NOY Chapter one
So I'm feeling a bit lazy and I don't want to post this to Fanfiction.net right now. So I'll post it here.
Title: The Nightmare of You
Fandom: Kuroshitsuji
Pairing: SebastianxCiel
Rating: PG-13
It was fairly routine now; every night after putting the young master to bed, Sebastian would turn to take his leave, only to be held back by a tugging on the tails of his jacket.
The boy reached out and grasped onto his butler’s coat, words unnecessary to convey the message, like so many times as of late. Ciel stared up at the demon with wide and grim mismatched eyes. Placing the candle holder back on the bedside table, Sebastian retook his seat at his master’s side.
“I’ll stay.” He murmured. Ciel grabbed hold of Sebastian’s hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, and reluctantly let his eye lids droop close. The butler sighed and began stroking his master’s hand with his thumb.
Under normal circumstances, Sebastian would’ve thought such behavior was weak of his master. But the demon had an inkling that something was bothering the youth. If that was the case, he knew it was not his place to pry into the matter. There was a feeling of insecurity within the Earl, that the devil could sense, but as to its cause, Sebastian hadn’t the slightest.
Ciel’s strange actions had only begun a week or so prior. Yes, the young master did request he stay by his bedside from time to time, but never had it occurred nightly, as it was currently.
Sebastian continued to ponder the matter. Perhaps the boy was…afraid? The thought disappeared as quickly as it had come. The butler’s master was not one to be frightened easily. Many a time had he witnessed Ciel stare danger in the face without it fazing him the least. Perchance the young lord feared someone was after him. It wouldn’t be the first time. But, then again, the Earl knew Sebastian would always be there to protect him, didn’t he? Ciel never seemed to doubt the demon, why start now? It was all perplexing, that was for certain. The only logical thing that Ciel might be fearful of was the memories of the past that haunted him so.
Sebastian’s lips curved downward in a frown; his eyes trained on the dormant being before him. If that were the case…his memories terrorizing him to the point of it being openly obvious…
The demon let out another sigh, resting his chin on his right hand. His left remained in his master’s grasp, which had lessened some as sleep overcame the boy. His thumb still rubbed circles soothingly over smooth skin.
That couldn’t be it, Sebastian mused. Ciel had dealt with those memoirs several times before and never had they troubled him to this extent. “Maybe that wasn’t so logical after all…” The butler thought aloud. But, continuing on that same train of thought, the devil came across another possibility. What if the sensation of loneliness was finally sinking in? It was delayed a great deal, yes, but sometimes such feelings take a while to settle fully…
Sebastian flinched faintly as the hand in his palm clenched and a groan escaped the youth’s lips. Ciel’s brow furrowed in his sleep as he muttered a soft “..ebastian…”. The demon couldn’t help but smile slyly, a bit flattered that he was the occupant of his master’s dreams. He then decided, on that note, he’d leave the young master to his fantasies and disregard the issue of the boy’s troubles, saving the topic for another time. He took Ciel’s hand into both of his and raised it to his lips. “Good night, my lord.” Sebastian whispered. He pressed his lips against it, placing a feathery kiss upon it. Taking the candelabra, Sebastian made his way silently across the room, blowing out the flames with cool breath before leaving the room -and his master- in darkness.
It was dark. Pitch dark. And there was a heavy fog lacing the air, like that of a damp, London morning. The only thing audible was his own shallow breathing. Ciel stretched his hand a foot before his face; it vanished into the misty abyss before him. He huffed. This wouldn’t do. How was he supposed to go anywhere if he couldn’t see inches in front of him?
