"Just so you know," Yu said, staring at Marlowe with a deadpan expression, "I ate all the rice. There's none left for you."
"What? Really?" Marlowe looked at him, stunned.
"Of course not," he said, smirking. "The kids enjoyed it."
She let out a relieved breath and smiled. "You almost got me there."
Yu shrugged lazily. "So, what did it take to collect the stuff this time around?"
Marlowe froze for a moment, her smile faltering. She hadn't said anything earlier.
"Jezz..." Yu muttered. "Next time, we're giving them my blood instead."
"That bad-tasting blood of yours?" Marlowe chuckled. "It'll just give the demons a stomachache."
"Huh?"
"Just kidding," she laughed again, waving her hand.
But Yu didn't laugh. His voice grew firm. "Stop it."
Marlowe blinked. "Stop what?"
"Stop trying to bear everything by yourself," Yu said sharply.
"I'm not—"
"I'm not an idiot, Mar. I know you're human, even if you act like you're not. Giving your blood after every clearance takes a toll on you."
Marlowe looked down, her hands gripping her sleeves. For once, she didn't argue.
"That's enough," she whispered. "The kids really hang on to your every word, you know?"
She stood up, brushing her skirt with determination.
"We're going to escape this place," she declared. "We won't lose to them. That alone... is enough."
Yu watched her silently. Marlowe wiped at her eyes quickly and turned toward the kitchen.
"Alright! Let's eat some rice."
A moment later, she returned with two plates. She placed one in front of Yu with a soft smile.
"I don't want it," he said, pushing the plate back.
But Marlowe didn't budge. "You never ate, did you?"
"That's none of your business."
She crossed her arms. "No can do. It's not a request. It's an order."
Yu narrowed his eyes. "And why should I take orders from you?"
Because I am your big sis!
Without a word, Marlowe dropped a gun and a folded piece of paper on the table beside the food.
"We need to escape this place. And we can't do that on an empty stomach, can we?" she said, smiling.
Yu stared at her, still stubborn. But the look in her eyes the confident grin, the fire sent a chill down his spine. He reluctantly grabbed the spoon.
"She's scary when she's angry," he muttered as he took a bite.
"Oh, that's a good boy," Marlowe teased.
"But that's not all. Ta-da!" she sang, opening the folded paper to reveal half of a map. She laid it beside the gun. "It even shows the exits but it's only half."
Yu reached into his pocket and pulled out another piece of paper. "We can use this as the other half."
"Where did you get that?" Marlowe asked, eyes wide.
"You think I've been walking around doing nothing?" Yu replied coolly.
A grin slowly spread across Marlowe's face. "Nice one, Yu. You're finally acting like a Blackwood."
Yu blushed, quickly stuffing a spoonful of rice in his mouth to hide it.
"Wait… Did you take that from that noble? What was his name again... Fred...rick something?"
Yu tried to recall.
Marlowe sighed. "You forgot already? His name's Fred. Just Fred."
"Oh. Yeah. That guy."
"I was snooping around his mansion," Marlowe said. "It's huge. Way bigger than our house. Like I'd give up my precious blood for free without learning something."
Yu set his spoon down slowly, staring at her. "So… what now?"
"Now?" She grinned. "Now we run. For real this time."
Yu blinked. "Are you serious?"
Marlowe stood tall, hands on her hips like a superhero. "With the two halves of the map, our skills, and my perfect planning, we can make it. Let's get out of here, Yu."
Yu's expression grew grim. "But what about the virus? We don't know what it's like out there."
"They said it only affects adults. How old are we now?"
"Twelve."
"Then we've crossed that bridge. The world out there might be chaos, but staying here guarantees nothing but slow death."
Yu stared at her, conflicted.
"With me and the map," Marlowe continued, "and you with your strength, we can lead the whole Blackwood family to freedom."
Yu narrowed his eyes. "I can't tell if you're really smart… or just dumb. Who gave you the right to decide this stuff without even asking us?"
Before Marlowe could reply, a soft voice interrupted them.
"What are you guys doing…?"
Adela had woken up. The candlelight had roused her, and she now stood at the edge of the room, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"It's pretty late…" she said, looking around. "Oh, welcome back, Mar. Yu, you finally ate some rice!"
Yu looked at her and then turned back to Marlowe. His expression softened.
"…Alright," he said. "Let's do it."
"Yeah!" Marlowe grinned, quickly clearing the table. "Let's say our goodbyes to this prison of a world."
Adela who was standing there was confused. What are you guys doing
Marlowe tap her back hehe.. you see
---
Yurrelian's POV
A soft chime echoed in his mind as a familiar blue screen popped up.
---
Status Window
Name: Yurrelian Blackwood
Age: 12
Assimilation: 100% Complete
Skill Slots Available: 3
---
"Oh," Yu muttered. "So this is why I agreed to her crazy plan..."
He read the screen over and over again. "Let's see… I'm already athletic, so I don't need to waste a slot on that."
His eyes scanned the choices.
"Marlowe gave me a gun. So I should pick something that complements it..."
---
Do you want to choose [Marksman]?
> Yes.
---
[Skill Acquired: Marksmanship (Level 1) – Grade A]
Yu felt a pulse of heat rush through his fingertips. The knowledge of how to handle the gun Marlowe gave him now felt... natural.
"Alright," he whispered, standing. "Then let's get our escape plan started."