✨ A Little Bit of Magic || READER X RAY || The Promised Neverland

✨ Chapter Eighteen

"Just because we're going to a stupid party at the end of the month doesn't mean you can slack, y/n."

The old, dusty wooden shelves of Grace Field's large library seemed drearier than usual. Even our hissy librarian seemed to be taking a mental time out. Today was a particularly gray day, the usual blue sky was filled with black thunderclouds. It was the first rainfall of this year's crimson Autumn, the heavy rain pattering against the stained glass windows. The refractions of what would've been a beautiful rainbow reflection had twisted up, muddled with the interference of said rain. "Can't we take a break?" I sighed, burying my face into my arms. My mood had dampened as well. I was left alone with Ray, while Zack and Oliver were busy with their first sports team meet. The black haired boy glanced at me from beyond the textbook. "You're incredibly lazy, aren't you, y/n?" I kicked his leg, giving him a glare. "It's raining, Ray." He returned the look, raising an eyebrow. "And?" "That means today's not a work day. It's wet. It's sad. And I want to do something else." "Like stalk Zack?" He chuckled, shutting the dark red hardcover. I grinned, pulling myself up. "Can we?" A frowning Ray flicked my forehead. "Of course not, stupid! But if you're not afraid of getting wet, we can head outside." "To the sports field?" I asked, rubbing the space between my eyebrows. That hurt, you stupid idiot! Ray shook his head no, already shoving some books into his black backpack. He held his wand in his right hand, trotting to the door. "C'mon, slowpoke." I'm so confused. Where he going to take me? Ray? I struggled to keep up with the black haired boy, a certain excitement putting some jump into his steps. Like he said, we walked past the sport's field, as I caught a glimpse of a shirtless Zack running laps in the rain. "Ray!" I shouted, stumbling to the open air windows of the main hall. Could he get any more perfect? No, it wasn't possible. Zack's tanned abs reflected the distant flashes of lightning, glints of the white light shining off his wet skin. The pit of my stomach started to warm up, some unholy feeling rising into my chest. Before the thought could fester, Ray smacked my forehead, dragging me off by the collar. "H- Hey!" I protested, trying to shake him off. Unfortunately for me, his grip was firm, the warmth of his fingertips brushing against the male of my neck. "Go to horny jail, y/n." He snickered, underneath his breath. A blush washed across my face, as he finally let go. The path he led me on started to become familiar. "The headmaster's tower?" I muttered, Ray taking a sharp turn right in the center of the lobby. We were met with a plain cobblestone wall, the black haired boy clutching his wand tightly. "Secretum hortus," he whispered, almost drowned out by the pattering of the rain. The tip of his dark oak wand started to glow, a weak golden light just barely sparking against the wall. "Nice," I teased, looking for my own wand. "What's the spell? Let me try-" I was interrupted by the gently rumbling of the inconspicuous stone wall. Each stone brick started to dislodge itself, the same shade of golden glow from Ray's wand reappearing to dissemble the wall. The boy grabbed my hand, pulling me through. What I was met with left me breathless.

A small, lush green garden, surrounded entirely by the school's walls. A large lavender willow tree weeped silently in the center of the beautiful oasis, the tiniest freshwater creak trickling a small stream of water. Large, beautifully trimmed rose bushes decorated the edges of the rectangular garden, petals the shade of crimson red, pastel pink, and butterscotch yellow drifting playfully in the stormy wind. The beautiful purple willow tree sat on a small grassy island, a thin moat of water from the tiny creak acting as it's defense. A single red petal flew across my face, landing on my head. Ray's hand, which had been intertwined with mine had slipped away without me noticing. "You have a little something here," he whispered, gently brushing the petal away. As his fingertips met my face, a flash of lightning crashed right beside the school, sending my heart rate into space. "Gak!" I shrieked, jumping into Ray's arms. He gasped too, his arms wrapping around my waist tightly, squeezing me like a teddy bear. I've never... I've never been hugged like this before... My head was pressed snuggly against his chest, the beating of drums loudly echoing in my ears. Wait- No- Those weren't drums... My face grew warm as I pulled myself away from Ray's embrace. That sound- it was his heart.

