They reset.

At first, you're too shocked to do anything but stay where you are, lying on your back motionless, looking upward. You're aware that every moment is precious, that you should act immediately, but your limbs feel like they are frozen to the mattress.

You have pondered this scenario countless times since Frisk had mercy on you in the Last Corridor all those runs ago. You've replayed it in your head over and over again, filled with a sick anticipation. Chara deciding they had enough of playing nice, and dusting a few monsters just for fun, just to rile you up enough to slip back again. At least it would have been over, then. You could have given up on trying to pretend that you're still normal, that you haven't betrayed everything once so precious to you. Going on another killing spree, not even paying attention anymore, feeling at home in your numbness.

But now that it has actually happened, you don't feel relief. You don't feel satisfaction that your suspicions have come true. Instead - you're scared. You're scared that it was all for nothing after all.

And with that, just like a flash of lightning illuminating everything before you, making you finally see clearly after such a long, long time of darkness, you realize you can't go back to what you once were. Not anymore.

A rush of adrenaline washes over you, snapping you out of your stunned state. You spring up and prepare to teleport. You mustn't let it happen again. It cannot be over. It cannot.

They deserve to live.

You arrive at the grotto breathless, your soul beating to a frantic rhythm of dread and determination. You don't have a plan, nor any idea what you're going to do once you're face to face with Chara. You only know that you must stop them, and you will stop them. You will find something to stall them, to make them back off, to convince them to give you another chance, one last chance. You will make this right. How under the Earth, you have no idea. But you must do it.

The cavern walls twinkle with moisture in the dim light, stalactites hanging from the ceiling like a tattered curtain of rock. Far above you, you can see a small fragment of the sky, its color a washed-out pink, lending the golden flowers a faint orange glow. Near the entrance, a royal purple robe lies on the ground in a crumpled heap, covered with a thin layer of dust.

No.

No, please, please, it cannot be -

"S-see? I killed her for you!"

Flowey's voice is shaky, his petals trembling as he looks up at the child towering over him. They stand near the entrance, unaware of your presence for now. Even from this distance, you can see that their eyes are red.

"I n-never betrayed you! It was all just a trick!"

The fallen child doesn't say a single word to the flower. Their face is completely devoid of emotion. They raise the stick high above their head, ready to strike.

"Chara… Chara, please don't kill me -"

You send a bone flying through the air, aiming for the stick, and Chara's attack goes astray as the weapon is knocked out of their grasp. Flowey, who's been cowering in fear, gasps, and in his turn, immediately retreats into the ground, a few upturned chunks of dirt the only sign of him ever being here.

You're alone with Chara. Apparently in no hurry, they pick up the stick and finally turn to you, eyeing you with an unreadable expression. Steeling yourself, you stand in the entrance, blocking their way.

"Greetings, partner," they say measuredly. "I see you want to have a bad time."

"likewise," you say with the laziest grin you can muster. "looks like we have a sticky situation on our hands here."

They smile at you: such a bright, innocent little thing. But in their eyes – in their eyes, you see the will to destroy, to kill, to annihilate everything they fancy to.

And you see something else there, something you didn't expect. Something you haven't seen for a long time, since you finally managed to defeat them for the first time.

Anger.

They take a small step toward you, and for a quick, horrifying moment, you see yourself in the Last Corridor, bright sunlight in your eyes, a deep, gaping wound on your chest, your friends dead, your world lost. The fallen child steps even closer, looking at you with fake concern.

"Aren't you tired of fighting, Sans?" they ask, staring you straight in the eyesockets. "Don't you want to give up and die? I'll even let you kill me one last time – I promise."

Your soul is pounding wildly in your ribcage, ready for everything, ready for nothing.

"thanks, i'll pass."

"Wouldn't it be so much easier than this?"

You fall silent, unable to form an answer. Chara slowly lifts the stick, grabbing it with both hands, their knuckles white with the strength of their grip, their voice calm, comforting.

"Don't you want to rest and be at peace?"

Your hands tremble for a moment. It would be easy. It would be so, so easy.

But you're done with taking the easy way out.

"Take your turn, Sans," Chara goes on, a note of impatience in their voice. "You know you can't drag this out forever."

You raise your left hand.

"try me, buddy."

Here goes nothing.

You spare Chara.

The child drops the act immediately. They let out a derisive snort, clearly not amused.

"Wow. Are you really that stupid that you think I will fall for this old trick again? I have seen it a thousand times now. And it's as dumb as it has always been."

