked smile adorning his face. "Ah. So good~ of you to join us, Phantomhive~~"
"It's Phantom to you, Teegan," you scoffed in disgust, unsheathing your tanto blade and bringing the weapon to your side. "What is this? Did you kill all those humans just to lure me out?"
"Perhaps~~" the figure smirked, drawing closer to you, but stopping just an arm's length away. Knowing that you could viciously attack him at any moment. "But no. No, I wanted your little ring of yours," he continued, before he smirked savagely, "and~… that delightful, delectable soul of yours –"
"Your master is dead. Give it up –"
"Lord Baalza is alive and well! It is you who are blind!" Teegan began to laugh heartedly, and you sneered as the other six demons began to laugh. Taunt you, but you easily pushed away your anger, to be replaced with a steady calmness and sternness that caused the figure before you to snort in disgust. "Do you not understand? The war is still upon us! It is you mortals who do not see it –"
"I get the gist of it," you stated bluntly, causing the demons around you to stop, if only for a moment, and the silence became rather… eerie and unnerving. Even if you're a half breed, being part human has its setbacks, at times. But, that hasn't stopped you before, and you won't be afraid to keep confronting these sorts of assholes. "There are creatures that live outside of Time. In fact, the pure, uncorrupted, chaotic entities of our universe live outside of it. Meaning… Time has changed, but something else has not."
"See~, that is what I like about you, human," the demon smirked, deviously, while you tried not to snort in disgust at his voice, while seemingly soothing, was laced with the worse case of salt and bile you could ever endure. Enough to make you want to wash out your mouth, when this is over. "Why your soul is so… pure~~ –"
"It is not! –"
"Ahhh~, but it is. Deny it all you like, but such a… delicious morsel," he continued, stepping closer to you to the point that you could easily cut into him with your blade, and in fact you began to do just that, holding up your knife and staring into his dark red eyes as he began to slice his chest into your blade, as if it meant nothing to him. You watched as his dark blood began to drip out of his body, while he grinned like a predatory wolf, and you couldn't stop the disgusted shudder that left your breath at the sight. "So strong~… so, resilient. Mindful of everything~… is the most blind."
"Says a demon," you scoffed, and he shrugged his shoulders in response.
"I could eat you, you know," he continued, and you instinctively flinched as you felt his fingers upon your cheek, brushing away your bangs to see into both of your eyes. Your glowing bright blue/light silver eyes, glaring back at him as he grinned deviously, "but~… where's the fun in that, hmm?
"Besides, our master wishes to eat you, himself –"
"You can tell him to suck on a lemon. Hell, go to Tartarus, and stay there, you bastards!" you scoffed, but you could tell your threats didn't do a damn thing as the demon continued to smirk at you.
But… that's the thing.
These are just demons…
And now, you know the fallen one behind all of this, and all you could do is grumble irritably underneath your breath. Seriously, you thought you killed that bastard. Does that mean every single entity you ever killed is back from the grave?
Great. Just great.
But that could also mean…
… You're going to have to ask Undertaker a few things, and you wonder if he'll even have the answers for you –
"S-stop! Please!" a voice shrieked, enough to snap you out of your thoughts, and you tried not to scowl over the fact that, a, you zoned out, again, and the damn demon noticed, and b, the poor boy is being tortured in front of you.
And this bastard knows why this is irritating you.
"My, my~. She's just so wrathful~~. Perhaps we should capture her and keep her for ourselves –"
"No. You heard our master. And if we do that, we'll be eaten –"
"Baalza is a glutton. It can share," the demons continued to speak, while they cut into the boy's flesh with a knife and his blood dripped into a cup.
Any normal person would shudder at the sight, run away, and pray that they wouldn't be eaten too…
But you're not that type of human.
Especially since… this isn't the first time you've seen this sort of thing happening.
"Enough. There are eyes spying on us," Teegan spoke out, causing the other six to silence, but the one draining the poor boy, becoming too weak to cry out in pain, began to sip on the blood filled cup, casually.
You only have a few more minutes until this boy drops dead. Knowing these sorts of demons, they won't stop until he's dead. You don't have time for this, anymore.
"To keep this… mortal, we must trap her, with us~" he smirked, grabbing the blood filled cup and pouring it onto the satanic circle, chanting in a language that hurt your ears, but you ignored it.
And instead, you saw Undertaker running up to the circle, yelling your name, his hand out in an attempt to grab you and pull you out, but instead you smiled. "I'll be out in a moment," you spoke with a content smile, watching in annoyance as the barrier fully came up, trapping you inside, but… there was also someone else that was trapped in this circle with you.
Eight, to be exact.
"Shouldn't have done that, Teegan," you decided to say, hearing the demon scoff as he handed the cup to the others, grabbing your reaper blade and tugging it out of his chest as if it was a mere splinter in his finger.
"Why? You're human~ –"
"See," you scoffed, calmly turning away from the barrier to face them, your eyes dark and unyielding, yet an amused look was upon your face, "you lure me here, with my family ring, yet you don't assume I cannot use it~?
"Did you honestly think time travel could stop me from being a phantom~~?" you finished, with a smirk, watching as Teegan's eyes widened, and another demon had the hindsight to run at the barrier in an attempt to free itself, but your smirk only widened at the laughter you could hear from the others.
Which is fine, because they won't be alive for too much longer.
And you held out your left hand, your right hand next to your side, as you closed your eyes and began to concentrate…
And began to hear…
The laughter quickly turning into sheer panic.