I know I said I wanted to see all of Ray's faces. But I wasn't prepared for this one. This boy had always resembled a stone statue of a gargoyle. An aggressive, unnerving glare that never faltered. Over these weeks, I'd learned a lot about him. And I learned that Ray could make this face. His eyebrows were furrowed, but not in anger or confusion. His jet black hair was wet with rain, softening his spiky bedhead. I met the gentle yet flustered gaze of both his silver eyes, along with the bright red tint of his pale cheeks. I hope he couldn't hear my heart right now, because it was traveling into another universe. The moment was almost magical. Almost. I remembered that the person holding me was Ray and not Zack. And Ray wasn't the boy I liked. He seemed to notice me hesitation, the grip on my waist loosening. "Why did you bring me here?" I asked, slowly walking to the lavender willow. Ray followed me, his footsteps squishing against the wet dirt. "You're going to have to perform pyro spells eventually, y/n." The bark of the ancient tree was the shade of a dusty lilac, cold to touch. "Don't remind me," I frowned, glancing at the flashes of lightning which seemed to wandering away from the school grounds. What a relief. "It isn't all bad, y'know. Pyro magic, I mean. It's not all destruction and killing, murder and whatnot. It can be beautiful." I didn't disagree. This garden was beautiful. But how would he show me pyro's beauty here? I took a deep breath, an image of a burning garden flashing in my head. "Ray, wai-" "Ignit!" He shouted, pointing his wand at the willow's lowest branch. Though I've only been here for a minute, I already loved this garden. It was perfect. It was calm, pretty, and a soothing place to be. And Ray was going to burn it down? The small spark of burning red fire settled in between the tree's purple petals. A light, yes, but no... no fire? The rain had halted, allowing for me to peer closer at Ray's spell. Oh. I hadn't noticed it before, but nestled snuggly in between each cluster of branches was a small steel lantern. It had been set alight by Ray's spell. "Ignit! Ignit!" He continued to cast the enchantment, tiny glimmers of the warm golden light bringing a new life to the already thriving garden. And I thought it was beautiful before. Now, it was breathtaking. Though the Autumn sky was still stained a dreary dark gray, the lanterns Ray had lit made it a summer afternoon all over again. Things I had failed to notice before suddenly bore the most impact. Tall white orchids danced in the gentle wind, a small group of bright blue butterflies having their own fun in the flower's buds. On the left of the garden was a small koi pond, five brightly colored fish reveling in the fresh supply of water. "Pyro doesn't just take lives, y/n. It can light up a whole new world, it can start a new story. I don't want you to be afraid of that." Ray's hand was warm, brushing lightly against mine. He was also taking in the view, proud of his own work. "Don't be afraid of getting your feelings hurt. It would happen eventually anyways. If you can't pass this class for yourself, then do it for us. For Emma, Norman, Zack, and your parents. Keep looking forwards. You never know how long you have left."

I thought it was odd that Ray would attach that to the end of a pep talk. Albeit true, it left some sort of a sour taste in my mouth. My parents probably didn't know they had a day to live either, when they woke up that morning. And the same could happen to me, by some crazy freak accident, or a random assailant deciding that they want me dead. I grabbed Ray's hand, our fingers intertwining quite easily. "If someone wanted to kill me, you would help me, right?" I don't know why I asked that. And even worse, I don't know why Ray was silent. He glanced at me with one dull gray eye, barely nodding a 'yes'. Maybe he's just tired. Maybe he's not feeling well. I just- I just wanted to enjoy the garden. Enjoy my time with Ray, while it lasted. Because for some reason, it felt like it would all be ending soon.