You dodge their attempt to hit you with the stick, and spare them again. They snicker.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"i thought it was obvious," you say, forcing yourself to stay calm. "taking de-spare-ate measures to capture me a human."

You dodge, and in your next turn, you spare them again.

"Have you deluded yourself into thinking you're Papyrus now? And I thought you couldn't sink any deeper into insanity!"

"there's plenty more room for that, i'm afraid."

You spare them. They make an annoyed huff, clearly frustrated by what must be just a waste of time to them.

"Stop it with the charade, Sans. Just give up already. I want it, you want it. So do us both a favor and let me kill you."

"nah," you say, your face more serious now. "not until you stop swinging that thing around."

You spare them.

"Enough," they hiss, their voice surprisingly tense. "I want you to stop!"

"same here."

You spare them. They narrow their eyes, their grip tightening around the stick.

"What do I care," they say in a low voice. "I'm going to kill you either way. It's not like you don't deserve it. It's not like you don't deserve the punishment."

You spare them.

"Now die."

You spare them, again and again, ignoring how every fiber of your body is crying out with the desire to fight. You don't yet know what you're going to do after Chara had enough of going nowhere with the battle; the only thing you know is that you must hold on. You mustn't die. You mustn't let it end like this.

It cannot be the end.

You dodge and dodge, avoiding the lashes, your eyelights following your opponent's every movement. Chara says nothing anymore, focusing on the fight, focusing on killing you for good this time, their eyes burning with hatred, occasionally grunting in irritation at the futility of their attempts. But if there's one job you're good at, it's this. It's stalling them, thwarting them, or at least boring them until they give up.

Too bad they have never given up. They have always been determined, after all.

And you - you're not invincible. Not anymore. Even though you don't put any energy into fighting this time, you're getting more tired by the minute, beads of sweat gathering on your temples, your breathing getting quicker, more labored, your limbs feeling heavier. Once again, you're weaker than them.

And Chara knows this as well as you do.

They won't give up. They will never give up.

After sparing them once again, you take a wrong step and slip on a pile of wet leaves, momentarily losing your balance. You close your eyesockets involuntarily, just for a fraction of a second, just for one fleeting moment, nothing's going to happen, you're still in control, you can still win, and then white-hot pain shoots through you, and when you open your eyesockets, you see the weapon stuck deep between your ribs.

No.

"I'm stronger than you."

Chara's voice is distorted, slurred, coming from somewhere far away, through a thick haze of pain. You try to hold on with all your strength, but you know it's a losing battle.

You failed.

You tried to save them, to keep them alive, to give them the faintest of hopes, and you failed.

I'm… I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I couldn't save you after all.

You drop your hand, stripped all of your strength, your vision getting blurry, your knees giving out, and -

You wake up in your room, staring at the ceiling from the questionable comfort of your worn-down mattress. The first light of the fabricated underground dawn is just barely visible above the rooftops. You're alive.

You blink.

…What?

What happened? Why did they bring everything back again?

What do they want to do this time? Do they want to push you over the edge again, just to see if anything changes? Have they found new ways to make you suffer?

You grip the sheets and close your eyesockets, swallowing hard, mentally preparing yourself. One more attempt. One more chance.

I won't give up.

You get up and teleport to the cavern, where the child has just scrambled to their feet among the golden flowers. Flowey is nowhere to be seen. Upon seeing you, Chara swishes the stick in the air, shambling toward you, their dark bangs casting a shadow over their eyes. They look pissed, to put it mildly. Once again, you step in front of them and block their way.

"Go away," the child growls. "I'm bored of you. You and your stupid little games."

Not today, kiddo.

You spare them.

"Just die already."

You spare them.

"I said die -"

"Stop!"

Without the gate separating you, her voice rings so clear, so sharp, so full of fear and pain. Before you could dodge Chara's next attack, a ball of fire shoots through the air between you, missing you by a hair's width. You turn and see Toriel rushing toward you, her eyes wide with shock.

"wait, tori-"

Lightning shoots through your skull as the stick hits home, a flash of blinding white and red in your eyes, and in the next moment, everything goes dark -

You wake up in your room, staring at the ceiling from the questionable comfort of your worn-down mattress. The first light of the fabricated underground dawn is just barely visible above the rooftops.

I won't give up.

This time, you're able to think a little more clearly. (Who'd have thought that getting yourself killed actually helps you get it together.) You must keep Toriel safe before you engage with Chara again. Instead of the entrance of the ruins, you teleport to the section of the corridor adjacent to it, hiding behind a column, and wait for her to show up. After maybe a minute, you hear the swish of a robe, and a tall figure walks past you, already about to enter the cavern. She's humming quietly to herself, her expression serene and peaceful.

