Chapter Forty-Nine

Crossroads Butler. Vivisecting Bride

"I'll fall off! I'll do it!"


At the sound of those words, Ciel opened his eyes. His right eye was unmarred by his contract seal. Dressed in the borrowed nightshirt, he glanced around the black dreamscape.

"What is this?!" he cried out. "I… How did I come to be here, and why?"

He concentrated, and found himself watching everything through Alois's eyes. They zoomed in on Sebastian and Marianne as they stood beside Claude and Hannah.

"Father? Mother?"


Sebastian turned to Hannah.

"I must find some way to convince you to return My Young Master to us as himself," he said. "Fortunately, I can be quite persuasive…"

"I wouldn't advice killing me." Hannah retorted. "If you do that…"

"I'll have to fall!" Alois/Ciel laughed.

Sebastian glared at the boy, and Marianne kept her eyes focused on her child. She wouldn't put it past Alois to make him jump, just for his own amusement. Hannah continued to speak.

"If you hadn't noticed, Ciel Phantomhive's body now belongs to my Master. Alois Trancy's soul was taken into Ciel Phantomhive, absorbed by him. It waited ever so quietly, for the proper time to reawaken," she explained. "The soul took advantage of a weakness in Ciel Phantomhive's heart. It used this weakness to steal Phantomhive's body, using his own eye."

"So, that's why you ate it." Marianne said suddenly.

The three demons turned to her, but she didn't look at them.

"You wanted Ciel to see that eye, to send him into hysterics, and make it possible for Alois to slip through the cracks and take over for however long he could."

Claude scowled.

"The Young Master's body is now Alois's hostage. So, our hands are tied."

"I'm going to fall!" the boy yelled. "I'm going to fall right off, Sebastian!"

"There's more to the situation than that." Hannah said. "Your hands may be tied, but your hearts aren't, are they?"

The butlers' eyes widened.

"Prepare yourselves. I'm sending you on a journey."

Sebastian arched a brow.

"Indeed."

The maid's lips twisted up into a grotesque lavender smirk.

"All of you are eager to retrieve Ciel Phantomhive. To do so, you must journey through the Labyrinth of Alois Trancy's heart. Following the painful twists and turns that comprise it."


It wasn't long before the two butlers stood at the entrance holding a pair of purple books.

"We're being sent to collect stamps throughout the garden." Claude said. "Why, this is beneath our dignity."

From the ledge at the top of the clock tower, Hannah and Marianne stood at the top with Alois/Ciel.

"Come to me, and you had best be quick about it!" he called out. "Unless you fancy the bitter taste of defeat."

Sebastian sighed.

"I suppose we must."

"The only thing I'll be tasting is the sweet flavour of Ciel Phantomhive's young soul." Claude commented.

The raven glared at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Must you be so utterly distasteful?" he retorted.

They were silent before they ran into the maze together.


Ciel stared out in amazement.

That's what happened? Alois has taken over my body. I have his memories.

The scene of his home burning appeared before him.

Memories… My mansion burning…

It then changed to Arachnophile as it was brought to ashes.

A village burning?

He shook his head.

That's not right. I don't know this place.

It turned back to the mansion when he was running through the corridors.

It was my mansion. I was looking for my mother and father.

Bursting through the door where he was meant to find them, he found himself running into the square of the village. Luca's body was lying on the ground.

A boy? Who is he?

He paused for a moment.

No. This memory… This memory isn't mine!


Sebastian and Claude stood before a small ornate box.

"What have we here?" asked Claude as he opened the lid.

Inside was an envelope. He opened it and pulled out a question card.

"Question: What is Alois Trancy's real name?"

Sebastian answered first.

"I believe I can recall the answer to that. Alois's real name was Jim Macken."

Just then, vines sprung out from the hedges and coiled around him. He was lifted into the air and held there. Sebastian glared down at Claude as he spoke.

"Wrong answer. The garden is enchanted. It will repel those that don't belong. I'm glad to see it works well." He then turned back to the hedge before them. "The answer Jim Macken is wrong. His real name is Alois Trancy."

The hedge opened to reveal a set of stairs leading up to a desk.

"How so?" Sebastian inquired. "I thought that was the name given to him by the former Earl Trancy; the man who defiled him."

Claude nodded his head.

"True, but however vile the man might have been, Alois was still quite taken by his new name."

He ran forward and Sebastian gritted his teeth.

"So, that's how this game is played. The thing is true only if Alois Trancy thinks it is. That complicates matters."

