𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗗.

18 | Understand

Norman is gone.

Serephina sat on the bed as she looked at the window. She could get glimpses of the kids playing around the fields happily, as if nothing ever happened. Ignorance was indeed a bliss.

... It's agonizing to think about it..

It had been a day since Norman was shipped out, and Serephina doesn't have the heart to move on. It was as if a big part of her was taken out, she had no other way of explaining how it felt like.

Since then, she never got a visit from Emma. Serephina could already tell why. Norman was closest to Emma after all, he had been with her through her bad and good times. To lose someone that close to you...

Serephina couldn't even begin to imagine it.. if Ray would get taken away from her, she wouldn't know what to do at all.

Don and Gilda were the only two people who'd come by to check up on her happily. Those two managed to force out a smile, and it definitely made Serephina's day a little brighter. She knew they both had it hard, yet they still try to bring out positivity. If Serephina wasn't on the bed with a broken leg, then she would have went with them.

And then there's Ray. The boy who could barely get a word out after Norman's adoption.

He managed to visit her a few times. And when he did, he would always bring a book with them. And then, he'd sit down on the chair beside Serephina and just read, he would never bother starting a conversation with her. It's as if he brought that book to ignore Serephina. But then, why would he even bother visiting?

The brunette sighed as she leaned onto her bed.

I just hope the escape still goes on plan...

"Screw it all."

It was like a bucket filled with ice-cold water was harshly splashed onto Serephina's face. She stared at Ray with her eyes both wide in disbelief.

They were all gathered in the dining hall, since Ray stated that he had something to announce. Serephina didn't even know about it till Gilda visited her and mentioned it.

This was that one part of Ray which she really, really hated. He was too quick to give up. One mistake, and in his eyes, everything is done for. Serephina really hated that side of his.

"Let's just all die here," the boy continued to mumble as he looked up at Emma. The ginger frowned as she gave Serephina a quick glance. But the girl never looked back at her, instead, she continued looking at Ray with an expression Emma had never seen before.

"Huh?" Gilda flinched as Don stepped forward, shocked to hear Ray such words. "What...?"

"We can't do this." Ray lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with the others. "We're on a cliff too high to jump off of. The only bridge that leads us to the other side is connected to the HQ. And most of all..."

Please don't say it—

Serephina's wish wasn't fulfilled. She felt her lose her breath when hearing Ray's next words.

"I'm tired."

Serephina clenched her flinched as Don raised a brow, looking at Ray in disbelief and confusion. "Wha—"

"I'm just exhausted..." he mumbled, though they couldn't complain. Ray spent more than half of his life plotting an escape. He wanted them to escape. But then, it was all ruined. In the end, Ray's hard work was wasted.