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A snowflake landed softly on (y/n)'s thin nose. Crossing her eyes, she stared at it for a moment, then blew it off.

Winter was finally settling in London; rooftops were bathed in fluffy white drapes and the air released with every breath was now visible as an opaque smoke. Purely-coloured white crystals fell from the sky endlessly, showering those beneath it.

“Young Master, may I ask where we are headed?” The words lazily escaped (y/n)'s pale lips as she tried to avoid getting any more snowflakes caught in her eyelashes.

Ciel sighed, suggesting that he wasn't looking forward to their destination. “Undertaker's. Sebastian, explain.”

“Certainly, Master,” acknowledged Sebastian. He turned to face (y/n) and met her (e/c) eyes. She burrowed her neck into the collar of her winter coat and looked away.

The demon explained, ignoring her reaction. “Mister Undertaker is an acquaintance of Master's. We are going to pay him a visit since he might have some information concerning the recent series of murders.”

“So is he a policeman or something?” she asked confusedly.

“A moirtician, actually," corrected Sebastian.

(Y/n)'s nose wrinkled slightly. “Lovely.”

The butler smirked. “Does being around life-deprived corpses bother you, (y/n)? Does pondering on their death wound you?”

She shrugged and made a face. “Not really. I just don't like the smell. Plus, they give me the willies. I'm not sure why.”

Sebastian could almost taste her delicious soul right then. He stiffened, breaking all eye contact.

Suddenly, Ciel came to a stop. Before (y/n) could question anything more, she noticed a large sign over a door that read 'Undertaker'. The witch could already detect the thick stench of death that hung in it's atmosphere from outside. A skull over the entrance and a few nearby coffins completed the place's odd aura.

The Earl knocked on the door once firmly. The second time was even rougher. On the thrid try, he basically punched it, his high-class annoyance with people who didn't answer quickly enough kicking in.

Finally, there was a response. "Come in~" beckoned an odd voice.

The three didn't hesitate to do so; they quickly strolled in and scanned the place for any sign of life.

(Y/n) noticed that there was quite a large amount of empty coffins of all shapes and sizes lying around, awaiting their corpses. Some unusual tools were laid out on a nearby table, along with a few stray pots of paint. The witch gave a discrete shiver at the eerie feeling the walls and dark lighting set off.

No matter how long she observed the odd furniture and objects in the place, the so-called 'Undertaker' was no where to be found. Or so she thought.

Sebastian's thin gloved fingers swiftly positioned themselves on the edge of a shut coffin. With a sharp tug, the cover was removed, revealing an odd man inside. His hair was extremely long and gray and his clothing composed of nothing more than oversized black robes. Long bangs concealed his eyes and an odd hat was perched atop his head. The man cackled at his revelation and sat up, exiting his hideaway.

"Greetings, Earl Phantohive," the man performed an over-dramatic bow and giggled silently. "What brings you back here?"

"Undertaker," said Ciel, adjusting his posture to look taller. "Do you know anything about the recent series of murders?"

"Hmm," he mused teasingly. "Maybe, but maybe not. You know my price, Earl Phantomhive."

Ciel sighed. "Sebastian."

"Certainly, Sir."

The boy swiveled to exit the building, gesturing for (y/n) to follow. She cast him a questioning look, glanced at Sebastian, then did as told. They stood outside in silence for a few seconds.

"Young Master?" asked the witch.

"Yes?"

"Why did we need to leave? What exactly is Mr. Undertaker's 'price'?"

Ciel sighed again. "You'll hear in a minute."

'Hear it in a minute? What does he mea-' (Y/n)'s unsaid question was almost immediately answered by excessive laughter that shook the building to the point where the witch was concerned about it's stability.

The Young Master's face bore no expression- it was almost as if he had done this before many, many times before. They strolled back into the mortician's place. Once inside, they found Sebastian adjusting his gloves while the Undertaker's figure was sprawled on the ground. Loud chuckles and cackles escaped his lips as his hands tightly gripped his sides. Long story short, this whole scene increased (y/n)'s concern for his well-being.

"That was brilliant, butler," he uttered breathlessly, a large grin spread across his face. "You could become an amazing comedian, oh yes, you could..."

The witch met the demon's eyes and mouthed: 'What did you say?'. He simply brought a finger to his lips, then winked. She rolled her eyes and turned away.

"Alright Undertaker," began Ciel impatiently, eager to get this over with. "We've paid your price. Now give us some answers!"

Undertaker gave one last giggle and stood, waddling over to a cabinet. After opening it, he tossed a few odd things aside such as a hairbrush, a toothpick, and a pack of buttons in a search for something.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, extracting a large pile of papers. He made his way back to the three visitors and shoved it into Ciel's arms.

"These are some of my recent customers," he informed as the Earl took a peek at the contents. "Their deaths were like nothing I've ever dealt with before, you see."

"What do you mean?" questioned Ciel.

"They all died the same way, no doubt about that. But something bugs me..."

"What is it?"

"Well, I don't quite understand how they died, really."

"B-but how? You deal with the deceased all the time!"

Undertaker shrugged then took a long glance in (y/n)'s direction, almost as if analyzing her. He smiled as she shifted uncomfortably.

"Maybe your servant should have a look at them," said the silver-haired man.

"You mean (y/n)?" asked Ciel, following the odd man's stare. "Why?"

Undertaker cackled again. "Something tells me that she might be familliar with their death causes."

All eyes were on the girl as she blinked a few times in confusion. Familliar with their death causes? What on earth was he talking about? Was he implying that she might've been the killer?

"Well (y/n)," said the Young Master finally, shattering the thick silence. "Go on then."

The witch complied, following Undertaker through a door that led to the basement. Sebastian and his Master were close behind, though she could've sworn that they were a little farther back than usual. The air downstairs was murky and unpleasant; the stench of rotting corpses hung in the air so strongly that even humans were overwhelmed by it. She covered her nose with her sleeve and copied Undertaker's footsteps, who didn't seem bothered at all.

"Here we are," he announced as they arrived to a lineup of seven covered corpses that were seperated from the rest. "I haven't quite finished preparing them yet. You're lucky."

The mortician removed the drapes one by one, revealing the bodies hidden beneath. Oddly enough, there was no gore whatsoever- if anything, these people looked as if they were too perfect to have died. Aside from that, none of their physical traits were shared; their ages, heights, features, skin tones (etc.) all differed from one another. This meant that to solve this crime, they would have to dig deeper.

(Y/n) scanned each and every one of the corpses over and over again, never once noting anything that stood out besides their beauty. Until she sensed something.

The sheer strength of it almost made her fall over. She took a few steps away from the corpses, trembling slightly, until she bumped into someone. Sebastian.

"What's wrong?" he asked, some twisted form of concern lacing his words. "Did you see something?"

The witch's breaths were uneven and ragged. Her eyes were wide with fear- a fear she had forgotten long ago.

"I-It-s..." The words were getting caught in her throat, never fully weaving themselves into sentences.

By this time, even Ciel seemed worried. "What? What is it?"

(Y/n) took a deep breath, composing herself. She listened to Sebastian's barely audible breathing pattern and matched her own to it, then turned to face her Master.

"I know how th-they died," she said simply.

Everyone addressed her with expressions that read 'continue'.

One more inhale. "Dark Magic."

*~*~*~*~*

There was another witch in town.

Of that, (y/n) was certain.

She was also a Dark Witch, an uncommon one, an outcast. Then there was the familiarity of her Dark Magic- that troubled (y/n) the most. It was almost as if she'd known her in the past...

The girl shook those thoughts away. She had never met another witch before.

(Y/n) let out a groan at how puzzling the situation was. Her top half was sprawled across a desk in the Phantomhive manor. She had been granted a day off from regular chores since she was probably the only one capable of solving this mystery. That was nice on the Earl's part, but incredibly stressing. The witch hardly understood the killer's way of crime and yet Ciel still expected her to solve it in a short time period.

She flipped through the files Undertaker had lent them for what seemed like the hundredth time, noticing nothing new. Then, she went back to thinking until her brain hurt.

Hours passed and (y/n) had barely made any progress. She went through book after book and had no luck. She walked around the home in an attempt to give herself a new perspective on the situation. She visited crime scenes, libraries, homes of the deceased's relatives, and countless other areas without success.

The witch even spent some time analyzing random passersby to check if they were her kind. No luck there, either.

"Ugh," she moaned, smudging the ink on one of her notes with her face. "I'm missing something, but I don't know what..."

The door opened and she sensed a familiar presence. "Good evening, (y/n). I see you haven't allowed yourself to rest yet."

Her eyelids drooped, as if to prove his point. Not knowing what else to say, the girl let out a 'mmm' in response.

Sebastian made his way over to her desk and observed her carefully. "I can tell you've almost figured it out," he stated after a minute.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," replied (y/n) sarcastically. Much to her shock, Sebastian didn't smirk or chuckle.

The witch shifted her gaze ever so slightly to meet his demonic-red eyes. They were blank, but in a dark corner of their sadistic state, she caught a glimpse of something that resembled actual concern.

(Y/n) pretended not to notice, feeling utter exhaustion creep up into her senses. That analysis had just taken most of the little energy that remained in her. She looked away from the demon and back to the huge mess in front of her.

Sebastian gently grabbed her chin with two fingers and wiped away the ink that stained the witch's face with a sweetness he himself didn't believe possible. All throughout this, his instinct was yelling at him to back away now, to exit the room, to avoid this desirable soul; to control himself. He ignored it.

"W-what are y-" began (y/n) softly.

"The ink stains your lovely features and I want to be rid of it," Sebastian stated flatly, yet sincerely. She widened her feline-like eyes ever so slightly but didn't reply. His fingers gently unlatched themselves from her chin.

The butler watched as she exhaled loudly in frustration and ran a hand through her tangled (h/c) hair. He could tell that she wasn't going anywhere now; she was too tired to think straight.

