A/N:: Holy crap, you people are awesome and scary at the same time. 8'D I'm sorry to have tortured you all with that last cliffhanger, but I promise that will be the only really big cliffhanger in this fanfic. =3= We're coming to the interesting parts, and I hope you guys enjoy the ride. X3

As before I'll respond to your comments on the last chapter at the end of this one. :3 There are certainly a few very memorable that certainly made me laugh. xD You guys are amazing~

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any outside sources mentioned throughout this fanfic.

Falling.

It felt like I was falling forever. I eventually stopped screaming in pure terror that my life was going to end and just shut my eyes, waiting for my body to hit the ground and shatter each and every one of my bones into a million pieces. Would I be able to feel my organs slam against my bones, pierce and bleed beneath my skin? Would I be able to hear my neck snap and feel my heart beat its final pumps?

That end didn't happen. I felt something grasp my shoulder and shake me with urgency, and vaguely I could hear the voice of someone whispering my name in my ear.

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in my dream anymore. No… I had awoken. Sometimes I forgot that my little world was really just another dream, not reality.

It was dark, yet at the same time almost blinding; my senses were reeling, trying to take in the new sights in front of me. My mind was strained and stretched beyond what should be considered a normal thinking pattern. Hell was neither one thing, but not another: It wasn't dark, but it wasn't bright. It wasn't hot, but it wasn't cold. It wasn't torturous, but it wasn't pleasant.

Hell just… wasn't.

"Young master." My eyes snapped up to the butler next to me as he gripped my shoulder firmly in his hand. He wasn't smiling as he watched me. "Are you alright?"

I stared at him a little, trying to figure out exactly what had happened. I slowly looked down at my body; I was dressed in the same clothing I left my previous home in, all black as if I was attending a funeral. Nothing was out of place or different. "…What… What happened?"

Sebastian sighed softly and slowly glanced over his shoulder. "It appears we were called."

Called? I opened my mouth to question him, but the words were killed and choked in my throat when I finally noticed one very key fact; we were not alone.

Little beady eyes were glowing all around us with dark and menacing silhouettes; a mix of gold, red, black, green, orange… All sorts of colors that stood out among the frightening mob that was surrounding us in a circle. We were trapped like newly caught prey and I got the sickening feeling in my gut that I would not be far off from believing we were about to be devoured.

Instinctively I flinched towards Sebastian, and immediately he wrapped a protective arm around my shoulder and pulled me against his body like a shield. I could begin to see the more distinct features of the demons around us; pearly white fangs, long pointed bits of marred skin that appeared almost like it was rotting off of their bones, open wounds and something dripping from their claws onto the ground. I buried my face against Sebastian's shoulder to block out the revolting stench of rotting flesh and shut my eyes, unable to come to terms with myself that I was now also a creature like them.

"You have a lot of nerve," one hissed, the low baritone voice laced with absolutely malice and hatred. "Do you realize what exactly you have DONE, Infernum!"

I didn't look up as I heard screeches and near-deafening howls surround us, only clinging to Sebastian tighter in keeping my eyes clenched shut and my face buried in his shoulder.

"That is no longer my name, gentlemen," Sebastian replied in calm and cool baritone of a voice. "I am Sebastian Michealis, and I will only respond to that."

"Yes, to a name that a pathetic HUMAN had given you and now owns you like a slave!" The voices turned into a cruel rumble of amusement, some chuckling and some hissing out little bits of laughter through their fangs. "We had thought it amusing, but now…" The laughter stopped dead in its tracks. "What you did was absolutely taboo, and he certainly isn't pleased with you."

I felt Sebastian's shoulders sag as he let out a soft sigh. "Of course he is not pleased. However, I have my own reasons to my actions."

"So you will take your punishment?"

"Do not ask foolish questions." I nearly cried out as I felt Sebastian slowly pull me away from him, clinging to his arms like vice and staring up at him with wide eyes. I didn't try to hide my fear from him: not that I probably even could in a place like this.

He just smiled at me, softly and reassuringly, and brushed my hair from my face. "Do not worry. I will be back in a few moments." He helped me to my feet and brushed off my clothes before he left the circle of demons and disappeared with a few that had followed him.

I stood there alone in the pits of Hell surrounded by demons that obviously did not care very much for me. I could already feel a cold sweat drip down the back of my neck as those eyes returned to me again. I was terrified and helpless; I could only do what Sebastian had taught me so far and suddenly all those lessons flew out of my head and somewhere off to who knows where.

