The Demon’s Bride

Gust of wind blew around, playing with the trees where a rustling sounds could be heard. A red mist appeared in front of White Mansion entrance. While holding Ian's hand, Elise stepped out of the red mist to see that she had arrived back to the mansion. The teleportation magic Ian used always fascinated her, as it took only less than a minutes for one to change places.

As of Maroon attaches a bell on his head which rang when his master arrived the mansion, the red haired butler stood still with an expression nothing less than a wall. Taking the coat Ian took off, Elise saw Maroon eying her for a moment before moving back to the place where he once stood at as if erasing his presence. "It's late, you should sleep now, puppy." Ian stated which she returned with a nod from her head.

"Yes, master Ian." She was Ian grinned gently and him extending his hand to stop at her head. Rubbing her head with his hand, he smoothened a few strands of her hairs which stay out of the place after being blown by the wind in the forest. "Good night."

His voice made her heart felt elevated and ticklish. "Good night." she wished him back.

Seeing Ian walking up to ascend the stairs, Elise gazed at him until she couldn't see his figure before she left to her room. There were many thing that floated to her mind. The ghost boy and the dark sorcerers. The large spider which chased her in the forest, perhaps it was the ghost boy? The possibility was high. The ghost also said 'corruption'.

Her mind tinker and found a single conclusion. The ghost boy was corrupted to transform into the spider. Turning the round knob of her room, Elise went inside and took off her clothings. Her eyelashes fell down with sympathy. The ghost boy must had felt lonely for being alone for twenty years in the forest. Despite his age as a ghost, she knew well by playing with him of how lonely he was and how afraid he was. For a child who died young, she could see the image of William her little brother overlapping with the ghost boy.

Placing the coat she received from Ian carefully, a fabric fell from the pocket and took her attention. Looking down she took the fabric to see that it was the white handkerchief Ian gave to her.

Taking it with both hand, a soft smile rested on her lips. There were many people who had called her by names but no one had ever made her felt as happy and fluttery like when Ian called her name.

Questions were still added on her mind, one which were hard for her to fill but for now she decided to take a rest. "I should clean this before giving it back to Master Ian." muttered Elise as she placed the handkerchief on the table beside her bed.

Ian closed the door to his room and saw his crow gawking as it flew toward his shoulder. The crow snapped its eyes to the right and left for a few time in successions. Opening its beak a person's voice transmitted.

"Hello? Are you there dear friend?" A sighed left Ian's lips when he heard Beelzebub talking through his crow once again. Taking the back of the crow neck, he brought it toward the desk and crossed his arm.

"What are you doing? I thought I've told you not to talk through my pet." He said and paused. "Well actually this is a good time, do you know anyone who knows well about ghosts?"

"Ghosts? Evils spirits or the good one?" A clinking sound came from Beelzebub one that came when a teacup hit a plate.

"Both." Ian heard the demon sang a hum to give a suggestion.

"Ghosts words can never be trusted, after all the dead would always say the opposite thing even after their deaths. If I have to say, it would be better to trust someone who stays in between the dead realm and the living ones."

Ian take a seat on his chair having his left hand propping his chin as it stay on the desk. "The grim reapers you mean?"

"Yes." Beelzebub confirmed. "Though they are not loyal but they aren't liars. Finding them is not easy though unless you kill a soul for them to collect."

"So what do you call me for?" Ian took his suggestion and went to his point. As crafty as Beelzebub was, he knew well the demon wouldn't call him for a friendly greeting.

"I'm only here to give you little news. In the mortal's world dark sorcerers are using black Magic, didn't they? It's a chaos here in hell because of them."

"Surely they wouldn't do such a thing for a simple reason as black magic. What is it? What spell they're using?"

"They're trying to use taboo magic." Ian casted his gaze away from the crows and recalled the incident happened in the forest.

From what the Church member dug was a corner of a tore parchment with a very small piece of a magic spell. Although he wasn't sure of it at first as magic spells are more than the stars in the sky, he knew the few bits of the magic spell in the paper was one that leaded to soul consumption. A magic spell to collect humans' souls at once. Now that he received the news from Beelzebub, the puzzles fit to his mind. The dark sorcerers must have planned a grand scheme which needed a mountain of humans' souls.

"Which taboo magic?" Asked Ian for Beelzebub to sigh.

"If I know it would be easier but unfortunately even us the demons could never identify which." Ian hummed. "Is that all? I will have to end our little talk now."

Beelzebub heard him speaking and quickly halted. "What? Why are you in a hurry? Are you going else somewhere?"

Ian chuckled to Beelzebub and from the chair he stood to take his crows. "You told me the reapers will not come unless to collect a soul, didn't you? Well my mansion have been welcoming humans who loved to throw their souls for free, so I'm off to catch a reaper." At the end of his words his chuckle twisted dryly to end his call with Beelzebub.