What time was it?
I just woke up, but I already felt wide awake. I didn't even need to look at the clock, the darkness was enough to tell me it was still night.
It wasn't much, but the closet with the mattress was all I needed for a bed. I couldn't fault The Undertaker for that, it wasn't like the shop came with a master bedroom, it was comfortable enough, although if only a bit difficult to get used to the change. I pulled the blanket over my head to fall back asleep, but I couldn't seem to drift off again.
What woke me up? I never awoke during the night like this.
When I pushed the blankets off, cold air washed over my skin, sending goosebumps down my arms.
The closet door was closed, but I swore I left it slightly cracked when I went to sleep.
Did he close it? No wonder it was so dark.
It rang eerily quiet, not even the familiar sound of writing when I pushed my ear against the door. How strange, was I alone? The chilling air drifted in from below the frame, urging me to curl my toes to keep warm.
I pushed the door open and peeked out to check, not yet calling out.
Not a thing could be seen in this darkness, I needed a candle.
Luckily I knew they were kept on the front counter by now.
As carefully as I could without tripping over anything, I made my way to the counter and took one of the candles.
Match... I needed a match.
It took a minute of running my hands over the counter before I finally found a stray one and struck it over the wood countertop.
Once I lit the candle, I blew the match out once more and raised the light to look around.
Not a thing in the lobby at all. The sign was flipped to closed, and no sign of the mortician was to be seen. Perhaps he was in the basement, or sleeping somewhere unorthodox? It wasn't that out of the question, knowing the sort of guy he was, of course.
I turned around, my attention shifting to the wall like second nature. The scythe was still gone. Being sharpened, right? No matter, I wasn't interested in thinking about that right now, I just wanted to find The Undertaker.
On the other side of the hallway, I looked to the Sotoba collection- Or rather, I didn't. They were gone too?
"Undertaker?" I finally raised my voice to call. The candle flickered in my hand as cold air drifted across the shop, and yet, nothing.
This cold air... Was it normally this cold here, even if it were night? What did he say about the collection before? He didn't specify what they did, but they were grave markers, yes?
He wouldn't go to the graveyard by himself at this hour-?! No, what was I thinking? Of course he would. I didn't even think about it, I would go find him. There was still a serial killer out there.
I quickly dressed and slipped on some shoes, but this time, I would wear a sweater. It was cold, and I didn't want to be recognized as a noblewoman at night.
How could the mortician think of going out right now? Not even telling me anything, and he was the one worried about the murderer, once I find him-!
Well, I would need to bite my tongue and wait until I actually found him first, there was so much I was going to rant off for this!
The moonlight flooding the lobby was enough for me to blow out the candle and leave it on the counter, but my suspicions were confirmed before my hand touched the handle.
The chilling air was slipping through a gap in the door from not being closed all the way, so there was no doubt about it being opened. That was what woke me up, wasn't it? I'm sure I heard the door open subconsciously...
I had to step out, if I continued to nervously hesitate, I would never find the will to leave.
Alright! One, two-!
The bell jingled when I yanked the door open, and I swallowed back my nerves.
I remembered the way to the graveyard, it wasn't all that far.
The streets were silent, every shop locked and closed tight.
I could only hope I was correct, and I didn't miss the Sotoba being put away or something. I had to rub my arms to keep warm as the sweater quickly became entirely useless.
I started working for The Undertaker earlier this year, April if I recall. It was still warm with spring, but now it was nearly winter. A fool I was for not properly packing my bag, but it wasn't my fault I was rushing! I brought my money, that's what was important, I could just buy another one. As if I genuinely expected the weather to drop when it was a warm day not too long ago.
Blowing warm breath into my hands, I pulled the hood down more to protect my face from the nipping autumn air.
"Bloody temperature, walking all this way, blasted man didn't even-" Nobody was around, but muttering curses to myself aloud sure helped me feel better. Why did he even go out, damn it?! If it was an emergency errand, I would be awake in a flash if he said something.
I picked up the pace when the graveyard came into view, only looking around to make sure nobody was on the street. I had no interest in being the subject of rumor for sneaking into a graveyard in the middle of the night. Not that anyone would know it was me anyway, but better safe than sorry.