He wrapped his arms around her. She wasn't even in cat form.

"Rest," he whispered.

Her breath hitched ever so slightly, but she stubbornly stared at the paperwork, refusing to give up. He sighed and picked her up bridal-style. His grip was gentle enough not to hurt her, but firm enough to keep her from wriggling free; something she was attempting at the moment.

"No..." she muttered, reaching out pathetically to the table. "Almost got it... Must finish..."

The rest of her words were incomprehensible as she stopped trying to free herself. She would've if she could, but she was so tired.

And his arms were so strong.

She burrowed herself into his chest and let exhaustion drag her eyes down.

*~*~*~*~*

The first thing (y/n) realized when she awoke was that she wasn't in her normal bed.

With a surprised jolt, the girl was sitting up, surveying her surroundings with widened eyes. The room was completely empty and overly tidy. Everything seemed in perfect order.

(Y/n) also noticed that she was in the same maid's outfit that she had fallen asleep in; it was all wrinkled and there was no way that she could be accepted as a Phantomhive servant in this state.

Fortunately though, on the back of a nearby chair there was a conveniently placed maid's dress. It looked identical to the one she wore, though something seemed off...

With a small shock, (y/n) realized that she didn't have a spare.

Deciding that she needed to get up, the witch extracted herself from the luxurious comfort of the large bed she still hadn't adapted herself to. She then grabbed the perfectly tailored and ironed outfit from the chair and used her thumb and index to play with the fabric thoughtfully.

That was when she realized that it was the scent that bothered her.

It was familiar of course, but (y/n) wasn't used to smelling it on her clothes.

She then recognized the material it was made of. 'Was that Sebastian's? Is that why I'm smelling him?'

(Y/n) eventually came to the conclusion that Sebastian must've thought about her clothes and tailored her an outfit from one of his spare butler suits so that she'd have something to wear the next day. Her face reddened slightly at the thought of wearing his clothes but she quickly returned to normal when she caught herself blushing.

The witch swiftly slipped into the surprisingly well-fitting uniform and remade her ponytail- which had been falling apart. As for her old outfit... She'd take care of it later.

(Y/n) managed to find her own room and placed her first uniform on her bed there, making a mental note to iron it (or use a spell) when she found the time. Then, she heard someone snoring on the top bunk. Mey-Rin.

It took one glance out the window for the witch to realize that it was still nighttime, that no human in the mansion was awake. She sighed, wishing that she had had this enlightenment earlier. (Y/n) was wide awake by now, and didn't feel like going back to bed at all.

Completely forgetting about her old clothes and the spell she had to use, (y/n) left the room in the search of something to do, or someone to talk to.

Though she didn't admit it, she was searching for Sebastian.

“Hm. I see you're awake now.”

“Eep!”

(Y/n)'s hand flew to her own mouth to muffle her surprised scream. She had been alone in the dark searching for Sebastian, but somehow, he had found her first. Maybe he had been avoiding and planning to surprise her on purpose; she hadn't sensed him creeping from behind.

“Don't do that!” she exclaimed in a loud whisper.

“Why not?” he asked innocently, smirking. “Are you afraid?”

(Y/n) sighed. “You came out of nowhere. But I'm not afraid of you.”

Sebastian tilted his head to the side, grin fading. “Why not? I am a demon. You should be frightened.”

The witch shrugged and looked away. “I'm not frightened because I don't think that you'll hurt me. I'm not sure if I'm being stupid, but it's a gut feeling. And usually, gut feelings are correct.”

There was an odd silence in which Sebastian was torn between leaving and staying. He could feel his more demon-like side creeping up, a beast-like desire for (y/n) taking over. He knew the best choice was to stay away. Yet something seemed to have nailed his feet to the ground and he didn't move a muscle.

“So is there anything I can do to help you?” (y/n) asked, shattering the unwanted silence with her melodious voice.

“No,” Sebastian answered. “Everything is already prepared.”

“Ah, okay,” she uttered, not knowing what else to respond. Then, suddenly, she remembered something important.

“Oh man!” she exclaimed suddenly. “The crime! Have you figured out who it was? Were there any more murders? Did I miss anything important? How long was I asleep?”

“Calm yourself,” ordered Sebastian. “Nothing has happened. You were asleep for about twenty-four hours, at most.”

“Twenty-four!” she repeated in disbelief, forgetting to be quiet. “I was asleep for twenty-four hours?! Why didn't someone wake me?”

“Shhh,” he commanded, bringing a finger to his plump lips. “You were exhausted to a point where your body couldn't take it anymore. For your own health, the Young Master decided to let you sleep.”

(Y/n) buried her head in her hands, eyes wide and scared. A whole twenty-four hours. If her suspicions of a Dark Witch in the city were true, then the whole country could have been infected by now. She needed to find a way to stop the outcast. And fast.

“Sebastian,” she began slowly, unable to suppress the light quaver in her voice, “you can smell creatures of my kind without getting too close, right?”

Sebastian stared at her as if she'd just asked the dumbest question ever. “Of course I can,” he stated. “Do you underestimate me?”

(Y/n) ignored the last question. “Can you smell any other witches nearby?”

The demon closed his eyes and took in a whiff of the mansion's human-scented air. Within it, he was easily able to identify four humans, and one witch, along with the lingering stench of those that passed by every now and then.

Sebastian opened his eyes again and turned to face (y/n). “There have been no witches in this mansion, besides you, of course.”

He then strode over to a nearby window and opened it, allowing the fresh air from outside to carry a whole new symphony of smells. There was nothing out of the ordinary at first; countless human souls and a few hidden demons amongst them. Sebastian opened his mouth to pass this information on to (y/n), then closed it again when he saw her expression.

The girl's face was deathly pale, her jaw had dropped and her (e/c) orbs had grown dramatically. She seemed traumatized, frozen in place. But why would she--

--He caught a whiff of the scent she had detected only seconds earlier.

It was a rotting stench, disgustingly putrid. Filled with a description of a dark past and future, it shocked even Sebastian, whom was quite used to that type of smell.

(Y/n) met his eyes. They flashed pink for a second, then returned to normal.

Suddenly, the next of Sebastian's breaths sucked in something that wasn't usually present in the earthly atmosphere. His breathing stopped completely as the wind was knocked out of him. An odd sensation overcame him; it was almost as if something new was flowing through his veins, as if his blood had been replaced by a new substance...

He could feel his fingers and toes tingling, then losing sense. The feeling projected itself through his forearms and ankles, rapidly making it's way toward his heart.

It was much like that one fateful day where he had met (y/n), Sebastian realized. However, the freezing spell that she had used on him that day had been practically harmless. This one was much different, much more powerful.

In fact, the affected areas were so cold that the demon was under the impression that they'd shatter with the slightest movement of air.

Which was exactly what would happen if the spell took full effect.

(Y/n) seemed to realize this too, and in an attempt to save the bulter that was in the progress of dying before her, she cast a powerful fire spell. At first, it didn't seem to do much. Her worries for him then increased exponentially, as the sickening feeling of having done something fatally wrong grew.

But those concerns were proven brief. After around 37 seconds, Sebastian could move again, though his limbs felt awfully numb. He stared at the witch in dismay as she put out the excess fire that had caught on to a few sections of the carpet beneath their feet.

"Sorry about that," she muttered, gesturing to the damaged fabric. "I'll fix it later."

The demon didn't answer; he was at a loss for words. Did this witch just save him from death?

Nobody had ever done that to him, not once. He didn't blame them, who wanted to save a damned creature?

All shock and numbness aside, Sebastian was then consumed by a feeling of relief. He thought that he and everyone in the mansion were safe now. He thought that the numbness would leave and that would be the end. He thought that things would be fine.

But when a loud echo of shattered glass resonated throughout the mansion, Sebastian realized that things were not fine at all.

*~*~*~*~*

All of the windows in the mansion shattered simultaneously, creating a loud chaos. A few screams were heard as the servants and the Young Master awoke with a start, puzzled by the thought of such a dramatic disturbance in the middle of the night.

(Y/n) and Sebastian had ducked under the nearest piece of furniture- an average-sized lounge chair- to avoid the oncoming shower of glass shards. Quietly acknowledging their quick reflexes, the two searched their surroundings for any signs of life- either that of a dark witch or that of a human.

(Y/n) then felt a sharp tug on her left wrist. Her eyes met those of the person responsible for the disturbance in the witch's surveillance. Sebastian jerked his head in the direction of the window, his eyes wide and questioning. She followed his plea for her to look and felt her blood drain away from her face.

Through an exceedingly large gap in the intricately-designed hall window leaked an unrecognizable substance. Black, lumpy, unattractive, and misty, it practically shouted ’evil’. (Y/n) and Sebastian watched in an odd mixture of fear and awe as the substance began to mold itself into what looked like a human silhouette.

When everything froze, (y/n) hung on to the hope that this was a simple tactic to frighten her and the demon, that surely this wasn't the witch, surely she had no business in this mansion...

She was proven wrong when the substance split itself into thousands upon thousands of tiny shards that were all sent flying into different directions. By reflex, (y/n)'s arms flew up to shield her face, though the couch would have provided enough. She lowered them when she realized that no sounds of impact were heard and caught a brief glance of the shards- which had somehow sprouted wings- flying down the hallway.

Her eyes met Sebastian's as they shared an expression of worry. Who knew what those little things were capable of. If they were to get to the Young Master, disaster would unfold...

The two were so worried about the Master's status that they forgot to think of their own well-being. While the two had been dreaming up any and every plan possible to save Ciel, they didn't notice that the black fragments left behind something that would be far more troubling...

The said 'something', or rather, 'someone', crept up to the demon and his witch friend as they observed the other end of the hallway, taking their distraction to their advantage. A wide grin etched itself into the person's features as they decided that they'd play a little with the pair before finishing them off. Ideas flooded through the mysterious individual's mind, causing them to let out a small cackle.

