Inside a small room sat an even smaller child. He had black hair and was hugging his knees tightly. This allowed him to form a tiny ball. There were not many places for him to hide, but he made the most of a corner and a pile of clothes. It was his spot and he would stay there when there were three of them in the room: him, his mother, and a client. She had them daily. Sometimes, they would return on the same day. This was considered a fine establishment after all. Only the highest-paying customers were given access, so they were allowed to do as they wished. The boy knew this and that he was to stay hidden. He also knew that he did not enjoy the sounds of the visits. The clients would make strange noises and some even spoke cruelly to his mother. Despite this, she never returned their insults and did not prevent them from returning if they so desired. It made the boy's stomach form knots and his hands shake with anger to hear them. So, he kept his hands by his ears. He could stare at the wall. He could listen to his own thoughts. He could pretend nothing was happening at all.

After several minutes, the boy felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Lowering his hands, he looked up and saw a dark-haired woman with a kind but sad smile.

"Levi, it's alright to come over here now," Kuchel said in a warm voice.

She bent down to pick up the young child. When she did, their eyes met for a moment. As soon as they did, Levi's gaze went to her right cheek. The mother became aware of a red mark–her tip left by the latest client.

"You're hurt," he commented, eyes wide and concerned.

"You don't need to worry. I'm really fine."

Levi wriggled free of her hold and landed lightly on his feet. He crossed his arms with indignance.

"When I'm bigger, I'll protect you."

A soft laugh escaped Kuchel and she covered her mouth. "I don't doubt it for a moment, but don't grow up too quickly. For now, I'm happy protecting you."

"I could stop them."

"No," the mother said firmly. Her features hardened slightly with a frown, but they softened upon seeing the discouraged expression on her son's face. "I need you to not to do anything besides stay out of sight when they come. You being here has to remain our secret, okay?"

"But why?"

Kuchel paused, feeling almost ill as she was forced to think of her reasoning. "It wouldn't be safe. If someone found out–"

The conversation was cut short by a loud knock on the door. Kuchel felt her heart beating faster and she took a breath to calm herself. Gesturing to the corner, she gave Levi his cue to hide again. Then, she went to open the door and did so in a way which only allowed a small portion of the room to be visible.

"Yes?"

On the other side of the door was a large man with short, brown hair. He pushed past Kuchel, barging into the room. Hands on hips, he glanced around them.

"Is something wrong, Otto?" she asked.

He did not respond immediately, instead just looking at Kuchel. His gaze made her skin crawl, but she pretended otherwise.

"Yeah, you could say that," he finally said. "You're not carrying your weight."

Kuchel's face showed her surprise and she began stumbling over her words, being too stressed out to get them out properly.

"What you bring in isn't enough for room and board," Otto added.

Finding her voice again, the young woman spoke. "That's not true. I bring in money everyday and haven't made less than you've requested weekly once. In addition to that, I'm never late with a payment. Why is there a problem now? What's changed? Did something happen that I don't know about?"

Otto eyed her up and down. He spotted the bruise on her cheek and brushed it with his hand. Kuchel started to move away, but he roughly grabbed her chin and kept her in place.

"I'm in charge here," he said coldly. "If I say you aren't doing enough to contribute, you don't question if that's true. You just ask how you can change that. Especially someone with your heritage–you should be grateful I even gave you work."

Every fiber in the mother's being wanted to slap away his hand and curse him out. She was about to do just that when she spotted Levi out of the corner of her eye. He was so small. Even at his young age, he should have been larger. She blamed the environment. With a lack of sun and proper nutrition, his growth would continue to be stunted. Kuchel might not have been able to change the location of the sun, but she could make sure he was fed and fed well. It took remembering this to dissuade her from her instinctive response. She did not have anywhere else to go and had even less options for providing for her child. If it kept Levi alive, she could put aside her pride.

"Of course," she responded calmly. "How can I be more useful?"

"Most of your clients come at night, right?"

"Yes."

Otto began smiling. "Good. Then, make sure any new ones know that the morning is reserved." He released his grip and turned to the door. "I like starting the days off right."

Kuchel was unable to keep the frown from her face. "How often should I expect the wake up call?"

"I'm not sure yet," he admitted, shrugging. "We'll see how you do. If you're as good as everyone says, expect me to be a regular. If not, expect to find housing elsewhere."

Otto slammed the door behind him and Kuchel felt her heart sink. She had been working so hard to keep a roof over their heads. For it to all come down to the whim of one person–one self-centered, loathsome person–was unsettling. She could not say what the next day would bring. All she could do was hope it would go well. As she pondered over this, Levi was lost in thoughts of his own. He imagined the two of them in the future. One day, he would be able to get them a safe home where they never had to worry about being without. Kuchel would only have the nicest possessions and no one who valued life would ever dare to raise hand against her. Many a night, the future was Levi's preferred location. The past offered no fond memories and the present offered no joy. It was the future which held hope in its mysterious grasp. Levi doubted it would be easy to leave the Underground and relocate them to a place where they would be treated with decency, but if his mother taught him nothing else, it was that people need perseverance. He admired the way she held her head high with honor and self-respect. Levi would work until these goals of his were met and then longer. He would create a new life for them so that they never had to recall this one. He promised himself that much and he was determined to not break any vows. No more darkness would consume them. Nothingness would no longer be seen whenever they opened their eyes. One day, they would bask in the light of the sun.