She deserves to live.

Toriel gasps in surprise when you step out of the shadows, but before she could protest, you grab her paw firmly, snap your fingers, and in the next moment, you're in the secret grotto, safely away from the danger. She blinks, disoriented, then looks down at you, confusion written all over her face. You squeeze her paw gently, already preparing to return.

"stay here."

"What? Who are y-"

"please."

She tries to tear her hand out of yours, her movements desperate.

"No – let me go back!"

"i can't," you say firmly. "not now."

"Please, you must understand! That child might be in danger! I must keep them safe!"

"they'll be safe. i'll make sure of that."

You step back, letting go of her paw, and look her in the eye, your voice gentle.

"i promise."

Toriel falls silent, staring at you, her mouth open for a fraction, her eyes widening as the realization hits her. You smile at her encouragingly.

"i'll be back in a sec. just… wait for me here, okay?"

She raises one eyebrow skeptically, pondering whether you're telling the truth, but in the end, she nods.

"Alright. I will wait for you."

"thanks a ton." You give her a wink. "A skele-ton."

The corners of her mouth curl upward involuntarily, and you can't help but smile back at her as you take another shortcut back to the entrance. Chara is about to enter the ruins, their head hanging low, the stick hanging in their hand, their steps uncertain, like they are about to trip over their own feet at any moment. You grit your teeth, once again ready for everything, and step out in front of them, blocking their way. Their mouth twitches.

"It's you again, huh?" they snarl, their voice heavy with hostility. "I'd never have imagined you had it in you to try and stop me after everything you've witnessed. After everything you've done."

You spare them.

"Go away."

You spare them.

"Go away or I'll kill you again."

You spare them. Chara cries out in fury, swinging the stick in your direction, their motions growing more and more impatient. Their aim is getting worse, you have noticed that much, but that doesn't change the fact that ultimately, they were right. They are stronger than you. You know you must do something to disarm them before they actually make good on their threat and dust you one more time.

You dodge another attack, your mind desperately grasping for something, anything to help you out. You can't let Chara get past you. You can't let them destroy everyone again, Toriel, Undyne, Asgore, Alphys, Papyrus -

…Papyrus?

Pictures of your battle with your brother flash in your mind, and suddenly, you're struck with an idea that might just work. Maybe. You hope so. In your next turn, instead of sparing the child once again, you prepare a bone attack, and you dearly hope you haven't forgotten what your brother knows how to do by heart. With a swift motion of your hand, you grab Frisk's soul and hold it in place with your blue attack. Chara cries out in surprise, but before they can snap out of the shock of you changing tactics out of the blue (heh heh), you conjure up a bone, aim it, and shoot it straight at the soul. Seeing the projectile coming at them, the child gasps, insctinctively covering their chest with their arms, closing their eyes tightly. The bone pierces the soul, draining its health point by point, until they are within an inch of their life.

Then, just in the nick of time, you stop.

Silence. Chara lowers their arms, their eyes wide, their breathing coming quick and shallow. They stare at the tip of the bone, floating just a millimeter away from the soul. They are alive, with a HP of one.

You did it.

You captured the human.

Chara struggles against the enhanced gravity, trying to reach out so they can land a hit on you, but they can't move much with the bone that close to their soul. You make sure to follow their movements with the projectile, to not let them escape this time.

"Let me go," they growl. "Let me go or I'll kill everyone again, I swear it."

You spare them.

"I said let me go! I'm sick of you!"

You spare them.

"Stop it or I'll reset!"

"ok," you say calmly. "then we'll fight again. until the end of time if you wish so. trust me, i'm ready."

You spare them. They grind their teeth, tears of frustration starting to flow down on their face, the rosy spots on their cheeks burning a dull red, their movements erratic.

"It's your fault! It's all your fault!"

You spare them.

"I hate you so much! All of you! I hate you!"

You spare them.

"Just DIE ALREADY!"

"chara."

At the mention of their name, the fallen child stops squirming. They close their eyes and take fast, shaky breaths, almost sobbing. You stay silent, keeping the bone in place until they open their eyes again, avoiding your gaze. Their mouth trembles for a moment.

Then slowly, gradually, their arms go limp, the stick dropping from their grip.

*Chara has accepted your mercy.

It's over. The battle is over.

You're alive.