Right next to Sebastian's ear.

The sound was brief and barely audible, but his sharp demonic ears picked it up anyway.

With a small jolt, the demon whipped around, coming face-to-face with a woman dressed entirely in black. The aura that the colour set was so empty that Sebastian was sure that he'd get sucked into it if he stared for too long. Across the adult's face stretched an unsettling grin, one that would surely send many children running to their parents in frightened tears. And she was only inches away from his face.

Too shocked to even speak, he tried to prod (y/n) as discretely as possible to warn her of the suspicious woman. However, this small movement was noticed. A whisp of dark red magic slipped away from the female's fingertips in an elegant manner. It was still for about a second, then it shot down to Sebastian's outstretched arm with incredible speed.

With an audible intake of breath, he threw himself at (y/n), knocking her over and removing himself from the impact of the carmine whisp. It only seemed to leave a small hole in the perfectly polished wooden flooring.

Momentarily relieved by the sudden escape, Sebastian cast his gaze downward where (y/n) the cat witch was trapped beneath him, feline eyes wide with a mixture of emotions, namely shock and fear. He could feel her warmth as their bodies were only centimetres apart. Her eyes shifted to meet his and she gestured for him to get off her.

Sebastian found his mind clouded by the witch once again. Completely forgetting the task at hand, he froze in place, feeling every last bit of self-control slip away through his extremities. Unconsciously, he lowered his face toward (y/n)'s, half of him screaming to back up, the other half cheering him on.

This somewhat awkward moment for the witch was interrupted by a certain uninvited guest clearing her throat and letting out a high-pitched giggle.

"How pitiful," she exclaimed with an insane smile. "I never knew demon filth could fall for a witch, fu fu fu."

With a jolt of realization, Sebastian shot to his feet, dusting off his tailcoat and facing the dark woman. With almost all of his composure now regained, the demon addressed her formally.

“Welcome to the Phantomhive manor. We weren't expecting you, but we can accommodate. However, please note that we'd prefer if you used the front door to enter next time. May I inquire your name, madam?”

“Shut it, demon,” she snapped, the overly-sweet syllables oozing unattractively from her mouth. “I just need one thing, and I'll be on my way.”

His eyes narrowed as he felt (y/n)'s presence not far behind. “And what may that 'something' be?”

The woman was grinning so widely that it seemed as if the ends of her lips could reach her earlobes. “The 'something' I want is that,” she purred.

Then (y/n) realized that the woman had been referring to her.

*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, Ciel had paid a visit to the servant's quarters, attempting to avoid the glass shards that were scattered practically everywhere. Hoping to get some answers, he met the servants in the hallway near their bedrooms, only to find that both (y/n) and Sebastian were missing. Mey-Rin stated that (y/n) hadn't slept in her room at all that night, increasing Ciel's suspicion of something unusual occurring in the manor.

As if the din caused by shattering glass hadn't been of enough disturbance, the group began to hear sounds that Bardroy identified as probable explosions. The three servants rushed toward the source of the noise, which happened to be on the other side of the mansion, near the grand entrance door, Ciel had second thoughts.

Things like these had happened before, so he wasn't entirely surprised. The Earl was used to being attacked on an average basis, but something here seemed off. It wasn't every day that all the glass in the building simply shattered without explanation. So, he decided to let Sebastian and (y/n) deal with the situation. They were two able servants, after all.

“Wait, everyone!” he called to the trio, who hadn't gotten very far due to the unpleasant combination of bare feet and glass-covered floors. “Stay here! It's too dangerous.”

The group stopped in their tracks. “But Master,” protested Mey-Rin, removing her glasses and perching them atop her head. “Our duty as servants is to protect you, yes it is!"

“Yeah!” agreed Bardroy. “We can let some blockheaded idiot get to you, now, can we?”

“With all due respect, Sir, we must help Sebastian and (y/n), if they're over there already!”

Ciel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, fingers stopping at the string that kept his eyepatch in place. His subordinates were as stubborn as ever.

“Listen clearly, everybody,” he stated in a stern tone. “I order you all to return to my room and not to come out until I say so.”

“But Master--”

“Now.”

Reluctantly, the three followed Ciel into his luxurious grand bedroom. There, the Young Master had to gently remind them not to touch anything. So, they all gave themselves some form of entertainment. Mey-Rin and Finny discussed theories of the possibilities of an otherworldly attacker with long fangs, Ciel toyed with his family ring, lost in thought, and Bardroy smoked a cigarette until his master told him to stop.

Then, suddenly, a symphony of banging echoed from the locked bedroom door. Each person cast their gaze toward it, breathing suddenly becoming silent. It sounded as if someone was drumming loudly on the wooden structure, and with each pound, the frightened individuals began to doubt it's reliable stability.

They were right to do so; a few moments later, the door was knocked over and a massive army of dark opaque shards enveloped the Young Master.

*~*~*~*~*

Obviously, the right choice was to deny the mysterious woman's request and keep (y/n). But then what? What would be the outcome of these actions? How would the woman react to everything?

As soon as Sebastian uttered his disagreement with her terms, the woman's smile distorted into a scowl. Her bottom lip curled and she seemed rather displeased. Nevertheless, she spoke somewhat calmly;

“Alright then. I wasn't expecting an effortless win anyways.”

A corrupted grin erupted from her frowning figure, and she giggled. “This will be very amusing!”

The next half-hour was just a blur for Sebastian and (y/n). The woman whom they had identified as the dark witch had an onslaught of attacks for them to deal with, each one a little more tricky than the one before.

Though the competitors in this battle did their best to seem focused, each had concerns of their own. (Y/n) could feel her strength diminish dramatically with every spell she cast, and knew the battle would be over for her soon enough. Sebastian felt as if something was happening to the Young Master, and knew that these distractions would end his battle soon. The dark witch, well, kept her doubts to herself...

"Give up already!" shouted the outcast with glee. "I'm going to win anyways, so why waste your energy? Fools."

"Waste? Don't make me laugh," taunted (y/n). "We are simply using what we need to defeat you, damnatorum abiectio [1]."

The dark one let out a ghastly hiss at the foul name, then shot a large orb of electricity in her rival's direction. The said girl easily avoided it, swiftly leaping and landing in a cat-like fashion. However, after this witty maneuver, (y/n) let her guard down. She expected an attack of that caliber to temporarily exhaust the dark witch, but was briefly proven wrong when a copy of the previous offense was thrown in her direction.

Defenseless and vulnerable, (y/n) could only stare in horror as the terrifying creation of corrupted magic flew toward her. In a desperate reflex, the girl's arms formed a weak x-shaped blockage to protect her head, one she knew would be practically useless.

A deafening sound erupted. (Y/n) covered her ears and let out a surprised squeak as someone knocked her sideways. With a groan, her body hit the floor, her saviour landing next to her. The nicer witch's breath caught a familiar scent. Her favourite smell. 'Sebastian...'

An evil cackle sent angry shivers down (y/n)'s spine. "My my, did he just risk his life for you?"

The dark witch was laughing as if the moment they lived in was a hilarious comedy. She hopped down from the pile of rubble she'd been standing on previously.

"This is gold!" she cackled hysterically, throwing both arms in the air, then pretending to wipe a tear. "The demon has fallen in love! He wants to protect his precious witch!"

(Y/n)'s feline irises narrowed into a frighteningly thin state. She gently pushed Sebastian away from her. He seemed confused, but remained silent as he lifted himself away from the filthy ground. He offered her a hand and she stood, their gazes never faltering away from one another.

Most people would expect this scene to be over-the-top romantic. They would expect the characters to confess their undying love for each other and kiss, the shock of nearly losing one another too much for either to bear. However, those people are human. And, like I said at the beginning of this story, this is a demon's tale, not a human's.

And demons don't love.

Yet Sebastian didn't quite detest the witch beside him.

Was that why he had decided to risk his body rather than allow her to get hit? Or was he simply following his Master's orders to protect his subordinates as the head of the servants?

He didn't have time to ponder on the thought at the moment, though, because the dark witch had grown tired of waiting. She uttered another incantation. The vile words pouring from her unrealistic lips created a spherical mass of dark substance. It grew at a frightening pace, offering no time whatsoever for the demon-witch pair to come up with an acceptable plan. So, instead, they both scattered in different directions.

The dark witch angled the orb toward Sebastian, leading (y/n) to realize that she knew his body wouldn't be able to take her next attack. Her breath hitched, and she froze.

Well at least, she thought she did.

Suddenly her legs didn't feel sore anymore. Suddenly, (y/n)'s thoughts were clouded by a sole goal; to protect the demon. Why? She had no idea. But nothing else mattered.

Her next thoughts were blank. Actually, scratch that. They were non-existent. Her mind wasn't active, and she saw no need to start it up.

Though she should've.

For, with a little more thought, her life might've been spared.

*~*~*~*~*

When a battle of this caliber occurs, most people expect it to end with a bang.

In a way, they're right. Great fights are usually waged between great rivals, which means one will eventually have to overpower the other; thus ending the whole thing dramatically. Big enemies, big battle, bigger end.

But what if both enemies overpowered each other at the same time?

When (y/n) threw herself in front of Sebastian, she had intended to take the blow herself and save his life. But as she was soaring through the air in what seemed like slow-motion, the girl spotted an opening in the dark witch's defence. And a big one, at that. The outcast had been preparing an extreme attack, leaving her partially vulnerable.

So, (y/n) (l/n), the cat witch, didn't even need to process her next actions through thought. She muttered an incantation for a powerful rebound spell, one that would hopefully send the dark witch's curse flying back toward her. She had to time it precisely so that it wouldn't be visible until she was absolutely sure that the outcast couldn't control the orb anymore.

The only issue was that this defensive maneuver would use up all of (y/n)'s remaining strength and even some more. But as I mentioned earlier, the witch wasn't processing her thoughts correctly.

