Disclaimer: I do not own The Promised Neverland. It is property of Posuka Demizu and Kaiu Shirai.

Act 12

(Norman POV)

Ray and I convened in the dormitories, alone, for our little chat, after checking the girls' bathroom and finding the ropes untouched.

"So?" Ray, as I checked the underneath of the bed for our other hidden supplies. There was nothing there, and that confirmed my suspicions and partially, Anna's 'story.'

No, not yet… If I'm going to be able to trust Anna wholeheartedly – the outcome of this conversation will decide that.

I shook my head and replied, "It's not here." I told Ray.

"Seriously?" Ray responded after a pause, "Let's check the bathroom, too," he said and I shook my head, raising my hand to get him to wait.

"I already did. It was still there in the ceiling of the bathroom." I said.

Ray furrowed his brows, adopting a serious expression, "Then that confirms it, doesn't it? The traitor is Don."

"Only the rope hidden behind my bed is gone. The source of information… No…" I paused and turned to confront Ray, breaking any act of innocence I had and facing Ray seriously as well, "The traitor was you, Ray." I boldly declared.

The room became deadly silent. It felt smaller, even. We both stared each other down, waiting to see who'd break the silence first.

Then, Ray gave a toothy grin, though it was definitely a forced one.

He tried to play it off with a laugh in his voice, "What are you talking about? What's wrong, Norman?" he asked me.

I carried on undeterred,

"You already realise it, don't you? I set a trap for three people. I said that the supplies were under the bed in here, and in the ceiling of the girls' bathroom only in front of you and Emma. Meanwhile, I told Don that it was in the dining hall, and Gilda they were hidden in the library. And yet, out of the four separate locations I hid supplies, only the ones here are gone. Don was clearly framed." I explained to Ray, and then repeated firmly, "The traitor is you, Ray."

At this, Ray too a step back, and fell back onto the bed behind him, arms splayed, "Heh…" he let out a breathless chuckle, before laughing louder until it petered out; he rested the back of his hand over his eyes, then moved it out of the way to look at me, "Darn it. And I thought I was doing so well." He said, dropping all pretenses.

I watched, as he pulled himself up and continued, crossing his legs and hunching over,

"Since all of you were so trusting, I thought I could fool you a little longer, you know? But you noticed a lot quicker than I thought you would…. You're right. I'm Mama's Spy." He admitted.

A shiver ran up my spine, and I pursed my lips. So, Anna and I were right. He really is Mama's Spy… I hope the rest of her notes are right, too, or this could get dangerous.

Ray's my friend… I really don't want to shut him out but if I don't do this right, I might have to…!

I need to approach this carefully…

"When did you start to suspect me?" Ray asked me and I blinked back into focus.

I let out a breath to calm myself, and replied, "The night Sister Krone came to the house."

"Right on that night, eh?" he asked and I only gave him a shaky smile.

"Sometimes I feel disgusted with myself. I suspected you right away," 'Anna too,' I thought to myself, "Even though you're my friend. But it was going to be the most problematic for me if you were the traitor. And from the enemy's point of view, you being the traitor was the best-case scenario. You could interfere with our plans. From the perspective of controlling the situation. There was no-one else so perfect for the job." I said, but held my tongue.

"That's why you suspected me?" Ray asked.

Of course, I'd thought similar things about Anna. It was clear that both Anna and Ray were in Mama's good books.

Mama often granted Anna her whims, by ordering in medical textbooks for her and giving her access to the infirmary as her first-aid assistant. And Ray… I know I've seen him with items I've never found in the house before, sometimes, as well. He probably gets favours from Mama as well.

Anna insists it's not the case, that she's on the kids' side, but that remains to be seen. This notebook of hers could all be a trick to get me to trip up in front of Ray so he can report it to Mama after all.

However, if her note on Ray being willing to be a double-spy pans out, and she's really on our side, that'd be the best possible outcome here.

But anyway… Maybe I could trip Ray up instead, since I know his weakness.

"I wish it wasn't true. But that's not all there is to it, is there, Ray? I believe you're not the only traitor. Anna's in on it, too, right? I saw the way you were whispering to each other on the day of Dominic's adoption." I set out the bait, and hoped he would take it.

Upon hearing me 'out' Anna, Ray's smirk fell, "What the hell are you talking about? Anna's not—" I raised my hand to get him to stop.

