Two-Toned (Sebastian Michaelis x Modern! Reader)

2

"Thank heavens! She's alive!" a woman's cry rang out.

At her exclamation, a chorus of cheers enveloped me. The air was bitingly cold, reminiscent of winter. Fluttering my eyes open, I was greeted by the sight of snowflakes descending from above. 

Beside me, a pair of crimson eyes caught my attention. A man in a suit was kneeling by my side, speaking. His lips moved, but his words were a distant murmur. I could only stare at him. Why did he appear so different? He returned my gaze with a look of concern and spoke again.

"Miss? Can you hear me?" he inquired, his gaze locked with mine.

"Yes, I... What's happening?" I managed, my eyes drifting to the encircling crowd, their appearances equally peculiar. Questions swirled in my mind.

"My young master and I encountered a large assembly of people. They saw you in the water. When you submerged, I plunged in after you and brought you to safety," he explained with composure, as I trembled from the chill.

A woman approached, offering a blanket. "Here you are, dear," she said with a smile. Her visage seemed almost artificial.

Turning back to the man with the red eyes, I blurted out, "Why does everyone look so unreal?"

My words seemed to startle him and the onlookers.

"Pardon?" he uttered.

Pointing at him, I continued, "All of you seem fake, unlike any real person—" My voice trailed off as I noticed my own hand. It, too, appeared artificial.

"Sebastian," a young boy called out, "she must have struck her head."

Looking past the red-eyed man, I saw a boy, scarcely older than 12, with an eye patch and a cane. The boy and the man began conversing, their voices fading as a numbness overtook me. Exhaustion set in, my eyelids grew heavy, and I succumbed to the warmth as I drifted off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Warmth brushed against my cheeks and nose. Softness surrounded my body. The cold was gone. Then, a damp cloth landed on my forehead.

"What the hell, mom?!" I shouted, leaping from the bed. I spun around to confront her, only to find, not my mother, but the man from earlier.

"Well, I regret to inform you that I am not your mother, and 'hell'?" He raised an eyebrow in amusement.

I was petrified. What was happening? Glancing around, I realized this wasn't my bed, nor my room.

"Where am I?" I inquired of the man.

"You are in the Phantomhive manor, miss," he informed me.

"Phantomhive? What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"The family name of my master, the Earl," he explained with a smile.

Everything seemed fake, surreal. I scanned the room; the bed, the man, everything appeared as if it were drawn.

"I'm so confused," I exhaled, "my vision is distorted, as if everything and everyone I've seen is sketched."

The man tilted his head, "That may be expected. You do have a fever, and the river's water was quite chilly. How did you find yourself in the river?"

"I can't remember. The last thing I knew, I was leaving work, heading home, and then I spotted a kitten. And....." I trailed off.

"Hm," he replied, "I found a bag by the water's edge; it must be yours." He retrieved my backpack and placed it on the bed.

"My goodness! I have work! What time is it?" I exclaimed, seizing my bag and nearly tumbling out of bed. As I lost balance, the man steadied me.

"Please, do try to be more careful, miss," he said. I stood up with his help. 

"Thank you," I managed to say.

"How remiss of me, I haven't introduced myself," he said with a smile, bowing slightly, "I am Sebastian Michaelis, delighted to meet you."

"Oh, um, I'm (Y/n) (L/n)," I replied, stumbling over my words. Sebastian straightened up to his full height again.

"I do have some questions, however," he remarked. He took my bag, unzipped it, and began searching through it. I frowned at him for invading my privacy. Moments later, he extracted my phone.

"What is this?"