Fade

Fade - Chapter 29

The door creaks on its old, leaden-hued hinges as a gust of cold, salty air dances upon hhis cheeks and face. He peers inside at the dark, narrow hallway ahead. It's lined with other doors similar to this one, stretching all the way back into a shadow that overwhelms the rest of the image. The floor is black and white checkering, much like the bathing room floors of the long forgotten Phantomhive manor... though these tiles are caked and cracked with decay and ruin.

Sebastian steps over the doorstep and onto the achromatic hallway, carefully feeling, tasting, touching and hearing his surroundings. The rooms lining the walls are empty. He can tell, for there is not the rotting scent of bodies, nor the tugging at him of a soul. No screams or voices echo around them, and so he continues his walking. The echoing of his feet become louder... as if he was reaching a narrowing or curvature of the hallway.

But then he does hear a scream. The blood on the floor starts to pick up again after its disappearance in the grasses. It smells like Ciel. The scream smells like Ciel. Ciel is banging on the door at the end of the hall, calling out to Sebastian himself... screaming for him. And when Sebastian starts running, it's like there's an immeasurable amount of power and connection flowing between him and the door. But Ciel is unaware of his lover's whereabouts... and so when a loud crash is heard on the side of the door he cannot see, he ceases his cries and stumbles backwards.

The open wounds on Ciel's ribs are bleeding uselessly. Taurus knew that when he cut him, he is sure. But the pain is incomparable to the agony of him being split from his mate whilst he is drugged asleep beside him. Nothing can compare to the horror of him knowing that this is a trap for both of them... knowing that this is his fault. So he hopes, if only for Sebastian's sake, that the demon banging, pounding, and kicking at the door is not him. If only for Sebastian's sake, he hopes that it is only another cultist waiting to slice another piece of skin from him.

But Sebastian didn't listen to his intuition, and so he keeps banging, wondering why Ciel's voice has stopped. He kicks at the door endlessly... and the bolts on the hinges are loosening slowly. Sebastian would've never thought someone he once called a friend would ever do this to him... though the plan has been thought out moment by moment from the time the two arrived in the district of Juven.

"Ciel!"

He finally calls out... only because he cannot help to do so. And when Ciel hears Sebastian's voice echo outside his jailhouse door, the tears that were already flowing down his cheeks flow faster.

"Sebastian!"

And now he is desperate for him to leave... to go back without him. Because for the first time in his life he does not care whether or not he gets out alive. He does not want Sebastian to save him, for he wants him to save himself.

"Sebastian! No! You have to go back! Now! Please! It's a trap! Please! Go back! Now!"

"No!"

"Yes! Hurry! Before they hear you! Before it's too late! You have to go!"

But Sebastian doesn't want to leave him here. He cannot leave him here. Not after everything. He knows he can take whomever comes their way. He knows he cannot live without Ciel, anyways.

"No!"

And as he says this, the door comes flying off its hinges.

Ciel scrambles backwards, covering his face with his arms. Sebastian's form can be seen in the doorway, and Ciel begins to sob when he is taken up in the embrace of his former butler.

"What happened? I'm so sorry, Ciel. I-"

"That's what I was trying to tell you, Sebastian! It was Taurus... he knows I'm a half blood and wants to kill us both for bringing me here. It's a trap... it's a trap and it's my fault! Everything is my fault. I'm sorry-"

But Sebastian only holds him tighter.

Until the clanking of boots can be heard rounding the corner.

"Hide. Now, Ciel."

his eyes flash fuchsia, and Ciel cannot help but obey. The room is empty save for the remnants of furniture that used to house someone's life. Ciel takes refuge under an old, crooked desk; two legs shattered and laying on the wooden floor.

He hears to boots stop at the doorway. He knows Sebastian is waiting.

"Corvus. Just in time."

"I suppose I am... though I hope you don't really think you'll get away with this. The laws were placed centuries ago banning warfare and malice against half bloods."

"Ah, yes... and so were the laws banning Juvin trafficking. But I still do that, don't I?"

"You make me sick."

Feathers start dancing into the air as Sebastian quickly takes to his demon form, spreading his impressive wings as means of intimidation.

"Why are you always hiding in that little, human body of yours? Hmm? Is it because you're ashamed?"

Taurus steps closer and closer to the ravening demon, his horns casting an eerie shadow upon the floor. Then Sebastian's eyes flicker to the weapon he is carrying... and he snickers at his opponent.

A spear, sharp at both ends is nestled in Taurus' wrath grasp, its metal tips surely dipped in poison.

"Nice stick."

"Thank you. But its full of lethal poison. And you won't be saying that when it's pierced through both of your hearts as I parade you around the district... will you, now?"

Sebastian snarls.

"Speaking of which... where is your little one, eh? I know you're hiding somewhere, runt! I can smell you."

Ciel listens closely as Taurus addresses him, trembling as he pushes farther back under the appliance.

Then Taurus turns back to the issue at hand.

"I've always known he was a half-ling. He reeks of human flesh-"

But then Sebastian lunges at him, his hands held tightly around his neck. Taurus emits a low growl, pushing Sebastian off of him roughly. Sebastian is weaponless, and so he rakes his claws along Taurus' chest, scratching him like a cat in heat. Taurus spins the spear in his hand, wielding it above his head.

Ciel peaks out around the side of the desk, hand over his mouth. He watches Sebastian dodge blow after blow. He watches him get more and more out of breath as he grows weaker and weaker from fatigue. He watches when the poison-tipped weapon grazes Sebastian's shoulder and he starts to bleed.

The raven lets out a hiss, hoping upon hope that whatever poison it's filled with is slow and not particularly paralyzing. He can deal with his breathing slowing... but if he couldn't move, it would be over in a moment. And it is, when he can only dodge two more strikes before his legs give out completely... and he drops to his knees. Taurus wields the thing above his head... and thrusts it at him.

He closes his eyes.

But he feels no pain.

And when he opens his eyes, everything stops.