When was the last time she had a peaceful sleep, where hard rock or cold steel wasn't her bed, and the screams of the dead or the sniffling of children was her lullaby?

Longer than she had been at the Maw, that was certain.

She remembered very little about her life before ending up at the Maw. She supposed she had parents once (otherwise she wouldn't exist), but they either died or never cared enough to stick around; the latter seemed more likely than she would've cared to admit. All she remembered was that she had been alone for the longest time, mostly keeping to herself, tucked away in the darkest shadows.

It was the safest way to survive in a world of monsters.

The world outside was twisted…diseased…evil…where everything was either trying to kill you or skin you alive to turn into a trophy or a backscratcher. Almost all adults had been corrupted into some distorted atrocity, but all the children were left untouched for some reason. A refugee boy she once met said it was because children were innocent and untouched by whatever plagued their world, but she had many doubts over this theory.

Of course, their world hadn't always been a cesspool of darkness and horror. Many books and paintings she discovered described the world that came before, where people were happy and healthy, able to walk around freely in the sun without having to look over their shoulders in fear. But then something happened that caused it all to change and the world was forever twisted into the abomination it was today. As far as she knew, only a handful of people knew the origins of their world, and none of them were willing to share their secrets without paying a heavy price.

But that wasn't her concern. At least, it didn't used to be, once upon a time….


She peered through the banister on the upper floor, watching fascinatedly as the next shipment of "guests" waddled through the Maw's front doors. They were ugly, repugnant, and morbidly obese. Their stumpy legs and misshapen heads with their pounds of flesh wobbling made them look like poorly crafted wax figures. And they didn't have a single thought running through their heads other than stuffing their already dangerously bursting guts. They never even realized that more than half of them never leave the Maw, or questioned where a ship in the middle of the ocean got its supplies.

They were disgusting. But this was a sight she would have to get used to watching. Because one day, she would be expected to maintain the Maw –

She exhaled a sharp gasp when the door behind her flew open with a bang. She took an unconscious step between the banister bars and accidentally stepped on the edge. She flailed her arms like windmills trying to catch herself, but her weight was pulled her backward and she slipped away, freefalling towards the lower level. She screamed in a terrible fright, causing the guests to look up, many of them salivating loosely and stretching their stubby hands.

Fortunately, she would not be anyone's meal this day, as a lanky hand wrapped around her body, snatching her out of the air. She was pulled back to the top floor, to the disappointment of the guests, who shuffled along like nothing happened.

Her breathing was erratic; she held her chest to calm her racing heart. After a few deep breaths, she looked up at her savior. His flesh was peeled over his eyes, effectively blinding him, and his arms were grossly disproportionate to the rest of his small body. He was even more of a monster than the guests. But to her, he was a welcomed face.

"Arigato, Roger," she said gratefully. "One second too late and that would have been a disaster."

"You should learn to be more careful, princess," Roger croaked, setting her on her feet. His voice was deep and raspy like a bullfrog, mixed with an English accent. "If anything were to happen to you, my Lady would flay me to within an inch of my life."

"Gomen nasai, Roger," she apologized. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"Why aren't you in your room?" asked Roger.

"I was watching the guests," she explained.

"Why?" Roger croaked.

"Well…because the Lady is always watching the guests from above," she said with a hint of uncertainty. "And I thought…maybe I should start doing it too. I'm going to be taking over the Maw someday, so I should start learning now."

Roger blindly stared at her for a moment before stretching one of his disgustingly long arms and patted her lightly on the head. His skin was as cold as ice and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Even if he was ordered not to harm her, the spindly janitor still made her skin crawl. After a few more pats, he pulled his hand away.

"It's commendable that you want to start learning your duties, princess," said Roger. "But it is the Lady who will decide when you are ready to begin your lessons."

"But all she ever does is dress me up and comb my hair," she said, pouting. "I'm not a doll."

"Do you remember what it was like before the Lady chose you?" asked Roger. She went silent for a moment, rubbing her arm subconsciously. "You should enjoy being pampered while you can. Very few are granted that privilege. And when you do begin your lessons, you will have very little time to relax."

