"This is where he lives?"

I stared wide eyed at the funeral home, hidden deep in the alleyways of old town London. The windows were cracked and dusty, hardly visible under the dirt and grime that had grown on it over the years. The lettering over the old door were mostly gone, leaving behind only a few letters. If you weren't actually looking for the place specifically, you'd pass by it thinking it was abandoned for good.

"Have you changed your mind yet," Ciel asked next to my ear, but I squared my shoulders.

"No I haven't," I said boldly, watching as Sebastian opened one of the doors.

"So be it," Ciel whispered, stepping aside to walk through the door. Sebastian smiled at me as I passed, closing the door quietly after Grell. I covered my mouth with my sleeve while we walked through the dark room, lit only by a few candles sitting on a desk in the back of the building. Cobwebs and dust particles lingered in every nook and cranny, and I'm sure there was black mold everywhere.

"Ah, Ciel Phantomhive," I heard a creaky sinister voice hiss from the darkness ahead of us. I gasped as one of the coffin doors opened and revealed a cloaked man. "I was wondering when you'd come."

"Undertaker," Ciel said formally, stopping just in front of the desk. I stopped behind him, debating whether I wanted to grab onto his coat or not. "So you know what has happened to me then? There's no need to explain?"

An exuberant laugh came from the Reaper as he climbed out of the coffin, slamming his hands against the desk as his face finally came into view. I immediately grabbed onto Ciel's coat, my heart pounding at the sight of the man. He was cloaked heavily in black robes, long gray hair flowing past his shoulders with a single braid covering part of his face. A scar ran across his pale face, and another wrapped around his neck. He was equally frightening and interesting.

"Oh, the entire underworld knows what happened to the great Earl Ciel Phantomhive," Undertaker mused, sliding his hands over the top of the desk as he slowly turned onto his back on the desk. "You'd be have to crazy to not hear the rumors that the Queen's Guard Dog is now half demon. Oooh, I know it to be true. I can smell the stench from where you stand."

"Enough of this," Ciel said, moving away from my grip. "I need information, and I know you have it."

"Not without something in return," Undertaker replied hauntingly, a smile on his gray lips. I bit my lip, looking towards Sebastian who looked purely unamused. "You know my price, Phantomhive. Times may have changed, but the deal stays the same."

Ciel sighed, shaking his head. "I don't have time for jokes, Undertaker."

"Then I'm afraid I don't have time for this," Undertaker said, quickly moving from the desk towards the coffin he'd just climbed out of. "Without a genuine gut busting laugh, I cannot help you."

"But-"

"Master, you can leave this to me," Sebastian said, bowing to Ciel. He stepped forward, slipping off one of his gloves to reveal black fingernails as he leaned towards Undertaker. Whispers followed, and I shared a look with Ciel, his more irritable than anything. Suddenly, Undertaker flung himself against his desk, a boisterous laugh coming from his mouth. Sebastian pulled his glove back on, taking his position again behind me.

"You may be a demon, but your humor is dark and twisted, so delightful, Sebastian," Undertaker applauded after he calmed himself. He sat on his desk, tilting his hat forward. "Now, what can I do you for, Phantomhive?"

Ciel bared his teeth then took a deep breath, lifting his eyes to Undertaker. "I need information on Alois Trancy," Ciel told him, his knuckles nearly going white with how tightly he was holding his cane. I took a step towards him, resting my fingers over his. Ciel's eyes turned to me for a moment, his fingers loosening around his cane. "I understand he came to you. What did he come here for?"

"Trancy, Trancy, Trancy," Undertaker said, touching his finger to his chin. I couldn't understand for the life of me what it was about people in their time, but the lot loved playing games with each other. Nowadays, the only game I'd want to play is Uno. "Never heard of the lad."

"I know he was here, Undertaker," Ciel said a little louder. "He came with his butler, Claude."

Undertaker chuckled, a smile on his lips. "You mean the other demon? Oh yes, I remember him," Undertaker admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "I daresay he could rival you, Sebastian. He's such a dutiful butler, always following after his master. Not quite as funny however. It took him an awful long time to get anything out of me."

"Yes, he seems to be lacking in people skills," Sebastian cracked, sending Undertaker into yet another spiral of laughter. I moved my hand from Ciel's, gripping instead onto the bottom of his coat. "We need to know what he asked you for."

