Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler). All rights belong to the author, Yana Toboso. I am merely using her characters and story for entertainment.

Like one, that on a lonesome road

Doth walk in fear and dread,

And having once turned round walks on,

And turns no more his head;

Because he knows, a frightful fiend

Doth close behind him tread.

-Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, 1834

Ciel Phantomhive silently cursed to himself as he trudged through the snow. Why did he decide to go there tonight? He could have gone any other day if he wished. A day where it wasn't thirty degrees out and snowing. But something told him he must, and he complied for he knew he had not much time left on this Earth. This may very well be the last time he will ever see his parents' graves.

As he neared the gates to the cemetery he thought about when this all began, this frequently visiting the cemetery. It had started when the Earl had just turned sixteen. He began to fear that the person(s) who had murdered his parents and his pride would never come for him. Then, he thought, what if they were planning a surprise attack? One that not even the Earl nor his butler could predict? This thought made him feel increasingly uneasy. Despite his butler's attempts at reassuring the Earl that he would always keep him safe, it only served to fuel his anxiety. He would not admit it to anyone, but he feared for his life. Not only his life but for his fiancée's life as well. These distressing thoughts came over him till he decided he would make up for all the pain he had caused everyone. He decided that, when he did die, he would leave everyone happy. The servants, his fiancée, her parents, Agni and Soma, his butler... Everyone.

Much to the Phantomhive household's surprise, they found the Earl to have become more cheerful and lively. He would actually participate in the Indian duo's silly games. He'd chat with the servants, even Tanaka. He'd take Elizabeth on dates to town like she'd always wanted. He even bought a kitten for his butler, Sebastian. Everyone was stunned. The Earl was actually being nice! This change took a toll on everyone, most of all Sebastian. He didn't understand the reasoning behind his master's sudden hysteria. At one point he asked him if he had contracted a fever and was given a scowl that said, No. Now leave me alone and get back to your work. It was frustrating.

Then he started visiting the cemetery that held his deceased parents. This was what concerned the butler most of all. The last time he had ever visited that cemetery was six years ago, on that fateful day when he had made a contract with a demon. After being subjected to torture, humiliation, and pain, the little Earl had lost his faith. No one, he thought, is coming to save me. It was all over. When all hope was nearly lost he accidentally summoned a demon. This demon told him he would grant any wish he would ask of him. But in return, the boy would give him his soul. The little Earl greedily accepted this offer and then it started. The pain, the nightmares, everything that came with this deal that would undoubtedly never go away till the demon had claimed its prize. It would surround him, torture him until he could no longer see the light. Only darkness. To see his master like he was now... It was truly baffling.

The Earl noticed his butler's concern but thought nothing of it. He had made this decision and he would go through with it. In the event that he would die, he could die in peace knowing that all was right in the world that he would leave. The thought calmed him, reassuring him more than his butler ever could.

Ciel stopped at the familiar rusty, metal gates and stared up at the sign that read Cemetery. It's nearly about to fall off, he thought. He would ask Sebastian to fix that later. He took the keys out of his coat pocket and, fumblingly, stuck one in the lock and turned. The gates opened with a creak and then he entered. On top of the snow that was before coming down quite hard but now had been reduced to a light falling, a thick layer of fog surrounded the cemetery making it look eerily beautiful.

The young man approached the graves which held his parents. For two years he had visited this cemetery and never had he felt so cold. No, it wasn't from the snow or anything like that. It was something different, like a hand reaching out to you from behind and you would just stand there unknowingly, unaware, until the hand suddenly pulled you in and sucked you into a place unknown. It chilled him to the bone.

Tentatively, he stepped close to the graves and knelt down. Here he would silently grieve.

The candles in the candelabrum flickered and settled upon where they sat on the Earl's side table. They cast enough light for the young man to dress and quietly slip into bed. Before he could get comfortable, the door to his room opened, revealing his butler.

"Tired, are we?" the butler asked with his all-knowing smirk. The Earl merely grunted in reply.

"Don't be like that, Master," the butler persuaded. "Lady Elizabeth and the others were all very worried about you when you suddenly left after dinner. Where, may I ask, were you?"

This angered the Earl. He threw the covers off his bed and glared at his butler. "You know exactly where I was!" he spat.

"Indeed." The butler looked down at him, almost coldly. "You've been going there for a while now, Master."

"So what if I have been?" he retorted, returning the butler's cold gaze.

"Oh, nothing." The butler stood up and smiled with his eyes closed. "I was just worried about your health, Master. You know traveling out in that weather is bad for you."

"Hmph," the Earl replied, flopping back down onto his bed.

The butler dropped his smile and once again stared coldly at his master. He had grown accustomed to the Earl's "visits" with his parents. It confused and angered him but he let it be. Over the past two years, these "visits" seemed to become more and more frequent. He wondered whether the Earl was finally starting to break down, to give up. No, he thought, that couldn't be it. The Earl was a strong man, one that couldn't be easily broken. Not even the fires of Hell could sway him. Perhaps he was just in a state of mourning. Maybe it would pass in a few days and then he would be back to his normal self. He would again be hell-bent on revenge and they would continue to search for the perpetrators who had murdered his family. But, even so, the sudden cheerfulness he displayed to everyone; the games he played with the servants; the dates with Lady Elizabeth! This was not like his master at all.

Needless to say, communication had grown stiff between butler and master over the years.

"I'm perfectly fine," the Earl said, his voice muffled in the pillows. "You may return to your quarters and do whatever it is you do at night."

"Very well." The butler walked around to the side of the bed where his master had thrown the blankets and gracefully picked them up. "But, Master..."

"What is it?"

"Lady Elizabeth wishes me to inform you that your wedding is to happen soon and that she wants your help with the preparations."

At this, the Earl let out a groan. He knew their wedding was coming. How could he not? She talked about it nearly every time she would visit. Although he knew it would happen ever since their parents had announced their engagement, it still stressed him out.

"Can't you help her? I have work to do," he said, referring to the mountain load of paperwork he had stacked on his desk.

"Oh, no. Lady Elizabeth wants everything to be perfect and says it won't be the same if I were to help her."

"So you even told her I had work?" The Earl sighed. "It can't be helped. I suppose I'll have to."

"That's the spirit, Master." The butler smiled again. "Now, would you like me to tuck you in?" he teased.

The Earl narrowed his eyes at the butler. "When have I ever asked you to tuck me in?"

The butler, amused, chuckled at the fuming young man. "I was only joking, Master."

"Hmph," he said as he snatched the blanket out of his butler's hands and, rather clumsily, covered himself. "Your jokes are far from funny. Leave me be."

The ever-faithful butler placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly. "Yes, my Lord."

After the butler left, silence once again filled the room. Nothing could be heard besides the Earl's steady breathing and the ticking of the large, old grandfather clock in the middle of the room. Before the butler had entered the room, the young man had been very content on sleeping, but now he was wide awake, thinking. How would this marriage affect his goals? Would they still come for him? Of course, they'd have even more reason then. Then a terrible thought struck him. What if... No, no. He couldn't think about that. It was too horrid. They couldn't possibly be waiting for...?

He forced his mind to quiet. All these thoughts were overwhelming him. He had to sleep, so he could help Lizzie tomorrow... He had to sleep...

A/N: Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it so far. Please review if you did. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!