Claude stepped up to the desk, where a stamp and inkwell awaited him. He placed the first stamp in his book; a rose. He glanced over his shoulder at Sebastian.

"I'll be on my way then."

He took a left and disappeared out of sight.


Sebastian continued to struggle against the vines, but they only wrapped around him tighter. As he fought, Grell appeared to gaze up at him.

"Lovely! Squeeze his supple flesh tighter…! Oh yes! What a perfect shot! A perfect pose of agony."

He aimed his camera and soon found himself staring at Sebastian's expressionless face and burning eyes.

"So sexy!" The Reaper looked up at him. "Hello there."

The demon only stared at him.

"Maybe just one more photograph…?"

He continued to stare. Grell bowed his head in defeat.

"Eh, you're a grim fellow."

He revved up his Death Scythe and sliced through the binds. Sebastian quietly landed on his feet, looked over his shoulder, and frowned at the Reaper.

"Dead right, I am."


Claude came up to the next box. He pulled the card out of the envelope.

"Question: What is Alois Trancy's favourite thing to eat?" he read. He sighed. "That's easy enough to answer. Greasy fish and chips."

An archway formed in the hedges. The demon looked at it for a moment.

"Foolish," he said. "What is the point of this?"

He carried on regardless.


Alois/Ciel laughed loudly as he and the ladies watched the proceedings. He was scratching his nails against the pale skin of his stomach, leaving violent red marks etched into his flesh.

"Brilliant! Just brilliant!" he cheered. "See how Claude knows me? He doesn't hesitate. He knows all of me. Every last bit, right down to the deepest, most tender parts."

The boy continued to laugh, even when his scratching began to ooze blood. Hannah observed this and spoke up.

"Perhaps you should be more careful, My Lord."

He glared at her.

"Worried about this body, are you?" he snapped.

Alois/Ciel lowered his shirt and stepped menacingly towards her.

"This precious body? You like Ciel Phantomhive more than me too!"

He kicked her in the stomach, sending her toppling to the floor. The boy continued his attack on her, refusing to let up even for a moment.

"Why's he so special? What does he have that I don't? Answer me, Hannah! Answer me!"

She didn't respond.

Alois/Ciel then turned to Marianne, who stood watching them silently, her lips pursed in a thin line. She drummed her fingers against her arm, waited for him to make his next move…


Sebastian and Grell stood in front of the next question. The demon pulled out the card and read the question.

"Question: True or false? Alois Trancy died a beautiful death, as was his due. His body was never defiled by Earl Trancy."

Two doors stood before them, with corresponding symbols on them depending on the answer. They looked between them.

"What the devil is this about?" Grell asked.

"The actual answer would be false. Though… the previous question had nothing to do with the real truth." Sebastian said.

He pondered what to do before he turned to the Reaper, clamping his hands on his shoulders.

"I need you. I want to make you fly. You would enjoy that, wouldn't you?"

Grell blushed as red as his hair.

"Oh Bassy, I'll fly for you."

Without preamble, Sebastian picked up Grell as though he were a bride, lifted him above his head, and threw him through the false door like a missile. Grell let out a scream before what was on the other side of the door exploded.

"Farewell, my love!"

Sebastian straightened his tailcoat.

"Thought so."

He smashed through the true door and continued up the next stamp. Grell lay in a charred heap nearby.

"Don't worry dear readers, I shall await your kind letters."

The demon opened his book.

"My suspicions were correct," he said. "Whoever is writing these questions is cheating."

The stamp of a joker stared back at him.

"Ridiculous. This is a clown's maze."

He closed his book and carried on.


Ciel stood in his dreamscape.

"I have to remember. There was a fire. My parents were killed. And then I signed a contract with… Sebastian. I vowed to get revenge, to punish the people responsible for it all. I stopped him from killing Marianne… no, Mother."

Flashes of the Eiffel Tower… A girl dressed in black… A veil over her face…


"Well, answer me!" Alois/Ciel yelled.

He stopped his attack and clutched his chest. Marianne hurried forward and hovered her hands over his shoulders.

"What is it?" she asked.

"He's pitching some kind of fit. The little brat!" he hissed.

He moved away from them and stepped to the edge.

"Now, Claude, hurry up!" he called out. "I mean it! Get up here! Stop dawdling! I gave you an advantage in this game!"

Marianne rolled her eyes.

That won't make things better.


Claude scowled as he held the next question in his hand.