"You shouldn't play with magic, Phantomhive, your soul is delicate, you know," Undertaker said once he calmed down, his face turning to Ciel. "That boy, Trancy you say his name is, wants nothing more than to destroy your fragile soul. Why, I haven't the faintest clue. But the curse put upon you is pure, undiluted magic. Even the demon you so greatly cherish could not imagine something so dark."

Ciel set his jaw, glaring at the gray haired Reaper. "Is there no way to lift it then?"

"Oh, there is, there is," Undertaker said, sliding off his desk to the back wall. He blew at the wall, and suddenly there was a bookcase filled with old books, none of which had any sort of names on them. "Aha! Here it is." He grabbed a book from one of the shelves and set it onto the desk. "I believe this is what you're looking for."

Ciel went to grab it, but Undertaker held his hand up. "What are you-"

"Her," was all he said, pointing his finger at me. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Undertaker lifted his face to me and smiled. "You want to know truths, you do. Well then, this is all you need."

I looked up at Ciel, who was still glaring at Undertaker. Without a word, I stepped over to the desk, resting my hands on either side of the book. "What is it," I asked meekly, unsure of my decision to know Ciel's past.

"The truth."

"What about the curse, Undertaker," Ciel asked, quickly moving me away from Undertaker as I wound my arms around the old book. I let him, staring down at the tops of the yellowed pages. If what Undertaker said was right, I held all the answers to my questions about Ciel's past in my arms.

Undertaker laughed, his attention back on Ciel. "It can only be lifted by the death of the one who cursed you," he said simply, rolling onto his desk. "I'm afraid you're stuck between demon and human until you can kill the little snipe. Isn't that wonderful? A half breed in our midst. It's a celebration indeed, wouldn't you say, Sebastian?"

"Half breed or not, he remains my master until the very end."

"The very end, you say," Undertaker whispered, stretching his arms out across the desk. "The very end could be a very long time."

"Then I will wait however long it takes."

"Such patience for a demon."

Ciel sighed, closing his eyes. "Is that all you can tell me about this curse? Does it bare a name?"

"No name to be had," Undertaker told him, swirling his fingertips over the wood of his desk. "It's a complex curse, I can tell you that."

"Do you know of Trancy's whereabouts?"

Undertaker chuckled, shaking his head, his hair falling over the edge of his desk. "I don't bide my time paying attention to a child's whereabouts."

"This was a waste of time," Ciel grumbled, turning away from Undertaker. I watched as Undertaker whirled around, his hat somehow always staying on his head, and suddenly he was in front of me, his face still hidden underneath the darkness of his hair. Gasping, I froze, holding onto the book tightly.

"You don't know what you hold," Undertaker whispered into my ear. "Hold on too tightly and you could find yourself in a web of deceit. Beware of the spider, my dear, for it will be your undoing."

"Enough," Ciel said, grabbing my elbow and pulling me away from Undertaker. I stared at the man as Ciel began pulling me towards the door. Undertaker smiled grimly at me until I could see him no longer, the door closing loudly after Grell. "A curse with no name, no clues of Trancy's whereabouts, and I'm no closer to figuring this out than I was two days ago!"

"Master, you know of another way to get close," Sebastian said, tilting his head slightly to the side, peering at Ciel through his red eyes. Ciel stopped, turning to Sebastian with a brow raised. "You send servants and Reapers after Alois Trancy, and yet you haven't thought about seeking him out yourself."

"Are you suggesting I flaunt myself as bait?"

"As always, I will be at your side no matter what," Sebastian conceded, his eyes gleaming with mischief. I opened my mouth to argue with this, but as an afterthought, I looked down at the book held against my chest. If Ciel were to go about trying to find Trancy himself, it would give me an opportunity to look through the book. Sebastian caught my eye as I turned to look at Ciel. Something in his look made me want to cower back, but I swallowed it down. There was nothing Sebastian could do to me without receiving some sort of punishment.

Ciel closed his eyes and sighed. "I can't think of another way to do this," Ciel said quietly, pulling his beanie further onto his hair. "Ms. Carmichael, will you do as I say and stay in the hotel room until I return?"

"Yes," I said in compliance, earning a surprised look from Ciel.

"You will?"

I shrugged, biting my lip. "I'm tired," I lied, but even Ciel could see through it. He knew what I wanted to do, but wasn't going to stop me. He'd promised his past, and from what Undertaker had said, this was the key to it.

"It's settled then," Ciel said after a second. "Grell, watch over her, make sure she gets back to the hotel and then come straight back here."

