Gone. She was gone, but why? How?
"I'm not crazy. I've seen her. I've talked to her. Why is she gone?"
"Why is Lyn gone?"
"I remember Nye talking about her"
"Why won't anyone remember her too?"
Casey sat in a bathroom stall, her head in her hands as questions kept repeating in her mind. That day, when she mentioned the girl her friends looked so confused. At first. Then concern flashed in their eyes, like they were speaking about an imaginary friend no one else could see or something.
Casey thought they were joking, but no matter who she spoke to the result was the same. The girl she knew simply never existed.
"She was a nuisance"
A cold voice rang in her head and around her, unheard to others. For a while she had forgotten that the kings could listen in, especially when her thoughts were so chaotic and loud.
Rising her gaze she furrowed her brows, staring forward well aware that she'd see nothing else, but a white locked door.
"She was interfering with our work" "She didn't listen" "opposed us"
"Getting in our way" "in your way"
Casey's mind froze on those few words. They spoke like they were the ones who got rid of her. Could they always do that? There was a misunderstanding… right?
"You got rid of someone, because they were 'in our way'?" She asked using their own words, still not fully believing it. Something inside her was telling her to yell how disgusting and wrong it was, but she was terrified. For once she could identify the feeling right away.
"How?" The question was next on her list and was out before he knew it.
"Her Soul" "she gave it to us long ago"
"It was simple"
"B҉̶̛͉̟͖r̴̡̜̘̣͕̙̹͠o̬̣̙͈̥͘k̢̗͖̭̰̞͙ͅe̻͇͖̹̪̲ ͚̦͕i̪̘͚̯̩͍̜ͅt̨̗͓̮̰̣͔̜"
She felt her body tremble like a leaf. Sans had told her a bit about it. When a human died it was possible to take their Soul, but for that magic was needed. Monsters could do that, not humans. And even then, he never mentioned anyone being forgotten.
"Why doesn't anyone remember her?"
She waited, but they didn't answer. Casey held back few tears that threatened to fall. She refused to show them weakness, even though she was sure that they knew more about it than they showed.
She realized just how lucky she was up until now. Lucky that she had never angered them.
Of course she never gave her soul to anyone and wasn't planning to, but she felt like they still had a certain control over her. They had to, right?
"At least now I know I'm not crazy" She uttered, trying not to think too much about what they said. Criticizing them wasn't the brightest idea to follow.
She heard one of the kings sigh in an almost understanding, soothing manner.
"Of course you are not, my girl"
Casey nodded taking long, deep breaths to calm herself. She had to show acceptance and obedience now more than ever.
After washing her face to freshen up, the girl exited into an empty hallway. Sighing she headed to the exit. She was late for her last lesson anyway, so there was no point in staying.
On her way back she stared at her phone, sheepishly smiling at it. Sans was bombarding her with horrible pick-up lines all morning that only occasionally didn't make her roll her eyes. She tried to ignore it, but that only made things worse as he mixed those with puns bad enough that it, sometimes, took her ten minutes to understand. Normally she'd just reply with something sarcastic, but right now she needed the silliness and distraction it provided.
She was reading through the pile when her phone beeped with a new message.
He simply wrote 'knock-knock'. The girl didn't have a reason not to respond, so she played along typing the standard reply biting her lip in anticipation. She didn't have a good feeling about this one, questioning where he was going with it. The answer followed quickly.
[Sans:] *Al*
She raised a brow trying to think of possible answers, rhymed random words in her head, but nothing she mumbled under her breath made sense.
The phone vibrated in her hand returning her gaze back to the screen. The thoughtful expression on her face ceased and her eyes widened. Not tearing her eyes away from the words the girl stopped dead in her tracks hoping to God that no one was around see her. For the first time in her life Casey was sure that her face was deep red. She could feel heat travel up her neck to her face and she hurriedly covered half of it with a scarf.
[Sans:] *Al give you a kiss if you open the door*
At this point she was certain there was no way she could ride a horse back home safely. Awkwardly walking to the nearest bench she sat down.
[Dove 3:] *Technically there is no door*
She typed trying to dismiss his text and change the topic. Truth be told she was, kind of, happy he wrote that, but her embarrassment was far stronger.
