Black Butler: The Stellar Dove

21.4

  I did as he said and gasped as I felt every part of my body weaken. Laid before me was the entire town of London. Seemingly miles below were the streets of which of feet had walked upon but minutes ago, now the size of rain drop trickles and the people like dots. I fell back onto him with a little shriek of surprise. He caught me around my waist and allowed my head to fall onto his shoulder.

"Seb—Sebastian! Are you mad!? This... this is..." I gulped as I mistakenly focused on the distance from the ground again.

"Don't be scared, my dear."

"But—but I'm afraid of h—heights!"

"I'm not asking you not to be," he told me softly. "All I ask is that you have courage..." his hand gently clasped around my arm. I felt his lips brush against my ear as he whispered, "Go on... look out."

With shaking knees and ragged breathes, I stumbled towards the edge, him right behind me. I felt nauseous and dizzy, so weak I mistook reality for a nightmare for a moment. I soon found my feet but inches from the ledge of the tower, and the payment for going there was great.

The entire city was illuminated with twinkling lights. In the distance was a large body of water, shimmering under the light. Above were the iridescent stars, and a large glowing white moon. The air was so cold, but I felt so warm, like I had been immersed in a hot spring. I laughed under my breath until it escaped mouth ecstatically. My heart was thudding in my chest, chills running throughout my blood, but I had never experienced anything more amazing.

"Sebastian! It's... it's... incredible!" I turned to look at him. He had a soft smile on his face, his eyes slightly narrowed and sparkling.

"Now, my lady," he held out his arm. "Would you give me the honor of this dance?"

"Certainly," I giggled, taking his hand. There was no music except for the wind and my thudding heart, but we found a rhythm and quickly synced in graceful steps. How silly it must look to whoever could have been watching, but it didn't matter, because at that moment the only existence we knew was each other.

All of a sudden, I found myself at the side of the tower, one foot on the very edge and the other suspended in midair, along with an arm. I felt a sudden rush, but feeling my other hand sturdily held in his, I dared not move away. Instead, I faced the distance below me and suspended my other arm, pulling my other leg up into a full arabesque. Sebastian softly took my free hand as I looked out and let the wind fill my lungs and the beauty fuel my pounding heart and the awe take control of my mind. At that moment, I realized everything I had once feared had become everything that I loved about this world. And that moment may have been the single best of my entire life.

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