Episode 4: Nice to meet you

'W-Why a-are you doing this? W-What have I done wrong?'

He asked. His voice sounded cracked like there was a lump in his throat. In response to his broken ramblings, he heard a sneer.

'Your crime is that you exist.'

With that voice entering his ears, he felt something hit his head hard and he lost consciousness.

His heart and body felt unbearably cold. Tears were uncontrollably streaming down him face. He wanted to run but he could no longer feel his legs. He could slowly feel his body degrading. How long has he been here? How many days has it been? How much longer does he have to stay here? He thought just before he closed his eyes...

...Can he ever see the light again?

...****************...

''Gasp!"

Ciel suddenly opened his eyes. But he immediately squinted and closed his eyes again due to the sudden light. Ciel could not move a muscle for a long time. It felt like he was stuck somewhere between dream and reality. It felt real, yet it did not. Is this what they call sleep paralysis? He thought.

Ciel thought he might have had an unpleasant dream. He tried hard to recall the content but his head started hurting so he gave up. Ciel was starting to feel a bit scared after being struck in sleep paralysis. Suddenly, he heard a voice over his head. This voice was calm and felt pleasant. It sounded familiar. Where had he heard it before? As Ciel was trying hard to recall, he heard that pleasant voice speak again.

"How long are you going to ignore me?"

Ciel suddenly opened his eyes. Right. He only now opened his eyes. So why did it feel like he was lying awake that whole time, just unable to move. But it turned out he was actually sleeping?

...Sleep Paralysis is scary. He thought.

Ciel slowly cracked open his eyelids after he realised he was finally, truly awake. The light hurt his eyes and he couldn't see anything clearly. He saw a blurry figure sitting by his bedside. Must be the person calling him just now. He suddenly saw the figure stand up and move around the bed. At first, Ciel was confused but he soon realised what the figure was doing.

The figure moved and drew all the curtains around his bed. Only the side where the figure was sitting on a chair by his bedside was left slightly open. After drawing the curtains, the figure came back and sat on the chair again.

"You can open your eyes now. The sunlight would not hurt anymore."

Ciel heard that gentle tone and felt it was familiar. Where had he heard it before? He did not get much time to think, though. Ciel knew he could no longer ignore him and finally opened his eyes completely.

The first thing that came into his view was the bed ceiling. He was just about to move his gaze away when something, or someone, entered his field of vision. The long lustrous black hair fell around Ciel's face. The next thing he saw was a very familiar face. A face that had been the target of his jealousy for a long time. Ciel almost could not react in time. He just stared and stared.

Ciel was about to speak when he saw the handsome face tilt slightly. Those red eyes like bloody roses stared at him unwaveringly. It felt unnerving. Ciel forgot what he was trying to say. Thankfully, the handsome man spoke again before things got even more awkward.

"Are you done staring?"

...Better if he keeps his mouth shut.

Although Ciel thought that, his feelings were pretty neutral. Even though he was experiencing a shock so big, it would not be surprising if he fainted again. He was still pretty calm overall. At this moment, Ciel internally praised himself for being so composed in such an unbelievable situation. Finally, he decided to answer the man.

"Hm. Yeah, I guess-- Cough cough!"

Ciel's voice came out a bit broken. His throat felt itchy and dry and he suddenly started coughing badly.

The figure in his field of vision finally disappeared. He supported Ciel to sit on the bed and lean on the headboard. Then he poured some water in a glass on the bedside table and helped Ciel drink some water. Ciel even found drinking water, very difficult. Every bone in his body ached badly. He was leaning on the headboard yet it felt like something was crushing his body under a mountain!

"You were poisoned. Slowly, over a long time. It almost seeped into your bones." Ciel looked at the familiar face and listened to that familiar voice, explaining, "Thankfully, your body is naturally resistant to most poisons. So the long term poisoning only had a minor effect on you when you were weakened due to the anti-mana potion."

Ciel heard a voice that was composed but it was not as calm as it sounded on the outside. There was hidden tremor underneath which Ciel completely failed to notice.

"You are slowly recovering. But your body is seriously emaciated and lacks nutrition. You need to eat more healthy and nutritional food and exercise more for full recovery. At least two months."

The last part was almost a whisper said to himself. Ciel heard everything and thought for a little while. Oh well, this is actually pretty good. Of course, not everything can be said to be good. Like his sudden appearance in a life-threatening situation. But it has passed now and he was safe. Whether it was his sudden transmigration, his steadily recovering body, or the appearance of this familiar, yet annoying face in front of him. It was all, actually pretty good.

Ciel moved his lips after his throat felt somewhat comfortable.

"...So, Jihan--"

"Azkiel."

"...Huh?"

"My name." He said. "Azkiel Nightshire. You are?"

Ciel looked at him and suddenly understood something. He smiled slightly after looking at those faintly raised lips of the other person and responded.

"I am Ciel Ashwyn. It is nice to meet you. And thank you for saving my life. Lord Azkiel."

Azkiel looked at Ciel with a faint smile on his lips. It was impossible to read anything from his expression. Ciel just looked on until he finally spoke.

"Yes. It is really nice to finally meet you, Ciel Ashwyn."

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