[Sans:] *So you're saying…*
Casey gulped audibly, yet another smile vanishing behind the thin knitted fabric. This was, obviously, NOT going where she wanted it to. Now she knew for a fact, that her choice of words was wrong, and couldn't decide how she felt about it.
[Sans:] *…I can kiss you anytime I want?*
The screen turned black and the girl hid her phone, as it that would make her unread the text. She imagined the skeleton laughing his boney ass off while she was struggling to clear her mind.
[Dove 3:] *That's one hell of an assumption to make*
She dismissively typed in response. Her olive fingers linger over the keyboard few seconds too long. She couldn't help but reread everything few times over, making sure she didn't make a mistake, wondering why he wrote it. The first assumption was the most obvious one as well as the one she wanted to believe. That he meant it.
Her attention was drawn away for a moment when the kings left. Well, they never really did, but every once in a while they'd go far enough to not hear her.
She took this chance, there was no telling when the next one would come. She had to talk to him, to tell him everything, he was the only one who'd listen, who'd believe.
[Dove 3:] *Hey, Sans?*
[Sans:] *Yeah?*
[Dove 3:] *You were wrong. The old kings can do more than just hang around in my head*
It felt like an eternity had passed before the three bouncing dots appeared and he answered. Casey had a hard time understanding if he was mad, worried or both.
Sans: *What did they do, love?*
[Dove 3:] *Not me, a girl from my school*
[Dove 3:] *They said she was getting in their way, so they got rid of her. Sans, no one remembers her*
Nothing. He didn't respond for several very long second, but to her it felt like he wasn't going to, like he didn't believe. Casey herself had a hard time believing, even in her mind it sounded like crazy talk.
[Dove 3:] *They said they broke her Soul*
She typed again after a couple of minutes. It wasn't easy for her to understand, nothing that Sans ever told her about Souls suggested that whatever happened was possible.
[Sans:] *don't worry about it. They obviously need you for something. If you show that you'd cooperate, they wouldn't harm you*
She smiled a little at his response, she knew he was right. Those few words gave her a sense of security. A vague one, but for now that was enough.
Casey's mind was blank for most of the way back. That was her way of keeping the "intruders" away. If there was nothing immediately apparent they wouldn't be able to see deeper, at least they couldn't so far.
That wasn't an easy task, to keep her thoughts empty, especially for an imaginative person like Casey, but it was a necessity and little by little, she grew accustomed to it.
After taking Cinis for a short run the girl was back home. Unnoticed at first, she wasn't able to lock away the few thoughts that flashed in her mind, streaks of it showing here and there. Bright, wishful thoughts of Sans, Papyrus, brief images of Alphys. The timid, weird scientist, Casey hoped to see again. The only one that was, in a way, like herself. She realized that the yellow dinosaur she only saw once was already a friend to her.
"They must not leave" a voice hissed in Casey's mind and she didn't need to think twice to realize her mistake. Panicked she tried to block them away, but it was too late, they saw everything. They were there.
"Why would you wish to free them?"
"The monsters" "da͟ng̸e̷̡ro̕͟u̸̡s͠" "must be sealed"
"T̠̯̫͚̫̯͜ͅh̢̡̫͜e҉̢̰̺͍̹͢y̴̭̤͇͈͈͈̱͔͝" "C҉̷̱̲̪̗͍͉͙͕a̻̲͎͘ń̸̶̪͎̥̦͎͈̫̪n̡͍̜̬̫̝o͏͖̰̻̭̹̗͓̙t̜͎̱͖̩͙͠" "B̥̖̮̠e̞̖͓̙̘̪͕" "F̱̈͂̚r̹̩̹̰̣̥̹ͪ̃̀e̮͙͎̅͋ͥ̓ͣͮe̫̳̖͖̻͇̖ͮ̾̑"
Each voice sounded individually, one word at a time. Each filled with so much hatred and power that it made her shiver. Yet they didn't sound angry, but rather spoke in calm, yet strict disappointment.
Maybe it was her paranoia speaking, but she felt threat and danger emitting from their presence. Like a thick fog it hung over her and she prayed to God that they didn't sense it.
