It was another typical night at the club. Patrons were seated in tastefully hidden alcoves, enjoying their drinks and the company of the hosts who walked around from time to time. If they preferred their own company, that was fine too. The servers would discreetly place the drinks then leave and a patron who was not paying attention would never realize their presence.

Club Sanctuary or simply Sanctuary, was just as the name suggested; a sanctuary away from everything. A respite after a difficult day, a haven to relax and soothe stressed and shattered nerves. After all, times were different than back in the day.

While it didn’t look it, Sanctuary always seemed a little larger than expected. Divided into three floors, the ground floor was the lounge and bar area. With entrances in the four cardinal directions and in the centre of the club was a circular bar, with enough seating for thirty or so members. Above the bar was a dome shaped skylight, allowing both the sun and moonlight to filter in.

Sofas were arranged against the walls; in alcoves separated by columns and potted plants – to allow for lounging in privacy. More formal table and chair seats were arranged around the bar. There was also a kitchen. So if you were feeling peckish, there were waiters who were more than ready to take your order. Several fountains were tastefully placed in the ordinal points and in the north-east corner of the club was a stage with grand piano. It would sometimes be played, adding to the ambience of the club.

On the second floor there were seats arranged beside the balcony, allowing patrons on the second floor to look down at the bustle below. Beyond this lounge there were several reading rooms, three private casinos as well as private rooms and baths. Certain long-term patrons had reserved permanent rooms at Sanctuary while others could book a room if they needed to spend a few days in peace.

In short, Sanctuary was not just a clubhouse, it was also a hotel or perhaps even a home where you could hide away forever, if you so desire. While the second floor was open strictly for members only, members could bring guests to the bar and lounge. And maybe, just maybe, you would have a chance to meet the Master and hopefully procure a membership.

Membership to this club was of course very difficult. There were many criteria to be met and money was not the issue. If you met the criteria, you would automatically receive a lifetime membership.

But once you became a member, you followed Sanctuary’s rules or risk expulsion and a lifetime ban. There was only one rule: Sanctuary is a place to relax and seek peace. Any disturbance is not allowed and violence will result in an immediate expulsion from the club. This includes harassment to the staff that were unobtrusively making the patron’s relaxed and welcomed.

The harassment rule was added a little later and couldn’t be helped. Master Gin, the owner of the establishment and his wife Scarlet were both beautiful people. The staff that they employed were also stunning and a person could get drunk just looking at them.

All the staff were trained to be polite and serve guests with respect; but this respect was two-way. If guests were rude or tried to take liberties, they had to be prepared to take the consequences.

“Sir, let go, you are hurting me.” Came a voice in one of the alcoves.

“I’m just asking you to sit down and accompany me, what’s wrong with that?” an arrogant voice asked.

“Sir, I agreed to sit and chat with you. I don’t appreciate you touching me.”

George sighed and walked towards the alcove. Lord Ame had brought his nephew with him today, in hopes of getting his relative a membership. He could see the lord massaging his temples while saying “Kirisame, let the man go,”

“Why? Uncle? Shouldn’t he be flattered that this lord has decided to bestow him with a favour?”

His nephew looked displeased.

“This is Sanctuary not Japan. You play by their rules or never return.” Lord Ame was beginning to get angry.

“I am a minor god! Who are they to kick out a minor god?”

Kirisame exploded. He gripped the wrist of a young, delicate looking man and was about to pull him closer when he felt someone put a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I would like to ask you to kindly let our staff go.”

George said respectfully while staring at the minor god.

Kirisame looked at the man behind him. He was tall, taller than Kirisame by at least half a head.

George looked about twenty-eight and was wearing a black suit with a black shirt inside; the cut and colour of the suit showed off his well-toned physique, with broad shoulders, slim waist and firmly muscled arms.

His skin was a golden bronze, which matched his dark gold hair that he had combed back. This face, like all the staff at Sanctuary was stunning; eyes of deep blue they were almost black, with a straight nose and firm, thin lips. If there was a flaw on George, it was that the right side of his face was scarred, almost like a burn. And his right eye was milky white, denoting that he was blind in that eye.

