As Chris remained entrapped among the endless torture devices, the carcasses that housed broken, malformed souls, he wished he had a moth to scream. His dad, the one he admired and loved once, saw as his protector and now fallen far too low in Chris's eyes…He was here. He stepped towards the glass and looked him in the eyes. Pale, pleading eyes…But he couldn't do anything. He didn't even know that this was Chris; why would he? This was nothing more than one of many animatronics that rested beneath; they weren't worth his time and attention, at least he thought so. And yet it still hurt to see him walk away…

Chris wanted his father to save him, to be with him, and shield his child from endless torment, but all he saw was him walking away…He won't help him. He won't save him; he abandoned him to rot alone while he was right here. Mike betrayed him, and Dad betrayed him…And he trusted them. Thoughts borne of rage and despair filled Chris's mind as he sat in silence and stared into the glass among other torture devices, none of which showed any signs of life. It was akin to being among a graveyard…No, not even that. Chris thought about the day of Mum's burial; there were people there. There were tears, emotions, sounds, and life in the place of death.

Not here.

Graveyard was a place of endings and new beginnings…This was the complete opposite. A place of stagnation, where nothing ever changed, where none cared about the fallen, forcing them to rise and rise again in an endless fit of pain, eagerly draining their souls. It was a place that slowly erased one's hope, and in the end, the presence of a soul would make no difference. It would be just a lifeless machine.

But something changed.

Chris saw a torture device slowly making its way toward him, crawling on its knees. Even though its appearance was identical to his, Chris still stared at it as if it was a mythical creature from one of his mother's fairytales; the fact that, unlike all other machines, it moved already made it distinct. Chris was careful, but he didn't have any power in him to move or run, even if he felt startled by the machine. What if it was someone who went insane and wanted to break Chris's carcass? It couldn't get any worse than the experiments, so the boy didn't fear it.

But instead, the machine stopped before him and began doing something strange. It put its hand on the floor and scratched it…Very carefully with one of its sharp fingers as if trying to draw something and leaving a trace of a scratch behind it. Eventually, Chris realized that it was a word, and when he finally realized what it was, the boy couldn't believe his eyes.

Chris?

His name and a question mark clawed on the floor, making a million thoughts rush through his head, but eventually stopping on one that made the most sense yet seemed most outrageous at the same time. He began drawing, too.

Yes.

When he wrote this, the Torture device raised up her head and shivered almost as if it was made of flesh. She quickly put her hands on the floor and continued to draw.

I am Lily.

So it was her…Chris sat in silence, watching his old friend, a girl who he grieved for right until his death, the one who faded from his memory over those three months, the one to which he was closer than ever. The girl was a prisoner of the same fate as Chris, having no choice but to remain confined in this nightmarish prison. Just as restricted, but her movements said it all. She gently lifted her hand, pulling it towards Chris. They held hands when they played together sometimes. It made it more fun…

Suddenly, Chris remembered it all. Remembered her shy smile, her support and love, the days they spent playing and studying together, how they defended each other from bullies and meanies, and how he didn't feel alone with her by his side. Ironic, but it wasn't his family that made him feel safest in those times. There was no warmth in holding her metal hand, yet Chris still felt it…Still felt her sweet touch. Lily tried to chart something else, and soon, more words appeared before Chris.

Do you want to play?

…

Charlie's visit has been an unexpected but welcome surprise for Lynda, even if Mike found himself feeling rather awkward at it. He came here to uncover the secrets of Fazbear Inc and find something they could use to bring them to light, not stand around and soak himself in memories that were far too sweet for him to want to think about them. At least it seemed like a respite for Lynda, and she explained to Mike where Charlie was. It was a smart move on Lynda's part to keep him away from her house while she focused on research, as not only would she barely have any time, it was outright unsafe. At least their visit went smoothly and uninterrupted…But somehow, Mike and Lynda both found that they needed a little break afterward.

When they said, their goodbyes to Diana and Charlie, Lynda and Mike decided to go to a nearby cafe and have a drink. It was getting late anyway, and they needed a good sleep before getting to the next stage, that being the actual investigation. Lynda decided that they would venture to Circus Baby's and attempt to gather information by any means. But that was for tomorrow…Now, the two of them sat on a remote table away from a few other visitors with two glasses of red wine before them and a lot to ponder on.

"God, I didn't even remember that I invited them over…" Lynda sighed with disappointment. "Didn't remember it was today, at least. Time flies, but I don't usually forget those things."

"It's only natural with how absorbed you are," Mike said before taking a sip.

"You think I should take a break?"

"No, just saying it's not surprising." The teenager shrugged. "And besides, doesn't seem like they were annoyed by lack of preparation or anything…It went good."

"Yes, that's true." Lynda smiled. "Charlie knows what I'm going through, even if without details. And Diana is a very understanding woman; I knew she wouldn't pry."

"She was curious when it came to me."

"Can you blame her? I didn't mention anything about a young man coming to aid me in my work to her." Lynda chuckled. "Hah…Feels strange to call you a young man and not a boy, but that's who you are… You've grown." The woman smiled at Mike. "I remember you in your early years and Gron…Oh, Gron would've loved to see you all grown up." She closed her saddened eyes and let out a pained smile; it was clear that her heart ached for Gron, a man she missed dearly and wanted nothing more than to reunite. Mike could say the same about the one he always called 'uncle.'

"I miss him too. He was always so lighthearted and jokey; I always preferred his company to that of my own father, funnily enough." Mike chuckled. "He felt like…A friend, yes." A real supportive friend who would stand by his side no matter what, not someone like Blake, who Mike was foolish enough to get close to.

