Prologue- The End
One little mistake. That was all it would take. One misstep, and it'd all be over. The cost of distraction would undoubtedly be death.
"Serif, look out—!"
At the Artist's call, I ducked. A thick spike of rigid threads splintered the tree behind my head. I rolled as another projectile pounded the ground beneath me.
"HolD stILL, diRtY GliTcH!" Error growled, launching another barrage of cords.
For a moment, his blazing eyes locked on me; just enough distraction. Flecks of bright indigo splattered the snow, emphasizing the loud SLAP as Ink whacked Error with his massive paintbrush. It merely incurred another vicious volley of deadly strings.
Summoning a Gaster Blaster ahead, I dashed for it. It fired at Error, searing a steaming gap into the snow as it narrowly missed him. Right as a beam of strings splintered the dragon maw, I took a running leap off its head and took to the clouds. The magical teal wings at my back beat against the icy gusts as I circled danger, watching for an opportunity and dodging the endless waves of projectiles.
Error stumbled as Ink snapped his fingers, and the indigo paint coating the Destroyer's side morphed into lead. A burst of strings shattered the weight. Instead of retaliating, Error suddenly laughed, gleefully. The hitchy sound was drowned as thousands of threads surged up from the ground, enclosing us three Sanses in an enormous blue cage.
Closing my wings, I dove through a gap in the spidery strings filling the air and came to a rolling stop in the snow. I struggled to block out the terrified screams of the townspeople, of my very friends and neighbors. I'd be no help to them dead. Another attack narrowly missed me. My projectiles were all parried. A black stake kabobbed a few feathers free.
But then, one cry rose above the ruckus. I faltered, nearly getting pummeled. My very soul stumbled. I knew that voice…! I whirled. There, suspended in the air by thin, tight strings, was Papyrus—my little brother. Ink gasped, dismayed. Error chuckled cruelly.
"WeLL, HopE," the Destroyer taunted. "BeEN misSIng YouR BrOthEr, haVen't yOu? YoU wAitEd So lOnG tO gET hOMe ANd sAVe EveRYoNe, and NoW, WeLL—!" Papyrus's trembling soul was yanked forward from his chest by Error's magic, now threatened by razor sharp strings. An elated, psychotic smile cracked up Error's face. "TiME's uP."