A few demons started to move in on me. I tensed up, clenching my hands at my sides tightly and staring them down to show no fear. One slithered up to me on four legs that bent in obscure ways; its body was dripping something foul to the ground off of what looked like bones, and on its head it had large ears that jutted back over its body.

"You still smell like a hatchling." I stayed put as it sniffed at my hand like an animal. "Pity for Infernum. Your soul certainly smells delicious."

I attempted to keep my face calm and composed. "Get away from me," I muttered coldly, stepping around whatever the smaller demon was. "I don't have to explain myself to anyone here." I was almost out of the little circle until I felt claws curl around my neck. I froze and stopped breathing when I felt a hiss of a voice in my ear.

"How arrogant and proud you are, little one…" It was a female voice, light and sickeningly sweet and dripping with deceitful delicacy. "Hmm… I like you. I think I will be the one to watch you until your master returns."

I slapped her claws away from my neck and stepped away. "Sebastian is the servant."

The feminine voice laughed, a sound that chimed like bells. How could such a demonic being be so light and innocent? "Oh, you really have no idea, do you little one?"

I turned around to face this woman. She was standing there, wearing all deep and royal blue to contrast the light skin tone of her body. She wore a skirt, simple enough but embarrassingly slit up the side to reveal her leg. Her shirt was tight, obviously showing off her body even more, and had lace splitting around the edges in an attempt to make such a seductive appearance look classy. Her hair was blond and raced down her back, framing a charming face with bright gold eyes perfectly.

Just like Sebastian was, this creature was perfect.

"What do you mean?" I demanded. The other demons around us dispersed and scattered to do what they wished; obviously they have grown bored of me, unlike this woman that stood before me like I was her new plaything.

She giggled, holding a delicate hand over her mouth and showing her black nails to me. Rose lips pouted into a sweet smile as she stepped forward. I stayed still as she reached out and touched my hair, brushing the strands from my hair and running her long fingers through them slowly. "Oh, poor, sweet little Ciel Phantomhive… You're so confused, aren't you? Has Infernum been playing his fun games with you?"

I grimaced and pushed her hands away from me. "Games?"

"Yes." She still smiled sweetly and slowly walked around me, her fingertips brushing against my arm as she stood behind me now. "Infernum is often infamous for growing very bored and playing many games to amuse him at the time. Time in this world you humans have come to call 'Hell' doesn't do much to please him, so he often leaves to search out souls of his own instead of picking from the flock of humans we receive day in and day out." I felt her chin rest on my shoulder as she continued to speak her sweet words. "He loves his little games… I see that he has begun another game with you, hasn't he? You must feel so confused all the time, lost and unsure of what he is really thinking…"

Every ounce of nerve and bone in my body was screaming at me to move away from this demon and run, but I couldn't make my legs move forward. "…I don't know what you are talking about."

My lie didn't fool her. She laughed in my ear and reached around, taking my hand and turning me to face her again. "Well, I shall leave you to figure out this little riddle of a game Infernum has planted for you. For now… you must simply be starving, yes?"

Starving? As I thought about it I could clearly feel emptiness in my stomach and a constant dryness in my throat. "…Yes."

She smiled at me and tugged me forward and deeper down a random direction. I could make out… anything! My mind was so torn, flashing between brightness and darkness, things that were there and things that were not—just what was this place?

I shut my eyes and allowed her to lead. "What is with this place? Nothing… Nothing makes sense! It's bright, it's dark, it's…it's everything but nothing!"

"Ah. That is the point. Hell is simply not."

"…Not? But… that doesn't—"

"It doesn't make sense, yet it does. Hell is not. That's all you need to know." She laughed softly as she continued to lead me forward by my hand. "Humans are so interesting, trying to figure out this place and driving themselves to madness and torture—all by their own hand! It's pleasant for us to sit back and let them kill themselves. When they've succumbed to their fate and fall asleep into a constant nightmare, that is when we have out meal." She patted the back of my hand affectionately. "You will learn these things as you go on. It's really quite enjoyable to watch, and as soon as your human mindset dissipates, you'll take pride in being a demon."

I frowned a bit. "Human mindset?"

"Mmhm~!" She hummed idly as we continued to walk. "You're still very innocent, easily frightened, sweet, and rather affectionate to Infernum—"

"—His name is Sebastian."

"Tch. Such a boring name." I could practically hear her roll her eyes at me. "Regardless, your human emotions are still quite intact and are very much alive. For created demons such as yourself, it'll take a while for such emotions to leave you, but soon you'll be like the rest of us. Once that happen you will be SO relieved to look at things through opened eyes of indifference! Such a relaxing world we have, when we question nothing and still see everything…"

Was Sebastian like this woman? Did he not have a 'human mindset'? He had told me he was born this way, but… did that mean he had no real emotions? He looked upon everything with 'indifference', even me?

