The bridge lilies rock gently on the surface of the water as you step on them, matching the rhythm of the waves lapping against the banks. Above and everywhere around you, hundreds of blue crystals sparkle faintly, and the water below reflects their light, making you feel like you're walking above a vast dark space filled with distant stars. Despite the unnerving news and Flowey's cryptic comments and, well, pretty much everything on your mind, the tranquility of the place still gets to you. You want to stay here, just gazing into the water, thoughtless, not caring about humans, save points and timelines for once.

Deceptively peaceful, isn't it?

How convenient would it be to forget everything, wouldn't it?

Well, this won't do at all. You'll have enough time to rest when this is all over.

After finishing your chat with the flower, you decided to skip ahead a little and check on the save point in the crystal room before Frisk gets there. According to Flowey, it must still be there, but better safe than sorry. Well, safer, in any case.

You snap your fingers and do your best to mentally prepare for the unpleasant surprise of empty air. When you arrive though, the save point is still there, glinting as cheerily as ever. A safe haven for the human, at least for now. You cautiously approach the small knot of light, careful not to touch it just yet, and check it for any sign of damage. At first glance, it looks just fine.

Then you lean closer, narrowing your eyesockets, and you spot a faint crack on its surface.

Dammit.

It's only a hairline fracture, barely even visible; if not for the slight dimming of the light around its edges, even you would probably have missed it. But it's there, without a doubt.

So it's spreading.

You plop down next to the mouse hole and furrow your brow, your phalanges idly playing with a loose thread sticking out from the sleeve of your jacket. There's gotta be a way to put the pieces together. The missing save points have been either destroyed by you or, in that one case, crumbled on their own. This one's still here yet, but who knows how long it lasts. Frisk resetted after your getting interrogated by Undyne, bringing you back to the fight at Ferry Dock - meaning that they must have used this exact save point at least once. After the chase to Hotland, they once again saved at the lab entrance - you waited for them to finish their saving business before you teleported the two of you back to the grotto. You have no idea if they used any other save points during your time out in the lab, but you estimate that it's highly possible that the one near Napstablook's house was also interacted with at least once - if it was there at all when they arrived. Though it must have been there, otherwise Chara would have brought it up during the conversation. Unless…

...unless they're the one who's causing this somehow.

But why would they do such a thing? To mess with you? To once again prove that they're stronger than you, even at the cost of having to start from scratch?

Why?

You let out an exhausted groan and rest your skull against the cave wall. Once again, you find yourself playing guessing games about the fallen child, calculating, analyzing, trying to figure out what's going through their mind, how to gain the upper hand. All that's missing is you scribbling feverishly in a ketchup-stained notebook in your workshop, Papyrus' dusty scarf hanging around your neck, to complete the picture.

Ah, the good old days.

Still, in order to be able to plan ahead, you must gather more information and put your theories to the test. Frisk can't be very far now, and they're most probably going to save once they get here, so you just have to wait a little and lie low. You hole up in a narrow crevice right where the sea-grass patch ends, and instinctively reach to pull up your hood so your eyelights would be less visible. The motion stirs up a wave of nausea, and you freeze for a second.

Then you force yourself to do it anyway. It's not like avoiding the memories makes them any less real.

You've barely managed to settle in when the ring of an old cell phone breaks the silence, reverberating through the cavern.

"IT'S ME, HUMAN!"

Even from the next room, you can hear his voice booming at the other end of the line. You close your eyesockets and take slow, deep, silent breaths, trying to melt into the rocky surface.

"I HAVE FINISHED THE TASK YOU APPOINTED ME WITH! MONSTER KID WAS MOST SATISFIED WITH MY EXPERT GUIDANCE! SO… UM… JUST IN CASE… HAVE YOU SEEN MY BROTHER?"

It's fine. It's only for a little while.

"I JUST WANT TO TALK TO HIM."

You're in control.