For a moment she wanted to ask them why they hated the monsters so much, but she already knew the answer. They were scared of their magic, of their power. Power to take human Souls, power monsters never used. The reason the kings acted nicer to her was obvious, Sans said that too.
"You need me for something" she stated with the skeleton's exact words, a bit surprised at the confidence of her own voice "but I can only guess what it is"
"You know the answer" came a calm reply.
Lowering her gaze Casey nodded. She had an idea, for her, an unsettling one, but it made the most sense. Many hints were sounded, perhaps by chance, perhaps intentionally, and she couldn't help but try and put them together.
Now that she thought about it, it shouldn't have taken her that long to understand that what they wanted was as obvious as it first seemed.
"You want me to seal them away, don't you?" She spoke in a half whisper, but they still heard. They didn't speak, but she could feel their pleased aura. So that really was it.
"But I don't understand. They're already in the Underground, behind a barrier"
d
"What more can I do? What more there is to do?"
They were silent for a while, something they often did when thinking. But unlike before it wasn't a mere silence, she could feel something else.
While they could see her thoughts, she learned to feel theirs in return. Not words, but intentions, it was an odd feeling she knew would help no doubt.
"They're trying to break it. We can feel it" the gentle king sighed after a while. He seemed reluctant to reveal the information.
That wasn't surprising, it wasn't a secret that they didn't fully trust her. That was why they got rid of Lyn. They wouldn't tell even if she asked, but that was the only real reason Casey could think of.
Lyn was her warning and she was willing to show that it worked like a charm.
"And y..you want me to fix it?" She asked with a fake stutter. That wasn't her best attempt, but she had to act scared, make the kings feel more in control than they really were.
"Strengthen it" a voice corrected her "it's weaker than needed"
"We didn't have time to perfect it"
"You have to do it for us"
"Compete it"
The last voice commanded. It was the one she heard the least. The powerful presence that made the others retreat and her: cower.
"I… I understand" Casey's voice was small and shaky. Not even a hint of lie was present in it, after all it was the truth, even if not the one they presumed. She really did understand their wish.
Another wave of emotions washed over the kings, some approving of her words, while others showed clear mistrust.
"We didn't think you'd agree" one of them spoke, both relieved and skeptical, if that was even possible.
Nevertheless that was expected and she had an answer ready. A simple, truthful one, all she had to do was phrase her words to keep out part they wouldn't want to hear.
"It's not a secret that I don't want that" she began, her voice still a bit scared "but you know monsters better than I do, you know what they're capable of"
Friendly, kind, that's what they are.
She chuckled to keep the thought away "not to mention how Sans was at first. Not exactly… friendly"
They seemed calmer, listening to her curiously. She tried her best to let only few thoughts show.
"You're sure they're dangerous… aren't you?"
The kings only answered with a simple 'yes', then fell completely silent. But she could tell they were satisfied, locked in their endless emptiness.
Did they know that she could feel all that? That she could keep an eye on them, like they did all this time? Those were questions she wanted answers to, yet couldn't risk to form them in her mind. For now all she could do was store them in the back of her head in a tangled mess that her mind presented.
The rest of the day Casey spent in her studio with kings teaching her yet another seal. It was weird and awkward to be in their company when they acted like nothing happened, like they didn't know that she was scared and doubtful.
She was ashamed to admit it, but she failed to hide those emotions and they showed more than in once.
Not wanting to dwell on it, the girl concentrated on the circle forming in her mind. This one was so different from the previous ones, so simple and small with, almost, gentle feel to it, like a guardian.
It felt so wrong and sad that something, seemingly so pure, was used to ruin so many lives of so many generations.
Still she watched and remembered every detail, no matter how small, then she drew. The whole process became natural to her, yet this was the first time she noticed. Maybe it was because this was the first time she felt guilty about it.
She listened to the kings whisper to her, like they didn't do in a long while. But this time they sounded somewhat tired, yet relieved and hopeful, saying that she was almost done, that everything will soon end.
