The next week, Bendy didn't received much to none trouble from the Vees. Just as he predicted he did receive some bad publicity from the Vees followers but it really didn't hurt him that much since after the cleanse, he knows that his reputation will skyrocket.
Bendy's checking the contracts he has made with many sinners and demons alike and is checking what to do with them.
'Let's see, manipulating the sinners to increase my currency is a viable strategy but it goes against my morality. Destroying their bodies to absorb their souls also works, but I'll have to break my rules. Goddammit! Why is it so difficult to have morals in hell?! Should I just get rid of it?' Bendy wondered.
Just as he got up from the table, a little book fell from his jacket pocket and he caught it. he saw the book and it was his old bible. Weird, he's a sinner, but he was allowed to keep something as sacred as a bible down there. But this bible is something much more important to Bendy than it meets the eye.
For you to know it, we'll have to rewind 8 years back, when Bendy, or rather Benjamin, was about to lose his grandmother.
Back in the day, Benjamin was still scared about his constant kidnappings, he knew how to hide it from his parents, but he never was able to fool his grandmother. Unfortunately, as all living things, time is what consumes the rope of our lifespan and turns us into dust.
She's lived a very rich life, not in the economical meaning, but rather the fact that she enjoyed every second of it with his family. She's tubed into a machine and is reading her old bible, she's had that bible since she was 10, and praying for her was the best way to turn a sour day into a sweet one.
She was visited by Benjamin on that day, the doctors said that she's most likely to not survive the day and that they should prepare for the worse. Benjami's parents were already informed and gave their goodbyes before Benjamin.
Now, Benjamin had all the time remain to speak with her.
"H-hello, granny." Benjamin.
"Benny…good to see you…"
"I c-came here, t-to talk with y-you." Benjamin was on the verge of tears.
"It's okay dear, I know…I'm leaving. So, I'll leave you with one final…lesson."
She grabs her bible and puts the bookmark on the first page.
"One must never break these rules…if you do, the lord will forgive if the…apology is from the heart. You're a good kid at heart, so don't be afraid of mistakes…be afraid of not fixing them. Once you're ready…open this bible…and…let…it…guide…you…"
She hands over the bible as she breaths her last. As Benjamin takes the bible, many doctors enter the room and pushed him aside, Benjamin holds the bible tightly and tries to open it but he can't. he doesn't want to open it, he's not ready to let her go.
After that, Benjamin left the hospital with the bible while crying. That day two things happened, it was the first time Benjamin wasn't kidnapped for a whole day, and it was the last time a tear left his eyes.
(Back to the Present)
Bendy looks at the bible and is hesitant about opening, he just left it on his pocket to protect it from any more damage. He looked at the bible and then he looked at himself, he's no longer Benjamin, he's a dammed sinner in hell known as Bendy. If this isn't a nice time to just open it, when will it be.
Bendy closes his eyes and opens the bible, the first page has a single sentence written on it, and it was so impactful that made any man cry.
"For my little Benny, I'll always love you and be by your side, whether you're in the good or in the bad, I'll always have your back."
Bendy tries to keep his feelings under control but fails miserably. Finally, Bendy snaps and begins to cry.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Bendy.
Bendy begins to produce anormal levels of ink, even in his basic standards, the ink begins to overflow the room and then leaks from the windows until it breaks them. The ink keeps overflowing and extends through the streets.
The ink envelops every sinner and demon that it touches and buildings and signals alike. The whole area was beginning to get inked. Soon after, one of the entire triangles from Pentagram City was enveloped in ink.
Many overlords became wary about the one who did it and to their surprise, it was the newcomer. They were familiar with the ink that he produces thanks to the news and social media, but the thing that was bothering them was what was he doing with his ink, and why.
From a roof outside the ink covered side of the pentagram, a powerful demoness analyses the situation with a weird machine, she's also accompanied by two younger demons.