Everything happened as the feline female planned. The dark orb darted in their direction at an amazing speed. The large shield created a trampoline-like shield and protected the demon and the witch behind it just long enough for it to rebound toward their rival. A bone-chilling scream echoed throughout the mansion as the dark witch took her final blow.

And the other witch fell to the ground.

*~*~*~*~*

What was this strange feeling?

Sebastian hadn't rushed to aid (y/n) when she collapsed; he didn't feel any reason to do so. Her own foolish actions had led to this. She was paying the price for acting on such an idiotic purpose.

He didn't care for her. He didn't love her. But why did he feel this?

The servants rushed into the hallway, Ciel following closely after. They'd grown tired of waiting while their fellow workers fought on their own quite quickly, and after the odd black shard-like substance released their Master, they decided to disobey direct orders and try to help.

The sight they came across was someone surprising. Demolished walls. Destroyed furniture and burnt curtains. Glass shards and bloodstains everywhere. A mound of scorched ashes on one end of the hallway and an immobile body on the other. Sebastian eerily still between all of it.

The Young Master took it upon himself to check if his newest servant still lived. Skillfully hopping between dangerously sharp glass pieces, he managed to place himself next to (y/n)'s body.

Ciel carefully kneeled and lowered his head onto her chest, checking for any sign of life. He then placed two fingers on her neck and analyzed the pulse. There was a long silence in which everyone's nerves were on edge-- especially Sebastian's, for a reason he himself did not understand.

After what seemed like an hour, the Earl finally stood. His butler cast him a inquiring look, although he too knew the truth.

“Dead.” The word fell from Ciel's lips.

Then everything slowed down. Everyone's reactions were blurred and their bodies moved a prolonged pace. It was almost like that one day.

That one day where he met her.

Sebastian remembered it clearly, every last bit of it. He remembered the gorgeous feline his sharp eyes had spotted in the dark alleyway. He remembered how that cat wasn't what she seemed. He remembered the order his master had given, the one that had changed his fate. He remembered being paralyzed completely by the cat-witch.

She had been so strong, so sweet, yet so mischievous. She was just like the creature he mistook her for.

Beautiful.

Mey-Rin let out a small cry and collapsed to the ground. Finnian's round green eyes showered the ground with tears. Bardroy and Tanaka tried to console and comfort their fellow servants, though they didn't entirely manage to mask their own feelings.

Ciel was staring at his butler with an almost sorry expression.

Sebastian's figure was still. Too still.

While everyone else released their grief and sorrow through emotions and tears, Sebastian was

just

standing

still.

*~*~*~*~*

The end.

Just kidding.

If you were expecting the story to end there, you were wrong.

Yes, the main protagonist died. Yes, she killed her enemy. But that isn't the end of the story. You'll see why.

A funeral was held in the cat witch’s honour. Ciel carried on with his normal life, still trying to figure out how the killer executed these people and why. Sebastian still had mixed feelings about her, but put the whole thing behind him. The servants grieved most of all, but eventually, they too moved on.

Everything was back to normal; though now every individual in the mansion possessed a fleeting memory of their short-timed friend/servant.

Until one day...

Everything occurred as it normally would; Sebastian rousing the Master from his slumber and serving him Earl Grey tea, Finny apologizing incessantly for somehow setting fire to the flower garden with Bardroy and Mey-Rin knocking over all the plates.

The only odd thing about that day was that it was excessively sunny outside. The day seemed too pretty to be true. It set Sebastian on edge.

While the Master was dining quietly around lunch hour, Sebastian by his side like a faithful dog, a loud scream was heard. It didn't quite match the idea of a terrorized yelp-- rather, it seemed pleasantly surprised.

Ciel and his butler made eye contact. The Master gave a small nod, wordlessly ordering him to check if everything was alright.

The barely audible clatter of Sebastian's polished shoes could not interrupt the concerning happy shouts coming from the back yard where Finny and his friends were supposedly attempting to fix the plants they had set aflame earlier that day. His gloved fingers gently brushed the brass handle of the back door of the kitchen and he hesitated for a moment, questioning for the first time the inevitability of (y/n)'s death.

He shook those thoughts aside and assumed that the servants had found an incredibly adorable animal of sorts. The door was pushed open, and the demon almost lost his composure through an awkward stumble.

There, in front of him, was the cat witch that had ’died’ a few months ago.

Feeling somewhat satisfied by his reaction, (y/n) flashed a mischievous smile and a wink in Sebastian's direction. He approached her too quickly for his own taste, pushing the gleeful servants aside.

“Oi!” complained Bardroy. “You're not the only one that's happy to see 'er, y’know!”

Ignoring their loud voices, Sebastian roughly grabbed her chin between his thumb and index, analyzing her with wary, disbelieving eyes. There was no way she could be alive; she hadn't been breathing, nor had her heart been beating. Even though she was a witch, he'd known that she was dead.

“You three,” he uttered without ever shifting his gaze. “Forget the plants. Complete your other chores.”

“What?” shouted Mey-Rin. “But Sir, we thought (y/n) was dead, yes we did!”

“We missed her so much!" exclaimed Finny. “We can't just leave!”

“You'll see her later,” argued Sebastian through gritted teeth, trying hard to keep his patience level stable. “Now, leave.”

Reluctant yet terrified, the servants did as told, kicking a few stray rocks and grumbling about the butler's unfair ways.

“Who are you?” he questioned the girl before him.

“What?” she asked teasingly. “You can't recognize me? And here I thought I was doing the right thing by saving you...”

Could it actually be her? He had no idea. The only way to find out was to ask her something only she would know. Or to make her show some of her magic.

[Every witch's magic has it's own unique colour. No two witches are the same.]

It was as if she had read his mind. “Want me to cast a spell to prove it? Or, better, want me to turn into a cat?”

The demon, most shamefully, had to keep himself from blushing. (Y/n) in that cat form he so adored...

She gave a small smirk at his reaction as her body started to transform. He released her chin and observed as a body of navy smoke overcame the air around her. Once it dissolved, where a human form once stood, there was a cat. That cat. His favourite cat.

Though as an animal, (y/n) could not show expression, Sebastian could tell by the glint in her eye that his reaction amused her. Before he could pick her up, however, she reverted back into her normal form- the one that resembled the human body.

“Was that proof enough for you?”

“Yes.”

A small breeze picked up, blowing away all the ashes from the destroyed garden. (Y/n) gave it a glance, and without even having to utter the incantation, made the flowers bloom once again.

“So, am I still working here?” she inquired. Sebastian was taken aback slightly, but managed to respond with the thought of asking the Master before giving a proper answer.

“Alright then. But I might as well inform you that I've solved the case,” she added.

His eyes widened by a fraction. Even with a demon by his side, the queen's guard dog hadn't been able to find a solution to this dreaded case. It had been dragging on for far too long for the mansion's liking. So how had a simple witch done it?

“I have experience in magic,” began (y/n), interrupting his train of thought. “But even I couldn't quite tell what that abiectio [2] did to those people to kill them. So I did my research.”

“Where?” Sebastian couldn't help himself.

The witch smiled. “There's a hidden witch library somewhere. I would tell you where it is, but that defeats the point of hiding it, doesn't it?”

She continued with her explanation. “From what I can tell, the dark witch didn't forcefully murder her victims, in a way.”

Many questions ran through Sebastian's mind, but he kept his mouth shut, wanting to hear more.

“You know how each and every of the victims seemed too perfect to have died?” she asked. “Well, using that and some other facts concerning what I could find about their lives, I managed to determine that she must've convinced them to sign some sort of contract with her.”

Sebastian was shocked. Witches could make contracts too? Why hadn't (y/n) told him that earlier?

“This contract wasn't valid though. It was a trick. She promised them a lifetime's worth of beauty and happiness when in reality, the whole thing only lasted a day. After that, she'd take their lives and use their souls for herself.”

“What kind of magic can you perform with souls?”

“All kinds. They're an extremely powerful element in magic. However, most witches stay away from them, for they corrupt your spirit and bring misfortune. Dark things, in general.”

Sebastian paused for a moment and took in the information he'd just received. It made sense; it seemed as if all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. But one element was still missing.

“But why did she kill the people in the first place?”

(Y/n) made a face. “She wanted the power to face me. When I looked into the files the library keeps about each witch, I found that she's my stepsister.”

“Did she want revenge?” A smirk crawled onto the demon's lips.

(Y/n) shrugged. “I don't really care, to be honest. I never met her, or at least I don't remember doing so. I guess she must have wanted my soul or something. Like a trophy.”

“I don't understand.”

(Y/n) sighed. “And here I thought I did a good job of explaining.”

“No, not that,” he said. “I don't understand how you did all this. How you survived.”

(Y/n) let out a teasing laugh. “I thought that you'd have figured it out by now.”

“How did you do it?”

“Oh, Sebastian. I thought you knew that cats have nine lives.”

And there it was. That personality. The butler's heartbeat was loud for a moment. His overwhelming desire for the witch was back. But this time... it seemed clearer.

He realized for the first time that he didn't want to devour her soul, though he was certain it's flavour would be exquisite. What he wanted was her. Her body. Her mind. Her power. Her everything.

But why?

He didn't know. He didn't understand.

But he didn't really care either.

Sebastian grabbed (y/n)'s wrist and pulled her close to his chest. She was his.

He kissed her. It wasn't the gentle and loving kiss that human couples shared. It was bold, passionate, and short. Neither of them was sure of what they were doing or why they were doing it.

Did they love each other? Did they desire each other in a way that they shouldn't? Were they becoming that close to the human nature?

Some might say that they were just bored of living a long life alone. Others might deny the incapability of loving in every demon and shout to the world that those two were ridiculously in love.

To wrap this up, I'll say this. Demons don't love. But they can get pretty close.

Probably.

But who am I to know things like that?