You lean against a stalagmite, huffing and puffing, your kneecaps shaking from the exertion. Damn, it's been a long while since you had to do this. However, it looks like Chara's in no better shape. They sit down clumsily on the flower patch, their head hanging low, their brown hair tousled. They cough and sniffle, wiping the tears off their face with one hand. You don't quite understand what made them so upset, or why they chose to reset two more times after managing to kill you, but you decide to just roll with it for now. One step at a time. At least they look defeated enough to perhaps be receptive to talk this whole thing out.

You wait patiently, glad for the moment of respite. Eventually, the child's quiet sobs die down, their breathing becoming a little calmer. Cautiously, you step closer, hands in pockets just in case.

"now. feelin' up to a little chat?"

"Go to hell."

"will do right after you be a good little kid and hear me out for a sec."

The child shoots you a glance full of barely suppressed disgust.

"And just what do you want to talk about? Do you honestly think I'm ever going to repay your fake mercy? I know you didn't spare me out of the kindness of your heart."

"think of it as a preliminary reward for not resetting another time for a nice long while."

Chara turns to you, their eyes dark with anger.

"What are you trying to pull now, Sans? Is this another asinine prank of yours?"

You blink, confused by the question. Prank? What prank?

"Don't think for a minute that I haven't noticed something was off with Frisk," the child goes on. "At first I thought they were just being melodramatic, the delicate little daisy they are, but now I know that it was your doing, no matter what they said about you. I should have known you were a dirty cheater from the very start."

"says the human who decided to reset when they got bored of behaving themself," you say dryly.

"Stop lying!" Chara snaps at you. "I didn't reset, get it through your skull already!"

For a moment, you're not sure if you heard it correctly. Your earholes must have been ringing. They… what?

They didn't reset?

You stare at Chara with the most neutral expression you can pull off, which is to say, not very much. Thankfully, they don't seem to notice your confusion, being preoccupied with their own apparent pains.

"I kept up my end of the deal," they carry on, a petulant expression on their face. "Until we died because dear Frisk couldn't be bothered to memorize Mettaton's attack patterns properly. Serves them right for being such a weakling, honestly. And because you broke your so-called promise and destroyed the SAVE points anyway, we ended up back here."

They look up at you sullenly, the very picture of hurt innocence.

"And, no thanks to your machinations, we can't even save anymore because they haven't come back! Just what did you do to them?!"

You stay silent for a second, your thoughts a chaotic mess of questions, guesses, calculations. This – this couldn't have happened. It shouldn't have happened. There were two save points Frisk hasn't used to the point of breaking them. They should have worked as a backup, you're positive about that.

And they… haven't come back?

And Chara is convinced that it was somehow your doing. Of course, they can be just pretending to be ignorant, but for once, they look genuinely angry.

Your initial shock disappears, a slow, creeping unease taking its place. Chara has taken notice of Frisk's weakness, but blames you for it - just like you blamed them. Same with the save points. Something must be happening that neither of you have any influence over. Something you must find out and resolve before it's too late. You can figure this out, but you need time. You mustn't let Chara notice that something's off, that you're not the only players on the field anymore.

Which means that once again, you must resort to lying, pretending, deceiving your enemy. To what end, you're not even sure yourself. You only know that you can't let the situation slip from your grasp. You must stay in control.

Like you've ever been control in the first place, idiot.

"okay," you say firmly, trying your best to look remorseful. "i admit i did some messing around while you two were busy. just to be sure you -"

"I knew it!" they cry out, triumphant. "I knew you've been plotting against me all along! You and that wretched little flower."

"you mean asriel." You look down at the child, your voice stern. "your best friend."

For a split second, Chara's face contorts into a mask of such pure hatred that you have to force yourself not to take a step back.

"My compliments to you, partner," they say coldly. "I see you have done some investigation behind our back. You must be really proud of yourself for being marginally smarter than your brother." They cock their head to one side and flash you a smile. "What are you going to do now, I wonder? Tell on me to my mother and break her heart? I bet your twisted little mind would enjoy that even more than killing her."

You sigh inwardly, gathering all your patience.

"what about i do nothing for now, and you behave yourself for a change?"

"No. I'm done playing pretend with you, Sans. I'm done with being a sweet little angel just because Frisk or you or anyone else wants me to. Nobody has ever cared about what I want. Why should I do any different? Why should I have mercy on any of you, after all you have done to me?"

They turn away, their shoulders hunched like they are about to burst into tears again. A fragment of a conversation comes to your mind, echoing like the splash of a pebble in an empty cavern.

