Everyday blended into each other, the sun seeming more and more dull the longer I stayed in that place. Ash would sometimes stop by with food and water, never for more than three hours, though. He was always nice, he would commit to small talk when he did come over. He would drop food by and head straight to the locked door. The only locked door in the mansion, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never pick it. I could never look inside it either, it was always pitch black when I tried to snoop. And so I found most of my days in the library, reading any book I could find.
At first, I read books that sounded interesting, but then I ran out of books I liked. So recently I've just been reading whatever I could get my hands on. What felt like a year passed, even though I knew it had only been merely a week. Ash was nice enough to bring more clothes and shoes in my size so I never had to worry about living in the same 3 outfits. He had also started giving me medication, 2 pills a day at lunchtime. He said it would 'help activate my ability' or something along those lines. It had only been a short time since I started taking them, but I already started feeling the effects.
My thoughts were abrupted by Ash arriving back, while I sat in the library reading some random book I found on the top shelf. "I'm home!" He stated, knowing where I would be. The same library, in the same mansion, in the same chair, in the same corner. He handed me the same box with food and the same two pills and left with a silent wave. I felt like I had been hospitalized, trapped in a big white box fed boring food and medication every day. I was starting to feel like I would do anything to be dragged from its metal bars. I ate with a frown, the book laying on my lap. To be honest, I wasn't even reading it anymore. It had bored me to the point I was just looking at the pages and thinking about him, Ciel.
As I chewed the bland peas I thought of the manor, how distraught the servants might be. Maybe where Sebastian and Claude were, were they dead? Perhaps tied off or sent back to Hell? Who knows. I swallowed the pills, both at the same time, honestly just wanting to choke and die on them. But it never happened, I kept living. I flipped the page, just to hear the noise and Ash came downstairs. "Already leaving?" I asked, not looking up from the book. "Oh, no. I want you to have these, I'm done with them anyway." He placed a stack of 9 books on the table beside me, they were all brand new. I peeked my head up and closed the other book quickly.
"I saw you like to read so I thought, why not?" He smiled, "Enjoy your meal." He started walking away but I stopped him, "Where are these from? They're brand new.." I asked, eyeing them. "Oh, I bought them at a bookshop in London. Nothing too expensive. They're just mythology books." He answered. "Mythology books..? Why would an angel be reading mythology books?" I wondered. Before I could ask, he had already left back to the locked room. "I guess it couldn't hurt to read some of it. I'd rather anything than what I'm reading now." I shrugged, finishing my last bite before picking up the first book on the stack.
"Oh, this makes sense, actually..." I thought as I read the title of the first book. "Demons and Other Supernatural Entities" It read. He probably read this to figure out extra detail on demons. That's probably where he figured out how my soul could kill a demon after all. I sighed and opened up the book, starting to read the first section titled "Types of Entities". To say I burned through the book super fast would be an understatement. Learning about divine beings and their hellish counterparts made me understand a lot about Claude, Hannah and the triplets. Though, Sebastian didn't seem to fit some traits the others did.
Sure, he followed almost every rule in the book, but some rules he seemed to bend with his pact with Ciel. To be truthful, he did seem more laid back, but still. I looked out the window, realising Ash had yet to leave. The sun was starting to fall and he was still in that room, was this night different somehow? As I got up and put the book down, Ash conveniently entered the room. "Oh, there you are.. you're staying extra late I see." I observed aloud as he reached the end of the steps with a smile, wider than his normal one. "This is it, Y/N." He walked over to me and grabbed my hands. I gave a very confused look.
"Tomorrow," He began, "Is the beginning of the cleansing!" He laughed, a laugh that happened to make my stomach sink. "...Is it?" I asked, my voice shaking subtly. "What's wrong?" He asked with a frown. "I'm just.." I started, "I get it, you're probably nervous." He bent down to my height, "It's alright, Y/N, I'll protect you, I promise." He brushed his hand on my face. My heart went cold, it was almost perfect, he reminded me of Ciel. A resemblance that happened to make my throat clog and my eyes spike tears. He hugged me, "You're the key, Y/N. The key to the clean world." The angel whispered into my ear. His voice sent shivers down my spine.
I never returned the hug, instead just standing there limply. "How could I find a resemblance to Ciel in such a person? Does that make me evil? Is that disgraceful? What would Ciel even think?" I wondered to myself, guilt clouding my heart as tears rolled down my cheeks. Ash parted from the hug, his hands resting on my shoulders as he looked me in the eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow, Y/N. Because tomorrow is a big day. I'll be there when you wake up." He smiled one last time as he walked away, presumably to the locked room. I sighed, wiping the tears off my face as I proceeded to grab the books and walk back to my room.
"evil... evil.. evil." I repeated to myself as I climbed the steps, "foolish, dumb, stupid... I hate this world.." I held back more tears as I got to the top of the steps. I entered my room, tossing the books on my bed as I closed the door behind myself. I changed into my nightwear noticing how some books were opened from when I tossed them. "How odd.." I wondered to myself as I finished changing. I picked up the books, finding it annoying that I had to close some of them as well. I walked over to the dresser and placed them down, one dropping in the process. I groaned to myself quietly as I bent down to pick it up.