*~*~*~*~*

Description

A snowflake landed softly on (y/n)'s thin nose. Crossing her eyes, she stared at it for a moment, then blew it off.

Winter was finally settling in London; rooftops were bathed in fluffy white drapes and the air released with every breath was now visible as an opaque smoke. Purely-coloured white crystals fell from the sky endlessly, showering those beneath it.

“Young Master, may I ask where we are headed?” The words lazily escaped (y/n)'s pale lips as she tried to avoid getting any more snowflakes caught in her eyelashes.

Ciel sighed, suggesting that he wasn't looking forward to their destination. “Undertaker's. Sebastian, explain.”

“Certainly, Master,” acknowledged Sebastian. He turned to face (y/n) and met her (e/c) eyes. She burrowed her neck into the collar of her winter coat and looked away.

The demon explained, ignoring her reaction. “Mister Undertaker is an acquaintance of Master's. We are going to pay him a visit since he might have some information concerning the recent series of murders.”

“So is he a policeman or something?” she asked confusedly.

“A moirtician, actually," corrected Sebastian.

(Y/n)'s nose wrinkled slightly. “Lovely.”

The butler smirked. “Does being around life-deprived corpses bother you, (y/n)? Does pondering on their death wound you?”

She shrugged and made a face. “Not really. I just don't like the smell. Plus, they give me the willies. I'm not sure why.”

Sebastian could almost taste her delicious soul right then. He stiffened, breaking all eye contact.

Suddenly, Ciel came to a stop. Before (y/n) could question anything more, she noticed a large sign over a door that read 'Undertaker'. The witch could already detect the thick stench of death that hung in it's atmosphere from outside. A skull over the entrance and a few nearby coffins completed the place's odd aura.

The Earl knocked on the door once firmly. The second time was even rougher. On the thrid try, he basically punched it, his high-class annoyance with people who didn't answer quickly enough kicking in.

Finally, there was a response. "Come in~" beckoned an odd voice.

The three didn't hesitate to do so; they quickly strolled in and scanned the place for any sign of life.

(Y/n) noticed that there was quite a large amount of empty coffins of all shapes and sizes lying around, awaiting their corpses. Some unusual tools were laid out on a nearby table, along with a few stray pots of paint. The witch gave a discrete shiver at the eerie feeling the walls and dark lighting set off.

No matter how long she observed the odd furniture and objects in the place, the so-called 'Undertaker' was no where to be found. Or so she thought.

Sebastian's thin gloved fingers swiftly positioned themselves on the edge of a shut coffin. With a sharp tug, the cover was removed, revealing an odd man inside. His hair was extremely long and gray and his clothing composed of nothing more than oversized black robes. Long bangs concealed his eyes and an odd hat was perched atop his head. The man cackled at his revelation and sat up, exiting his hideaway.

"Greetings, Earl Phantohive," the man performed an over-dramatic bow and giggled silently. "What brings you back here?"

"Undertaker," said Ciel, adjusting his posture to look taller. "Do you know anything about the recent series of murders?"

"Hmm," he mused teasingly. "Maybe, but maybe not. You know my price, Earl Phantomhive."

Ciel sighed. "Sebastian."

"Certainly, Sir."

The boy swiveled to exit the building, gesturing for (y/n) to follow. She cast him a questioning look, glanced at Sebastian, then did as told. They stood outside in silence for a few seconds.

"Young Master?" asked the witch.

"Yes?"

"Why did we need to leave? What exactly is Mr. Undertaker's 'price'?"

Ciel sighed again. "You'll hear in a minute."

'Hear it in a minute? What does he mea-' (Y/n)'s unsaid question was almost immediately answered by excessive laughter that shook the building to the point where the witch was concerned about it's stability.

The Young Master's face bore no expression- it was almost as if he had done this before many, many times before. They strolled back into the mortician's place. Once inside, they found Sebastian adjusting his gloves while the Undertaker's figure was sprawled on the ground. Loud chuckles and cackles escaped his lips as his hands tightly gripped his sides. Long story short, this whole scene increased (y/n)'s concern for his well-being.

"That was brilliant, butler," he uttered breathlessly, a large grin spread across his face. "You could become an amazing comedian, oh yes, you could..."

The witch met the demon's eyes and mouthed: 'What did you say?'. He simply brought a finger to his lips, then winked. She rolled her eyes and turned away.

"Alright Undertaker," began Ciel impatiently, eager to get this over with. "We've paid your price. Now give us some answers!"

Undertaker gave one last giggle and stood, waddling over to a cabinet. After opening it, he tossed a few odd things aside such as a hairbrush, a toothpick, and a pack of buttons in a search for something.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, extracting a large pile of papers. He made his way back to the three visitors and shoved it into Ciel's arms.

"These are some of my recent customers," he informed as the Earl took a peek at the contents. "Their deaths were like nothing I've ever dealt with before, you see."

"What do you mean?" questioned Ciel.

"They all died the same way, no doubt about that. But something bugs me..."

"What is it?"

"Well, I don't quite understand how they died, really."

"B-but how? You deal with the deceased all the time!"

Undertaker shrugged then took a long glance in (y/n)'s direction, almost as if analyzing her. He smiled as she shifted uncomfortably.

"Maybe your servant should have a look at them," said the silver-haired man.

"You mean (y/n)?" asked Ciel, following the odd man's stare. "Why?"

Undertaker cackled again. "Something tells me that she might be familliar with their death causes."

All eyes were on the girl as she blinked a few times in confusion. Familliar with their death causes? What on earth was he talking about? Was he implying that she might've been the killer?

"Well (y/n)," said the Young Master finally, shattering the thick silence. "Go on then."

The witch complied, following Undertaker through a door that led to the basement. Sebastian and his Master were close behind, though she could've sworn that they were a little farther back than usual. The air downstairs was murky and unpleasant; the stench of rotting corpses hung in the air so strongly that even humans were overwhelmed by it. She covered her nose with her sleeve and copied Undertaker's footsteps, who didn't seem bothered at all.

"Here we are," he announced as they arrived to a lineup of seven covered corpses that were seperated from the rest. "I haven't quite finished preparing them yet. You're lucky."

The mortician removed the drapes one by one, revealing the bodies hidden beneath. Oddly enough, there was no gore whatsoever- if anything, these people looked as if they were too perfect to have died. Aside from that, none of their physical traits were shared; their ages, heights, features, skin tones (etc.) all differed from one another. This meant that to solve this crime, they would have to dig deeper.

(Y/n) scanned each and every one of the corpses over and over again, never once noting anything that stood out besides their beauty. Until she sensed something.

The sheer strength of it almost made her fall over. She took a few steps away from the corpses, trembling slightly, until she bumped into someone. Sebastian.

"What's wrong?" he asked, some twisted form of concern lacing his words. "Did you see something?"

The witch's breaths were uneven and ragged. Her eyes were wide with fear- a fear she had forgotten long ago.

"I-It-s..." The words were getting caught in her throat, never fully weaving themselves into sentences.

By this time, even Ciel seemed worried. "What? What is it?"

(Y/n) took a deep breath, composing herself. She listened to Sebastian's barely audible breathing pattern and matched her own to it, then turned to face her Master.

"I know how th-they died," she said simply.

Everyone addressed her with expressions that read 'continue'.

One more inhale. "Dark Magic."

*~*~*~*~*

There was another witch in town.

Of that, (y/n) was certain.

She was also a Dark Witch, an uncommon one, an outcast. Then there was the familiarity of her Dark Magic- that troubled (y/n) the most. It was almost as if she'd known her in the past...

The girl shook those thoughts away. She had never met another witch before.

(Y/n) let out a groan at how puzzling the situation was. Her top half was sprawled across a desk in the Phantomhive manor. She had been granted a day off from regular chores since she was probably the only one capable of solving this mystery. That was nice on the Earl's part, but incredibly stressing. The witch hardly understood the killer's way of crime and yet Ciel still expected her to solve it in a short time period.

She flipped through the files Undertaker had lent them for what seemed like the hundredth time, noticing nothing new. Then, she went back to thinking until her brain hurt.

Hours passed and (y/n) had barely made any progress. She went through book after book and had no luck. She walked around the home in an attempt to give herself a new perspective on the situation. She visited crime scenes, libraries, homes of the deceased's relatives, and countless other areas without success.

The witch even spent some time analyzing random passersby to check if they were her kind. No luck there, either.

"Ugh," she moaned, smudging the ink on one of her notes with her face. "I'm missing something, but I don't know what..."

The door opened and she sensed a familiar presence. "Good evening, (y/n). I see you haven't allowed yourself to rest yet."

Her eyelids drooped, as if to prove his point. Not knowing what else to say, the girl let out a 'mmm' in response.

Sebastian made his way over to her desk and observed her carefully. "I can tell you've almost figured it out," he stated after a minute.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," replied (y/n) sarcastically. Much to her shock, Sebastian didn't smirk or chuckle.

The witch shifted her gaze ever so slightly to meet his demonic-red eyes. They were blank, but in a dark corner of their sadistic state, she caught a glimpse of something that resembled actual concern.

(Y/n) pretended not to notice, feeling utter exhaustion creep up into her senses. That analysis had just taken most of the little energy that remained in her. She looked away from the demon and back to the huge mess in front of her.

Sebastian gently grabbed her chin with two fingers and wiped away the ink that stained the witch's face with a sweetness he himself didn't believe possible. All throughout this, his instinct was yelling at him to back away now, to exit the room, to avoid this desirable soul; to control himself. He ignored it.

"W-what are y-" began (y/n) softly.

"The ink stains your lovely features and I want to be rid of it," Sebastian stated flatly, yet sincerely. She widened her feline-like eyes ever so slightly but didn't reply. His fingers gently unlatched themselves from her chin.

The butler watched as she exhaled loudly in frustration and ran a hand through her tangled (h/c) hair. He could tell that she wasn't going anywhere now; she was too tired to think straight.