"OH! O-OKAY THEN. IF YOU SEE HIM AROUND… WELL, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY HIDE AS THEY MIGHT ATTACK YOU BY MISTAKE AGAIN! BUT FEAR NOT! I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE TO CAPTURE YOU ANYMORE! UNDYNE JUST CALLED ME AND CANCELED THE ENTIRE OPERATION! WHICH MEANS WE CAN FINALLY HANG OUT!"

You don't hear what Frisk says next but Papyrus must be content with the answer as he ends the call with a triumphant "NYEH HEH HEH!" The tall sea-grass begins to rustle softly; the noise gradually comes closer and closer, mixed with short, labored huffs, and you more feel than hear the child pass by toward the adjacent room. You count to ten before you open your eyesockets, and lift your gaze cautiously.

From your vantage point, you have a clear view of the save point. Frisk enters the northern tunnel; a few minutes later, they return, pockets stuffed with bisicles. They place a few in the dimensional box and come back. Throwing a glance at the cheese encased in the bright pink crystal, they step to the light and gently touch it with one hand. A shadow crosses their face, and you can practically see determination filling every fiber of their being.

You hold your breath as the save point trembles slightly at the impact.

It stays in place.

You stay where you are, motionless and silent. Only after Frisk has left in the direction of the echo flower field do you step out to take a look. Just before they turn around the corner, you think you catch a glimpse of another form detaching itself from Frisk's body, but it might have only been your imagination.

The save point looks almost the same it was before. Almost.

The fissure has gotten bigger.

So it's the saving that causes them to crack.

You feel your soul tighten with worry. It's one thing to make short work of a murderous human, it's another to figure out how the very essence of their soul works. Whatever might have caused the save point to crack, it's clearly related to either Frisk or Chara - or both of them. And whatever that cause is, Frisk didn't seem to be aware of it. As they're unlikely to work with Chara, this doesn't leave them out of the equation, but it does help narrow things down a bit. Quite a lot, actually.

Looks like I'm not the only one not holding up their end of the bargain, huh, kid?

You're about to take a shortcut to check on the save point at the broken bridge when you hear a child calling out from behind you.

"What? I don't underst-"

The voice is faint, with a slight reverb, like it's coming from the far end of a long corridor. You spin around in confusion, but the only thing you see is a lonely echo flower.

"Please get out for a while, Chara. I can think better when alone."

So they can talk to each other aloud, huh?

Now this might be interesting.

You can move silently when you care to do so, though the lack of one slipper makes it rather uncomfortable, and the damp ground doesn't help things. Frisk's tiny figure is just visible far ahead of you, faintly lit by the luminous water; you can't make out if there's anyone else with them, but you don't have to. Strolling along the zig-zagging rows of echo flowers, you hear a passing conversation. A conversation between Frisk and - no one else. For all appearances, they might as well be talking to themselves.

Or someone who isn't there. Who shouldn't be there.

"Yeah, I meant it," Frisk's voice goes on, talking to their ethereal companion. "Why not? We've never seen her house from the inside. Don't tell me you're not curious at least a little. I know you like challenges, and this is a challenge if I've ever seen one. Of course," they add in an airy tone, "if you'd rather avoid her -"

Pause, then a small chuckle. They sound quite pleased with themselves.

"I know." They carry on, their voice earnest now. "Chara, I wanted to ask you something. Hm? About the water, yes. Why did you ask me to pour it on her?"

So it was Chara who wanted to water Undyne back to life? Huh. You wonder what Frisk might have done if they'd been alone.

"No. It was different in the first run, remember? I was too afraid to stay there with her. I left immediately. When we returned, she was already gone. And this time - this time I could feel that you were holding back. You were keeping something from me. It wasn't just to change things up."

You raise a bony eyebrow, wondering where Frisk's going with all this.

"That you enjoyed it, Chara. You enjoyed doing good."

