Black Butler: The Stellar Dove

28.4

  The demon stood and turned to me, a soft smile on his face. I laughed in relief and ran to him. Just as I reached him, he fell to his knees from weakness.

"Sebastian!" I fell down beside him. "You're... you're still..."

"I know," he said as I put an arm around his back and made him lay down. "I'm still unable to heal..." he placed his hand on his wound, which I now saw was much worse than I thought. "I don't have much time..."

"I wish I could have helped..." I sobbed.

"Stop regretting," he told me. "Don't you remember what I told you... last night?"

I nodded, wiping my tears. "Yes. I do."

He smiled. "Lay down with me."

I did as he asked, wrapping my arms around him and feeling the last of his fading warmth. I pushed the thought of our farewell away, and let my mind rest where it was—with him.

Suddenly, it was awoken with a thought. "Sebastian," I whispered. "Do you remember... that poem I told you about... that night when I asked about your name?"

"Yes," he answered. "The Legend of the Stellar Dove."

"I think I know what it is now," I told him, sitting up. "It was a memory from my subconscious, the part that knew this inevitable fate." I reached for an object on the floor, taking it in my hand discreetly.

"As the demon fights with and for his final breathe,

"It is her sacrifice that brings light in the end and puts destiny in its place."

"Estella," he whispered, putting his hand over mine. "No..."

I continued anyway.

"He is blinded by her blood, but reawakened by the kiss of death—

An unforeseen and inevitable fate..."

"Stop this," he told me. "You... you won't give your life..."

"I'm the only trace of it left," I said, looking at the knife I held with shaking hands. "I'm the reason you're dying. My blood is a poison, and my life sustains it."

"I won't allow it..."

"Please!" I began begging. "I love you. Let me... let me save you, as a repayment for you saving my life."

His breathing was beginning to shake heavily as he took the knife from me. "Just... don't do it yourself..." he whispered. "I won't let you take your own life."

"I'll accept that," I said, smiling through tears. I leaned on him.

"I love you... Estella..." he told me.

I fell onto the blade as our lips met for a final kiss. My blood ran onto his hand, but no longer hurt him. My life was quickly fading as his grew stronger. I was meeting death, but I hardly felt the pain at all. There was no pain to feel. Everything had returned to its place, and I was at peace.

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