Chapter 5

Frisk flipped through the books Papyrus had brought back from the library as she tried to decide which ones she wanted to read first. There were books on life outside of the forest with non-magical beings prior to the war and others on the history of the kingdom in the forest after they were sealed away. However, as much as Frisk wanted to learn everything she could, she knew reading specifically about the curse would be the best use of her time.

While she looked through some of the books, Papyrus sat on the other end of the couch. He, too, searched through the books. Although Frisk wasn't sure how much Papyrus believed that Frisk could learn how to break the curse, she appreciated that he was willing to help.

"Wait," Chara said as he hovered over Frisk's shoulder, "flip back a few pages. I thought I saw something."

After Frisk backtracked in the book, Chara told her to stop and read over her shoulder. Frisk read the pages alongside Chara. It wasn't a section on the barrier itself, but on the ability to cast and break magical spells.

"It takes the same kind of power to break a spell as it does to cast it," Chara mused aloud. Then, "Remember that book you looked at twenty minutes ago? The red one with the silver letters? I think that had more information about the sealing."

Frisk reached for the book which Chara described and turned to the chapter on the lost war and the monsters being forced into the forest. Skimming paragraphs, Frisk slowed her reading speed as she came to the end of the chapter. As she read the recount of the monsters being sealed away, she held her breath.

Although the humans possessed no pure magic, they were able to access something just as powerful but far more heinous: dark magic. Seven willing sacrifices came forward as the army kept us from escaping the borders of Ebott Forest. We watched in horror as these willing participants cut off the skin of their own faces and let their blood pour out as the price to pay to put the curse on us – the curse that not only forever trapped us in the forest but also removed the flesh from our own faces.

Throat too dry to swallow, Frisk reached for the book she had prior. She compared the two entries. Her heart began to sink.

To undo a curse, the same power used to set it was also needed to break it. Seven faces were sacrificed to create the curse, and it would take seven faces to end it. Blood drained from Frisk's head as she reached up to touch her face but felt the wooden mask instead.

Papyrus must have noticed how stiff Frisk became, because he asked, "Have you found something, child?"

In answer, Frisk showed him both entries from the two books.

"Hmmm." Papyrus read and reread the entries. It was difficult for Frisk to infer what he was thinking. The silence stretched on for so long, Frisk began to feel desperate for Papyrus to respond.

Finally, "Now that I think about it, I have heard this before."

"So, you believe that in order to break the curse, we will need seven faces?"

"It doesn't matter what I believe when facts will determine if this is true or untrue information." Papyrus stood to his feet so abruptly the books dropped to the floor. "Worry not, human, I, the Great Papyrus, have not run out of sources!"

"Are there other books at the library?" Frisk asked, looking at the pile Papyrus already brought. There were at least nine books present. Frisk wondered how many were written on the subject if more were to be found.

"No, those were all of them," Papyrus answered, waving a hand in the air. "No, I meant that I, the Great Papyrus, have connections."

"That sound promising," Chara commented. "Most of these books are history. If there is someone with whom we can speak who may have studied this information in great detail already, we should easily narrow done the best working theories."

In her own words, Frisk repeated what Chara said and added, "But how are we going to speak with them? They might think it's odd you're bringing this up all of a sudden, and I'm not sure I can make myself known without some sort of consequences." Like my own face getting ripped off. . . .

"Well, you do have a point." Papyrus scratched his chin. Then, he snapped his fingers and happily exclaimed, "I know! Dr. Alphys may have all the answers we seek, and she loves sharing information too much to ask questions!"

Frisk, ears perked, sat up straighter. "Dr. Alphys?"

"Why, yes, she's the royal scientist!" Papyrus clapped his hands together. "She has been studying this for years now, not to mention she has journals and articles written by previous scholars on the subject within reach. Of everyone in Ebott Forest, she will know the most!"

"Wonderful!" Frisk exclaimed, jumping up and clapping her own hands.

Yet just as Frisk started to buzz with anticipation, Papyrus's form dropped. Muttering, he replied, "There's just one problem: Nobody has seen Dr. Alphys for months now."

Frisk's heart began to sink. "Oh. Why . . . why is that?"

Palms upright, Papyrus shrugged and said, "I don't know. Nobody does. One day she locked herself in her lab and hasn't come out since. If we go to visit, she likely won't open the door."

"That's awful," Frisk stated.

"Yes," Chara agreed. "How else are we going to confirm our theory now?"

"I mean," Frisk said, careful to correct Chara without sounding off to Papyrus, "something really bad must have happened if she's locked herself away."

"Oh, I see," Chara replied.

Papyrus scratched the back of his head. Then he snapped his fingers again. "Wait! There is one person Dr. Alphys still sees. If we can enlist the help of this person, perhaps she can help us get in touch with Dr. Alphys!"

"That's great news!" Frisk's mood began to pick up again. "Who do we need to talk to in order to meet with Dr. Alphys!"

Hesitating only a moment, Papyrus gathered all his faux cheer and said, "None other than our Captain of the Royal Guard, Undyne!"