Suddenly, an ear-splitting squeal echoed throughout the space like a sinister answer to his prayers. The Earl whipped around and was startled upon seeing a large, wooden door that seemed to have materialize from nowhere. The squealing, still ringing in the boy’s ears, was product of the old door’s rusty hinges. Ciel noticed the door was ajar, which piqued his curiosity. He could faintly hear warning bells tinkling in the back of his mind, but promptly shoved them aside as an overwhelming hunch screamed at him. Sebastian was in there. He could feel it. Ciel took an anxious step forward towards the door. ‘He’s in there! He’s in there!’ His mind repeated; its chanting mingling with the alarms that steadily grew louder. The Earl allowed the fog to envelop his hand as he grasped the doorknob. A shiver rattled up his spine, and against his better judgment, he swiftly stepped inside.
Upon crossing the threshold, Ciel was met by three things: more darkness; a wet sensation around his feet, soaking into his shoes; and a dreadfully putrid scent. He instantly gagged after inhaling. A hand flew up to cover his mouth and nose; an attempt to block out the foul smell, but it was to no avail.
The youth took steps forward cautiously, one at a time. He could hear the splish-splash of whatever he was walking through as he treaded through it. Still trying to make anything out in the, what appeared, endless abyss, Ciel stopped when his foot hit something. He glanced down to discover he had kicked an appendage. Upon closer inspection, there was an entire body lying at his feet. Oddly enough, the body was illuminated in the darkness. It was face down in the liquid pooling all over the floor. Hesitantly, Ciel reached out and touched the corpse. It was utterly soaked in, what Ciel assumed was, the same substance he stood in. He swallowed slowly; that rotting smell burning his nostrils and throat more so than before. Drawing in a shaky breath, he proceeded to slip his hand under the body and lift it an inch or so off the ground. Thick fluid drained off the corpse, drip dropping into the puddles below. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and held in a gasp. Blood. It was blood. Blood soaking the body, blood flooding the floors, blood filling the air with such a vile stench… Even more grotesque was the corpse’s face. It was as dark as the blood surrounding it with at least half of its skin ripped off. The jaw was twisted in impossible ways, stretching all the way to the right then bent so it was perpendicular to the roof of the mouth. The body’s eyes were gouged out revealing a mess of scrambled muscles, tissue and brains all drenched in blood, blood that spilled out of the sockets, trailing down the face and dripping onto Ciel’s shoe.
Ciel stifled a cry, smashing his eyes close and dropping the corpse back into the pond of red. It landed with a sickening splash. His breathing became ragged and he hurriedly over stepped the body. ‘Sebastian…I must find Sebastian!’ He repeated to himself over and over; pace picking up speed as he frantically ran through puddles of blood desperate to find his butler. ‘I must find him! …I must!’. The boy abruptly stopped running, realizing he was getting nowhere. Panic hammered in his chest. He must have passed another half dozen corpses, stumbling on a few and stepping on them, the blood seeping out of their pores like water from a sponge. Ciel’s head trashed left to right; still searching but being met with shadows at every turn. “Sebastian!” He finally wailed.
“Yes, my lord?” A familiar silky voice rang through the air.
Ciel froze. His heart gave an excited pound against his ribs. For a moment, relief washed over him; thankfully he’d found Sebastian and not face down in pools of blood. He swallowed thickly, remembering exactly where he was as the sensation of relief left him. “Sebastian,” He asked with a voice as steady as he could muster. “Wh-where are you?”
There was a soft chuckle and a hand latched onto the Earl’s shoulder. “Behind you, my lord.” Sebastian breathed into the boy’s ear. His icy breath sent chills rippling through Ciel’s body. “What seems to be troubling you, young master?” The demon purred. A gloved finger ran down the length of the youth’s jaw.
“I…” Ciel let out a shuddering breath at the touch and closeness of the devil behind him. “I couldn’t find you…and…so much blood…” Sebastian hushed him while continuing to stroke his cheek. Ciel’s tense muscles eased, his panic melting away. Everything would be alright as long as Sebastian was near. The youth was practically melting, all fear that previously racked his body completely forgotten. Just before slipping into an unconscious state, Ciel jolted in Sebastian’s arms. The side of his face, the side Sebastian had been caressing, had a warm, syrupy trail of liquid running down it. He suddenly seized the butler’s hand in mid stroke and turned to look at it. The usual white gloves that covered those hands were stained a deep scarlet, soaked so much they were leaving traces of the absorbed vital fluid behind everywhere they traveled.