"How do you think it feels to be invisible and unheard by everyone? By your own mother and father?!"

You sit down on the flower patch, careful not to be too close to Chara.

"listen, pal," you say in a measured tone, your voice as earnest as you can muster. "i couldn't care less about your supposed misery. you've gone through with your sick little game far too many times for my tastes." You pause, preparing for another outburst of anger. "but if you feel the need to vent a little – i'm here."

Chara's eyes widen with disbelief. They let out a bark of laughter.

"What – have you lost your mind for good this time? Are you actually telling me to 'sit down and talk about it' like my pathetic moron of a father would? What's coming next, offering me tea and biscuits?"

"basically, yeah. minus the tea and biscuits. i have a few packets of ketchup on me though if you want some."

"Ew! I prefer chocolate, thank you."

"your loss. in any case, you can choose between letting out some steam or having me spare you another few thousand times."

"Then I will kill you again," they say in an indifferent tone. "I gave you a second chance, and you have wasted it. It's the end of the line for you, and you know it."

It cannot be over.

"alright, buddy," you say flatly. "i've got a question for you, then. namely - what do you wanna do now?"

"I have a few ideas," they shrug, a sly smile returning to their face. "If you can't be pushed any further, maybe I'll try someone else. Your saintly little brother, for example. I've always been curious how he would react if he knew."

Your soul tightens in anguish as you remember the words of Papyrus.

"I BELIEVE IN YOU, BROTHER."

"Or Undyne, maybe. I wonder how she would receive the news that she might as well give up."

"You were my friend."

"Alphys might be an interesting choice, too. After all, I never had the chance to fight her, and from what I heard, she can be quite challenging. What do you think?"

"I'm s-sorry you had to go through this by y-yourself."

You close your eyesockets for a moment, trying to suppress the emotions threatening to burst to the surface. Hearing Chara's words, for the first time in what seems like forever, you realize how much you have to lose. How much there is that's still so precious to you, despite everything.

And Chara must be aware of this. They know you inside out, probably way better than anyone else. Which means they can hurt you more deeply than anyone else. They can make you lose everything again.

But now - now you know them better than anyone else, too. You can adapt. You can defend yourself. You will defeat them.

For everyone's sake.

"alright," you shrug. "and after you tortured my brother, undyne, and every single monster to your heart's content? what then?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," Chara says with a note of impatience. "What does it matter to you, anyway? I thought you didn't -"

They stop mid-sentence and furrow their brow, making a face at nothing in particular.

"What?"

They listen for a few seconds to something only they can hear, and let our an irritated sigh.

"Ugh! Fine, I'll let you have it. Just so you finally leave me in peace," they grumble. In the next moment, the child's expression changes. They blink a few times, and when they look up at you, you see that Frisk is in control once again. Chara, their ghostly form floating slightly above the ground not far from you, glares at them.

"What do you want?"

You're eyeing Frisk cautiously, trying to gauge their reactions. There's something here you can't put your phalange on, something that might throw a wrench in your plans if you're not careful. You remember how they lied to you back in Hotland. How lightly they seemed to take their spells of nausea, reassuring you that everything was alright. They must know that something's off, they just don't want you to know. Paradoxically, the thought unnerves you even more than your interactions with Chara. At least with them, you know what you're getting.

What do you want, Frisk?

"You know what I want, Chara," Frisk says quietly. "I want to finish what we started. I want to see this to the end. Without killing anyone."

Chara rolls their eyes.

"Alright," they say in a mocking tone, imitating your earlier statement. "And then? What then? Will you all just live happily ever after? Maybe find another human to kill and take their soul instead? How merciful. Please make sure they receive a proper burial, since that apparently makes it all better."

"it would be a nice change of pace," you shrug.

"Then you're deluding yourself, comedian."

They lean against the wall, arms folded, frowning to themselves.

"You all want to go up to the surface so much, like it's some kind of magical wonderland up there. But you don't know humans. They are merciless, and they are much, much stronger than any of you. They are going to destroy you again, and this time for good. You're all going to die."

You raise a bony eyebrow half-heartedly.

"as opposed to?"

Chara shrugs.

"At least you don't have any illusions about me. Although I haven't the faintest idea why you think that the rest of us are any better."

"I know humans," Frisk says, their face serious. "There are good people among them."

"Like you, I presume?" The fallen child turns to their companion, putting on a pout. "Poor little angelic Frisk, stuck forever with such a horrible person like mean old Chara. What a shame! I bet you would have done so much better if only I hadn't been there to force you to kill Mom."