"Such pointless encouragement," he said. He read the card. "Next up, repeat the phrase 'Yes, Your Highness' three full times."

A sigh slipped through his lips.

"Yes, Your Highness. Yes, Your Highness. Yes, Your Highness."

The next stamp he received was a heart.

"Silly."


The boy laughed to himself, Hannah and Marianne watched him closely.

"Yes, Your Highness…" he said. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "Don't you see now? He's still my butler. He loves me. He does. I knew he did. Claude really does love me."

"Master…" Hannah asked. "Then why are you crying?"

My Lord, only wait. I will show you real love.

She glanced at Marianne and saw the calm expression on her face. Alois/Ciel then clutched his stomach, his eyes widened. He didn't hear Hannah call out to him, or feel Marianne's hands gently steadying him.


That's right! Ciel realised. His contract seal blazed brightly in his right eye. Sebastian, Mother and I learned that the Queen was responsible. She was the target for my revenge. An angel was involved as well… One who coveted Mother to the point of elevating her to the status of the Virgin Mary… He wanted to use her as his broodmare…

The scene of Sebastian and Ash fighting flashed before him… The Queen lying in a pool of her own blood… Her veiled hat flying away into the wind to reveal her youthful face… Victoria being carried off in Ash's arms…

Wait… What am I seeing?

He remembered the angel joining the bridge together, petrified and twisted in stone and mortar.

The angel is dead? And the Queen too? What does this mean? Have I…? Have I…?


Alois/Ciel clutched his head, pain exploding behind his eyes. The sound of rumbling echoed loudly down below.

"What…?" Hannah gasped.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"It's the Labyrinth."

Before their eyes, the hedges began to change shape, leaves and branches twisting and turning into different shapes.

"The maze is transforming!" Alois/Ciel cried.

"This Labyrinth was designed specifically to follow the dictates of your heart, My Lord. Only now, Ciel Phantomhive's will is exerting itself." Hannah explained.

"His will?!"

Just then, they heard Marianne let out a soft laugh.

"You should have thought about who you're fighting against," she said. "The truth will come out."


Sebastian opened the next envelope and read the question.

"Question: Ciel Phantomhive was wronged. Has he already achieved his revenge?"

He furrowed his brow at those words and looked up to the clock tower.

"This one is different."

The demon caught sight of the trio on the platform, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, the answer is yes."

The hedge opened a porthole and revealed the rewarded stamp.

"My child…"

Sebastian stepped through and placed the stamp in his book: an eye-patch-wearing rabbit.

"This is Bitter Rabbit, one of Funtom's best selling items."

He looked up at the tower again.

"Ciel, you're up there now, aren't you? Waiting with your mother."


Ciel's eyes widened when he heard the answer.

"Yes, that's how it happened. I got my revenge. And as per the contract, the transition was about to begin…" he said. "But wait… it didn't."


The demon looked at the card that followed.

"Question: After the terms of the contract were met, why didn't Sebastian Michaelis complete the final transi-transaction?"

Sebastian lowered the card.

"Our contract…" He removed his left glove with his teeth and exposed his contract seal. "I lost this arm temporarily, and the contract seal along with it."

Placing his hand over his right eye, he continued to explain.

"Knowing all this, the demon, Claude Faustus seized the opportunity. He took advantage of the situation to steal your soul from you."

Another passage opened. Sebastian walked up the stairs and got the next stamp. A goose stared back at him.

"A goose? A silly goose, of course," he chuckled. "That's my… Young Master."


Alois/Ciel snarled loudly, his fists shaking.

"How dare you interfere, brat?!"

He began to punch himself repeatedly in the face. Marianne stepped forward and latched her hands onto his wrists.

"That is enough of that!" she yelled.

The boy struggled against her, trying to continue the attack on his body.

"Bounder, I'll kill you!"

"Do you even realise that you're hurting yourself as well?!" Marianne snapped.

Hannah hurried over and checked him.

"Please, be careful."

"This is my game!" Alois/Ciel said, clutching his head. "There are things I want to ask Claude too, you know!"

Hannah then turned her head back towards the maze.

"Master, look there. See? It's Claude. He's near the end, he's reached the final question station."

Alois/Ciel smiled brightly. Marianne moved away just enough to watch their reactions.

"Finally, at last I can ask," he said. "Tell me, why did you do it, Claude?"


Claude stood before the final gate.

"The final question, answer this: Why did Claude kill Alois Trancy?"