“Sebastian, why are…” He began slowly, taking a step backwards. “Why are your gloved soiled?”
The butler raised an eyebrow and glanced over his gloves. “Young master, they look the same as always. They are as clean as any other time I wear them.”
Ciel shook his head firmly. “No. No, look at them.” He waved Sebastian’s own hand in front of his face. “How do these look normal to you? They’re drenched in…” He trailed off, distracted by the feeling of something odd hidden under the glove. The boy’s brows knitted together. “What…?” Cautiously, he peeled off the uniform glove and that revolting scent hit him harder than ever. He choked and gagged, cheeks puffing out as he held his breath as to not inhale anymore. Even though he ceased inhaling, the stench produced a sharp stinging in the back of his throat. Ignoring the smell as best as he could, Ciel proceeded to pull the glove away. Beneath the material, Ciel was shocked to find Sebastian’s skin crimson and covered in sores blistering and oozing blood. On the tips of his fingers, flesh had been ripped apart revealing bone and tissue.
The boy let out an aghast gasp. His eyes were wide and he wanted to tear them away from the sight, but he couldn’t force himself to do so. “Sebastian?! What…? How…?” Ciel was at a loss for words.
“Young Master, I don’t see what you’re so upset over. Perhaps if you could find the words, I may be able to help.” Sebastian spoke, tone as calm as if he were serving a cup of afternoon tea.
“You- you don’t see it?!” Ciel faltered. “How can’t you…And how could you possibly…You’re the one who needs help!”
Then, Ciel’s alarmed gaze fell on one abscess in particular. It had swelled more so than the others and appeared as if it were about to burst. He extended a shaky finger and poked it to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. The boil twitched slightly then erupted with a nauseating pop. Blood spewed from it, splattering Ciel’s outstretched finger and soaking into Sebastian’s skin. The flesh had torn, leaving a gap that exposed muscle and bone like those found on the finger tips. Ciel screamed; heart beating a thousand miles per hour. He dropped Sebastian’s hand as if it were burning in his grasp.
“Young Master, please, calm down. There’s nothing for you to get so excited over.”
“How can you be so oblivious?!” Ciel shrieked at him. “You’re…” He lost his words yet again but this time he lost them at seeing Sebastian’s face. The hand was not the only body part gorged with blood now. The youth whimpered, staggering back a couple steps. Boils and sores began bubbling up, secreting red and growing larger every second.
“Young Master, this is utter nonsense. I’m fine. See?” A sore burst, spattering blood on the once clean tailcoat that now was turning a bright red from gushing blisters under it.
Ciel voiced no objection this time, he was too terrified. All words had flown from his thoughts. His brain could not compute such a scene. All he could do was stumble backwards further and further and watch it all unfold before him.
The sores continued to rupture and grow, some growing abnormally large, the size of Sebastian’s lower cheek. The large ones would bubble and ooze until they erupted, showering bodily fluid everywhere and revealing the skull beneath. What petrified Ciel more was Sebastian didn’t even realize what was happening to him. Then, the white of the butler’s eyes began turning crimson. Ciel gasped in comprehension. The eyes of the corpses he’d encountered before hadn’t been ripped out; they’d burst with blood just like the abscesses.
Ciel immediately shielded his eyes, burying his face in his hands. He couldn’t watch. It was too much. He had a hard enough time dealing with the images in his head. The boy then tripped over his own foot, falling back and landing in the pond of blood with a splash. He continued scrambling backwards, a hand still hiding his eyes while the other helped slosh through the liquid that was now soaking his clothes. There was a sickly, wet popping noise. Ciel stopped; a picture of Sebastian’s dark ruby eyes flittered across his eyelids. He wouldn’t dare look up now.
