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A dull ache throbbed in Ciel Phantomhive’s skull. Rippling through his body like the aftershock of a fall he couldn't remember. His limbs were sluggish and heavy. The sensation of something soft beneath him—sheets, felt foreign. His mind reeled. The last thing he recalled was…What was the last thing?Ciel’s breath caught in his throat as panic surged through his veins. His hands clutched at the fabric of what he now realized was a coarse and cheap blanket. Nothing like the fine silk of his bedding. He cracked open his single visible eye, only for a blinding light to pierce through, making him wince. It was wrong—too bright, too artificial. He blinked rapidly, adjusting, and stared at a ceiling he did not recognize.The air smelled of paint and charcoal, with the faintest hint of coffee. A fan whirred in the background, circulating air that carried odd sterility. Nothing like the faint musk of old wood and candle smoke he was accustomed to. This was not the Phantomhive estate.His fingers twitched, instinctively reaching toward his eye, lifeline, and contract. It was still there. A simple flicker of his will should have summoned him—Sebastian.
Nothing happened.Ciel sat up sharply, ignoring the wave of dizziness that followed. His coat was gone, as was his hat and boots. He was clad only in his shirt and trousers, which were wrinkled and stained—how undignified. His fingers brushed over bruises on his ribs. Remnants of whatever had left him unconscious.“Whoa, whoa, hey—relax, man!”The voice startled him. Ciel’s head snapped toward the doorway, where a young man stood, looking concerned and amused. He had messy auburn hair, dark circles under his eyes, and a smudge of paint on his cheek. He was dressed simply, in a loose hoodie and jeans speckled with various colors.“Who are you?” Ciel’s voice was hoarse, though he tried to maintain his usual authority.The young man—Lukus, Ciel heard him mutter—sighed and ran a hand through his unkempt hair. “Right, uh, you were kinda half-dead in an alleyway last night. Figured I should help, since, you know, leaving you there felt like a pretty jerkish move. You're welcome, by the way.”An alleyway? The humiliation of such a predicament made Ciel’s jaw clench. How did I end up there? His mind was a mess of fragmented memories, none of which explained this. He studied Lukus with narrowed eyes, trying to determine if this was some elaborate ploy. Nothing about the artist screamed "enemy." He was hardly imposing—if anything, he seemed awkward.“So... wanna tell me your name, or are we doing the whole mystery guest thing?”Ciel hesitated. Giving his real name seemed like a risk. Though the odds of this stranger knowing anything about House Phantomhive seemed low. Still, caution was second nature to him.“Ciel,” he said finally.“Cool, cool. Just ‘Ciel’? No last name?” Lukus asked.“That is none of your concern,” Ciel replied.Lukus let out a short laugh. “Alright, fair enough, Ciel. You’re kinda intense, huh?”Ciel ignored the remark and swung his legs over the side of the bed, testing his balance. He needed to think, to plan. He had no idea where Sebastian was or why he had woken up in this peculiar version of London. Something had gone horribly wrong.Lukus watched him, arms still crossed. “So, what’s your deal? You got a place to go? ‘Cause you look like a Victorian ghost who got lost on his way back to the afterlife.”Ciel’s glare could have cut glass.Lukus held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, bad joke. Just… if you need to crash here a bit longer, no big deal. I got an extra blanket and, uh, cereal? Not much, but better than nothing.”Ciel bit back his initial refusal. He had nowhere to go. No money, no contacts, and—most pressingly—no butler. Swallowing his pride for the time being might be his only viable course of action.“…Fine,” he muttered, loathing the word.Lukus grinned. “Cool. Welcome to my terribly messy apartment, Ciel.”As much as Ciel despised the situation, he knew one thing for certain. Whatever had happened to him, whatever had brought him here—he needed answers.And he needed Sebastian.