"…Though one thing bothers me." I hesitated before opening my eyes, focusing on the woman as we came to a room of cages. She stopped and slowly turned to look at me, and for a moment I thought I saw the demonic glow in her eyes. Her face lost its pretty smile and was replaced with an almost disgusted frown. "Infernum has changed quite dramatically. We never expected something like this to come from him; Lucifer certainly enjoys his company and was even shocked to hear news about what he did. More over… we want to know why he did it." Suddenly her hand was around my throat in a choking grasp, and I was slammed against a wall without mercy so hard it knocked the breath out of me. "What makes you so special? Why has Infernum suddenly become so…so human?"

Human? She spat that word out like it was the foulest thing one could be called. Sebastian was acting human because of me? A little part of me purred with satisfaction at that thought; obviously I was able to influence Sebastian much more than any of these little demons that hid away in their eternal nothingness.

Slowly I smirked at her, narrowing my eyes and reaching up to her hand around my neck. "Frustrating to not know anything, isn't it?" I grasped her wrist and yanked her hand off from me and pushed her away. "I don't need to explain myself to you. Besides… creatures such as yourself are pathetic." I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at her with no fear. "Indifference and ignorance makes you blind and foolish. Idiotic, even! No wonder Sebastian is different; he is much higher than you because of how he thinks differently." I smirked wider as her expression of obvious rage. "And you know that if you injure me Sebastian would not hesitate to kill you."

It wasn't a threat; it was fact.

Slowly she grinned, but it was a dark and cold one that lacked amusement. "Careful, little one; you're playing with fire." She slowly stepped away and left the room without another look over her shoulder.

I won this round, thankfully. When she left I sighed softly in relief and relaxed. Her presence and company had quickly become unwanted and suffocating. Slowly I looked around the room I was in, and thankfully for a moment my eyes were able to relax; it was a dimmed lighting in a simple, square room and not flashing lights that sent my mind whirling in different directions. Cages littered the ground, a few empty and others occupied.

The sight of humans, bare and curled up on the bottom of the cages with a chain wrapped around their neck, sent a chill down my spine; I had been in their place once before, but I was waiting to be killed… not eaten.

Slowly I walked deeper into the room, watching the humans sleep in their constant nightmares; the nightmares were probably more of a relief than this mind-boggling 'not' the woman described Hell to be. They looked so helpless and curled up like little worms.

I knelt down to one cage, peering inside at the human soul. It was the soul of a young girl with curly locks framing her face, and for an odd reason I thought back to Elizabeth from my previous life, even those this girl in front of me didn't really look anything like her. Still, she was lying there, crying quietly in her sleep and curled up into a ball on the cold cage floor.

So pitiful… She was just a prisoner. What had she done to condemn herself to Hell?

A scent drifted up to my nose. It smelt sweet, innocent and kind… A little too sweet for my taste, but nothing that I couldn't stand. My mouth was beginning to water, and slowly I wasn't looking at this girl like a prisoner; no… she was food.

She was suffering, though. I should release her from that suffering, shouldn't I?

I felt the teeth in my mouth beginning to sharpen to razor knives, ready to carve into the soul in front of me. Slowly I reached a hand out to the little girl. My face curled slowly into a sadistic and frightening grin.

Fire.

All at once there was fire in my right eye. I gasped sharply and cried out, screaming and pain and stumbling back away from the cage and knocking into others. The fire burned so painfully, as if I was literally tossed into a pit of molten lava and was slowly burning to the core from the inside of my eye. I clawed my eye patch off of my face and nearly clawed my eye in itself out as I screamed in absolute agony. The souls around in the cages stirred, and then they even started to scream louder and louder, mixing with mine and echoing off the walls.

It was so loud in the room. I hissed painfully, able to see the glow of my eyes bounce off of the walls and coat the room in a violet red shade. Was I scaring all of the souls in the cages? Was that why they were screaming too? I held my head tightly and ran out of the room as fast as I could, almost running into more falls and escaping out into the open yet suffocating space.

Then it stopped.

I fell to my knees and curled up on the ground, panting heavily and shuddering violently in relief. My hands fell limply on the ground next to my face, and I could feel the slight scratches I had made on my face when I was clawing at my face so desperately to try to relieve the pain. Blood was caked a little underneath my fingernails a little, but compared to the molten torture I was just put through the little sting on my face was like a gentle caress of a nurturing mother.