He wrapped his arms around her. She wasn't even in cat form.

"Rest," he whispered.

Her breath hitched ever so slightly, but she stubbornly stared at the paperwork, refusing to give up. He sighed and picked her up bridal-style. His grip was gentle enough not to hurt her, but firm enough to keep her from wriggling free; something she was attempting at the moment.

"No..." she muttered, reaching out pathetically to the table. "Almost got it... Must finish..."

The rest of her words were incomprehensible as she stopped trying to free herself. She would've if she could, but she was so tired.

And his arms were so strong.

She burrowed herself into his chest and let exhaustion drag her eyes down.

*~*~*~*~*

The first thing (y/n) realized when she awoke was that she wasn't in her normal bed.

With a surprised jolt, the girl was sitting up, surveying her surroundings with widened eyes. The room was completely empty and overly tidy. Everything seemed in perfect order.

(Y/n) also noticed that she was in the same maid's outfit that she had fallen asleep in; it was all wrinkled and there was no way that she could be accepted as a Phantomhive servant in this state.

Fortunately though, on the back of a nearby chair there was a conveniently placed maid's dress. It looked identical to the one she wore, though something seemed off...

With a small shock, (y/n) realized that she didn't have a spare.

Deciding that she needed to get up, the witch extracted herself from the luxurious comfort of the large bed she still hadn't adapted herself to. She then grabbed the perfectly tailored and ironed outfit from the chair and used her thumb and index to play with the fabric thoughtfully.

That was when she realized that it was the scent that bothered her.

It was familiar of course, but (y/n) wasn't used to smelling it on her clothes.

She then recognized the material it was made of. 'Was that Sebastian's? Is that why I'm smelling him?'

(Y/n) eventually came to the conclusion that Sebastian must've thought about her clothes and tailored her an outfit from one of his spare butler suits so that she'd have something to wear the next day. Her face reddened slightly at the thought of wearing his clothes but she quickly returned to normal when she caught herself blushing.

The witch swiftly slipped into the surprisingly well-fitting uniform and remade her ponytail- which had been falling apart. As for her old outfit... She'd take care of it later.

(Y/n) managed to find her own room and placed her first uniform on her bed there, making a mental note to iron it (or use a spell) when she found the time. Then, she heard someone snoring on the top bunk. Mey-Rin.

It took one glance out the window for the witch to realize that it was still nighttime, that no human in the mansion was awake. She sighed, wishing that she had had this enlightenment earlier. (Y/n) was wide awake by now, and didn't feel like going back to bed at all.

Completely forgetting about her old clothes and the spell she had to use, (y/n) left the room in the search of something to do, or someone to talk to.

Though she didn't admit it, she was searching for Sebastian.

“Hm. I see you're awake now.”

“Eep!”

(Y/n)'s hand flew to her own mouth to muffle her surprised scream. She had been alone in the dark searching for Sebastian, but somehow, he had found her first. Maybe he had been avoiding and planning to surprise her on purpose; she hadn't sensed him creeping from behind.

“Don't do that!” she exclaimed in a loud whisper.

“Why not?” he asked innocently, smirking. “Are you afraid?”

(Y/n) sighed. “You came out of nowhere. But I'm not afraid of you.”

Sebastian tilted his head to the side, grin fading. “Why not? I am a demon. You should be frightened.”

The witch shrugged and looked away. “I'm not frightened because I don't think that you'll hurt me. I'm not sure if I'm being stupid, but it's a gut feeling. And usually, gut feelings are correct.”

There was an odd silence in which Sebastian was torn between leaving and staying. He could feel his more demon-like side creeping up, a beast-like desire for (y/n) taking over. He knew the best choice was to stay away. Yet something seemed to have nailed his feet to the ground and he didn't move a muscle.

“So is there anything I can do to help you?” (y/n) asked, shattering the unwanted silence with her melodious voice.

“No,” Sebastian answered. “Everything is already prepared.”

“Ah, okay,” she uttered, not knowing what else to respond. Then, suddenly, she remembered something important.

“Oh man!” she exclaimed suddenly. “The crime! Have you figured out who it was? Were there any more murders? Did I miss anything important? How long was I asleep?”

“Calm yourself,” ordered Sebastian. “Nothing has happened. You were asleep for about twenty-four hours, at most.”

“Twenty-four!” she repeated in disbelief, forgetting to be quiet. “I was asleep for twenty-four hours?! Why didn't someone wake me?”

“Shhh,” he commanded, bringing a finger to his plump lips. “You were exhausted to a point where your body couldn't take it anymore. For your own health, the Young Master decided to let you sleep.”

(Y/n) buried her head in her hands, eyes wide and scared. A whole twenty-four hours. If her suspicions of a Dark Witch in the city were true, then the whole country could have been infected by now. She needed to find a way to stop the outcast. And fast.

“Sebastian,” she began slowly, unable to suppress the light quaver in her voice, “you can smell creatures of my kind without getting too close, right?”

Sebastian stared at her as if she'd just asked the dumbest question ever. “Of course I can,” he stated. “Do you underestimate me?”

(Y/n) ignored the last question. “Can you smell any other witches nearby?”

The demon closed his eyes and took in a whiff of the mansion's human-scented air. Within it, he was easily able to identify four humans, and one witch, along with the lingering stench of those that passed by every now and then.

Sebastian opened his eyes again and turned to face (y/n). “There have been no witches in this mansion, besides you, of course.”

He then strode over to a nearby window and opened it, allowing the fresh air from outside to carry a whole new symphony of smells. There was nothing out of the ordinary at first; countless human souls and a few hidden demons amongst them. Sebastian opened his mouth to pass this information on to (y/n), then closed it again when he saw her expression.

The girl's face was deathly pale, her jaw had dropped and her (e/c) orbs had grown dramatically. She seemed traumatized, frozen in place. But why would she--

--He caught a whiff of the scent she had detected only seconds earlier.

It was a rotting stench, disgustingly putrid. Filled with a description of a dark past and future, it shocked even Sebastian, whom was quite used to that type of smell.

(Y/n) met his eyes. They flashed pink for a second, then returned to normal.

Suddenly, the next of Sebastian's breaths sucked in something that wasn't usually present in the earthly atmosphere. His breathing stopped completely as the wind was knocked out of him. An odd sensation overcame him; it was almost as if something new was flowing through his veins, as if his blood had been replaced by a new substance...

He could feel his fingers and toes tingling, then losing sense. The feeling projected itself through his forearms and ankles, rapidly making it's way toward his heart.

It was much like that one fateful day where he had met (y/n), Sebastian realized. However, the freezing spell that she had used on him that day had been practically harmless. This one was much different, much more powerful.

In fact, the affected areas were so cold that the demon was under the impression that they'd shatter with the slightest movement of air.

Which was exactly what would happen if the spell took full effect.

(Y/n) seemed to realize this too, and in an attempt to save the bulter that was in the progress of dying before her, she cast a powerful fire spell. At first, it didn't seem to do much. Her worries for him then increased exponentially, as the sickening feeling of having done something fatally wrong grew.

But those concerns were proven brief. After around 37 seconds, Sebastian could move again, though his limbs felt awfully numb. He stared at the witch in dismay as she put out the excess fire that had caught on to a few sections of the carpet beneath their feet.

"Sorry about that," she muttered, gesturing to the damaged fabric. "I'll fix it later."

The demon didn't answer; he was at a loss for words. Did this witch just save him from death?

Nobody had ever done that to him, not once. He didn't blame them, who wanted to save a damned creature?

All shock and numbness aside, Sebastian was then consumed by a feeling of relief. He thought that he and everyone in the mansion were safe now. He thought that the numbness would leave and that would be the end. He thought that things would be fine.

But when a loud echo of shattered glass resonated throughout the mansion, Sebastian realized that things were not fine at all.

*~*~*~*~*

All of the windows in the mansion shattered simultaneously, creating a loud chaos. A few screams were heard as the servants and the Young Master awoke with a start, puzzled by the thought of such a dramatic disturbance in the middle of the night.

(Y/n) and Sebastian had ducked under the nearest piece of furniture- an average-sized lounge chair- to avoid the oncoming shower of glass shards. Quietly acknowledging their quick reflexes, the two searched their surroundings for any signs of life- either that of a dark witch or that of a human.

(Y/n) then felt a sharp tug on her left wrist. Her eyes met those of the person responsible for the disturbance in the witch's surveillance. Sebastian jerked his head in the direction of the window, his eyes wide and questioning. She followed his plea for her to look and felt her blood drain away from her face.

Through an exceedingly large gap in the intricately-designed hall window leaked an unrecognizable substance. Black, lumpy, unattractive, and misty, it practically shouted ’evil’. (Y/n) and Sebastian watched in an odd mixture of fear and awe as the substance began to mold itself into what looked like a human silhouette.

When everything froze, (y/n) hung on to the hope that this was a simple tactic to frighten her and the demon, that surely this wasn't the witch, surely she had no business in this mansion...

She was proven wrong when the substance split itself into thousands upon thousands of tiny shards that were all sent flying into different directions. By reflex, (y/n)'s arms flew up to shield her face, though the couch would have provided enough. She lowered them when she realized that no sounds of impact were heard and caught a brief glance of the shards- which had somehow sprouted wings- flying down the hallway.

Her eyes met Sebastian's as they shared an expression of worry. Who knew what those little things were capable of. If they were to get to the Young Master, disaster would unfold...

The two were so worried about the Master's status that they forgot to think of their own well-being. While the two had been dreaming up any and every plan possible to save Ciel, they didn't notice that the black fragments left behind something that would be far more troubling...

The said 'something', or rather, 'someone', crept up to the demon and his witch friend as they observed the other end of the hallway, taking their distraction to their advantage. A wide grin etched itself into the person's features as they decided that they'd play a little with the pair before finishing them off. Ideas flooded through the mysterious individual's mind, causing them to let out a small cackle.

