FATE

 As soon as the last mission was over, everyone had gathered in one place to hear what the Queen had to say. Many faces donned weary expressions, worn out from the dangers of the oceanic labyrinth. She was, of course, disappointed with the lack of findings— which was not surprising, as many people had returned without much to offer. The atmosphere was heavy.

Ciel, on the other hand, was rather fine. Despite the loss of his beloved fishing rod, one he had kept with him for many years, Ciel seemed to be doing alright compared to the other dreary-eyed folks. He wasn’t sure how someone could be so down all the time! Regardless, Ciel wasn’t one to judge, and he certainly knew that not everybody could be as positive as him.

At the announcement of another quest, some visibly perked up while others moped about having more to do. And just like that, people were already finding their partners and splitting off from the group. Ciel’s gaze swept the room, searching for his own partner. It didn’t take long to find them— he was quite easy to spot, being the only tall knight in the room. Smiling warmly, Ciel waltzed over to greet him.

"Hello there! It's nice to meet you!" The words escaped Ciel's lips as if they had been uttered hundreds of times before.

The knight, on the other hand, seemed eager to stop talking. "Let's go." He uttered, before walking off towards a set of stairs that lead down. Ciel's smile faltered the slightest bit before returning to its usual state. He followed along happily.

The halls of the dungeon were musty and dimly lit, making it an unpleasant experience overall. The walls were made of brick that was who-knows-how old, with some minor cracking and debris scattered about. It was relatively quiet aside from the echoing pitter patter of the two's footsteps. Hardly a few silent moments could pass before Ciel got to talking.

"I didn't get to introduce myself, aha! My name is Ciel— and yours is?"

"Trust me, I've heard of who you are," The knight muttered, barely audible, "and how you can hardly keep from rambling."

Ciel cocked his head to the side, confused as to what they were saying.

"...You can call me Dae." He spoke, clearer this time, glancing over at the wisp. Ciel had a friendly expression on his face, seemingly pleased to have gotten an answer. He offered a hand to shake, and the knight accepted it, realizing that Ciel had no bad intentions. Dae visibly relaxed, releasing some of the tension in the air.

They continued walking through the old halls, keeping an eye out for anything worth their time. There were several turns and twists, but nothing to find beyond them. Oddly enough, they seemed to be the only ones around here. Where had everybody else gone to explore?

"Do you think we'll find some grand artifact around here? I'd love to return with something the Queen would be proud of! She seemed so upset when we last saw her, didn't she? Just like my boss... always so moody!—" Ciel's rambling came to a sudden halt when he heard the faint call of his own name. Dae gives him a confused look from the side. Their steps slowed down.

"Did you hear that, Dae?"

"No, nothing." He shook his head. Ciel's head turned from side to side to look for the source of the call, but he saw nothing.

"How strange... this dungeon gives me such an odd vibe. As any dungeon would, I suppose!" Ciel remarked, walking at his regular speed again.

"Ciel... don't you know what fate has in store for you?"

This time, the wisp completely stopped in his tracks. A low, ridiculing voice rang in Ciel's head, speaking to him.

"She left you for a reason, did she not? You are destined to be alone, both in life and death. How sad! It should have been as clear as day to you when it took months to find your—"

"Ciel! How long are you going to stand frozen there? We have to get moving, I can see light coming from a room up ahead." Dae's urgent voice broke through to Ciel, freeing him from whatever was going on in his mind.

It was evident that Ciel was having issues. His seemingly permanent smile had faded, and what remained was the slightest hint of a frown— Dae had almost begun to think such a thing was impossible. Meanwhile, the dim light that the knight had seen coming from down the hallway was becoming more visible by each step, red light tracing the edges of the brick walls. With each second they got closer, a sense of dread began to wash over the two. Before reaching the doorway, Dae paused and extended a cautious arm to stop Ciel.

"Get behind me," The knight ordered, and Ciel obliged without much thought. "I'll make sure there's nothing dangerous in here."

Slowly peeking around the corner, Dae prepared to face the worst. Instead, what he was greeted with was the sight of a small, glowing red orb resting atop a cushion that looked far too expensive to be left down here. Oddly enough, the rest of the room was empty, aside from the small pedestal the cushion sat upon. His defensive stance dropped and he motioned for Ciel to follow him.

"This is it? A ball?" Dae questioned, walking towards the orb to observe it. Ciel was right behind him, his characteristic smile returning to his face.

"I highly doubt it's a ball! If you've got any knowledge of magic and its sources you would know this clearly has to hold some sort of magic within its core. Perhaps it has prophetic abilities, or weather-changing abilities, the chances are practically endless!" Ciel remarked, ever so happy to be able to talk about something he found interest in. Dae stared at him with a very obviously confused expression.

Suddenly, the knight seemed to be on alert. Dae's gaze darted across the room, unable to find what he was looking for. Ciel tilted his head to the side, concerned.

"What happened?"

"I swear I heard my name! It sounded so close!"

"You're hearing things too?" Ciel perked up as he spoke. "I... heard some very unfortunate things earlier!"

Dae nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words left him.

"Your fault, your fault, your fault. Foolish knight, your fate does not lie within these walls. You will die, ages beyond this moment, remembering every second of that day. It was your fault!"

Suddenly growing defensive, Dae turned every which way, trying to find the source of the cruel voice in their head. "Show yourself!" He demanded, anger building within him.

The orb began to glow brighter, seemingly reacting to the atmosphere in the room. Ciel picked it up, turning it in his hands and observing it, trying to figure out what it did— which was also a distraction from the tension hanging in the air.

"Are you getting angry? Why not at yourself? It's your fault that Ica is gone!"

At the exact moment the disembodied voice finished speaking, Dae had pinpointed where it was coming from: the orb. He snatched it out of Ciel's hands and tossed it on the floor, lifting up his foot to smash it. Under the harsh pressure of his heel, the orb cracked and broke into many fine shards, crumbling to the floor. Ciel stepped back, startled by the sudden movement, and stopped smiling.

"...Don't tell anyone I did that. Please."

Ciel nodded and placed a friendly hand on Dae's shoulder. The knight sighed.

"Come on, we have to find our way out of here before we end up lost." Ciel spoke softly to him. Dae looked around, hesitant, before agreeing. The two left the room, heading back the way they came.

Both of them silently replayed what the voice had said to them in their heads the entire way back.