"Young master!"

Sebastian? I sat up slowly just as Sebastian knelt down in front of me.

"I heard you scream; are you alright?" He gripped my shoulder lightly and grasped my chin, turning my face to the side a little to get a better look at the scratches on my face. "You look as if you were attacked by a wild animal." He sighed and smiled, shaking his head slowly. "You are so helpless on your own." He paused and arched an eyebrow at me as I stared at him. "Is there something wrong?"

Something wrong? If I was the one who looked like I was attacked by a wild animal, then Sebastian was completely mauled to death by a savage monster and was a talking corpse! Sebastian seemed completely clueless to the fact that he was covered with violent slashes that cut through his clothes and the blood that was dripping from his skin. He had lost his gloves and his tailed-coat was torn and shredded beyond repair and was clinging to his body by the seams. Cuts and tears of his skin marred his perfect face, distorting his appearance to a gruesome degree. Yet still, he knelt there bleeding profusely and probably in excruciating pain and asked me if something was wrong.

"What the HELL happened to you?" I reached up and stopped short of his grabbing his shoulders, my hands comically moving all over as if to try to find a spot on him that wasn't injured before just falling back to my sides.

Sebastian watched me for a moment in confusion before realization dawned on him. "Oh, the injuries." He shrugged it off, smiling at me reassuringly. "It is nothing to worry about; I will heal in no time."

"WHY are you injured so much?" I asked impatiently.

"Just a small punishment, nothing more, young master. Now, I suggest we return back to sleep. I fear that this place might be a little bit too much for your mind at this current state in time." He stood to his feet and held a scarred and bloodied hand out to me with a polite and carefree smile. I refused to take it and stood to my feet myself. He was injured enough; I wouldn't do anything that would cause him pain at the moment, no matter how much he insisted that he was perfectly fine.

Sebastian's smile lessoned for a moment before returning to normal. "Forgive me, my lord." I blinked in surprise when he reached out and took my hand in his on his own action. "But I must admit that you close me until we are safely alone and can rest in peace."

Blood rushed to my cheeks at the forward action that my butler would dare to do. I could feel his blood against my hand and the cuts brush against my skin. It was uncomfortable and made me want to pull away, but… in a way, I was just content with the fact the he was the one to take my hand.

I stubbornly kept my face composed and strong. "Fine, if you are so insecure and absolutely must, I suppose I shall allow if for now."

Sebastian just chuckled softly and turned, leading me in a different direction. I paid little attention to my surroundings, finding it easier to focus now that Sebastian was with me. I watched his back—even his back was littered with blood and scars!—as he walked, looking for any sort of limp or pain that he might have been enduring in silence, but not once did he even flinch. How was he able to hide it so easily?

"Your wounds are going to be tended to once we get back," I said firmly. Sebastian glanced over his shoulder at me in slight surprise.

"I shall heal easily, young master. There is no need to worry about someone as low as a servant."

"Regardless, they will be tended to. And just to make sure that they are, I will tend to them myself." I clenched my jaw tightly to keep a straight face. I had come to terms with my own emotions, embarrassing and shameful as they were. Seeing Sebastian like this concerned me. I wanted to make sure with my own eyes that he would truly be alright.

Sebastian blinked slowly before smiling and nodding. "Very well. I suppose it would be a good chance to teach you how to heal yourself in the process. Your face needs tending to as well." I had nearly forgotten the scars on my face at the time.

"Fine."

He led me into an enclosed room that was thankfully dimmed and far off from where I assumed we had begun; this place was so disorientating I had no idea where anything was, and was beginning to wonder if there was even an up or down to this Hell. Sebastian released my hand when we were inside, and for a split second it was just completely blank before a soft clack of a door shutting made me turn.

Sebastian was standing in front of a door, locking it from the inside with a key which he then stuffed into his coat pocket. What confused me the most was the fact that there was a door there now, where I clearly remember it just being a completely open space.

"What the-?" I turned around again and was stunned into silence when I saw the room had completely changed in less time it took me to blink. There was a canopy bed with a table next to it where a candle was sitting, giving the room a soft glow from the small bit of fire on the top of its wick. The room was a soft blue, deep in richness but not enough to overwhelm the eye. It was a very simple room, but the simplicity set my mind at ease; I knew what was in front of me and could comprehend it, unlike the rest of Hell. This was my temporary peace.

"Young master?" I turned to Sebastian as he stepped next to me. He smiled at me gently and nodded his head towards the bed. "Shall we return to sleep? We still have a little more time until we can return back to the human's world."

