Chapter Text
1x1x1x1 stared into the clear sky, gaze reaching somewhere beyond its limits. The sun beamed against their skin with a gentle light - in any other world, this would have felt peaceful. Here, it felt artificial; utterly disgusting.
Shedletsky’s words kept circling their mind, each repetition scraping away at their faltering patience.
"I never hated you."
A bitter scoff left their lips. Yeah, right.
They knew better than that... It was impossible for Shedletsky not to resent them. After the corruption, their destructive reign, and the banishment that followed - hatred was the only logical outcome, and perhaps the only sane one.
Their gaze dropped to the ground. They wanted to argue with him, tear into every word he’s thrown their way on that balcony. To call him a liar and watch his confidence shatter under the accusation. If they could make him the villain again - everything would fall back into place.
But something inside them refused to cooperate; a flicker of hesitation. They could clearly remember his tone - steady and soft, almost vulnerable... how sickening.
1x1x1x1 dragged a hand through their hair, eyes shutting tight as frustration whirled in their chest. Their instincts screamed at them to lash out at something - the water, the ground, the artificial sun... Instead, they sat completely still.
If he had been lying, they would find out eventually. Shedletsky was many things, but subtle was never one of them. Time and interaction would expose him. Cracks will start showing, and the ugly truth will peek through.
But what if he wasn’t lying after all?
What if the hatred they had built their identity around, entirely depended on and nurtured this entire time, had never truly existed on his side? What would that make of the years spent convincing themselves, that they were nothing more than a discarded mistake?
No. They refused to soften up over a few well-placed words. They had survived termination and and being reduced to a cautionary tale - so they will survive this, too.
Eventually, they forced a slow breath to regain their composure and carefully got up from the ground. The warmth of the sun felt stifling and all-consuming rather than comforting, as if the realm was mocking their turmoil with its perfect weather.
1x knew that they'll see him again. And when they do, they will need to watch him carefully. If Shedletsky’s remorse was genuine, then it would reveal itself with time.
And if it wasn’t - well, they would be ready.
---
Shedletsky found himself surrounded by greenery and the soft whispers of waves brushing against a nearby shore. For just a moment, hope sparked in his chest.
Did I finally make it back to the cabin?
He jolted upright from the ground, heart pounding as his eyes scanned the surroundings...
The sky appeared awfully bright, its colors just slightly oversaturated - like an edited photograph. Even the trees stood motionless, their leaves barely stirring despite the audible waves.
That hopeful feeling died within an instant - nope, still the same limbo.
Shedletsky groaned under his breath and pushed himself to his feet, brushing grass from his clothes. He turned towards the center of the island, and froze.
There stood a building he recognized exceptionally well. No, two buildings.
These structures of glass and steel beams stretched overhead, their reflective panes gleaming in the sun. Through the windows, he could barely make out the stacked offices within - desks, chairs, meeting rooms...
The HQ.
“Really?” he muttered to himself in disbelief. "Of all places..."
He supposed it made sense. If this realm was sculpted from memory, and it drew from 1x1x1x1’s past - then the Headquarters would be a significant piece of it. Still, he didn't expect the landscape to look so cheerful. The surrounding greenery was neatly trimmed, and the walkways were spotless. It resembled a promotional image more than a real location, perhaps too perfect.
Shedletsky stepped forward towards one of the main entrances. His gaze darted from side to side, searching for any hint of movement which might've given away 1x’s presence.
1x1x1x1... His thoughts drifted back to the balcony - he hadn’t seen them ever since they walked away. Did he push too far? Maybe it was a selfish decision - unloading years of regret onto someone who had no reason to believe him. But at the same time… how much longer did he even have here?
For all he knew, that opportunity to speak could've vanished at any moment. He just hoped they understood. Or at least, were trying to.
Upon reaching the entrance, Shed hesitantly pushed the glass door open with his hand. The sensation immediately made him pause. He pressed his palm flat against the door, then dragged his fingers across its surface. Instead of cool, solid glass, it felt light and hollow. He stepped inside and ran his hand along the nearest wall, then the potted plant in the corner, the edge of a desk... All of it shared the same texture - cheap plastic. The entire structure felt like a life-sized dollhouse replica of his former workplace.
