A hand waves high ahead on the shallow slope, a blur on the late summer sky, still a deep gradient blue. It’s as if the sun is refusing to go down, after having slept all winter long.

I look up to where the girl stands. Below the wisps drifting amongst the sky, she calls cups her hands to her mouth, and shouts towards us. But she’s like a lone tree from afar. My thumb could cover up her from head to toe.

A second figure just ahead of the girl turns at the sound, no doubt much louder where she stands. Their two heads stick out from the sky around them. A soft brunette and jet black. Colours nowhere to be found amidst the overgrown grass, but at the same time, it’s not like they don’t seem to belong. A crow resting on a branch, perhaps. Though, that somehow doesn’t seem right. Maybe it’s because the crow is always the one supporting us, like the insignificant branch in the background.

Suddenly, there’s another hand waving in front of me, only this one much larger, much closer. Right in my face.

I look to the side, and Ciel puts down his arm.

“Okay, look who’s finally back.” He says. “Thought you might’ve fallen asleep while walking for a second there.”

His comment rolls straight through my ears.

“I don’t think that’s possible.” I tell him.

“You never know until you try.”

He perks up his eyebrows with a wayward grin, and a quick glance behind us.

“You want to stay up all night tonight?”

I look at him like he’s a going crazy.

“Aren’t you tired? You know, from walking the entire day.”

Ciel puts his hand to his chin. He’s about to say something incredibly stupid.

“Have I ever told you the trick to not be tired?” He asks, but continues before I can even answer. Not that I was planning to.

“You just have to turn your brain half-off all the time. Then you’ll have twice the amount of energy.”

My eyes swivel back forward. Any form of reply would just encourage him.

Up ahead, to my surprise, Lio is still on the hilltop waiting. She’s sitting on the ground now, almost pouting. Teri stands beside her with a misplaced smile. Ciel looks ahead too, then behind us once again. Trailing just a few steps back, a man keeps pace. His expression changes from the awaiting chaperone to a look of approval, but before Ciel takes off, he looks behind even further, into the long shadow of our attendant where another one of us follows closely behind.

“You coming?” Ciel asks.

He’s given a reluctant turn. But Ciel doesn’t give up so easily. His heel digs into the dirt as he comes to a stop. Sensing the upcoming situation, the man takes a step aside, and I do as well.

“You know, I really don’t understand why you’re the one worrying so much. Don’t you think that’s my job?”

The boy, now standing in the clear light, raises his chin as if he has something to say, but doesn’t. So Ciel does.

“She’ll be here soon just fine, so you should try to enjoy yourself while we’re here, I mean, it’s not every day that we get out of that cramped building.”

Again, he’s not given a reply in any words, but I can tell he’s close. He can as well, of course. Ciel looks to the man standing idly by, requesting third party confirmation.

“Alfred,” He says, rather demandingly, “When did they say they’d get here?”

His answer is quick and serviceable.

“I believe I recall hearing by nightfall.”

Immediately following those words, Ciel turns back, waving a finger in the air. But before he can say anything, he’s given the reply he’s been looking for, though spoken in a quite irritated manner.

“Alright, I get it, you don’t have to keep pep-talking me to death.” He says, as he walks ahead of us, careful not to make eye contact.

Alfred catches my attention before I head off as well, and as he begins to speak, the others make sure to listen as well.

“I’ll leave him to the two of you then. Try not to do anything that could get any of you hurt, it wouldn’t be of help to any of us.” He says, with a calmness that helps get across his intent.

“And one more thing. I’ll head back and check to see how the other two are holding up, for Emile’s sake.”

Our friend ahead doesn’t give any words of thanks, or any words at all, only a wave over his shoulder as he makes his way towards the horizon. Perhaps it could be seen as rude, but that’s how it’s always been, how he’s always been. Never showing his preferences, or weakness, or much of anything really. Not to any of us at least.

----------------------------------

A breeze runs low, and my eyes open just barely. They return shut just as quickly. I try to remember how the wind felt, but I can’t make anything out, even it only being a few seconds ago. Perhaps it wasn’t though. Perhaps since I closed my eyes again, I’ve fallen asleep again, and woken once more. But that’s not likely. I know what it feels like to be awake. And now that I’ve noticed the dim glow of starlight, it doesn’t seem like I’ll be going back to sleep any time soon.

Making my way onto my two bare feet, I feel the chilled stone against my soles. Shrubs of grass grows between the bricks. It’s difficult to see much of anything but I can feel them brushing my toes. I place my hand on the broken walls. The silhouettes of ruins guide my way.

As I near the edge of the rooftop, a peculiar shadow etches itself into the specks on the sky. I approach quietly from behind. He doesn’t seem to pay me any attention, leaning his head against his palm on the railing, I can’t tell if he might just be asleep.

I take the spot by his side, looking down upon the city below.

There’s a brief silence.

“What’re you doing up so late?” Ciel finally asks.

“The wind woke me.”

He doesn’t give a quick reply, as he usually does. Only when I look over at his dimly lit eyes do I understand why. He’s staring off blankly into dead space. Like he’s not even blinking.

“What about you?” I ask.

He takes a moment.

“Watching.”

His reply lingers along with my confusion. As I look to him for an explanation, he just raises his free hand, pointing a finger towards the dark streets beneath us, still without averting his gaze.

I squint in the general direction, but all I see is a sea of black.

“Can you see it?” Ciel asks.

I shake my head.

“On the building at the wide corner. He’s sitting on the ledge.”

I give it another try, and again, nothing. But it’s then that I see a tiny shift in the darkness.

“Don’t take your eyes off him.” Ciel says, having noticed my discovery. “You’ll lose sight if you blink.”

With my focus now occupied, I ask the question on my mind, skipping all those that should have come before.

“They still haven’t made it yet?”

Ciel’s silence is as good an answer as any, though it leaves me unsure of what to say next. Whether I can say anything that wouldn’t just be hopeful thinking, or even just a lie.

“I think I should let you know,” Ciel says, breaking the returning stillness.

“When we get back, I’m going to tell them, that I want Emile to go with her. Instead of me.”

This doesn’t surprise me, but I didn’t expect him to tell me this now. Or at all even. I can’t think of how to reply.

“Do you think this makes me a bad brother?” He asks.

I shake my head again.

“You’re doing what you think is best.”

“I hope it is.”

Studying is eyes once more, I wonder whether he’s looking for some kind of comfort.

“You know, you’re always saying this and that about Emile, but you’re worried yourself, aren’t you? You’re just not showing it.”

I look back to down to the corner, but it’s all just black once again.

“They’ll be able to treat her better in the city.” I remind him. “It’ll be alright.”

Alright. I say that, but inside, it feels like anything but that. I lean forward into the railing, tucking my head in my arms, and wondering if I’ve said too much.