Norman x Reader || SAUDADE

32-N-everland

"Everyone wake up!" I heard someone yell in a far distance, Phil? 

I felt as if my body was floating mid-air, so light and airy, that it pulled me out of the darkness I've been constrained in. My eyes fluttered open at the slight change of the scenery, little dots of light infiltrated my once dark world, I needed to blink a few times trying to adjust to the light. Clear blue sky. That was the first thing I saw the moment I opened my eyes. My fingers moved themselves against the terrain below me, it was damp, granular, but smooth in the touch. I can hear the sound of water not far from me. I'm surprised as to how water could produce such thunderous noise. 

"Look!" I can hear Phil even more clearly this time. The other cheerful voices chirped in along with Phil not long after. I hesitantly turned my head into the direction of the eruption of laughter and cheers, where are we? 

"________, we made it." Ray sat up beside me as he nodded his head at the view before us. 

Groggily, I tried to prop myself up and the unfamiliar buildings and situation rushed into me. Is this what sand feels like? Are we at a beach, and that large body of water is the sea? This-this is truly a sight to behold. 

"Are we really?" I breathed out. 

"We did." He grinned while closing his eyes with his hands in relief. 

I saw that particular tall statue standing not too far from us, I've read it once in a book, that's the Statue of Liberty, the symbol of freedom. 

"Emma?" I heard Phil asked particularly to no one. Emma? I immediately scanned and counted the heads of people all around me, it became a little habit we picked up from Grace Field. 

"She's not here." I felt dread filling my mind. 

Everything turned into a very dire point, that I can feel my stomach churning badly. She said she's going to be here with us, that there's going to be no reward! Ray, Norman and Emma, they're all the same! They could lie so easily in front of our faces! 

 "Norman!" Don cried out. I saw Norman dropped down to his knees after realizing what had just happened. 

"Ray?" I stared at the boy who was now balling his fist so hard, his nails almost dug into his flesh. 

"Ray!" I held his arm in an attempt to shake him out of his thoughts. 

"I'm such an idiot!" He gritted his teeth. 

Norman wasn't in the right state of mind either. Everyone was wreaking havoc, looking for Emma's possible whereabouts. That girl! This is not true victory if we have to sacrifice another in order to achieve it! You said so yourself.

Amongst our distressed search, a flying aircraft hovered from above and landed safely above the ocean in front of us. It was taking the shape of a large triangle, something that you might see on the geometry tests we've done back then. In the centre of the triangle, there were four drone-like engines, probably the sole reason as to how that device was able to fly in the first place. I noticed a man was walking out of it, towards the top surface rather calmly if I say so myself. He was a little bit older than the people I have seen in my whole life, familiar signature silver hair, cleanly pressed suit and a dignified stature. Not long after, another bunch of people appeared behind him, judging by their rather submissive stance, they must've been his subordinates. 

"My name is Mike Ratri, I'm Peter's uncle and the current head proxy of the Ratri clan. Code "solid", I am already aware and I'm not an enemy. Our clan would no longer harm any of you children." He smiled gently. 

"We'll take you in. Climb aboard and quick, before things get even more complicated." He told us motioning to the crowd of people forming across us.