Warning: I did take a few liberties with regards to Add's backstory. But it should still make for a nice action thriller, right? Consider this as a sort of au. I'll see you guys on the other side.
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Act I: Purgatory
It seemed like eons ago that strange men had torched his home and chased him from it. Eons after that long-winded chase and that death dive that he shouldn't have survived. Now, having fallen through a crack in spacetime, he was here…
Edward Grenore couldn't tell how long he'd been in this library. It could've been a minute. It could've been a day. It could've been 100 years. It all felt the same, ever-looming walls filled with endless literature locking him in the damned space. The boy sat bored on a plump leather chair, letting the mysterious lights coming in through the stained glass windows illuminate his snow-white hair. His weary purple eyes scanned over the tomes in front of him one more time. Laid out on the table before him were the Holy Scriptures of the various world religions—the Bible, the Quran, the Hadith, the Vedas, and a plethora of other scriptures from minor religions that never made it to the history books. He'd searched them all, parsing their texts and contexts to see if there was any hidden meaning he could use to get out of this place.
Nothing.
Edward held his head in his hands in sheer exhaustion and disbelief. Thousands of years of literature spanning the range of all human knowledge, and still nothing. Only a few passages were remotely close, but ultimately didn't provide any information on this place. A place where it seems as if time has been stopped. Not to mention all the weird quirks that come with the location, like never needing to eat, sleep, or perform other normal bodily functions that come with time.
Nothing.
"I… I need a break," Edward said to himself. As he got up out his chair, it felt as if he'd been sitting on it for centuries. He could feel and hear the roaring crack of his spine as he finally moved after God knows how long. After a long stretch, he felt renewed and began to wander the halls of the library.
The Ancient Library was huge, and Edward believed that the hallways actually did expand into infinity (although the books didn't). He made his way down a familiar path to an outdoor terrace. He walked out into the windless, eternal night and rested his body on the stone balustrade, gazing a thousand yards into the static, pitch-black sky. He let his eyes drop below, eyeing how the foundations of the building were situated on a gigantic floating island in the middle of the void. Floating stones laidy suspended in space, and a distant waterfall on the other side of the compound trickled eternally downward into the depths. The scene was something out of a surrealist painting, and Edward had to admit that it was very peaceful. He smiled, which was rare, and went back inside.
Back into the depths.
The smile wore off his face as he wandered the labyrinth of bookshelves just outside his study area. He ran his fingers over the spines of countless books, lamenting his lack of knowledge despite having parsed all of them. With each book, he felt as if his fingers got colder and colder.
His eyes widened when he reached the last book. Without even thinking, he removed it from its place and looked at its cover.
"Impossible…" he breathed in amazement. "I checked every book in this area… But I've never seen this one."
Edward narrowed his eyes as he studied the cover. There was no illustration on the cover, but the title was written in binary. The snowy-haired boy quickly flipped through the pages and realized that it was all written in binary, with some passages written in hexadecimal. He quickly tucked the book under his arm and made his way back to the study area.
A few feet from his desk sat a strange looking machine. He opened the hatch and place the book inside. With the touch of a button, the machine whirred to life as it began translating the pages of this mysterious tome. Edward smiled again. For some reason, he had a gut feeling that this had to be the one. So he made his way back to his desk, and stared at the open Bible to his left. It was opened to a famous passage from the book of Matthew, "Seek and ye shall find."
"Let's hope so," Edward replied rhetorically. And with that, he folded his hands and waited.
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Intermission
Far elsewhere, past many multiverses and space-time continuums, another machine whirred to life. It was situated in an ancient laboratory that was now in ruins. Hundreds of years worth of decayed vines, roots, and flora covered its thick plastic hull. But once it whirred to life, the greenery burned away immediately, revealing a pod big enough to house a human body. Indeed there was a cadaver in there; a decayed form that was once a beautiful woman. A plethora of cables connected to various spots on her head, and as the machine whirred, dots of light traveled along the wires into her preserved brain. Though her body was long gone and withered, this machine gave her one last chance.
One last chance to talk to her son.