“Interesting choice..." he murmured with a quiet laugh.
Compared to some of the other manifestations he’d seen, this was weirdly tame. Of course, he wouldn’t understand it fully - this wasn’t his memory, after all. 1x1x1x1 would never allow him to peer inside their mind, which meant that the hollow Headquarters was the closest he would ever get to understanding them.
---
Shedletsky began ascending the stairs. If this place insisted on recreating the HQ, then he wished to see the admin offices for himself. He reached the top of the main building’s staircase, and—
Through the glass walls of the secondary tower, he could see a figure standing inside.
Someone else was here. Another survivor? Had someone else been dragged into the limbo with him?
It was supposed to be a comforting thought. But instead, dread twisted in his stomach. Something wasn’t right... the figure wasn’t moving; it just stood there, facing the window.
Shedletsky swallowed and moved across the roof of the main tower. His surroundings fell eerily silent, even the faint whistle of the wind seemed to disappear. He slipped inside the office, hesitating before each action.
“…Builder?” he called quietly, despite the anxiety burning in his senses.
The figure stood rigid, staring outward. Then, at the sound of "his" name, turned to face the avian in one stiff motion. Rotated, even.
Shedletsky’s stomach dropped.
No... No, that wasn’t Builderman. This wasn’t even a person...
It wore his likeness like a costume. Its eyes were dull, lacking any sign of life within them. The face remained blank yet somehow distorted, as if stretched over a mannequin.
Shedletsky lingered in the doorway, pulse pounding in his ears. He didn’t dare to step closer or run away - he didn’t know what this thing could do. Can it hurt him? Kill him? Or, rather, will it?
“Incompetent and naïve is all you are.”
The avian flinched from the forced thought. The figure's glassy eyes locked onto him, unblinking. Its voice wasn't audible in the room, but he could see its mouth mutter something.
“I’ll be honest, nobody ever saw you as a respectable admin.”
“Your reckless decisions led you here. Revel in your misery.”
“Please stop…” the avian muttered instinctively, wrapping his arms around himself as if bracing for an attack. Panic clawed up his spine, and every nerve in his body screaming at him to run, get out— And yet, he couldn’t move. It felt as if these intrusive voices had hooked into him, tethering him in place. The longer he stood there, the heavier his limbs felt.
A small piece of him began to wonder if the mimic was right.
---
Faint, rhythmic thumps echoed from behind the admin.
The sound yanked his consciousness back to an aware state. The whispers faltered for a moment, just enough for him to remember that he wasn’t alone in this limbo.
1x1x1x1 rushed up the staircase, their gaze snapping immediately to the unmoving figure across the room. A familiar scenario - so hesitation failed to stop them. In a split second, the "person's" attention shifted away from Shedletsky and to them.
They grabbed Shedletsky firmly by the arm and yanked him backwards. The sudden movement broke the mental tether that kept him paralyzed, and the whispers intensified in an attempt to regain control.
“Move, dammit!" 1x snapped.
Shedletsky stumbled but didn’t resist, allowing himself to be pulled towards the staircase. Behind them, he felt the mimic’s gaze follow, trying to latch onto anybody.
Step by step, they hastily dragged him down the stairs. The air began to feel lighter the further they descended, as the faker's mental pressure slowly loosened its grip. 1x1x1x1 didn’t stop running until they had dragged the two of them outside. Only after leaving the headquarters behind them did they release Shedletsky’s arm and step away.
The entity lowered themself to the ground and leaned back against the glass exterior of the HQ. Their focus shifted to their breathing, attempting to regain composure after the encounter.
Shedletsky remained standing where they had left him. He gently rubbed the spot on his arm where 1x had grabbed him, feeling a slight ache under his skin. His mind, however, remained scrambled. The whispers had stopped, yes - but they left a residue which stuck to every reassuring thought like a parasite.