I narrowed my eyes a bit at him. "And what about your wounds?" He wasn't planning to try to get around it, was he?

"Young master, there is something you must understand." Sebastian reached out and lightly took my hand in his, leading be over to the bed and having me sit down. "Despite the fact that the 'other place' is a dream… well, in Hell, they might as well be another reality. All that we do, everything you learn all applies to your body on the outside as well as within the dream."

I stared at him blankly, trying to put the pieces together. "But… but that doesn't—! " I blinked and blushed when he placed a finger over my lips and fell silent.

Sebastian merely flashed me a charming smile and leaned down closer to me, only serving to make me feel more skittish and nervous. "Nothing here is supposed to make sense, remember?" For a moment his eyes darkened a little. "I believe your little 'friend' from before explained it to you…"

"If you mean that woman from before, she is not my friend." Something about her just didn't sit well with me. She was difficult to read at times, just like Sebastian was. All these demons… Was it just some sort of trait for them to be so utterly confusing and frustrating?

Sebastian chuckled softly. "That is a wise decision. Regardless… do you not trust me?" His eyes were practically smoldering and made me weak in the knees. I sat down on the bed and glanced away from him, trying to keep grasp on what sort of pride I had left.

"I suppose so," I mumbled, shutting my eyes and keeping my head turned away from him. I heard the soft sound of his laugh and felt the bed dip as he sat down next to me and the sudden warm of his arm around my shoulders. I grunted and opened my eyes a little and glanced up at him, trying to appear annoyed and resisting the urge to lean into his warm embrace. "What are you doing?"

Sebastian smiled at me as innocently as a demon like him could. "I just wish to make you comfortable, my lord." Lightly he tugged me further on the bed, and I followed him as we both lied down with our heads resting on the pillows. My face was involuntary flushing again with embarrassment; how indecent it was, to lay with one's servant, and a man at that! Still, the little voices in my mind and the pull at my heart would not allow me to simply ignore him.

My eyes slid shut as I tried to relax, even though Sebastian's presence did little to make me relax; each one of my nerves were practically on fire with him being so close. I sucked in a sharp breath of air when I felt the sudden caress of his hand on my cheek, brushing his thumb over the small scars near my right eye.

"Relax, Ciel," he whispered softly to me, his lips now brushing against my forehead as he spoke. "Just drift to your peaceful sleep… I'm right here."

…That was comforting to me. At least I wouldn't be falling alone this time.

"Young master?"

I opened my eyes slowly and looked up, seeing Sebastian standing next to my bed. The room had changed back to the one in my 'world', mirroring my room from my previous home. Sunlight poured in through the mirrors, casting everything in a calm and content glow. Sebastian still appeared how he did on the outside of the dream, disheveled with torn clothes and scars.

Immediately I got up from the bed and pointed at it. "Lay down."

Sebastian sighed with an amused smile and shook his head slowly, but complied and lied down on the bed. I reached over and tugged a little at the remains of his coat until he lightly grasped my hands and sat up again. "Allow me." He pulled off his tailed-coat and tugged off his tie before unbuttoning his vest and white shirt. "There is a first aid kit on the table," he said idly.

I had to tear my eyes away from his skin as it became more visible and turned to the bedside table. I didn't know the first thing about tending to injuries, but I could handle doing something as simple as tending to a few open wounds. When I turned around again, I nearly dropped the first aid kit to the floor when I saw Sebastian sitting there, shirtless and watching me.

Sebastian smirked in amusement as my face lit on fire. "Something troubling you, my lord?" He gestured me forward. "Are you not supposed to be tending to my wounds?"

I flushed angrily and put the first aid kit on the bed before climbing on, kneeling next to him. "Shut up." I pulled out the bandages and some cloth to clean the wounds when he lightly grasped my hands in his. I blinked and looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

Sebastian smiled in amusement. "How forgetful you are. Did I not say before that this would be another lesson for you?" He let go of one of my hands and reached up, brushing his fingertips against the scars on his face. "I will show you how to heal yourself, and you will copy me. Understand?"

"If weren't going to use the damn first aid kit, why'd you make me get up and retrieve it?"

"For my own amusement."

Asshole. I glared up at him and pushed his hand away from my face. "Fine." I sat back and watched him, waiting for him to 'teach' me.

He just smirked in amusement and sat up straighter. "It takes a bit of energy to pull off, but it'll get easier in time. Once again, it's all about mindset."

"That seems to be a pattern in this," I mumbled quietly. He arched an eyebrow at me and waited, and when I rolled my eyes and waved him on lazily he continued.