"I guess…," she mumbled.

"Speaking of my Lady," said Roger. "She was just looking for you in your room. When she didn't find you, she asked me to search and inform you that she requires your presence in her chambers. You would be wise not to keep her waiting."

"Oh, I should go!" she said quickly, sprinting past the blind janitor. Before she rounded the corner, she yelled back, "Arigato, Roger!"

She ran as fast as her tiny legs could carry her; it never boded well to keep the Lady of the Maw waiting long. She dashed across the overlook of the dining hall, where the guests wasted no time stuffing their fat gobs with mountains of food of questionable nature. One of them, she noticed, had already died and was being dragged away to the back by one of the twin chefs. She ignored the disturbing thoughts and rounded the corner to the elevator.

Because of her diminutive size, it was impossible for her to reach the button on her own. Thankfully, Roger had created a home-made staircase made from random junk lying around. She climbed the steps, pressed the button, jumped down, and entered the elevator when the door opened with a ding! She didn't need to press any buttons once inside; the elevator tended to run on its own and always seemed to know where the passenger wanted to go. It was very useful for someone who was barely a foot tall.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened with another ding, dropping her off in the Lady's quarters.

The Lady's quarters were much more lavish and comfortable than anywhere else; as to be expected from the absolute ruler of the Maw. Instead of cold steel and splintered wood, the floors were covered by soft rugs and carpets. Countless numbers of paintings lined the walls, some simple scenes of random places, and others of portraits of strange and frightening monsters she was glad did not exist inside the Maw. Stacks of books towered around the comfortable furniture in front of the warm glowing fireplace, which looked to have recently been lit; probably by Roger.

She stood in front of the fire, rubbing her hands and absorbing the heat. The Maw was a cold and damp place. This was the only area she knew that had a shred of warmth.

"Is that you, child?" a smooth and elegant voice called from the long corridor to her left. The speaker was soft toned, but their voice carried across the living quarters. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you."

"I was…just…," she murmured nervously.

"Oh, never mind," the voice interrupted uncaringly. "Come here. I have something for you."

She perked up eagerly. Was it perhaps another gift, she wondered. The little girl sprinted across the sitting room, which was about the normal pace for the taller people, until she reached the stairs. Climbing each step was like traversing a small cliff. She was required to leap to the edge, pull herself up, and repeat. Why did they have to make everything so big in the Maw, she asked herself. Why can't they make something for her size, or at least help her get around? It's discrimination against short people!

It took several minutes to reach the top of the stairs, and by that time she was already sweating, taking a moment to catch her breath. Once wiping her brow, she dashed down the long, dark corridor ahead of her. Along the way, she passed by four giant portraits of what seemed to be the same woman wearing porcelain white mask, but wearing different colored Kimonos (red, blue, green, and white.) The girl understood the significance of these portraits when no one else did – not even Roger. Only she knew the Maw's greatest secret –

"There you are. I was growing impatient."

She stopped at the threshold of the bedroom. And on the other side of the chamber, sitting in front of a cracked vanity mirror, was the ruler of the Maw known only as the Lady. She presented herself as an exact copy of the portraits in the hallway, but wore a dark-brown kimono to differentiate herself.

The Lady had been brushing her long black hair when she called out to the girl. She didn't even turn around or look at her reflection; the Lady always seemed to know where everyone was in the Maw at all times. She set down the brush, picked up the elastic band on the vanity, and pulled her hair up into its customary bun. The Lady then rose to her full imposing height and silently turned around toward the girl, looking like she was floating on air (which she likely was, the girl thought.)

"What are you standing there for?" asked the Lady, calling the girl closer. "Come, I have gift for you."

The child all but skipped across the room, eager for yet another one of the Lady's exotic presents. The Lady chuckled amusing at the child's giddiness. Possibly sensing that the girl might literally burst from excitement, the Lady reached into her sleeve and pulled out the gift. It was a tiny kimono in the same style as the Lady's, only this one was bright-yellow like a sunflower. The child was in awe as the Lady handed it to her, immediately taken by the silk touch and the scent of spring on the fabric.