“Young Mast-.” Sebastian’s voice was cut off by a loud crack followed by a series of crunches.
Ciel’s eyes snapped open. Going against his last thought, he lifted his head. His curiosity was wearing his sanity thin. He instantly pieced together another piece of the puzzle. The cracking and crunching was the twisting of Sebastian’s jaw, distorted in the same position as the others. With his jaw clearly broken, he was unable to speak, leaving Ciel with not words to listen to but a gurgling from within the demon’s throat. Ciel, not thinking, looked further up Sebastian’s face. His eyes were missing, just as Ciel had thought, and staring at him now were dripping red sockets with tangled tendons and tissue inside. The number of sores had increased dramatically, every inch of the almost unrecognizable body covered in them.
“No!” Ciel screamed, one word coming back to his terrorized mind. “No!”
The body swayed towards him and Ciel tried desperately to back further away from it, slipping and sliding in blood. “No!” He continued. The boils bubbled and spewed blood in a steadier manner, it poured from the body, cascaded from it. “No!” Ciel choked. “Sebastian! Sebastian!”
The Earl of Phantomhive shot upright. His chest was heaving. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Sweat layered his skin and soaked his sheets. Wide eyes stared out into the room, only noting the darkness at first. But as he began to make out the detail of his bedroom, he began to breathe a little steadier. Ciel felt around blindly, grabbing at the pillow beside him and clutched it to his chest. “It was simply a dream.” He muttered to himself. “A stupid dream.” But it was the worst so far. Never in his recent string of nightmares had they been so…so…
The vision of Sebastian’s bloody, marred body flitted across his mind’s eye. He gasped. “Sebastian!” Panic seized hold of him again, rattled him like a rag doll. He scrambled to the edge of the bed and yanked on the service bell rapidly.
Downstairs, in the kitchen, Sebastian sighed. “He’s up early again it seems.” Dusting flour from his hands and discarding his apron, the butler made his way to the master’s bedroom, pace quicker than usual due to the urgency the short intervals of the ringing conveyed.
Knocking twice, Sebastian gently opened the door. “Young master, is something wro-.” He stopped as two small hands suctioned to the sides of his face. He blinked. “Sir?”
Ciel leaned in close, worried eyes fixed on the demon’s skin. The boy tilted his butler’s head up, down, left to right and proceeded to stretch Sebastian’s cheeks before releasing his face. “Flawless.” The youth whispered. Suddenly, he snatched Sebastian’s hand, practically ripping his glove off. Nothing out of the ordinary there either. Just charcoal nails and contract mark lightly glowing purple.
“Are you finished?” Sebastian asked, rather puzzled by the spontaneous inspection.
“Yes.” Ciel exhaled with relief. He shuffled back over to his bed, leaving Sebastian in the doorway. He sank onto the mattress and mopped his face with his hand.
“Would you mind informing me as to what that was about, my lord?”
“I…” He had to choose his words wisely. If he were to admit he was worried or concerned, Sebastian would think he was weak. “I was only checking to see if you were alright.”
The demon smirked inwardly. “I’m honored by your thoughtfulness, but I can assure you, I am perfectly fine.”
To this, Ciel merely hummed in reply.
Sebastian then produced his pocket watch: Quarter of six in the morning. The young master still had a few hours to sleep, sleep that was quite necessary it appeared. But Sebastian was certain Ciel wouldn’t be able to fall back into his slumber easily.
“Allow me to bring you some warm milk, my lord.” He bowed and turned to fetch his master a hot beverage. But something stopped him for a split second - and it wasn’t his clothing being tugged upon.
“…Thank you.” It was so quiet, so soft, so inaudible that any normal being would have missed it. But Sebastian, being what he was, heard it quite clearly. Yes, Sebastian concluded, the young master needed more sleep.