"Oh, I hate following orders from this brat," Grell grumbled, suddenly gripping my arm.

I closed the curtains as soon as Grell left and rushed to the door, immediately putting the 'do not disturb' sign on the door handle then locking it behind me. With a sigh, I turned and leaned against the wood, my eyes falling on the book sitting in the middle of the bed. I bit my lip, my heart beginning to race. What would I find hidden in its pages? Curiosity got the better of me as I climbed onto the bed, slowly picking up the book while I sat with my legs underneath me.

My hands shook around the heavy pages, the cover solid black with tiny traces of gold etched into the corners. The book itself was heavy though the pages were small and tattered. What a strange book, I thought, turning it over in my hands. The spine was the same black as the cover with one straight gold line running through the middle of its length, not one word visible anywhere on the front, back, or spine of the book.

"Oh to hell with it," I muttered to myself, opening the cover slowly. I peered down at the script on the first page, written in old ink and cursive lettering.

'Ciel Phantomhive, Earl of the Phantomhive Estate. 1875.'

"I see you've summoned the courage to peek into our dear Ciel's past," a familiar creaky voice said from the corner of the room. I gasped, looking up to see Undertaker leaning casually against the jam of the window, his long black fingernails tapping lightly against the brim of his hat. There was a playful smile on his lips, one with untold mysteries hidden behind it.

"How did you get in here?"

Undertaker laughed giddily, much like Grell but much more sinister. He glided past Ciel's bed and stood in front of me, his face inches form my own. I held my breath, staring up at the man. Green eyes stood out from behind his gray hair, and at once, I could see that he wasn't the old man I thought him to be. Instead he was a young beautiful man, the scar illuminating his beauty immaculately.

"A Reaper has no use for doors, you see," he chuckled darkly, lifting a hand to run a long fingernail over my cheek. I bit my lip, unable to look away from the yellow-green of his eyes. "You may use the lock, but I will always get in, one way or another. That's how we differ from mere humans such as yourself."

"If that's the case, then why are you here?"

"I do love a good story," Undertaker explained, falling back onto Ciel's bed and rolling over onto his stomach, his grey hair spilling out over the edge. "This particular story has many twists and turns, this way and that, manipulated by one single being. Oh it's interesting indeed. No one has wanted to read this story in years."

I wasn't surprised. "You mean you haven't had many customers? How surprising."

Undertaker smiled at me, twirling the single braid between his fingers. "My dear, I have customers every day, the dead are my guests, you see," he said, and I blanched, looking away from his smile. "It's the ones who ask the right questions that are rare to me."

"I guess I asked the right question?"

"You didn't even have to ask, if you recall. I warned you of the dangers behind this story. Humans are so interesting in that way. They know the dangers, and still they push the boundaries until they get what they want."

His words struck a nerve and I glared at him. "So despite knowing something could happen, you're willing to let me open this?"

Undertaker's grin spread further across his face as he flicked the braid over his shoulder. "It is not my decision whether you open that book or not," he whispered, drawing circles on the duvet underneath him with his fingertips. "Your fate does not rest in my hands, nor do I wish it to. Like I said, I'm only here for the story."

"I feel like you're egging me on just to see what happens."

"Humans, forever suspicious," Undertaker laughed, rolling his head to the side as his green eyes illuminated under his gray bangs. "If I am, what difference would it make? The book lies in your hands, what more could I do?"

I glared at him again before looking down at the book in my lap. If I began reading, who knew what could happen? And if I didn't, I'd be left with the regret and haunted by what could have been. My inner demons fought it out inside my stomach, my hands shaking as I debated. I could feel Undertaker's eyes dancing with humor while I fought against myself in a losing battle.

Finally, I groaned, pulling the book open entirely, and suddenly, I was shoved back off of the bed, my head slamming against the wall. I screamed, looking up as the entire room was engulfed in a bright white-blue light, blinding me temporarily. A shriek of laughter rang through my scream, Undertaker dancing on the opposite bed while he clapped his hands. I rubbed the back of my head as I slowly regained my ability to move, eyes wide while I stared at the light.

A man had come through the light, a spitting image of Ciel in his later years, though this man's eyes were a warm brown. Strands of black hair fell loosely in his face, a kind smile on his lips. Was this Ciel's father, Vincent Phantomhive? I braced myself using the wall, standing slowly as the figure's eyes followed my every move. "V-Vincent? Vincent Phantomhive," I stuttered in question, watching as the man held out his hand wordlessly.