"It's beautiful," the child murmured, nuzzling the cloth. "And so soft."

"I'm glad you like it," said the Lady. "Well, what are you waiting for. Try it on."

"Uh…how do I…?" asked the child cluelessly; she had never worn a kimono before; or anything without dirt and holes for that matter.

The Lady chuckled and offered, "Here, let me…."

The Lady's hands were quick in disrobing the child of her tattered garments and replaced them with the beautiful kimono a moment later, deftly wrapping the obi with a trained hand. Once she had finished, she lifted the child into her palm and set her gently on her feet in front of the vanity mirror.

"How does it look?" asked the Lady. "I think it's some of my best work."

The child had to sidestep to find a space in the mirror that wasn't cracked, but she got a good look at herself. She couldn't help giggle with glee. The kimono looked beautiful on her, even seemed to compliment her pale skin and dark hair. Seeing herself in a kimono, she only just realized that she and the Lady shared many physical features. She supposed it made since as they both originated from the same land before escaping to the Maw.

"Kawaii…," said the girl.

"I was hoping you would like it," said the Lady. She reached into the vanity drawer and pulled out a hairbrush. "Sit, child. Let me fix up that messy head of yours."

The girl plopped herself down without question, crossing her legs and waiting patiently. The Lady took her brush and gently glided it across the child's messy bob, beginning the long and difficult process of taming the wild jungle that is her hair. This had become something of a daily routine for them. No matter what she did, the girl's hair would end up as a mess and the Lady would do her best to fix it, only to start over tomorrow. But the girl wasn't complaining; she enjoyed this private time with the Lady. It was relaxing….

"So…care to tell me why you were observing the guests?" the Lady questioned after a few moments of silence. "It was very foolish and extremely dangerous. You could've died had Roger not been there to save you."

The child should've known the Lady would know about that; she knew everything that took place in the Maw.

"Gomen nasai, my Lady," the girl apologized. "I just wanted to…I don't know, learn what you do. So I thought I could watch the guests a little…."

"You have no need to be near those disgusting pigs in human clothing," said the Lady with a tone of revulsion. "They are filthy creatures that gorge themselves until they die. You have nothing to gain from being around them, so don't near the guest's rooms again. You are too important for those abominations."

"If you don't like them, then why do you let them into the Maw?" asked the girl curiously.

"Out of necessity, I'm afraid," said the Lady calmly. "The more people who stuff their faces to death, the stronger my Sin will become. And as long as my Sin remains strong, the Maw will continue to run. The Maw is the only thing that keeps us safe from the outside world. And one day, I will pass my Sin on to you, little one."

"The Sin of Gluttony," the child murmured thoughtfully. "What is the Sin, anyway? Where does it come from? How does it work? And how're you going pass it down to me?"

"Aren't you a little chatterbox," said the Lady amusingly. "Do not concern yourself with that for now. We'll have plenty of time before you are ready to succeed me. And I know you will. I have great expectations for you…my little Six."


Six…that was what they called her.

It wasn't her real name, obviously. But when the Lady found her – kneeling the mud, in the middle of the rain, stuffing chunks of flesh from a dead man's corpse in her mouth to fight off the hunger pains – she had given her one condition: Throw away her old name and life for new ones at the Maw.

It was a simple choice. The meager village she lived in before was sparse and poorly maintained. The soil was tainted so crops could not grow, the water was poisoned by pollutants, the air was thick with smoke and ash, and people died almost on a daily basis. Just one look at the Lady's fine clothing was enough to tell Six she enjoyed a comfortable life away from this hell. Six accepted her new name and life, never looking back to the village she hated so much, even when a single voice lost in the rain pleaded for her to come back.