Title: The Nightmare of You
Fandom: Kuroshitsuji
Pairing: SebastianxCiel
Rating: PG-13
It was fairly routine now; every night after putting the young master to bed, Sebastian would turn to take his leave, only to be held back by a tugging on the tails of his jacket.
The boy reached out and grasped onto his butler’s coat, words unnecessary to convey the message, like so many times as of late. Ciel stared up at the demon with wide and grim mismatched eyes. Placing the candle holder back on the bedside table, Sebastian retook his seat at his master’s side.
“I’ll stay.” He murmured. Ciel grabbed hold of Sebastian’s hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, and reluctantly let his eye lids droop close. The butler sighed and began stroking his master’s hand with his thumb.
Under normal circumstances, Sebastian would’ve thought such behavior was weak of his master. But the demon had an inkling that something was bothering the youth. If that was the case, he knew it was not his place to pry into the matter. There was a feeling of insecurity within the Earl, that the devil could sense, but as to its cause, Sebastian hadn’t the slightest.
Ciel’s strange actions had only begun a week or so prior. Yes, the young master did request he stay by his bedside from time to time, but never had it occurred nightly, as it was currently.
Sebastian continued to ponder the matter. Perhaps the boy was…afraid? The thought disappeared as quickly as it had come. The butler’s master was not one to be frightened easily. Many a time had he witnessed Ciel stare danger in the face without it fazing him the least. Perchance the young lord feared someone was after him. It wouldn’t be the first time. But, then again, the Earl knew Sebastian would always be there to protect him, didn’t he? Ciel never seemed to doubt the demon, why start now? It was all perplexing, that was for certain. The only logical thing that Ciel might be fearful of was the memories of the past that haunted him so.
Sebastian’s lips curved downward in a frown; his eyes trained on the dormant being before him. If that were the case…his memories terrorizing him to the point of it being openly obvious…
The demon let out another sigh, resting his chin on his right hand. His left remained in his master’s grasp, which had lessened some as sleep overcame the boy. His thumb still rubbed circles soothingly over smooth skin.
That couldn’t be it, Sebastian mused. Ciel had dealt with those memoirs several times before and never had they troubled him to this extent. “Maybe that wasn’t so logical after all…” The butler thought aloud. But, continuing on that same train of thought, the devil came across another possibility. What if the sensation of loneliness was finally sinking in? It was delayed a great deal, yes, but sometimes such feelings take a while to settle fully…
Sebastian flinched faintly as the hand in his palm clenched and a groan escaped the youth’s lips. Ciel’s brow furrowed in his sleep as he muttered a soft “..ebastian…”. The demon couldn’t help but smile slyly, a bit flattered that he was the occupant of his master’s dreams. He then decided, on that note, he’d leave the young master to his fantasies and disregard the issue of the boy’s troubles, saving the topic for another time. He took Ciel’s hand into both of his and raised it to his lips. “Good night, my lord.” Sebastian whispered. He pressed his lips against it, placing a feathery kiss upon it. Taking the candelabra, Sebastian made his way silently across the room, blowing out the flames with cool breath before leaving the room -and his master- in darkness.
It was dark. Pitch dark. And there was a heavy fog lacing the air, like that of a damp, London morning. The only thing audible was his own shallow breathing. Ciel stretched his hand a foot before his face; it vanished into the misty abyss before him. He huffed. This wouldn’t do. How was he supposed to go anywhere if he couldn’t see inches in front of him?
