From the very first mention of his true name, the boy blanches with horror. His fingers tighten as she continues, and every new sentence drives him closer to full blown panic. He had never told all of this to anyone in this world. Even when he'd been forced to reveal parts of the truth, these were things that he had never shared. He had never even told Ran all of this.

As she finishes and sits back, he takes a deep unsteady breath and tries to reclaim the rigid self control he so prized. One of the reasons he so greatly admired Holmes was the way the fictional detective was able to remain calm, no matter the situation.

But even so, his voice wavers as he asks the question. "How? Where did you find this out?

There was no point in denying. His greatest protection had always been the fact that no one was willing to seriously consider that a teenager had become a child once again. That defense would not work this time.