And when the storm came

and the light was vanishing;

grew cold until there was no feeling.

[ Darkher - Foregone ]

" Take a seat, please! " Afton pulled up a chair as they entered his office and positioned it right in front of his desk, opposite from where he sat. Lily tilted her head for a thankful nod, letting her eyes wander around the room once before sitting down. He himself wouldn't sit down just yet but walk up to another table beside the window to her left, adorned with several cups, a kettle, some bottles of what looked like sparkling water and a rather fancy coffee machine.

" Perhaps I can interest you in a glass of water, or some tea? "

She turned her head to peer over her shoulder, smiling faintly.

" I'm all good, thank you. "

" If you change your mind, don't hesitate to ask~", he said, the coffee machine came to life with a buzz as he went to prepare one for himself, quietly humming along to the rhythm of the machine. Soon the scent of freshly brewed coffee drew across the room, an invisible cloud of one of the most appealing smells in the entire world circling her head and flooding her nose; if only she could say the same about the taste...

If anything, she was a cappuccino and woodruff soda person. Everyone's obsession with coffee was a mystery to her still.

" May I ask how long you have been in Hurricane, Miss Aalefjær? " The coffee machine fell silent the moment his voice stirred the air, a draft striking the back of her neck as he drew past her to get around the desk.

" Next month it will be two full years, " Lily replied, meeting his genuinely intrigued gaze from across the table through a cone of hot steam ascending from his cup. " I could have sworn I put that into my resume... "

" Perhaps you did. I wouldn't know. I never read your resume. " He smiled at his own remark like he had just shared a hilarious joke with her, or most likely he was just quite amused by Lily's thoroughly baffled expression.

" Oh... You didn't..? "

This was a first for sure. Usually resumes past experiences were everything people in higher positions cared about, especially when it came to hiring new employees for their business. Knowing little to nothing about her previous occupations and records, how could he possibly judge whether or not she was a good choice for a restaurant as popular and successful as his?

" I'm afraid not. All I know about you is your name, where you come from, and that you've been a great help in my restaurant for the past three months. And honestly, that is all that matters to me ~ " Afton flashed yet another gentle smile before he raised his cup to take a sip of his coffee. Meanwhile the young woman in front of him had lowered her eyes toward the floor, both hands folded in her lap where she nervously brushed her thumbs against each other in thought. She was not uncomfortable or afraid, for compared to job interviews from her past this right here was perhaps the most pleasant one, yet something felt out of place... and not necessarily in a bad way.

" I'm relieved to hear that... I haven't had much experience in the restaurant business when I got started, let alone in customer service. But the people working here are very helpful and understanding, always willing to help me out. " She paused briefly upon realizing just how intently Mr. Afton looked at her, his eyes literally glued to hers as though he was trying to read her mind, to see through her; she could've sworn she spotted a subtle twitch in the left corner of his mouth, the lighthearted smile from earlier fleeing his features within seconds, and for some odd reason Lily chose to hold his gaze instead of averting her own. Whatever psychological tricks he was intending to pull, she'd make sure to gracefully ward them off.

" Then again, working with people is not exactly new to me. "

" I guessed as much, " he replied in a lower register, his brows lifting with approval.

" Though let's be completely honest here: do you enjoy working with people? "

Lily's expression froze once again, if only for a split second, and she visibly faltered. So much for warding off his tricks...

" Well... I-- I would say it very much depends on the people I'm working with... "

" I'm sorry, Miss Aalefjær, but this restaurant does not need any more waiters. "

The words were delivered with such nonchalance and finality that Lily flinched as they rang out, the sensation they evoked within her similar to a harsh blow to the stomach. A soft gasp leaped out from her throat, a sound she hoped Afton hadn't heard, but as expected his eyes wouldn't give away a thing.

" I understand.., " she replied calmly after a few seconds of processing, a forced smile crawling onto her lips. " Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the three months here at Freddy's and genuinely wanted to thank you for your time... and for giving me the opportunity to-- "

" However, I need a new assistant at Afton Robotics LLC... and it would fill me with greatest joy if you, Miss Aalefjær, would take that position ~ "

The gasp she emitted this time was far from inaudible, almost echoing through the otherwise silent room and eliciting a subtle reaction from Afton; a smile of content that shortly vanished behind his coffee cup as he lifted it up to his lips. Had she just heard him correctly?