Her new life in the Maw was better by leaps and bounds. She had all the food she could eat, access to hot water, and the finest wardrobe she had ever imagined. Her new life was so perfect that she didn't care if the guests were eating themselves to death, or that the meat was made from people, or that there were children like her suffering in the depths of the Maw, slowly starving like she once had. She was able to ignore all that because she believed that none of it affected her, that she would never be in a position where she would need to think about it.

Not until the day it did….


The Lady sat stiff in front of the full-length mirror, which had been cracked like all the others, as I someone had taken a hammer to the object in a fit of rage. She was silently contemplating something, staring at the blank surface of her mask. Then slowly – hesitantly – she grasped the mask and slowly started to pull –

She was brought out of her daze when the door to her room was thrown open, banging against the wall; the Lady's hand quickly dropped. In the reflection, she could see Roger stomping into her bedchamber with Six flailing in his arms, desperately pleading to release her. The child looked ruffled. The Lady had sensed that she tried to escape when Roger confronted her. Six knew why she was here and tried to make a run for it….

"I found her, my Lady," the janitor croaked. "She tried fleeing through the ventilation."

"Thank you, Roger," said the Lady coolly.

"Let me go, let me go!" Six cried, smacking her tiny fists on Roger's hand, though it was hardly a tickle to him. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"If that were true, then why did you try to escape?" asked the Lady calmly. Six stopped fighting and went terrifyingly silent. "You know better than anyone that nothing in the Maw escapes my gaze. You knew what you were doing was wrong, but you did it anyway. The only thing I do not understand was why you did it. Why would you jeopardize everything we have worked so hard to build here – "

"It was just one kid!" Six argued. "She looked so hungry and miserable! I…I couldn't just do nothing! Besides, she was trying to escape anyway – "

"And I had sent Roger to collect her," said the Lady evenly. "And he would have succeeded if not for your intervention. Now the child is beyond the Maw's reach and you have put us all at risk."

"What can one kid do – "Six started before the Lady cut her off.

"That one child could expose the location of the Maw if they fell into the hands of our enemies!" the Lady snapped. "You do not realize what lies beyond the Primordial Ocean! What monsters thrive on the mainland! The first Lady created the Maw to escape the chaos and now it threatens to arrive at our doorstep at any moment! Now I must move the Maw to a new location, which means we'll have to start all over again if we wish to continue bringing in more guests."

"Then…everything will be okay, right?" said Six nervously. "We'll start over and – "

"There is no 'we'," said the Lady, stunning Six into silence. "I'm afraid you do not belong here anymore, child. Not after this."

"You – you can't just throw me away!" cried Six. "I just made a mistake, that's all! I promise I won't let another kid escape – "

"The fact that you aided a child in escaping the Maw is only a small part of a much bigger issue," said the Lady. "By helping that child escape, you showed mercy…compassion…weakness. A Lady must learn to kill their heart to make the right choices. Emotions are chaotic, unpredictable, and causes you to make mistakes. And if you saved one child, then you'll save another, and another, until the Maw's strength begins to wane. The Maw must always remain running, to protect us from the monsters outside."

"I swear, I won't!" Six pleaded. "Just give me another chance!"

"You should know that I do not give second chances," said the Lady coldly. "You are no longer worthy of becoming my successor."

"What should we do with her, my Lady?" asked Roger. "Shall I send her down to the chefs for the next lunch rush? "

Six tensed up at the prospect, trying not to imagine what would happen if the twins managed to et ahold of her. They would probably throw her in a pot of soup, or chop her like a fish. Strangely, the Lady didn't answer right away. She stared at her, now disgraced, successor. She seemed to be contemplating something behind that featureless white mask.

A thought occurred to Six in that moment. Was she…?

"Send her to the Nest," the Lady finally spoke, turning her back to them. "I believe the new Pretender is a child herself. She won't question where the girl came from. She'll just be happy to have a new playmate…."

"At once, my Lady," said Roger, bowing his head.


She had been sent away from the Maw that same day, taken aboard the Ferryman's boat to a place called the Nest. It was a large mansion that stood on top of an impossibly tall cliff in the middle of the Primordial Ocean. There she was handed off to a shackled butler, who then presented her to the Pretender, another child who seemed to rule over everything in the mansion like the Lady did in the Maw.