Your eyelights nearly go out from disbelief. You've gotten used to Frisk's unbreakable - and wholly unsubstantiated - optimism by now, but this is some next level stuff. Holy shit, kid. Whatever you're smoking, I want some.

"No, you weren't. You knew very well she wouldn't attack us after that. Undyne's a monster. She wouldn't pay back mercy with -"

You roll your pupils. Of course she wouldn't. What did she say at her coronation ceremony, loud and clear so everyone could hear it? "And that human who killed all those innocent monsters… Aaron, Pyrope, and the Dogi... I SWEAR that I will hunt them down myself!"

"You can't truly believe this. They are not like humans, Chara."

Are we?

You yourself don't know what to believe anymore.

"That's... true." Frisk's voice trembles for a moment. "He did… he did go through with it. I know! I - I know. But it was us who pushed him over the edge. He was desperate to stop what - what we were doing back then."

Your grip tightens on the insides of your pockets, and you stop. You're suddenly not so sure you want to listen anymore.

C'mon. Go ahead, tough guy. You're the one who decided to eavesdrop.

You take a step forward.

"He wanted to save his friends."

Did I really, now?

Do I even remember what I wanted with all of this?

"That's in the past, Chara. It's not a game for him anymore. He can't go back to that, and he won't go back. I refuse to believe it. He just lost hope. But he is still capable of mercy, I know it. And you know it, too. That's why you -"

Frisk cries out in pain, reminding you to their sudden weakness when fleeing from Undyne, and before that, just at the end of the battle with your brother.

Just what is Chara doing to them?

"No. And I don't care if you hurt me. You know I'm telling the truth."

Your smile twitches. You wish they'd just stop. You wish they'd give up on you already.

I wish -

"Yes, you're right," the child says, their voice quiet but firm. "But only half right. We knew their weaknesses. But we never knew how to help them, Chara. We didn't know what they wanted. What would make them hopeful and happy and accepting of - of us. We just beat them into submission. Don't you want to help them?"

A short pause, like the calm before the storm.

"I'm sorry, Chara. I know that you -"

"You know? You know what? You don't know anything!"

The voice is eerily similar to Frisk's, perhaps because they share a body, perhaps for some other reason; but the words, the emotions, the contempt vibrating in it make it distinct. Looks like Frisk managed to they piss their flatmate off enough to grab the wheel and silence them once more.

"You are worse than Asriel was! At least he had the excuse of being a pathetic crybaby of a monster who didn't even care about his own people! He was nothing but a traitor and a little backstabber! Monsters would have been freed long ago if only he'd just helped me -"

You blink. Asriel? Where does the long-dead prince come into all this?

Then you come to a halt. The idea is way too far-fetched. It can't be.

…'As'?

Before you can properly follow your train of thought, you're startled by Chara shouting in anger.

"I don't care if they hear it or not! I don't care if anyone hears me! At least I finally get heard for a change! How do you think it feels to be invisible and unheard by everyone? By your own mother and father?!"

...What?

"How do you think it felt to wake up only to realize that I'm stuck with you? You're just a good-for-nothing weakling, and you still took everything away from me! I hate you so much, sometimes I wish we were both dead! I HATE you!"

Long, shaky breaths, like Chara is on the verge of tears.

"And to think that I ever tried to help you. That I ever tried to help anyone in this hellhole."

…'Help'?

What is going on here?

"Monsters might seem innocent and merciful at first, but I know better now," you hear the child grumble as you go ahead. "They are as bad as humans, they are just too weak and cowardly to be dangerous worth a darn. They can't even muster enough strength to properly destroy us unless we show them how to do it."

Heh.

I certainly was a good pupil, wasn't I?

"They are scum."

Chara's voice is so dark and bitter that you furrow your brow against your will. They are spitting the words, like they want to get rid of all the pent-up emotion. A child of their age shouldn't sound like this. They shouldn't say things like this. You're used to their sweet act by now, you're used to their hatred, but they seem to be - disappointed, you realize with a slight surprise.