"He loved you like his own, especially before we had Charlie," Lynda spoke with nostalgia. "He always dreamt of having a kid, and helping Will and Clara always made him extremely happy. I was happy to become a part of his life…People I know always told me I am being too serious and should smile more, but he was the only one who could actually make me smile…" Lynda chuckled to herself before taking a deep breath. "Sorry, I'm getting distracted."

"No, that's fine. I have a lot of good memories with him too…At that time, we went to an amusement park for a day. Just me and cheery Uncle Gron. The rides, the games, the fun…And then cinemas too. I always thought him unique when I was a kid, to have an adult so unafraid to play 'children's games with you' but also able to be so mature at times…It was impressive." Mike thought about Gron and any image he could think of. Gron always smiled. It was strange to think that someone with seemingly so much joy was suffering from mental illness, which made him more miserable with every coming day. "Though I am not sure if he would be happy to see me now after all…Well, you know."

"If he really is Lockjaw, I'm sure Gron has a lot of his own actions to grapple with." Lynda sighed. "Like he did after the restaurant incident, and I was too angry and heartbroken that I tried to push him away instead of helping…"

"We aren't too different in that regard…At least you didn't abuse him." Mike clenched his teeth, once again feeling his self-hatred rise. "I wasn't that 'kind' with Chris."

"I guess the birthday was not the only incident," Lynda said sternly, though Mike didn't feel any disdain in her voice. She didn't think it was her place to judge, given her own mistakes.

"I told you before…He told me the story about how Lily died. About the claw and all this gross shit. I didn't believe it and just made fun of him, sometimes in really fucking gross ways…Like scaring him and mocking him before my friends." Mike felt a small tear emerge in his eye. "Was my moment to step up and do something useful…Surely Gron told you how much I whined about my own dad? Well, this was when I should've actually done something. Actually, try and rebel or something…But in the end, I was just a pussy who talked big and then cowered. I was angry at Father, too, for paying so little attention to us…But Chris was the only one I showed my anger to because he was weaker. I could've helped my family, and instead, I just…Fucked it up." Mike clenched his teeth in anger, what he did was unforgivable, Gross, and frankly idiotic, but he couldn't undo it. "I wish I could come back from it, but…"

"You can't." Lynda sighed. "Just like I can't come back from abandoning Gron when he needed me most. We can only do the best we can now so that we're at least worth something…"

"Yes, you're right," Mike responded with acceptance. "This is why we shouldn't waste any time, should we? You said you had a plan for tomorrow."

"Yes, thought I would have to warn you; it's dangerous."

"Can't get any worse." Mike shrugged.

"We will have to interrogate a Fazbear Inc worker."

"Well, alright, maybe it can…How are we going to do it?"

"I learned about the routes Circus Baby's workers commonly take away from work; we can intercept one of them."

"And then."

"Some persuasion techniques are in order."

"Didn't know you were on the crazy side, too…" Mike chuckled.

"I am well-prepared and eager. I wasted too much time walking around those clues instead of immersing myself in them; I have all we need for a little 'operation.'"

"And that is?"

"Masks, a gun, and a loyal partner."

…

Jeremy Fitzgerald…The name that William would hear a lot about soon, or so he thought at least. Alison was adamant about him being the one to interview and assess the new recruit, probably because he wanted William to distract himself from the tragedy of his family and focus on something else. Of course, he didn't hesitate to remind William at any opportunity that work would always be his priority and whatever Alison wanted him to do.

But at least this night, he was not in the mood to think of this Jeremy or anything related to the hellish company. William was too tired and needed a sound rest.

"Good night, Elizabeth. I'll try not to wake you too early." William said as he watched his daughter tuck herself into her blanket, getting ready for sleep.

"Thanks, Daddy."

"And promise me you'll go straight to bed, no playing or running around."

"I promise…" Elizabeth paused before looking at William with hopeful yet saddened eyes. "Daddy…Where do you think Mike is?" She asked with clear pretense in her voice, the pretense that she believed in William knowing the answer. The man sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Did she want some reassurance or an honest answer? "Do you think he's alright?"

"I think he is." William nodded. "He is strong and resilient; we both know that very well. It was a mature decision on his part, much more mature than how I behaved…And whatever he wants to do, I'm sure he will put his all into it."

"I just hope…I just hope that wherever he is, he isn't alone."

"So do I, my dear…So do I." William said, realizing that if only he wasn't so ruthless, it wouldn't have come to this. Next time he meets Mike, they should try their best to talk through all the festering hatred. "Sweet dreams, Liz." He spoke and turned the lights off.

"Good night, Daddy."

William knew that it was his time to sleep as well, but he couldn't force himself to go to bed. It was a gross feeling, wanting to fall into dreams and allow them to take him, but at the same time remaining grounded in the real world, anchored so strongly that he could not allow himself to relax. All he could do was sit in silence and ponder.

He prayed…Prayed for him to live to see the day when he will be free from the chains Alison put upon him, prayed for Elizabeth to live past her trauma and be spared from the nightmares he saw, prayed for Chris's soul to find peace in the afterlife…And he prayed for the one who he lost two years ago.

"I'm sorry, Clara…I promised you I would hold our family together, but I failed… I'm sorry." He wished he could promise her that he could make everything right, but it was too late for that. All he could do was to hold back tears and pray for them all…

And especially for Mike. William prayed that he would return home safely.