Madame Red's Manor
Madame Red sat elegantly in her parlor, her sharp gaze fixed on Lau, who reclined casually in his chair. Reiko, standing quietly by Madame Red's side, adjusted her maid uniform and cast an observant glance toward the conversation.
"Are we certain nothing's wrong?" Madame Red asked, her tone heavy with suspicion.
"If Kuri says everything's fine, I'm inclined to believe her," Lau said smoothly, his ever-present smirk in place. "She's been in the Earl's service for so long, and it's clear there's an unshakeable bond between those two. You can always find her at the Earl's side, like a shadow."
Reiko frowned slightly but remained silent, her eyes narrowing at the description.
"So long?" Madame Red raised a skeptical eyebrow. "But Kuri didn't arrive until two years ago. That's hardly much time at all."
"Oh, really?" Lau replied, feigning surprise. "How odd. My memory must be failing me. Isn't that right, Ran-Mao?"
Ran-Mao nodded once, her blank expression unchanged.
"Useless," Madame Red muttered irritably, her attention shifting briefly to Reiko. "What do you think, dear? You've been with me only a short time, but you're observant."
Reiko hesitated, glancing between Madame Red and Lau. "Kuri is… very capable, Mistress," she said carefully, though the unease in her tone was unmistakable.
Phantomhive Manor: Kitchen
The kitchen buzzed with activity—or rather, the chaos typical of the Phantomhive servants. Mey-Rin paced nervously, glancing at the pie sitting untouched on the counter.
"Oh dear, we need Kuri here!" she fretted. "Where did she go now?"
"I wish I knew," Finny replied, tugging on his apron.
Baldroy, however, was fixated on the pie. "I don't care where she is or what she's doin'. I'm worried about this! Does 'clean it up' mean we can eat the pie or not?! I have to knooow!"
Mey-Rin shook her head. "No, Finny! You know how Kuri is! If we eat something we're not supposed to, she'll—"
"Wait." Finny interrupted, glancing toward the corner of the room. "What's that?"
Mey-Rin and Baldroy followed his gaze to the small, unassuming cupboard where Kuri typically stored her personal belongings. The door was ajar, and inside was something faintly glowing, a soft blue light emanating through the crack.
"You think that's… hers?" Baldroy asked hesitantly.
"Probably." Mey-Rin swallowed nervously.
Finny pulled the door open, and inside they found a large, weathered book with an ornate cover. The glowing blue light seemed to pulse from the edges of the pages, as if the book itself was alive.
"What's that?" Baldroy asked, his voice hushed.
Mey-Rin picked it up gingerly, her hands shaking as she read the title embossed on the cover: Grimoire of the Seraphic Shadow.
"It's… it's a spellbook," Mey-Rin whispered, her voice trembling.
Finny flipped a page over Mey-Rin's shoulder and gasped. "Look at this!" he exclaimed, pointing to an intricate diagram depicting wings surrounded by symbols. "What kind of spells are these?"
Mey-Rin's fingers trembled as she turned another page, revealing a drawing of a figure that looked eerily like Kuri, shadowy wings spreading from her back.
"What the bloody hell is she hiding?" Baldroy muttered, unease creeping into his tone.
As they sifted through the pages, something small and soft fell out of the book—a feather.
"Is that a bird's feather?" Finny asked, picking it up and examining it closely.
"No… it's too big and… dark," Mey-Rin said, her voice shaky. "And look! There's another one over here!"
She pointed to the pie sitting on the counter. Nestled beside it, almost tucked beneath the crust, was another black feather.
"That's creepy," Baldroy said, taking a step back. "You think she's watching us or somethin'?"
"Don't say that!" Mey-Rin hissed, clutching the grimoire tightly.
"Maybe we shouldn't be messin' with her stuff…" Finny whispered, his wide eyes darting around the room.
Just then, the lights flickered briefly, and the servants froze.
"I think we should put it back!" Baldroy said quickly.
The three hurriedly returned the grimoire to its place, shutting the cupboard door as if to seal away whatever dark energy lingered around it.
Vanel's Manor
Kuri stepped into the grand hall of Vanel's manor, her calm, deliberate movements starkly contrasting the frantic activity of the guards around her.
"Stop her!" one of the guards shouted, raising his rifle.
Another lunged at her, but in the blink of an eye, he was hurled backward with a sickening crack, slamming into the wall.
"My arm! She shattered the bone!" the man screamed, clutching his limp limb.
Kuri tilted her head slightly, her sharp blue eyes locking onto the others. "Pardon me, but I'm in a bit of a hurry," she said, her voice eerily polite. "5:34."
"Move, damn it!" another guard shouted, his fear evident in his voice. "Call in the boys from the west tower! We need to rip this bitch apart!"
Kuri remained unbothered, adjusting her gloves as the air around her seemed to grow heavier.
"You feel it, don't you?" she murmured, stepping closer to the nearest guard. "The fear… the despair. It's consuming you, isn't it?"
The man dropped his weapon, falling to his knees as tears streamed down his face.
Kuri crouched in front of him, her tone soft but menacing. "Tell me where my master is, and I'll let you go."
"Our boss! Azzurro! The kid's with him!" the man stammered.
"Thank you," Kuri said with a faint smile.
She reached out, placing her hand lightly on his forehead. His body stiffened, and his eyes rolled back as he collapsed, unconscious.
The second man tried to flee, but Kuri caught him effortlessly, her grip like iron.
"Don't worry," she said softly, her voice carrying a chilling calm. "I'm not the 'me' who kills."
Sadako stirred within her, a low chuckle echoing in the back of her mind. "Not yet."
Kuri straightened, brushing off her apron as she stepped over the unconscious guards. Her calm demeanor never faltered as she continued deeper into the manor, her presence radiating quiet menace.
Far away, the servants in the manor's kitchen shivered, feeling as though they'd narrowly avoided something terrible. But the feathers, still tucked away in the pie and scattered in odd places, left a lingering unease.