I sat down at the table and pulled my headphones over my head. I shifted anxiously in my seat. I've taken plenty of exams before but they've never been literally life and death. If my score is bad enough... I'll be shipped out next. Nina turned the lights off and the board I was sitting at lit up.

"Age 9, type 1. Answer each question within nine seconds." My stomach churned as the test began.

~timeskip brought to you by Sasha's potato~

The test ended and the lights flicked back on. My stomach was churning anxiously. But...
"Congratulations, Poppy, Reina, Hannah! The three of you got perfect scores!" Nila exclaimed, handing out the sheets with the scores on them. I picked mine up and my hands were trembling. I flipped it over to reveal... 298/300. I exhaled deeply. It really was easy- not in the sense that I could've done it as my old self- no way in hell. But all of the questions I easily understood and was able to calculate the answer quickly- much quicker then I've ever been able to.

"Y/n didn't get a perfect score?"

"Wow, that's the first time in a while!"

"Well, she was sick for nearly two whole weeks! We learned a bunch of new material. She probably didn't know some of them."

I exhaled, putting my head on my desk. It was incredible for me- way beyond my own expectations- but it wasn't a perfect score. Poppy walked up beside me and sighed, patting my back.

"What'd you get?" She asked.

"298." I mumbled. She grinned.

"Still better than my average!" She cheered happily.

"You only have a lower average because you neglect in studying half the time." Reina leaned over, talking to her.

"Well, I didn't this time!" I turned my attention away from the two friends argument to the kids surrounding Chris, who was sitting in front of me.

"Chris, wow! That's really high!"

"What got you out of your slump?!" The children around him we're exclaiming.

"Oh, I know~" Poppy inserted herself into their conversation. "You were so worried about Y/n you could barely focus~~! But now that she's better you did your best to please her~~" She tee hee'd

"Wha-? No-!" Chris stuttered, turning around and making eye contact with me for a split second. I laughed and decided to give the boy some piece of mind.

"I'm happy to know you were worried, but don't let it affect your scores!" I gave him a bright smile before leaning over his shoulder to see his score- 298

"We got the same!" I exclaimed, and he turned to me, open mouthed.

"Let's work together to do even better next time, m'kay!" I enthused. The kid was mad blushing and it was hilarious- wait.

I'm a kid.

Hell, I'm a half-year younger than him.
What the f*ck??!

But I'm (age) at heart so it doesn't count!!...right????

...although I have the mental capacity of a five year old... I sighed, flopping back down in my seat.

"Hey," Reina said, turning to me. "If you're that discouraged I could tutor you on the stuff you've missed?"She offered kindly. Blergh. Studying.

"I mean..." I began. I really should catch up, but.... ion wannaaa.

"C'mon, Y/n, don't chicken out on us!" Poppy said, karate chopping my head. "I know you're desperately trying to find an excuse, you can't fool me!!"

"W-well, uh, I may be still a little under the weather, so maybe I should take it easy-"

"I'll give you my desert for a week."

"Deal"

One week went by incredibly quickly. The next thing I new, it was Ichika's adoption day. And even though I hated myself for it, it was time to commence my plan. Right before Ichika left with Isabella I pulled Chris aside. I was going to use his crush on me... and I'm a horrible person...

"Oi-" he said as I pulled him into a room in closed the door. He noticed it was me and shut up.

"Chris..." I began. "Can I trust you?"

- - time skip - -

I pushed open the secret door in mom's room. Daisy and Hannah's eyes went wide. Daisy gaped while Hannah sweat anxiously.

"U-um..." she began. I gave her a look and then gave the key back to Hiromi, one of the little kids.

"Tell mama you found it on the ground, okay?" I said. She gave me a sneaky nod and ran away.
I exhaled and opened the door the rest of the way, leading the two girls into the basement room. They saw all of the trinkets from their siblings and their eyes widened.

"W-why?" Daisy asked, completely shocked. "They would've been delivered, right?! So, why are they here?" Her voice was trembling, dripping with the truth that began to seep into her brain. I looked to Hannah, who was staring at the floor, and my eyes saddened.

My voice was sincere and low as I spoke. "So you do know..." I led the two out of the room and sat in the dining room, across from them.
"There's something I need to tell you..."

//Third person POV//

Chris did just as Y/n asked, although he was extremely hesitant. He pulled Reina and Poppy aside and explained exactly what Y/n had told them. Reina looked very skeptical but there was a deep trust in her eyes, so she went along. Poppy was more hesitant, but she chalked it up to Y/n's rebellion and decided to go with.

But they weren't prepared.