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Ciel pushed himself to his feet, his movements slow and deliberate. His body still ached, the bruises on his ribs reminding him of whatever had left him unconscious. He took a steadying breath before turning his gaze toward his surroundings. The room itself was small, cluttered with objects he didn’t recognize.Lukus watched him from his spot by the doorway, arms crossed. “You good?”Ciel didn’t answer. He took a step forward, scanning the room with a scrutinizing eye. The bed he had woken up in was pushed against the far wall, unkempt and covered in a mismatched set of sheets. A desk sat near the window. Littered with pencils, brushes, and papers covered in abstract sketches. A strange black box with a glowing screen rested on it, humming softly.Ciel gestured toward it. “What is that?”Lukus blinked, then followed Ciel’s gaze. “...My laptop?”“Laptop,” Ciel echoed, the word unfamiliar on his tongue. “And what, exactly, does it do?”“Uh… everything? Work, internet, entertainment—you seriously don’t know what a laptop is?”Ciel ignored the question, stepping closer to inspect it. The device was thin, almost impossibly so, and yet it seemed important. He reached out a hand.“Uh, maybe don’t touch that?” Lukus said quickly, stepping forward. “Not to be rude, but you look like you’ve never seen one before. I don’t need you accidentally breaking my only source of income.”Ciel pulled his hand back, filing away the information. A source of income. He turned away, eyes sweeping over the rest of the apartment. Clothes strewn over a chair. A small kitchenette sat in the corner. Its counters cluttered with empty mugs and a strange metal box that hummed. Ciel stepped toward it.“And this?”Lukus glanced over. “That’s a fridge.”Ciel narrowed his eye. “Fridge.”“Yeah, it keeps food cold.”“Why?”Lukus ran a hand down his face. “To keep it from spoiling? You seriously don’t know what a fridge is?”Ciel didn’t answer. Instead, he opened the fridge door, eyes widening slightly at the gust of cool air that greeted him. Shelves lined the inside. Filled with bottles, cartons, and plastic-wrapped food he didn’t recognize. He reached for a jar of something red, inspecting the odd labeling.Lukus sighed. “That’s jam.”Ciel shot him a look. “It doesn’t look like jam.”Lukus huffed a laugh. “What does jam even look like where you’re from?”Ciel ignored him, placing the jar back before moving on. His exploration led him to a tall shelf with books. Peculiar cases labeled with bright images and strange lettering. He picked one up, studying the glossy surface.“What is this?”Lukus glanced over. “A DVD.”Ciel stared at him.Lukus groaned. “Okay, you’re either messing with me, or you grew up in the middle of nowhere.”Ciel hummed. Placing the case back before turning toward the large window overlooking the street. The world beyond was alive with noise. Moving carriages without horses. Strange lights glowing unnaturally, and buildings that towered impossibly high. He clenched his fists, willing himself to remain composed.None of this was right.He turned sharply to Lukus. “What year is it?”Lukus blinked at him. “Dude, what?”“The year.” Ciel’s voice was sharp, demanding. “What year is it?”Lukus frowned. “It’s 2023… You seriously didn’t know that?”Ciel’s breath hitched. The numbers rattled in his mind, unfamiliar and impossible. Over a hundred years from where he should be.This wasn’t just another place.This was another time.
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Lukus had seen some strange things in his life. Art school tended to introduce you to eccentric people—but nothing quite like Ciel. The guy acted like he had just dropped out of some historical drama. The way he carried himself screamed ‘rich-kid-who’s-used-to-having-a-servant'. But that wasn’t what unsettled him. It was how Ciel looked at everything like he saw it all for the first time.And then there was the whole "What year is it?" question.Lukus shifted in his chair, watching as Ciel stood near the window. His fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides. He had been standing there for several minutes, staring out at the world like it had offended him.Finally, Lukus exhaled and leaned forward. “Alright, man. You need to start talking. Because from where I’m sitting, nothing about you makes sense.”Ciel’s eye flicked toward him, unreadable. “I don’t see why I owe you an explanation.”“Oh, you don’t? That’s funny, ‘cause I’m pretty sure I found you half-dead in an alley and let you crash at my place. And now you’re walking around looking like someone stole your entire era and won’t return it.” He gestured at Ciel’s clothes. “Like, seriously. Where did you even come from? Some weird LARPing event gone wrong?”“LARPing?”