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Act II: Guidance
Edward Grenore did not get up as he waited, letting boredom weigh him down like stones. But he didn't mind—he'd gotten used to it a long time ago. There was no need to even eat or drink, since the whole compound seemed to be chronolocked, frozen eternally in time. "The Quantum Zeno Effect," or "Turing's Paradox," the quantum physics books called it. Even if Edward wanted to eat, there was no such option. Nothing grows in this realm anyways, except those fake flowers and tall grass that was placed outside by whoever created this mad house. Although you can't really call it a mad house, since nothing ever happens here.
Those thoughts ran through Edward's mind as a vain effort to stave away the overbearing boredom, until the whirring machine let out a loud ding! The sound was familiar, like the toaster ovens from entire universes away. Edward got up and opened the other hatch, and found the translated version of the Nasod book. He took a pair of huge tongs and lifted the freshly printed tome out from its hatch. With careful movements, he moved the book into a small refrigerator and let it sit in there for a few minutes. Then he took it out after it had cooled to a nice temperature.
"The Book of Time and Space," it read on the cover. Edward took the book back to his study area and began to read. Hours flew by as he analyzed the many passages within the book for anything useful. There wasn't a treasure trove of information, but it was miles ahead of everything else he'd read. The book spoke of an isolated dimension where time either doesn't flow at all or has very limited flow, similar to a place called Purgatory described in Catholic books. As Edward found more and more relevant passages, he lost himself within the book, his hunger for knowledge stirred up once again.
But over time, he began to hear a beeping noise. He thought he was just going crazy, so he ignored it at first. But the noise persisted, and so Edward got up and began to search for its source.
"Jeez, I can't be bothered with this…" he complained as he searched. He found himself back at the translation machine, But a strange yellow light was filtering through the cracks in the hatch where he left the original copy.
Opening the hatch, he found that the letters in the book were glowing a golden color. He flipped through the pages again, but the letters inside remained black. However, when he examined the book again, he found one lone page which emittedthat had the same ethereal glow. He took the book back and placed it side by side with the translated version. Finding the same passage in the translated version, Edward began to read.
"The key to overcoming Time and Space," it began, "isn't about strength nor willpower. It is more about craftiness and wit, and even then one would need the smile of fortune to be upon them. If one were so hated by the gods to have been banished into such a dimension, then he should take care to examine his surroundings. Look for glitches, look for cracks, weaknesses in the fabric of time and space. This is where fortune must smile upon him, for he may not find such a crack, no matter how long and how thoroughly he looks."
And the passage ended there.
Suddenly a breeze blew throughout the whole room. Edward widened his eyes as he felt it caress his face and run through his soft hair.
"Impossible… There hasn't ever been a breeze in this place…" Edward breathed to himself. "Is anyone there?" he shouted into the void.
"Edward…" the voice called out from the depths, echoing from the walls around Edward.
The boy narrowed his eyes. The voice seemed so familiar but he was barred from remembering who it was.
"There is no need to be afraid," the voice continued. "The freedom you seek, I can grant."
Edward's face lit up at the voice's words, and even the tone of those words brought a strange comfort and warmth to his soul.
"But you must show your strength," it commanded. Flows of heavenly light came from the walls and converged in the middle of the room, creating a warm curtain of light. "Gather your things, and when you are ready, come here."
"I… I have nothing."
"That is fine. Come."
Edward took one last look at the library, and all of a sudden he appreciated the safety it offered. There was no telling what was waiting for him on the other side of that curtain. It could be freedom, as the strange spirit promised. Or it could be death. Could he risk such a thing?
He thought about it for a moment, and the voice remained silent as he mused. Stay here for all eternity or risk death looking for something more?
"...I'll come," Edward finally decided.
"Yes…" the voice seemed warmer than it was at the beginning. "I'm proud of you. Come."
Edward followed, and the light engulfed him in a mysterious shroud. And just like that, he was gone, transported away into the unknown.
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Act III: Ruins
Edward awoke to the burning sensation of the harsh sunlight on his face. Foolishly, he opened his eyes too quickly, only to be met with the blinding light. He grunted violently as he massaged his temples to stave away the pounding on his head. Once his vision cleared and his head wasn't in pain, he began to examine his surroundings. He was sitting on a level rock in the middle of a grass plain. Tall grass and some flowers surrounded him, and there was a treeline in the distance. He turned around, and flinched when he saw where the lush grass suddenly turned into cracked ground that led to a fierce volcanic landscape. To his left, the grass also abruptly cut into hard permafrost. Edward followed that direction with his gaze and saw mountains of snow with huge shards of thick ice cut into the rock. The scene was surreal, with all of these contrasting biomes all right next to each other. Contiguous yet abrupt.