"Odette, Clara, reports." Spoke a tall demoness with long white hair, grey skin and red eyes.
She's Carmilla Carmine, The Overlord in charge of producing weapons, she's a demoness born in hell.
"The ink is changing its properties, we have no idea why but, we assume its because of the recent confrontation with the Vees." Clara.
"Those Vees, always bringing problems with their recklessness." Carmilla.
"Verily, it is too premature to level accusations against them in this matter." Spoke a spider demon with a long coat and patched hat.
He's Zestial, The Overlord of _, he's a demon born in hell.
"You're too nice with them, Zestial." Carmille.
"Precipitate accusations can only culminate in a lack of trust betwixt the Overlords, a circumstance I perceive thou dost not wish to befall." Zestial.
"True, our main concern should be dealing with this unexpected threat." Carmille.
"I deem it unnecessary, methinks." Zestial.
"Why do you think so?" Carmille.
"I discern no animosity emanating from the ink; nay, on the contrary, it strives to shield those who have affixed their signatures to the ink-stained pact. The slender filament of the contract renders itself perceptible." Zestial.
"You mean he managed to make all of those demons and sinners to make a contract with him? How?" Carmille.
"That, I know not; my knowledge extends solely to the realization that the sinners and demons have suffered neither harm nor exploitation. Logically surmised, the act of consuming, employing, and exploiting those beholden to one through a pact might augur an exponential augmentation of the power vested in demons and sinners. However, he hath refrained from such deeds in the least; a most peculiar circumstance, indeed." Zestial.
"What are your thoughts then? It may be dangerous." Carmille.
"Hark… My stratagem would be to bide our time and observe the unfolding events. We cannot permit the depletion of our manpower ere the impending purification. Should his conduct portend peril unto us or the entirety of the nether realms, I shall personally dispatch him." Zestial.
"I won't allow it! You can't expose yourself to danger so recklessly!" Carmille.
"Carmille, mine ancient comrade, hath forgetfulness overtaken thee? I ascended to the mantle of Overlord not through frailty. I possess the means to shield mine own person, yet I would not countenance self-forgiveness, were any harm to befall thee." Zestial.
Carmille blushes and looks away from Zestial.
"Fine! But the minute something's off, I'm taking action myself, clear?" Carmille.
"Acknowledge, Carmille." Zestial.
Carmille taketh her leave, and Zestial doth cast his gaze upon the horizon, where the font of all the ink overflow in the nether realms lies.
Bendy was still out of it, repressing one's emotions always come with the backlash of overflowing with those once the wall breaks. Bendy left all those feelings out for the first time in years, he's releasing all that pent-up anger, stress and sadness that he's been accumulating throughout all his life.
Bendy loses himself as he can only see dark, he found himself in his mindscape, while all his memories flash before his eyes.
"Since I was born, danger clung to me."
"Left in solitude, no one else to see."
"No parents, no friends to chatter."
"But when our eyes met, a smile, soft and kind, it shattered."
[Chorus]
"Someone to love me, someone to understand."
"But you were taken, ripped away from this land."
"My heart ached, empty and cold."
"Your absence haunting, a story left untold."
"I swore to stand strong, against life's harsh blows."
"In a world so cruel, where weakness never shows."
"I steeled myself, vowed never to cry."
"But losing you, I couldn't say goodbye."
[Pre-Chorus]
"What sin did I commit to end up in this abyss?"
"A yearning for escape, a desire to cease to exist."
"The pain consumes, my soul fades away."
"I'm drowning in sorrow, day after day."
[Chorus]
"I can't go on; this pain is too deep."
"A heart full of thorns, promises I couldn't keep."
"I want to disappear, erase my very birth.
"In this agony, I search for worth."
"But Grandma, in this ink, I find my demise.
"A cross in my eyes, as darkness lies."
"I accept my fate, to vanish in despair."
"A symphony of agony, a soul laid bare."