“You don’t even know what that is. Cool. That helps your case.” Lukus ran a hand through his messy hair. “Look, man, I’m just trying to understand. You don’t know what a fridge is, a laptop freaks you out, and you act like electricity is some kind of dark sorcery. And don’t get me started on the whole ‘I don’t know what year it is’ thing.”Ciel turned fully then, expression neutral. “And if I simply claimed amnesia? Would that satisfy you?”Lukus narrowed his eyes. “Not even a little.”Ciel’s lips pressed into a thin line, but Lukus wasn’t about to let this go.“Look, I’m not asking for your life story, alright?” Lukus said, softer this time. “I wanna know something real. Anything that actually makes sense. ‘Cause right now? You sound like a guy who woke up in the wrong century.”Ciel’s fingers twitched.Lukus caught the movement. His stomach dropped.“Oh. My. God.” He leaned back, staring. “That’s actually what happened, isn’t it?”Ciel’s glare was sharp. “Don’t be absurd.”“That’s not a no.”“Because it is too ridiculous to acknowledge.”Lukus folded his arms. “Dude, you didn’t know what a fridge was. I don’t think ‘ridiculous’ is off the table anymore.”Ciel looked away, gaze dark. “Believe what you wish.”Lukus studied him, trying to piece it together. If this wasn’t some elaborate act—and his gut told him it wasn’t—then what was it? Some kind of time travel? Reincarnation? Parallel universe nonsense?Finally, he sighed. “Alright. If you don’t wanna tell me, fine. But if I catch you staring at the microwave like it’s gonna attack you, we’re talking.”Ciel didn’t answer, but the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease. Just slightly.Lukus let out a dry chuckle, rubbing his temples. “Man, I really should’ve left you in that alley.”For the first time, the faintest smirk tugged at Ciel’s lips. “But you didn’t.”Lukus groaned. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t remind me.”Whatever was going on, one thing was certain.Ciel had secrets.
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Lukus drummed his fingers against the table. Eyeing Ciel like he was assessing a fragile antique. He didn’t seem fragile. But something about him gave off the distinct impression that if left unattended. He might either break something or himself."So… you ever lived alone before?" Lukus finally asked.Ciel, who had been flipping through a book on Lukus’s shelf, barely spared him a glance. “I’ve had an estate to myself.”“Yeah, I don’t think that counts if you had, like, twenty servants waiting on you.”“Seventeen.”Lukus let out a groan, dragging a hand down his face. “Okay, point is, I’ve got classes tomorrow. I usually do ‘em online, but I have a couple in-person ones this week. I can't exactly call in and say, ‘Sorry, I picked up a time traveler and need to supervise him.’”“I don’t require supervision,” Ciel said.Lukus snorted. “Dude, you didn’t know what a fridge was twelve hours ago. Forgive me for being skeptical.”Ciel’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he closed the book he had been skimming and turned fully to Lukus, arms crossed. “What exactly do you expect me to do while you’re gone?”Lukus exhaled, deciding to keep things simple. “Don’t touch my laptop, don’t set anything on fire, and for the love of all things holy, don’t answer the door. Also, try not to have a crisis over, like, the toaster or something.”Ciel gave him a look of pure indignation. “I am not an imbecile.”Lukus held up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Just making sure. And, uh…” He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “If you need anything, text me?”Ciel blinked. “Text?”Lukus groaned. “Right. No phone. Fantastic.” He sighed. “Okay, new plan. Just… don’t burn the place down. That’s the main goal here.”Ciel huffed, rolling his eye. “I shall manage.”Lukus wasn’t sure he believed that, but he supposed he’d find out soon enough.-------------------Lukus left that morning in a rush. Grabbing his backpack and throwing a last wary glance at Ciel before heading out the door. As soon as it clicked shut, silence settled over the apartment. An unfamiliar quiet, one that Ciel found unnerving.He was alone.Ciel exhaled, running a hand through his disheveled hair. The bruises on his ribs still ached, a dull reminder of whatever had landed him in this bizarre situation. He still didn’t know how he had ended up in this unfamiliar world. Nor why his contract with Sebastian had seemingly failed.His eye flicked toward the apartment window. The city outside bustled with strange machines. Cars, Lukus had called them, moved with mechanical precision. The people below dressed in odd, loose-fitting clothing. A stark contrast to the structured elegance of his own time. It was all too loud, too artificial, too wrong.Ciel turned away. He needed answers, and waiting for them was not an option.He began his search with the apartment itself. Lukus’s living space was cluttered, but not in a way that suggested chaos. Rather, it was the disarray of someone who lived in their own cultivated mess. Art supplies scattered across his desk. Pages filled with sketches of faces, landscapes, and abstract patterns.He moved to