Let's Escape Together *BOOK 1*

|001--002| An Unexpected Alliance

Join forces... with Sister Krone? pondered Emma, shaking slightly, I thought her objective was to find the targets and ship us out immediately! She clung onto Gilda, who trembled, hiding behind the orange-haired girl. Azalea and Norman's eyes widened slightly, their faces darkening as they quickly deduced what she was up to, calming down their siblings.

"They're right, you know," she hummed, "we should be cooperating to achieve each of our goals."

"Each... of our... goals?" Emma couldn't help but wonder aloud.

"You kids want to escape," she confirmed, pointing to the children then back at herself, "and I want to become the Mom of this House..." she began unbuttoning her collar, "and I want to break free too... from my current situation." She lifted her collar to reveal a printed number, 18684, similar to theirs.

"Are you lot familiar with the management system, here at Grace-Field House?" she leaned forward closer to the perplexed girls, "girls who fulfil certain conditions and live until they are 12 are presented ith 2 paths when they are about to be shipped: continue as they are and die, or aim to become a Mom."

"Wh... what are the conditions?" peeped Gilda.

"Scores above a certain number and the Mom's recommendation," she responded, "if you can meet those two requirements, you can survive without escaping... if you're a girl, at least, but I don't recommend that path." She unbuttoned her shirt, revealing a line of stitches as the children stared. "They'll make it so that you'll never be able to leave."

The children were stunned into silence.

"What... what is that?"

"A chip," she responded, "if an adult steps even one foot outside of the farm, an electrical current will be sent through this and her heart will stop. But, if something else makes her heart stop, it acts as a transmitter that notifies the higher-ups."

So... that rules out the option of killing the adults, then...

"You're not going to ship us out?" whimpered Gilda, "we're the targets..."

"I won't," she confirmed again.

Both Norman and Azalea smiled, the girl almost bursting into laughter.

It wasn't that Sister wouldn't; she couldn't.

She couldn't hand them over because she had no evidence. She didn't have the authority, and she wasn't trusted by the Demons and Mom. Her only choice was to get close to the targets. It was too obvious. Besides, if she really wanted them to escape, there would be no need for her to get close to them. She would just need to assist them when the time was right; there was no need to give information, she was only doing this to gain their trust.

Once Sister gained their trust and gets the evidence... she would get them killed for sure. Because she failed with Gilda, she approached all of the children. If she could get the evidence, then good for her. But even if she can't, if she lets us escape, she'll at least get rid of Mom...

She outstretched her hand, snapping the pair out of their thoughts.

"Let's join forces~"

Norman stared at her hand, ready to take it when Emma yelled out.

"Wait, Norman!" she cut in, her eyes wide with determination and terrifying the black-haired girl, "I agree with their decision, but... what's the guarantee that you won't betray us?!"

The adult remained silent for a moment.

"Ray," was her final response, "if he tells on me to Mom, then you can destroy me. But if I tell Isabella what he's really up to, I can destroy him." She turned back to Emma triumphantly. "How's that for an answer?"

"Fine."

"Now then... now that's done," she grinned, "I'm willing to share any information... why don't you come to my room tonight?"

"I have to see Mom tonight," peeped the girl timidly, her siblings' eyes widening in shock.

"Why?!"

"Apparently, it's something to do with the medication I'm taking," she shrugged nonchalantly, walking towards the House, not once gazing back at her terrified siblings. Sister Krone sighed, placing a hand on her face with a smirk.

~TIMESKIP~

"Azalea... just who do you think you are?"

Azalea stared, dumbfounded, at Isabella who had her back turned to her, filling the glass cup.

"Ah... I worded that quite harshly, didn't I?" she hummed, chuckling lightly as her back remained turned, "I meant... what do you think you are?"

"I... I don't think I understand, Mom," she admitted carefully, her wide, pink eyes watching her every move. Isabella gently set the bottle down, smiling sweetly as she turned, handing her the cup. She swallowed, bringing it to her lips and letting the metallic taste of what she thought to be blood drain down her throat. She coughed, spluttering as she placed the medicine cup down.

"Do you... feel different?" she bent down, placing her hair behind her ear and drawing back a needle, pushing it gently into her neck as the girl shivered, disliking the feeling of the cold metal against her neck and the substance suddenly flowing in.

"Different?"

"Yes..." she cooed, "anything at all?"

"N-no..." she stammered, forcing herself to stop shivering.

"You're... quite scared, Azalea," Isabella observed, stroking her hair and briefly brushing over her tracking device, "your heart is beating quite fast, and your breathing is shaky."

"Is it?" she peeped.

"Yes..." she stood, leaving the girl alone momentarily as she let out a shaky breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Mom... can I... ask a question?" she stammered timidly, cursing internally for her stutter. The adult let out a low hum, signalling for her to continue. "Well... it's two questions, really... but what am I drinking?"

"You're drinking blood, Azalea," she confessed, turning away and smiling softly, closing her eyes as she saw the mortified gaze on her face, "and your second question?"

"O-oh, um," she hesitated, "o-out of curiosity... why must I have an injection and drink th... the blood?"

Isabella hesitated, pausing as she placed the needle down on the table.

"Azalea... what I'm about to tell you... is extremely confidential..." she turned with a solemn expression, "whatever you do... you must not tell anybody else. Have I made myself clear?"

"Y-yes," Azalea's eyes widened as the woman leaned in closer to her ear, whispering something.

Her heart stopped.

"H... huh?"

Time until escape: 6 days