As Bendy finished that part of his song, his body began to move. The body stubbled the table and accidentally absorbed the Bible. Bendy's eyes have now a cross acting as pupils and Bendy's mindscape changes.
Inside his mind, Bendy was sinking on the ink he had a lifeless look on his eyes. Bendy accepts his fate into disappearing but hears another voice in his head.
"I shielded you, my love, from the dark.
"But now you're tired, my guiding spark."
Bendy looks at the direction of the voice and sees his grandma talking from one of his memories, it was the first time he met her.
"Enclosed your heart, to keep pain away."
"But life's harsh lessons, you must face today."
"Grandma!" Bendy pulls himself out of the ink.
"You gave me everything, filled the void within."
"Yet, I became a prison, a barrier to begin."
"I closed my heart, in fear of the pain."
"But life's lessons, I couldn't sustain." Bendy.
The grandma from the memory looks at him with a faint smile and sings.
"Life is filled with worse things than just death."
"You can't run away, with every breath."
"Accept the pain, let your heart unfurl."
"Fight through it all, my dear Benny, my world." GM.
"In my desire to shield, I became your chain."
"A guardian's love, my dear Benny, not in vain."
"But with my protection, you closed your heart."
"A misguided attempt, tearing us apart." GM.
Bendy walks towards his memory and looks at her with a saddened face.
"Grandma, you're wrong, you did nothing but good."
"Your love, a blessing, like only a grandmother could."
"It's not your fault, the pain that I bear."
"It's this hellish existence, this ink-stained despair." Bendy.
Bendy felt someone touching his shoulder and looked at his grandma.
"I made mistakes, my love, as a guide."
"Perhaps too much protection, a shield too wide."
"But your pain is not just from the infernal abyss."
"It's the choices you made, the path you now miss." GM.
The vision of Bendy's grandmother signals at the bible on another memory.
"I chose to follow, your lessons so true."
"To honor your love, in all that I do."
"The blame isn't yours, it's a weight I must bear."
"In this ink-drenched nightmare, in this endless snare." Bendy.
Bendy looks at the memory of his grandma's death.
"Acceptance, my dear, is the key to the door.
"To overcome pain, to rise from the floor."
"I take my share, but you must take yours."
"Embrace your pain, let it open new doors." GM.
With that, Bendy reminiscence about his past, he was alone, yes. But not entirely because of his kidnappings, he let himself be alone by never opening his heart to anyone after his grandmother died.
All those emotions were useless to him and he decided to stick himself to only focus on what he cares, anything else was irrelevant. But he voided one big truth this world holds, one can never be truly alone, one can't survive in the world alone.
His stubbornness towards that fact was what created so many chains in his heart, not his grandmother's death, but rather his inability to accept it and move forwards. With new acceptance in his mind and heart, Bendy sings again as his body in hell begins to retract his ink.
"In this ink-soaked realm, where shadows play."
"I've denied the truth, pushed it away."
"Grandma, forgive me, for my stubborn pride."
"To your guidance, I'll no longer hide." Bendy.
Bendy looks at his memories of hell and looks at his grandmother.
"Acceptance, my love, is a courageous feat."
"To embrace your pain, to admit defeat."
"In the ink, find strength to stand."
"Hold my love close, like a guiding hand." GM.
Bendy's grandmother gets closer to him and both of them sing.
[Final Chorus]
"I accept the pain (You accept this pain), life's bitter taste (But sweet as well)."
"A journey through hell (Not a choice that you made), my soul misplaced (An unholy mistake)."
"I'll find joy amidst the flames that swell. (You'll find your way, your minds no longer hazed.)"
"Embrace the lessons, bid the pain farewell!"
Bendy's mindscape begins to break as his grandmother's voice fades away. And as he returns to hell, he lets out a final verse for his past.
"In this realm unjust, where sins unfold."
"I'll rise above, find joy untold."
"Grandma, your love, a guiding light."