Lukus’s laptop, eyeing it with cautious curiosity. He knew better than to touch it—Lukus had been particular about that—but it was tempting. If this device contained information, perhaps it could offer some clue as to where—or when—he was.Still, without knowing how to use it, fumbling with it would only waste time.Instead, he turned his attention to the walls, scanning them. A calendar hung near the door, confirming what Lukus had said—2023. Ciel’s stomach twisted. Over a century ahead of his own time.But how?He traced his memory. Trying to recall the last thing he remembered before waking in that alleyway. He and Sebastian had been investigating—what? A case. A target assigned by the Queen. There had been an ambush, a sharp pain, then—nothing.Had he died? No, that couldn’t be it. If he had perished, his soul would have belonged to Sebastian. And yet, the butler was nowhere to be found.Ciel’s grip tightened at his sides. Something had gone wrong—terribly wrong.A glint caught his eye near the bedside table. A small, rectangular object. He stepped closer and picked it up. It was Lukus’s phone.Ciel turned it over in his hands, studying the smooth glass surface. He had seen Lukus use it before—tapping at the screen, swiping across it with ease. A communication device. If there was a way to operate it, perhaps he could contact—Sebastian.The thought sent a jolt through him. If there was even a chance—He pressed the button on the side. The screen lit up, revealing a lock screen. Ciel scowled.Of course. Locked.He set it down with a sigh.There had to be another way.Ciel resumed his search, opening drawers, and scanning through papers. Anything that might hold an explanation. He was careful not to disturb things too much. He had no desire for Lukus to return and accuse him of rifling through his belongings. But he needed to understand.If he had been thrown into this time against his will, there had to be a cause. And if there was a cause—there was a way back.He had to find it.
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Lukus was halfway up the stairs to his apartment when he realized something.Ciel was going to drive him insane.The entire day, he hadn't been able to focus. His mind circled back to the kid he had left alone in his apartment. A kid who had no clue how anything worked, who looked at modern life like it was some kind of elaborate trick. And had no problem judging Lukus’s every decision with aristocratic disdain.And yet, beneath all that arrogance, there was something else. Something sharp, something desperate.Lukus sighed as he reached his door. No use overthinking it now. He unlocked the door and pushed inside.“Yo, I’m back,” he called, dropping his bag by the couch. “Please tell me you didn’t burn the place down.”Silence.Lukus frowned. Ciel wasn’t standing by the window like before. Instead, he sat at the kitchen table, hands folded neatly in front of him. He looked composed.“…You okay, man?”Ciel tilted his head slightly. “Define ‘okay.’”Lukus narrowed his eyes. “That’s not an answer.”“Then, no. I am not ‘okay.’ I have questions.”Lukus sighed, kicking off his shoes. “Yeah? What else is new?”“I was thinking,” Ciel continued, ignoring the sarcasm. “You mentioned earlier that information is stored in… machines.”Lukus squinted at him. “You mean computers?”“Yes. And these computers are connected to something called the ‘internet'. Which allows access to an extensive archive of knowledge.”Lukus folded his arms. “…You were really paying attention, huh?”“I am not an idiot."“Debatable,” Lukus muttered before sighing. “Okay, what about it?”Ciel’s fingers tapped against the table. His expression remained unreadable, but Lukus could tell he was measuring his words. “Hypothetically,” he said, “if one wished to locate a specific person, how would one go about it?”“You mean, like, looking them up online?”“If that is the term, then yes.”Lukus frowned, tilting his head. “Uh… I guess it depends. There’s social media, phone directories, and public records. Kinda depends on how much you already know about them.” He studied Ciel closely. “Why? You looking for someone?”Ciel didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned his gaze downward, as if weighing whether or not to respond. Eventually, he exhaled through his nose and said, “Yes.”Lukus sat down across from him, leaning forward. “Alright. Who?”Ciel’s hand clenched before he forced it to relax. “His name is Sebastian.”Lukus raised an eyebrow. “Sebastian who?”“…That is irrelevant.”Lukus let out a short laugh. “No, dude, it’s very relevant if you want me to help.”Ciel’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn’t snap back with his usual sharp remarks. Instead, he exhaled and met Lukus’s gaze. “I told you before that my circumstances are… unusual.”“That’s one way to put it.”Ciel ignored him. “Sebastian has always been by my side. He is efficient, capable, and—” He hesitated. Something flickering across his expression before he continued. “—loyal.”