"And the two of you aren't just traitors regarding this matter. Mama wouldn't trust a spontaneous tip, or the two of you suddenly volunteering as makeshift spies, this much. That means that the two of you have been her spies for some time now. So, tell me, Ray. How long have you and Anna been working for Mama?" I asked, leaning in to him, my gaze focused on him, waiting to see what he would do in response to my accusations.

Would he lay all the blame on himself, share it, or just pass it all off on to Anna? Considering the way that he feels about her, I'll bet it's the former.

Ray looked flustered, that was for sure. He was practically glaring at me, though I had predicted something like that.

"First of all, I have no idea where you got the idea that Anna is Mama's spy from. But you're way off on that one, Norman." Ray gritted out, and sat back from his slouched position on the bed, "Anna was merely a pawn of mine, to divert attention. Mama doesn't even know that I recruited her, and Anna doesn't know that I'm Mama's spy. Anna is innocent." He defended her with steely eyes and a frown.

'If only you knew, Ray… But it's nice of you to protect her like that.' I thought, wanting to smile at his protectiveness, but I kept my expression neutral.

I lifted my head to peer down at him, and folded my arms, leaning back against the frame of my bed, "Let's say I believe you. If it's just been you as Mama's spy, then how long for? And why would you put 'an innocent' like Anna in danger, just for your plan?" I asked him.

"She wouldn't have been in danger! There's no way I'd have let her be caught. I've been planning this for years, after all. I thought of every possibility before approaching her." Ray insisted.

"Years?" I repeated, raising a brow curiously.

Ray nodded, and sighed, "Yeah. I've been Mama's spy since a long time ago." He answered.

"So, you're not just a spy but Mama's subordinate!" I declared.

It made sense. Surveillance. Peace-making. Improving the merchandise. In addition to Mama controlling us livestock… She used Ray as a device to guide us in the direction she desired!

"That's right. Basically, I'm a sheepdog for the herd. Only me." Ray said, seeming to have recollected himself.

All this time… for years…

Were Anna's notes really accurate? Can I really sway Ray to our side completely? It's promising that he's protecting Anna, though.

I only had a few more questions for Ray, now.

"You're really the only dog and spy? Can you give me your word on that?" I asked him.

"I already said it's just me, and I meant it." Ray nodded his head.

I stepped closer, and leaned in so we were looking each other in the eye, "Then tell me… Was everything up until now a lie? How much exactly have you leaked to Mama? And the tracking devices really can be broken, right?" I questioned him, feeling myself getting angry.

If he really was lying to us all this time… If Anna was lying too, and both of them really are Mama's spies… I don't want to even imagine such an outcome, but…!

"What are you going to do with that information? Depending on my answer, are you going to cut me off?" Ray asked, keeping a cool head as always.

I already cut Anna off… but no, that's only temporary. If possible, I need to keep both of them close by. Knowledge of the future is a tool I'd be foolish to throw away, if it's truly that! Ray's inside knowledge, too, is invaluable.

"No. I'm going to have you by my side, as you always were. 'Through Ray, I have the situation under control.' If that's the reason Mama's not shipping us out immediately, it would simply be too dangerous to let you go." I said, and pushed on a smile, "Aren't you glad? You can hide your mistake. You wanted to continue to spy on us, even if it meant framing Don, right? And you were so insistent on protecting Anna, even though she's merchandise just like the rest of us." I said.

Ray grunted, "What do you want?" he asked.

Perfect. Here's my chance!

I held up three fingers, "Three things. One, continue to be with us and guarantee our safety. Two, share all the information you have. And three, become my spy now." I told him.

This was the moment of truth. Now I'd find out if Anna's notes rung true or not and if I could trust her completely. What will Ray do?

Ray glared, "Are you an idiot?" he asked and I furrowed my brows, "If that was your objective then you should have just kept quiet and used me. You shouldn't have given me any room by threatening or negotiating. You should have forcibly used me and then abandoned me when you executed the plan. That would have been the surefire method." He reasoned.

That response, it's promising. I grinned and nodded, "Yeah, you're right. But something someone told me changed my mind. So, I want to believe in you, too. That you're my friend before you're my enemy." I said, "After all, it was your idea to hide Beary, right? It's what you recruited Anna for. The two of you did it for us. You're the mastermind behind the escape plan, right?" I asked him.