The demon's eyes narrowed as he read it.

"Alright, I murdered him out of passion. I killed him for love. It was the only way that I could…"

He let out a sigh. His eyes glowed before settling on deep red with burning black slits.

"I needed you as a tool to obtain Ciel Phantomhive's soul. That's the reason why I murdered you."


The boy's eyes widened. Marianne could almost hear the shattering of his heart.


Claude fell through a trapdoor that opened beneath his feet.


"Why? Why Claude?" Alois/Ciel asked. "You could have just lied. You must have figured out how the questions were created! But you still… You still gave that answer."


Sebastian… That's right. In the end, Sebastian saw to it that I got my revenge. Ciel thought this as he stared out over the black dreamscape. Which means that I… I should have been…

He paused for a moment.

But wait… I haven't called him that for some time… What I call him now is…


Alois/Ciel clutched his head once again.

"Why Claude?"

He collapsed and fell into Marianne's arms. She silently stroked his hair and glared at Hannah every time she tried to reach out and touch him.

"Young Master!"

"Why? Why are you fighting me, Ciel? How greedy must you be?"

The boy looked up at Marianne with tears in his eyes.

"Of all people, Claude is dashing to and fro trying to save you. Now, isn't that rich?" he laughed. "Can't you even enjoy that? What more do you need?"

Marianne tilted his chin up.

"Silly boy, you can't even tell that Ciel never wanted Claude. He has everything he needs, why would he want even more?" she asked.

As he reached out to her slowly, Hannah quickly intervened and pulled him into her arms.

"Hush, don't cry," she whispered.

Alois/Ciel fought against her hold.

"Let me go! Piss off!" he shouted.

"There's no need to cry, you'll always be the best there is… Big Brother."

Marianne clenched her fists.

"So, that is your game," she said.


Back at the start of the maze, one of the statues at the entrance moved and revealed a hole. Claude climbed out of it.

"Back to the beginning then," he sighed.

He stepped up to the first station.

"First question: why did Luca sign a contract with Sebastian Michaelis?" he read. The demon shook his head. "How should I answer this one when the question itself is inherently incorrect. The underlying assumption is quite wrong. The contract was not signed with Sebastian, but Hannah Annafellows. It was her, also known as the Sheathe that holds a Demon Sword."


Alois/Ciel looked up at Hannah, who gazed down at him with love in her eyes.

"Hannah, what is Claude saying?" he asked. "Luca signed a contract with you?"

The maid smiled.

"Yes, Master. My sole desire is to fulfil your wishes. I delight in doing so. In part, because that is all that Luca, who sleeps within me wishes to do."

He stared up at her with tears in his eyes.


She went on to explain.

"Demons have too much time. I had more than I knew what to do with."


In a dark castle, the triplets tended to her every need. Brushing her hair, filing her nails, polishing her stiletto boots. Clad in leather that left little to the imagination, Hannah lounged on a chaise; a pair of dark roses decorated with thorns adorned her hair in a fascinator.


"Human souls were merely food to me. They were dull, nothing more than sustenance. But then, that changed…"


Luca gazed up at Hannah with childish awe.

"Wow!" he cried. "You really came!"

It took a moment for her to answer.

"I am here, yes. But shouldn't you be afraid of dying, boy?" she responded.

"Of course I am scared!" Luca told her. "I'm about to piss meself."

"But why call me?"

The boy smiled brightly up at her.

"Because it will make my brother happy."

A gasp escaped her. Her eyes widened until her pupils were nothing more than pin pricks.


"He was different. Nothing at all like the souls I'd eaten before."


Luca bowed to Alois.

"Yes, Your Highness."

The two boys laughed together, while Hannah watched them from her perch upon a rooftop. Her eyebrows drooped and her eyes softened as she stared at Luca.


"He was wholly devoted to his brother. I was surprised. I began to feel something that I never had before. He became… precious to me."


Her gaze hardened again.


"Still, I was a demon. There was only one thing I could do for him; grant his wish like the contract stipulated."


Flames exploded through the village. Smoke and death ran rampart through the streets, and corpses lay with gaping mouths and sightless eyes as the fire roared through the thatched houses.


"And grant it, I did. Even if it meant devouring his soul…"


She found Luca later, lying on the ground, covered in a layer of dirt. The boy smiled at the sight of her.

"It's you…" he said. "You made my wish come true like you said. Thank you so much."

A gasp caught in her throat at his words. He only continued to smile at her as the light faded from his eyes.


