My Muse || READER X RAY || The Promised Neverland

🔒 My Muse || Chapter Sixty Four

"I'm surprised you three can keep up. Aren't you tired?" Yuugo turned to me, nudging my chest with a water bottle. My knee started to become sore again, but I didn't let either him or Ray know. Emma seemed to notice, as she was keeping a very close eye on me. I took the small cloth canteen, taking a sip. "I'm fine. Are you two okay?" I turned to Ray and Emma, behind us. Though tired, their eyes still flared with determination. Emma nodded, while Ray gave me a thumbs up. 

Sometime during the journey, our environment had morphed into a cave-like structure of giant wild trees. It was beautiful, but terrifying. It was constantly dark, with little to no natural light. Our lanterns were the only thing keeping us from falling into the many random ravines and crevices in the grotto. I flicked open the pen. "A08-63." I whispered, pulling on Yuugo's sleeve. "We're here!" He immediately shushed me, cupping my mouth closed. I struggled away from him, ready to hiss. When I turned around, Yuugo was completely frozen. 

"Shit." Ray muttered. A hoard of wild demons glared at us from across the cave. Yuugo nudged my back. "Guns. Everyone. Guns, guns!" We all shuffled our rifles from our backs into our hands. "A demon's weakness... Is their eyes!" Yuugo shouted, firing at the first monster. It fell to the ground. "Quickly, quietly, run!" Yuugo hissed, pushing Emma forward. 

We silently moved along, the screeches of the demons fading behind us. 

Plip. Plop. Plip. 

I turned to Ray, cupping my hand around my right ear. Does he hear it? Emma and Yuugo nodded, Ray also finally listening. The older boy led the charge, following the mysterious dripping of water. The grotto soon became an ominous abyss, stalactites forming around us. Water softly dripped from more and more of them as we neared the source. Yuugo suddenly stopped, grabbing Emma's arm. "Hey!" She hissed, continuing to walk. "Emma!" He shouted, pulling her back. He locked her in his arms, scowling at the careless girl. "Look." I peeked over his shoulder. The ground we were on was a narrow cliff, a large green lake underneath us. "Is this Goldy Pond?" I muttered. Yuugo gulped nervously, gravely staring at the emerald abyss underneath us. "Is this it?" Ray asked, kneeling at the edge of the overhang. "Not so close!" I said, grabbing his hood. It was a steep decline into the opaque lake, from every angle. We couldn't gauge how deep the water was because of it's deep green hue. 

"There has to be more." I said, stepping back. Emma followed me. "There has to be a way to get inside. Yuugo, you jumped right? You just have to jump in?" 

"You want to go inside?" A new voice entered the conversation, a familiar one allowing dread and fear to crawl onto my spine. It was a demon. A slash of wind quickly passed behind me. "What's your name, red haired one?" It asked, looking at Emma. The creature was dressed strangely well, donning a black cape and top hat. It's mask was golden with many layers. A small slit for his eye was right in the middle. Emma trembled, glaring at the demon. It chuckled. "I like that look in your eyes. A warrior." Then it turned to me. "How about you, pretty one with the broken knee?" It knew? That look... It made me freeze. "You're hiding it well. But I've been watching how you walk. Very slight limp. But it hurts a lot, doesn't it?" A small screeching echoed from behind the tall figure. "Quiet, Palvus." It said, gently patting a small monkey on it's shoulder. I hadn't noticed it before. "You two boys." The demon said, but it's gaze was still fixed on Emma and I. "You'd better put the guns down, or these two pretty girls die." The figure moved, revealing Ray and Yuugo, rifles loaded and pointed towards it's head. Ray glared at me worriedly. He was telling me to run. "All of you humans have gotten so old! It's amazing, really." And with one quick slash, it's claws scratched my chest, leaving a large scratch marks across my body. I winced, turning to Emma, with the same wound. I felt the gash grow wet with blood, not sure how to stop the bleeding or even what to do. "My name is Leuvis, by the way." It said. I could sense it's grin underneath the mask. "I'm looking forward to meeting you two again." The demon teleported behind us, shoving Emma and I off the cliff. "y/n!" She screamed, reaching for my hand. I called her name back, grabbing it. The wind blew my hair in every direction possible, my eyes shut tight from the sharp air. 

The water. It's going to hurt. The sound of splashing filled my ears, but I was met with someone's arms instead. "Ray?" I whispered, my head becoming light and airy. I opened my eyes, my chest covered in blood. I was losing it. I was losing too much. Am I going to die here? My vision started to blur, as I saw Emma's lifeless body being carried gently by a boy with white hair. Who is he? Where are we? "You're going to be okay." Another voice said, from right above me. Oh. I was being carried too. A dark, tanned boy was holding me securely in his arms, his jacket muffling his words. "Cute... Headband..." I muttered, before passing out.