Incompetent. Naïve. Reckless.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to separate his own thoughts from the mimic’s influence - but the damage had already been done. Shedletsky’s posture remained stiff, shoulders slightly hunched inward. He looked… smaller.
1x1x1x1 watched him carefully. The figure was left far behind, and she had escaped before that thing could invade her own mind.
So why couldn’t she relax?
She tipped her head back against the glass with a quiet thud, turning her face away from him. His turmoil must've been rubbing off on her, nothing more.
Besides, why would his disarray bother her anyway? His suffering should feel gratifying. To break and disrupt his twisted heart - that's been her sole purpose for ages now. Watching him unravel should feel like progress, not... off-putting.
1x's jaw tightened. Just because he claimed to regret it, or because he said that he never hated her - doesn't mean that she owed him anything. She shouldn’t feel anything about his distress.
And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to look at him for too long.
---
Shedletsky let out a slow, shaky breath and glanced over his shoulder towards 1x1x1x1. They didn't seem to acknowledge his presence, but their posture remained closed off.
Of course they still resent me, he thought. After all, how could they not?
He bit down the urge to speak. Forcing a conversation now would only make things worse; he's already pushed too much onto them. Maybe distance would help... With that thought, he began to move towards the edge of the island, grass rustling faintly beneath his steps.
1x1x1x1’s eyes snapped towards the sound, just in time to see the admin wander away from the HQ towers, and something sharp pinched in his chest. Nothing like the anger he'd constantly experienced, or even fear - maybe dissatisfaction? No, that wasn’t it either... The thought of that idiot walking off and encountering something else simply didn't sit right with him.
He swallowed his pride with a great amount of reluctance. This is ridiculous... he shouldn’t have to call him back, he didn't want to. But the alternative is letting him disappear out of sight, and that sounded worse.
---
“…Don’t wander off,” 1x called out, the words coming off more hostile than intended. Shedletsky paused mid-step which urged 1x to continue.
“Come and sit.” The second half came out quieter, almost reluctant. He immediately felt foolish for it, but at least this way he wouldn’t need to drag Shed out of danger again.
The avian turned at the sound of 1x1x1x1’s voice. For a moment he simply stood there, fingers nervously fidgeting with one another. After some hesitation, he began walking back towards them. His gaze remained on the grass as he approached, attempting to avoid meeting theirs. He slowed to a stop upon reaching them, looking over 1x with confusion in his eyes, as if awaiting further instruction.
1x1x1x1 quietly scoffed at his expression and patted the ground beside them, granting him permission.
Shedletsky carefully settled on the grass, leaving a noticeable gap between them. Only then did he realise how tense he'd been; the admin finally allowed himself a full breath, having been holding it ever since he approached the entity.
“Look…” 1x1x1x1 began, their voice softer than expected. “Don’t approach anybody you see here. They’re designed to grab your attention - and then flood your senses with false ideas.”
Shedletsky turned his head slightly to look at them from the side - meeting their gaze for once. He subtly nodded at the warning.
A relieved smile stretched across his face. He noticed the shift in their tone - how it wasn't hostile or cold, but surprisingly mellow. It felt strangely rewarding. Maybe the balcony conversation hadn’t been in vain after all.
“So you thought I was that evil dummy when I first arrived?” he questioned, testing the waters.
1x shrugged, switching back to staring into nothingness. “Maybe… I didn’t know what to think at all, honestly. Everything happened so fast.”
Shed hummed at their response, and the two of them fell quiet again. He used this time to go over the recent events, and his mind wandered back to how seeing a familiar silhouette through the glass gave him a momentary sense of hope.
Hope...
His thoughts drifted back to the cabin. How were the others doing? How long has it been since he disappeared? Had hours passed? Days? Weeks? Did time move differently in the limbo, or was it flowing all the same?
Had they noticed right away? Of course they had. Shed has always been their anchor, the one trying to retain morale in the group. At least, that’s what he believed.
But what if they assumed the worst? What if they had already moved on, or were forced to?
Shedletsky couldn’t deny it any longer - he desperately missed his team. He needed to let them know that he was still alive, or at least that he hadn’t abandoned them.