Frisk winces, but says nothing.

"But if it happens to me, then it doesn't count, I suppose. If I lose someone, it's all well and good."

They turn to to you, their voice full of contempt.

"Just look at them and their 'I'm-so-innocent-don't-hurt-me' act. It's all a lie. In the very first run, they killed my mother because they were too stupid and impatient to figure out how to spare her. They killed her in front of my eyes! And you're telling me I am the one who doesn't know mercy?"

"I - I didn't know -"

"I was screaming at you to stop, you imbecile! I did everything I could for you to hear me, but your cowardice made you blind and deaf! You were just a dirty coward, nothing but that!"

Frisk falls silent, their cheeks reddened from shame. Chara huffs and kicks the flowers fruitlessly, their foot making no impact.

"Humans! They are afraid of everything they don't know. They try to destroy everything that's not convenient for them. They don't know love, and they never did. They can all burn in hell for all I care."

"Chara. This is not what Mom would have -"

"Don't you dare," Chara hisses, making Frisk flinch away involuntarily. "Don't you dare say that ever again. You don't have any right to call her 'Mom'. They are my mother, understand? Mine! You're just an intruder who didn't even bother to spare her because it was easier for you to stick a knife in her! You have nothing to do with her! Nothing!"

They turn away from you, staring at a random spot on the wall, their mouth a think, bitter line.

"She deserved it anyway. She cast me away for you." Their mouth twitches. "In the end, she was no better than the others."

Once again, you have the feeling that you're witnessing something that's none of your business. You know the kids have their own issues to work out, and you don't want to intervene unless the situation calls for it, so you decide to put a sock in it for now. It's not like you don't have plenty of other problems to ruminate on.

After a long stretch of silence, Frisk takes a small, timid step toward the fallen child.

"I'm sorry, Chara," they say quietly.

"Oh, so you're sorry, huh?" Chara grumbles. "You treat 'sorry' like it's a magic word. You're sorry, so everything is fine! We're all obliged to forgive you because you're sorry."

"I know that doesn't make it right. But sometimes, that's the only thing that remains."

They hang their head low, biting their lip, their eyes full of tears.

"I never wanted to hurt her."

"It don't give half a darn what you might or might not have wanted, Frisk. The only thing that counts is what you did. And what you did was killing her."

"kid. we've all done some pretty messed-up stuff," you say calmly. "don't you think it's time to maybe take it down a notch and not point the phalange at each other?"

"I'll point my finger at anyone I please, thank you," Chara grumbles. "What do you care, anyway? I thought you were too busy wallowing in self-pity for that."

You shrug.

"from one mass-murderer to another, i'm pretty sure we're far beyond the point where it still matters who did what."

"Really, now? Look who's decided to finally drop the martyr act and come at me with this baloney about understanding."

Suddenly, they turn to you and step closer until their face is an inch away from yours.

"You understand nothing, Sans," they whisper, their voice tense with hurt and anger. "Nothing. No matter what you think, you don't know what it means to be weak. You don't know what it means to be helpless. To be reliant on others' mercy, and then realize that they will never have mercy on you."

"then tell me."

Your voice is calm, your expression earnest, and maybe because of that, maybe for some other reason, Chara's doesn't laugh in your face. They don't fly into a fit of rage. They don't even look surprised, or taken aback at your invitation one bit. They just keep staring at you wordlessly, their expression neutral. You stand your ground, resisting the urge to avoid their eyes. After what seems like an eternity, they finally back off, suddenly looking tired, almost beaten. They look at the ground, their arms folded tightly around their torso, their body closed in on itself as if they're cold.

You wait. Chara stays silent, chewing their lower lip, not looking at either of you. You glance at Frisk, who's watching intently, but says nothing for now. They instinctively know now's not the time for speaking. At least not for them.

It's time for Chara to speak. After all these years, it's finally time for them to speak.

Now or never.

And at last, the words come. Slowly, hesitantly, but they come.

"When I came to the Underground," the child starts, "I realized I was stronger than you. Any of you. At last, I was the best. I was the strongest. But… I didn't need to be. Here under… I never needed to be strong. Unlike those up there, you were kind to me."

They frown, their eyes still downcast.

"And I wanted to help you. The only way I could. I wanted you to finally get back to the surface, no matter what it takes." Their mouth trembles. "I planned everything out. I killed myself for your sake. I gave up my soul for your sake! How about that for a sacrifice? And in the last moment, just when our plan was about to finally succeed, Asriel betrayed me. He betrayed me, even though he had told me we were friends!" They inhale sharply, their grip tightening on their arms. "I should have known better than to trust him."

