Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first time Seam had heard about that cursed door, it was from Jevil.

Seam had finished selling a few trinkets to a few residents of likely Snowdin from their house, which also doubled as their seap sometimes, before Jevil had popped by into their house. He had snuck in like a slippery snake, somehow going undetected by Seam, before he jumped up on their table and made his presence known.

“UHEE-HEE-HEE! WHY HELLO THERE, MY DEAR MAGICIAN!” Jevil called out, catching Seam attention with a boisterous pose.

Said magician did little more than flinch when the jester yelled out, turning around and seeing their friend. This was quite a normal occurrence: “Ah, hello, friend.” They welcomed softly, or as soft as their gravely voice would allow, “Here for a game? Or would you perhaps like to just talk over a cup of tea?”

Uncharacteristically, Jevil froze for a moment before he deflated, his tail twirling around his leg as he glanced to the ground, “UH, THE LATTER, PLEASE.”

Seam tilted their head slightly, squinting their good eye at their friend. He appeared a bit…nervous? But what could he be worried about?

Best to ask questions later; it would be rude to keep their friend waiting for their promised tea.

As they were making two cups of tea, the jester hopped off the table and dragged out another sitting mat for himself, with one already there for Seam. Jevil plopped down and crossed his legs, bouncing one of them as he waited.

Hmm, their friend wasn’t talking. Strange, usually when Seam made tea for him, Jevil was talking about something or would turn the conversation for the mage to talk about their day.

They paid him a glance as they moved over to grab the tea packets before the water finished boiling in their electric kettle. The Jevil was just staring at the table absent mindly, not blinking, either thinking about something or nothing at all.

Something must have happened. Seam grabbed one tea packet and from a box on a shelf but took something else out of a neighboring box, a hot cocoa packet.

Jevil's favorite drink was hot cocoa, but he usually didn’t drink it due to the area that he lived in the Underground, Hotland, plus they usually did not have it on hand to make, so it was typically a rare treat that he got when the two performed in Snowdin.

This time, though, Seam did find a few packets on sale in that snowy area and decided to buy them for their dear friend, mostly for a rainy day like this.

So, after a bit, they sat down on their mat and placed both cups on the table, sliding over the jester’s cup to him. The cup of hot cocoa stopped short of the end of the table, Jevil snapping his head up and blinking a few times before looking up at them.

“OH?” The Jester turned his head down after he left his face and stared down at his cup, “I WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT YOU HAD NONE, NONE OF THIS.”

The Mage shrugged, “I just realized I had a few, you looked like you could use some.” They replied offhandedly, taking out the tea packet from their tea cup and putting it on a coaster, “Though, it does seem like you have something on your mind, friend. Is something the matter?”

Jevil bit his own lip, “IN A SENSE.” He answered, “BUT FIRST, BEFORE I CONTINUE, I MUST ASK.” There was a brief pause from the joker, hesitating on what to say, “SEAM, YOU LIVE IN WATERFALL, HAVE BEEN FOR MOST OF YOUR LIFE, YET HAVE YOU SEEN A CORRIDOR THAT SOMETIMES IS THERE, BUT WHEN YOU TURN BACK, IT HAS LEFT NOTHING, NOT EVEN A SPECK, SPECK OF DUST?”

“A corridor that vanishes?” Seam summarized, resting their head on one of their plush paws, “I’m afraid not, nor have I heard about it.” The mage had lived in this area of the underground their entire life, so they were more than certain that if this hallway existed, they would have seen it by now, but it didn’t seem like Jevil was lying or playing a trick.

“AH,” Was all that left from his mouth for a moment, “WELL, IT IS REAL, A HALL WHERE ALL THERE IS JUST SILENCE, NOT A SOUND OF ANYTHING.” Jevil explained to them, “THOUGH, IN THAT HALL, IS USUALLY NOTHING FOR THE HANDFUL OF TIMES I HAVE BEEN GRACED BY IT. THAT MAY BE WHY YOU’VE NEVER NOTICED THE HALL, CLEVER FRIEND, YOU SIMPLY NEVER REALIZED YOU WERE IN IT.”

Another sip of tea, “Where is this hall?” Seam wondered, “Perhaps I can go see if I can find it, especially since it seems to be bothering you.” They weren’t sure what they could do about a disappearing hallway; they had no magic to either make it fully appear or disappear, but maybe what Jevil needed was for someone else to know that it was real, that he wasn’t going mad.

