CHAPTER 153

CHAPTER 153
The room is dark and tense with the smell of blood still fresh and thick in the air, and Ciel doesn’t like dark spaces.

Ciel doesn’t know how long he has been sitting on the chair, tied to it, while Ethan paces in front of him, waving his gun like a toy, going on and on about things Ciel doesn’t understand, things that almost don’t make sense to Ciel’s brain.

“He doesn’t even care about you, Ciel. He’ll never come for you. That’s who Xerxes is: cold and heartless. He never changed for me, and he certainly is not going to change for you. Do you even understand that?”

Ciel doesn’t speak because he doesn’t understand a thing that comes out of the crazed person’s mouth; he just sits there, tied to the chair, watching and waiting. He can either leave here dead or alive.

Ethan’s face twists. “He used to love me, told me I was his world, and he promised to give me everything, but he lied. I gave him everything. And he threw me away like I was nothing.” he barks out a bitter laugh but suddenly, the door slams open without warning.

Ethan spun around with his gun raised. His eyes instantly going wide because Xerxes stands there, looking tall and terrifying but Ciel can’t help but tilt his head as he takes in the paleness on the older man’s face and he doesn’t miss the way his hands tremble at his side as if he's trying holds something back but Ethan obviously misses the signs.

“X-Xerxes?” Ethan whispers, shocked.

Xerxes shows no sign of holding a weapon as he steps inside, almost as if he’s tired of everything, but his gaze locks on Ciel for a moment, as if to make sure that he is okay, before looking back at Ethan and voicing. “Let him go.”

Ethan blinks. “H-how did you find us? You—You came for him?”

“I said, let him go. This is getting old, don’t you think Ethan and to be honest, I am tired of putting up with your shit today, so I am going to say again, let him go and I can pretend you never did this,” Xerxes’s voice is rough, low and cold.

Ethan tilts his head, a dark look owing his eyes. “You never came for me like this, you never looked at me the way you look at him, what makes us so different, we are almost the same. Do you like his white hair? I can always dye my hair and wear green contacts, I can be him as long as you promise to choose me.”

Ciel thinks he’s sick in the head, but Xerxes doesn’t respond.

Suddenly, Ethan burst into a peal of loud and unrestrained laughter that echoes throughout the room.

“Do you know what you did to me? You destroyed me! You even poisoned Leon, the only one who got me. And now you walk in here acting like you care about him? Him?! He’s just another version of me, right? That’s your type, isn’t it? Fragile things you think you can fix and control, that make you feel needed.” He turns to Ciel. “He doesn’t love you, he’s gonna soon dump you like he did to me, you are going to be worthless to him just like I am,”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Ethan.”

“You already did!” Ethan screams, waving the gun again. “I begged for your love and your forgiveness, but you shoved me away, but for him, you'd kill for him.”

Xerxes brings his hand up to rub his temple, this is really tiring.

“Tonight is where all it all ends, because you’re not leaving this room wit-”

Ethan doesn't let him finish his words as Xerxes reaches into his coat and pulls out a gun and then bang, bang, two shots to the chest.

A scream rips out of Ciel as blood splatters on the floor.

Ethan stands frozen for a moment before he staggers back, his mouth open in shock while blood blooms through his shirt.

The gun falls out of his hand, he falls to the ground and with a broken smile at Xerxes, he collapses to the floor, in his pool of blood, eyes wide and staring into nothing. He's dead.

Silence.

Ciel's eyes go from the dead body to Xerxes. Ciel should be scared. He still has no idea the type of man he's engaged to.

Suddenly he bursted in here, killing and Ciel should be tightened for his life but for some reason he isn't.

Something tells him that Xerxes will never hurt him and something about him looks so powerful, raw and real. Ciel is almost entranced but the tiredness in Xerxes eyes pulls him harder.

Xerxes crosses the room unhurriedly, and knees beside him, immediately cutting the ropes loose with a small knife. “Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?”

“I’m okay,” Ciel whispers, still watching his face with sheer curiosity.

Xerxes nods and then without hesitation, he scoops Ciel up into his arms, carrying him bridal style and walks out of the mess without looking back but Ciel does, he looks back at the dead form of Ethan and there's a surge in his chest.

Xerxes kills to protect him. How many has he killed?

~

They arrive back at the mansion and Xerxes still carries Ciel in, setting him gently on the couch, he stands there for a second, hands shaking, eyes heavy.

Then slowly, he knees in front of him, placing his hands on Ciel’s knees. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Ciel blink, caught off guard. “Why? You saved me,”

Xerxes looks up, and Ciel is stricken with something new in Xerxes's eyes. Vulnerability.

“I’ve done nothing but put you in danger,” Xerxes continues. “Over and over again,”

Ciel frowns. “You have protected and saved me over and over again, haven't you?”

Xerxes nods, then shakes his head, his voice thick with emotions as he continues. “Maybe it’s better like this. Maybe… maybe it’s a gift that you forgot everything. Because the truth is ugly. And I’m not a good man. You deserve way better than this,”

Ciel doesn't know what to say, but then he sees it. A lone tear. It slides down Xerxes’s cheek.

The man who shot someone only just a few minutes ago. The man who looks so powerful but at the same time so weak is crying.

Ciel forcefully gulps down the lump that forms in his throat while his chest clenches painfully. He doesn't know what to do. How to comfort him. What would have older Ciel done to comfort his fiance?

Awkwardly, Ciel leans forward and slowly wraps his arms around him. It isn't a tight hug. It's stiff and unsure.

Xerxes freezes for a second, and then, slowly, his arms wrap around Ciel’s waist, holding him like he’ll fall apart if he lets go.