A SLAYER IN GRACE FIELD (TPN X KNY)

THE WARMTH THAT'LL NEVER RETURN AGAIN

Norman's voice lowered as he began, but his tone was steady, hiding the anger that simmered beneath the surface.
"Hestia," he said slowly, his gaze darkening, "how long have you known?"

The question pierced through the air like a knife, his eyes boring into hers, seeking the truth she had been hiding for so long. Hestia felt her heart clench as she tried to steady her breath. She had anticipated this moment, yet she couldn't shake the weight of it now that it had finally arrived.

She hesitated, searching Norman's face for a trace of the boy she once knew. But there was no warmth in his expression now, only the cold, calculating look of someone betrayed.

"...Since the beginning," Hestia finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Norman's face remained calm, unnervingly so. But his eyes, those usually sharp and thoughtful eyes, had darkened to an almost hollow black, devoid of any warmth. His tone, controlled but dripping with hurt, sliced through the fragile peace between them.
"So, you're just like Ray," he said quietly. "Both of you hid this... hid this nightmare from Emma and me. You left us in the dark while we were living a lie. A life just waiting to be slaughtered."

Hestia's gaze faltered for a moment, guilt wrapping around her like chains. "I never wanted it to be this way," she said, her voice trembling. "I thought I was protecting you—protecting all of us. If you had known earlier... Norman, we could have all been killed."

Norman's grip on the plate he had been drying tightened until his knuckles turned white. Then, with unsettling calmness, he set it down and took a step toward her, his eyes shadowed by anger that barely masked his sense of betrayal. His voice was still even, but the venom in it was unmistakable.
"And what about Emma?" Norman continued, the edge creeping back into his tone. "You lied to her too? Deceived her just like Ray?"

Hestia winced. "Emma.... She only found out recently. She didn't tell you because—"

"Because what?" Norman demanded, stepping closer until they were mere inches apart. His hands reached out and grabbed her shoulders, his grip firm but not yet violent. His eyes, once so filled with intelligence and care, now only reflected shadows. "Emma lied to me too. Why?"

Hestia's heart ached at the hurt she saw in him. She hated that her actions had caused this rift between them. "Norman, please," she said quietly, "Emma wasn't lying to you. She just needed more time to figure things out, both of us agreed to tell you when everything is settled down. She didn't want to burden you more than you already carried."

His expression softened for only a second before his eyes hardened again.
"And Ray? Did you know that he was Mama's spy?" Norman's voice trembled with frustration, the question lingering in the air.

Hestia flinches at the name, she looked down, unable to meet his gaze as she slowly nodded. "Yes... I knew. I had to be cautious with him. I couldn't trust Ray then—he was working for Mama, playing both sides. If I'd told you......... I couldn't risk it."

"Risk it?" Norman repeated, incredulous. "We were risking everything without knowing what we were up against! You let us live in ignorance while you and Ray kept playing this twisted game of secrets!" His voice was raised now, not a shout, but filled with disbelief. "You could've told us. We could've figured this out together. Instead, you left us blind!"

Hestia looked pained, the weight of his words dragging her down. "I thought I was protecting you," she whispered, her voice cracking. "But I realize now... I just left you in the dark, the same way Ray did. I blinded myself to the truth, thinking that I could handle it on my own, that I had to keep you safe by keeping you in the dark."

Norman's jaw clenched as he struggled to process her words. His hands dropped from her shoulders, and he took a step back, his expression shifting to one of cold calculation. "And now Don and Gilda are acting on their own," he said darkly, his voice low. "They've already started figuring things out. And when they do... when they realize how we've all kept secrets from them... the four of us—me, Emma, Ray, and you—we'll feel their anger."