"Yes, mindset is often the key to just about anything demons can do. The mind is a very powerful thing, especially since demons have the ability to use the entire brain. Did you know humans use very little of their mind? A little more than half of the brain is left unused and just sits there."

"You're stalling."

"My apologies." Sebastian reached over and lightly brushed a strand of hair from my face, only to have it fall back in place. "Moving on, it's very simple to command the nerves in your body to stitch together flesh so finely that it leaves no scars. As you have seen I have even gone as far as to regrow limbs." He smiled, and as he spoke I could see the scars and gashes on his skin begin to grow tighter together and stitch up. Even the blood was drying up and disappearing from my eyes! "It's a very useful thing, wouldn't you say, young master?"

I blinked slowly for a moment before realizing that he was still speaking; I had gotten so wrapped up in watching his skin piece itself back together. "Eh? What?"

Sebastian laughed softly. "You seem rather distracted…" His hand wrapped around my arm and tugged me forward, and my face burned as I felt his arms lock around me in his firm grasp. "Pay attention, young master. You wouldn't want to miss anything important…" His hand found my right cheek again and brushed over the scars. "Now, I believe it's your turn…"

I grimaced a bit and tried to concentrate on the scars on my face, clenching my eyes shut. It was hard to focus with him right against me and his arms firmly around me. How did he expect me to accomplish a task with him hanging all over me? Regardless I let out a soft breath and forced myself to focus on the skin on my face… where Sebastian's thumb currently kept brushing against my cheek.

I flushed angrily and pushed his hand away, pulling myself out of his arms. "Don't touch me so easily! I can't focus with your clinging to me so much!"

My embarrassment and anger seemed to only amuse him all the more. Sebastian smirked and watched my expression like a hawk. "Very well then, my lord. By all means, I will not lay a hand on you as you attempt to concentrate." Still those crimson eyes stared at me.

I muttered under my breath and turned, facing the window instead of him and shutting my eyes again. I could feel his gaze upon me and attempted to keep my breathing even and controlled. Why must these emotions hinder me so? My heart beats erratically, my breathing grows shallow, every nerve in my body sparks to life… All because of Sebastian's presence! I simply had to do something about these feelings soon, before they slowly tore me apart from the inside out…

I twitched a little at the strange sensation of my skin pulling together, practically sewing back together without the use of a needle or thread. These were only simple scars as well; what would it have felt like if I had those same scars that Sebastian had, or if I had lost a limb? Such an uncomfortable feeling…

Feelings. AGAIN with those damn emotions! It would have been better if I didn't have any at all.

"Young master?" I slowly opened my eyes and glanced over at Sebastian. "Ah. Very good, not a trace of scars on your face whatsoever. You must have been focusing rather hard."

Focusing? On those scars? I did the exact opposite; I was focusing on him instead of the small flesh wound. "Of course." I rolled my eyes at him and looked away once again. "Such a simple task is no problem for me."

Suddenly Sebastian was right next to me again, his arm locking around me waist in an iron grip. "Yes," he purred in my ear in a low, husky tone. "Nothing is ever a problem for you… Correct, my lord?"

All words were trapped in my throat. My eyes widened as my heart kicked into a gallop in my chest, beating loud enough to the point where I was sure Sebastian could hear it. I was frozen in place like a trapped lamb about to be devoured. Normally the decision to push him away would've been very simple for me to make. This time, however, I was at war with myself; should I move away, or should I give into the temptation and desire and lean into his embrace?

Sebastian didn't seem the type to be very patience. I let out a soft gasp when I felt his teeth on my ear, nibbling almost playfully and his breath falling over my skin. I bit my lip and turned my head away as my face burned. Why was it so conflicting? Why did I have to constantly have a battle raging inside me? Wouldn't it have been easier if I just gave up?

…No. I wouldn't be played like a harp. I would not allow this demon to get the best of me.

"Why do you do this?" I fought to keep my voice steady as his lips trailed over my skin. "All the time, talking in riddles and confusing me and sending so many mixed messages…" He stopped. I turned my head and looked up at him, seeing him watching me intently.

Sebastian stayed silent for a moment before sighing softly with a small, tired smile. "…You really have no idea." He shut his eyes and lightly rested his head on top of my own. My own eyes slid shut as I allowed myself to relax in the small gesture.

"Then tell me…"

Sebastian chuckled softly against my hair. "Oh Rose, thou art sick. The invisible worm that flies in the night, in the howling storm has found out thy bed of crimson joy…" Slowly he pulled back a little and looked down into my eyes, his gaze gentle yet almost… sad. "And his dark secret love… does thy life destroy."

