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

⭐ My Muse || Chapter Ninety Four

"It's a shocker to you all, right?" Norman said, sitting beside me. Everyone in our family had gathered in the lounge, many of the little ones still crying, clutching his legs and arms. Gilda was handing Don a tissue, he blushed, wiping his tears away. "You've told me your story. So now I'll tell you mine." His fingers grazed my hand, inviting me to take it. I hesitantly intertwined our fingers, noticing his bright smile when I did. 

"A little more than a year ago, I was 'adopted'." He raised his fingers in air quotes, the children understanding what he meant. "I was brought to the gate, expecting a swift and painless death. Instead, Isabella brought me to a man with light blond hair, his eyes a pale shade of grayish lavender." "P- Peter..." I muttered, remembering the second in line of the Ratri clan. "Peter Ratri." Norman nodded, squeezing my hand. "He offered me my life. At a price. To become the subject of numerous physical and mental experiments at an institution named Lambda, or to die as cattle, right then and there. You can guess what I chose." He slipped his hand away from my grip, unbuttoning his collared shirt. He pulled away the left side of the fabric, revealing another farm's tattoo on his left pec. "I- I've... I've seen that before..." Violet stuttered, turning to Adam. That strange mark on his chest matched Norman's, the boy mumbling his code again. "22194. 22194." Norman smiled, shaking the boy's hand. "I remember you too, Adam." The blond haired boy smiled, turning to me. "70293. 70293." "Looks like he's gotten another number down," Violet giggled, patting Adam's shoulder. We all turned to Norman, waiting for him to continue. "I was kept there for three months before escaping. Escaping and... destroying the place. I was met with one of William Minerva's true confidants, the name he donned, Smee. He was caught soon after giving me his secrets, leaving the whole network that William Minerva created in my hands. I've taken his name and his standing." He smirked, counting all of the things he's been called. "Minerva, the king of the cattle children. Minerva, the rebel. Minerva, the savior. You see, y/n, I would gladly become a devil or a god, if it meant I could save people." His pupils had dilated, a slightly maniacal expression shadowing over Norman's usually kind face. His slender fingers traced my jaw, resting underneath my chin. He gracefully angled my face upwards, planting a kiss on my cheek. "I could become a monster or a deity, if it meant I could save you." his cold voice sent shivers down my spine, Emma grabbing my arm. "That's- That's great Norman, but y/n and I- we have to do something." She shot a glare at Gilda and Gillian, the two nodding slightly. The white haired boy sighed, letting go of my face. "Have fun, ladies." 

Emma dragged me away and into the house where everyone else was staying. She shook my shoulders, glaring at me. "Where did he take you last night?" Beads of sweat ran down my forehead. "I- I ended up staying with him... In his room..." "Why?" Gilda and Gillian had stumbled inside, shutting the door behind them. Emma was interrogating me, swinging me back and forth whenever my answer took more than two seconds. "I passed out, Emma. I don't know. He decided to bring me there. Maybe he missed me?" Her expression turned dark, the painful grip on my arms loosening up. Gilda touched my shoulder, gently pushing me forward. Emma took something out of a drawer, holding three familiar items in her trembling palm. The pen. The necklace. And Zack's headband. "Where- Where did you get these?" I hissed, snatching them away from her. Gillian bit her lip, swinging her arm over Emma's shoulder. "Norman... We watched Norman throw them out last night." My body froze. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. 

Norman? Threw these things out? Even if he didn't know what they were, they looked important. But that doesn't explain the pen. He knew what the pen was. We've held it together, we've opened it together. What? This doesn't make any sense...

The three pulled me into a tight hug, keeping my body from falling to the floor. "We know you miss Ray," Gilda said, her voice shaking. "We know that finding Norman is a miracle," Gillian continued. "But, y/n, don't you think something feels off? Isn't he being weird? We're not saying not to trust him. We're not saying to not be his friend. We just... We just want you to be careful." Emma finished their pleas, squeezing me tightly. I hugged them all back, thinking about what they'd said.

The necklace felt cold in my pocket. I wiggled away from the group hug, pulling it out. The stone had turned a pearly white, glistening an iridescent opal underneath the room's dim lights. This necklace... Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.