“So, what? He’s like a bodyguard?”“…A butler.”“A butler?”“Yes.”Silence stretched between them.Lukus rubbed his temples. “Okay, let me get this straight. You woke up in an alleyway, in the wrong century. With no memory of how you got here, and the person you’re looking for is your butler?”Ciel’s eye flickered with irritation. “Sebastian is more than a servant.”Lukus leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Alright. Then what is he?”Ciel hesitated. “He is bound to me.”Lukus didn’t like the way Ciel said that. There was something weighty behind the words. Something that sent a small chill down his spine.“Bound how?”“…It is complicated.”Lukus let out a long sigh. “Yeah. No kidding.” He drummed his fingers against the wood, thinking. “Okay, let’s say I believe you—which, honestly, I still don’t know if I do. What makes you think this guy is here? Like, in 2023?”Ciel’s posture stiffened. “He must be.”Lukus frowned. “That’s not an answer.”Ciel’s jaw tightened, but there was something almost… uncertain about him now. As if he was trying to convince himself as much as Lukus.“…He wouldn’t abandon me.”The words were quiet but firm. And for the first time, Lukus saw something beneath all the arrogance and sharp words. Something that looked an awful lot like fear.Lukus rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure what to make of any of this, but one thing was clear—Ciel was looking for this guy hard. And for all his pride, he didn’t have the means to do it alone.“…Alright,” Lukus muttered.Ciel blinked. “What?”“I said alright.” Lukus shrugged. “I’ll help you look. But I swear, if I find out this is some elaborate prank, I’m kicking you out.”Ciel studied him for a long moment before nodding once. “That is acceptable.”Lukus let out a breath. “Great. Guess we’re hunting for a lost butler.” He pushed back from the table. “But first, we’re gonna need to teach you how to use a computer.”Ciel frowned. “I fail to see how that is necessary.”“Oh, trust me,” Lukus muttered, standing up. “It is.”As much as he hated to admit it, Lukus felt he was in this for the long run.And something told him things were only going to get weirder from here.
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Lukus set his laptop on the table, flipping it open with a practiced motion. The screen flared, casting a cold glow against the dimly lit apartment. Ciel sat across from him, his posture stiff as he eyed the device.“Alright,” Lukus said, typing in his password. “Lesson one: this is a laptop. You already know that. Lesson two: this is Google. It’s where you find literally anything.” He gestured to the search bar. “You type in what you’re looking for, hit enter, and boom—answers.”Ciel leaned forward, scrutinizing the screen. “It contains an archive of knowledge?”“Yeah, pretty much.”Ciel’s lips pressed into a thin line, considering. Then, with an almost imperceptible hesitation, he asked, “And if one wished to look up a person’s history?”Lukus shrugged. “Depends on how famous or well-documented they are. If they’re important enough, there might be records. News articles, census data, maybe even family trees.”Ciel didn’t respond immediately. His fingers curled against his sleeve. Then, finally, he exhaled and muttered, “Phantomhive.”“What?”“My last name,” Ciel said, his voice quiet but firm. “Phantomhive.”Lukus raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He typed the name into the search bar and hit enter.The screen filled with results in an instant. Lukus skimmed through them, his eyes widening. “Whoa, okay. Apparently, your family was a big deal.”Ciel’s heart pounded as he scanned the page. Mentions of the Phantomhive family were littered throughout. Old records, historical accounts, whispers of a noble house that had vanished.And then he saw it.A newspaper excerpt, its yellowed print captured in a digital archive:“Tragedy Strikes: Phantomhive Manor Consumed by Fire—No Survivors”Ciel’s breath caught. His hand clenched against the table as he forced himself to read.“The young heir, Ciel Phantomhive. Is presumed dead along with his household after a blaze tore through the estate. Officials state that the fire was orchestrated by a cult. Responsible for previous kidnappings and murders. With no remains recovered, the case remains a mystery.”His vision blurred.Presumed dead.No remains recovered.It wasn’t the future he had been thrown into. It was something else. A different timeline. A world where his story had ended in fire and shadow.“Ciel,” Lukus’s voice cut through the haze. “Are you—”But Ciel barely heard him. His fingers trembled as he reached up, touching his chest, as if to confirm that he was still there. That he still existed.If this was true… then where was Sebastian?Had the contract been severed? Had something wrenched him from his rightful place?None of it made sense.But one thing was certain.He had not just lost time.He had lost his entire world.And he had no idea how to get back.