Ray remained quiet, stewing over my words.

I sat down on the bed opposite him, sighing out and looking down at my feet, "If you hadn't thought up that plan. If you hadn't recruited Anna to help you do it. Emma and I wouldn't have gone to the gate. The two of you lead us to go find out the truth for ourselves because we would've never believed it had you simply told us. The truth, about this house. You wouldn't have even considered doing something like that if you were 100% on Mama's side. You were controlling us. Making sure we were cautious. Controlling us the way Mama wanted. But at the same time, weren't you also keeping Mama under control? You've been using your position as her subordinate to the fullest so we wouldn't be shipped out immediately." I said, and paused.

"You probably haven't told Mama where the real rope is. So, if you were really our enemy then why did you give us a chance? Even though it meant going against Mama. You're not actually our enemy, right? You haven't given Mama any fatally disadvantageous information. And the tracking devices can be broken. Am I wrong? Tell me, Ray. Why did you decide to become Mama's sheepdog?" I asked him, hoping I'd said enough.

Did I say this in Anna's original story? Or have my words changed in a way that Ray won't agree, now?

Ray smirked, "I volunteered. I went to her of my own free will." He said nonchalantly and at his next words, I flinched, "No, it's more accurate to say that I sold myself."

I gulped, and with a dryness tightening my throat, I asked, "Why?"

"To prepare for the escape." Ray answered, "Everything was to prepare for this escape we're planning right now!" he added, and I widened my eyes. No way… It's really as Anna's notes said!? If it really is, then I need to talk to her about this, seriously, and soon!

"To prepare… for this escape?" I asked him, for clarification. I couldn't rush ahead in my excitement.

Ray nodded, "Yeah, to prepare. To learn about the enemy and to gather things. It's most efficient to do that from the inside. That's why I sold myself to the enemy." He said.

"What kind of rewards do you get?" I asked.

"Various junk. And if it's not available in the house, she gets it for me." Ray replied. So that's what he was doing…!

"So that you could see what you could get and what was impossible…?" I asked him.

Ray nodded, "Yeah, I was testing that. Also, I wanted to probe into the outside world. I found out that she could obtain all sorts of things as long as they weren't dangerous. But they were old models." He explained.

I nodded, "Then… When you said you had an idea regarding breaking the tracking devices…" I prompted him.

"I've seen the actual device. I've also experimented. I figured out how to break it after working on it for many years. I can break it. The devices can definitely be nullified. Do you understand?" Ray confidently responded.

I widened my eyes, as Ray's expression became sinister, "The person you see right before you, right now, is the strongest card you'll ever have. I can hurt Mama from the inside. I have the means to nullify the tracking devices. I might not know everything, but I have more information that you'll need to escape from this place. Ever since I found out the truth about this house, I've been preparing. Without having anyone, whether it was Mama or you guys, notice. I tricked Anna into helping me take Beary, and made you two go to the gate that night. Yeah, just like you said. All of this is to make sure that the three of you get out of this place alive!" he said, pointing to me.

After a tense silence, as I digested what Ray had said, he lowered his pointing finger, calming down; "Back to the matter at hand. I'm not an enemy to you guys. But I'm also not your ally." He said, "I've been controlling the situation without revealing my position because I can't lend my hand to a stupid plan. You're smart, so you know where this is going, right? I have one condition." He announced, and I gulped.

'The Knight will work for both Black and White.' But what's the price?

"What's the condition?" I asked him evenly.

"I'll become your trump card. But to get my cooperation, you have to trick Emma and Anna." He answered and I blinked.

"What?" I asked, surprised. Did Anna know this part? Or did she forget some things?

"We'll pretend we're taking everyone, but at the last second, we'll ditch them. Even if we're taking others, it should only be Don and Gilda… And Conny. Everyone else needs to be left behind." Ray explained.

'And Conny?' I wondered, and frowned, "So, you're telling me to give up on taking everyone?" I asked him.

Ray nodded, "That's precisely what I'm saying."

"The training we devised together… It's helped the others grow more than expected. You said so yourself. You meant that, right? Even so…?" I asked him.

Ray shook his head, "Even so, that doesn't change the fact that they're a burden." He insisted. That left a nasty taste in my mouth.