"In the darkest depths, you're my eternal night." Bendy.
With that final verse, Bendy opened his eyes to see himself in his room filled with ink. As he thought it, every drop of ink began to re-enter his body and freed the sinners and devils. They looked the same and were the same, but there's a little something special Bendy did to them while reflecting.
The buildings took a black, white and grayish tones, alongside the streets and lights, the whole section of the pentagram looked like an early 1900's cartoon setting.
Bendy recovered his conscience and looked at himself, he recovered his stature of 1.90 and his suit was still in one piece. He analyzed his body and saw his new cross pupils in his yellow and white eyes.
He also noticed that the bible was still intact and he had just stored it in his ink. Afterwards, he felt a powerful presence in his roof and rushed towards it, he saw Zestial standing still with a cup of tea, he then generated a table and two chairs for them to talk.
"Greetings, I am Zestial, one amongst the manifold Overlords of the nether realm. I have ventured hither to inquire about the recent, sudden tumult." Zestial.
"Um…Sorry, could you speak in a less archaic way?" Bendy.
"So uncouth, mine manner of speech shall stand unaltered; besides, if thou apprehendest my words, that sufficeth for a discourse meet and proper." Zestial.
'Learn archaic English I said, it will be funnier that ancient Greek I said.' Bendy muttered while walking towards the chair.
"I am hight Bendy; I endured a period, let us name it a phase, and I tender my apologies for any troubles I might have engendered. Pray, couldst thou elucidate the consequences wrought by mine actions?" Bendy.
Zestial takes a sip from his tea and then speaks.
"But moments past, thine ink did enshroud an entire section of the pentagram. Both demons and sinners were encompassed within its grasp, yet they appeared not to be harmed, but rather shielded. I put to thee, doth any of this resonate with thine understanding?" Zestial.
"Mine passage through that "phase" might well be, if not most certainly is, the catalyst for such events. As for the demons and sinners, it could be attributed to a concealed stipulation within the contracts they inked and the wares they purchased, handled, or even beheld." Bendy takes a sip of his tea.
"A concealed stipulation? Such a thing standeth in direct violation of Lucifer's foremost edict on bargains: "The deal shall be precisely as the contract stipulateth, naught more, naught less; every clause must be visible, and any clandestine provision may lead to the annulment of the entire accord." Zestial.
"Verily, that would hold true, should the parties who affixed their signatures unto the contract elect to dissolve the agreement." Bendy.
"Might I inquire the sense of thy words?" Zestial.
"Regrettably, I opine that our proximity doth not warrant the divulgence of such particulars. Thou hast arrived hither to ascertain a state of affairs and hast ascertained that all is well in hand. I harbor no intent to exhibit disrespect, particularly within the esteemed confines of hell, but I find myself fatigued subsequent to mine recent phase and am in need of repose for restoration." Bendy.
Bendy finishes his tea and just gets up, bows to Zestial and leaves the rooftop and enters his room. Zestial, however, remained on the roof and looked below.
"The youth doth possess sagacity. He discerned the measure of information to impart, compelling my departure without the insistence for further inquiry." Zestial.
Zestial then disappeared and reappeared in front of Carmille in her territory. Zestial informs Carmille about everything they spoke and she's shocked after hearing the number of souls Bendy had acquired in a matter of weeks. She then looks at her confidant, asking him for another perspective.
"What's your conclusion." Carmille asked.
"I surmise he shall not pose an impediment; rather, he manifests a mentality akin to thine own." Zestial.
"What makes you say that." Carmille.
"Dost name it a sentiment, emanating from one endowed with the discernment to distinguish the perilous from the benign." Zestial.
"Alright, I'll trust your judgement, I wish you a safe stay during the cleanse." Carmille.
"In like manner, I eagerly anticipate witnessing the maturation of this youthful shoot and the ensuing gathering of the Overlords." Zestial.
Zestial left and Carmille was left thinking about the ink demon.