"Take his hand, will you? It's not polite to keep a man waiting," Undertaker said gleefully, but I stood back, clenching my hand in a fist.

I had no idea what would happen to me if I took his hand, this sort of magic way beyond my reach. But even as I looked at the man before me, I could only feel warmth. I braced myself and slowly reached my hand out, sliding my fingers into his palm. As soon as his hand closed around mine, there was a sudden pull, and in a blink of an eye, the hotel room disappeared along with Undertaker.

Birds chirped loudly overhead as the sun shone brightly around me, my bare feet landing softly in perfectly cut green grass. The man's grip on my hand had disappeared, but I could feel his presence around me. I looked to my right and found the Phantomhive Manor in pristine condition, towering over me with pride. It looked as beautiful as it had in the pictures I'd seen on the internet.

My eyes traveled over the trees surrounding me, landing on a grand garden, so elegant even the queen herself would be jealous. White roses blossomed beautifully from the green bushes, vivid against the darkness of the leaves. The bushes lined a cobblestone path to a fountain sitting just a few yards from where I stood. I took those few steps and let the running water filter over my fingers, cool and refreshing like it should be.

"Ciel! It's time for lunch, sweetheart," I heard a young woman call from behind me, and as I turned, I saw the flash of familiar blue eyes. It wasn't Ciel I was looking at however. A woman in her early twenties was perched under an umbrella, hiding from the beaming sun. She adorned a soft blue dress, complimentary to her pale skin and natural strawberry blonde hair that hung past her shoulders. Her eyes were the same as Ciel's, wide and ocean blue.

"Oh come now, just a few more minutes, my love," another voice called from my side. I looked up to see Vincent Phantomhive, a smile wide across his face, carrying a small child on his shoulder. The young boy on his shoulder was none other than Ciel, probably about the age of 6. He was so different from the Ciel I'd come to know.

His familiar blue eyes were wide with excitement, his cheeks tinged a perfect pink as a smile lit up his tiny face. Pearly whites flashed as he bounced on his father's shoulders, and a laugh to match his excitement escaped his lips. Vincent laughed along with him, spinning the two around carefully as he held onto the boy's legs. A soft whoosh went by me and Ciel's mother came into view with the two men. My heart stopped at the pure happiness written across all of their faces as Vincent embraced his young wife, kissing the top of her head gently.

"They're the perfect picture, are they not?"

I peered to my side and saw Undertaker lounging in the fountain angel's arms, spinning the tip of his hat around lazily. "Ciel looks so happy here," I said softly, looking back towards the family of three. "What happened to him?"

"Oh no, you can't ask that question, not yet, you have a few pages still," Undertaker laughed. I ignored him, taking a few steps towards the small family. Ciel giggled joyfully as his parents showered him with love and affection, my heart falling into the pit of my stomach. It was like Ciel had been split in two, and this was his alter-ego.

I turned to face Undertaker again, but he was gone along with the fountain. A hiss sounded across the grounds and slowly, the picturesque scene began to fall apart, being replaced with what looked to be a ballroom. A hoard of finely dressed men and women passed by me and I stepped aside, maneuvering myself to stand by the violinists hidden behind a line of potted plants. The music was cheerful, a waltz one might dance to at a party like this one.

Where did they go, I thought to myself, and as soon as I asked the question, I saw the familiar black hair move across the dance floor. I moved smartly through the people standing to the sides, watching as the black hair glided across the floor, mixed in with the strawberry blonde of Rachel Phantomhive. Ciel was nowhere to be seen, but I knew eventually he'd make an appearance. I slid past a woman doused in a red dress, the same shade as Grell's own attire. It was enough to make me pause.

I stared at the woman in awe, her sharp red hair blindingly vibrant against the soft hues of the rest of the party goers. She was beautiful in her own right, standing out in a dress that only she could pull off in her time. Her eyes were as red as her dress and hair, but it didn't seem strange or off putting. It seemed appropriate, not at all like Sebastian's eyes. I followed her gaze to the two parents on the dance floor.

Rachel was smiling up at her husband with wide eyes, perfectly happy as they danced together. Thought their movements were the same as the other dancers, they were slower, in less of a hurry to run out of breath. How curious, I wondered, taking my stance next to the red haired woman. What was the tie between her and the couple on the floor?