But the injury did nothing to detract the aura of danger around him. Kirisame felt that this man could and would rip his arm off if he made the wrong move, making him automatically release the wrist of the man he was holding. Sweat was starting to bead at his forehead and he could not say a single word.

Lord Ame immediately leapt up and pulled his nephew along with him.

“Sir George! I would like to apologize for the discourtesy that my nephew has shown. He is still young and he does not understand the rules of Sanctuary. Please forgive him. I will take him away and educate him on his mistake!”

“Please do, Lord Ame. I have no say in his membership application but when Master Gin hears about this, and no doubt he already has, I’m afraid your nephew may no longer be welcomed here.”

George responded politely.

“I understand. This is no one’s fault but his. His pride would have made it difficult for him here in Sanctuary anyway. But thank you for your benevolence.”

Lord Ame heaved a sigh of relief and pulled the dumb-struck man away with him.

“You fool!” he whispered “What did I say about behaving while you’re here? If my membership gets revoked as well, see if I don’t flood your province for a year!”

George watched as the two of them left via the east exit. He then turned to the delicate man still sitting on the sofa.

“Are you all right, Ciel?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Ciel flashed him a small, awkward smile while absent-mindedly rubbing his wrist.

George frowned at the action. “Let me see,” he sat down beside Ciel and reached for his wrist. Before he could touch him, Ciel leapt up, his face flushed.

“I’m really all right. I have something else to do… I’ll see you later.”

Ciel walked away so fast he might as well just drop his dignity and run.

George stared at Ciel, his eye darkened with unspoken emotion but there was nothing he could do. This was his own fault and he could only slowly atone and hope that that man would forgive him.

Sighing he got up and motioned for a nearby waiter to clear the glasses and wipe the table. As he walked out, he heard someone call his name. He turned and look into the adjoining alcove and saw another patron there.

“Did you want something, Yue?” he asked the man inside as he walked in.

The dark haired man was casually leaning against the sofa with his feet propped on the coffee table. He looked at George and motioned for him to sit down.

“Ciel was almost running to the back. What did you do?”

George sat down with another sigh, leaned forward and covered his face with his hands.

“Nothing. He still hasn’t forgiven me for what happened fifty years ago,”

Yes, Sanctuary was different. First was its location; you wouldn’t be able to find it on any map of the known world. It existed in a different space all together.

Time here was also different. You could come in at ­any time and when you leave, it could be at any time you wished.

Lord Ame and his nephew Kirisame existed in feudal Japan. People nowadays don’t particularly believe in rain gods anymore; it was too old fashioned and unscientific.

So time did not really exist here either. You could come from the past, the present or even the future. The only qualification was that you had to have the ability to get to Sanctuary.

And finally, the guests and members were different. Gods, immortals, mythical creatures; so long as you had the power and were able to become human, you would be welcomed at Sanctuary.

It was not that Master Gin was prejudiced against non-humans, it was just more practical and space efficient. Besides, he was running a club, not a zoo.

George, who worked as security for the club was originally human though. Through a stroke of luck, or perhaps a curse, he was an immortal who found Sanctuary by accident. He sighed again as he thought about that day.

“Stop sighing, you’re making me more depressed than I already am.”

Yue told him, frowning. He looked at his empty shot glass and motioned at the waiter for another glass. “And give George a glass as well,” he added.

“No, I’m still working” George declined. He looked at Yue and added “She isn’t here anymore, go home.”

Yue sighed, his dark eyes glittered with unspoken emotions. “She is my home… if I can’t find her then there’s no difference where I am.”

George looked at the melancholy man and gave in. “Fine, one glass. Then I need to get back to work.”

*           *           *           *           *

Ciel ran into the staff lounge and shut the door with a click. He then leaned against the door and slid onto the floor, releasing the breath he had been holding.