Suddenly, an ear-splitting squeal echoed throughout the space like a sinister answer to his prayers. The Earl whipped around and was startled upon seeing a large, wooden door that seemed to have materialize from nowhere. The squealing, still ringing in the boy’s ears, was product of the old door’s rusty hinges. Ciel noticed the door was ajar, which piqued his curiosity. He could faintly hear warning bells tinkling in the back of his mind, but promptly shoved them aside as an overwhelming hunch screamed at him. Sebastian was in there. He could feel it. Ciel took an anxious step forward towards the door. ‘He’s in there! He’s in there!’ His mind repeated; its chanting mingling with the alarms that steadily grew louder. The Earl allowed the fog to envelop his hand as he grasped the doorknob. A shiver rattled up his spine, and against his better judgment, he swiftly stepped inside.
Upon crossing the threshold, Ciel was met by three things: more darkness; a wet sensation around his feet, soaking into his shoes; and a dreadfully putrid scent. He instantly gagged after inhaling. A hand flew up to cover his mouth and nose; an attempt to block out the foul smell, but it was to no avail.
The youth took steps forward cautiously, one at a time. He could hear the splish-splash of whatever he was walking through as he treaded through it. Still trying to make anything out in the, what appeared, endless abyss, Ciel stopped when his foot hit something. He glanced down to discover he had kicked an appendage. Upon closer inspection, there was an entire body lying at his feet. Oddly enough, the body was illuminated in the darkness. It was face down in the liquid pooling all over the floor. Hesitantly, Ciel reached out and touched the corpse. It was utterly soaked in, what Ciel assumed was, the same substance he stood in. He swallowed slowly; that rotting smell burning his nostrils and throat more so than before. Drawing in a shaky breath, he proceeded to slip his hand under the body and lift it an inch or so off the ground. Thick fluid drained off the corpse, drip dropping into the puddles below. Ciel squeezed his eyes shut and held in a gasp. Blood. It was blood. Blood soaking the body, blood flooding the floors, blood filling the air with such a vile stench… Even more grotesque was the corpse’s face. It was as dark as the blood surrounding it with at least half of its skin ripped off. The jaw was twisted in impossible ways, stretching all the way to the right then bent so it was perpendicular to the roof of the mouth. The body’s eyes were gouged out revealing a mess of scrambled muscles, tissue and brains all drenched in blood, blood that spilled out of the sockets, trailing down the face and dripping onto Ciel’s shoe.
Ciel stifled a cry, smashing his eyes close and dropping the corpse back into the pond of red. It landed with a sickening splash. His breathing became ragged and he hurriedly over stepped the body. ‘Sebastian…I must find Sebastian!’ He repeated to himself over and over; pace picking up speed as he frantically ran through puddles of blood desperate to find his butler. ‘I must find him! …I must!’. The boy abruptly stopped running, realizing he was getting nowhere. Panic hammered in his chest. He must have passed another half dozen corpses, stumbling on a few and stepping on them, the blood seeping out of their pores like water from a sponge. Ciel’s head trashed left to right; still searching but being met with shadows at every turn. “Sebastian!” He finally wailed.
“Yes, my lord?” A familiar silky voice rang through the air.
Ciel froze. His heart gave an excited pound against his ribs. For a moment, relief washed over him; thankfully he’d found Sebastian and not face down in pools of blood. He swallowed thickly, remembering exactly where he was as the sensation of relief left him. “Sebastian,” He asked with a voice as steady as he could muster. “Wh-where are you?”
There was a soft chuckle and a hand latched onto the Earl’s shoulder. “Behind you, my lord.” Sebastian breathed into the boy’s ear. His icy breath sent chills rippling through Ciel’s body. “What seems to be troubling you, young master?” The demon purred. A gloved finger ran down the length of the youth’s jaw.
“I…” Ciel let out a shuddering breath at the touch and closeness of the devil behind him. “I couldn’t find you…and…so much blood…” Sebastian hushed him while continuing to stroke his cheek. Ciel’s tense muscles eased, his panic melting away. Everything would be alright as long as Sebastian was near. The youth was practically melting, all fear that previously racked his body completely forgotten. Just before slipping into an unconscious state, Ciel jolted in Sebastian’s arms. The side of his face, the side Sebastian had been caressing, had a warm, syrupy trail of liquid running down it. He suddenly seized the butler’s hand in mid stroke and turned to look at it. The usual white gloves that covered those hands were stained a deep scarlet, soaked so much they were leaving traces of the absorbed vital fluid behind everywhere they traveled.
