In the dim light, Ciel's visage came into view, a canvas of conflict writ large across his face. Emotions battled fiercely behind those piercing blue eyes, a tempest of duty and suppressed feelings swirling within him. It was a heart-wrenching yet captivating sight to behold. Before any words could be exchanged, Ciel enveloped you in a tight hug. Despite the steel that covered him, his warmth seeped through, wrapping around you in a comforting embrace. His hand cradled the back of your head as if holding the most precious treasure.

Silent yet profound, the moment needed no words. In that intimate space, the clash of destinies, obligations, and external constraints lost their significance. Here, within this encapsulated realm, there existed only the unspoken understanding between the two of you, a momentary respite from the burdens of fate and duty. His voice, though gentle, carried an emotional weight that pierced through you. "You have to go," he murmured, his words a blend of tenderness and heartbreak. "I can't aid you if you're aligned with that individual. But I can ensure your safe departure from here."

A whirlwind of thoughts churned within you, but you clung to the most pressing concern. "What about you? You've confronted your own men, and now you're letting us go? Won't you face consequences?" you asked.

"My men wrongfully targeted an innocent civilian. As for letting you go, I won't. You'll escape. Render me unconscious with a spell, and as soon as I'm asleep, this barrier will dissolve, allowing your exit. I'll handle the aftermath," he directed.

Your protests began, but they waned as his embrace tightened, his head resting upon your shoulder.

"My duty limits what I can do for you. Allow me this, please," he implored. His unexpected vulnerability left you wordless, a silent agreement forming between you. "Just exercise caution around them. If something were to happen to you, I… Nothing can happen to you. Please," he uttered, his plea steeped in emotion. Stunned by his openness, you remained speechless.

In this moment, Ciel is trying to deal with the realization that her suspicions are correct— That Shiki is the host of Roa. She was wrong about it before, but supernatural things happened and now she’s right.

She’s paler than usual after recovering from Roa’s attack (which she saved Shiki from). It’s not just because she just recovered from a fatal attack, but because she sees how Shiki isn’t anguished over his wounds. Shiki just had BOTH of his arms twisted and disfunctional, but aside from his headache, he doesn’t seem to be particularly in pain from it. Ciel immediately notices this, and she just observes him emotionlessly, knowing that Roa’s vampiric abilities are already taking effect in Shiki’s body right after SHIKI turned into ashes.

I wonder how much truth there is to this now that I know the real truth about how many people she’s sucked blood from.

Like, it’s true that she never killed more than one human. But she drank blood from a person 800 years ago and created Michael. But it’s possible she’s not counting that as killing him.

So that really was all she wanted. I thought maybe she just wanted to take responsibility for what she caused, but no, she just wanted her power back.