"What would Anna say if she heard you saying that?" I asked him.

"Stop bringing her into this! Everything I'm doing, it's to ensure her safety. To ensure yours, Emma's, and Don and Gilda's safety!" he snapped.

"And what about Conny, then?" I asked him and he flinched, "Isn't she in the same vein as those so-called burdens? And yet, you included her in those who should escape. Is it because Anna would hate you if you didn't?" I asked him.

"Shut up!" Ray shook his head, his cheeks flushed, "Listen, that's my condition. This is the way I'm helping. Take it or leave it – if you don't want to, then you can all just die here on this farm." He said, getting up from the bed and towering over me.

"I thought you didn't want us to get killed," I said, linking my fingers in front of me.

"If you're going to get yourselves killed as soon as we escape, I'd prefer you to get shipped out." He answered, and paused, "So, what are you going to do? Will you accept my condition?" he asked me.

I hung my head, gripping my fingers tightly. I don't like this. Anna's notes were too simple and cryptic, and nothing like this 'condition' was mentioned in them. What do I do? I don't want to accept a condition like that. Emma would never forgive me if I did…

And yet… I don't have a choice, right now. Ray's right when he says he's one of the most important trump cards I'll ever have.

"Okay…" I agreed, letting out a shaky breath.

Ray relaxed his posture, and nodded, "If your words just now, were a lie…" he trailed off in warning, putting a hand to my shoulder.

I gulped, and nodded, "I know. I wasn't lying." I gave him a smile, hoping it worked. Ray only nodded his head, and turned and left me alone in the dormitory.

I let him go, hunched over, covering my mouth…

It worked… Ray was willing to become a double-agent, like Anna's notes had said. But… Giving up on taking everyone…!?

Ray is logical, while Emma is trusting. It's easy to trick Emma, but not so with Ray. The smart thing to do is… But… I want to be like Emma. I want to save them if I can!

I got up from my position on the bed, and turned my gaze towards the door with determination.

First, I needed to find Anna and confirm some things! There had to be a better outcome on the horizon, otherwise she wouldn't have trusted me to help make it so!

(Anna POV)

"Anna!"

I'd been chatting with Phil, when all of a sudden, Norman appeared around the corner, speed-walking towards me. I felt nervous butterflies spasm in my chest, as he joined the two of us.

Norman caught his breath for a moment, then spoke, "…Do you have a moment? I'd like to talk to you alone." He asked me, looking me in the eye.

Nervous, I nodded, "Oh, um… Yes. Of course." I agreed, and turned to look down to Phil, smiling at him, "I have to go talk to Norman for a little bit, okay? Be good and I'll let you pick out tonight's story, okay?" I told him.

Phil grinned excitedly, "Okay! Bye-bye!" he said, running off while waving back at us.

After he turned a corner and disappeared from our view, Norman turned to me, "Story?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Phil realised it'd been a while since I'd done Story Night, so I thought, why not? Gotta keep up appearances and all." I answered.

Norman nodded in understanding, and I continued, "So… Did you and Ray talk? How did it go?" I asked him.

"He agreed, just like you said he would. But I'm still uneasy about the whole thing." Norman looked down, then lifted his head to look back at me, "But let's wait until we're alone to continue." He said.

"Right." I agreed, and we began moving to a more secluded area. That ended up being playroom, since everyone else was mostly outside, still. There was still a good twenty minutes before Isabella started calling us inside for the day.

After taking a moment to make sure that we truly were alone for our talk, Norman sighed out,

"So… So far, according to your notes and from what I can tell, everything is going according to the original, withholding Conny's survival and Dominic taking her place." Norman glanced towards the window thoughtfully, "It still all sounds too fantastical to believe, but I can't ignore the accuracy of your 6-year-old self's notes… And, I want to believe in you, Anna." He said finally, turning back to me.

I widened my eyes, "Really? You don't think I'm crazy…?" I asked him breathlessly.

Norman grinned, "Oh, you're definitely crazy." He answered, his smile seeping into his tone.

I nearly choked on air. What?!

He shook his head, still smiling, "It's hardly logical to reveal all of your hand, even to someone like me. It puts you in a very vulnerable position. I could easily exploit you for your information, and I would, if it guaranteed us a way out without any losses." He told me, straight.

