Episode 7 - Knowing the Demon
"You're certain it will work?" I questioned the store owner, brows creasing together as I held a small device in my hand. "Even for someone like him?"
The owner just smiled. "My, my, Lord Phantomhive. Do you doubt me?"
Usually, any normal person would say, yes, because this store was covered in cobwebs and darkness. There was little-to-no light, dust and mildew filled the air and invaded every sense I had.
I secretly wondered how he was still in business... it was insane.
"No," I answered, eyes sharpening, "I would never doubt someone of the likes of you, Overtaker. I was just wondering if it would work on someone so dark and secretive, that's all."
He leaned against the counter. "My lord, if I might be frank... this device was made with my own two hands. You see?" He raised his arms, wiggling his calloused and scared fingers. "These filthy things have been mastering devices since I was a toddler."
"But... a mind reading device?" I said then, staring down at it. "Are you sure it'll work?"
He just smiled. "Here, let me show you."
He lightly took the device from me, making me blink as he raised it to my sight and closed one eye, aiming it to me like it was somehow a camera. "Now, think of something no one could guess you're thinking." He clicked a button. "Hold it for three, two, one...."
A camera shutter clicked, and I blinked as a sudden light burned through my eyes.
When my sight adjusted, the Overtaker just lowered the device to me, showing me the screen. "You see? This was your thought process during those three seconds. Sometimes, it shows words, but most of the time, it shows images of what you're thinking of. And look, there's the image, see?"
I gazed down, brows drawing together when I found Sebastian's face smirking toward the viewer, winking as he remained shirtless.
I quickly took the device from him, glaring. "Oh, that's bogus! This thing is faulty!"
The Overtaker just smiled, tapping his forehead. "Never doubt the mind, Lord Phantomhive." He then leaned down to whisper, "I think it's trying to tell you something."
"This is preposterous!" I yelled then, clutching the camera tightly. "This is a lie! Is this one of your jokes, Overtaker? I find it enraging!"
"If that's what you want to believe," he replied, smirking as he walked off to grab something behind his desk. "Lies are only deceiving, my lord, and even so... the truth comes out eventually. But the question is if it's too late or not."
"Absurd," I snapped, glaring still. "I would never think of Sebastian that way! He is merely a servant!"
"Think of me what way, master?" a voice said from behind me.
I spun around then, eyes widening when Sebastian stood at the entrance to the store, the door closing behind him.
He was holding a bag of groceries in one hand, a small, plastic platter with a cake in the other.
I just glared. "Nothing." I turned back toward the store owner. "Overtaker was just playing a joke on me, that's all."
The Overtaker just smiled in response.
"Oh," Sebastian said then, stepping further in the room as I clutched the camera tightly, "Overtaker... I've been meaning to ask you something."
He gazed up from his desk, brows arching.
"Are you at all related to someone else I know?" Sebastian suggested, kindly setting the bag of groceries on the counter. "If you are," he then gazed down at him sharply, "I'd like to know."
I nearly shrank back at his glare.
The Overtaker just giggled. "Now, now, Sebastian. Save those demon eyes for another night, won't you?"
I glanced over at the Overtaker. "Wait... you know he's a demon?"
"His red eyes tell me everything," the Overtaker responded, smirking at Sebastian. "Although... I will say I haven't seen one of you for quite some time. I kind of miss it, you know... the beady and scary eyes pouncing at me in the night. You know... because of our encounter all those years ago."
Sebastian's glare sharpened.
The Overtaker just kept the smile. "Don't stare at me for so long, Sebastian. Your lady friend is right there, you know. And you of all people should know a thing or two about jealousy."
I glanced in between them suspiciously. "Pardon me... am I missing something here?"
"Nothing," Sebastian said, standing up straight and starting straight to the door, "let's go, master."
"No," I said then, "wait."
Sebastian stopped and glanced back suspiciously.
I just set the camera on the counter. "How much?"
The Overtaker just smiled, scanning the device for a moment before he gazed up at me. "Ten thousand pounds."
"Ten thou—" I broke off. "What am I? You're personal bank?"
He just smiled at me. "My lord, I can kindly take it back if you don't think it's worth your while."
I glared at him, teeth gritting.
"Master," Sebastian said as he stepped over to me, setting his hand on my shoulder, "why don't we go somewhere else? We can find another camera at another store, perhaps? Maybe one of better quality?"
"No," I said immediately, making his hand move off, "I want this one." I hesitated for a moment. "Just... give him the ten thousand, Sebastian."
He blinked, brows drawing together as his hand set at his side. "But, master... that's a lot, don't you think? We can find other cameras for a lesser cost."
"No, I want this one," I repeated, glaring up at him. "It's a special one... one of my father's. I want it. Buy it from him."
Sebastian watched me for a moment.
But he sighed, setting the bag of groceries down before he pulled a bag out from his pocket and set it on the counter. "That should be enough." He glared then. "Overtaker. Not a very subtle name, if you ask me."