" I... I don't know what to say... That's not at all the position I was expecting, let alone prepared for... Moreover, I hardly believe I would do justice to your demands and bring the required know-how with me... "

Deafening silence fell around the two of them, the coffee cup was lowered back onto the table, and all of a sudden Lily felt extremely uncomfortable, vulnerable; not because of him or the things he said, but the mere fact that she was right here, with him, facing an offer unlike any other. A man of his status, with his power and remarkable knowledge, a genius compared to her - someone who had been living in the literal backwoods for the longest time, looking for her place in the crowd and a purpose in life, with little to show for herself and even less to give. There was no way she could accept unless making a complete fool out of herself was a burning desire of hers...

A sigh ensued, shattering the silence, and Afton drummed his fingers on the edge of his desk as a low hum vibrated in his throat.

" That's strange... because someone who has a vast background of knowledge in the field of homemade robotics and even built their own robot prototype within the walls of their wooden cabin in the Norwegian mountains seems just like the kind of person we should want on our team. "

Whatever little was left of colour bled from her face and she blinked rapidly, anxiety as well as surprise taking over the excitement in her now glassy eyes.

" How... how do you know about this? Even if you had read my resume... that is something I never put in there..! "

Afton angled his head to the right and put both elbows on the desk, propping up his chin.

" You may not have written it in your resume... But you shared your story with a dear colleague of yours. Don't you remember? "

" Wha--?! No, I didn't-- ", but then it struck her like lightning, silencing her immediately.

" Mike..."

" That's the one, " Afton responded and clapped his hands together. " Also known as Mike Schmidt, the night guard at Freddy's. Please refrain from being mad at him for telling me about your secret talent, for it's thanks to him that I'm now able to make you an offer that will inevitably change your future in every possible way... Should you decide to take it, that is ~ "

Lily watched silently as he opened a drawer under his desk and pulled out a thin pile of papers to place between them, at the very centre of the desk where she could perfectly read the words at the top of the front page:

Afton Robotics LLC. Employment Contract

A violently trembling breath left her lungs and she closed her eyes for a while, imagining herself back in that hideout cabin in the Norwegian mountains about three years ago; the birthplace of her first and only true achievement in life, the so called love child of both, her boundless creativity and inner madness, the two anchors that had saved her restless soul from drifting off into gloomy waters throughout many, many dreadful years...

A being entirely made of metal, oil and wires, with a soul that only she could see, with a heart whose beat only she could hear...

Alrekr.

" Seven years...", she suddenly whispered into the silence that had one again taken hold of the office. " Seven years of dedication, sacrifices and sleepless nights... Only so he could turn out a complete failure... "

Something landed on her shoulder and she startled, opening her eyes to find that it was Mr. Afton's hand, his tall figure towering over hers whilst his glassed blue eyes rested on her troubled face, radiating a compassionate and gentle sense of tranquility.

" Once we alter our perception of the word 'failure', our losses become fewer and our souls will find peace... "

Her mouth opened slightly, however she was unable to say anything, rendered speechless by his words.

" You may have lost faith in yourself and your abilities, but I promise you, Miss Aalefjær - I have enough for the both of us. "

He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before pulling away, and with a swift motion of his other hand the contract appeared right under her nose once more, rustling between his fingertips.

" Take this, please. "

" Mr. Afton, I'm so sorry, I can't-- ", but he slowly raised a hand and waved off her words, shaking his head.

" No, no. No. You needn't say more. Take those papers home with you, think about what we talked about, go to sleep and put your mind at ease... Breathe now, decide later.

Take all the time you need, Miss Aalefjær. I shall look forward to your decision, no matter when that might be. "

What came next was a moment heavily dripping with hesitation; hesitation that was still tangible even when she slowly lifted a hand to take the contract, not saying a word.

Afton withdrew with a final smile before returning to his desk, though he would not sit down yet; he remained behind his chair and kept his eyes on her, his hands in his pockets.

Lily sighed softly and got up from her chair, adjusting her dress all lost in thought, not countering his gaze until she was fully ready to depart; she stood next to his desk, the contract rolled up in her left hand and clutched rather tightly.

" Thank you very much for this interview."

" Thank YOU, Miss Aalefjær. ", he replied in his gravelly yet somehow dulcet voice, offering his hand to her for a final handshake.

Their hands interweaved, all of a sudden an alien sensation started spreading inside her chest; neither hot nor cold, neither good nor bad, too intense nor too weak. It was a feeling she couldn't possibly describe with the mere use of words, at least none of the words known to her.

Her spine trembled under a shiver and she felt her throat tighten, causing her next words to come out flat and breathy.