"Move quickly," the voice said. "This universe is not very stable and not very safe. Come, we're burning daylight."
"O-okay…" agreed the shaken boy. "Wh-where should I go?"
"Into the forest. Your destiny awaits there."
Edward nodded and began rushing towards the treeline. Again he felt the breeze brushing against his face and his hair, something he hadn't felt in such a long time. He instinctively ducked when he heard a loud squawking noise overhead.
"What the hell? Is that a pterodactyl?"
"Yes! Now get moving! Go!"
Add broke into a sprint at the voice's command, running through the tall grass while doing his best to keep his head low.
"Aah!" Edward screamed in pain as the creature's dragonbreath barely nicked him, singing part of his clothes. Fortunately, he made it to the safety of the forest just in time. The flame did hit some treebark to his left, but the tree was next to the water so it didn't ignite.
"Stay low," the voice instructed, and Edward did so, kneeling at the roots of a giant dark oak. He listened to the beat of the creature's wings fade away over time. About ten minutes later, total silence.
"The creature is gone, you may proceed."
"What… What was that?"
"It's best that you don't know. Keep moving."
"Mm…"
Edward crept low throughout the forest, taking care not to make too much noise. The forest was quiet, too quiet even for a forest away from any sort of civilization. But the roots and flora could very well contain untold horrors underneath. And having made it this far, he didn't want to risk anything. Still, despite the fear he felt, Edward couldn't help but be overwhelmed with wonder at finally seeing something other than that damn library. Other than the books. Other than that pitch black sky that only reminded him that he would be trapped there forever.
"Up ahead," the voice warned.
Edward looked up and saw a two-story building covered in vines. The vines were rugged and old, taking on a decayed green color. Edward reached out and touched the vines, and they disintegrated into dust right before him. He wiped away some of the flora, revealing old red brick that had crumbled and faded with time.
"This… This seems so familiar," Edward commented, wondering at the textures on his hand. He rubbed two of his fingers together, marveling at how the decayed vines crumbled like dust.
"Come…" the voice beckoned. Edward followed, making his way into the dark ruin.
"Ah, I can't see anything," he complained.
"Don't worry; I will guide you."
"O-okay…"
The boy fumbled through the maze-like area, keeping his palm on the wall and taking care to listen to the voice's every word.
"Stop," it commanded. "Stairs to your left. Take them."
Edward obeyed, grabbing hold of the railing and taking great care not to trip and fall. After a painstaking climb downwards, he finally made it. There was light up ahead, and against his better judgement Edward rushed into the room.
"Wait!" the voice exploded in his head. Edward came to a screeching halt, just before the doorframe. "Don't move, I sense something on the other side of that door."
Edward remained still, glued to the dilapidated wall behind him with his heart beating in his throat.
"Back up! Hide behind the staircase," the voice commanded, and Edward did so. The boy dropped to a crouch and duck walked away from the door, painstakingly timing every step so as to not make noise. Fortunately it wasn't too far away, and by the time Edward got there his legs were sore.
"Sit still and be silent. The creature is passing by."
Edward took a deep breath to calm himself. To his right, he heard the door slam wide open. Though it was a thin door, the impact with the wall shattered it into flying pieces of splinter.
Bwoom… Bwoom… Bwoom…
Heavy footsteps came closer and closer, and Edward prayed to God that the staircase wouldn't collapse. The creature had to have weighed at least a metric ton, and the whole building quaked with each footstep. But, like the last encounter, he just waited until there was silence. And all was still.
Edward sat still in shock, trying to process what just happened. It had happened again. Fortune had smiled on him. Instinctively his hand went to his side where he got nicked by the dragon's breath, and felt pain and joy at the same time.
"I… I should've died twice…" Edward whispered in disbelief. "Thank you…"
"You're welcome," the voice replied. "The area ahead is safe. Come."
The boy nodded and emerged from the back of the staircase, dusting off his pants and walking slowly into the room. Edward was immediately met with the smell of rotting flesh, and directlyimmediately to his right was the corpse of some large animal. It was mostly bones now, the creature that just exited must've eaten it whole. Here and there were bits of strangely colored flesh stuck to hard bone and fruit flies were already swarming the corpse. Edward winced and moved on.
