the Pain of Truth [Ray X Reader] (the Promised Neverland)

66

Next chapter will be in Goldy Pond! Yaaaay!

I'm soooo excited for the whole Goldy Pond Arc, and for all of the new characters that'll appear!

So, enjoy this chapter, too!

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'Mister' Pov:

Man, they're stubborn. More so than I thought. It's amazing that they've kept the pace within target. These kids are 11, maybe 12 years old and they've managed to come along on the four-day route. How old was I when I went back through this path?

I lightly shook my head, then turned to face them. And sure enough, they were there. This won't do. They're all battered up, but the light in their eyes is still shining. Makes me sick in the stomach... Those eyes brimming with hope... I feel like throwing up... I'll be done with this soon.

I've already made up my mind. I just gotta pick the place. Which one should I kill? Tomorrow, at the Goldy Pond, I'm getting rid of you. The preparations are all complete. I'll let death come to...

Yeah, it's you who's going to die, Cutie. It makes the most sense. Your boyfriend will most likely lose all of his will to live, based on what I've seen. And Antenna will be devastated that she couldn't save her dear little friend. Killing her will be the best option, but...

Why am I already having second thoughts...?

(Y/N) Pov:

"Look, we're up to A07-63 already! A08-63 is right over there! Seems like we'll get there even earlier than we thought!" noted Emma, smiling brightly. I looked up at the holographic numbers, a tired smile on my lips.

We're nearly there... We almost made it. But... I looked over at Mister, then at Ray. He was observing him, even while we rested. I smiled lightly, sliding my arms over his shoulders to give him a hug from behind.

"Hey, don't think about it too much." I told him, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. He let out a short sigh, leaning more into me. "How can you be so calm? He obviously wants to kill one or two of us." he said, placing his head on my shoulder, looking up at the sky.

I hummed, saying: "The answer is simple. He won't." After a moment of silence, he chuckled, turning around to trap me in a tight hug. "Of course you already planned this out. So, what're you going to do to stop him?" At that question of his, I kept quiet, just leaning my head onto his chest.

He kissed the top of my head, saying: "Alright. I trust you. But if-" I cut him off by saying: "If a-anything goes wrong, or I'm unable to follow through with my plan, I'll tell you. I promise." He smiled a little, saying: "Good."

Then, Emma held a small lizard and some berries up, saying: "Tadah! Dinner is served!" We looked at her, with Ray saying: "Seems like you already got the knack for spotting food in this forest."

After we ate, Emma sighed heavily, saying: "Phew, everyone is safe and sound." "What?" asked Ray, looking over at her. She said: "We're not all together right now, but Gilda and the others in the shelter, and Phil and the kids who stayed in the House."

She hesitated for a moment, then said: "I've been wondering... about the meaning of that wall, all covered with the word 'help', and, watching this man so closely these three days, I kept thinking of it. (Y/N), Ray, I've decided to talk it over with him. Enough! I'm fed up with mind games!"

"Wha- Wait- Hey!" called Ray, trying to stop her. But I stood up, grabbing her by her wrist before she could run towards Mister. She blinked a few times, asking: "(Y/N)? What's wrong?" I looked at her with pleading eyes, saying: "E-Emma, please l-let me handle this. Please."

She tilted her head to the side, clearly confused at my sudden request. I looked to the ground, saying: "I think- No, I know that he'll shut down anything you'd say to him. Th-That's why..." I trailed off at the end, knowing that she'll understand what I meant anyway. She slowly nodded, saying: "Okay. Good luck, then, (Y/N)!"

I smiled at her, saying: "Th-Thank you, Emma." before heading over to Mister. I stopped once I was next to him, saying: "Hey, Mister?" He kept silent, sitting down, leaning onto a tree. I sat down, too, saying: "L-Let's have a talk."

He sighed, asking: "Are ya going to tell me that you're oh so happy that we're reaching the goddamned Pond sooner than you thought?" I lightly shook my head, looking up at him. "What you told me, about the decision making..." I started.

"Those words... They kept on repeating themselves. I want to know... I-Is there a way for none of us to die?" His eyes widened slightly as he listened to what I had to say. "I-I already made a mistake, costing the life of a close friend. What if I did it again? I-If I ended up making a decision that would kill either Ray or Emma? I-I..."

I had to hold back my tears, the topic really getting to me. "It was me who made a mistake. I never thought about Mama shipping one of us out early, just because we had the highest scores. If I did consider that, I'm sure... I w-would've thought of a way to safe him. But I didn't."

"Hey..." he said, gaining my attention. After much hesitation, he sighed again, scratching the back of his head, saying: "I despise you the most, you know? You're so annoying with that cute smile of yours. But I despise you because behind that facade, there's someone capable to solve any problem, make a plan to any situation, and to think clearly in the most dangerous scenarios."

I kept silent, not knowing what to say. "It's so frickin' annoying. Just stop being a scaredy-cat, and use that brain of yours some more." he told me, closing his eyes for a few seconds. We both kept quiet for a bit, letting his words sink in.

I then asked: "S-Sorry for asking, but... It was painful, right?" Mister only stared at me, slightly taken back by the question. "You had a family, too. A-And I'm sure you loved all of them just as much as I love mine. And... after you lost them, you were lonely for far too long."

"Don't just-" I cut him off: "Every single day, you gave yourself the fault for everything that happened." "Tch. I know I told you to use your brains more often, but c'mon." he said, shaking his head lightly. I looked to the ground, saying: "I'm s-sorry... I was just guessing." "Guessing straight to the damned point. That's a reason more to despise you."

I smiled lightly, standing back up. "All I'm trying to say is that we, you and me, aren't as different as we might think. We lost at least someone dear to us, all to our own fault. So, I want you to come with me. With us."

He stared at me, asking: "What...?" I looked up at the dark sky, saying: "Wh-When we cross the worlds. I want you to come with us. Not only for you or me, but for your family, too. Keep on living, keep on carrying their names, their faces, e-even their dreams with you. And maybe, at the end of this awful journey, w-we both can show our lost ones that we made it, that their deaths weren't for nothing."

Mister stared at me with wide eyes, gritting his teeth. "Damn you... Turn back now. Don't head toward Goldy Pond." He said that loud enough for Emma and Ray to hear, too. They both stood up, slowly walking over to us.

"Don't go there. It's bad. That place is..." said Mister, shaking his head. "Anyway, turn back now. By morning, 'those guys' will have-" "(Y/N)! Watch out!" yelled Emma, catching me off guard. I was about to move, but some sort of rope was already wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me towards the trees.

I gasped, reaching both of my arms out towards them. Ray was the closest, running after me. I tried everything I could, reaching as far as possible. But, in the end, we couldn't reach each other. "Ray!" I called out, my surroundings suddenly turning darker and darker. I don't want to fall asleep now... But maybe... it's not so bad... after all...

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Picture from:

https://www.zerochan.net/3222553