“Sebastian, why are…” He began slowly, taking a step backwards. “Why are your gloved soiled?”
The butler raised an eyebrow and glanced over his gloves. “Young master, they look the same as always. They are as clean as any other time I wear them.”
Ciel shook his head firmly. “No. No, look at them.” He waved Sebastian’s own hand in front of his face. “How do these look normal to you? They’re drenched in…” He trailed off, distracted by the feeling of something odd hidden under the glove. The boy’s brows knitted together. “What…?” Cautiously, he peeled off the uniform glove and that revolting scent hit him harder than ever. He choked and gagged, cheeks puffing out as he held his breath as to not inhale anymore. Even though he ceased inhaling, the stench produced a sharp stinging in the back of his throat. Ignoring the smell as best as he could, Ciel proceeded to pull the glove away. Beneath the material, Ciel was shocked to find Sebastian’s skin crimson and covered in sores blistering and oozing blood. On the tips of his fingers, flesh had been ripped apart revealing bone and tissue.
The boy let out an aghast gasp. His eyes were wide and he wanted to tear them away from the sight, but he couldn’t force himself to do so. “Sebastian?! What…? How…?” Ciel was at a loss for words.
“Young Master, I don’t see what you’re so upset over. Perhaps if you could find the words, I may be able to help.” Sebastian spoke, tone as calm as if he were serving a cup of afternoon tea.
“You- you don’t see it?!” Ciel faltered. “How can’t you…And how could you possibly…You’re the one who needs help!”
Then, Ciel’s alarmed gaze fell on one abscess in particular. It had swelled more so than the others and appeared as if it were about to burst. He extended a shaky finger and poked it to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. The boil twitched slightly then erupted with a nauseating pop. Blood spewed from it, splattering Ciel’s outstretched finger and soaking into Sebastian’s skin. The flesh had torn, leaving a gap that exposed muscle and bone like those found on the finger tips. Ciel screamed; heart beating a thousand miles per hour. He dropped Sebastian’s hand as if it were burning in his grasp.
“Young Master, please, calm down. There’s nothing for you to get so excited over.”
“How can you be so oblivious?!” Ciel shrieked at him. “You’re…” He lost his words yet again but this time he lost them at seeing Sebastian’s face. The hand was not the only body part gorged with blood now. The youth whimpered, staggering back a couple steps. Boils and sores began bubbling up, secreting red and growing larger every second.
“Young Master, this is utter nonsense. I’m fine. See?” A sore burst, spattering blood on the once clean tailcoat that now was turning a bright red from gushing blisters under it.
Ciel voiced no objection this time, he was too terrified. All words had flown from his thoughts. His brain could not compute such a scene. All he could do was stumble backwards further and further and watch it all unfold before him.
The sores continued to rupture and grow, some growing abnormally large, the size of Sebastian’s lower cheek. The large ones would bubble and ooze until they erupted, showering bodily fluid everywhere and revealing the skull beneath. What petrified Ciel more was Sebastian didn’t even realize what was happening to him. Then, the white of the butler’s eyes began turning crimson. Ciel gasped in comprehension. The eyes of the corpses he’d encountered before hadn’t been ripped out; they’d burst with blood just like the abscesses.
Ciel immediately shielded his eyes, burying his face in his hands. He couldn’t watch. It was too much. He had a hard enough time dealing with the images in his head. The boy then tripped over his own foot, falling back and landing in the pond of blood with a splash. He continued scrambling backwards, a hand still hiding his eyes while the other helped slosh through the liquid that was now soaking his clothes. There was a sickly, wet popping noise. Ciel stopped; a picture of Sebastian’s dark ruby eyes flittered across his eyelids. He wouldn’t dare look up now.