When my fingers grazed the gate, the metal nearly burned from the icy touch. Christ! Right, cold night, metal bars, that was stupid. I would cover my hand with my sleeve instead to push.
They wouldn't truly keep the gate unlocked, would they? Nobody was dumb enough to-
Oh, well look at that. It actually pushed open with no problem. That might've been more suspicious, though. Unless the mortician were honestly here, which I was hoping he was.
Should I call out? No, probably not. For many reasons, that would be a dumb idea to yell out in the middle of a cemetery at night while I was in hiding. I had two working legs, I would simply walk around and find out for myself.
Walking around alone was much different. Quiet, eerie, all I could think about was how cold I felt. I hoped to find him quickly and get back to the shop, my thoughts were growing numb.
God, what was I thinking? I should've just stayed at the shop and waited for him to come back, but if he got hurt...
I needed to get out of the open to warm up, I couldn't properly focus any longer. The church was open, right? It had to be, who locked a church?
My path swiftly diverted to rushing towards the small building, and I didn't think twice to push the door open.
Surprisingly, candles were lit in every corner, giving the room some light and warmth.
I wouldn't think about it for now, I just had to warm up again. Just recharge and get back out.
The door shut behind me with a click and I rose my hands to one of the candles with a relaxed exhale. Finally, a bit of warmth.
Intrusive thoughts wanted me to get closer to the flame, but I allowed myself to back off once I was satisfied and no longer trembling.
I could finally think again, and now I was beginning to wonder... Who lit the candles? It sounded quite silent, not even the nun was here to greet me. Was I the sort of woman who would snoop around a church though? Not even I would disrespect the lord like that. Through the paned glass, it was still possible to see the graveyard from inside. It wouldn't be that bad to walk along the windows, I wasn't doing anything illegal!
Not that I honestly thought I would see anything, but one could hope for the best. I moved slowly and carefully, not allowing my shoes to tap a sound against the flooring as I searched across the cemetery. With the church glass and the night darkness, it was quickly pointless to even try. All I could make out were dark shapes, no hints of life at all... Not a shocker for a graveyard.
Damn it, now I was making The Undertaker's type of jokes!
Get it together (Y/N)! I nearly slapped my cheeks to wake up more when I saw it. Not a human, but a carriage rolling slowly past the gates. What on earth...?
Who the hell was riding out at this hour? And so slowly, they were trying to sneak around too.
No matter how I looked at it, I didn't like the sight of that.
Racing out the doors and back through the graveyard, I rushed to the street just in time to see the carriage lulling lazily around the corner, urging me to pick up the pace to keep up.
The cold made my eyes water, and my skin prickled in the wind. I was curious at first, but catching a glimpse up close, that was... That was my carriage!
That was my damn carriage riding into town at night, it belonged to me, my manor!
Whatever curiosity I had turned to rage. How dare someone use my carriage?! They were lucky I caught a view of it! Or rather, lucky for me, because whoever was in it was about to be very unlucky.
The moment they stopped, I would be sure to give them a piece of my mind!
I continued to follow at a distance, and it looked like it was driving with no destination in mind. WInding corners and repeating streets, was I robbed by a tourist?
I was growing tired and cold, my determination wavering as time went on. No, this was their intention, they were doing something sneaky so they were making sure they weren't going to be followed. Sadly for them, I was running on pure anger.
With another turn, the carriage rolled down a familiar street. One that I have seen before. Well, at least I knew my way back to the shop from here, but something felt strange. Wasn't this the shopping district where we picked up new tools a few days ago?
I didn't get a chance to think too much about it because the carriage suddenly ground to a halt. Finally!
As I started over, the door popped open, but what I saw next chilled me to my core.
While I couldn't see the rider inside, I certainly saw the shape being pushed out, falling to the ground with a swift thud. There was no mistaking the shape as it flopped. A corpse, that was a corpse.
I wanted to push forward, but fear struck me in a way it never had before. The door slammed shut once again without them ever noticing me, but I couldn't shake the sudden fear of even being close to the carriage I was so familiar with.