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Lukus sat across from Ciel, watching him with an intensity that made the room feel smaller. The air was thick with unspoken tension. The laptop still sat open between them, the glow from the screen casting a cold light on Ciel’s pale face. His fingers twitched at his sides, his nails dug into the fabric of his trousers.“Alright,” Lukus finally said, breaking the silence. “I’ve been patient. I let you sit there and stew in whatever dramatic Victorian existential crisis you’ve got going on. But you’re gonna start talking now.”Ciel barely spared him a glance. His eye locked on the words displayed on the screen—the damning history of a life that was supposed to be his. Or rather, a life that had been snuffed out in this version of events.“I already told you,” Ciel muttered. “I don’t remember.”Lukus scoffed. “Yeah, sure. But see, here’s the thing—I don’t buy that.” He leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. “You’re not the kind of guy who doesn’t remember. You’re too… I don’t know, calculating? Put-together? Even when you’re freaking out, I can see you thinking. So, why don’t you tell me what’s actually going on in that creepy little brain of yours?”Ciel’s gaze flicked up. “You assume much.”“I assume what makes sense.” Lukus shrugged. “Now, come on. Start from the beginning. What do you remember?”Ciel inhaled, willing his thoughts into some semblance of order. What did he remember? Everything before the incident was clear—too clear. He could recall the moments leading up to it with perfect detail. The mission, the cold night air, the steady presence of Sebastian by his side.And then—nothing.“There was… a mission,” Ciel admitted. “An assignment given to me by the Queen. Something about a string of disappearances tied to an underground sect. We were investigating their last known location.” He exhaled, narrowing his eye in thought. “It was quiet. Too quiet. And then—” He faltered.“And then what?” Lukus pressed.“I don’t know.” The admission burned his pride. “Something happened. I must have been struck. Drugged, perhaps. I don’t recall anything between that moment and waking up here.”Lukus leaned back, running a hand through his messy hair. “So, let me get this straight. You were on a mission, got knocked out, and when you woke up, boom—twenty-first century?”Ciel scowled. “Don’t say it like that.”“Dude, that is what happened,” Lukus said, exasperated. “You’re basically the plot of a bad sci-fi movie.”Ciel ignored the remark, turning his attention back to the screen. His fingers hovered over the laptop’s keys. “This still doesn’t explain how I got here. Or why Sebastian is missing.”Lukus hesitated. “…You sure he’s missing?”Ciel shot him a sharp look.“I mean,” Lukus continued, “if this timeline—this version of history... Has you dying in a fire, doesn’t that mean your butler would’ve, you know… gone down with you?”Ciel’s breath hitched. He hadn’t considered that.Sebastian was bound to him—tied by a contract that ensured his unwavering presence. If this world’s Ciel had died, then where did that leave Sebastian? Was he… gone?No. Impossible.Ciel shook his head. “No,” he said. “If I’m here, he must be here.”Lukus studied him for a long moment before sighing. “Alright. Let’s say you’re right. Where do we even start looking?”Ciel swallowed, fingers curling into his palm.“I don’t know,” he admitted.And he hated that more than anything.
