Heaven did decree that in your arms sweet death should dwell.

[cruelties]

Who: Gilbert and Vincent Nightray, Ahiru, and later on Ciel Phantomhive. Jack Vessalius only post-mortem. Kyubey will be around solely to be a creepy jerk. Maybe others-?!
When: January 29th
Where: Phancyhive, Jack’s bedroom
Summary: Collapsing into despair, Jack becomes a witch at the end of his contract as a puella magi. Vincent takes it upon himself to slay him at the end of the labyrinth.
Warnings: CHARACTER DEATH BY BEHEADING, death of a parental figure and resulting psychotic breakdowns, stabbing, blood. It’s a mess of blood and angst basically. And oh yeah Vincent may finally stab out Kyubey's eyes with some scissors. Lovely all around.



A witch’s labyrinth.

Oh how Vincent hated witches. He hated a great deal of things. Fakes. Selfish people. Misfortune bearers. Liars. Anything that could reflect in a mirror he loathed. Witches however were beyond even that petty hatred. Witches were the creatures who had stolen away the light of the world. In their grip everything turned fetid and rotted away until there was only darkness.

So how could he, how could it have happened-?!

Leo was gone too. That realization had hurried him back to this place; this place he had banished himself from but where he had known protection and even comfort. It was where his master and brother dwelt but he could not return to them. This place should not exist! He should not be allowed to return to such a warm and golden time. So he had stayed away and stayed by that boy’s side. He had woken up alone however and a useless search had drawn him back to here.

Perhaps he would have to return to that place too, in time, and confront his memories there too.

Perhaps, also, he had already had the intention to kill him even then. In his rage and hurt at that being, the Core. Like that woman, it should not exist to make the world however it wished! He had carried that dagger on his breast ever since Jack had given it to him a few months ago. Perhaps he had taken it for permission, acquiescence, a request.

Yet when he had come to the door he had not received a touch of the golden light. It was only the darkness again, the yawning maw of the Abyss waiting to swallow the entire world whole. A ruptured world crafted by a witch’s hands. A world where there was only despair. A world that should be erased.

And he had found the witch in the middle of the labyrinth, waiting to be slain.

Perhaps he had only understood because of everyone he had ever met, Jack and he were the most alike. They were even more alike than his precious brother who could forget all of his sorrow. Jack could never forget, like Vincent, yet in the end he had given in to his despair.

So the knight had slain the witch at his request. Using the last gift the man had given him with a note that warned of the five minute effect of the poison, and a reassurance he still loved him. He told him then too he still loved him, and had given him one final gift.

It had been disgustingly easy to kill him. Even if it had broken Vincent’s body into a thousand pieces it still would have been too easy. He had killed him as easily he had so many others, here and at home. A single thought and it was done. Only the Chain’s shriek of delight reminded him of the contract he had made long ago for this power.

The power to execute whoever he wished.

So the black knight was left with a headless corpse in his arms, dagger still within the poisoned heart. Reality warped about him but he ignored the storm over head. With a single blood stained hand he removed the earrings and replaced them with a single one. As the blood dried on his cheek, Vincent noticed how lucky he was that he could not see Jack’s final expression of judgment from where his head had rolled a few feet away.

I really have lost everything.

Gilbert would not forgive this.

Comments

[retraced]

[There's no way that he can hope to stand and obscure the entire body, but he still does his best as he stumbles to his feet and raises one arm, palm turned towards Jack in a protective manner.]

Ciel...you can't be in here right now.

[littlest_lord]

<sub>[Jack was under that sheet. Jack was under there and he was surely dead and that was the end of that. Jack Vessalius was dead and Ciel can feel his mind shutting down and his heartbeat quickening rapidly in his chest. It's hard to breathe then suddenly, as it hits him full force, fingers grabbing onto the side of his head, tugging at strands of hair. He's hyperventilating, panic setting in.

He can't be dead. He can't be the one under the sheet. How did he die in the first place? No, he's not dead. This is a load of bullshite. He can't be dead. He's not.]</sub>

J-Jack?!

<sub>[He pushes past Gilbert then, tearing off the sheet that covers Jack's body, tiny fingers quivering at the sight of the man's dead body. In an instant he's straddling the dead man, those little fingers gripping the front of his shirt in an attempt to shake him.

He's just sleeping, right?]</sub>

Wake up! Listen to me, stop pretending-! You're not supposed to die! Wake up! That's an order, Jack!

[retraced]

[His reactions are slow, and watching Ciel is like watching a scene occur in slow motion. It can't be happening. It's still too unreal and confusing and nonsensical. But as soon as he climbs on top of Jack and starts to scream, Gilbert finally finds his wits and drops to his knees, grabbing the small boy by his shoulders.]

Ciel! Stop that - he's passed away, there's nothing to be done now!

[littlest_lord]

<sub>[When his shoulders are grabbed it's enough of a jolt to wrench him out of his fit, leaving the small boy sitting stone still atop the dead man he'd come to see as someone he could trust. Someone he could be himself around. Someone who allowed him to feel as if he were the child he was supposed to be.

All of that was now gone. Again.

Ciel Phantomhive had lost his parents. He'd lost his mother twice. Now, here, he'd lost Jack Vessalius, a man he'd come to see as a father figure, something he certainly would regret.]</sub>

He can't be dead...

_{[It's an awkward mix of disbelief drenched in sorrow that taints Ciel's words as he speaks, not taking his eyes off the body beneath him.]}

Gilbert? He can't be. I won't have it.

[retraced]

[He continues holding tight, but at least eases up enough to make sure that Ciel has enough room to breathe. Just enough to attempt to be comforting or...whatever it is that's appropriate right now. Not exactly comfort, not exactly dismissal.]

You shouldn't be in here. [He says, quietly.]

Go back to your room a while so I can clean things up.

[littlest_lord]

_{[Ciel shakes his head, although it's a weak display of defiance. He's the one in charge. He's the head of the house. And yet he takes Gilbert's orders and obeys, sliding off Jack's corpse to stand weakly on two stick thin legs.]}

I don't want to leave.

[retraced]

[He rises to stand next to him and places a hand on his shoulder for support. He himself had nearly passed out upon seeing the man dead - the last thing that they need is for Ciel to collapse and hurt himself as well.]

Will you sit down on the bed at least?

[littlest_lord]

_{[A weak nod is Ciel's answer as stick thin arms cross over his chest, little feet taking him toward the bed before he sits down on the edge of the bed.]}