I watched his quietly, trying to make sense of the words he was sprouting from his lips. "…And what does that mean?"

Again, he laughed quietly and placed a soft kiss upon my forehead. "Something like this, young master… may only end in endless pain. As selfish as I may be, I wouldn't wish something as dark and twisted as this upon you." Why did his gaze have to be so deceivingly sweet and kind as he flat-out rejected me? "It would be much easier if you hated me."

Tightly my hands clenched over my lap as the rock inside me that held my thoughts strong crumble to pebbles. Why must he push me away, and yet pull me closer? "…You don't make any sense."

He smiled sadly. "That is why the very bowels of Hell were named after me."

I pushed myself away from him angrily and stood to my feet, my body trembling as I stared at him with what I hoped was absolute hatred instead of the stabbing pain and loneliness that my heart was screaming. "You push me away, saying that it would have been better if I hated you, and yet you whisper those sweet words in my ear about us being MADE for one another! Which is it! What is it you want?

Sebastian's smile slid off of his face into his composed and unemotional mask. I wanted to just shake him and scream at the top of my lungs and… and just cry. I hadn't felt such a strong want and desire to cry like a child and just somehow let the pain out. I didn't UNDERSTAND HIM! I never could, and I probably never would!

"…I am selfish, my lord. I want far too many things to even begin to count them." He stood to his feet and took his torn shirt and coat, slipping them on just to cover his bare skin from sight. "Remember this hate and anger you feel towards me. It's far better for your sanity if you do." He wouldn't look at me in the eye as he walked towards the door. "Our final test will be tomorrow." His hand was on the doorknob. "After that, we will return to the human world and plan our next movements."

I watched him almost helplessly, wanting to tell him to stop talking such nonsense. I didn't care about my sanity. I didn't care about my wellbeing, my life, returning back to the real world. I just… I just wanted him, even if it killed me.

Sebastian… Am I so insignificant to you? Do you detest me? Do you love me? Do you want me dead?

My hand twitched at my side as I resisted the urge to reach out to him and grab him by his sleeve. Such a childish gesture, filled with desperation for contact and comfort.

"Good night, my lord." The door slid shut without a sound that still managed to roar in my ears. The sunlight of the afternoon day continued to pour inside through the window.

I stood there for what must have been hours; by the time I finally sat down on the bed again, the sun had set and darkness crawled in the shadows. Sebastian hadn't returned once. I stared numbly at my hands.

Was this? Was there no hope now? Sebastian's words rang in my ear like an annoying bell; "I am selfish, my lord. I want far too many things to even begin to count them."

Slowly my head tilted back and stared up at the ceiling. Selfish… Selfishness… Did he not want me because he believed he was being to selfish? Was this why he constantly teased me? Was he just getting a taste, then pushing it away so he could resist?

My hands clenched over my lap. "Does it even matter anymore?" I looked outside at the clear night sky, the forever full moon shining brightly in the sky. Does it matter anymore, Sebastian? We have an eternity together; did it appear like I cared if we were both selfish or if I lived in pain?

I can be selfish too.

With a sudden surge of determination, I sat there in the darkness and began to plan my next move for our last day. This wasn't over.

Ciel Phantomhive never admits defeat.

A/N: Hoshit. X.x That took quite a while. Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out everyone! With school, distractions, and ups and downs in writing moods, this chapter fought with me a little. xD But I got it out today! That makes things easier, and I can relax and work on the very point in the climax.

The part everyone has been waiting for is in the next chapter; fluff, passion, and Ciel and Sebastian finally letting themselves fall together. ;3 That's all I'll say for now.

Only two more chapters are left! I'm slowly but surely planning some sort of sequel in my head, but it'll be a slow work in progress. Thank you for everyone who's stuck with me from the beginning. :3

A little explanation! : I was literally FLAILING over what exactly Hell should be, or what Sebastian's "real name" should be. I know that the explanation of Hell is a bit confusing, so I'll try to explain it the best I possibly can.

Hell: Basically Hell is the world of Not; nothing is ever just one thing. Constantly the mind is in a set of confusion, bewilderment, and soon that mind-frame escalates to pure insanity. All the senses are overloaded as the brain tries to make sense of everything around it, and eventually the mind just shuts down to almost a comatose state (like how we saw the human souls from before). From the female demon that Ciel encounters, we learn that all the human souls, in fact, torture themselves.