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Ciel jolted awake with a strangled gasp, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts. The nightmare clung to him, suffocating and vivid. The heat of candle flames licking at his skin, the guttural chanting of the cult echoing in his ears. He could still feel it, the moment when he had reached out, expecting Sebastian’s hand to pull him back from the abyss. Only to grasp at empty air.His mind raced as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, forcing down the rising panic. He had been too focused on figuring out where he was—when he should have been thinking about why. If the cult had been involved, their summoning ritual would have failed somehow in this world. Then perhaps that was why his contract with Sebastian had severed.But if they had summoned him once, then he could do it again.Sebastian was still out there. He had to be.Without hesitation, Ciel shoved himself up and strode toward Lukus’s room. The apartment was still. The faint glow of streetlights through the windows cast shadows across the floor. His heartbeat hammered in his ears as he threw the door open.“Lukus.”A groggy groan came from the bed. Lukus was half-buried in his blankets, his face smushed into the pillow. “Dude, why,” he mumbled, voice thick with sleep. “Why are you like this?”Ciel ignored the complaint, stepping closer. “I need your help.”Lukus cracked open an eye. “Is it on fire?”“What?”“The apartment.” Lukus yawned. “Did you set it on fire?”“No.”“Then it can wait till morning.” Lukus flopped back against his pillow. “Night, man.”Ciel gritted his teeth. His patience was wearing thin, and the urgency within him refused to be ignored. He grabbed the edge of Lukus’s blanket and yanked it off him.“Hey—what the hell?!” Lukus flailed before sitting up, blinking. “You seriously need to work on your whole ‘normal human behavior’ thing.”“There’s no time for this,” Ciel snapped. “I have a plan.”Lukus squinted at him. “Oh, great,” he muttered. “Because your last plans have all gone so well.” He rubbed his face. “Okay, fine. What’s so important that you had to wake me up at—” He glanced at his clock. “—three in the freaking morning?”Ciel inhaled, trying to gather his thoughts. He knew this was going to be difficult to explain. He wasn’t even sure Lukus truly believed him yet. But he had no other options.“It’s about Sebastian,” Ciel said, his voice steadier now.Lukus sighed. “Dude. I already agreed to help you find your weirdly overqualified butler—”“He isn’t just a butler.” Ciel cut him off. “He’s a demon.”Silence.Lukus stared at him. “I’m sorry, what?”Ciel’s fingers clenched at his sides. “Sebastian is a demon. I made a contract with him years ago. He’s bound to me—or at least, he was.” He took a step closer. “That’s why he’s missing. Something severed the contract when I was brought here. But if I can summon him again, I can fix it.”“…Okay. Sure. Your butler is a demon,” he said, dragging a hand down his face. “And you summoned him?”“Yes.”“You do hear how insane that sounds, right?”“Do you think I care?”Lukus held up his hands. “Okay, okay, fine—whatever. Let’s say I roll with this. What exactly do you want me to do?”“I need information,” Ciel said. “The cult—the one I know was behind this—used a ritual to summon Sebastian. If I can find out what it was, I can replicate it.”Lukus groaned. “Dude, do you hear yourself? You want to track down a bunch of cultists and try to copy their demon-summoning ritual? Do I even have to say how bad that idea is?”Ciel’s jaw tightened. “You don’t understand.”“Oh, no, I definitely understand.” Lukus gestured wildly. “You wanna do some full-blown, black magic nonsense in my apartment because you think your demon butler is gonna show up and be like, ‘Ah, yes, young master, I was just waiting for you to light some candles and chant in Latin’?”Ciel’s expression darkened. “That is how it works.”Lukus threw his hands in the air. “Oh my God.”“Listen to me. I don’t expect you to understand, but I know this will work. The contract may be severed, but Sebastian isn’t. If he were, I’d be dead.”That made Lukus pause. “…Okay. Explain.”Ciel’s voice was quiet, but firm. “Sebastian’s entire purpose—the reason he made the contract—was to take my soul when our deal was complete. If he was truly gone, I would have felt it. But I haven’t.” He met Lukus’s gaze, unwavering. “Which means he’s still somewhere.”Lukus exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “…I can’t believe I’m saying this, but fine. Suppose you’re right. Suppose your demon butler is out there. Where do we even start?”“The internet.”“You wanna Google how to summon a demon?”Ciel gave him a flat look. “I need to find anything connected to the cult. If there are records—news reports, books, anything—it could tell me what I need.”Lukus let out a long, suffering sigh. “I swear, I’m gonna end up on a government watchlist because of you.”But despite his complaints, he swung his legs off the bed and reached for his laptop.Ciel exhaled, forcing himself to steady his thoughts.This was it. The first step.No matter what it took, he would find Sebastian again.And if that meant summoning a demon in the middle of the modern world?So be it.