I sighed, and nodded, leaning against the wall behind us, "Yeah… I know that." I said, and paused to think, "But even if it seems like I made the wrong decision, I don't want to regret it. Because I trust you, Norman. I know you're smart, and not reckless, especially not with Emma's safety at stake, so you'd never want to change something that could cause some unforeseen tragedy to befall her." I said, turning to look at him.

Norman spluttered, and his cheeks were pink, "I wouldn't want that for any of us!" he insisted.

I grinned at him, "But especially not Emma, right?" I teased, then got serious, "Listen. I thought long and hard about this. But I made my decision, and now I need to put my faith in you that you'll understand that my information is not to be misused. And… I…" I trailed off, feeling my throat tighten a little.

"…And?" Norman prompted, noticing the sudden pause.

I let out another breath, shrugging, "I was just… tired. And I felt lonely, I think. I've kept all of this to myself for 9 years now, and I think I just had to tell somebody. But I couldn't tell Emma because I was scared it'd break her heart. I know she cares about me so deeply, and I didn't want to admit that I'd known all along that none of the other kids were really getting adopted all this time. I'm scared that she'll blame me for not having done enough for them…" I bit my lip, as the tightening of my throat started making it harder to get my words out.

"Anna…" Norman said softly, but I avoided his eyes, "Hey. Look at me, okay Anna?" he coached, putting a hand on my shoulder and moving around a bit to face me.

Once he had my tentative attention, Norman gave me an encouraging smile,

"You know how Emma is, don't you? Emma loves this house and everyone in it, unconditionally. And since you've come here, she's loved and believed in you from the start. You're her little sister." He said gently.

"But, I…!" I tried to cut in and he shook his head, stubborn.

"That's why I think Emma would never blame you or be mad at you for what you did or didn't do. Instead, she'd probably just be upset that you had to face it all on your own and didn't feel that you could confide in her about it. But definitely, she'll forgive you. I think you should tell her." Norman told me and I widened my eyes, shaking my head frantically.

"But if I tell her too much…!" I began, then was shocked into silence when I heard some of the smaller kids run by outside the room. After a moment of keeping quiet, I continued, whispering, "S-She might do things differently and we might not be able to escape this time, if I tell her the wrong thing and she acts on it."

Norman tilted his head, "Isn't it the same with me? I'm sure we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, had you not told me." He said, and he was totally right…

"That's…" I bit my tongue.

"Don't worry. I didn't mean right now. But you should tell her, after we've gotten outside," Norman maintained and I didn't say anything; he continued, trying to persuade me, "You had enough faith in your 'Big Brother'. At least think about extending the same trust to your 'Big Sister', for me?" he asked.

He has a point. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't hold them both to the same standards.

"…I-I'll think about it." After a moment stewing in silence, I relented.

The smile Norman gave me in response was practically shining, and he moved in to give me a warm hug, "I'm sorry. It must've been tough to live with this, all this time. But now, we can use your knowledge as a guideline, to ensure everyone's safety. Thank you, for telling me, Anna." He said and I sucked in a breath.

My heart…! That's not fair, Norman…!

I sunk into his hug, returning it and resting my head against his shoulder and just letting myself be comforted by my 'big brother'.

Some time passed, and I felt much better for it when we pulled away from each other, and Norman looked slightly sheepish, "Actually, now that I've confirmed your notes up to where we currently are in your 'story', if it's okay, I have some questions?" he asked me.

I nodded, "Yeah… Of course, I'll explain where I can." I agreed. Norman seemed pleased with my consent.

He got right into it.

"As it is, the notes are difficult to understand if you don't have the same information you do, Anna. For example, 'The Knight will work for both Black and White.' While I was able to surmise that it meant Ray would be a double-agent, that's all you really wrote. However, Ray put forward a condition for his compliance, which you didn't write anything about." He said.

'His condition?' I parroted internally, then remembered, and nodded my head, "To trick Emma and leave the kids behind at the last second?" I replied.

Norman nodded quickly, pointing slightly with slightly widened eyes, "Yes, exactly that!" he said, excitement bubbling up and catching me off guard.

"Norman, are you okay?" I asked him.