For a few seconds, they stay quiet, their gaze resting on the golden flowers.

"At first… I thought I'd come back so I could get revenge on him. I wanted to see his face as he realizes what is about to happen. But when I saw him at last, at the end of the run… I felt nothing."

Nothing.

Your hand grabs the inside of your pocket.

Papyrus.

"It was like somehow being empty. I didn't know why. I wanted to feel something, anything, but I couldn't. I became angry at him, I suppose. Or just disappointed that after all of this, nothing had remained for me." Their face falls, their voice getting even quieter. "So I killed him, too. And… he didn't even try to defend himself."

He never tried to defend himself.

"He was the last one."

He was the last one.

"After that, I knew there was no going back for either of us. But at that point… I didn't care. I couldn't care anymore." They look up at you defiantly. "I couldn't, do you understand?!"

Once again, you hold their gaze silently until they turn away again, their eyes dull.

"And then – I thought it was the end of everything at last," they say in a flat voice. "It was dark, and there was nothing. But I was still there. I was still alive."

They look down at the red heart floating in their chest and touch it hesitantly, almost reverently. Frisk shudders uncomfortably at the touch.

"I thought that with Frisk's soul inside me, it would be better. But it wasn't. I was still empty. I was still alone. And then… I finally realized the real purpose of my reincarnation."

A small, joyless smile appears on their face.

"To play."

They fall silent, their head hanging low, their feet tracing aimless patterns among the flowers. You wait for them to go on, but looks like this was the end of it. You look at Frisk, who's still eyeing their companion patiently, seemingly in no hurry to chime in.

"i'm going to ask you again," you say slowly. "what do you want, chara?"

"I don't know!"

Chara's cry echoes through the cave; a shrill, ghostly sound, the voice of a child who doesn't have a place in this world anymore.

"Stop it with these stupid questions. Or I swear I'm going to go ahead and kill everyone again."

They close their eyes, their grip once again tight around their arms.

"After all, hurting others is the only thing I am good for."

Silence.

"This is me."

Frisk doesn't say a word, just extends their hand to touch Chara on the shoulder. The fallen child shirks away.

"Leave me alone, Frisk," they mumble. "I'm tired."

They turn to you, their deep red eyes weary and somehow old. You wonder how many times they must have gone through this. Resets and resets, lifetimes and lifetimes, killing and killing and killing. An unending spiral of time, disappearing into the dim abyss of the past. A strange moment of understanding passes between you, and you're both quick to avert your gaze.

"But what I do know is that I don't want to be weak ever again," Chara says finally, their voice full of determination. „And I won't let you hold me back."

"You're not weak."

At Frisk's sudden interception, Chara raises a skeptical eyebrow.

"We're stronger than we've ever been," Frisk goes on, their voice firm. "Having mercy is hard, Chara. It's harder than any killing we have ever done. And you know this, too. You know this is a challenge if there's ever been one."

They smile at their companion encouraginly.

"And I was right when I said you enjoyed doing good. I'm sure of it now. After we came back, and Flowey killed Mo- Toriel… something was missing, and you felt it. We both felt it. That's why you got so angry. That's why you decided to reset again. And, um, once more after…"

"After what?" Chara asks, glaring daggers at them.

"...After Sans spared us."

The fallen child huffs, annoyed by being reminded of their humiliation at your hands.

"Alright, smartypants. Let's say I do as you wish. Let's say I complete the run behaving like an obedient little puppy and sparing everyone. That doesn't change the fact that Mr. Bonehead here didn't play fair. He lied and cheated, and he will do it again once he's out of sight."

"i won't."

Upon hearing you speak, Chara looks at you with a disdainful expression. Understandable, to be honest.

"Oh, sure. Like I'm going to believe you. Tell me, Sans - is this another promise of yours? Because from what I heard, you have a tendency to break those."

You take a long, deep breath and silently count to ten.

"you heard me, kid. as long as you don't hurt anyone - i won't destroy a single save point. take it or leave it."

"You're lying."

"then kill me."

Chara blinks at you, nonplussed.

"...What?"

"kill me," you repeat calmly. "here and now. after all, what can i do to stop you?"

The child opens their mouth, but closes it again without saying anything, eyeing you distrustfully. They're obviously trying to guess where the trick is, what they should do to get the upper hand on you, but for once, they seem to be at a loss. They take a step back, and in the next moment, their form flickers and melts back into Frisk's body, staggering for a second. Their eyes still on you, they reach for the stick lying on the ground. You watch them pick it up and close the distance between you. You watch them raise it above their head, ready to strike.