Looking, around he saw more dead flora on the dirty tiled floor. This used to be a highly sophisticated laboratory, with old broken machines still laid up against that wall or strewn about on the floor. Seeing a glint, Edward made his way towards the window. A table with one leg broken was there, and the glint came from an array of strange devices that were laid out on the desk. Those devices were tiny, each about the size of a taser. Edward reached out carefully and touched them, hoping that they wouldn't ignite, electrify, or otherwise cause him any harm.
As soon as he touched them, they came to life right before his eyes. The strange devices lit up and began levitating all around him as if they were scanning him. He stared at them in awe, and it seemed that they were staring back at him with the same wonder.
"Wow…" the boy breathed. "What are these things?"
"Dynamos. They are the key to your freedom," the voice in his head responded.
The dynamos, all six of them, all converged around Edward's wrist. They arranged themselves like leaves in a petal with their horn-like ends toward the center. Together they projected a holographic text that read, "Calibration complete: Add."
"A-Add?" the boy repeated in shock.
"Do not mind it so much," the voice replied. "These dynamos can detect distortions of space and time. Use your hands to control them."
Edward, or Add, did as he was told. Moving his fingers in a way he couldn't describe, the dynamos rearranged themselves into another circle, with one dynamo sticking out in a certain direction. Edward turned until the protruding dynamo pointed directly ahead, just like a compass would.
"Excellent," the voice commended. "Follow its path. But be quick! I sense that this universe will collapse very soon."
Edward, with a renewed sense of confidence, nodded and rushed out of the lab room.
The scene outside was something not even the words "complete chaos" could describe. The entire world around him was crumbling, as if the very laws of physics that held up this universe were disintegrating. Massive patches of land had broken off, falling into the endless void below. The whole world seemed smaller as well, as the contrasting biomes were packed more tightly together. The grass plains he spawned in weren't as expansive as they were when he'd first arrived, and the glaciers and volcanoes in the distance seemed closer than they ever were.
"What… What's happening?" the frightened boy asked.
"This universe is imploding," responded the voice.
Edward watched as the land seemed to scrunch up like paper, with the flat grass plains turning jagged and treacherous.
"You don't have much time! Follow the compass!"
Edward did as he was told, taking care to keep his hands out to keep the dynamos in their current state. Twirling his fingers, he managed to arrange the dynamos above his wrist so that he could run naturally.
Skreeee!
Edward jumped to the side as a giant winged creature landed beside him. Its wings were on fire, and it bellowed and struggled as the flames slowly consumed its body. It tried to fan out the flames, but it was too late. It shriveled up like a raisin in the sun.
"Go!" the voice bellowed in Edward's head. "You can't stop moving or you'll die!"
Adrenaline flashed through his veins like lightning, and he took off at once. Heard something crumbling behind him, and surely the body of the humongous bird had fallen into the depths below.
Edward looked up and saw clouds converging into a spiral on top of the volcano. But as the universe imploded, some of the huge glaciers fell into the volcano's magma flows, causing the lava to cool rapidly and form brittle pieces of obsidian. The Dynamo compass went ballistic as he approached the burning mountain.
"Ah ah!" Edward panicked. "The compass is broken!"
"No! The dimension crack is here! Climb the mountain!"
Edward jumped and rushed up the mountainside, taking care to avoid the falling boulders and to shield his eyes from the obsidian rain. His legs burned like the magma that surrounded him, and his muscles were taut like iron. But still he ran, past the cracks and withered-black trees. Past the falling glaciers and lava flows. Desperation had driven him this far, and he was willing to risk everything to gain his freedom. Somehow, as he scaled the hellscape, his sense of resolve strengthened. And after fumbling for who knows long in that library, Edward finally knew what to do. Scale the mountain, find the crack, and get the hell out of here. The world seemed to go quiet as Edward pondered this, and he chuckled to himself. Who knew that seeing death made life so clear?
His introspection was abruptly ended when the dynamos above his wrist suddenly flew away and arranged themselves behind his back. A holographic text was projected in front of him that made his blood run cold.