“IN BETWEEN WHERE THAT CRYSTALIZED CHEESE IS AND THAT TELESCOPE, FOR USUALLY A HALL DOES NOT LIE THERE, BUT RARELY, THERE IS ONE.” He elaborated, “HOWEVER, THE HALL IS NOT WHAT BOTHERS ME. IF ANYTHING, I FIND IT NEAT AND A TREAT TO SEE, SEE.”

“Then what does?”

“TODAY, THAT HALL WAS THERE, MY SIXTH TIME SEEING IT. YET THIS TIME IT WAS NOT BARE, BUT SOMETHING WAS THERE. SOMETHING STRANGE, STRANGE…”

Jevil didn’t continue, though, instead holding onto his cup with a tight grip, and he stared down his own reflection. His face was flat, nearly ineffable. But then his leg started to bounce more rapidly, and he was giving a wide, strained smile.

While this wasn’t the first time Seam had seen Jevil like this, the times they did were few and far between. Seam stretched out their paw across the table, offering it to their dear friend.

“Jevil?” The Mage softly spoke out.

“AHA!” The jester snapped out, flinging his head back and letting go of his cup, “OH, I SURE DO PLAY THE ROLE OF A FOOL WELL, I MAY BE ONE! A FOOL, A FOOL!” He cried out, but then gave a long, tired sigh, placing his face in his gloved hands, “I DON’T KNOW WHY I FELT THAT WAY…SO AFRAID.”

Jevil shuttered at the end, once again seeming lost, but now Seam knew he wasn’t lost, just confused.

So, the cat got up, moved over to the side of the imp, and sat down next to him on their knees. They debated on wrapping an arm around him, but left it for now. “What made you so afraid?” They whispered to him.

Jevil removed his face from their hands, which no longer showed a fake smile but a true frown, “A-A DOOR.” He answered, his usual cheerful elocution faltering, “IT WAS AS PALE AS THE FULL MOON, OR AT LEAST ACCORDING TO THE TALES THE OLD TURTLE TOLD ME. IT WAS NEARLY EQUAL IN SIZE TO YOU, ONLY HAVING A FEW INCHES ON YOU, YOU.” The jester turned to look up at them, with Seam noticing how wide his eyes were, hands trembling as he grasped onto his legs, “A-AT FIRST, WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE, A CHANGE IN THIS WEIRD HALL, BUT AS I WENT CLOSER TO IT, FEAR WAS ETCHED INTO MY VERY SOUL! IT BEGAN TO GROW, GROW, UNTIL I HAD MY HAND ON TOP OF THE KNOB, FOR IT FELT AS IF A GREAT WEIGHT WAS ON ME. MY BREATH UNEASY, FOR IF I OPENED THAT DOOR, I KNEW A TERRIBLE THING WOULD TRANSPIRE!”

A pale door in the middle of Waterfall? That did sound out of place, even more so than a mysteriously vanishing and reappearing hallway, but how did it scare Jevil of all people? “Did you open it?”

Jevil shook his head, “YOU KNOW ME, IT IS RARE FOR ME TO COWER, YET FOR THIS, I COULD NOT BRING MYSELF TO OPEN THE DOOR, NO MATTER HOW CURIOUS I WAS!” He explained, taking a steadying breath, “ONCE I PULLED MYSELF AWAY FROM THE DOORWAY, I STOOD FOR JUST A MOMENT, TOOK ONE LAST LOOK, AND RAN! I DON’T KNOW WHY SUCH FEAR OVERTOOK ME, BUT IT WAS QUICK, STRONG! A TERRIBLE SENSATION!”

Seam put their arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer, “You said you knew that something bad would happen if you opened the door, how?” They could guess a few reasons why, like how it stood out compared to the rest of the area or how everything just went silent around it, but what reason scared their friend from opening it?

“I DON’T KNOW, BUT THAT DOOR…SOMETHING ABOUT IT FELT WRONG, LIKE A DEMON DWELT BEHIND IT.”

Irony aside, considering Jevil was an imp monster, that was another oddity. Did something actually lie behind that door? What could it be? Could it simply be another monster’s home? Some monsters’ abilities were strange to say the least, but to the Seam’s knowledge, no form of magic could simply cause someone such extreme fear just by being by it.

Their friend was still shaken by it, and the cat’s curiosity was growing, so they asked, “Do you want me to go and try to find that door?” Maybe it would be best to find out what was behind it, even if Jevil felt like something terrible was lurking behind it.

