Change || The Promised Neverland

♪ Chapter Seven: Breathe ♪

<< How can I breathe when the world itself is suffocating? >>

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An ice-cold shiver went down Ray's spine. He glanced around the dining room, unnerved. Something was missing. No, that wasn't the right word.

Someone was missing.

His eyes widened when his brain connected the dots. Ray mentally cursed, abandoning his chore and running over to the nearest person and grabbing them.

"Susan!" The black-haired girl flinched at the barely hidden panic behind his voice. "Where's [Name]?!"

"Wha- Calm down, Ray!" Susan said, prying his hand off of her. "[Name] just went after Mom and Marin to return his music box. He left it in her room."

Ray slapped his forehead. "That idiot...!" he muttered angrily.

"Ray, what's going on?" Susan asked. Ray ignored the question and sprinted to the door.

"Susan, can you cover me? Thanks!" And with that, he bolted outside.

"But--" Susan sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Ray raced down the grassy hill. He nearly crashed into [Name] had he not been paying attention. He whirled around with a gasp, nabbing her by the shoulders.

"[Name]! Where the heck have you been?!" he all but shouted. [Name] didn't respond. Ray was about to give her a 2-hour long lecture before he saw her expression.

Her eyes were wide as she muttered inaudible sentences over and over again with a forced smile on her face. She was trembling all over, indicating explicit fear despite her smile. Ray's eyes and grip softened. He drew a breath.

"You saw it, then?" [Name]'s head shot up. Her breathing became erratic as she backed up, pushing Ray off of her.

"Saw what?" she asked, almost as if she was trying to convince herself.

"You know what I mean," Ray said. [Name] rapidly shook her head, fiddling with her sleeves.

"No, I really don't."

"Don't lie to me," Ray said, his tone softening. "You saw Marin die--"

"Marin's not dead!" [Name] snapped unexpectedly, her eyes panicked. "Why would you say that?! Did you want him to die?!"

"No!" Ray protested, letting a brief moment of anger slip. He quickly chained it back down. As much as he'd like to say he was calm, he was seething, angry at his mother for reducing an already fragile [Name] to this state. "But denying it won't change the fact that he's dead--"

"SHUT UP!" [Name] was yelling now. Her eyes were shut tight as her hands covered her ears. Crap. Wrong answer. Ray was terrible at comforting, and he knew it. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!"

Ray panicked, looking around. He slapped a hand over [Name]'s mouth. She screamed even louder and writhed, but Ray kept firm.

"Quiet down! Do you want Mom to hear you and find out?" he whisper-yelled.

[Name] ripped his hand off her with sudden fury.

"You think I can quiet down?!" she yelled. "I just saw my best friend die-"

"So he is dead." Wrong answer again.

"Yes! No! I DON'T KNOW!" [Name] clutched her head, her breathing becoming quicker and quicker as she began hyperventilating. Ray reached out his hands. His eyes were frantically glancing around in case the black-haired woman they called their mother was near. It was a wonder how she nor Susan had heard [Name].