"HOSTILES DETECTED"
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Act IV: Transfiguration
"Dammit, I don't have time for this!" Edward screamed in panic. Just at that moment, he felt a tingling feeling race through his head from right to left, like something was communicating directly to his mind. His dynamos arranged themselves in front of him, and they were glowing a strange purple aura. The boy began seeing strange symbols appear in his vision, with a burning sensation right under his left eye. His eyes widened, the dynamos must be communicating with him using the chip under his eye. And it was… It was teaching him how to fight.
It was teaching him how to be a Tracer.
Edward felt something move behind him. He instantaneously casted Phase Shift, and he disappeared in a bright purple flash.
"Urgh!" the figure behind him grunted. The boy re-appeared about 20 meters away, dropping to a crouch to observe his attackers. He saw two people, one male and one female, all with stone-gray skin and snowy white hair. The female one donned a whip-sword, and the other wielded a strange orb with many rings bound by some arcane magic.
"Demons…" Edward mumbled under his breath.
"In!" called the female. "Did you see where he went?"
"No, Jin! He just disappeared!"
"Damn it! Find him! We need to get out of this hellhole!"
Edward trembled where he was. There wasn't much cover left, and the world outside the apex seemed to be crumbling faster and faster. Damn it, Edward cursed. Bending spacetime in such a fragile universe…
"You had to do it," the voice whispered. "Muster your strength. It's now or never; they're guarding the gate."
The voice was right. Edward looked ahead to see a curtain of blue light, and the two demons were guarding out. Large mounds of dirt were now being sucked up into the swirling clouds, while other rocks fell to the endless void below.
Gritting this teeth, Edward felt courage well up in his heart as he emerged from the shadows. Opening his right palm, the dynamos formed a circle around it. Purple sparks jutted back and forth the floating devices as he prepared his first attack.
"Now or never! Particle Accel!" Edward bellowed his war cry. He placed his hand right in Jin's head, and fired a brutal beam of purple light. The blast sent her flying right off the edge, but Jin managed to deploy her whip-sword to grab hold of the edge just in time. Even though she was surely more powerful than that puny human, she couldn't help but feel nauseated when she saw that the platform they once stood on was the only thing left in this damned universe. Below here was just a gaping void that threatened to swallow her whole.
"Jin!" In called out to her. "Damn it, you!"
In swung his orb at the incoming Tracer. The dynamos switched over to Edward's left side, forming a Tetsudo shield formation. The orb made impact with the dynamos, releasing a loud klang that echoed throughout the whole area. Edward pushed outwards to get his enemy off of him, getting assisted strength from his new machines. As In went up into the air, Edward directed his dynamos towards the demon, burying themselves horn first into his body.
In let out loud shrieks of pain as gigavolt-tier electric shocks fried his entire body.
"In!" cried Jin as she climbed onto the edge. Though she was a demon, she watched in horror and rage as her fiance was electrocuted to death by such a tiny human.
"I'm gonna drag you to hell if I don't make it out of here!" Jin roared, her face twisted by fury. Edward commanded his dynamos back, letting In's body fall limply on the ground. He situated them around his hands, facing Jin with fiery determination in his eyes. With lava bubbling to his left, rocks crumbling to his right, and specks of obsidian raining from above, he knew he didn't have much time. But he wouldn't back down now, not when he got so far.
"Come! Let's see how strong your drive for survival is!" called Edward to his opponent.
"Shut your mouth, filthy human!" she fired back. Edward smiled, surely her pride would be her downfall. "Rrrah!"
Jin swung her arm, and her whip-sword lashed out, slicing the only air that was left in the universe. Edward strafed to the side and Jin's serrated edges barely missed his throat. The tip buried itself on the ground, and the whole sword went straight and taut. Edward reached out, and the dynamos flew to the hilt of her sword and created a helix formation. Twisting his palm, the dynamos followed his motion, twisting the whip-sword out of Jin's arms and sending it flying right over the edge.
The demon gritted her teeth and charged at him once more. She spread out her fingers and tightened them.
"Watch out! Shadow claws!" the voice boomed in his head.
Edward immediately sprang towards the portal, but the tip of her claw nicked him on the side, drawing a fresh stream of blood. An insane smile grew on Jin's face when she wounded him. Edward immediately clutched his wounds, kneeling to the ground.