Norman nodded again, calming himself down, "Y-Yeah… It's just so weird, you know? It's like you were there," he said, and looked like he was holding back a 'but', but didn't voice it;

"But yeah, that's what Ray asked for. But you didn't write that down. In fact, this information is very basic, and even with the glossary it's almost impossible to glean much more from it then what's written, especially at a first glance. Is there a reason you left out so much detail?" he asked me.

I hummed, "It's because… I was always worried about Mama or Sister Krone finding it and reading it. I wanted to write it in a way that if I saw the notes, they'd jog my memories of the story, but it wouldn't really mean anything to an outsider reading it who didn't know what I knew. So, I disguised everything as notes for a story to tell at bedtime, just in case someone did read it." I explained to him.

Norman rubbed his chin pensively, "I see… It's true that any of the younger kids would see this and think it was simply a bedtime story." He agreed.

"I'm sorry if it confused you, Norman… And I'm glad that your talk with Ray still went to plan." I apologized and he shook his head, saying that it was fine.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts, then look back at me,

"Alright, then what do you want to do? I'd like to make use of these notes, but is there a way we can work around them to make sure everyone is still safe, or a way we can make the outcome even better? Of course, I'd prefer more detailed notes to refer to." He began.

Cautiously, I spoke up, "About that… Even though I trust you, Norman, I'm still worried about just telling you everything. The reason you were all able to escape originally, was because of everyone's own ideas coming together without my input, and I don't to take credit for what is technically your hard work. That's why… I'd much prefer pointing you all in the right direction… or something." I trailed off, feeling stupider with every word I said.

Was I even making sense…?

Apparently, Norman caught the gist of what I was getting at and hummed, "I guess I can understand your concerns there. Your foreknowledge is kind of like an outlier in the grand scheme of things." He pondered on the situation, and after a moment, he snapped his fingers, "Then, how about we make a compromise?" he decided.

"Compromise? How so?" I asked him, genuinely curious. Could Norman have a solution?

Norman smiled confidently, "You don't have to tell me everything, right now. Just tell me things that you think I need to know, in order to keep things running smoothly or make things better. I'll accept it and leave it at that for now, but in return for my faith, you'll have to come completely clean, not only to me but everyone else as well, once we're out of this dangerous situation. How does that sound?" he asked me.

That… That does sound good, for the immediate future, but telling everyone everything still gives me anxiety…!

Norman continued;

"I know you're worried about messing up the future, but how do you know that it'll automatically deviate in a negative way if you do? We can use your information as warnings, so we're not caught unaware when a dangerous situation arrives. We can use it to catch our enemies off guard when they think they've got the upper hand. We can utterly defeat Mama, and the Demons and they won't know what hit them. If you think of it in a more positive light, there's no reason to be afraid, right?" he added, and he knew it was working, I could see it in the glint of his blue eyes.

"Norman…! When you put it like that, it makes me feel stupid for not even seeing that." I averted my eyes, my cheeks feeling flushed in embarrassment.

Norman shook his head, "You were used to only seeing it from one angle, and facing it on your own. That's why it's important for us to share information and discuss things. Other people can help you see from a perspective you wouldn't have thought have on your own. We can make the best out this situation, and find a way to escape. Okay?" he said and I sighed out, defeated.

"Okay…!" I sucked in a breath, still feeling a little tense, "Then, I'll revise the notes and get them to you tonight." I said and Norman quickly cut in, disagreeing.

"Tomorrow." He corrected me.

"Huh?" I blinked in surprise.

Norman smiled and nodded, "You promised Phil you'd read a story tonight, remember? Get them to me tomorrow." He clarified and I let out a breath, smiling too.

"…Right!"

It felt like a weight off my shoulders.

The next day, after the daily litany tests were completed, the kids all bounded outside to get right to playing after all their hard work, weaving through we older kids as we headed out at a more sedate pace. Norman and I trailed behind, and once I was sure nobody was paying attention to us, I discreetly pulled out the fresh notebook I had jotted down notes in and slipped it into Norman's waiting hand.

As quickly as I'd brought it out, he tucked it into the waist band of his white pants and gave me an appreciative smile, nodding his head.

"Thanks," he whispered, then raised his voice a little for the others to hear, "Let's head out to the forest. Don and Gilda, if you could keep an eye on everything else, for us? We won't be long," he said.