He just smiled. "Thank you kindly for your donation, Lord Phantomhive. Now, I must close shop for a couple hours—for lunch—so if you don't mind, please leave."
I just held the camera tightly as I exited through the front doors of the store, and Sebastian came with me, watching the Overtaker suspiciously through the corner of his eye.
After we made it outside, we started back to the car, Sebastian holding the groceries and the cake in one hand.
"What was that about?" I said then, glancing at him. "We've been going to him for ages, and now it seems like you're rivals."
"He's an old friend of mine," Sebastian stated vaguely. "I cannot say we have a great relationship, but we were friends once."
I just stared forward. "So Sebastian has a friend. Odd."
"Is that supposed to be an insult, master?" Sebastian questioned.
"Not at all," I answered, smiling. "I've just never met any of your 'friends'. So I assumed you had none or they were all dead."
Silence spread among us then, and we continued walking.
"Master," Sebastian said then, "if I may ask, why were you willing to pay ten thousand for an old, dusty camera?"
I just clutched it tightly. "I don't have to disclose anything to you."
His lashes lowered, and he gazed back up. "No, you are right. You don't."
We continued walking until we met the limo parked on the side of the road.
The tall, thinned driver standing outside it pulled his cigarette from his mouth and dropped it, stomping on it seconds later. Right before we got to the car, he slipped in the driver's seat to await departure.
Sebastian just opened the door for me, stepping aside so I could fit.
I slipped in, sliding down the back seats until I met my favorite spot—by the window—and I settled there, holding the camera in my lap.
Sebastian got in behind me, setting the groceries aside before closing the door.
After settling down, he lightly knocked the ceiling, and the car immediately started, driving off seconds later.
I stared down at the camera, lightly wiping the sides of it with my thumbs before I gazed up at Sebastian to see if he was distracted.
But he wasn't. In fact, he was staring at me.
I just narrowed my eyes. "You want to say something?"
"You're not a very good liar, my lord," he told me then, brows arching. "What is that camera, exactly? Why are you so interested in it?"
"I told you I don't have to disclose anything to you," I answered, closing my eyes.
He remained silent, but I felt his suspicion thicken the room.
"Fine, whatever," I said, looking to the side, "it was my father's," I lied then, "I just wanted it back... to remember him by."
Sebastian just kept his hands in his lap, watching me.
"And it's not like you're not hiding things, either," I answered, gazing up at him. "You didn't exactly look at the Overtaker like he was the brightest gem in the shop, either."
Sebastian wasn't smiling this time. "You know how I feel about mysterious figures, master."
"You clearly know him," I said then, lashes lowering as I slouched back, "so he's not really mysterious to you, is he?"
His eyes just darkened. "I know of him. I recognized him from a meeting in the past, but... he could just be a successor, that's all."
"A successor?" I echoed. "That's a fancy word for a child or grandchild."
He smiled this time, looking half-irritated, half-pleased with himself. "Please, do not compare the likes of him to a child, master."
I glanced up then, my suspicion growing. "You must really not like him, huh? It's odd. Usually, when you distaste people, you kill them."
His eyes remained darkened, and his lashes lowered.
"Maybe he's stronger than you," I remarked, smiling as I looked out the window. "I've never seen such a demon so scared before. It's pathetic, really."
"Master, do not hurt me so," Sebastian replied, smile in his tone. "Even if someone were to be an angel or God himself, I would be of greater power than them."
"You sure sound pleased with yourself," I answered.
"You have little idea," Sebastian said then, but I kept looking out the window. "So clueless to the circumstances. If you met one of him before, you would recognize what he is from those phosphorescent eyes of his."
I glanced over at Sebastian then. "His eyes are green."
Sebastian just smiled, closing his eyes kindly. "You are too little, my lord. Very little, indeed."
"Oh, don't throw the 'you're too young to understand' thing at me," I snapped. "Ancestor Ciel was twelve and you talk about him as if he knew everything in the world. I'm sorry, Sebastian, but how old am I? Oh, yes, eighteen. Clearly old enough to know more than him."
Sebastian opened his eyes, eyes glowing dangerously. "My, I'm very sorry, master. It looks as if I struck a nerve."
I glared sharply. "Keep this sass up, and I might force you to eat cobwebs from a ceramic bowl."
He just licked his lips. "Don't tempt me so. Cobwebs are a delicacy in my world. Like a salad to yours."
I just scoffed and stared out the window.
"You're not being very honest either, master," Sebastian said then, lashes lowering.
"I told you why I wanted the camera," I answered, "so I'm being more honest than you."
He just watched me. "Liar."
I shot a look to him, glaring. "Pardon?"
Sebastian just closed his eyes, smiling. "Nothing, master. Nothing at all."
I clenched my teeth and stared back out the window.
He just parted his lashes and watched me dangerously. "Be careful, master. Glare at the window any harder and it might shatter. They're very sensitive, you know."
I never responded, just continued staring out.
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