I thought it was a bit interesting to try to think of what would truly be a cruel way to torture a human being yet satisfy the laziness that most demons would probably feel. Needless to say I had to dip into my maniacal little brain and pull out something that I hoped would be original, yet not too strange to comprehend (yet not comprehend, since Hell is uncomprehend able… maybe? O-o )

Sebastian's Name: When I think of Sebastian, I can tell he's probably not one of the round-about demons that are not really important. He's one of a kind, so like everyone else I believe he is a bit higher up and probably one of the oldest and strongest demons out there, but not drawing the line that would match up to Lucifer or Satan of course. I had to do some intense staring at a picture of Sebastian to try to come up with a name. (It was very frustrating, I'll tell you that. =.= ) I wanted to stick with the Latin trend I had set up. (I figured Latin was one of the first languages that demons probably spoke) and looked up the Latin translations for a few words that came to my mind as I thought about him. Soon enough Hell just popped into my mind (it was so obvious, yet secretive). There were a number of results, but Infernum stuck out to me the most. I suppose my own little twist on it is the fact that Hell was named after Sebastian and not the other way around; since Sebastian is a little bit of everything and very confusing, I thought that it would tie in well with what I believe Hell to be.

Exspecto die cum Intellegat preciosus: Latin phrase from chapter five. Roughly it translates to, "I await the day you understand, my precious one."

Chapter reviews:

Might I start off by saying I absolutely love you guys? 8'D Over twenty reviews for one chapter! I couldn't believe it! Needless to say this shall be a long response list for all you amazing people. Thank you so much for your support!

theNewDesire: Aw, thank you for the kissies! *blushes* I'm glad you liked the intensity. =3=

dreamgirl96: Is it bad that I'm happy you were on the verge of tears? xDD I'm glad you loved the chapter!

Totalamuto: Hehe, when are they not cute or smexy? ;3 I hope the wait was worth it!

Yuuki-Ravna: Yay for hearts stopping? 8'D Yes, trust me, I'm so relieved that Ciel finally figured things out. =3= Yet that STILL doesn't lower his stress level. Poor guy's probably got high blood pressure like hell. xD

Queen Lucia: Yes, yes, Sebastian will definitely be there for him in the end. (If he wasn't I'd clobber him. *cough cough* ) Ciel's always in conflict. xD He overthinks things a lot~

Rayofdarkness: Aw, I'm sorry that I'm driving you so crazy! There wasn't much cuddly-ness in this chapter, but I definitely promise there will be in the next two chapters!

SugarLuna: Thank you so much! Ciel's emotions are fun to explore since he often doesn't let us see them. I try my hardest to make my writing flow smoothly. I couldn't resist from stopping on at least one cliffhanger in this fanfic. =3=

HonoNoTsubasa: Those are my favorite sorts of stories; that's the main reason why I love to write in first person view instead of third person. Sorry for the torturous cliffhanger! It's a little fun to do that sometimes. xD Thank you for your review so much!

The Three March Hares: Yay, more luv! 8D Hehe, thank you so much! You're the first one who's had a 'Grell moment' xDD on here!

Kyzara77: Oh mai, my first marriage proposal. xDD ONLY IN VEGAS! Kidding. =3= I'm glad you love my story~

Ren-Bun: o-o Oh dear, don't do that. I'd die if I ever killed my laptop. xDD I hope the wait for the next chapter was worth it!

LittleBlackRaven: Thank you for your anxiousness! 8'D I hope the new chapter is worth the wait!

Hitomi-chanchan: I put the translation up above the review responses. :3 Yes, the mirror scene is both my most hated but favorite. Just so intense~ And Sebastian has his reasons for being a tease. You'll find out next chapter. ;3

Jillkun-ness: Yay! That's my main goal, getting the reader so close to the story that they feel the main character's emotions! =3=

FifthDayofMay: o-o Oh mai, I'm sorry for driving you crazy! D8 But I'm happy you liked it so much and read up on the chapters. Sorry you had to stop at the cliffy, that is quite evil. 8'D (Wow, high as a kite on drugs? 8'D Love the little picture that painted in my head! ) Hehe, I figured Ciel wouldn't lose EVERYTHING he was as a human; I pulled a few strings and actually ended up making him more emotional, ho ho ho~ ;D Aw, yes, Sebastian will be there to catch him. =3= Thank you so much for your review!

Kura Datenshi: Oh yes, he is one hell of a butler, after all. Of course he would be cruel and a bit sneaky. ;3 Thank you so much for your review!

Fluffylova: I hope the wait was worth it! :3

Mistress Sayu: Yes, technically Ciel can make a contract with a human. :3

A/N:: Thank you all for your reviews! Have an awesome weekend and see you in the next chapter!