Amor Fati

A murder in an empty guestroom

«Sebastian! Stop it right now! That's an order! »

The loud shout of Ciel Phantomhive was carried to the ears of the two fighting demons by the howling wind. One last spark flew into the darkness of that night at the clash of the metallic knives.

Though the heavy rain was whipping his soft skin mercilessly, the young Earl kept his head up looking straight ahead as the butler of the Liontons passed him by going back to the mansion, his own butler came to kneel obediently at his feet. Once the red head was out of sight, Ciel looked at his butler eyes full of anger. «What the hell were you thinking, doing as it pleases you Sebastian?! »

The remorseful Phantomhive butler was about to open his mouth when a loud thunder roar followed by a horrendous scream pierced the ears of the two.

«It came from inside the manor! » Ciel shouted as he rushed back to the mansion.

Stepping inside, he barely gave himself the time to catch his hectic breath before to raise his head looking around him: Everything seemed surprisingly normal, the masses that gathered in the hall after that frightening scream were chattering while calmly going back to the ballroom.

«Yes, my lady, it was only one of the maids that got afraid of thunder and nothing more. We deeply apologise for disturbing you. » Ciel heard one of the floor managers tell a lady near by.

"That horrid blood freezing scream? A maid afraid of thunder? That is all?!" Ciel's eyebrow twitched."This is just absurd!"

«And now I can't go back to the ballroom soaked like this either, just perfect, » He muttered as he ran his hand through his wet hair in frustration.

The young Earl was about to take his leave when his eyes caught a glimpse of the Lionton's Marchioness before she disappeared in one of the hallways with Charles Grey and her butler. Although it was for a brief moment, The Earl couldn't have missed the disturbed expression on the girl's face and without a second thought, he followed the trio.

"There is definitely something suspicious about all of this."

...

«Dear Lord! » The soft yelp of Elena made the Earl step inside the room the three just entered without a second thought. The Earl's presence was surely unexpected but the most unexpected thing was the sight greeting the four: A middle aged woman was flatly lying -face down, on the floor by the bed's foot, her hands firmly clutching the sheets that apparently fell to the floor with her. The room's balcony was wide open despite the storm raging outside and on the other side stood madam Livingstone, the housekeeper, vainly trying to silence an excessively weeping maid.

Without a word Charles knelt beside the woman before to turn her on her back... the front sight was even more horrid: the woman's lips, fingertips and visible skin parts turned all a deep shade of bluish purple, pain and horror were sorely engraved in her wide-open lifeless eyes. The poor woman must have experienced a terrible death.

"So this is the job the grim-reaper was talking about." thought the Liontons butler turning his head to look at his mistress that stood by his side, he didn't expect to find her gaping like that at the blue corpse. "This isn't the first time for her to see such a horrifying scene... so why?"

«What is it my Lady? » The butler said as his hand gently rested on her shoulder bringing her out of her trance.

«Huh? It's... nothing. I just realised I saw this woman earlier in the refreshment room. »

Finally the voice of Earl Grey came out through gritted teeth. «One of the guests is dead... in My mansion. »

"So it only matters when it happens in your mansion, what about the fuss you caused in mine three years ago? Call it Karma Earl Grey." Ciel thought to himself a ghost of a mocking smile shadowing his lips.