It couldn't be my carriage, it had to be a replica or another model, I couldn't even think how a corpse could be tied to my...
After a moment, it continued driving once again, leaving the street silent with only myself and the body.
I needed to find help and tell someone!
No, who the hell was I going to find right away at this hour? I had to check the body and confirm they were dead before I ran off! If they still breathed and I could've done something... Okay, I just had to do it, it wasn't my first time seeing a corpse.
Breathe, you got this, (Y/N).
Okay, I was ready.
I took a step closer, but was halted again when a figure slipped out from the alleyway close to the body.
Fear turned to relief when I recognized the mortician. There he was, alive and well. He didn't appear to notice my presence though. I raised a hand, about to wave and call out, but in one swift moment, the glisten of something struck down into the dumped body.
What was he...
My breath hitched, my knees felt weak. The scythe, what was he doing to the body with that weapon?!
I had to get away, pretend I never saw anything.
I wasn't sure what I was feeling, but it twisted my heart in a way I couldn't explain. Was it him? Was The Undertaker the one who was killing the victims? With a scythe like that, it would've been easy for a single blow to kill a woman.
I tried to back up, but I couldn't stop my shaking. Every movement felt heavy and weak, even breathing was a labored effort of hitches, yet I found no will to cry. I didn't feel sad, I wasn't sure if I could.
It was only the fear that coursed through my veins.
I finally managed to rip my body back under my control and back up slowly, as quietly as I could.
Perhaps I could ask for Ciel's help again. I could just go back to the shop, grab my things, and run off to the earl. What a fool I was to trust a commoner who did not fear death.
His scythe pulled back up, ripping from the flesh with a short spray of scarlet red.
I finally couldn't stop my surprised cry, which perhaps sounded more like the yelp of a wounded animal.
In an instant, I was facing sharp green eyes, glistening beneath the man's silver locks.
I could hear him say something, but I couldn't make out what it was. My heart drummed while my own panting, anxious breaths swirled in my head.
I didn't think twice before I took off running. I wasn't sure where I was going, as long as it was far from... From that!
I couldn't believe I truly thought I liked him, was it just a lie?!
Would I have been next?
The clang of metal scraped against the ground behind me, but I didn't stop my running.
The only thing that finally stopped my escape was being grabbed from behind,
"No, let me go!"
Would someone hear my yelling and save me?! How did he catch up so quickly?!
With a powerful strength, I was pulled back against the mortician's frame and turned around to face him directly. Despite my struggling resistance, I wasn't strong enough against The Undertaker's hold. The very moment he released, I didn't hesitate to raise a slap.
The sound rang loud, followed by the piercing silence that fell between the two of us.
The man simply stood there, a short frown on his lips. The red mark glowed an angry red, but he made no movement to hint it had hurt.
My brain was still chugging with everything I had just witnessed, and being grabbed only pissed me off!
"How could you?" I finally let myself speak through my anxious breathing. I was still afraid, still unable to even properly meet his face.
If I died now, at least I'd do it fighting! I panicked back there, but I wasn't a runner, I've never been one to avoid anything. No, I was like a bull, and if I had to step away, it was only to prepare so I could charge stronger. That's right, I wasn't some weak woman that could be pushed around.
I swallowed back, although it did nothing for my nerves,
"Are you involved? Did you kill them? Is that why you told me to stay put and obey you?"
I took a step back, but the mortician merely took another step closer.
In one hand, he continued to hold his scythe, decorated to the brim with details of a skeleton.
Finally, ever so slowly, The Undertaker reached up to graze his own cheek where I had struck during my fight. His fingers lightly touched across his moonlit skin before he picked up his head to face my glare directly,
"Ah~ I was hoping we could've left this part out."
What the hell did he mean by that? The fact he was a killer? I was sure he meant it to be a secret, what murderer wouldn't?
The silver tendrils of long hair shifted as he rose his attention to the end of his scythe where he followed it with a longing sigh,
"It was so nice to pretend when you looked at me with such faith. This was inevitable, but won't you hear me out? I requested you trust me proper."
