Comforting Darkness

Chapter 1: The Tutor, Introducing

Ciel had just descended into Campania's cargo hold, having left Lizzie waiting for him at the stairs above; now he was looking around, illuminating the deep darkness with the light beam of his lantern. Everything was covered by silence, interrupted only by the expected creaks of the moving ship.

"So this is the cargo hold..." Ciel began saying when a sudden noise cut him off. "Who is there?!" The boy cried, turning around and pointing his gun to everything and nothing in particular; a light hint of fear in his voice. "Snake!!" He finally said when the light fell on a kneeling pale figure.

"Too bright... says Wordsworth." Snake said lifting his hands and squinting his eyes in an attempt to block the blinding light.

Ciel breathed in trying to calm down and looked at Snake. "What on Earth are you doing here of all places?"

"The food was so delicious, I wanted to come and share it with everyone... says Donne. The cakes were much yummier than the food, you know."

"Is that right?" Ciel sighed, but before saying anything else, clacking footsteps came closer and a very flustered Lizzie appeared, still holding the plate with the cake she wanted Ciel to eat. "Lizzie?"

"Gosh! Do not just leave me alone like that!" The young girl cried, trying to hold back her tears, knowing how crying angered Ciel.

"I told you to go back upstairs, did I not?"

"But I wanted you to eat your cake, so... It is your favourite kind, with the strawberries on top! And I brought you the biggest piece! See?" Lizzie said bringing forward her hand with the plate and then "Oh?" when she saw the plate empty.

A deep gurgling sound was heard behind her that made Ciel draw his gaze upwards, only to see a terrible creature standing right at her shoulder. Mouth stuffed with the cake, but with naked teeth grinding violently the soft food; blindfolded and a monstrous human face at the first stages of decomposition.

Ciel's eye opened widely and Lizzie, after watching surprise, disgust and a little terror on her fiancé's face, started turning to look behind her. Before she could complete her movement, Ciel pulled her with one hand to him and with the other bashed the lantern on the strong snapping jaws of the creature, right before they bite Lizzie. Ciel's momentum was very strong and resulted on his back crashing on some crates behind him, while holding Lizzie in his arms. The lantern fell on the floor shedding more light to the walking terror that made guttural, disgusting sounds.

It was an undead body, like the other one upstairs, in the Aurora meeting, but different at the same time. Tottering while trying to reach out and catch the two children, knowing exactly where they were. Ciel and Lizzie were looking at the bizarre monster, eyes wide open, not knowing what to do at the moment.

Running footsteps were heard and a dark figure slammed on the monster, sending it to step back and then struggle to gain its footing, its body shaking violently. The dark figure walked towards Ciel and Lizzie.

"Miss Clark?!" and "Selina?!" Ciel, surprised, and Lizzie, happily, cried out.

"My lord, my lady. Are you unharmed?" The woman standing in front of them asked. Blond hair tied in a tight bun, blue eyes looking at them in utter fear and worry. Her dark grey dress made her almost invisible in the shadows.

"Yes, thank you!" Said Ciel. "What are you doing here? It is dangerous."

"Well... my lady Dankworth had no need of me upstairs. I wandered exploring the ship and I got lost." The woman said in complete innocence.

Their attention turned once more to the body; now it had more or less steadied itself and started forward towards its prey.

"There were more of them?" Asked Ciel and his gaze dropped on the casket lying open on the floor, with a fire bird engraved on it. "That is... the insignia of the Aurora Society! So Rian brought another reanimated corpse along with him?"