"Auntie," I heard the young Ciel call, and suddenly, the black hair ran past me and into the arms of the red haired woman. So this was the aunt that had been mentioned in my findings on the internet. Angelina Dalles had been murdered right after Jack the Ripper had disappeared, and her killer was never found. Interesting.

"Dear Ciel, you know better than to run with your poor health," Angelina playfully scolded, holding the boy on her hip as he smiled up at her. She flashed a dazzling smile at the squirming boy in her arms, though her eyes were traced with sadness and worry. Poor health? He looked perfectly healthy to an outsider. "Has your father taught you nothing?"

A laugh came from behind me and the Phantomhive family joined Ciel and his Aunt, Vincent brushing his hand through Ciel's black hair. "You know our boy, Angelina, he'll run at anything if it makes him happy," Vincent said, grinning down at Ciel. Angelina, however, wasn't looking at Ciel anymore. Her eyes had turned hopeful, staring at the black haired man in front of her. "He missed his Aunt when she went away, didn't you, Ciel?"

"Yes, father, very much!"

"Angelina, why don't you dance with Vincent this time," Rachel spoke up, taking Ciel gently as he reached for his mother. Angelina gasped, looking at her sister with wide eyes. "I've grown weary from our dance and need a moment to catch my breath. Do you mind, Vincent?"

"Not at all. Angelina, may I have this dance?" Vincent bowed politely to Angelina, offering his hand to her. Angelina seemed frozen, but in a split second, realized her mistake and curtsied to the Earl. She accepted his hand, letting him lead her to the dance floor as Rachel and Ciel hung back.

A hand at my back caused me to jump and I shrieked, turning to see Undertaker grinning wildly at me. "Will you stop doing that," I cried, my heart racing as I pressed my hand to my chest. "You're going to give me a heart attack!"

"That would be a sight to see, now wouldn't it?" He bowed suddenly, his cloak flowing out from behind him as he did so. "I'm afraid I can't hold back any longer, I must dance. Will you join me?"

I grimaced, but even as I began to say no, Undertaker grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. "Wait, no," I said loudly, but it was no use. My feet landed on top of his black shoes and my hand in his as his arm circled around my back. And we were off, waltzing along with the other patrons around the floor. "You are despicable."

"It's a wonder, the things you find looking into someone's past," Undertaker said, ignoring my last comment. I huffed in frustration, clinging to him for dear life as he spun us around the floor. "Ciel had a family full of love as a child, and yet, has grown into a man full of such hate and revenge. The transformation was almost in an instant, one might say. For a human, however, I'm sure it lasted a lifetime."

"What are you going on about," I asked, and instantly, Undertaker let me go, and I fell back. I screamed, waiting for my back to hit the floor, but it didn't. My breath left my chest as I continued to fall, making it impossible to scream again. I reached out for anything and everything I could grab, but darkness had taken hold of the world I was in. Closing my eyes tightly, I waited for my back to collide with something, but it never did.

"If you keep your eyes closed, you'll miss the show," Undertaker whispered in my ear. I whimpered but cracked an eye open anyway. We were floating now, looking down at the scene below us. The Phantomhive Manor was set ablaze, flames roaring unforgivingly through the countless rooms, tearing apart the world Ciel had grown to know.

I watched as the child Ciel ran through the hallways, coughing and sputtering as he called out for his mother and father. My eyes clouded with tears while he ran, ash and soot covering every inch of him as he moved. His world was burning around him, taking everything he knew and destroying it right in front of his eyes.

"Oh Ciel."

"Mother, Father," Ciel screamed, pushing through one of the doors. I gasped at the sight of Vincent and Rachel burning together, the flames washing over their scorching flesh while Ciel stood and watched. "No! Father! Mother! We must leave!"

"Got him," I heard another voice yell loudly, and with a crack, Ciel was hit over the head with the butt of a gun, knocking him out cold.

"Is there no way to stop them," I asked Undertaker hurriedly, watching as the man tossed Ciel over his shoulder and began running through the burning mansion. Undertaker didn't answer at first, his eyes trained on the man running with Ciel, then he looked at me, a smirk playing on his lips.

"And what would you do, my dear," Undertaker asked, sweeping his fingertips across my cheek. I bit my lip, looking down as the man disappeared into a carriage just off the grounds. Smoke billowed out of the ruins of the mansion, the flames eating everything in their path. "Do you wish to change Ciel's past? What good would that do? I guarantee he'd still be the same man you know. A past can be changed, but the person remains the same."