“NO, NO!” The jester blurted out, violently shaking his head, “THE CHANCE FOR YOU TO EVEN GLANCE AT THAT DOOR IS SO, SO LOW! WHATEVER IS BEHIND IT CAN STAY, IT ISN’T WORTH SEARCHING FOR PANDORA’S BOX!”

Seam gave a low hum, moving their hand to the top of the Jester’s hat, resting it on top of the space between his horns, trying to recall what ancient human myth he was referencing for a moment, “And if I find it by chance, what should I do?”

Jevil retracted his neck back a bit, though a bright and wide smile had suddenly formed at the contact, but he quickly focused again, “I’D SAY TO LEAVE IT, BUT DO AS YOU PLEASE.” He answered, “HOWEVER, CAT, I FEEL LIKE A CERTAIN SAYING MAY APPLY ODDLY WELL TO YOU.”

Oh, they already knew which one, “Curiosity killed the cat?” They gently kneaded the Jester’s head, earning muffled, giddy laughter from the Jester

Jevil gave a playful wink, “UHE-HEE-HEE! THAT’S THE ONE!”

Seam continued patting the jester’s head, neither of the two talking, with him soon leaning more into them as his tail slowly, but contentedly, wagged. They swore, sometimes Jevil acted more like a cat than them! Imps could be so strange…Not like Seam knew any outside of the Jevil, though.

However, the jester broke the peaceful silence,“...THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.” His voice was much quieter than when he usually talked, but it was fitting this time.

Seam slowly blinked, “Hm?” They let out before realizing what he had said, “No need to thank me, I did what any friend would have.” Or perhaps should have would be better to say.

“MAYHAPS, BUT I FEEL LIKE MOST WOULD HAVE STOPPED LISTENING AT THE MENTION OF THE HALL.” He replied, “I SOUNDED MAD, MAD.”

“You did, I admit.” How could he not? Seam maybe should’ve written it off as a hallucination or something of the sort, but they didn’t, how could they? “What you described doesn’t completely make sense, but it also didn’t completely not make sense either.” A small laugh escaped them, “Ha ha, perhaps we are both mad in a way? I don’t really care as long as you feel better.”

For it was the truth, there was sense in Jevil’s words, the Underground was inherently magical at times for one reason or another, maybe due to the spell that sealed them down here or just the sheer amount of monsters living there.

Seam was then suddenly pulled down by Jevil into a tight hug, “I DO, I DO!” He exclaimed brightly, “OH, DO MY INSIDES FEEL AS FLUFFY AS YOUR OUTSIDES!”

Angel, does their friend say some strange things at times. Still, a smile formed on their mouth, patting the Jevil’s back once or twice, “Well, then I’m glad!” They replied back before standing up as the jester let them go, “Say, how about we finish our drinks before they get any colder? I’m fine with cold tea, but I’m not sure how you find cold hot cocoa.”

Jevil nodded, “LET US.. THEN, IF YOU’D LIKE, PERHAPS A QUICK GAME?”

The topic of that strange door soon faded away, leaving both of their minds in favor of a more joyous evening. Seam wouldn’t have minded if things had stayed that way; they would have enjoyed it. But that topic wasn’t content on staying lost for long, though.

Chapter Text

The next time that door was mentioned was once again by Jevil, but also by Spamton.

Seam sat on the ground in the center of their home, sewing stitches into an old orange scarf Jevil had gifted them a while ago with the sewing kit they always had on them, with said jester chatting along with Tenna vans Spamton over a game of rummy. It was a comforting sight, a candle on a large center table nearby gave a redolent smell of some kind and light to fend off the dark, all of their friends together in one area, and good background noise for sewing.

They lived near the docks of the rainy area of the underground, their home in a renovated cave near the banks of a large river. It was always ridiculously humid in their home, but they grew used to it, and so did their friends.

Their home was dark, but it was filled with all sorts of trinkets they had found throughout their life, a good chunk from the nearby dump. Items hung on walls, knick-knacks on shelves, along with a snack or two, things like that. They had a bed of sorts in the corner, made out of soft things that could make good bedding, large enough to fit them. They also had an old, discarded ice chest for food that they preferred to keep cold, not needed since monster food didn’t spoil, unlike human food, but it was nice to have. Really, the only thing they truly bought was that electric kettle which could be charged at the librarby in the snowy area.