Right next to Sebastian's ear.

The sound was brief and barely audible, but his sharp demonic ears picked it up anyway.

With a small jolt, the demon whipped around, coming face-to-face with a woman dressed entirely in black. The aura that the colour set was so empty that Sebastian was sure that he'd get sucked into it if he stared for too long. Across the adult's face stretched an unsettling grin, one that would surely send many children running to their parents in frightened tears. And she was only inches away from his face.

Too shocked to even speak, he tried to prod (y/n) as discretely as possible to warn her of the suspicious woman. However, this small movement was noticed. A whisp of dark red magic slipped away from the female's fingertips in an elegant manner. It was still for about a second, then it shot down to Sebastian's outstretched arm with incredible speed.

With an audible intake of breath, he threw himself at (y/n), knocking her over and removing himself from the impact of the carmine whisp. It only seemed to leave a small hole in the perfectly polished wooden flooring.

Momentarily relieved by the sudden escape, Sebastian cast his gaze downward where (y/n) the cat witch was trapped beneath him, feline eyes wide with a mixture of emotions, namely shock and fear. He could feel her warmth as their bodies were only centimetres apart. Her eyes shifted to meet his and she gestured for him to get off her.

Sebastian found his mind clouded by the witch once again. Completely forgetting the task at hand, he froze in place, feeling every last bit of self-control slip away through his extremities. Unconsciously, he lowered his face toward (y/n)'s, half of him screaming to back up, the other half cheering him on.

This somewhat awkward moment for the witch was interrupted by a certain uninvited guest clearing her throat and letting out a high-pitched giggle.

"How pitiful," she exclaimed with an insane smile. "I never knew demon filth could fall for a witch, fu fu fu."

With a jolt of realization, Sebastian shot to his feet, dusting off his tailcoat and facing the dark woman. With almost all of his composure now regained, the demon addressed her formally.

“Welcome to the Phantomhive manor. We weren't expecting you, but we can accommodate. However, please note that we'd prefer if you used the front door to enter next time. May I inquire your name, madam?”

“Shut it, demon,” she snapped, the overly-sweet syllables oozing unattractively from her mouth. “I just need one thing, and I'll be on my way.”

His eyes narrowed as he felt (y/n)'s presence not far behind. “And what may that 'something' be?”

The woman was grinning so widely that it seemed as if the ends of her lips could reach her earlobes. “The 'something' I want is that,” she purred.

Then (y/n) realized that the woman had been referring to her.

*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, Ciel had paid a visit to the servant's quarters, attempting to avoid the glass shards that were scattered practically everywhere. Hoping to get some answers, he met the servants in the hallway near their bedrooms, only to find that both (y/n) and Sebastian were missing. Mey-Rin stated that (y/n) hadn't slept in her room at all that night, increasing Ciel's suspicion of something unusual occurring in the manor.

As if the din caused by shattering glass hadn't been of enough disturbance, the group began to hear sounds that Bardroy identified as probable explosions. The three servants rushed toward the source of the noise, which happened to be on the other side of the mansion, near the grand entrance door, Ciel had second thoughts.

Things like these had happened before, so he wasn't entirely surprised. The Earl was used to being attacked on an average basis, but something here seemed off. It wasn't every day that all the glass in the building simply shattered without explanation. So, he decided to let Sebastian and (y/n) deal with the situation. They were two able servants, after all.

“Wait, everyone!” he called to the trio, who hadn't gotten very far due to the unpleasant combination of bare feet and glass-covered floors. “Stay here! It's too dangerous.”

The group stopped in their tracks. “But Master,” protested Mey-Rin, removing her glasses and perching them atop her head. “Our duty as servants is to protect you, yes it is!"

“Yeah!” agreed Bardroy. “We can let some blockheaded idiot get to you, now, can we?”

“With all due respect, Sir, we must help Sebastian and (y/n), if they're over there already!”

Ciel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, fingers stopping at the string that kept his eyepatch in place. His subordinates were as stubborn as ever.

“Listen clearly, everybody,” he stated in a stern tone. “I order you all to return to my room and not to come out until I say so.”

“But Master--”

“Now.”

Reluctantly, the three followed Ciel into his luxurious grand bedroom. There, the Young Master had to gently remind them not to touch anything. So, they all gave themselves some form of entertainment. Mey-Rin and Finny discussed theories of the possibilities of an otherworldly attacker with long fangs, Ciel toyed with his family ring, lost in thought, and Bardroy smoked a cigarette until his master told him to stop.

Then, suddenly, a symphony of banging echoed from the locked bedroom door. Each person cast their gaze toward it, breathing suddenly becoming silent. It sounded as if someone was drumming loudly on the wooden structure, and with each pound, the frightened individuals began to doubt it's reliable stability.

They were right to do so; a few moments later, the door was knocked over and a massive army of dark opaque shards enveloped the Young Master.

*~*~*~*~*

Obviously, the right choice was to deny the mysterious woman's request and keep (y/n). But then what? What would be the outcome of these actions? How would the woman react to everything?

As soon as Sebastian uttered his disagreement with her terms, the woman's smile distorted into a scowl. Her bottom lip curled and she seemed rather displeased. Nevertheless, she spoke somewhat calmly;

“Alright then. I wasn't expecting an effortless win anyways.”

A corrupted grin erupted from her frowning figure, and she giggled. “This will be very amusing!”

The next half-hour was just a blur for Sebastian and (y/n). The woman whom they had identified as the dark witch had an onslaught of attacks for them to deal with, each one a little more tricky than the one before.

Though the competitors in this battle did their best to seem focused, each had concerns of their own. (Y/n) could feel her strength diminish dramatically with every spell she cast, and knew the battle would be over for her soon enough. Sebastian felt as if something was happening to the Young Master, and knew that these distractions would end his battle soon. The dark witch, well, kept her doubts to herself...

"Give up already!" shouted the outcast with glee. "I'm going to win anyways, so why waste your energy? Fools."

"Waste? Don't make me laugh," taunted (y/n). "We are simply using what we need to defeat you, damnatorum abiectio [1]."

The dark one let out a ghastly hiss at the foul name, then shot a large orb of electricity in her rival's direction. The said girl easily avoided it, swiftly leaping and landing in a cat-like fashion. However, after this witty maneuver, (y/n) let her guard down. She expected an attack of that caliber to temporarily exhaust the dark witch, but was briefly proven wrong when a copy of the previous offense was thrown in her direction.

Defenseless and vulnerable, (y/n) could only stare in horror as the terrifying creation of corrupted magic flew toward her. In a desperate reflex, the girl's arms formed a weak x-shaped blockage to protect her head, one she knew would be practically useless.

A deafening sound erupted. (Y/n) covered her ears and let out a surprised squeak as someone knocked her sideways. With a groan, her body hit the floor, her saviour landing next to her. The nicer witch's breath caught a familiar scent. Her favourite smell. 'Sebastian...'

An evil cackle sent angry shivers down (y/n)'s spine. "My my, did he just risk his life for you?"

The dark witch was laughing as if the moment they lived in was a hilarious comedy. She hopped down from the pile of rubble she'd been standing on previously.

"This is gold!" she cackled hysterically, throwing both arms in the air, then pretending to wipe a tear. "The demon has fallen in love! He wants to protect his precious witch!"

(Y/n)'s feline irises narrowed into a frighteningly thin state. She gently pushed Sebastian away from her. He seemed confused, but remained silent as he lifted himself away from the filthy ground. He offered her a hand and she stood, their gazes never faltering away from one another.

Most people would expect this scene to be over-the-top romantic. They would expect the characters to confess their undying love for each other and kiss, the shock of nearly losing one another too much for either to bear. However, those people are human. And, like I said at the beginning of this story, this is a demon's tale, not a human's.

And demons don't love.

Yet Sebastian didn't quite detest the witch beside him.

Was that why he had decided to risk his body rather than allow her to get hit? Or was he simply following his Master's orders to protect his subordinates as the head of the servants?

He didn't have time to ponder on the thought at the moment, though, because the dark witch had grown tired of waiting. She uttered another incantation. The vile words pouring from her unrealistic lips created a spherical mass of dark substance. It grew at a frightening pace, offering no time whatsoever for the demon-witch pair to come up with an acceptable plan. So, instead, they both scattered in different directions.

The dark witch angled the orb toward Sebastian, leading (y/n) to realize that she knew his body wouldn't be able to take her next attack. Her breath hitched, and she froze.

Well at least, she thought she did.

Suddenly her legs didn't feel sore anymore. Suddenly, (y/n)'s thoughts were clouded by a sole goal; to protect the demon. Why? She had no idea. But nothing else mattered.

Her next thoughts were blank. Actually, scratch that. They were non-existent. Her mind wasn't active, and she saw no need to start it up.

Though she should've.

For, with a little more thought, her life might've been spared.

*~*~*~*~*

When a battle of this caliber occurs, most people expect it to end with a bang.

In a way, they're right. Great fights are usually waged between great rivals, which means one will eventually have to overpower the other; thus ending the whole thing dramatically. Big enemies, big battle, bigger end.

But what if both enemies overpowered each other at the same time?

When (y/n) threw herself in front of Sebastian, she had intended to take the blow herself and save his life. But as she was soaring through the air in what seemed like slow-motion, the girl spotted an opening in the dark witch's defence. And a big one, at that. The outcast had been preparing an extreme attack, leaving her partially vulnerable.

So, (y/n) (l/n), the cat witch, didn't even need to process her next actions through thought. She muttered an incantation for a powerful rebound spell, one that would hopefully send the dark witch's curse flying back toward her. She had to time it precisely so that it wouldn't be visible until she was absolutely sure that the outcast couldn't control the orb anymore.

The only issue was that this defensive maneuver would use up all of (y/n)'s remaining strength and even some more. But as I mentioned earlier, the witch wasn't processing her thoughts correctly.