Emma and Ray nodded in agreement, followed by Don and Gilda, though more hesitantly so.

"You're not busy anymore, Anna?" Emma asked me, and I nodded.

"Yes, I finished everything alright," I replied with a smile.

Now that I currently had Norman's trust, he felt comfortable with letting me back in on their planning, thankfully.

It was only a day or so, but it was a day filled with uncertainty. At least I had Conny to keep my spirits up. But thinking of when I'd have to reveal it all one day, as I promised Norman, was daunting.

We split off from Don and Gilda and slipped into the cover of the forest to talk.

As Emma came to a halt ahead of us, deeming us to be at a secluded enough spot, she turned back to face the three of us.

"So? How did the plan with the fake rope go? Who was the source of information?" she asked, chipper.

"Oh, that…" Ray blinked; he paused, glancing at me, then made an internal decision and pointed his thumb towards himself, "It's me. I'm the one leaking information to Mama." He said matter-of-factly, catching Norman off guard by how easily he admitted it in front of Emma.

Now all that was needed was the delayed reaction from Emma. I had to admit, seeing her reaction in person was funnier than I remembered it being.

She thrust her pointer finger in Ray's direction, "IT WAS YOU!?" she cried, and I moved closer and grabbed her shoulder, using my other hand to gesture for her to be quieter.

She was so loud that I wouldn't be surprised if even the kids closer to the House heard that.

Emma managed to regain some of her composure, quieting down and grabbing her head, "S-Sorry about that, but I… I just don't understand…?" she stammered. She was totally taken by surprise.

Norman raised his hand, ready to explain to the confused red-head. After a few minutes, Emma had been brought up to speed.

"So… You betrayed us, but you're not our enemy. You were acting as Mama's subordinate all this time for our sake?" she asked, for clarification. Ray nodded his head in response. Emma furrowed her brows, glancing at me. "And Anna's not surprised… why?" she asked.

I raised my hand, "Ah. That's because Ray already told me, ahead of time, because he wanted me to help you and Norman learn the truth." I told her.

Emma looked worried, "Wait, so do you mean that… you already knew about the Demons on that night?" she asked me.

I winced, and nodded, "Truth be told… You know I like to sneak to the gate sometimes, even though we're not allowed?" I asked and Emma nodded, "Actually, years ago, now… I happened to see one, in the shadows. So, it was easy for Ray to convince me, since I already knew there were monsters like that out there." I explained.

I saw Ray raise and eyebrow at me, but hey, it's technically true. Only, it was when I was handed over to Isabella by that matron and the Demon with her, that I saw one last. Therefore, it's not a lie.

I had to slowly get used to the idea of telling them the truth, for when the time came. Even though, after we leave this place, anything I can tell them will be spotty. There are a lot of gaps where I can't even put my memories to good use.

"I see…" Emma said, her voice small.

Ray spoke up, "The truth is, I had planned for Anna and I to tell you guys the truth as soon as you came back from the gate. But you all forgot to bring back Beary, and then you started saying things like 'I want to take everyone along with us'," he snarked, causing Emma to flinch.

"I still can't believe you didn't predict Emma would say something like that, Ray," I told the black-haired boy, who sent me a look that shut me up right away.

"You forgot Beary too. Even when you knew and shouldn't have been as shaken up as Emma and Norman would have been." Ray said and I twitched.

I hung my head, "I said I was sorry…" I said, cheeks red from being put on the spot by Ray. Although, I wasn't sorry, for obvious reasons.

After all, that had been on purpose to preserve the plot enough to bring in Krone.

I almost missed a small huffing noise from Ray, and glanced up as he kept speaking, maintaining a cool expression, "Anyway, Mama found out so I had to manage the situation. And you guys were being reckless, so I figured I should focus on recovering some semblance of control." Ray said.

"So, you were covering up our mistake. And you were so against taking everyone that you felt you had to maneuver behind our backs." Emma nodded, understanding.

Ray smirked, "Yeah, but don't worry. It's different now. Norman figured out I was the traitor and convinced me. This time, I'll definitely help you escape with everyone." He said, partially lying, which was obvious only to Norman and I who glanced at each other wordlessly.

However, Emma was sharp, "Huh? That's not like you, Ray?" she blinked, causing Ray to look back at her, "If you don't change your mind right away, then you usually never do." She added.