Damn… he thought. I need to knock her off…
The demon approached slowly, almost gloating over her kill. "Should've known your place," she boasted. "Survival of the fittest. Now hand over your dynamos."
"I'd rather break them right here!" Edward fired back. His eyes went wild looking for ways out of his situation, landing on a bottle that was sticking out of the fallen In's belt. That has to be a Complete Recovery Potion… Edward thought. But to get there… My body can't…
"Uhuhu… Defiant until the end, I see," she taunted with a seductive voice. "You're so cute~"
Edward shook his head; she disgusted him. Closing his eyes, he began to breathe deeply to regain some strength. Arranging his dynamos around his feet, he looked one last time at the potion sticking out of In's pocket. He knew what to do, but that didn't make it any less risky. Jin stood above him, with a grim smile on her face as she prepared her death blow.
"Phase Shift!"
A bright purple flash erupted before her eyes, accompanied with electric shocks that froze her body to the ground. Edward re-appeared before In's corpse, but the crumbling edge was coming closer now. He quickly grabbed the potion and drank it, feeling the numbing regeneration throughout his whole body. He Phase Shifted back behind Jin, causing the ground to disintegrate faster. When he got behind her, his dynamos were circling around his right hand with a dazzling Particle Accelerator.
"Join him in hell!" Edward shouted before exploded her into the depths below.
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Act V: Liberation
Edward stood there like it was just a dream. Like the world around him hasn't completely been swallowed by eternal darkness. The only thing left was the lava pool which had cooled into cold obsidian. But in the middle of the sea of black material stood that curtain of light just like that one that appeared in the Ancient Library. He grabbed hold of it, with three dynamos on his right hand and another three on his left. With one swift and violent motion, Edward tore the curtain wide open, swatting away the crumbling world that threatened to take him down with it.
The boy stood there in shock. He was back in his old study in the Ancient Library. But straight ahead, where the old familiar path to the terrace began, was a door. A door with huge gates that were wide open. And beyond the door was a projection of the world beyond. It showed a scene of a peaceful forest shrouded in beautiful white mist.
"Honey…" The voice said to him. Instantly, Edwards eyes widened, turning to his left where the voice came from. There stood a beautiful woman with lavender hair standing straight in a plain white dress. "You made it. I'm so proud of you…"
"M-mom…" Edward choked. "You're alive!"
Like the child he was, he ran full speed into the arms of his beloved mother, and she caught him in a long-awaited embrace. "You're alive…" he repeated.
She shook her head. "No, honey… I've been dead for centuries."
Edward pulled back, putting his hands on her shoulders. "C-centuries?"
She nodded sadly at him. "I preserved my mind for this moment. For this one last moment. I sensed where you were, even though you had wandered so far away from home…"
"Our home was destroyed…"
"I know, honey…"
They held each other in silence. Winds blew within the room, going through their hair and causing it to billow out.
"I've guided you all this time, and it brings me great joy to know that you made it out alive. I… I can truly die happily now, knowing that my son is alive and well and now has a future."
"Mom… Don't say that… Please…" The boy trembled as river deltas of tears covered his face.
"Don't cry, my sweet Edward," the woman comforted him, wiping away his tears and kissing his cheek. "I did this for you…"
"Mom…"
She turned her head towards the open door. "Go. Live your life and be free. I've served my purpose. But now you must serve yours."
"But… What is my purpose?"
"...I don't know," the woman said with a smile. "That's part of your freedom, to discover it. Now get going, honey."
Edward finally let go of his mom, taking one last look at her before he leaves.
"I love you, mom."
"I love you too… I love you too…" The woman was now crying as well, tears of joy adorning her face with a thin layer of beautiful glass.
He went to the door and turned towards his mother one last time. She was smiling and waving her arms at him, and he smiled back at her with confidence. Turning around, with his dynamos arranged neatly behind his back, Edward stepped into the light. And a whole new world opened up before him.
End
A\N:
This was written for a Secret Santa event on the EFB Discord server. Specifically, this was written for Dianthus Carna. I really couldn't write anything remotely close to any addcest nsfw, so I gave you all I can offer. Hope you'll take this nice little thriller I cooked up in three days. Also, apologies for any major mistakes, I had to crank this out in a very short amount of time. But nevertheless, I really hope you guys enjoyed this. And as always, rates and reviews are appreciated. I'll see you guys on the next one, peace!