Everything happened as the feline female planned. The dark orb darted in their direction at an amazing speed. The large shield created a trampoline-like shield and protected the demon and the witch behind it just long enough for it to rebound toward their rival. A bone-chilling scream echoed throughout the mansion as the dark witch took her final blow.

And the other witch fell to the ground.

*~*~*~*~*

What was this strange feeling?

Sebastian hadn't rushed to aid (y/n) when she collapsed; he didn't feel any reason to do so. Her own foolish actions had led to this. She was paying the price for acting on such an idiotic purpose.

He didn't care for her. He didn't love her. But why did he feel this?

The servants rushed into the hallway, Ciel following closely after. They'd grown tired of waiting while their fellow workers fought on their own quite quickly, and after the odd black shard-like substance released their Master, they decided to disobey direct orders and try to help.

The sight they came across was someone surprising. Demolished walls. Destroyed furniture and burnt curtains. Glass shards and bloodstains everywhere. A mound of scorched ashes on one end of the hallway and an immobile body on the other. Sebastian eerily still between all of it.

The Young Master took it upon himself to check if his newest servant still lived. Skillfully hopping between dangerously sharp glass pieces, he managed to place himself next to (y/n)'s body.

Ciel carefully kneeled and lowered his head onto her chest, checking for any sign of life. He then placed two fingers on her neck and analyzed the pulse. There was a long silence in which everyone's nerves were on edge-- especially Sebastian's, for a reason he himself did not understand.

After what seemed like an hour, the Earl finally stood. His butler cast him a inquiring look, although he too knew the truth.

“Dead.” The word fell from Ciel's lips.

Then everything slowed down. Everyone's reactions were blurred and their bodies moved a prolonged pace. It was almost like that one day.

That one day where he met her.

Sebastian remembered it clearly, every last bit of it. He remembered the gorgeous feline his sharp eyes had spotted in the dark alleyway. He remembered how that cat wasn't what she seemed. He remembered the order his master had given, the one that had changed his fate. He remembered being paralyzed completely by the cat-witch.

She had been so strong, so sweet, yet so mischievous. She was just like the creature he mistook her for.

Beautiful.

Mey-Rin let out a small cry and collapsed to the ground. Finnian's round green eyes showered the ground with tears. Bardroy and Tanaka tried to console and comfort their fellow servants, though they didn't entirely manage to mask their own feelings.

Ciel was staring at his butler with an almost sorry expression.

Sebastian's figure was still. Too still.

While everyone else released their grief and sorrow through emotions and tears, Sebastian was

just

standing

still.

*~*~*~*~*

The end.

Just kidding.

If you were expecting the story to end there, you were wrong.

Yes, the main protagonist died. Yes, she killed her enemy. But that isn't the end of the story. You'll see why.

A funeral was held in the cat witch’s honour. Ciel carried on with his normal life, still trying to figure out how the killer executed these people and why. Sebastian still had mixed feelings about her, but put the whole thing behind him. The servants grieved most of all, but eventually, they too moved on.

Everything was back to normal; though now every individual in the mansion possessed a fleeting memory of their short-timed friend/servant.

Until one day...

Everything occurred as it normally would; Sebastian rousing the Master from his slumber and serving him Earl Grey tea, Finny apologizing incessantly for somehow setting fire to the flower garden with Bardroy and Mey-Rin knocking over all the plates.

The only odd thing about that day was that it was excessively sunny outside. The day seemed too pretty to be true. It set Sebastian on edge.

While the Master was dining quietly around lunch hour, Sebastian by his side like a faithful dog, a loud scream was heard. It didn't quite match the idea of a terrorized yelp-- rather, it seemed pleasantly surprised.

Ciel and his butler made eye contact. The Master gave a small nod, wordlessly ordering him to check if everything was alright.

The barely audible clatter of Sebastian's polished shoes could not interrupt the concerning happy shouts coming from the back yard where Finny and his friends were supposedly attempting to fix the plants they had set aflame earlier that day. His gloved fingers gently brushed the brass handle of the back door of the kitchen and he hesitated for a moment, questioning for the first time the inevitability of (y/n)'s death.

He shook those thoughts aside and assumed that the servants had found an incredibly adorable animal of sorts. The door was pushed open, and the demon almost lost his composure through an awkward stumble.

There, in front of him, was the cat witch that had ’died’ a few months ago.

Feeling somewhat satisfied by his reaction, (y/n) flashed a mischievous smile and a wink in Sebastian's direction. He approached her too quickly for his own taste, pushing the gleeful servants aside.

“Oi!” complained Bardroy. “You're not the only one that's happy to see 'er, y’know!”

Ignoring their loud voices, Sebastian roughly grabbed her chin between his thumb and index, analyzing her with wary, disbelieving eyes. There was no way she could be alive; she hadn't been breathing, nor had her heart been beating. Even though she was a witch, he'd known that she was dead.

“You three,” he uttered without ever shifting his gaze. “Forget the plants. Complete your other chores.”

“What?” shouted Mey-Rin. “But Sir, we thought (y/n) was dead, yes we did!”

“We missed her so much!" exclaimed Finny. “We can't just leave!”

“You'll see her later,” argued Sebastian through gritted teeth, trying hard to keep his patience level stable. “Now, leave.”

Reluctant yet terrified, the servants did as told, kicking a few stray rocks and grumbling about the butler's unfair ways.

“Who are you?” he questioned the girl before him.

“What?” she asked teasingly. “You can't recognize me? And here I thought I was doing the right thing by saving you...”

Could it actually be her? He had no idea. The only way to find out was to ask her something only she would know. Or to make her show some of her magic.

[Every witch's magic has it's own unique colour. No two witches are the same.]

It was as if she had read his mind. “Want me to cast a spell to prove it? Or, better, want me to turn into a cat?”

The demon, most shamefully, had to keep himself from blushing. (Y/n) in that cat form he so adored...

She gave a small smirk at his reaction as her body started to transform. He released her chin and observed as a body of navy smoke overcame the air around her. Once it dissolved, where a human form once stood, there was a cat. That cat. His favourite cat.

Though as an animal, (y/n) could not show expression, Sebastian could tell by the glint in her eye that his reaction amused her. Before he could pick her up, however, she reverted back into her normal form- the one that resembled the human body.

“Was that proof enough for you?”

“Yes.”

A small breeze picked up, blowing away all the ashes from the destroyed garden. (Y/n) gave it a glance, and without even having to utter the incantation, made the flowers bloom once again.

“So, am I still working here?” she inquired. Sebastian was taken aback slightly, but managed to respond with the thought of asking the Master before giving a proper answer.

“Alright then. But I might as well inform you that I've solved the case,” she added.

His eyes widened by a fraction. Even with a demon by his side, the queen's guard dog hadn't been able to find a solution to this dreaded case. It had been dragging on for far too long for the mansion's liking. So how had a simple witch done it?

“I have experience in magic,” began (y/n), interrupting his train of thought. “But even I couldn't quite tell what that abiectio [2] did to those people to kill them. So I did my research.”

“Where?” Sebastian couldn't help himself.

The witch smiled. “There's a hidden witch library somewhere. I would tell you where it is, but that defeats the point of hiding it, doesn't it?”

She continued with her explanation. “From what I can tell, the dark witch didn't forcefully murder her victims, in a way.”

Many questions ran through Sebastian's mind, but he kept his mouth shut, wanting to hear more.

“You know how each and every of the victims seemed too perfect to have died?” she asked. “Well, using that and some other facts concerning what I could find about their lives, I managed to determine that she must've convinced them to sign some sort of contract with her.”

Sebastian was shocked. Witches could make contracts too? Why hadn't (y/n) told him that earlier?

“This contract wasn't valid though. It was a trick. She promised them a lifetime's worth of beauty and happiness when in reality, the whole thing only lasted a day. After that, she'd take their lives and use their souls for herself.”

“What kind of magic can you perform with souls?”

“All kinds. They're an extremely powerful element in magic. However, most witches stay away from them, for they corrupt your spirit and bring misfortune. Dark things, in general.”

Sebastian paused for a moment and took in the information he'd just received. It made sense; it seemed as if all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. But one element was still missing.

“But why did she kill the people in the first place?”

(Y/n) made a face. “She wanted the power to face me. When I looked into the files the library keeps about each witch, I found that she's my stepsister.”

“Did she want revenge?” A smirk crawled onto the demon's lips.

(Y/n) shrugged. “I don't really care, to be honest. I never met her, or at least I don't remember doing so. I guess she must have wanted my soul or something. Like a trophy.”

“I don't understand.”

(Y/n) sighed. “And here I thought I did a good job of explaining.”

“No, not that,” he said. “I don't understand how you did all this. How you survived.”

(Y/n) let out a teasing laugh. “I thought that you'd have figured it out by now.”

“How did you do it?”

“Oh, Sebastian. I thought you knew that cats have nine lives.”

And there it was. That personality. The butler's heartbeat was loud for a moment. His overwhelming desire for the witch was back. But this time... it seemed clearer.

He realized for the first time that he didn't want to devour her soul, though he was certain it's flavour would be exquisite. What he wanted was her. Her body. Her mind. Her power. Her everything.

But why?

He didn't know. He didn't understand.

But he didn't really care either.

Sebastian grabbed (y/n)'s wrist and pulled her close to his chest. She was his.

He kissed her. It wasn't the gentle and loving kiss that human couples shared. It was bold, passionate, and short. Neither of them was sure of what they were doing or why they were doing it.

Did they love each other? Did they desire each other in a way that they shouldn't? Were they becoming that close to the human nature?

Some might say that they were just bored of living a long life alone. Others might deny the incapability of loving in every demon and shout to the world that those two were ridiculously in love.

To wrap this up, I'll say this. Demons don't love. But they can get pretty close.

Probably.

But who am I to know things like that?

*~*~*~*~*