" I'm sorry for wasting your time, Mr. Afton... "

At first he said nothing, his fingers remaining firmly locked around hers; something that, now that she paid closer attention to it, seemed to fuel that curious feeling inside her chest.

A tender squeeze to her hand brought her back into the here now, much like the sound of Afton's raspy voice.

" I, myself, am not sorry at all, Miss Aalefjær. "

His thumb gently brushed the back of Lily's hand as he broke away from her, unlike his piercing gaze that incessantly rested on hers as though he was a snake trying to hypnotize its oblivious prey, and yet - the feeling of discomfort continued to elude her. She was neither intimidated nor uneasy, only bewildered... and , somehow, enamoured.

Pulling her eyes away Lily turned escaped the office before either of them had the chance to say anything else, the door falling shut behind her with a gentle thud.

Once outside several steps into the hallway she exhaled as though she'd been holding her breath for the last thirty minutes, noticing the strange feeling in her chest subside little by little. Her mind felt blank yet at the same time threatened to overflow with questions, and between her ribs her heart was pounding vehemently, the vibration tangible in nearly every fiber of her body.

Eyes set on the floor Lily made her way back towards the main dining area, unlike earlier now rather unimpressed by those blood-red curtains to her left and therefore making a beeline for the exit without even averting her eyes once; occasionally she'd glance at the rolled up contract in her hands and take a deep breath, replaying the interview in her head over and over again like a record. Though the unsettling sensation in her chest had fully dissipated she couldn't shake off the feeling that this interview had been far more than just an ordinary interview, something she solely based off of the fact that - from the first to the final second of Afton's and her conversation - there had been a strange tension between the two of them, and that tension had only grown more persistent over the course of their meeting. The razor-sharp, inquiring look of Afton's was one that had inevitably burned itself into the flesh of her mind for a long time to come, that was for certain, much like his words seconds before her departure.

I am not sorry at all...

You may have lost faith in yourself, but I promise you, I have enough for the both of us...

Once we alter our perception of failure, our losses become fewer...

Why did he of all people want someone like her to work for him to begin with? Someone without a degree in his desired field, without any noteworthy experiences besides what she had taught herself through books and researches over the years? Someone he barely knew?

clank.

A nearby noise pulled her out of that whirlwind of thoughts and question she appeared to be trapped in, her attention drifting from her personal inner turmoil to a large door on the right leading out of the dining hall; it happened to be a separate dining entertainment area, and it harbored Freddy's infamous Pirate Cove. It was a quite loud but hollow sound, similar to metal tapping against metal, although with little to no force. She froze and peered over, listening closely.

clank.

clank.

clank.

There it was again, ringing faintly in the adjacent room, this time more than once. A cold draft touched her skin, gently lifting her hair and eliciting a shiver.

That draft... It's coming from inside the room.

Lily glanced over her shoulder down the hallway to see if Mr. Afton had come out of his office, however he was nowhere to be seen, and only a moment later she was already on her way to Pirate Cove, more befuddled by the noise than actually frightened. After all it could just be the cleaning lady or even Mike, the night guard, beginning his shift earlier than usual.

Stepping inside the room she immediately realized that something was off; the blue night lights glowed much dimmer than usual, barely allowing her to see the edges of the room from her current position, and the curtains that would normally cover up Pirate Cove were pulled all the way to the sides, revealing the silhouette of her favourite Fazbear animatronic Foxy, in a place where he was not supposed to be and in the wrong position.

" Oh, great. Don't tell me someone forgot to deactivate you... "

She dropped her belongings on a table and hit the light switch beside the door, squinting her eyes as the LED tubes on the ceiling flickered to life one after the other, their blinding white and yellow lights flooding every single inch of the room. Now she could see that Foxy was twitching ever so slightly in his corner, his large head tilting up down along with his long jaw that would occasionally drop open like a trap door, the pirate hook on his right arm hitting the pole of the stage light beside him whenever he struck out.

" I see... That's where the noise was coming from. "

Lily sighed and climbed the stage to Pirate Cove, carefully approaching the flailing animatronic. He was massive, towering over her with a height of more than 6 feet - which was quite tall given her own height of 4'11 - but what actually made him so impressive was his stout anatomy, the filigree that had gone into the building process, and the fact that his endoskeleton was especially flexible compared to that of the others, making him far more agile and his movements more lifelike. His skeleton lay bare on both his legs, and right at the centre of his chest was a large hole stretching across his torso, exposing wires metal plates. His head snapped towards her once she approached him and his mouth fell open, but obviously that was just due to him glitching.