“OH HO! IT SEEMS LIKE OUR LITTLE MAILMAN IS ONCE AGAIN FALLING BEHIND IN THE GAME!” Jevil taunted, holding his deck of six cards on top of his chest, already having mesmerized his deck and laying off two, but not the last turn.

Spamton gave a befuddled look down at his eight cards, having gained one on his last turn, “HOW!?” He shouted out, “WHAT THE [@#$%] DO YOU MEAN!?”

Despite having no eyes, Seam could sense a similar look coming from Tenna, who was using his lower arm to hold his hand, “No, I’m pretty confused too.” He admitted, “Do you know his hand or something? How? Are you cheating? I know you're really good, but still!”

“AHA!” Jevil barked out, flashing a sharp smile at the two as he clutched at nonexistent pearls, instead grabbing his frilled collar, “OH, YOU WOUND ME, MY FRIENDS, THROWING SUCH A QUESTION AT ME!” The joker laminated, “I’D NEVER DO SUCH AN AGGRESSION AGAINST YOU TWO!”

What a silly sight, Jevil’s tricks were once again fooling Spamton and Tenna. The mage knew what he was doing, simply getting into their heads. If Spamton was too focused on trying to figure out how and if he was losing, then he’d lose focus a make a poor move, like not realizing he may have a meld.

The mailman didn’t respond as he tapped his foot, focusing on his cards before making a run of a three of hearts, four of diamonds, and a five of hearts. Meanwhile, the TV-headed robot gave an exasperated sigh, rubbing the top of his screen with his large arm, “A̵n̷g̶e̴l̸!̶!, aren’t you a trickster.” He muttered to himself, “But, no, I don’t think you're actually cheating by the way, you’re probably just that good.”

“IN TRUTH, I DO NOT KNOW HIS HAND.” The jester admitted, but then laid down two melds of three jacks and three eights, “I JUST KNEW I COULD GO ALL OUT!”

Tenna let out a grumble, but leaned back with a genuine smile on his face as he placed his cards on the table, face up, “Yeesh, you won again? How are you always the one to do this?”

“HAHA, OH, JUST SOME LUCK, THOUGH SKILL DOES HELP!”

Spamton also set down his cards, but beads of sweat rolled down his face, “YEAH, UH, BEFORE WE [School Starting Sales!], COULD SOMEONE EXPLAIN THE [New Law Passes in ] AGAIN?” He asked as he tapped his finger against the table.

Jevil stared flatly at him as Tenna gawked, “Spam, did you not know the rules the entire time!?” He questioned, “We’ve done ten rounds! How could you not ask sooner?”

The mailman snapped his neck over to the robot, moving as stiff as a board, “OH, CAN IT, [TRASH HEAP]!”

“THAT EXPLAINS A FEW THINGS.” Jevil mumbled, but his smile soon returned, and he told Spamton much louder, “BUT DON’T WORRY, MY FRIEND, I CAN ALWAYS EXPLAIN AGAIN, AGAIN!”

Seam finished the last stitch on the scarf, placing it down on their lap, “Maybe we should play a different game? My scarf is done, so I can join now, and I think it would be better to explain the rules later.” They had wanted to join for a while for now, and while they were fine with rummy, everyone else seemed to be getting bored or frustrated with it, so it would probably be best to switch games.

Jevil perked up at the suggestion, “HEHE! OH, WE COULD PLAY EUCHRE, WAR, POKER-”

To say the jester knew a lot about card games was the underestimation of the century, but that wasn’t what Seam was focused on right now; no, it was on the rather concerning state of Spamton.

He was practically clawing at his eyebags, sweating a river as he stared emptily at the center of the table. Spamton’s jaw was clamped so tightly together that it seemed as if he held them any tighter, they would crack!

Was he okay? Seam couldn’t recall ever seeing the mailman like this before, mostly at this intensity, and now that they thought about it, he’d been a bit antsy the entire night.

Once Jevil had finished listing off a large number of card games, Tenna clasped his hands together cheerfully, “Ooh, I’ve never heard of hearts before!” He responded before turning to face Spamton, “What do you-” The TV cut himself off, though, antenna perking up as he saw the state of his friend. “You okay?”

There was no response from the mailman until Tenna gently smacked his shoulder, causing Spamton to jolt up, “WHAT?” He immediately responded with, “OH [WRITE]! I’M [Financial aid!], I JUST SAW, UH…SOMETHING [Strange Sighting in].”

