Today is April 19-Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Ciel rolled over on his small bunk, sighing as the thin mattress groaned under his weight. He pulled the blanket over his body, though more for comfort than anything else, since the night was still very warm. The sound of snoring was what kept him awake, and he lay there hour after hour, waiting for the sun to come up.

It was at times like this that he would start to think of things he would rather have left buried in his mind. He was far too busy in the daytime, but at night when there was nothing left to do-that's when the voices haunted him. Voices of his mother, father and aunt. He missed them all terribly.

He sighed, lifting his head from the mattress to look over at the small window in the back of the room. The moonlight filtered through the bars, sending a beautiful glow on the dirty cement floor.

Ciel pushed himself into a sitting position, turning his eyes cautiously to the door. He could see
the silhouette of a guard move slightly through the cracks in the wood. By the lack of outside noise, he guessed it must be the middle of the night.

He watched the door silently, waiting to see if this man would continue his routine of leaving a few minutes early. Ciel tapped his fingers lightly against the wood of his bunk, counting the quiet sounds as he sat there. After about twenty minutes, the guard moved away, leaving his post empty.

The boy stared at the door a moment to be sure there was no one there, then eased himself off his bunk. He glanced around the barracks, but nobody else moved. Even Abberline seemed to be fast asleep.

Carefully, so he would not wake the others, he made his way to the door. He knew it would be locked of course, but he couldn't help trying it to be sure.

Letting go of the handle, he let his hand slip over the solid door, savoring the feel of cool metal against the rough wood that left splinters in his fingers. It was absurd really, how escape could be so close, and yet so very far away.

He turned to go back to his bed, but a light shining outside the door caught his attention. He froze, his heart pounding in his chest as he pressed an ear against the door.

Whoever the person was, they were not alone, for he could hear two voices talking in hushed tones. Ciel immediately recognized one as the doctor he had been examined by upon his arrival. The second voice though, was not one he easily recognized. It was masculine, yet slightly soft, and it held a patronizing edge to it as if every sentence was laden with cold disdain. Ciel was sure he would have remembered who such a voice belonged to had he ever heard it.

"Isn't there supposed to be a guard here?" The doctor's voice was so quiet Ciel almost didn't catch the words.

"That is none of your concern."

There was a low chuckle from the doctor. "Surely this cannot be your plan. I doubt if anyone would be foolish enough to attempt escape. No one has succeeded in that since Sebastian has been commander, and we all know very well what he would do..."

"Yes...and I suppose you think that if you kill and make examples of some of the prisoners the rest won't rise up? Michaelis has it all wrong. He's far too soft when it comes to extermination, and that's where he will make a mistake."

Ciel heard the doctor take a deep breath. "They will only send him to the front lines if he is found to be showing the prisoners mercy. Not exactly what I thought you had in mind when we last spoke."

"Oh I've not changed my mind. No, that would be too easy. I'm going to kill him with my own hands."

Ciel eyes widened slightly at the words, and he strained his ears to catch more of what was being said, but the two men were moving away. Their voices grew faint and he could hear nothing more.

Turning around, he stood with his back to the door, trying to sort it out. It was all so strange, like something out a storybook. And who was that other man? Ciel only had a voice to go by, and of course there was always the possibility that he had simply heard wrong. What if they were talking about something else entirely? A joke? No he was sure those men had been planning murder.

The thought of telling Sebastian almost immediately crossed his mind. It was such a natural reaction, something he didn't even think about, and it shocked him. How could he even consider something like that? Sebastian murdered countless numbers of people every day as he gave the order to have them sent to the gas chambers. Wouldn't those two men be doing the world a great service if they succeed in killing him?

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to picture those piercing crimson eyes that seemed to be able to see right through him. The nagging thought that he was committing a crime by keeping silent tore at his mind, but he succeeded in silencing it with a shake of his head. He needed to keep this a secret. He had to.

Riiiiinnnng!

The morning alarm shocked Ciel awake, and he scrambled to stand up. Rubbing his puffy eyes, he blinked, trying to remember just what had happened. The events of the night quickly rushed back to him and he realized that he must have fallen asleep against the door.

Sighing heavily, he tried to stretch his cramped muscles, watching as the men pulled themselves out of their bunks to get ready for roll call. He forced a smile when Abberline glanced his way, sure that the other man would have been able to tell there was something bothering him. Better to just pretend everything was okay.

He was deep in thought as the door was thrown open. William and two other men entered the small room, standing to the side of the doorway to address the prisoners. Ciel kept his eyes to the ground, waiting for the order to line up outside. But none was given. Slowly he lifted his eyes.

The officer who stood beside the kapo stared right at him, his eyes narrowing slightly as he walked forward.