"Oh, so you believe in them, huh? Believing can only get you so far, partner. Sans was right about you. You don't even realize that you're running in circles and getting nowhere. You throw yourself against the same wall over and over again because you're too blind to realize there are no cracks in it and never going to be. I'm so bored of it, you can't even imagine. At least you could change it up a little."

Just like you, right, kiddo?

"Ah ha ha! He does tell it like it is, doesn't he? That's what I always liked about him. Lacking a soul has its advantages."

They must be talking about Flowey. Best friends, after all. In a certain sense of the word. You don't hear what Frisk says next, but they must have touched a nerve somewhere because Chara sounds uncharacteristically agitated.

"Stop it," they hiss, their voice strained. "Stop it, Frisk." A dull thud, a foot stomping on the ground. "I said stop it! Stop it NOW!"

Whoa. Looks like being a mass-murderer doesn't make you immune to throwing tantrums. You hear the fallen child huff and kick something, probably a stray pebble, off into the water, clearly dissatisfied with how the conversation has gone.

"He won't come back anymore. And it's better this way. It's much better this way, do you understand?!"

'He'?

"Whatever. In any case, if my memory serves me correctly, you asked me not to come out for the sake of Mr. I-Am-A-Killer-Skeleton-Feel-Sorry-For-Me, so if you were so kind to stop pestering me, I would be much grateful."

Well aren't you good at giving names, buddy.

"Here, you can have your body back. I'm tired of it anyway."

And with that, the conversation stops. You take a few steps back and forth in case you missed something, but looks like that was that; the row of echo flowers ends here, at the opening of the long passage leading to Onion-san's lake. Frisk is still far away, currently engaged in battle with a pair of Moldbyggs, keeping a respectful distance to pacify them. You wonder what it might feel like to have someone like Chara living in your head and be unable to get rid of them. You wonder what you would have done in their place, knowing that the demon inside grows hungrier and hungrier with every life you take.

Don't fool yourself. You know exactly what you'd have done.

After all, you did it. You went through with it over and over.

Just like -

You inhale sharply, trying to silence the small voice inside that's so, so tempting to follow.

You wonder -

You wonder what it'd be like -

You thought you knew the fallen child inside out. And, as Frisk said, you were half right, all things considered. You know their usual attack patterns by heart now. You know how to kill them the most effectively. You know everything about their hatred, about their cruelty, about the sadistic pleasure they take in killing monsters and becoming stronger and stronger.

But you know nothing about their story.

You mentally go through the conversation again, trying to find some thread of logic in there. The whole thing decidedly sounded like Chara was hurt by the assumption they didn't want to help you. It's just that… why under the earth would someone like them ever want to help monsters? Sure, they might think of it as a game. But they - they were serious. They had no reason to pretend to Frisk, and they sounded genuinely upset. You can't shake the uneasy feeling that you're missing something crucial here. Chara, the demon who has been torturing you endlessly, who revels in causing pain to others. Who wanted to… help you?

With Asriel?

What the hell is all this about?

Chara… and Asriel.

Asriel.

Your prince who got murdered by the humans of the Aboveground.

You never met him, of course; he was long dead by the time you'd have had the chance to do so. But his memory still lingers in the back of your collective consciousness. Every monster knows the story. The story of the young prince and the fallen human the royal couple adopted - back when peace reigned in the Underground. Back when monsters were still hoping that humankind wasn't without mercy.

You let out a quiet chuckle as you look up at the faded stone tablet on the wall above you, the glyphs glinting faintly in the dim light. You know better than anyone by now that it's all a lie.

You also know that after the humans had killed Prince Asriel, the child's name was abandoned and forgotten. Nobody was allowed to utter it or write it down from that day on. The previous records were meticulously destroyed, and the name got lost through the generations.

The fallen child.

The first of them.

Who are you, Chara?

Who were you before you became the demon we fear the most?