The Nest was a literal den of chaos; it was packed to the brim with all sorts of items that seemed to come from every parts of the world. Most of the objects there didn't even have a use and were just kept for the sake of having them. It was during her time there that Six came to realize that the Pretender had her own Sin like the Lady – the Sin of Greed. With her power, she marked her servants and "playmates" with a brand that would erase their existence should they ever make her upset or she grew bored of them.

Luckily, Six, with all her cunning and wit, managed to hide before she had been branded. And for the next several weeks, Six scurried around the Nest, surviving on scraps from the kitchen and trying to find a way off the island. And she did it all alone….

Until she met the girl in the yellow raincoat – Quartet.

Somehow, the new girl had done the unthinkable and crashed a working balloon into the tower of the Nest, forcing her to seek other methods of escape. Looking back, Quartet wasn't exactly the best when it came to planning, Six thought, but Six loved and respected her nonetheless.

Quartet was completely different from anyone else Six had met – caring, considerate, and willing to help others in need. Like the boy in the red scarf she had rescued (not that it mattered in the long run) or when she saved Six from falling to her death. She was the first person to show kindness to Six without asking anything in return. To Six, she was like the older sister she never had. Six wished she could've stay with Quartet forever.

And then she died. Despite Six dropping a goddamn boulder on her, the Pretender managed to tackle Quartet off the cliff and both of them vanished beneath the water. Only Quartet's yellow raincoat survived the fall.

Six remembered how devastated she was when she watched her first friend fall to her death. It forcefully brought forth the memory of the Lady's final words – how compassion was a weakness that would get her killed. Six tried to force the memory from her mind. To this day, Six still mourns Quartet's death. That was why she was so stunned when she found Quartet's raincoat in Pale City, sitting among the discarded clothing. Six knew she had to take it – to hold on to one last memento of her beloved friend more than to protecting herself from Pale City's rain. It felt oddly warm.

She had another friend, as well. Mono - the boy who loved hats. At least…they thought they were friends at first.

Mono first appeared in the Hunter's basement when he smashed the door open with an axe like a psychopath. She remembered that when they first met, he tried being friendly, only for her to shove him aside and escape. Did I mention he came in swinging an axe like a psychopath?

But they managed to resolve their issues when they killed the Hunter with his own gun (at least Six hopes he's dead.) They then set out together towards a place called Pale City, which Six remembered was where Quartet had escaped from in her balloon. Mono said he felt drawn to the city, like something was calling him there. That should've been the first red flag in Six's head….

Since arriving in Pale City, Six endured one torture after another: getting strung up by the Bullies, almost literally chewed out by the teacher, hunted down by the doctor, and chased down by the faceless Viewers. But the worst by far was when she had been caught by the Thin Man, the ruler of Pale City. Rather than listening to her own instincts and running, Six stayed to snap Mono out of his daze and urged him to run. But in doing so, she tripped and was caught by the Thin Man.

She pleaded for Mono's help…and he did nothing.

Six remembered the pain the Thin Man inflicted upon her, distorting her body into a monstrous abomination, every fiber of her being screaming out in white-hot blistering pain. Moving was like breaking a hundred bones at once, blinking felt like knives stabbing her eyeballs, and even speaking was like swallowing lava. Her existence was nothing but pain; she wanted to die just to end it.

That was until she found the music box. When she turned the crank and heard that wonderful sound, she was able to block out the pain, as if the melody was some magical healing song. She played it over and over again, finding relief in the sound, able to escape the pain of living.

And then Mono broke it. He forced her to endure the pain again, forced her to suffer the agony of her mutilated body without the music to ease her suffering. He claimed it was to rescue her, but all Six knew was that Mono had deprived her of the only thing in this world that gave her happiness. He hurt her, and he didn't even care.