Upon grabbing it, a slip of paper slid out, this caught my eye. "A loose paper...?" I wondered, grabbing it. It held a demonic symbol, not unusual for being in a book of mythology. But the text caught my eye. It was nothing like a typewriter, more like it was handwritten. "Maybe it's a note that Ash made.... he might've forgotten it in here." I guessed, deciding to read it. After all, what could hurt?
~
The squeak of a rat
echoes in the distance
And the cry of a cat
from a sign of resistance
Can all be heard as you lie awake
in a full moon of the empty sky
But watch for slithering snakes
and don't find out why
~
It read. I raised a brow, why would this be a note? I tapped my finger on the dresser trying to figure out who it was really written by. The handwriting looked familiar, and I have seen Ash's handwriting in other books before. I grabbed the mythology book I read earlier, remembering Ash had left some notes in there as well. I opened the book and flipped to a page with notes, I compared the handwriting between the two.
~ Ash's note ~
- Regeneration in Demons seems slower but that is only due to how the wound heals inside out instead of the outside in method angelic healing uses.
~ Mysterious poem ~
But watch for slithering snakes
and don't find out why
I looked in between the two, noticing how Ash's handwriting was neater and less rushed. It couldn't of been Ash's writing, so whos was it? I pondered, sitting on my bed with the note, unable to put my finger on who's writing it was. I read it over and over, 2, 4, 7 times but it just didn't make sense. What was the point of a random poem? And why was there a demonic mark on the page along with it? It then clicked, "Is this a summoning poem...?" I wondered, I then started feeling dumb for not realising it sooner. "That still doesn't explain why the handwriting seemed familiar.." I hummed in frustration. "I guess there's only one way to find out." I stated, sitting up and clearing my throat. "If this is truly what I assume, it will summon something." I thought aloud.
I would rather die than go with Ash's plan and if I wait here any longer I'll lose my mind, what's there to lose? I had already lost everything. I took a deep breath before reading, my heart fluttering in nervousness. I had never summoned a demon before, not even on my quest to cure my so-called 'immortality' to obtain the demons blood. I didn't know what was going to happen but it was going to be more interesting than the nothing going on at the moment. Before I could read out the poem I got a knock at the door from Ash. I quickly hid the paper under my pillow and ran over to the door to answer it.
"Y.. yes..?" I asked, stupidly stuttering. "Oh, I hope I didn't wake you. I was just informing you I'll be leaving right now. I have a few matters to attend to on the human realm." He spoke softly. "Perfect!" I couldn't help but smile, "Okay, enjoy your trip!" I waved him off and -- somewhat excitedly -- shut the door on his face. "Alright then, goodnight.." He sounded confused but didn't push any further. I skipped over to the bed and waited until I heard the front door close and lock to pull out the paper. "Alright.. let's see what you really are.." I spoke before clearing my throat again. I proceeded to read the poem aloud, speaking with my chest to shoo off the butterflies in my stomach.
I finished the poem and sat in silence, my heart beating a little hard but nothing happened. I let go of the breath I was unknowingly holding, "Well... it was worth a try." I frowned, getting up with the intent to put the paper back where I had originally found it. But when I stood up, I fell right through the floor! In a blink, I had found myself suspended in the air, in fog. Not fog, but vapor, I realised as I got a look around at my surroundings. It was vines, lots of vines. Vines on the ground, vines hanging off of things, vines hanging from the sky, vines everywhere!
But then I noticed that those were not vines but in fact snakes. "Oh god, oh no, why snakes, why not any other creature..?!" I fretted to myself, trying to look unbothered. I took in a deep breath before I spoke out loud, "I summoned you! Uh... show yourself..?" I asked -- accidentally -- politely. My mean attitude was starting to melt as I started actually worrying. "What brings you here?" An empowering voice spoke, a voice of which rang nostalgia. "Well, now what? I guess I didn't really summon it with an intent to create a pact..." I thought to myself, "I have a question..!" I shouted. "Speak." It demanded.
"Um.." I started, not sure of what to ask. "Maybe.. I could make a pact and free myself."I swallowed, was I actually considering it? "Making a pact with you, would result you in eating my soul.. correct...?" I asked. "Correct." It stated, plain and simple. I swallowed, having my soul eaten would be not only death, but no afterlife. I wasn't sure how Ciel and Alois signed away their souls so effortlessly. But they had one thing in mind, revenge. "Revenge... revenge, revenge... Alois is already dead.. so my revenge is already gotten, right..?" I sighed, "I don't want Ash to 'cleanse' the earth.. the things he decides are 'unclean' are backed by delusional meaning.. maybe with this pact I could stop him..."
I swallowed before I spoke, "Okay.. I want to make a pact." I said bravely. "It's what Ciel would want..." I reassured myself. "And what is it you wish?" It asked. "It's a lot to ask for.. but I'm sure you won't mind." I responded. "As a demon, you will follow my orders no matter what, correct?" I asked, "Correct." It responded. "Good.. now,"
"My request is..."