You let out a frustrated grunt. Enough of this. One thing at a time.

Forcing yourself to stop the guessing game for now, you take a shortcut to the dead-end bridge. The save point is still there, thank goodness. You examine it from every possible angle (too bad you haven't brought a magnifying glass), but it's completely intact. You let out a sigh of relief. If your theory is correct, Frisk haven't used it yet, which in turn means that it's still at full power. It's probably going to take multiple saves to break it completely.

It's not long before Frisk appears, holding a green umbrella in their hand, accompanied by Monster Kid who's chatting excitedly about Undyne's house - "The one she lives in, yo!" – falling flat on his face occasionally. You feel yourself tense up in your hiding place as the child stealthily touches the star, but once again, it stays in place. For the time being, they have something to fall back on in case they get killed.

Relieved that Frisk has unknowingly bought you some time, you decide to make a visit to an old acquaintance. Someone who might have answers to the riddles that keep piling up. Someone who has seen it all.

Well, most of it, at least.

"So you think you have it the worst, eh?"

Gerson was lying on the floor belly up, balancing clumsily on the back of his shell, dust flowing out from the wound on his chest, his magnifying glass broken into a million glimmering shards. You leaned against the counter, hands in pockets, eyeing him from under your hood, rather satisfied with yourself. Vendors, in general, were an interesting bunch. You were aware that Chara couldn't hurt them no matter how hard they tried. Or maybe they thought wiping out your entire world was a more amusing method to do so. Either way, it had always fascinated you. So you decided to give it a try yourself. At least it'd be something new in this endless spiral of killing and dying.

Besides, that EXP isn't gonna earn itself.

"You think you've seen it all, pain, suffering, despair… don't you, Sans?"

"seen enough," you shrugged. If he wants to spend his turn rambling about the old days and how they had it much worse back then than you children today, fine by you. He wouldn't understand what you'd been through either way.

"Wah ha ha ha!" The old turtle threw his head back and cackled, showing a crooked row of yellow teeth, his voice dry and weak from age. "You have seen nothing, my boy. Nothing. You've just lost it, that's all. Cramped, dark place, living day by day, with little hope of freedom ever coming, prophecy or not. It happens. Some of us are weaker than the others."

Your grin twitched.

Weaker, huh?

I'll show you who's weak, you walking, talking relic.

You grabbed his soul and smashed it against the wall, making a crack in it. He doubled up and let out a sharp cry of pain, but didn't stop with the jeering.

"A petty sadist, huh? You'd make a good human."

Your left eye flashed, and in the next moment, Gerson's hat was blown off his head.

"i take offense at that."

"Pummel me into the ground all you want," he managed to croak out. "I've lived too long to be afraid of someone like you."

"you certainly look like a shell of your former self."

"What, you opted for attacking me with those garbage jokes of yours? And I thought you can't sink any lower."

"hey, you still have the chance to shut me up. i bet it'd go swimmingly."

"I'm not a hero, lad. Never was. I suspect we're kindred spirits in this regard, eh?" He chortled, his good eye filled with contempt. "These old bones aren't fit for fighting anyhoo. One more attack from you, and… well… my troubles will be over, that's for sure."

"then you might as well finish your turn instead of talking my earholes off," you said, impatience creeping into your voice. You didn't want Chara to dust the remaining Waterfall residents before you could get to them.

"Wa ha ha! You'd like that, don't you, Sans? Nah. At least while you're busy calculating the levels you gain from dusting me, the others have enough time to regroup somewhere safe. One of them should be strong enough to kick your insane little behind to the curb. I suspect Undyne would be more than willing to volunteer."

This time, it was your turn to smile. You leaned closer, looking deep into those old, old eyes that had seen so much suffering.

"She is already dead."

Gerson stared at you, his gaze full of sorrow. He let out a sigh, exhausted and defeated. His eyes fell closed and he went limp against the wall, muttering one last curse as his body gave in and crumbled to dust.

