The path from beginning to end is never straight.
It turns, curves, swirls, and even reverses.
But when all is said and done, Finality arrives.
And these same shifts only delay the inevitable.
In truth, they mean little, but they are the most dazzling and beautiful moments.
Memories of the future, revelations of the past:
Ciel lay motionless, his eyes squeezed shut.
His mind replayed his dire last moments countless times.
He recalled his senses being overwhelmed by the pain that had impaled his side.
Just thinking about it now, his body stopped responding for a moment.
He drew in an icy breath.
Another dream?
Instinctively, Ciel opened his eyes.
All that met him was darkness.
Slowly and mechanically, he pushed himself off the ground.
He took a small and uneven step forward before losing his footing and sprawling back on the ground again, scraping against the rough, stone-cold floor.
The pain changed something in him, allowing him to push his dissociated memories to the back of his head.
His second attempt was better, but it nearly took all his focus.
A still ambience permeated the interior, interrupted only by a dripping sound that echoed periodically.
A cave, he assumed.
As Ciel moved forward, the still air draped itself around him as if he were an insect in amber, trapped in time.
Before long, he reached a spot in the cave that had some natural lighting.
It was a clear disruption from the monotonous cave.
Ciel took a step back reflexively, turning to look back at where he had come from.
He felt a crisp breeze flow past him, disrupting the stillness.
He shivered inadvertently, wavering.
He wanted to retreat into the calm embrace of the inner cave.
It was blissful ignorance in a world of wretched knowledge.
Ciel stood at the precipice, as he had many times before.
And just like before, it was time to face his fears.
He steadied his rattling breath, decisively stepping forward into the light.
Ciel pushed on as the cave opened up, his pace more certain.
It was night outside, but just light enough for him to make out his surroundings.
He saw a sprawling forest with unfamiliar, twisted trees.
The rustling leaves moved as the wind whistled past.
It was cold, unlike the warm cave behind him.
The unnatural terrain made him think twice, but he trudged forward reluctantly into the forest.
Nearby he saw a stream flowing out of the cave, and he followed the current.
The water ran slowly, allowing Ciel to make out his reflection in the clear moonlight stream.
He grimaced slightly, noticing his curly brown hair was now wild and unkempt.
His once white dress shirt was now stained and in tatters.
Even his clear grey eyes now seemed to darken slightly, as if they were lacking luster.
Pulling from his dissociated memories again, he abruptly lifted his shirt.
Underneath he saw a large gash, going from under his right arm down his stomach.
It was pale, but still visible.
Just looking at it gave Ciel a sense of phantom pain, reminding him of his latest memories.
The water in the stream shimmered, and he saw a different reflection.
This time, his side was fully open.
A clear, deep crevice sank into his body, slick with blood.
Ciel felt bile crawling up his throat, and his skin felt clammy.
In an instant, the bloody wound was gone, replaced by the scarred version once again.
He stared at the stream in horror, looking for any more changes.
None came, so he pulled his shirt down to keep walking.
The ground had a steep decline, and the rocky shore made keeping balance a chore.
Eventually, he found a clearing with a large break in the tree’s canopy.
He looked up at the night sky.
As his eyes drank in the dark heavens, a quiet unease seeped into him.
Suddenly, he froze.
His eyes widened as goosebumps formed on his skin.
At the zenith of the sky, far above, was a pale white moon, fully visible and circular.
Ciel stared at the scene, unmoving and uncertain.