Now, the Seam’s mind didn’t immediately go to the door; however, it wasn’t exactly absent from their mind. “What did you see?”

Tenna gave a pained grimace, “It wasn’t that door you mentioned a while ago, was it?”

That was when Seam’s mind went to the strange door Jevil had mentioned before.

Spamton turned to face Seam, his face almost unnervingly serious now, and while they couldn’t make out the mailman’s dot-like eyes from here due to their colored glasses, they almost knew they were probably as wide as they could go, “...YES.” He admitted, “BUT DOES [Magic The Gathering] KNOW ABOUT THIS YET?”

“OF COURSE THEY DO!” Jevil piped up, “THEY WERE THE FIRST I TOLD, FOR THEY KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AS I DO!”

Seam gave a short, reassuring nod to the avian monster. A bit of an overexaggeration, but they were aware of it, yes.

Spamton gave a relieved sigh, “GOOD, MAKES THINGS QUICKER.” He told them all, “I JUST SAW THAT DOOR EARLIER TODAY, BUT THIS [Christmas Time] I ACTUALLY WENT NEAR IT AND…”

So this wasn’t Spamton’s first time seeing the door, and if Seam had to guess, it was likely his second, “What happened last time?”

“I SAW IT AND [Hit-and-Run accidents?]. HAD THINGS TO DELIVER.”

“That’s good, the mail thing.” The mailman had seen a decrease in customers lately due to a sharp decrease in mail since the internet and specifically emails became big in the underground, so it was nice to hear that he was still getting business. “How’d it go this time?”

“THE MAIL, OKAY. THE DOOR, TERRIBLE.”

Jevil gave a hum of approval, “AS IT IS WITH THE DOOR, DOOR.”

Spamton reached for his glasses and lifted them off his face, rubbing his eyes even though the area that surrounded them was wooden, “IT’S JUST…”

Something changed in the room, and Seam swore they heard static.

“I went near the door. I was planning on opening it, but I felt something wrap around me. Around my wrist, ankles, neck, everywhere…” Spamton spoke in a manner that Seam had never heard him speak. It almost sounded calm, sane. The mailman always spoke as if he were mad, either with weird interjections in his speech or speaking like he was writing a letter, yet Seam knew that while, yes, he could be a bit kooky, he was a far cry from a truly insane man. “It felt like puppet strings were forming around me, like I was becoming a puppet. If I had stayed near that door a moment longer, I’d become one. I would never break my stings, I would never reach my FREEDOM again.”

Tenna frowned at that, “Was something behind it?”

The mailman shook his head, “There had to be. Don’t know what, but something bad was behind it.”

Strings? Seam tilted their head at that word, a curious look on their face. That was quite different from the feeling Jevil had described when he was by the door, but the mage supposed that having strings suddenly wrap around you would evoke fear.

But puppet strings? They weren’t sure if it was just a coincidence or if that was planned because Spamton did look like a ventriloquist doll, a puppet of sorts. But the thing was, Spamton didn’t always look like that.

The jester also took notice, “DO YOU THINK THE STRINGS WERE A COINCIDENCE?” Jevil asked, resting his head on a hand, “AFTER ALL, THINGS LIKE THAT ARE AWFULLY SPECIFIC TO SCARE SOMEONE AWAY.”

No, when Seam first met Spamton, he could easily be identified as one of the various types of avian monsters in the underground, with pitch black feathers until around their face, which at the time looked like he was wearing some creepy doll mask. Now, though, he looked more puppet than a bird, with the white wooden material having prevented feathers from growing in many areas, and no one knew why.

Because of that, Spamton hated being compared to a puppet unless it was a clear joke or from someone they were close with, and even the latter was rare.

So the fact that it felt like puppet strings were wrapped around him was one strange coincidence.

The mailman dropped his glasses on the table, putting his head in his hands, “[Go to Hell!] IF I KNOW!” He responded in his usual voice, “I SWEAR IF ONE MORE [Wacky Stacky] THING HAPPENS, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’LL DO!”

“One more weird thing?” They openly wondered, “What other things happened besides the door?” Maybe it was the sheer amount of puzzles in the Underground because while Seam generally enjoyed them, they knew others weren’t as fond of them.