"...Damn you to hell."

You laughed. You laughed as you he became nothing in front of your eyes, you laughed as you sank to the floor, clawing at your temples, not even caring about stirring up the dust that swirled in tiny wisps, dimming your vision, submerging everything in a dull gray haze.

You're a little late with that, old pal.

I am already there.

When you arrive at the shop, you make sure to take a quick look around, but your slipper is nowhere to be seen. You give up and lean against the rocky surface, waiting until Aaron is finished with his purchase of at least a dozen different food supplements. Then you decide to wait some more. You're not sure you're indeed ready to see the old turtle again. Still - the save points are still very much in danger of being destroyed, and you better make sure the kid doesn't kick the bucket before you can figure out what's going on.

"Hey, you! Yes, you out there! Come on in, now, don't be shy!"

Gerson is looking in your general direction from the dimness of the shop, his good eye glinting. Reluctantly, you put on your laziest grin and stroll in.

"hey there, gers. water you doing?"

"Why, if it isn't Sans the skeleton!" the old shopkeeper exclaims. "You've grown so much since I last saw you, I barely recognized you! Wa ha ha!"

You find this statement hard to believe given that you haven't grown an inch since you were twelve, but as he's been telling you this same line every time you visit, you highly suspect it's just poetic hyperbole.

"just a surprise visit to spy on the best vendor this side of my sentry station." You wink. "glad to see business is booming."

"So you came to finally learn the secrets of the trade straight from the source, eh? It's always nice to have a colleague over who knows where it's at!"

"i like to think of myself more as an arch-rival."

"Fine by me," he says, flashing you a sly grin. "Just watch your back, kid, I'm still more than capable of showing you who's boss."

Says you.

You force a - probably not very convincing - smile. Gerson probably senses that something's off as he changes the subject, though you can't say it's much more pleasant.

"Undyne dropped by an hour or so ago," he goes on nonchalantly while wiping the dust off a small wooden box. You turn away your gaze. "She was dripping with water and asked me if I'd seen you."

"and what did you tell her?"

"That you just ran by - with her in hot pursuit! Wa ha ha!"

You snicker. Not bad from someone nearing three hundred.

"To tell the truth, I was wondering that myself, Sans," the turtle looks at you, his gaze keen and curious. "What did you do to anger her this time? Did you replace her shield with one of those whoopie cushions of yours?"

"nah. she just heard i wanted to ask you for a discount."

"Wa ha ha! And is it true?"

"as a matter of fact… it is."

Gerson puts the box down and stares at you like you're out of your mind.

"What, you took up running lately? You could certainly use some Sea Tea, in that case."

"it's not for me." At his questioning glance, you go on, cautiously. "it's for that kid who was with me. y'know - brown hair, striped sweater, tutu. fleeing from undyne. unless you assumed it was me."

"That kid? Hm." He leans against the counter, seemingly deeply interested in his magnifying glass. "They look harmless enough. Though I wonder why Undyne was chasing them. Do you know anything about that, Sans?"

"hey, maybe she thought they were the mailman," you shrug. "you know how the captain is."

Gerson puts the magnifier down and turns to you, staring straight into your sockets.

"Tell me one thing, my boy. Why would I grant a discount to a random kid? Why don't you do it yourself?"

"the thought has crossed my mind." You wink at him. "but i figured you have much neater junk than i could ever dream of."

"Ha! Not bad, but flattery will get you nowhere. You must make it worth my while."

"how about - let's say, half of the income from the cold-dog sales for a day?"

The turtle narrows his good eye suspiciously.

"You don't sell those anymore, Sans."

"heh. you got me. it was worth a shot though."

Gerson scratches his chin, likely pondering how he can squeeze every piece of gold out of you.

"I tell you what, lad. I'll give that kid of yours a discount of, let's say, ten percent, and you provide me with two packs of water sausage per week for a month."

"deal."