"How can that be? It makes no sense," I urged, watching the mansion begin to crumble in on itself. "If we could stop the fire from ever starting, then Ciel would have his family back and none of this would be happening! He'd be happy again!"

Undertaker smiled, tapping a fingernail against his bottom lip. "Death is funny that way," he said seriously, peering at me through his bangs. "No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, death will always be one step ahead of you. If you take away this part of Ciel's past, death will find another way to bring his family down. It's all a part of life and death, don't you see?"

When he put it that way, he was right, but it didn't take away the sadness and pity for Ciel in that moment. Losing his parents in a horrible fire, watching them burn, and then being kidnapped right after? I could only imagine the pain he would feel when he woke up in a strange place. "Would death still take his parents from him at such a young age though," I asked, looking down as the flames ripped through the beautiful garden I'd seen earlier.

"The only way to find out is to change his past," Undertaker warned, but I shook my head. I wasn't going to change anything. I was here to observe, no matter how terrible Ciel's past was. This was the truth I asked for, and this was the truth I was getting. There was no changing it.

"Can I go down there?"

In an instant, Undertaker and I began to descend on the Manor, far away enough to still feel the heat of the fire. Maids and butlers ran across the grounds, screaming and yelling for help, but none came. The mansion was too far into the country and already too far gone to receive any sort of help. All they could do was watch their home be destroyed and run. One butler remained, however, standing off in the distance.

"Who's that," I questioned, pointing over to the man standing by the trees.

Undertaker giggled, playing with the end of his hat again. "That is Tanaka," he said in a matter of fact tone. "The Phantomhive head butler. Old as a bat, that one, but certainly worth his salt. I do believe Phantomhive kept him on a short leash, never leaving the mansion without him. Used to visit for information, they did."

"You were an ally."

"Still am, just like to give ol' Ciel a good time," Undertaker laughed, but I rolled my eyes. Men and their jokes, I really didn't understand it. "Speaking of a good time, we're about to see the best part."

"What are you-oh my god!"

There was a loud bang and suddenly, I was thrown into a steel cage in a brightly lit room, my head hitting one of the bars with a clang. I groaned, grabbing the back of my head as I sat up dazed. Undertaker laughed triumphantly, gripping onto the steel bars as he stared out at the scene before us. I rubbed the sore spot on my head, slowly moving towards the too giddy Reaper. "This is where the real fun begins, my lady," Undertaker whispered, his eyes shining.

I looked out towards the middle of the room and gawked, my stomach turning at the sight. Ciel was strapped to a stone pedestal on his back, unconscious and twitching. "What's going on," I whispered frightfully, sliding my hands around the steel bars of the cage. "Why is he just lying there?"

A door slammed open and a wave of men in cloaks and masks began filtering into the room, each humming a dark tune. Undertaker bounced in place, almost unable to contain himself. I looked around the room and saw another cage like the one we were in, one filled with more children. What the hell was going on? Why were there children in cages and why the hell was Ciel on that pedestal?

"Brothers, it is time for a sacrifice," a man whom I assumed to be the leader yelled as the men surrounded Ciel, keeping a hole for Undertaker and I to still see what was happening. The men went silent, the only sound in the room the whimpering and breathing of the children in the other cage. I watched in horror as a man wielding a hot brand began to approach a slowly wakening Ciel.

"W-what are you doing," Ciel stuttered in a panicked voice, beginning to fight his restraints. Several men surrounded Ciel, unchaining him to turn him over onto his stomach. "No! Get off of me! Get off! Mother! Father! No!"

"I can't watch this," I whispered, but even as I said it, I couldn't take my eyes away from the screaming Ciel. The man approached Ciel, his face hidden behind the black mask, and without warning, he pressed the brand to Ciel's side. A blood curdling scream echoed throughout the room, and I pressed my hands against my ears, willing it to stop. The screaming wasn't enough to block out the wretched sizzling sound as the brand burned into Ciel's skin.

And then the screaming stopped. I pulled my hands from my ears and blinked as the men turned the crying and shaking Ciel over onto his back. "Now, my brothers, the time has come," the leader said, pulling a dagger from his cloak. I gasped, standing up quickly. There had to be something I could do to stop this.

