Waves In The Mirror【Kuroshitsuji】

『XIV』

Chapter 14
A Basket Of Oranges

A large portion of the crowd that have gathered around at the news of the shocking deaths dispersed not long after the authorities have arrived. The remaining ones, whose curiosities have not been satiated enough due to their blatant suppositions of what could have possibly been the cause, continued to watch from afar as the mangled bodies that were far beyond recognition were then taken away.

Their hushed gossips that was hovering around the air have dampened its heaviness with much more intensity; conveyed with the same tone of disturbance that was also plastered unto their faces...

"Dear goodness, this must be a sign for an impending calamity..."

"Did you see the corpses? All mangled, left unrecognized! Only a deranged man is heinous enough to commit such atrocious deaths!"

"To think that the one responsible for this is still on the loose... isn't that something to feel cautious about? Who knows when we might end up with the same fate as that--"

"Don't even think of the possibility! Have you even heard of the same incident like this that have happened before? No news of similar incidents have flowed by prior to this, right? So I'm sure that it won't be long until this... this mere nuisance subsides anyway!"

"A nuisance, huh..."

A few distance away from the crime scene, out from the clusters of the blaring crowd, Ciel's impassive gaze remained fixated from afar. Blear of clarity, it was a look that cared to see nothing, as if his mind was overflowing of too many thoughts to the point of being unable to think so clearly anymore.

"Ciel?"

A worried call fell upon his ears. In his right, came a young female's figure; one that belongs to his fianceé, Elizabeth. Shaking away the remnants of his daze, he turned his attention unto her. "Lizzy... are we going to head back to the manor? I suppose we shouldn't linger here any longer."

"No, it's okay, I'm fine with staying for a bit." With a reassuring smile, she replied earnestly. "We still have to wait for their return, remember?"

"Hm..."

Ciel only hummed as an answer and spoke nothing else. Elizabeth understood why he remained silent for the most part, knowing that he could still recall what had happened earlier so vividly. Even she can also feel it. A realization that felt like a sting that gradually burned worse as time went by.

Back on that particular instant, the navy-haired boy felt himself grow cold. He couldn't comprehend why, but in a moment of sheer panic, Ciel immediately called for Sebastian and ordered him not to return without Elvilya beside him. And being as he was aware of what was happening too, the butler dared not to speak otherwise nor ask any further and, thus, went on his way to retrieve the missing woman.

Now, it was only the two of them, him and Elizabeth, that were left on the public plaza, standing with the rest amidst the remains of fear and tumult caused by an unexpected revelation for a blood-curdling murder.

"Well then, for now, we should get out of here and go to some place with a more..." Looking back at the crime scene, Ciel only scowled and returned his attention to her. "...pleasant ambience. Is that alright with you?"