The old turtle flashes his teeth at you as you shake hands.

"Pleasure doin' business with you. If only my other customers were this easy to bargain with!"

"hey, anything for my favorite vendor this side of hotland," you grin. "'sides... i wanted to ask you something else."

"Wha? Even more? What now?"

"just a little bit of history. about that human child that Asgore and his wife adopted. more precisely - their name."

Gerson falls silent for a second, eyeing you suspiciously. You stare back at him, your smile still in place.

"Huh," he says, finally. "An odd question, that's for sure. To tell you the truth, my memory hasn't been the same since the death of Prince Asriel. And I wonder why you've gotten into history all of a sudden."

"'cause from what i heard... that child and their soul might be the key to our freedom."

The freedom from this nightmare, at least. It's not a lie if you omit some minor unnecessary details.

"Freedom, huh?" Gerson lets out a weary sigh and glances at the Delta Rune at the wall. "If I had a gold piece for every time I heard the prophecy about our freedom. An angel who has seen the surface will descend from above… and on that day, the Underground goes empty."

You flinch at his words, and for a moment, you hear nothing but the wind howling in the empty streets of Snowdin, see nothing but the dust flying around in aimless patterns.

"When Asgore revealed his plan to break the barrier and go to the surface to get revenge, I couldn't help but feel betrayed," the shopkeeper goes on. "But perhaps he was right. Perhaps it's time to change things up. There's something in the air lately - something that tells me things are about to change. Either that, or I caught a cold! Wa ha ha!"

He wipes the tears off his face, his voice sober once again.

"I knew the kid, of course I knew them. The king and queen took care to personally introduce them to every resident of the Underground. But their name… I don't remember that, Sans. I probably wanted to do Asgore a favor and forgot it on purpose." He snickers. "Back then, I had to make an effort to do so!"

You smile half-heartedly.

"then tell me everything you can recall about them."

The old vendor leans on the counter, his chin resting in his palm.

"Their arrival caused a great commotion in the kingdom. I still remember the applause when Asgore and Toriel announced that they were officially adopting the child as their own. Everyone was hoping that this was the sign of a new era - an era of peace between monsters and humans."

Toriel.

You close your eyesockets and grip the countertop, forcing yourself to escape the memories of your fight.

The room was bathed in searing orange light, your shadows dancing on the walls. She was hurling fire at you, her robe tattered and dirty from soot and dust, but you still vividly remember the Delta Rune embroidered on the chest. You still remember the contempt in her eyes when talking about Asgore. You remember her face, so strange, yet so familiar. Your grip tightens.

What does it matter who she was?

It's not like you're going to see her again.

A flash of her face, her eyes wide with shock to see Undyne blocking her way.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. I cannot let you lead us astray again. It's time to get rid of humans - once and for all."

In some of the runs, she returned, full of hope to finally make peace between monsters and humans. She returned, only to learn how merciless and cruel her dear child had become. She returned, only be sent away immediately, back to the ruins that held so many bitter memories.

She returned, only to be killed by you in the end.

With a considerable effort, you let go of the countertop and realize that Gerson is still talking.

"And, of course, they were properly embarrassed when their parents got all cute 'n cuddly in public," he says, grinning. "Although to tell the truth, that much sweetness could have made a stone statue sick! When Toriel left - well, we were all just a teensy bit relieved."

You smile and nod robotically, trying to appear as indifferent as usual.

"What was the question again? Oh, right. That human." He frowns, once again immersed in his memories. "They were a… peculiar child. They didn't do anything to harm any of us, but I'd always get the heebie-jeebies under my shell in their presence. I don't remember humans all that well anymore, but putting aside what they did to us in the war… I doubt every one of them were like that. No, certainly not. That kid - they looked like they had never loved anyone, except for maybe their new family. They did seem to genuinely enjoy the company of prince Asriel, in any case. I recall the both of them getting one of those fancy matching lockets for the kid's birthday saying 'Besties' or whatever. The prince liked to show it off whenever he had the chance. As for their appearance… I don't remember much, only that they'd always wear a striped sweater and that their eyes were red."