Ciel stood still though he was curious to know why he was being singled out. The thought of the night before quickly crossed his mind, but tossed that idea aside. There was no possible way anyone could know he had been listening to that.

The man stopped in front of him, and Ciel slowly raised his eyes to look him in the face.

"You. Come with me." The officer grabbed the boy's arm as he spoke, pulling the him toward the doorway. He pushed Ciel forward, motioning for him to start walking toward the main brick building.

Ciel shot a quick backward glance at Abberline, shaking his head just slightly. He thought the other man might try to do something, and he didn't want him getting hurt because of this. Whatever it was, he would have to face it alone.

He kept quiet as they walked, wondering where he was being taken. It was strange, for he hadn't done anything wrong that he could think of, though that was hardly reason to feel safe. Prisoners were often punished when they had done nothing wrong, just to set an example to the rest.

The officer who was leading him opened a side door into the building, pushing him into a brightly lit hallway. He could hear the clicking of their shoes as they echoed off the stone floor and gradually began to hear voices.

As they drew closer to the source of the sound, he froze. One of the voices was the very same one he had heard talking to the doctor during the night.

The officer tugged roughly on his arm, forcing him to keep moving or risk being dragged along the floor. He followed quietly, trying to pick up the words that seemed to be coming from a partially open door just ahead of them.

The door opened further into the hallway and they stopped, waiting for whoever it was to exit and move out of the way.

Ciel's heart pounded and he tried to keep from fidgeting in the officer's tight grip. Would he perhaps be able to find out who that cold voice belonged to?

The door was closed slowly, and a man turned to face them, his eyes passing over Ciel as if he wasn't even there, and finally coming to rest on the officer with almost the same expression.

The first thing Ciel noticed about him was the missing right arm, for it was something that gave him a distinct appearance. It was the very same man he had seen drive up in the car the day he had been out working in the quarry. His eyes quickly came up to the man's face so he could get a better look at him, but he could see nothing. A blank expression graced the man's features as he started down at the officer.

"Carry on."

The officer saluted sharply, nodding to him before dragging Ciel further down the hall. The boy glanced back to take another look at the man, and was surprised to find that he seemed to be watching him. Looking away quickly, Ciel hurried to keep up with the officer.

Was that only a coincidence? It was strange meeting that man here of all places, especially after what he had heard. He glanced up at his guard, weighing the idea of asking him who that man was. Obviously he was someone important, but did Sebastian know of his intentions? Surely not, because there the man was, still walking around free. Ciel was sure he the only one beside the doctor who knew of any of this.

The officer opened another door at the end of the hall and pushed Ciel down a flight of stairs, bringing the boy's mind back to his present situation. He stumbled, flailing for something to hold onto as he felt himself falling into the darkness below. The air was cold, and there was complete silence. Ciel took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as he was starting to panic.

He was somewhat glad for the iron grip the officer had on his wrist as he was shoved roughly into level ground. The man flicked a switch on the wall and the room was lit by a dim light bulb that hung over them. Ciel tried to look around, but the man prodded him with the butt of his gun, urging him forward.

There was really nothing to see. Aside from a stone bench that extended from the walls around the room, there was nothing else. Ciel kept his eyes straight, focusing on the dark hallway in front of him.

The place reminded him of a dungeon in an old castle he had visited once. He remembered thinking the people who were taken down there must never have seen the light of day again. The tour had been terrible, but he had known he would be returning to the light after it was over and that had made it bearable.

But being here was different. He could only guess at where he was being taken, and for all he knew, he might never be able to leave this place alive.

The hallway was relatively short, though there were metal doors on each side, leading to other rooms. Ciel kept his eyes away from them. He had heard rumors that there were rooms where they left people to suffocate to death, or chains that they hung some people from as a form of punishment. It wasn't something he wanted to think about.

The officer stopped as they came to the end of the hallway, opening the door that was in front of them. He pushed Ciel into the room, slamming the door behind him.

Ciel lost his balance as the man shoved him, falling to his knees with a soft cry of pain. He slowly lifted his head, blinking against the harsh light. Reaching up with one hand, he rubbed his eyes, trying to get them used to bright glow.

He had been expecting a cold, dark cell, but what greeted his eyes was a fully furnished room. Small but comfortable looking, it appeared to be someone's office, though he could think of no human being who would willingly live in such a place. Ciel stood up to take a better look, confused as to why he was brought here.

"I thought perhaps a few hours of comfort would be welcome after so many days of being without."

Ciel froze, his breath leaving him as he realized who it was that spoke. It was a strange feeling, but he was both relieved and apprehensive at the same time.