" I'm sorry they didn't turn you off. You deserve a good night's rest too, my boy ~" She slipped past him, ducking quickly to ensure his flailing hook wouldn't hit her, and took a closer look at the computer that controlled both Foxy's movements and sounds. It was at the very back of his stage behind a small wooden sliding door, well hidden from sight to ensure safety for customers, nosy little children in particular. It was secured with a password and a final six-digit code, which she thankfully knew due to Freddy's emergency protocols, and a few taps later she was already in full control of Foxy.

" I've never done this before, but if I simply turn you off entirely, that should do the trick, right? " Lily looked over her shoulder back at Foxy as though waiting for him to approve, an embarrassed smile rolling over her lips. " I really need to grow up... "

Without further ado she ended the program Foxy was currently stuck in and turned off the computer, the distinct sound of an endoskeleton dropping its limbs as if surrendering, followed by a hollow clank as Foxy's lower jaw snapped back into place filling the abandoned room before everything went dead silent. The faint humming of the overhead LED lights were the only sound left, and all of a sudden her surroundings felt kind of unsettling.

" I can't believe I'm saying this, but I liked you more when you were all twitchy and noisy ~ ", Lily confessed upon returning, looking up at Foxy and carefully adjusting the eye-patch over his right eye that had come loose. " I'm going to miss you the most...

Afton was right. I don't enjoy working with people. Quite frankly, you and your friends over there were the only reason I wanted to stay here at all. But I guess it wasn't meant to be... "

For a moment she hesitated, throwing a quick glance around the room before she stepped all the way toward the fox-like animatronic and hugged him; the same genuine way she would hug a living person. She smelled paint, oil and old metal, the artificial material around his chest that was supposed to imitate fur feeling strangely cold against her skin. Something in the back of his endoskeleton squeaked Lily and loosened her embrace just a little, not wanting to accidentally break something or worse, cause him to tip over.

" Be safe, my friend. Don't let the children mess with you! Show them who's in charge here if you have to. " Lily withdrew but one step to get one final close look at Foxy's lifeless face, taking in all the details and features that defined this masterpiece of robotics, marveling at it with the enthusiasm of a child. She soon felt her heart grow heavy and a lump form in her throat, compelling her to sink her front teeth into her bottom lip.

" It's astonishing how much you look like him... " The colours of the world around her began blending together as tears distorted her vision and she quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, leaving stains of black mascara around her knuckles.

" You two have the same eyes... "

Alrekr. The love child. The unfinished one.

The failure.

" I never finished him... I left him there, incomplete... All alone. I gave him a name and then abandoned him, Foxy... " She stared at Foxy the same way Afton had been staring at her during their interview, like she was desperately aching to find life in those artificial, vacant eyes.

" Maybe I am the failure... "

My brother. My one and only, beloved brother... I let you slip away.

A warm tear ran down her cheek when she stormed off the stage, her walking pace increasing gradually until she practically ran out of the room, the work contract now clutched against her chest.

I have to make this right.

I will make this right.

The old grandfather clock in the corner of his office struck 8 as William Afton got up from his chair, looking at the empty one across from him with a deepening look one more time before eventually averting his gaze. Humming the same tune from before he grabbed his coat and turned off the table lamp, causing one half of the room to fall into darkness. Night had long engulfed the streets outside his window, with neither moon nor stars to illuminate the black morass of contours and silhouettes; they had fully vanished behind a gigantic mountain of clouds.

Afton grabbed the curtains and pulled them closed, his coat embracing his slender frame like a second skin as he tossed it around his shoulders. His finger had barely grazed the light switch next to the door when the other half of his office too plunged into the arms of darkness, and a moment later he was already standing in front of it, locking the door while his humming turned into whistling. From the corner of his eye he caught sight of something on top of the table closest to his office, the dim night lights near the stage just bright enough to reveal the outlines of what seemed to be a sheet of paper, and when he drew closer he realized that it was indeed a thin stack of papers; one that he was all too familiar with.

A content smile crawled its way upon his lips, widening further once the stack slipped between his fingers which he used to eagerly flip through the pages, looking for the one particular page he truly cared about. As he reached the eight final page he literally froze in his spot, his breath trembling with an unknown emotion whilst his eyes lit up with delight and he raised a single finger to gently place near the bottom of the page, tracing every letter of the delicate signature before him with graceful, loving movements.

" Welcome aboard, Lily.

Welcome home... "