You feel your soul skip a beat.

"Almost as red as the queen's eyes, for that matter," Gerson muses. "As far as I know, that eye color is quite rare among humans."

You press your palms against the counter, your eyelights pinpricks, your grin a mask.

"their name," you force out, "was it 'chara'?"

Gerson looks at you in surprise.

"...Well, I'll be damned. Yes, it was."

For a few seconds, the whole world goes white, your mind reeling.

Holy hell.

Holy fucking hell.

You idiot. You goddamn blind idiot.

"Hey! You alright, Sans? What's going on?"

Gerson's hand on your shoulder yanks you back to the present. You blink, draw a shaky breath and hide your hands in your pockets, forcing yourself to smile.

"sure thing. never better. thanks for the info. see ya." Before he can pry further, you hastily turn to leave. "and don't forget about that discount, gers."

"...As long as you won't forget about your water sausages. Wa ha ha!"

You hear him mumble faintly as you exit the shop.

"Take care, lad. Take care."

You don't remember how you got to the gate in the western corner of Snowdin Forest. You only come to your senses when you realize the air has gotten colder, smelling faintly of pine needles and ice. You find yourself sitting on a snow poff, staring at your hands resting idly in your lap. Leaning against a tree-trunk, you let your eyesockets fall closed and take a deep breath. You need some space, far from the children, from Flowey, from everyone. You need some time to think. Perhaps a long time.

Chara.

You never cared. As long as you can remember, you never really cared about anything or anyone except your brother.

Oh, you made friends here alright. You were always good at making people feel at ease and they, quite naturally, assumed you were all chummy. And, to an extent, it worked. Grillby was always a good pal, at least.

But you weren't there, not entirely. You were careful to keep your distance and not to reveal too much about yourself. You wanted to go back. Back to where, you don't remember anymore, but it was someplace happier, that's for sure. You would tinker endlessly with that damn machine in the hopes that you can bring back the past, clinging to Papyrus like a lifeline whenever the darkness threatened to overwhelm you. And when you were finally, finally starting to accept that you will never be able to go back so you might as well take whatever you can from life; that you might have a chance to start it anew, with new friends and new opportunities, that all things considered, it's not that bad -

- then came Frisk.

The child who convinced you beyond all doubt that ultimately, caring is not worth it.

The child you promised to watch out for.

Toriel.

You remember her laughter, her soft, pleading voice, her anger, her tears. You wonder how she must have felt all these years, how she must feel right now, knowing that the monster she once loved has turned into a murderer. Knowing that Asgore was responsible for the death of her beloved children she woved to keep safe at all costs.

You think of the six human souls, trapped in their glass cages, humming with life. Bravery. Justice. Kindness. Patience. Integrity. Perseverance. A whole spectrum of unique powers, demonstrating the strength of humankind. Those who fell down here all died long ago, at the hands of your kind.

But you have never seen Chara's soul. You have never seen them when they were still alive. They were always like an ominous, intangible shadow lingering behind Frisk's eyes. You have never treated them as anything else than a demon bent on making you miserable. As someone who might have had someone who loved them. Someone they could love in return.

Your best friend.

The small, fragile form of Flowey flashes before your eyes, begging for his life, his face so, so familiar for that split second.

Aside from you, the only one who can see the fallen child.

'As.'

A shiver runs down your spine, chilling you to the marrow. You open your eyesockets and look at the gate, closed and silent, guarding its secret.

You never got to know any of them. You never got to know what this world is like.

It's time to find out.

And you just happen to have a hunch where to start.

The blank white walls seem to vibrate in the air, radiating heat. The thick metal slab slides open and Alphys' plump form appears in the doorway.

"S-sans!" she exclaims, adjusting her glasses. "Um… how nice to s-see you!"