Loss pulled the broken child into her arms as he released a pained sob.
He's dead... Ciel thought.
She pulled Ciel away slightly so she could look at his face. She nearly sighed in relief. The mark was faded, but it was still there. Under blood and tears and pain, a testimony to Sebastian's continued existence. It could no longer glow. It couldn't hold demon and human together anymore.
Loss shushed Ciel and wiped his eye gently with her thumb. She quickly ripped a large bit of the sleeve off of the boy's coat, and tied it around his face as a make-shift eye patch.
"You're okay." she cooed. She couldn't even begin to imagine both the physical and mental pain Ciel was suffering right now.
"You're okay," she repeated softly. "Sebastian's okay."
Did she know that for certain? Not at all, but she knew for a fact that Sebastian was still alive. The mark hadn't faded completely, as it would have if Sebastian had died.
Ciel stiffened and tried to push Loss away. "I'm fine." he murmured.
They stared at each other for a moment. Loss took in the boy's disheveled appearance. The dirty clothes, the messy hair, the dark bags under his eyes. They boy had refused to eat anything since Loss found him, which was about two days ago, and he was already beginning to lose weight.
Ciel was far from fine, and they both knew it. But the boy was far too proud to admit that he was anything other than 'fine'. He didn't need or want the concern of any other living thing. The cage had made him so. No one cared for him when he was trapped in that damned occult, so why should they now?
Ciel gazed into Loss's eyes. They seemed to have changed color since when he last saw them. They were a strange blue and purple pattern last time. Now they were simply a spiral of blue and gray. Beautiful. Mesmerizing somehow. Nostalgic.
"Hey," a small voice said, "Hey, you!"
A small, emaciated child turned to the source of the sound. Hunched over in the cage next to his was a little girl, about the same age as him. She had long black hair and gray-blue eyes. She was thin, but not starved. But that wasn't what drew his attention to her. It was her smile, the way she radiated life. No one else smiled in this hell.
She's new. Ciel thought absently. She doesn't know. They never do until it's too late.
The idea that this little light in his dark world would soon be crushed saddened him, but that's how life was here.
"How long have you been here?" she asked quietly.
Ciel simply shrugged. The girl sighed in annoyance.
"Why doesn't anyone talk to me here!?"
What a bright little spark she was. It was such a shame she had to end up here. It would be hard to put her out, but they always did in the end.
Ciel rolled his eyes and turned his back to her. She let out a gasp of surprise.
"Oh, what's that on your back?" she asked innocently.
Ciel was wearing nothing but a rag wrapped across his legs. The brand was easily visible. He turned his neck so that just the side of his face was visible.
"Oh this?" he said bitterly, "Why this is just my 'seal of purity'. Don't worry, you'll get one soon, too."
The girl swallowed, and then looked down. The silence between them lengthened the sound of breaking bread made the boy turn to her with starving eyes.
She was holding out half a loaf of bread.
Ciel stared at it as if it was sacred. He hadn't even seen a scrap of food in a week! How on earth did she manage to acquire such a luxury?
"You look hungry." she said simply.
Ciel stared at her with disbelief. Slowly, cautiously, like a dog fearing punishment for what he was about to do, he reached out and took the precious bread, then snatched his hand away as if he expected her to steal it away and laugh. She simply stared curiously at him, wondering why he was acting so strange over a bit of food.
Their eyes met for a moment, and then he was suddenly devouring the bread like the starved animal he was. He suddenly looked up at the sound of laughter. The girl... she was laughing at him! Did she find the fact that she had food while everyone else starved funny!?
"Slow down!" She laughed innocently. "You'll choke. I'm sure they will bring more!"
He stared at her, amazed at her naivety. Did she really not know that she was in the closest thing to hell? The kinds of horrors she would soon know? Was she completely oblivious to the fact that she was in a cage? Did she know that she wouldn't be seeing anymore food for weeks? Obviously not, or she probably wouldn't have shared it.
She took a small bite of bread. "I'm Akuma. What's your name?"
He hesitated. "Ciel."
She reached through the bars of her cage to take his hand in hers in a warm gesture of friendship.
"Ciel?"
He shook his head to pull himself from the memories.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.
"Me? Oh, um... yeah. I'm fine."
She raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"It's not like I'm dying or anything!" he snapped.
That statement was true, but he was still close. The pain in his head was maddening.
"Let's just go!"
Loss sighed, but picked herself up anyways.
"Come on," she said. "After we make it out of this forest, we will be in London."
He stared ahead, spotting a clearing in the trees some distance away where he assumed the forest ended. The two started walking.
HAPPY UPDATE, MY SEXY BITCHES!
legasp! New character! Fun fact about Akuma: her name means 'demon' in japanese.
No news with Sebastian this chapter, but let us all assume he is still getting his ass beat by that bitch angel, yes?
This is a first: I'm happy with this chapter. Not decently happy, but really friggn happy. I just had a lot of fun pounding away on my keyboard writing this while jamming out to Black Veil Brides. My insomnia is acting up, so I was able to stay up real late writing this shit for you. Be happy.
I feel so bad because I have completely abandoned my other stories in favor of writing this. I completely ditched my homework for this.
So, I'm starting this new thing where you guys can ask questions about the story in the reviews, and I will give you answers in the AN of the next chapter. No major spoilers though, sorry. So ask away
Minor spoilers below!
So, you all ask, What is the deal with Loss? Well, I'm sure this slow progression is killing you, but I will say that Loss has an... interesting past with Sebastian. Were they lovers? family? friends? enemies? Hah, like I'm gonna tell you now.
Now there is this new person we have to deal with, Akuma. She is going to be a pretty significant character, so you should watch out for her. She's only gonna appear in flashbacks for a while, but just wait till we see her in person!
Loss's real name shall soon be known! What, you thought Loss was her real name? LOL NOPE!
To answer a few questions.
No, I do not plan on killing Sebastian. I plan on torturing the shit out him, though. If you wanna see Sebby death, go read my story called Checkmate -shameless plug-
The contract is not truly broken. It's like at the end of the first season when Sebby lost his arm and Claude was able to invade the contract.
End Spoiler alert
Speaking of Claude, do you want him and all the other trancy losers to make an appearance in HBC? You do? Well so do I, but it's not gonna happen. I can't think of a way to put those guys in there without ruining the story I already have in mind. I do plan on putting the Trancy Losers in my other fic, The Raven and the Wolf. Whenever I get around to updating it.
The poll in my profile has been updated with a new option! If you've already voted in the poll, but want to vote for the new option, just pm me to let me know!
wow... that was a real long AN...
BYE! ^_^