Persephone's Steps

BitterSweet

He couldn’t take it - the sound of squish made him want to scream- day after day hearing the squish of mud and wet grass beneath his boots. The dampness in his socks and the sweat between his toes; did he truly have a life before this complete hell? In the distance he heard bombs - guns and cries - shrieks of boys too young for war calling out for their mom. He was one of them; no sweetheart waited for him back home. There was sweet Margarette and God he wished he had kissed her when he had the chance. Touched those big breasts - nuzzled his face in them until he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe now and he was f*****g ashamed that thinking of her was getting him through this - day after day and night after night. He wished he would get bit by a snake and not have to do what he was doing. 

He fired his gun off in the distance, not sure if it actually hit someone or took someone’s life not sure if he cared. Not sure what that meant? Was he human? No he was a f*****g solider. Things started to get quieter but he had been deployed long enough for that not to comfort him. “Jason!” he turned somewhat absent mindedly because he was still focused on Charlie - eyes glued to the treeline past the tall wet slick elephant grass. 

God I better not f*****g die in this grass… 

“Jason!” Now he was concerned - it was that kinda scream - he turned around to see his company undone the young boy screaming was silenced his face half buried in the mud. In a pool of flattened grass and blood. Those blue eyes looking up at him fear etched permanently in those young features. He was a good looking kid; wasn’t much younger than him....

The last fluid thought he had was:

What?

Followed by:

Is my name Jason?

. . .  

On another plane another war was wagging - When angels and demons battle it is inevitable that the humans would… overwhelmed by the waves of extreme energies. Still Ciel sighed as he plunged his sword into a low level angel’s back; his foot pressing his body down with more force than necessary. This was ridiculous. They all just respawned again and again; God’s f*****g toys - his puppets with sentience - doomed to continue this for enterinty. 

These angels were in hell to..they just didn’t want to admit it. 

He was relentless and ruthless in this battle. 

He missed her pass… feeling it deep in his gut. At least it was quick and she would come back again.

. . .

“My Lord Ciel - Angels have been spotted roaming our territory” she noticed Ciel’s jaw tense but she couldn’t stop the hope from displaying blatantly across her features. Angel’s were the good guys! If they were around maybe hope wasn’t lost; there could be a way to get her out of this contract and out of hell. She could feel the corners of her lips rise into something of a smile.

It wasn’t until she noticed Ciel’s intense glare that her smile faltered - he was facing forward hands clasped together under his chin. His eyes however were locked on her with a strange intensity - the emeralds seemed to burn in his skull and he took another breathe before gazing back at the table of men.

“Nosey little angels - must be low on heaven’s ladder to be given the orders to inspect my territory. Does their presence make you happy Kora?” she stiffened against him and attempted to rip her hand from his grasp feeling the other’s attention now on her “I guess I could understand your excitement - I forget that in the end you are human..” his voice trailed and his posture relaxed. His beautiful features twisted into that mischievous grin “You after all...have never seen an angel” they all seemed to chuckle at that remark “Next time they are spotted please inform me - I will handle the matter myself. After all - we have to show Kora what they are. She will need to see them with her own eyes don’t you think? Any other matters to attend to?” his hand gently pet hers; traveling up and down her forearm. 

Some of the men quietly shook their heads, stood and left the room. Kora couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed - after all out of the six people in the room only two were introduced. She couldn’t quite read the reason; maybe it was because Ciel had instructed introductions later? 

Maybe the demon’s were equally confused by her presence? 

Still Amon and Alaster lingered in the room relaxing more as the others left; Amon’s mouth twitched into a tight lipped grin “Taking them on yourself Ciel? Are you sure that is a wise idea? Quite the bold move for such an absentee Lord”.

Ciel laughed and it gave her goosebumps - it sounded so beautiful and soothing to her ears; watching his eyes crinkle and spark made her heart beat louder in her chest. WHY?! What was wrong with her?

“Maybe so - but I clearly won’t be taking anymore short vacations. It’s about time I got more serious; solidify my territory or test the boundaries the way all the other Lords do. And I want her to see them” Amon simply nodded his lips relaxed back into their doll-like stillness “Very Well. Seems entertaining enough. How are you doing dear? I imagine you are having quite the complicated afterlife…” Kora felt him look at her even though his eyes were covered by that dark mask.

“I-I am very confused. About my body, feelings and memories - I am not sure what I should do now” words were flowing from her mouth without censorship; she felt compelled to talk to him. Somehow comfortable enough to share though it didn’t feel natural. He smiled and revealed dagger like monster teeth “You will do of course as your master Ciel commands - never forget that you would have gone back to being a faceless nothing. Spit out again and again with no true power or worth. He chose you. Plucked you from that never ending cycle and elevated you to our status. Free to be an individual separate from time in a space where even you can gain incredible power and influence” chills ran up and down her spine. Amon was far more terrifying than Ciel - the way he didn’t hold back around him made her wonder where he was in this hierarchy of hell. Clearly on par or higher to be speaking so casually. For the first time Alaster groaned, kicked his feet up on the table and spoke.

 “You are scaring her Amon...Lord Ciel could the angels be investigating her anomaly? After all she would have gone back to them. She has belonged to them for many lifetimes….” his warm brown eyes travels down to her captured arm. Ciel scoffed at his remark “They don’t care about her - they never really cared about any of her past lives either. Not once did I see an angel hanging around her with such devotion - please  they are just upset they are down a soul and outdone by a mere Duke”

“They don’t have true love for humans...it would go against their heavenly principles. If they did love a human” he grinned “well they wouldn’t stay an angel for long and we all know I speak from such bittersweet experience” he turned to her and placed his hand affectionately on her head “Alaster; I am trusting you under elimination to take care of things. Delegate the proper tasks and inform me if the Angels are spotted in the territory again” with that he stood and they all seemed to bow to each other. In an instant the others seemed to have “blinked away”; just disappearing into thin air.

“Now...what fun shall we get into? There is much to show you after all”- “What did you mean? About speaking from experience?” Something deep inside her twitched and acted like she knew - but she didn’t know. Kora vaguely remembered Ciel popping in here and there in her life - always at strange, weak times...This felt older than herself. A memory that was hers but wasn’t exactly hers. Kora’s as she understood herself.

“I suppose it will take time for you to integrate the memory of all your past lives…” Ciel looked back at her with a gentle gaze. His eyes soft as his hand reached up to stroke her cheek “All in good time my Kora. I need to show you around my castle and your room”

Whatever it was fighting for attention inside her railed against her mind caused her head to hurt a bit. Her heart felt warm - like it could burst - and she remembered enough of her old life to know what it was… it felt so good. And bittersweet.