It was so strange to listen to them when they finally felt like humans. More than anything it was a reminder of something she chose to ignore and for a moment Casey felt a ping of guilt, but it was short lived. She knew what they really were.
Over and over the same thoughts came to her mind and she didn't try to hide those.
"What if they really believe they're doing the right thing?"
"What if the monsters they fought against were different from the ones living now?"
"What if what they did really was justified?"
But unlike any other time there was no one to ask. No one to truly trust with the answers. As much as she hated it: not even Sans.
All she could do was dismiss everything and continue with her plan. That was her only way to stay determined and brave.
Few days passed quicker than Casey appreciated to notice. Luckily for her some kind of virus spread throughout her town and she was able to call in sick. To Nye's and Lucy's suggestions to visit her, the girl answered with few simple words "I don't want you to catch my cold". It proved to be more effective than she originally thought, especially with Lucy, who apparently hated staying in bed for longer than necessary.
Now free from everyone Casey stayed locked inside the house working only on the remaining seals. The kings helped her more and more, encouraging her with words she never thought she'd appreciate. Yet she felt like she needed it, needed someone to simply say that she was doing a good job. And this time she knew they meant it, after all they needed perfect replicas.
"You said there was one more left?" Casey asked rolling a large paper with the sixth seal she finished that day.
"Yes" "Just one" "We are close"
The voices spoke together, something she was used to and had no problem understanding. Then the gentle one broke from the rest.
"And now you should rest"
"It's too complicated" "It's too important"
Their voices were so soothing, caring. So different from usual and they sounded genuine.
"We won't bother you for some time" the gentle one spoke again and it almost felt like he was smiling, if a voice could ever do that "we know you need some time alone"
That was the first time anyone, aside from her parents, had mentioned that not as something negative, but a simple fact they had to respect. She couldn't hold back a small smile as she nodded bidding them goodbye.
Casey stared blankly as gray clouds passed behind the large window of her studio. It was so calm and silent, for the first time in forever it felt… safe to think, something that never should've been an issue.
Though, in a way, it felt empty now that they really left, but that feeling soon faded. In a matter of seconds she found herself smiling and giggling, simply happy to be free, it was refreshing more than anything.
Jumping to her feet Casey ran into her room grabbing her phone and flicked it on. There were a lot of texts and even a couple of missed calls from Sans. She felt bad for ignoring him for so long, but she couldn't risk texting him. She still only had vague ideas of what to do with the kings and their request, but keeping the skeleton out of the picture seemed to be the best option, considering her feelings towards him.
Scrolling through the mess of messages she only glanced over them, not wanting to spend time reading each.
His first ones were joking and light-hearted, like always, but soon turned to suspicious as he thought she was mad at him. Then they got much more frequent and worried, then towards the end: lesser and lesser. She could practically feel fear from each word.
Biting her bottom lip she began typing. She wanted to apologize, to explain herself. That would only be fair.
[Dove 3:] *Hey, Sans*
She awkwardly sat waiting for a response, thinking it would take some time. Instead the answers bombarded her after mere seconds.
[Sans:] *Where have you been? You got me worried sick.*
[Sans:] *I thought something happened*
[Sans:] *Don't scare me like that*
[Dove 3:] *Calm down, Sans, I'm fine*
[Dove 3:] *I couldn't contact you because I'm helping the kings*
Holding her breath she waited for a response. He wouldn't judge her for that, would he? He'd understand.
[Sans:] *Helping 'em? What do ya mean?*
Taking a deep breath Casey began writing what was happening. Everything about Lyn, and the kings' words and "requests" after that. Her thoughts and plans about it and everything she had learned about the seals.
Overall it wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
But, as surprising as it was, what interested the skeleton the most was the fact that she wasn't reading the journal he gave her. Casey explained that she didn't need to, that the kings showed her everything anyway, but he wasn't convinced. More than that, it, apparently, proved his point.
The phone went silent for a while as Sans went to 'look for something'. Few pictures followed. Some were from the notebook she gave him, others were similar, but written in a messy handwriting. Few contained algorithms and calculations she couldn't make sense of.
When he finally began to type again, she was ready for an explanation and it came in a single line.
"Dove. I think they're scared you'd break it"