Chapter Text
The manor was quiet when Ciel awoke in the early morning hours; it must have been 3 or 4 am judging by the moon in the sky. Shivers wrecked his body as the memory of what must have been a nightmare came to the surface. He couldn’t remember what the awful dream was about; just remembering hearing crying and screaming and then waking up in silence.
Not being able to get back to sleep he decided to take a walk around the manor to clear his mind. Grabbing a night robe and candle he quietly exited the bedroom and walked down the long hallway. It was strange being awake and wandering the halls in silence with no sounds of explosions, breaking dishes, or ‘ho ho hos.’ Ciel was surprised he hadn’t seen Sebastian yet while wandering the vast halls. Usually his able butler would be at his bedroom door with tea as soon as he awoke, no matter the time. Not wanting to put much thought into the matter at such an early time, Ciel walked on for another 15 minutes, glancing at the portraits on the wall, willing himself to exhaustion.
Deciding that he had enough Ciel started walking down his ballroom stairs when he suddenly slipped on something liquid and slid down the remainder of the stairs. “Mey Rin” he yelled as the jumped up as if someone just witnessed the embarrassing fall. Fuming that Mey Rin left a puddle of water on the stairs he swiftly turned to march right back up those menacing stairs, find Sebastian, and demand that he clean it up at once only to stop in his tracks. Ciel’s gaze went from the candlelight and drifted up the stairs to see not water gracing the pristine carpet but thick crimson blood.
“What…am I still dreaming?” he whispered to himself, not believing what he was seeing. Ciel closed his eyes and shook his head fiercely; willing himself to wake up as this had to be a nightmare. A nightmare, yes, it had to be a nightmare, there is no other explanation. After taking a deep breath his long lashes opened only to find the crimson liquid still dripping off the stairs. “Sebastian!” he screamed but there was no black raven that swooped in to save him. “Mey Rin, Finny, Baldroy, Tanaka come down here at once!” Of course they wouldn’t be able to hear him in such a large manor but the young lord wasn’t thinking clearly.
Ciel took off running up the stairs, down the hall, past his bedroom before coming to a light at the end of the hall. The drawing room, someone is in the drawing room he thought. Slowing down and steading his breath he silently approached the lighted doorway of the drawing room. Ever so slowly peeking inside the doorway he saw a sight that is of true nightmares.
Ciel turned and promptly emptied what were the contents of his stomach on the hall floor and dropped to his knees. What he saw made his blood run cold. Wiping his mouth of the vile substance, steeling himself, he got up and entered the dimly lit drawing room. Sitting on the large sofa were Mey Rin, Finny, Baldroy, and Tanaka, all with open wild eyes. Ciel knew the moment he saw them. Each of their heads were severed and gently balancing on their bodies; blood still dripping from the torn flesh. Looking up on the wall, above the carnage, was a single word, written in blood…CHECKMATE.
“What is this?” Ciel choked. “Where is Sebastian? Sebastian! I order you, come to me, NOW!” Appearing suddenly behind him, Sebastian appears with a smirk. “Yes, My Lord?” Spinning around Ciel shouted, “Sebastian, you cannot lie to me, tell me, am I dreaming; is everyone dead? Tell Me!” as he clutched his butler’s lapel.
Grinning down at his distraught young master, Sebastian uncurled Ciel’s fingers from his person and laughed as his jagged teeth became visible “You damn demon, what is this?” Ciel shrieked and moved to strike his butler in the face with his right hand. Swiftly grabbing Ciel’s hand in midair and twisting his small body around while pinning his arm painfully behind his back; he forced Ciel to look at the lifeless bodies of his servants. Sebastian grabbed his master’s jaw harshly, forcing him to stop talking, and gently bent down to his master’s ear and licked its shell.
“No my lord, you are not dreaming; you are awake and you are alive...the only one alive."