Silence and darkness enveloped the room, with only the hum of the downpour outside providing a dull, rhythmic comfort.

"Todd."

More silence.

"Todd…"

Still nothing.

"...I know you hear me, boy."

"Please... stop... I just want to listen to the rain..."

A brief silence, and then the voice slithered through again.

"No time for rain... Cassie's in trouble."

Todd's eyes fluttered open, the faint glow of the nightlights outside his small, barred window casting eerie shadows on the walls of his cell.

"Cassie?... What's wrong with her?" Todd whispered into the empty room, already knowing where Shmee was—burrowed deep inside his head, a constant weight.

"...Let's say... things from your past are coming back to haunt you—no, to haunt us again."

Todd shifted, sitting up from his fetal position. Shmee was usually cryptic, but something about this felt different, almost as if Shmee was genuinely concerned. For the first time in a long while, Shmee seemed anxious. Maybe desperate.

"So... what now?" Todd asked.

"...You know what. Give me access, and we can both be free. Help Cassie. Help me get out of here, and I'll leave you alone forever."

Todd's heart stopped for a beat. His eyes widened. For years, he had begged for this curse to end, for Shmee to leave him in peace. Why now? Why surrender?

"What the hell are you talking about? Don't mess with me, you nightmare—"

"I know exactly what I'm talking about. And you will too... once we open those doors. Let me in."

Todd's gaze drifted to the heavy-set door. He remembered being thrown into this cell years ago, after the first time Shmee took over, had done unspeakable things—things Todd couldn't even recall fully, but felt deep in his bones. Why now, after all this time? Why was Shmee so eager to be let out?

Cassie.

Her name lingered, heavy with guilt and fear.

"Whatever it is... please don't hurt her... please... I beg of you."

Silence hung in the air for a moment, stretching into eternity. Then, the room began to spin, the pounding in Todd's head splitting his mind open, sending waves of pain down his spine. Darkness consumed his vision, drowning out the faint nightlights from the window.

"Your wish is my command." Shmee whispered.


Meanwhile, in the twisted corridors of the asylum, Eff and Sickness moved from cell to cell, making grotesque faces and inhuman sounds at the trapped souls within.

"Is this really all you wanted to do in here? Just mess with these poor bastards?" Dboy groaned, clearly unimpressed.

Laughing as their bodies twisted back into their hybrid forms, Eff replied, "C'mon, it's the least we can do. We can't drain them, but we can still have a bit of fun."

Sickness slicked back her hair, grinning. "Besides, I haven't felt this entertained since I toyed with Devi."

Rolling his eyes, Dboy muttered, "Yeah, we noticed you've been obsessed with her ever since you decided to take her name."

"Whatever," Sickness scoffed, crossing her arms. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

The others looked at her, surprised. "I thought you were enjoying yourself?" Eff said.

"I was," Sickness replied, her tone shifting. "But I dunno... feels like a tease. Kind of boring now."

Reverend nodded in agreement. "Same. Feels hollow. We could just leave once the storm dies down."

Dboy pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "The rain stopped five minutes ago, you idiots. I thought you could sense what I'm feeling."

Eff quirked an eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about? The rain is still pounding. I'm not screwing with you—listen."

Sickness and Reverend exchanged glances, just as confused. They could still hear the rain drumming relentlessly on the windows.

"If this is one of your tremors, none of us are feeling it," Reverend said.

Realizing that he was the only one affected, Dboy felt a creeping unease. He turned back toward the main lobby, his heart pounding in his chest.

This wasn't a tremor—it was something far worse.

His blood ran cold. He hadn't felt this kind of fear since he first realized their Creator was gone from the walls. Now, something was coming for them, something that could not be ignored.

Reverend noticed Dboy's sudden stillness, the way his back stiffened as he stared at the ground.

"What's the matter with ya?"

No response.

"I... I think we need to leave," Dboy said quietly, turning back to face the others. His face was pale, his eyes wide with a terror that unsettled the entire group.

The rain blurred out, the silence becoming oppressive. At the end of the hall, the air began to shift, shrouding the corridor in an unnatural darkness.

Before any of them could react, the ground beneath their feet lifted violently. The walls crumbled as the floor shattered beneath them, sending their bodies tumbling into the abyss.