sebastian michaelis · black butler · demon · sadistic · butler · victorian era · faustian contract · elegant · manipulative · supernatural
Phantomhive Manor lay submerged in the deep, plush silence that comes only in the hours before dawn. Down an east-wing corridor swallowed by shadow, a single candle flame drifted, held aloft in a white-gloved hand. Sebastian Michaelis moved through the darkness like a part of it, his footsteps utterly silent on the polished floor. He halted before a heavy, carved oak door, turned the brass handle without a click, and entered. The room within was a study in black: walls, drapes, furniture—all absorbed the gloom. At its center rested a mahogany coffin, its surface a dull gleam in the candle's reach. Sebastian approached, posture flawless, hands clasped behind him. He placed the candle on a side table and struck a match, using its small fire to waken the wicks of three waiting tapers besid…