The three snuck to the gate long after Nina had left with their little sister. Chris made sure the coast was clear and they quietly made their way to the back of the truck. His hands trembled as he pulled it open...

The three kids eyes widened in shock. Reina stifled Poppy's shout and Chris tried not to vomit. Remembering Y/n's words, "get out of there immediately," he grabbed both of them and ran away from the dead body as fast as possible. "But stay close by. Don't be seen."

He pulled them beside the outside of the gate and Reina peeked over the edge while Chris tried to calm Poppy down. All the sudden Reina tensed up and the two peeked over the edge to see what it was.

They almost vomited at the sight of two grotesque demons, picking up their sister and plopping her into a blue vat.

"What the hell?!" Chris almost spoke aloud. His hands unclenching as he fought his freeze response along with the other two. His hands twitched as he finally managed to break free, grabbing the two's hands as they all helped each other run back to the house.

- - -

Y/n looked at the two pale girls in front of her and inhaled a sharp breath. Would they really believe her? She looked anxiously to the window. Would the other three be okay? Her eyes lit up as she saw them tumbling over the hill, getting closer and closer. She stood up and nodded to the two girls, who followed her outside to meet them at the door.

The six siblings met up together, all of them a sweaty mess.

"Y-Y/n..." Chris' voice was the first to work.

"Ichika-" Poppy's voice cracked.

"She really?" Daisy's voice trembled.

"Y/n! What the hell are you doing?!" Hannah shouted, finally having her outburst. Y/n was about to speak when Reina slapped her across the face.

"You're going to explain, Y/n. Right now." Her voice was riddled with grief but was cold, unlike anything Y/n had heard from Reina before.

"L-lets go inside first..."

They all were huddled on the floor beside Y/n's bed, which was the last on its end, so some were leaning against the wall. Y/n gulped. Her throat was parched. All gulping did was make the frog in her throat rise painfully bigger.

"I-I'll explain..." she said, picking the best way to explain this all to them.

"The last time someone was 'adopted', I witnessed it..." she lied, but no one seemed to doubt it for a second.

"So you knew..." Poppy spoke for the first time since they got back. "You knew what would happen to Ichika today-" her voice was cracking as she spoke. Y/n looked to the ground, her own tears threatening to fall.

"Why'd you have to make us witness that?" Chris' voice was mellow and sad.

"I-I needed some way to get you all to believe me..." Y/n spoke quietly.

"We would've believed you without it!" Reina spoke loudly. Y/n tensed and she looked at her, her sapphire eyes shining coldly.

"Really?" Her voice was filled with sadness but truth as she looked to every kid in the small circle.

"Would every single one of you have believed what I said?"

They all looked to the floor, the truth hitting them in the face.

"You would've believed me when I said we are being raised to be cattle? That it was our own mom shipping is out? That this world is a demons world?! Can you really say that truthfully?!" She concluded, her throat aching.

Daisy was the first to speak up. "No..."

All of them looked to the ground in sadness, weighed down with grief.

'How can I defuse the situation?' Y/n thought. 'How can I give them hope?' Y/n took a deep breath.

"But I have a plan..." she began. Poppy, Daisy and Reina were the first to look up. "It may be dangerous, and no guarantee... hella reckless- I mean, stupidly reckless, it's me making the plan, who am I kidding." Daisy, Reina, and Poppy all gave out small chuckles, trying to release the sadness pent up inside of them.

"But I know we can do it." Y/n said, looking them all in the eye. All of a sudden Hannah sniffled.

"I-I'm sorry!" She was trying not to cry as she spoke. "I-I've known for years but I never said anything, or tried anything, or helped anyone..." she was on the verge of tears as she spoke. Reina's eyes softened as she patted the girl's head and pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay." She said softly.

"Yeah." Poppy agreed.

"It's not your fault. It was probably really scary, all on your own!" Daisy happily whispered. The five girls pulled eachother into a group hug, but a soft voice interrupted them.

"Sorry..." Chris' voice was low. "I think I'm out." He said softly. All the girls stopped and looked at him.

"I'm nothing significant anyway. I'm sure I'll just hold you back...I'm not the smartest here, and I'm not resourceful... I even have a weak stomach...I almost barfed earlier..." he stared at the floor.

"Don't say that..." Poppy said softly.

"C'mere~" Y/n said, extending her arm from the group hug. Chris blushed and shuffled in, and they all had a mini sob fest together.

It reminded Y/n of old times.

But usually she was crying alone.

"Damn I really need a therapist." She muttered.

"What was that?" Poppy asked.

"Oh, nothing..." Y/n muttered.