“Young Mast-.” Sebastian’s voice was cut off by a loud crack followed by a series of crunches.
Ciel’s eyes snapped open. Going against his last thought, he lifted his head. His curiosity was wearing his sanity thin. He instantly pieced together another piece of the puzzle. The cracking and crunching was the twisting of Sebastian’s jaw, distorted in the same position as the others. With his jaw clearly broken, he was unable to speak, leaving Ciel with not words to listen to but a gurgling from within the demon’s throat. Ciel, not thinking, looked further up Sebastian’s face. His eyes were missing, just as Ciel had thought, and staring at him now were dripping red sockets with tangled tendons and tissue inside. The number of sores had increased dramatically, every inch of the almost unrecognizable body covered in them.
“No!” Ciel screamed, one word coming back to his terrorized mind. “No!”
The body swayed towards him and Ciel tried desperately to back further away from it, slipping and sliding in blood. “No!” He continued. The boils bubbled and spewed blood in a steadier manner, it poured from the body, cascaded from it. “No!” Ciel choked. “Sebastian! Sebastian!”
The Earl of Phantomhive shot upright. His chest was heaving. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Sweat layered his skin and soaked his sheets. Wide eyes stared out into the room, only noting the darkness at first. But as he began to make out the detail of his bedroom, he began to breathe a little steadier. Ciel felt around blindly, grabbing at the pillow beside him and clutched it to his chest. “It was simply a dream.” He muttered to himself. “A stupid dream.” But it was the worst so far. Never in his recent string of nightmares had they been so…so…
The vision of Sebastian’s bloody, marred body flitted across his mind’s eye. He gasped. “Sebastian!” Panic seized hold of him again, rattled him like a rag doll. He scrambled to the edge of the bed and yanked on the service bell rapidly.
Downstairs, in the kitchen, Sebastian sighed. “He’s up early again it seems.” Dusting flour from his hands and discarding his apron, the butler made his way to the master’s bedroom, pace quicker than usual due to the urgency the short intervals of the ringing conveyed.
Knocking twice, Sebastian gently opened the door. “Young master, is something wro-.” He stopped as two small hands suctioned to the sides of his face. He blinked. “Sir?”
Ciel leaned in close, worried eyes fixed on the demon’s skin. The boy tilted his butler’s head up, down, left to right and proceeded to stretch Sebastian’s cheeks before releasing his face. “Flawless.” The youth whispered. Suddenly, he snatched Sebastian’s hand, practically ripping his glove off. Nothing out of the ordinary there either. Just charcoal nails and contract mark lightly glowing purple.
“Are you finished?” Sebastian asked, rather puzzled by the spontaneous inspection.
“Yes.” Ciel exhaled with relief. He shuffled back over to his bed, leaving Sebastian in the doorway. He sank onto the mattress and mopped his face with his hand.
“Would you mind informing me as to what that was about, my lord?”
“I…” He had to choose his words wisely. If he were to admit he was worried or concerned, Sebastian would think he was weak. “I was only checking to see if you were alright.”
The demon smirked inwardly. “I’m honored by your thoughtfulness, but I can assure you, I am perfectly fine.”
To this, Ciel merely hummed in reply.
Sebastian then produced his pocket watch: Quarter of six in the morning. The young master still had a few hours to sleep, sleep that was quite necessary it appeared. But Sebastian was certain Ciel wouldn’t be able to fall back into his slumber easily.
“Allow me to bring you some warm milk, my lord.” He bowed and turned to fetch his master a hot beverage. But something stopped him for a split second - and it wasn’t his clothing being tugged upon.
“…Thank you.” It was so quiet, so soft, so inaudible that any normal being would have missed it. But Sebastian, being what he was, heard it quite clearly. Yes, Sebastian concluded, the young master needed more sleep.