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

🔒 My Muse || Chapter Sixty Five

"Zzz... Zzz... Zzz..."

Is that me? Am I snoring? Ugh... My head... I can barely feel my legs. I pulled my heavy eyes open, expecting to be in the middle of a bleak cave. Where's Ray? And Yuugo? My whole body was stiff, struggling to even pry my mouth open. "Em- Emma?" I stuttered out. This place... Isn't a cave. The sky was black, but not by the color of a dark grotto. There were stars. I instantly jerked upwards, looking around me. Where am I? My fingers brushed past a small metal object. My gun! I grabbed it, stumbling to my feet. I was at the top of a very tall tower, napping in the open aired gazebo-like roof. Surrounding the ground of the building, were many more bright lights. "A town?" I said to myself.

"More like a jail." I whipped around, pointing the pistol at the shadows. I was trembling. "Who- Who a-are you?" I stuttered, clicking the hammer. A tall tanned boy stepped away from the column he was leaning against. He towered over me, wearing a large light gray sweater, the tall hoodie blocking his mouth. "He-Headband!" I blurted out, suddenly remembering what had happened to me. He smirked. "Em-Emma!" "She's okay." He replied, looking nervously at the gun still clenched in my hands. "Can you... Put that down?"

Oh. Right. I dropped it onto the floor, the boy sighing in relief. I bent downwards to pick it up, instead tripping. He caught me quickly, my head on his chest. "I don't feel so good." I muttered, trying to pull myself back up. I felt so weak. "You were slashed across the chest. You have an injury on your right leg. You're missing an ear. You kept screaming in your sleep." His voice was plain, but not cold. More of an "No, I don't really care" type of tone. He firmly placed his hands on my shoulders, pulling me away and looking straight into my eyes. "You're 70293."

"My name is y/n." I hissed, pushing him away. I pulled an unfamiliar shirt over the stupid tattoo on the left side of my neck. "Not a bunch of numbers that mean all we are is food. I'm human." He scoffed lightly, following my tempered stomps back to the thin mattress I was sleeping on. I was wearing a dark gray pullover, which wasn't mine. Thankfully, I was still sporting the same leggings. "Who's shirt is this?" I asked, shoving the gun inside a pillow. The boy replied from behind me, slightly amused with my attitude. "It's mine." "Who's mine?" I giggled at my own bad joke. "Zack. My name is Zack." I held my hand out, giving him a bold glare. "Nice to meet you, Zack." His grip was strong and firm, shaking them lightly. "Likewise, y/n."

"I expect that you want to see... Emma?" He asked, kneeling over the floor. He pulled a small metal latch I hadn't noticed, opening a trapdoor. "The stairs are really steep, so be careful." He headed down first, patiently waiting for me at the bottom. "If I fall, will you catch me?" I called, hesitantly placing my foot on the first thin step. "Nope." He replied, laughing. I slowly scaled the staircase downwards, no railing for me to clutch onto. My hands traced the wooden walls of the tower. My legs started to tremble. My body had become so weak. "Zach- I-" I tripped, clumsily falling onto him again. He turned his face away from me, gently pushing me back onto my feet. "This is an exception. Only because you're still weak."

Zach was tough and emotionless, but inside he was really kind.

"Th-Thank you." I stuttered, following him down the hallway. After a few more flights of stairs, with some hand holding and clumsy tripping we made it to the first floor. "I'll bring your... stuff... down." He said, opening a large dark oak door. I knew what he meant. The gun is safe with him, and it'll be back in my possession soon.

When the door creaked open, the incessant conversation and chattering stopped immediately. "Is that her?" A gruff, older voice asked. A large man with crimson red hair and golden eyes glanced towards me. Three large scars were dragged diagonally down his face. He looked like a lion. "y-y/n?" A small female voice trembled beside him. "Emma!" I shrieked, running through the room. We jumped into each other's arms. "You-You're okay!" She sobbed, in between tears. My own face grew wet, tightly squeezing her back. "You are too!" I replied.

When she finally let go, I glanced at the room full of people.

Other cattle children.

"I don't mean to spoil the moment," The lion looking man said, warmly smiling at Emma and I's reunion. "But there's something you must see, y/n."