"Nothing like that had happened before. It was the first time a soul I'd eaten… had been grateful."


Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she wept for the boy who crept into her black heart.


Claude moved onto the next question.

"Question: was Claude Faustus aware that Hannah Annafellows had made a contract with Luca?"

He looked up and didn't hesitate as he answered.

"The answer is yes."

He remembered their encounter well…


Claude sat behind his desk at the Trancy manor, Hannah and the triplets stood before him.

"So, this Luca boy was in the habit of calling the Master 'Your Highness', was he? How very fascinating," he said.


"Hannah was fiercely obsessed with the soul of Alois Trancy's younger brother. It was a queer way of thinking for a demon. It aroused my interest."


Back on top of the tower, Marianne watched silently as Hannah and Alois/Ciel looked at one another.

"Is it true?" he asked.

Hannah cupped his face.

"Master, I can still see Luca within you. No matter how much you despised me, just being near you made me happy. That closeness was almost enough for me," she said. "I love him, Luca. But that's not the whole of it. I love my Master, Jim Macken."

She smiled.

"Now Master, no, Brother, sign a new contract with me. And then, you'll be reunited, both of you inside me. It's what we desire most, myself and Luca."


Claude stood at the final gate once again.

"Final question: answer this, why did Claude murder Alois Trancy?"

He turned his gaze up the tower.

"I'll say it again. I killed you to gain Ciel Phantomhive."

The trapdoor opened beneath his feet, but he leapt out the way before he could fall. Vines made to attack him, and he dodged them all. Even a falling pillar didn't disrupt his path, followed by another one.

"I won't fall for the same trick," he said.

That was until another trapdoor opened up beneath him. He grabbed the ledge and made to pull himself up when a black shoe stepped on top of one hand. Claude looked up and found himself staring up at Sebastian.

"Good evening, Claude." Sebastian greeted. "So nice to see you."


Hannah and Alois/Ciel stared at one another.

"Luca… Hannah… I can be one with you, the people who truly love me? The people I should love more than anyone?" he asked.

He made to reach for her, but stopped when pain shot through his head. His eye flickered with Ciel's contract seal before Alois's tried to overtake it.

"It's Ciel!" he cried.

The boy staggered to his feet, reaching out towards the maze.

"I…"

Marianne jolted. She recognised Ciel's voice. After hearing Alois's voice coming from his mouth all this time, it was a relief to hear it again.

"I have one last question…" he said.

"Ciel, stop it!" Alois retorted, gaining back control.

Hannah desperately tried to help as Ciel let out another protest.

"One more question…!"


Sebastian looked up and saw one last envelope, waiting for him. Without moving, he took it into his hand and broke the seal.

"Final question: answer this, what is the title Ciel Phantomhive uses for Sebastian Michaelis?" he read.

A soft smile touched his lips.

"Such a question. I have earned many titles in my existence: demon, butler, executioner. The list is endless. To my beloved Marianne, I am Husband and Mate. And to Ciel Phantomhive… I am Father."


Ciel/Alois let out a violent scream before opening his eyes. He looked to Marianne, and she smiled at him, his mismatched eyes were a soothing balm around her heart.

"Let go," he said to Hannah.

Unable to do anything else, she obliged him. Ciel turned to the Labyrinth.

"Father!" he called out.


Sebastian looked up at him and smiled.

"So, you fought your way back at last, my child."

Claude taunted him from below.

"He saw you. He saw you."

Sebastian gritted his teeth. His momentary distraction was enough to allow the Spider to leapt out from the trapdoor. Claude smirked at him.

"You let him see you. You let him see," he said. "I would congratulate you on the Young Master's return. But, he never rescinded the order for you to stay out of his sight, did he? You can't do anything, not where he can see you anyway. Enjoy a little rest, it's a lovely garden. I must be going."

He made to walk away and leave Sebastian when Ciel's voice rang out over them.

"Don't just stand there! You did your part. You helped me to achieve my revenge. This is an order: finish our contract, right now! Until the last moment until you have extinguished every last drop of my humanity, we remain by the terms of our contract! Do you understand me, Father?" he yelled.

Sebastian smiled as he went down on one knee and bowed deeply.

"Forever yes, my precious boy."

Claude glared at him silently.


Just then Alois's laugh erupted from his mouth. Tears trickled from his eyes as his eyes went to the form of the twisted boy.

"You want Ciel?" he asked. "You do, Claude? And you, Sebastian? Well, that's too bad! I'll get rid of everyone who doesn't love me. Yes, that's right! All of you!"