"So, you think he's lying?" Norman asked, stepping forward.

Emma shook her head, putting her hands behind her back with a smile, "No, I'm happy. Ray's going to help all of us escape. And now we have information to trick Mama from the inside. It's great!" she said, then glanced at me again,

"But I see… Ray, and you, Anna… You both knew everything for longer than I thought. It must've been so hard. Knowing, and still sending the kids off. Thinking on it, now it makes sense that Anna didn't feel well when Dominic's adoption was announced…" Emma moved closer to me, and reached out for my hand.

I smiled sadly, and met her half-way, grabbing her hand and answering the question in her heart, "I didn't want you to feel the way I did, Emma. I couldn't stand to see you cry, but in the end, I guess it was inevitable if I wanted us to get out of here. I'm sorry for keeping quiet." I apologized.

Emma shook her head, "I'm sorry you felt you had to keep quiet! From now on, I want you to feel okay with coming to me with things like this, okay? We'll share the burden together. All of us! Right, Norman? Ray? No more secrets!" she said, and both Norman and Ray nodded in agreement, eyeballing me and causing me to wince.

Emma doesn't know. And yet she said something like that…!

Ouch… this guilt is killing me. I'm not strong enough for this kind of secrecy, but this is really my life right now.

I grimaced, "I've gotten so used to keeping it to myself, so I might not be able to say everything right away… but I want to try hard to be more open about what's worrying me." I replied.

Emma nodded with a smile, accepting it, "Take as long as you need! We'll always be here for you, Anna." She said happily.

Norman nodded, "Right. Whenever you're comfortable, you can feel safe confiding in us." He agreed.

"What they said," was all that Ray said, but I still saw more, unsaid words in his eyes. What it meant, I didn't know, but I felt happy knowing that even if he didn't say it in words, Ray cared.

I found myself smiling, my heart warming at the thought, and I nodded wordlessly, looking at them appreciatively.

Emma nodded her head once more, then turned to Ray, "Hey, can I ask one thing, Ray?"

Ray blinked, and nodded, so Emma continued; "The experiments on the trackers. Does that mean that you experimented on the ear of one of our siblings?" she asked, catching the boys off guard; she continued, "What happened to that kid… or those kids? You didn't cause them to be shipped out early, right? You didn't sacrifice someone for our sake, did you?" she asked him, each word cutting deeper, as she stepped closer and closer to Ray.

Reaching out to Ray, she kept talking, "Actually, never mind. It's okay. Thank you. Because of it, we can now all run away, but," she paused, and grabbed one of his hands with both of hers, "Never sacrifice one of us like that ever again." She said, and though I couldn't see her face, Ray's told Norman and I all we needed to know.

Emma was dead serious.

"You're not alone. You're not alone anymore, so…" Emma trailed off, and Ray smiled, raising his free hand to swear.

"I'll never do it again. Promise. Let's all escape from here, together." He said, and I averted my eyes, coincidentally meeting Norman's. We didn't say anything, and Norman's subtle act of placing a hand over the spot he'd hidden my small notebook on his waistband signified that we both already knew.

Ray had no intention of having everyone escape. We'd just have to drag him along for the ride, then.

There's no way I'm going to let that stray from the original story. Not a chance in hell.

My memories may be hazy when it comes to the start of the night the kids all escape from the house… I'm still trying every day to remember the significance of the word 'Fire.' But I'm not going to let that stop me from trying.

We're going to get out of here. All of us.

Norman nudged my side, snapping me out of my thoughts and I looked at him curiously.

He gave me a small smile, nodding, "That was a good start. With Emma," he encouraged, and I blushed.

I nodded my head, choosing not to say anything.

Soon after that, we adjourned our little meeting and met up with the other kids, ready to start 'playing tag' again for the day. Norman and Ray hung back, apparently the former wanted to talk more with the latter.

I set it aside for the moment. I couldn't remember it being anything bad.

Onigiriri: Sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but it was a longer one so I hope that makes up for the time it took. I hope that you liked it, and it was worth it! Please let me know what you thought in a review, if you have the time. It's the fuel I need to keep going forward, as in times such as this it's hard to find the motivation to do anything at all, if you know what I mean. The fact that you guys read my stuff really helps raise my spirits. Thanks! xxx