After their successful prison escape, Ray, Emma, and the other Grace Field children above the age of five venture out into the new world that they know nothing about.
✦ What will they possibly encounter in this world ruled by demons - and demons alo...
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The room was filled with the clinking of cutlery and the rustling of napkins as the children dug into their meals. She sat at the table, a spoon and fork in hand, her gaze wandering across the room. It felt oddly uncomfortable, this silence that enveloped them all. Even the younger ones seemed unusually quiet, focused solely on their food. To her right was Norman, and seated across from her was Vincent, their eyes occasionally meeting in fleeting glances.
Vincent couldn't help but ponder silently as he ate. 'She's all grown up; I almost couldn't recognize her.' The thought had lingered since their reunion earlier, the mystery of why she had a new identity.
While the others continued to eat, there was a little girl struggling to feed herself. Her tiny hand trembled, unable to hold the spoon with any strength. She sat next to Ninelie, and Ninelie couldn't help but notice her difficulties. The child's forearm and fingers were covered in stitches, many of them bandaged, and her skin displayed painful bruises. The agony in her arms and hands was so intense that she couldn't even straighten her back.
Ninelie reached out, gently taking the little girl's spoon and offering support to her fragile back. "Does it hurt a lot?"
The girl looked up at the twelve-year-old, shaking her head weakly, "N-No, it's alright! I can do it on my own."
"You shouldn't force yourself if the pain is unbearable," Ninelie replied.
"But—"
Before the little girl could finish her sentence, Ninelie playfully mimicked an airplane with her spoon, and the child eagerly followed suit. As the first spoonful entered the little girl's mouth, her eyes lit up, and she began to chew with delight.
"It's yummy, right?" Ninelie asked with a warm smile.
The child nodded happily, her mouth too full to speak.
Ninelie continued to feed the child until her plate was empty, but the little girl's appetite seemed insatiable. So, Ninelie shared the remaining portion of her own meal, ensuring the child had a full stomach.
As soon as the girl's feeding frenzy ended, she fell asleep, leaning on Ninelie, which drew envious glances from the other children.
"What are you going to do now?" Norman asked, his concern evident.
Ninelie turned to him, her eyebrows raised. "Do about what?"
Norman sighed at the oblivious girl, "You only ate a little,"
Norman sighed, slightly amused by her obliviousness. "You barely ate," he pointed out, reaching for the plate he had set aside just in case she ended up feeding the little girl her entire meal (which she did). However, as he extended his plate toward hers, Vincent intervened, swapping their plates and leaving Ninelie with a platter still brimming with food.