Trust? As if. That was back when I didn't see him shove a weapon through a body. I moved to back up again, but swift as the wind, the man's free hand jolted out to grab my arm.
Despite my initial pulling away, it was futile.
His grip tightened slightly, but he forced a weak smile,
"Little canary, won't you believe when I say I had nothing to do with that death?"
The cold breeze made me shiver, and before I realized it, I was being pulled closer and stumbled into falling into the man.
The warmth of the mortician's robes was inviting, but how could I believe that? What did I see?
I wanted to be angry, but I had feelings for this guy, it was so hard to feel hate, even now. I wanted to trust him, but how could I? My own eyes naught deceive, and I was fooled by fake words once before.
In mere moments, tears began to roll down my cheeks. I sniffed to contain them, but I couldn't. They continued to flow, motivated by fear and the shattered trust in yet another person in my life.
I felt him shift and the clang of metal fell on the ground before his second hand gently placed upon my head in a comforting pat.
I didn't realize I had been holding my breath until my lungs ached for air and I was choking back trying to get a full breath amidst the sobbing.
"There there, cry all you need~" The Undertaker muttered, but continued speaking, "I didn't kill her, what you saw me do was not murder."
I didn't bring myself to respond. He could talk all he wanted, but I couldn't believe him right now. If it wasn't murder, what was it? What was he doing with a massive weapon? Why did he lie to me about it being a decoration? What the hell was he doing sneaking out in the middle of the night, if not for something nefarious?
My fingers dug into the dark fabric with a tight grip as I allowed myself to hold him close. It wasn't for a hug, nor forgiveness. I was simply cold, and as afraid and angry as I was, he was all I had right then.
The Undertaker began to brush through my hair in a soothing motion as a long pause took place between his comments while he thought of his next words. If it were true, why hesitate so much?
Soon enough, the man inhaled. His hand stopped moving, and I could feel him tense up,
"What you saw was something I try to make sure no human sees, my dear. If I had seen you there, I wouldn't have-"
"Wouldn't have what?"
I cut him off before he could finish. If I was going to be lied to, may as well not speak at all. I pulled back as I snapped, but was quick to wipe my eyes of tears,
"I was right there and you didn't see me? Even if that's true, do you mean to say you still would have stabbed her if you were alone?"
The running, the struggling, the fighting, the crying, I was so... Tired. Was such a thing normal, when mere minutes ago my heart was racing like mad and every inch of my body wanted to run?
I didn't face The Undertaker, but that didn't stop him from trying to gain my attention with a delicate finger under my chin, pulling my face to meet his.
"I'm dreadfully nearsighted, you see," He began explaining softly, the mortician's voice almost like a whisper in the wind, "But that doesn't tend to be a problem these days."
What in the... What did his sight have to do with everything right now?! I wouldn't have guessed The Undertaker had vision problems, but still, I watched him plunge a scythe into a corpse and he was talking about his sight?!
I didn't have a chance to argue before he continued speaking. As though knowing I was angry at his response, a slender finger was promptly held up, signaling me to keep silent and listen.
I had no reason to obey, in fact, I should've begun yelling for help, so I cursed the entity that planted my feet into the ground.
Was it fear that compelled my silence?
The man continued to talk, keeping his words slow, but his tone carried a weight of sincerity,
"Perhaps I should have said something sooner, but how would I tell my young intern that all reapers have bad eyesight?"
Totally out of the blue, was that really something I needed to know? Were glasses not on the table, or...
He just said reapers, didn't he? In all my thoughtless fumbling, I entirely skipped over that word that had been slipped inside so normally.
"Pardon?" He had to be messing with me at this rate, there was no way I could believe anything out of The Undertaker's mouth, "Are you trying to joke around? This is serious!"
I could think back clearly to what I saw, the scythe slicing that woman- Scythe.
I quickly directed my attention to the ground where it lay. Reaper, as in the Grim Reaper, was known for carrying a scythe. I couldn't be expected to think The Undertaker was truthfully the grim reaper though?
Seemingly catching my silence, the man cocked his head in an attempt to bring me back to looking at him,
"Walk with me, little canary. To the shop, I'll tell you everything~"