Turning around slowly, Ciel came to face the commander. The man was leaning against the wall to the side of the door, watching him. His face was expressionless, but unlike the man Ciel had seen in the hallway, his gaze was neither empty nor was it cold. There was something in those eyes. Ciel stood mesmerized for a moment before he gave a resolute shake of his head.

"You said you would give me a week. It's only been a few days."

Sebastian's crimson eyes lit up slightly as he straightened, taking a few steps toward the boy. He lifted Ciel's chin with a finger.

"You've had long enough to decide."

Ciel felt a chill run over his skin as Sebastian touched him. He gazed up into those mysterious eyes unsure of what to say or do. This man had a way of making him feel powerless.

Involuntarily, his thoughts turned to what he had overheard during the night, and he flinched, drawing back slightly. He could feel his resolve weakening.

Sebastian looked down at him, then removed his hand, taking the boy's reaction as an unfavorable one.

Ciel stared at him, wondering why he had done that. There was nothing keeping Sebastian from touching him or doing anything else for that matter. He was only a prisoner, and yet it seemed as if Sebastian was almost being considerate of his feelings. He hadn't expected that.

"Your answer Ciel?"

He looked down. Sebastian seemed unaffected by his behavior, gazing down at him with that same piercing stare. He honestly didn't know how to reply. He hadn't thought of what he would say to Sebastian when the time came.

He remembered the threats Sebastian had made when they had last spoke, and shuddered to think of what the man might do if he were to reject him. But was that any reason to agree to something like this? The very fact that he was hesitating proved that there was something very wrong with him.

Sebastian watched him carefully, knowing the type of thoughts that were running through his mind. He could almost see the battle going on within the boy between his pride and his desires. Ciel had no idea just how readable he was. "I received a letter from an Officer Barnett the other day," he began, those garnet eyes watching the boy's every move.

Ciel's head came up, his eyes holding a glimmer of interest before it quickly died away.

But Sebastian had seen the spark, no matter how small. "He had a lengthy report," he continued, "most of it nonessential to a boy your age, though I do think one part of it would interest you greatly."

Ciel could no longer keep quiet. He knew this was just being used to manipulate him, but it was something he had to know. "What did he say about my aunt?"

Sebastian placed a hand on Ciel's shoulder, rubbing his fingers back and forth against the thin fabric of the boy's jumpsuit. "Answer my question first.."

Ciel looked up at Sebastian, then down to the floor, trying not to let the movement of the man's hand mess with his mind. He knew he should think about this and not just reply based on his feelings, but he found his mind to be void of any reasonable thought. The only thing he wanted to focus on was the tingling pattern the man's fingers were tracing over his arm.

His eyes came back up, stopping to meet Sebastian's. "I..." He couldn't seem to concentrate and looked away.

"Yes.." As soon as the word left his mouth, he knew he was trapped. He could blame it on the manipulation of this man, and the promise of news from his aunt, but he knew that wasn't really the truth. He was held a captive by his own foolish emotions.

Ciel didn't return the look Sebastian gave him, far too afraid of what he might find in that gaze. He kept his head down, his eyes averted to the floor.

Sebastian's hand moved down the boy's arm sliding around his waist as he pulled Ciel toward him. He leaned forward.

Ciel blushed slightly as he felt the man's hot breath against his neck, but pulled away, looking up at Sebastian with a determined gaze. "Tell me of my aunt."

Sebastian straightened slightly, glancing down at Ciel as if to judge the look in his eyes. The boy intrigued him. So full of spirit, and yet there was a vulnerable side to him. Sebastian supposed it would only be right to tell him what had become of his aunt.

"What I am about to tell you must not go beyond this room, do you understand?"

Ciel nodded slowly.

"You remember the officer who was conducting the search when you were found, do you not?"

The boy nodded again.

"Well, as you were being led away to be transported here, he smuggled her to safety in his own car. He has managed to get her out of the country to a location he did not disclose. However, he informed me that she is safe and well."

Ciel closed his eyes, letting relief wash over him. It never once occurred to him that Sebastian might be lying, he somehow trusted him without thinking. Hearing that his aunt was safe was the only good news he had been given since he arrived, and it took a load off his mind.

He opened his eyes and looked up at Sebastian. "Thank you," he whispered.

Sebastian stared down at him, those two small words chipping at the cold stone wall he had erected around his heart. He hadn't expected Ciel to say that, the boy seemed far too proud. And if he had believed he was capable of such, he would never have thought the boy would say it to him.

He silently pulled the Ciel to his chest, wrapping his arms around him much in the way a father would comfort a son.

Ciel stiffened momentarily, then leaned into Sebastian when he realized the man was only hugging him. Sebastian radiated so much cruelty and danger, and yet in the same way, Ciel felt strangely safe being in his arms.