(𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙡 𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙝𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙭 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧)

XXXIX. PERSISTENCE

a promise is a promise; repetition is repetition. it's an endless cycle and no one can interfere it. nevertheless, it's an essential way of life. it's what makes us human beings. without this kind of process, the world wouldn't exist. instead, the world would commit mistakes and god will send His wrath from the thundering clouds. He would remind us how foolish we were to the world that He created.

what's the point?

while we're destroying our world- His world -we're oblivious to the imminent chaos. wouldn't He destroy us too when we're His own creation? it's not our fault we were made to have this sort of mindset. we're all just an essence of nonsense.

all this philosophy set aside, i was still in this tricky circumstance with lord phantomhive. we recently confessed our sins to each other and i've never been more elated to be sent to hell with him. i'm quite genuine when i said those words to him, my feelings were speaking the truth after all. and i knew he felt the same way because i see the suffering in his eye. i knew he was dying to tell me and i wish i would've told him sooner despite our negative encounters.

i remembered the thrill shooting through my veins when he sent me a look doubt after i proceeded a heinous act. for instance, the strike i delivered to that crazy man. i would've choked him with the key chain but he was there to intervene.

❝ do you see this statue, ciel? ❞ i pointed at the inanimate figure, whose head has been demolished. my hands flattened against it's rough surface, ❝ it's unlike any statue here. this one is wearing an outfit that dated from 700 bc. ❞ i gestured to the chiton dress.

      despite it's ruin, it was beautifully sculpted. you can see the ruffles of the drab sash over the clothing and the way the belt was wrapped around the waist. i presumed the statue was a woman, but anyway, i glanced at her shoes and was skeptical about the sandals. one of her toes was missing and it surprisingly troubled me.

     ciel followed my uncomfortable gaze and he seemed shock as i am, ❝ that's strange.. do you think that this was our purpose to be here? to find the toe? ❞ as much as i wanted to let out a chuckle at his query, i chose not to since it was not appropriate, ❝ or simply search the heads? ❞ he dipped his head down, immersing deep into his own thoughts. the longer he was thinking, the lesser it made any sense.

  ❝ if we were to find something, let's begin with this statue first. ❞ i rapped my knuckles against the marbled surface, but not too hard because i was afraid it might break considering it's antique. i wondered how many years these statues have been abandoned and isolated in dust. more importantly, i wondered who lived here.

    my fingers traced on the solid lines of the sculptures as i strolled by. the pads of my fingers were coated in powder and i rubbed them, flicking the particles. it's dusty than i imagined after seeing the visible layer of grey.

❝ oh, you're back. ❞ ciel's startled voice rang out in my thoughts, shaking my attention away from the statue.

i tracked his peering eye at the wild appearance of sebastian; his once neatly combed raven hair was unkempt while his hairline was slick with wet i can see tendrils of black pasting on his pale forehead, his merlot hues glazed at me and i swear i could've seen flames flickering in his dark pupils, his outfit raised some red flags. there was obviously blood stains on his vest despite the fabric's black material.

that is when i noticed the absence of my servant, veronica.

❝ where's veronica? ❞ i demanded, maintaining a well-posture without the presence of that green-eyed witch, ❝ tell me, where is she? ❞ in the corner of my eye, ciel was unamused and was currently watching the scene unfold between me and the butler.

the former grinned, revealing his canine teeth, ❝ i'm afraid she will be delayed momentarily, ❞ i didn't trust the mischievious glint in his eye, ❝ but if you'd like, i can escort you back to her and see for yourself. ❞ he offered, still exposing his radiant semi-fangs. i narrowed my eyes and reluctantly allowed him to escort me.

i was genuinely afraid of the devil i was clinging to while we walked through the gloomy hallway.

lord phantomhive was noiselessly trotting after us and i felt his gaze dropping an icicle on my back. i glued my eyes at the floor, anticipating for the next event to happen. i was anxious, distraught even. i don't know what's about to occur.

suddenly, i heard the click of a glock.

i stopped walking with the devil lingering beside me, my hand still around his arm.

❝ [your name] delores, it's unfortunate that things have to end this way, ❞ i could feel his fingers threatening to pull the trigger, ❝ i wish i could've met you sooner, we could've been more than acquaintances. ❞ the severe tone in his voice made goosebumps rise on my arms.

sebastian covered my vision with his gloved hands and the cold clothing pressed on my eyelids. at least he understood that i didn't want to witness this. however, i also i would feel it.

the mouth of the weapon was pressed tightly against my back that i held back a gasp.

❝ i love you so much that it hurts. ❞

water crystals were formed on my eyes, ❝ i love you too. ❞

i wished i could turn back time and remove sebastian's hands, just so that i can see ciel's magnificent blue eye once more.

too bad my body already hit the floor and i failed to retrieve my vision because i was already dead.