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Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
It was all set. It was all perfect.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The heart monitor played a steady tune. It was almost enough to sing along with.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The human's gray skin began to pinken as the IV bag worked its magic. Their breathing was steady - slow, unconscious.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The SOUL was a being of magic, but that did not mean science was its enemy. Oh, the things monsterkind could do if they only realized.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Aside from the body, there were three in the room; Asgore was outside, protecting the bunker from intruders. Undyne and Carol stood, silently watching you work your miracles.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
And with a steadying breath out, you begin the ritual. Light begins to grow from a point above the unconscious body.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Clunk.
An interruption. You're certain the bunker door opening and closing is simply Asgore coming to check on how things are proceeding.
"Oh angel."
The blood freezes in your veins. That's not Asgore.
"What the hell is...?"
It's two children. The larger one - spawn of Carol - stands protectively in front of the other. You can't see them but, from context, you assume it's their younger sister.
"Get back, I don't think they've seen us yet."
You don't begrudge them the assumption. The shadows are dark enough, and their voices (well, voice, only one has spoken) low enough that any other than you would have perceived nothing.
"Kris, no, what are you-!"
With a sinking feeling you watch the human step out from behind Dess' protective arm and begin to walk towards the ritual. It feels that you, and all other monsters in the room, are frozen.
They walk past you without a glance, stopping in front of the ritual. Light folds upon itself, approaching the apex - where lack of photon gives way to photon past the point of possibility, a stark opposite to your negative photon experiments.
The whisper of sneakers on sterile tile.
Dess nearly tackles Kris just as the SOUL miraculously comes into existence. Even she, mid-air, slows and stops under its providence. For a moment, it hovers.
You almost think that, despite the unexpected variables, it's going to inhabit the prepared vessel - the one carefully scried to match its tastes.
It moves - but not towards the vessel.
Kris' torso seems to unfold, cradling the SOUL in a space between their lungs. Their shadow is cast in the darkness you recognize as negative photons, created by the SOUL's radiance splayed against Kris' form.
Dess is engulfed first. As the darkness consumes her, she doesn't even dust. She just vanishes.
As the shadow approaches you, two thoughts go through your head.
One, quite reasonably: "Where the fuck is Asgore?"
The other, scientist in you uncowed even now: "Very, very interesting."