That when she saw it – the true master of the signal tower. That eldritch abomination of pulsating flesh and eyeballs. It chased them, tried to captured them, to trap them in the tower with it. But she and Mono had managed to outrun it.

And then the moment of truth had arrived. As Six held Mono's hand while he dangled above the black abyss, it gave her pause. In that moment, she thought about everything they had been through together. They were partners – best friends even – but she couldn't forget how he had abandoned Six in her time of need. He had killed then Thin Man and charged the signal tower to rescue her, but he was also the one who broke her music box and the last vestige of happiness she had left. It wasn't until she got the first real look at his face and saw the monster who tormented her that everything clicked into place.

She dropped him. She let him fall into the darkness and walked away without looking back.

It was in that moment that Six finally understood what the Lady meant. That in order to make the right choice, she needed to kill her heart.

Six knew what she needed to do. All she needed was the power to do it. She knew where she had to go.


Since she had left the Maw, the floating restaurant never stood in one place for too long, most likely as a safety measure in case someone else escaped again. It took two years before Six finally managed to track it down, using a suitcase as a raft to get there. Once she had arrived, she used her knowledge of the location to traverse the Maw while avoiding the Lady's gaze.

She had to kill Roger along the way. Despite his loyalty to the Lady, Six did have some regret when she cut his arms off. He was a good man who was just following orders. But Six shoved those feelings down; there was no time for sentimentality.

After dodging the twin chefs and escaping a swarm of rabid guests, Six had finally made her way to her former home: the Lady's Quarters. With her intimate knowledge of the Lady, Six recovered the secret mirror in the hidden closest – the only piece of evidence of the woman's former life before she became the Lady – and used the reflection to attack until the Lady was too weak to stand.

Six threw away the shattered mirror and made her approach. The Lady, with deep, shallow breaths, turned her head to the side and stared at Six. For a moment, the two of them just looked at one another…then Six lowered her hood and glared at her former matron. When she realized who it was that had bested her, the Lady was not angry or sad, but let out a small amused laugh instead.

"I should've known it was you," said the Lady. "Who else would know how to escape my sight and uncover my only weakness."

"Bet you thought I was dead after all this time, didn't you?" asked Six.

"Some part of me thought you were too stubborn to die," said the Lady. "Looks like I was right. What a twist of fate. Like something out of a fantasy novel…."

"I went to the signal tower," said Six; the Lady visibly stiffened. "I saw what was inside. That…thing. It wasn't just another part of the Thin Man's slaves. It felt more like…like the Thin Man was its slave. Like they were being forced to obey, regardless of what they wanted."

"You saw the Flesh?" the Lady gasped. "And lived? That has never happened before. Not unless you are an Avatar. To think that a small child would be able to escape it…. You truly are special."

"What is that thing?" Six demanded. "Why is it controlling Mo…. Why does it control the Thin Man."

"It's not just the Avatar of Wrath, but all the Avatars of Sin," the Lady answered. "No one knows where it came from – no one alive, anyway. It suddenly appeared in our world long before I was born. It is what caused our world to transform into this twisted nightmare. It is what provides the power of the Sins to its seven Avatars. It controls all of them, using them to maintain the cycle of death and horror."

"You don't seem to be under its control," Six noted.

"The first Lady managed to break the connection when she built the Maw," said the Lady. "And we have been cultivating its power, evolving it through decades of witchcraft. All so that we may one day rid the world of that monstrosity."

"You're hardly the heroic type," Six commented.

"It has nothing to do with heroics, child," said the Lady. "It's about survival. As long as that monster remains, we will never be safe. Even the Maw will one day fail and we will all die. You feel the same way, don't you?"

Six remained silent; the Lady let out another amused chuckled.

"You may be special, child, but even with Sin of Gluttony at your side, you're not powerful enough to face the Flesh," said the Lady. "All you can do is take my place, grow stronger, and hope that someday, the Sin will be powerful enough to kill the monster."

"…What about the other Sins?" asked Six. "If I gathered them all together, I should be strong enough to kill it, right?"