He was still afraid of George, he couldn’t deny it. It wasn’t that George would hurt him anymore; he was bound by Master Gin. But that day when the both of them had met… Ciel could still feel the scars on his back twinging whenever he saw George.

If George had a dangerous aura around him, making him seem like a caged beast, then Ciel was his opposite. His temperament was mild and gentle and he always had a kind smile when he mingled with the guests.

Even his looks were the opposite; he looked about twenty-three, with fair, delicate skin and silver white, waist length hair that he typically tied in a loose braid. He had phoenix eyes of the palest blue; like a mild, spring sky. His nose was straight and his lips were pale and half full. He seemed almost colourless and there was always an air of melancholy around him.

But it was this fragile, delicate aura around him that attracted the guests. They wanted to protect and pamper him but he was always so reserved, like he had built a wall around him, never letting anyone in.

In accordance to Sanctuary rules, guests were not too ardent in pursuing Ciel. He was just revered from a distance and you could consider it your lucky day if he decided to grace you with his company.

“What’s the matter, Ciel? Did someone bully you?”

The voice shocked Ciel out of his reverie. He looked up to see a pair of twins, around fourteen or fifteen looking at him. He gave them a loving smile.

“It’s nothing, I was just given a little shock and came here to calm myself.”

He added “Aren’t the two of you supposed to be in tomorrow morning? Why are you here now?”

“Papa asked us to come tonight instead. He said he and mama had something urgent to do tonight,” the female twin, Noire replied.

Ciel could never understand his parent’s sense in naming. The twins both inherited their mother’s flaming red hair and amber eyes but Master Gin named the both of them Blanc and Noire; White and Black. And while they looked like young, tender teenagers, the both of them were nearly 500 years old. It was a scam…

Ciel frowned at their words. Something more important than Sanctuary? Perhaps it had something to do with Time Valley or Dawn.

“Is that so? Then we’d better go out and greet the guests.” He opened the door and ushered the two out. On the way out, Blanc, the male twin looked at Ciel again.

“Are you sure you’re all right? We can always administer punishment in the name of Father,” he said seriously.

Ciel smiled and ruffled his brother’s hair. “I’m fine. The unruly guest has been told to leave and won’t be coming back. Let me get a drink and I’ll see you later.” He shooed the two of them out the door and closed it again.

The twins looked at the closed door and then at each other. “I bet you it has something to do with George.”

Blanc whispered, his face darkening. “Should we go make things difficult for him then?” Noire asked, her innocent face suddenly looking dangerous.

“No, father said to stay out of his and Ciel’s matter. I don’t want to be punished again.” Blanc responded. The two remembered the spanking they received decades ago and shuddered.

They were more than four hundred years old. No matter how youthful they looked, getting spanked was still too humiliating. So they dropped the subject and went hand in hand to the lounge to mingle.

On the other side of the door, Ciel closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead on the door and took a deep breath. He released it slowly and opened his eyes. Going to the side table, he poured himself a glass of water like he said he would. Glass in hand, he sat down on the sofa and tried to relax.

He knew he had hurt George with his actions earlier but his instincts got the better of him. George had for the past fifty years been trying to make amends for hurting Ciel. At first, he had tried to get close to Ciel but had to back away because of the flinching and noticeable fear in Ciel’s eyes. While George did not say anything about it, Ciel’s actions would hurt anyone’s feelings.

It was only in the last five years or so that Ciel had managed to look George in the eye and speak without stammering. He could converse normally but he had to maintain a certain distance from George. Touching each other was completely out of the question though; some fears were just too deeply rooted.

“Come on Ciel, pull yourself together.” Finishing his drink, Ciel placed the glass on the coffee table and left the staff lounge.

Silverty

I finally realized that my text were quite big mouthfuls for anyone reading. My sincerest apologies! I guess taking a hiatus had it's benefits after all. Will be editing my chapters to break them down and hopefully they will be more manageable and less intimidating to all the readers. For those that stuck with it, many thanks and for new readers, welcome! ♥