𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 - 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘱𝘯

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘟𝘐𝘟

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐀 𝐀𝐑𝐂

𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍
___________

Stepping out of the bedroom, the cold, metallic feel of the gun is the only thing anchoring you to reality. A sudden, unexpected noise from, freezing you in place.

You cast a glance over your shoulder, your gaze landing on the door where you locked the man in. You let out a sigh as you realized, 'He's regained consciousness.'

Swallowing the lump of unease in your throat, you force yourself to turn back around, continuing towards the dining room. The room is filled with a tense silence as you enter, all eyes on you.

"Ray," you call out, your voice steady despite the turmoil within. You extend your arms, the gun glinting under the room's lighting. Ray takes it, setting it aside on the table. "He's awake." you add, your tone casual before pulling out a chair and sinking into it.

The room remains silent for a moment, the only sound the creak of your chair under your weight. Then, Emma's voice cuts through the silence like a knife, shattering the peace. "Gilda, get the soup ready!" she orders.

Gilda responds with a firm nod as she turns on her heel and walks into the kitchen, leaving the rest of you to continue discussing.

"So, Minerva is in AO8-63?" Don questions, crossing his arms in a show of skepticism.

"I'm not entirely certain," Ray responds, his tone filled with uncertainty. "Considering the age of this letter, it's hard to say. But once we've combed through all the archived materials..." Ray's voice trails off as he points to the letter that Nat holds, his eyes filled with determination.

"Emma, Y/n, and I will head out to find A08-63," Ray declares, causing a collective gasp of surprise and shock from everyone in the room. Don's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and Nat's eyes widen with worry.

"Um, what about us?" Nat asks, his voice tinged with panic.

"We'd like you to stay here and take care of the kids." Ray says, his voice calm but firm. "And there's more we need from you guys," he adds, his gaze shifting from Nat to Don.

"But Ray—" Don begins to protest, but Ray cuts him off.

"In the current circumstances, we don't need everyone on this mission, you know?" Ray leans back in his chair, a hint of a sly smile playing on his lips. "This trip carries some risks. If we want to ensure no one gets hurt, it's better to split up this time."

"But...! Emma, Y/n, and you... what if something—" Don stammers, his concern evident.

Ray's smile widens slightly, and he places a reassuring hand on Don's shoulder. "I'm not planning on dying. We're just 'native chumps' who need some guidance. We'll seek help from someone with experience." His eyes meet Don's, conveying a silent message of reassurance.

"We'll ask the guy to guide us. Then the four of us will head to A08-63 together and search for Minerva." Ray says.

"Are you serious?" Don says, his gaze landing on you. "That man was just pointing a gun at you, Y/n. And worse, can you even reach his mind with words?"

With a sudden, unexpected noise, the doors to the dining room burst open. Everyone goes quiet, the room falling into a hushed silence as every pair of eyes is drawn towards the figure standing in the doorway.

The smaller children let out startled yelps, their little legs carrying them as fast as they can in the opposite direction. They maintain a safe distance from the man, their wide eyes filled with fear.