"If you gathered all seven, yes," the Lady admitted. "But the issue is that no Avatar may wield more than one Sin. If you wish to collect all seven, you will need the help of six more people to use them. But you and I both know that trusting others is a death sentence. One way or another, if not out of cowardice, then out of a selfish desire to keep the power for themselves. In the end, humans will always betray each other."

"…Where are the other Sins?" asked Six after a moment of pause. "Where can I find the Avatars."

The Lady took a moment to consider Six's question, staring deeply into the child's eyes. There was a hint of determination, conviction…anger and regret. The things this child must have seen in the outside world, the Lady thought. She certainly wasn't the same Six she had thrown away all those years ago.

"…you already know where the Sin of Wrath is located, but it is also the fortress of the Flesh," the Lady explained. "If you really intend to go through with this foolish plan, you had best save that one for last. The Pretender's Nest is to the southwest of here. I have not heard anything from her in years, but the Nest seems to still be operating all the same." She didn't notice the way that Six's hands clenched up. "As for the others, I have never made any contact with them before. If you want to find them, you'll have to do it on your own."

"A lot of good you are," Six scoffed.

"There's no point in pouting, child; you should be used to disappointment by now," said the Lady. With a weak, shaking hand, she grabbed the front of her kimono and pulled it aside, exposing her neck. "Now come and claim what is yours…my little Six."

Six leered at the old title, but stepped forward as commanded and kneeled next to the Lady. She eyed the woman's throat like she was inspecting a big juicy steak. She brought her hands together in the customary prayer of her homeland:

"Itadakimasu..."

And she took her first big, splattering bite. Huh, it even tasted like steak – go figure.


The power of Gluttony was overwhelming, threatening to consume her. It made sense that the Lady had wanted to wait before training her; she doubted any other child would be able to hold this power and keep their sanity intact. But Six was stronger than most children; her trials in the outside world had toughened her up.

She could sense everything and everyone in the Maw; she had essentially become the Maw. And with this power, she could control everything within it.

The first thing she did with this power is released the cages and opened the nursery; the children hesitated at first before they realized they had truly been set free. But Six didn't let them loose out of some altruistic reason; she's going to need a crew if she was going to sail out to the Nest.

The next thing she did was kill the twin chefs. She locked one of them in the freezer when they were taking a smoke break and decreased the temperature to negative one hundred. The chef froze in minutes and then Six tilted the Maw to smash him against the wall. The other twin had been had been stirring the soup when the Maw tilted, splashing his face with hot liquid. The chef flailed around the kitchen until he ran into a cabinet, causing it to fall on him. Then while he was pinned down, Six tilted the Maw again and caused the butcher's knife to fall off the table and land on his throat.

Six took care of the guests personally. She took the elevator down to the main restaurant and walked calmly between the rows, enticing them. That was when she learned the full extent of her powers – the ability to steal the life force of other living creatures. She watched as their bodies twisted and they cried their pathetic moans before dropping dead on the floor.

Six relished every moment of it.

As she climbed halfway up the stairs to the now open door leading to the outside world, Six took a chance to look back. The escaped children and nomes were staring up at her like she was some godly figure, possibly even a hero. But Six knew she was no hero – not even close.

The Lady had said that this world was already a nightmare. She had not yet realized that the true nightmare had just been unleashed on the world.


Hey, Pink here! I know, surprised, aren't you. I know I am.

When Little Nightmares III was announced, I just felt a sudden urge to write something. I've always loved the Little Nightmares from its dark imagery, its subtly ability to tell a story without words, and the unique (and horrifying) characters. It's honestly been in the back of my mind for years, but I never felt inclined to write anything about it until I took over Ben 10 for Red.

Before any of you start to worry, Ben 10: Omnisentience is still my main focus. This is just a little side project for when I feel stuck or need a break. In fact, while writing this chapter, I've finished half of the next chapter in Ben 10 several days faster than normal and it'll probably be done sometime this week.

So, to everyone whose supported my in Ben 10, I hope you support me (and Six) on our very first original adventure.