"Um…"
The human looked up from its feet dragging over the CORE's floor. A ghost blocked the way. They were barely more than a white rectangle with eyes.
"I saw what you did to Mettaton just then…" they said. "That wasn't very nice. I liked that guy."
It shuffled its feet, still with a blank look on its face.
"I thought he was going to stop you…"
It tightened its grip on the frying pan it was holding and lifted it.
"But I guess that if he can't stop you, nobody can, huh."
It swung it right through them. Nothing happened.
"Uh… Awkward. I'm still a ghost."
It swung again, and again. Other monsters had been brought down that way. But not this one.
"You can't hit me… Did you forget?"
It stood still. It now looked slightly angry.
"I guess this is the part where I attack you…"
The human shook its head forcefully.
"No? Uh…"
On the one hand, they should stop this rampage. On the other hand, they didn't want to be impolite.
Their anxiety won out. "Um. Okay."
The human bolted forward, but bounced off.
"I don't think I'll let you do that."
It ran back the way it came, but found the same obstruction.
"Sorry."
Resigned, it lay down on the ground.
"Good idea." They did the same.
They lay perfectly still for a long time, just listening to the grinding of the CORE, until it became a familiar rhythm.
"I used to do this with my cousin. But they're no longer around. I guess it's nice to do it again. For old time's sake."
The human didn't react. It was still staring up, awake, but almost relaxed. The frying pan was lying loose, released from its hand.
"I, uh… I worry a lot about things I did. If I would do better, if I did it all over again."
It turned its head.
"I'd still be me… So maybe it wouldn't be very different. But there are some things I think could have been different."
They sighed, making a sound like air being released from an air mattress.
"But that's just a fantasy. I have to do better in the present. So that's what I'm trying to do now, I guess."
The human got up from the ground.
"Oh…?"
It took a deep breath. Its eyes shone yellow.
And the world was rolled back.