"Young Master." Hannah called out.

Alois forced himself upright.

"I've found people who actually love me. Luca, and Hannah."

He walked over to the maid without a word. A passage opened in the bricks, and they slipped inside. Marianne quickly followed after them, blowing a kiss to Sebastian as she went.

Be careful, my love. I will try and interfere as much as I can. I fear she intends to make a contract with Alois, with Ciel along with it.


Sebastian and Claude watched the passage close behind them.

"What's this?" the Spider questioned. "Does he intend to make a contract with Hannah?"

"Ciel…!" Sebastian said.

Claude sighed.

"Very well then. I suppose one must focus one's energy on the proper target."

Sebastian agreed.

"We have no other choice. Not unless Marianne manages to pull something before a contract can be made. So, for the moment…"

Together, they barged through the gates leading up to the clock tower, and began their ascent up the thorny coils.


Inside the clock tower, the cogs moved at a steady pace around them. Marianne watched from the shadows as Alois and Hannah held hands.

"Now," said Alois. "Tell me that you love me."

"I love you very much, Master." Hannah answered.

The demoness leaned forward and licked the tears of the boy's cheek. He smiled up at her.

"And… give me a hug."

"Certainly, Lord. Here you are."

She wrapped her arms around him gently. Marianne's hands twitched, and fiddled with the edges of her gloves.


Sebastian and Claude continued to run up the length of the tower, when vines surged towards them. They sliced through them with their cutlery.

"This Labyrinth is as persistent as its owner. And just as frustrating." Claude said.

Sebastian remained silent.


Alois remained in Hannah's arms.

"It's nice. Love's so warm…"

Marianne kept her eye firmly on them, silently waiting…


The two demons continued their ascent.

"Master!"

"Ciel!"

They came bursting through the door at the top of the clock tower.


Marianne knew it was now time to act. She removed her gloves, exposing her black nails, tipped white at the ends.

"I will not let you use my son's soul in your bargaining."

Without another word, she rushed forward, knocked Hannah out of the way, and plunged her hand into Alois's mouth.


This was the scene Sebastian and Claude entered into. Marianne bit her lip, blood beaded up and trickled down her chin. The eyes trained on her back rattled her frayed nerves, but she remained firm as her blackening nails continued to reach down the boy's throat. Blood and bile crept out of the corners of Alois's mouth, tears trickled down his cheeks; Marianne swept them away with her thumb.

"I am sorry, but this is the only way you can both be free…"

With her eyes demonically, she stared into Alois's as him and Ciel flickered back and forth between their conscious minds.

Her arm continued its crawl down his throat when she felt something… Yes… Yes! That was it! If she could just…

As her fingers wrapped around the essence of their intermingled souls, Marianne felt Hannah suddenly appear behind her, and grab her by the shoulders.

"You are brave. I will give you that. But I won't let you interfere now."


The demoness pulled her away, forcing her hand back up the boy's throat before it exploded out of his mouth. The two rings slid off his finger and thumb, and their vibrant gems slowly turned black. Marianne's hand cupped over her mouth and trembled.

Sebastian hurried over to her, gathered her into his arms, and held her gently as Alois addressed Claude. Hannah knelt before him while Claude's contract seal glowed in his eye.

"Claude, you ensnared my heart with your deceptive spider threads. I wanted you to become my Eternal Highness."

The seal continued to flicker back and forth between Claude and Sebastian's seal, before it finally settled on a new one, coloured turquoise.

"But more than anything," he continued. "I wanted your love."

Alois then fainted into Hannah's arms.


Hannah smirked.

"The contract is complete."

She picked him up.

"I have entered into an official contract with Jim Macken," she said, her uncovered eye glowing magenta. "And Ciel Phantomhive along with him."

Claude glared at her. Ciel's body lay peacefully in her arms, a drop of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.


Sebastian glanced down, took in the scent of his wife. He placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth, and beneath the shadow of his hair… he smirked.


A few things going on in this chapter. Hannah has been revealed as the one pulling the strings. I won't reveal too much, but things are going to be a little different in the next chapter. I actually can't believe how close to the end we are.

Marianne's actions in this chapter were very spontaneous, because even though we had reached this point, I was still undecided about how she should react. The image of her sticking her hand down Alois/Ciel's throat just stuck, almost symbolic of Hannah and the Demon Sword. It was a lot of fun though.

Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Please read and review!