Sotto Voce
[ˌsädō ˈvōCHē]
ADVERB
(of singing or a spoken remark) in a quiet voice, as if not to be overheard.
(Y/N) always knows, even if you don't tell her.
(I'm an anime watcher and a manga reader, so things from both places will be the...
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"Huh?" Emma and Norman ask together.
(Y/N) walks around to the side of Emma's bed to get a better look at Ray's face.
"Do you know what infantile amnesia is?" Ray asks.
"No." Norman says bluntly.
"What is that?" Emma asks.
"How far back into your life can you remember?"
"To when I was about three or four years old?" Norman says.
"Me too." Emma agrees.
"Right? Usually people forget the memories of when they were a baby. That's infantile amnesia. But there are some humans who don't forget."
"Ray, do you mean..." Norman whispers.
"I have memories of when I was a fetus." Ray ponts at himself. "My first memory is being inside a dark, warm liquid. The voice of my mother coming to my ears. A hollow lullaby. I never knew my parents. I only have fragmentary pieces of a puzzle."
(Y/N) hums.
"We were divided into groups of five and passing through a dark tunnel, I arrived here."
"One year before coming to this orphanage?" Emma asks.
"Yeah."
"So, hold on." Norman says. "Past the gates isn't the outside,but-"
"Headquarters." Ray cuts off Norman's sentence. "There were inconsistencies between my own memories and the reality that spread before me. I finally understood when I was able to read. My memories were correct. This wasn't an orphanage. Reality was a fabrication. I checked in with Mom on my sixth birthday. Mom was surprised for a second. And that made me confident it was true. Mom wanted to make a deal. That's all." Ray pauses for a second. "I was going to tell you when I was sure you'd keep your promise."
'Is he talking about the talk in the bedroom about the ropes?' (Y/N) squints her eyes at Ray for a moment.
"And also, you figured it out, right?" Ray asks.
"Huh?" Emma says.
"Headquarters and the adjacent five plants. Those make up Grace Field House. The gate won't serve as an escape route. Once we pass it, it's not just a few guards out there. It's swarming with demons and adults."
"Isn't that bad?!" Emma outbursts.
"No. That's why the security is light. It's the same beyond that. The pretending to be a family and letting us grow freely. That's why I can say for sure they won't increase security." Ray's fingertips curl upwards. "Anyway, about tomorrow, there's no need to be freaked out. Just nullify the tracking device and hide in the forest. Use this." Ray tosses a box into Norman's hands. "Press it against your left ear and push the button. That'll nullify the tracking device. If we use this method, it won't nullify Mom."