My ears began ringing uncontrollably as the man chanted, raising the dagger high above his head. I slapped my hands over my mouth to keep from being sick as the man plunged the dagger into Ciel's stomach, blood spraying across the man's mask. My throat ran dry as Ciel's eyes went wide, pain etched on his face while the man pulled the dagger from Ciel's body, drenched in blood. I turned away, immediately falling to my knees to heave.

"You're going to miss the best part," Undertaker hissed at me, but I shook my head, desperate to leave this behind. "Here he comes."

Darkness shrouded the entire room and I lifted my head, wiping at my mouth. The familiar sound of Sebastian's chuckle echoed through the room. "He's here," the leader said quickly, looking around the room as the darkness began to dissipate. "The demon is here!"

"They were summoning Sebastian," I asked Undertaker quietly, looking over at the gray haired man. He smirked, pointing a fingernail at the men in front of us.

"How childishly stupid they were," he said with a laugh. "Thinking a demon would want to serve them. They don't have enough hate in them to take on a demon like Sebastian, I assure you. Ciel was the perfect candidate."

I watched in silence as Ciel bargained with the darkness surrounding him, his cold voice cutting through the men's advances to shut him up. Sebastian's chuckle lit the room like the fires of Ciel's mansion and suddenly, a black hand reached forward to take Ciel's. "Yes, my master," Sebastian's voice rang out, and in a blink of an eye, the darkness took the form of the Sebastian I knew. Now that I'd seen Vincent, I could see the striking resemblance of the two, aside from the blood red eyes.

A scream filled the room yet again and fear ripped through me as Ciel covered his right eye. I knew what had happened. The sacrifice Sebastian needed for the contract had been taken, leaving a pentagram on Ciel's eye. "Kill them," Ciel ordered as the straps that held him down vanished.

"I can't watch this." I pressed my face into Undertaker's cloak. His arm wrapped around my shoulders and I was once again in darkness, hearing the screams and shouts as the men were slaughtered, blood spraying against my back. I held tightly to his cloaks as the screams continued, ripping through me like a blade.

This was Ciel's reasoning for being the way he was. He was born in blood after his parents were burned alive and kidnapped by greed driven men desperate to have power they knew nothing about. He'd stolen their opportunity with his hate and bloodlust, giving Sebastian the perfect soul to devour. In the end, it cost them their lives, and Ciel his happiness. The child who'd once been carefree and always smiling was now damned to a life without.

"I assume you found what you were looking for."

I looked up from Undertaker's cloak and found myself back in the hotel room, the book now lying on the floor and Ciel standing over us. Pushing away from Undertaker, I took a deep breath, holding myself against the wall. "I-I," I stuttered, unsure of my state of mind. I shook my head, swallowing hard. "You didn't tell me."

Ciel took off his beanie, tossing it to the side. "I didn't believe my past meant so much to you," he said quietly, starting to pull off his pea coat. It wasn't until he faced me head on that I realized he'd donned a black eye patch over his right eye. I suppose it was fitting due to the contract he had made with Sebastian was now back along with his demon butler. "Did you find anything of particular interest?"

"Oh she found much more than she bargained for," Undertaker clapped, laughing loudly. "Just like a carnival ride, it was. I almost wished it hadn't ended!"

"Sebastian," Ciel said, and Sebastian appeared next to him, glaring at the reaper sitting on the bed. "Make sure Undertaker gets back to the funeral parlor. I want to be positive Trancy doesn't come into contact with him again anytime soon."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said, bowing to Ciel before the two disappeared, leaving Ciel and me to stare at each other. I rubbed the back of my head gently, feeling for any lumps that I may have acquired from getting banged around so much. Going into the past was painful, equally emotionally and physically.

Ciel set his pea coat on the chair next to me and rested his walking stick on the bed, bending down to pick up the book. He ran his fingers over the cover, looking down at it without emotion. Finally, he turned to me and thrust it into my hands. "You may keep that if you wish," he said solemnly. "I have no reason to keep it for myself."

I bit my lip, eyeing the torturous book carefully. "I'll return it once this is all over," I whispered, walking to my suitcase to shove it under my clothes. I zipped up my bag and sat on the edge of my bed, watching Ciel quietly. He was more tense than usual as he slipped off his shoes and kicked them to the side. "I'm sorry, Ciel, what happened to you was-"

"I'd rather not discuss this," he said stonily, and I looked down at my hands, taking a deep breath. "Let's get to bed and talk about what I found tomorrow. Sebastian will be on the lookout tonight."

Without another word, Ciel turned the lights off and I was once more encased in darkness.