'A demon that's just manifested in hell, he managed to put so many souls under his control in such a short time. I fear what's going to happen in hell, they're not ready. I'm not ready.' Carmille.
Carmille let those feelings hung as she focused on the paperwork for the different requests for weapons being manufactured.
Back with Bendy.
Bendy is laying on his bed and felt his ink in every corner of that part of the pentagram. He also felt the presence of every demon and sinner that were inked.
'It appears that ink is accumulating in their bodies, which is weird, I really don't care for them, why would my ink protect them?' Bendy.
Bendy then remembers what his grandma used to tell him.
'You're a good kid at heart.'
'Did I felt pettiness towards them and decided to help them?' Bendy thought.
This has worked in Bendy's favor, his ink capacity increases by 5 liters by each sinner and demon that accepts the deal. Bendy's strength has risen once again.
'But why? Why am I so powerful, I haven't made any deals, what's so different form me and other sinners?' Bendy thought.
And then it hit him, he's still alive. The bible says that the body is separated into three parts: The Body, the Soul and the Holy Spirit.
Body: The body is the physical, tangible aspect of a person. It is the mortal, earthly part of human existence. In the Old Testament, God formed Adam's body from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). The New Testament often refers to the body as a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) and emphasizes the importance of the body in Christian living.
Soul: The soul is often understood as the essence of a person, incorporating the mind, emotions, and will. It is the seat of individual identity and consciousness. The Hebrew Bible uses the term "nephesh" to refer to the soul, and in the New Testament, Jesus speaks about the soul in passages like Matthew 10:28, where he says, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul."
Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is regarded as the third person of the Trinity in Christian theology, alongside God the Father and God the Son (Jesus Christ). The Holy Spirit is considered the divine presence within believers, empowering them, guiding them, and sanctifying them. In the New Testament, particularly in the Gospel of John and the Book of Acts, there are references to the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus' resurrection and ascension.
'If I keep all of that into account, then my current body is a manifestation of my spirit here in hell, the cross in my eyes may be a result of the holy spirit, I never let it go, even when I was getting sucked into this place. My body seems to be adapting to my soul creating its own physical representation of myself.'
'I assume that's why every sinner has appearances so…unique. In other words, I'm someone who's not tied by the same rules as the rest of the sinners. My physical body is getting stronger by the ink and my spiritual body heals it, I don't know the way to use the holy spirit yet, but something tells me it's going to be useful for the cleanse.' Bendy.
Bendy goes to sleep and prepares his next plan.
The next morning, Bendy decided to keep the shop closed for the day as a multitude of news reporters where outside his establishment.
"Sir! A moment of your time!"
"What was all that ink from yesterday!?"
"Are there any discounts today?!"
"Silence…" Bendy.
Bendy transformed into his demonic form and silenced the multitude, he then got near a reporter and took a microphone. He began to change back to normal and looked at the cameras.
"Greetings, I'm aware that yesterday's incident was something to be aware of but, that's not what I came here to talk about. I came here to say that every demon and sinner that got inked, by me yesterday have been pushed into a forced contract."
"Now, I know that goes against Lucifer's rules about deals, so, I'll gladly undo it from anyone who desires to do it. however, if by any chance you want to have a guaranteed failsafe for the next cleanse, you better keep the deal." Bendy.
Bendy transforms once again and looks at all the cameras from his new height of 3.50 meters tall.
"I, Bendy: The Ink Demon, swear upon my name that no angelic damage shall be inflicted on those who have made a contract with me. I promise that every and any demon and sinner that signs a contract with me shall live the cleanse unbothered. Those who want a contract and those who want to break it, come to my establishment and I'll do it."
"In the case my word is broken, all my power shall be given to you in return." Bendy changed back.
"Now then, I'll be waiting." Bendy smiles as he re-enters the store and opens it.
(Remember to appreciate your loved ones, you'd never know when they'll be gone.)