Chapter 11

When Hannah had last gone into the forest to find Sebastian, the point were ordinary forest ended and where the burned-down forest began had been very prominent. The same could be said about the forest now, but not quite in the same way.

The point were ordinary forest ended and where the burned-down forest began was marked by grass that was greener and thicker than that of the other forest. The trees grew higher with thicker canopies. Ferns with blue and red hues to them obviously weren't ordinarily found in any other place.

It was here that Hannah instructed Claude to stop. Even the spider demon looked around in wonder at what this once languished forest had now become. Ciel and Alois found themselves enthralled in the same sort of wonder.

"How did all this come about?" Ciel asked.

"Every living thing here is a soul Sebastian has once consumed," Hannah explained, "Every blade of grass, every plant, tree, and animal is something that's been with him his entire life; ever since he swallowed them."

There were various trails that snaked through the forest, all of which seem to come from a single starting point from within.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the evidence that everything was once a soul became more and more prominent. The bark on the trees had outlines of people on them; wise women, gentle men, and sleeping infants. In the trees sat ravens with pure white feathers, pale pink beaks and claws, and silvery eyes. Bees that were all yellow – with little to no black on them, pollinated flowers with a black, purple, blue, and red petals.

"I've never seen anything like this before," Alois commented in a hushed tone, "what were to happen if I crushed that bee right there?"

"Likely, the forest would attack you," Claude replied, "you have to remember that everything here was once a living human. Some might have been with Sebastian long enough to have developed a certain amount of loyalty to him."

"You mean once a demon consumes a soul it isn't completely digested?" Ciel asked.

"Not completely, no. While a majority of any soul we eat is absorbed into our bodies, the part of the soul that still pulses with life and contains humanity is preserved. It's how some of us are able to behave like humans. We may not understand emotions, aside from anger, hate, disappointment, delight, and depression, but the souls help us understand how we can blend in with humans."

A shape moving in front of them made them stop. A large wolf with jet black fur and purple eyes stalked towards them, its ears prick forward and alert.

"Nobody move!" Claude warned.

"Why?" Alois inquired, "it's just a dog."

"It's a Blackened–Soul wolf. I'm not sure if it's here just wondering about or if it's here to run us out."

The wolf stopped a few yards in front of them. It stood there and panted for a moment before disappearing into the brush. It was obviously was not there to hurt them.

The group continued on, admiring the strange beauty around them. Unusually colored butterflies and odd looking birds. Reptiles with two heads and red and black foxes with multiple tails.

Another shape appeared in front of them, a white fawn with barely-visible gray spots. The tiny creature approach them on wobbly legs, sticking out its neck as it curiously took in their scent; more specifically, Ciel's. When it was mere inches from the young earl, it stopped and pranced in place a couple of times before bounding away into the brush.

"All of these animals here are really weird, " Alois commented, "after we find Sebastian, can we go back to the mansion and have some tea?"

"Yes, sir," Claude replied, "but not until we know what kind of shape Sebastian's in."

Ciel reached up and brushed at the eye that once bore the contract seal.

"Is something wrong, Ciel?" Alois asked, "is your eye hurting again?"

"N–no," Ciel replied, "It's just. Why do I have this feeling that it's already too late?"

Alois rested a hand on his shoulder and gave him a kind smile, "Don't think like that. I'm sure he's fine."

Suddenly, Hannah call to them from a ways ahead, "Earl . . . You might want to see this."

Ciel ran ahead of Claude and Alois and to the maid's side. She stood at a wall of bushes and pointed over them to a dark shape lying on the ground. The shape was lying in the center of a massive image of Sebastian's contract symbol; this image clearly displayed by light green grass that stood out from the darker green grass surrounding it. Ciel's eyes widened as he made out a tailcoat, white servant's gloves, and midnight black hair.

"Sebastian!"

The boy rushed out into the clearing and threw himself at the butler's side. Turning him over onto his back, he straddled the man's torso. Placing his hands on his shoulders, he shook him gently.

"Sebastian?" He panted, "Sebastian, wake up."

Ciel shook him again.

"Come on, stop playing around. You don't have to act pissed anymore. I have all the answers I need now; who cares that you tried to hide them? Just wake up, and we can forget it ever happened."

There was no response.

Ciel shook him again, "Sebastian?"

The earl slammed a fist hard against one of the butler's shoulders.

"Sebastian, please wake up. Sebastian?"

Frantic, Ciel pressed his ear against Sebastian's chest. Even during the times when the butler faked his death, he could always sense a heart beating somewhere in his chest. Now, there was nothing, and when he thought about all the blows he had dealt him, Ciel realized that the demon was becoming stiff with rigor mortis too.

"No . . ." He said in a hushed tone, "You can't be . . ." His voice shook as he hit him again, "Sebastian . . . I order you to get up this instant!"

Once again, there was no response.

Ciel shook his head with denial, "No! That was an order! Stop ignoring me now, Sebastian!"

Claude, Hannah, and Alois watched in silence at the earl's failed attempts to revive the demon. Alois's fists were clenched and he shook his head with about as much denial as Ciel showed.

"It's no use. He's gone!"

Claude clenched his fists, as well. So much that his nails dug through his gloves, into his palms, and drew blood.

"We're too late."

Hannah watched silently, trying to keep tears from pulling into her eyes. Becoming a maid had turned her into a soft demoness at heart, and any death she didn't cause now touched her. She dared to approach Ciel, who still screamed at Sebastian to wake him up.

When he threw another fist back to land another blow, Hannah snatched him by his wrist.

"Earl . . . You need to calm down."

Ciel turned to her with wide eyes.

"You have to understand," she continued, "the moment the pain in your eye became so unbearable that you were screaming was when Sebastian's heart was beginning to stop. It was already too late then."

Ciel lowered his hand slowly, "But . . . That means he's . . ."

Hannah nodded sadly as a tear rolled down her cheek, "He's gone, Lord Phantomhive."

Ciel looked from her to Sebastian.

"But . . . He's always been there for me . . ."