Just one last chance.

The weapon hovers above your skull.

Please.

"Alright."

All at once, you feel the tension drain away from your bones as Chara lowers the stick and puts a larger, safer distance between you.

"This once," they say, looking a bit more cheerful, almost excited to finally go on a new adventure. "And I warn you that the moment you touch a save point, it's over. No matter what Frisk babbled on about me enjoying all this sappiness."

They smile at you mockingly.

"It's all just a game, after all."

They blink and shiver as the red of their eyes fade, and when they look back at you, it's Frisk's face once again.

"we gotta go," you say, suddenly feeling worn out. "toriel has chilled in the grotto enough for several runs. wanna take a shortcut?"

They shake their head.

"Thank you, we're fine. We want to see her again. Just… one last time."

"guess i should pick her up then, huh?"

Without waiting for their answer, you teleport to the grotto and appear in front of the ex-queen. She makes a small jump and stares at you increduously.

"um. hey. wanna go back?"

She blinks.

"...Yes? I mean - yes, please take me back! That child must be lost and afraid!"

You extend a hand, and after a moment of hesitation, she takes it. Space warps around you, making you slightly dizzy, as you arrive back in the ruins. You let go of Toriel's paw, smiling at her encouragingly.

"you can go and greet them now. they prolly need a proper tu-toriel for this place."

She raises an eyebrow slightly, as if she doesn't quite understand the situation, but ultimately, she gives you a small, silent nod. Taking it as your cue to leave, you prepare for a shortcut.

"Please wait!"

You stop. Toriel is looking at you hesitantly, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

"Can't you… can't you stay?"

Your smile falters.

I want to stay.

"not now," you say, shaking your head lightly. "'s okay. gonna talk soon."

She shoots you one last glance, then turns and rushes to Frisk's side. You watch them from behind the column as she talks to them in a soft, soothing voice, then gently leads them away by the hand, careful to go slowly enough for them to follow. You teleport behind them silently, seeing them turn around the corner and disappear from your sight. You listen for a few seconds, but the silence is complete. There's nobody here. So much for hoping that you can have a talk with Flowey.

You sit down on the flower patch, resting your head against a stalagmite, staring upward at the small piece of open sky that's slowly changing its color from pinkish to a bright, clear blue.

Your thoughts are a tangled web of relief, confusion and worry. You think of the Aboveground, teeming with humans. It's where Frisk came from. It's where Chara came from, all those years ago. They must have had their own hopes and dreams. They must have had their soul hurt and destroyed - until they became soulless and empty in the end.

Just like you.

Just like… me?

You know that's not true.

You know what you want.

And you know it's not possible.

Not anymore.

It's too late to start caring now. You have wasted your chance here, pining for something that was hopelessly out of your reach. You waited for too long to stop Chara when they set out to destroy your world for the first time. You were late, always too late, and now it's over. It's all over.

You close your eyesockets, and repeat it to yourself like a chant. It's over for you. It's over. Give up whatever insane idea might have burrowed its way into your mind. Give up on it. Just give up.

I want to stay.

You think back to that silly pun Toriel made that made your soul feel alive for the first time in an eternity. To Papyrus' special meal, his embrace, his unshakeable belief in you. To Undyne, the heroine who never gave up, and who still had mercy on you, and Alphys, who, perhaps for a moment, understood how it feels.

You think back to all that happened, and the faint whisper in your soul that's been speaking to you all this time without you realizing it, and you shiver, and pull your hoodie tighter around yourself. Not because of the cold. Not because of fear or despair. You shiver because you're all too aware that for the first time in hundreds and hundreds of resets, somewhere along the way, you have stopped not caring. Not just about Papyrus. Not just about Toriel, and Undyne, and Alphys, and Asgore, and everyone who would have deserved to live, and instead were killed by your hands.

Not just about them.

You let out a weary sigh, looking back up at the sky, so far above you. You're exhausted from this ever-present undercurrent of self-loathing and remorse, your soul constantly torn in two. After so much fighting, you want to be at peace. After so much hatred – you want to love again.

And once again, you're afraid that you're too late.

Deep in your soul, you sense that with the save points not coming back, your world has reached a tipping point from which it cannot be brought back anymore. Not by Flowey, or you, or Frisk – or maybe even Chara.

You get up, fully aware that the game you've been playing has gotten dangerously real.