Spamton gave a tired sigh and put back on his glasses, looking exhausted, “THIS [Once Upon a Time] I WAS RUMMAGING AROUND IN THE DUMP WHEN I HEARD A [Dialtone] BEGIN SOMEWHERE. I WENT OVER AND SAW AN OLD [New Rotary Phone] IN PRISTINE CONDITION, SITTING THERE IN A SMUG WAY, EVEN THOUGH IT SHOULD BE [Broke? Try This] AND MUDDY!” He explained, though he seemed ticked off by the state of the phone more than anything, “I WENT UP TO SEE IT TO SEE WHAT IT’S [Deal or No Deal] WAS, BUT BEFORE I COULD REACH THE RECEIVER, [Trash Heap] CAME BEHIND ME AND THE RINGING JUST STOPPED!!"

Tenna lit up a bit at the mention of that, “Yeah, I remember that! It was such a s̴t̶r̷a̶n̴g̸e̶ phone!” He commented, “We took the thing back to our place to see if it’d ring again to see if we could use it, but it never rang around me, only you.”

“[Yeppers!]. I ACTUALLY PICKED IT UP ONE TIME, BUT THE PERSON ON THE OTHER LINE WAS JUST SOME CREEPY [Suckers for Kids] WHO WAS TRYING TO SCAM ME!”

Jevil let out a laugh at that, leaning back, “AHA! TRYING TO SCAM THE SCAMMY LITTLE MAILMAN?” He shot out, lunging himself forward, “OH, THEY MUST’VE NOT KNOW YOU, YOU!”

The mailman gave a small chuckle, “THEY KNEW MY NAME, THOUGH! ISN’T THAT WEIRD!?”

They what!? “Yes.” Seam responded pointedly, “Did you recognize their voice?”

The Mailman shook his head no, “I DON’T [Memory Issues? TRY] EVERYONE’S VOICES.”

“WELL ISN’T THAT STRANGE,” The jester chimed up, “NOT JUST THE NAME, BUT THAT’S SO SIMILAR TO THE TIME I WAS ALONE WITH AN OLD, BROKEN RADIO AT A RESTAURANT AND IT STARTED SPEAKING IN MORSE TO ME! IT EVEN KNEW MY NAME!”

“[Real Gold]?”

“YEAH!”

Seam and Tenna both turned their heads to gawk (mostly the latter) at the jester until Seam spoke up, “You know Morse code?” That was not something they expected Jevil to know. He had no reason to learn it for any reason the mage knew of, but the joker was one to do things out of boredom, so maybe he learned it just for some entertainment?

“INDEED I DO, LEARNED IT SOME TIME AGO, TOO!” Was his response, a smile of amusement on his face, “FOR THE DAYS HERE USED TO BE DULL, DULL WITH NO FRIENDS, SO I TOOK UP A FEW THINGS, ONE OF THOSE BEING MORSE.”

So they were right about the boredom thing, but Morse code was still shocking. Not something most people learn just for fun, but it did seem a bit interesting.

“H̷O̶L̷D̸ ̴I̸T̸!̵” Tenna announced loudly, slamming his hands down on the table to get everyone’s attention back, “Are we not going to talk about the fact that these voices just knew your names or the fact that you are both the only ones to have seen that door!?”

“HUH?” Jevil spoke out before pausing for a second, “NOW THAT YOU POINT IT OUT, THAT IS KIND OF STRANGE…”

…Only kind of?

“HOLY [Cungedero], WHAT IF IT’S THE SAME PERSON!?” Spamton suggested, his remaining feathers under his hat standing up, “WHAT DO THEY WANT WITH US OF ALL PEOPLE?”

Hm, it did seem likely that the incidents were connected, so maybe it was the same person behind it, but what was this mystery person trying to do? What was the purpose of apparently trying to scam Spamton of all people and talking to Jevil?

“Jev, what did the radio say to you when it was talking to you?” Seam wondered.

The jester waved a dismissive hand, “NOT MUCH, NOTHING AT ALL! EMPTY PROMISES OF GRANDOR IF I TRUSTED IT, BUT WITH SUCH A POOR SALES PITCH, I DID NOT SEARCH FOR IT WHEN IT WENT SILENT AS ANOTHER MONSTER ENTERED.”

The CRT nudged Spamton, “And you?”

“ABOUT THE SAME. IT PROMISED SUCH [Great Value] THINGS TO ME, ALL AT THE COST OF [Free Mints With Stay!].” He answered before leaning on the table, “LET ME TELL YOU ALL, IF IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, THEN FOR THE [Valentines Around the Corner] OF EVERYTHING, DON’T TAKE IT!”

So whatever it was, its tactics didn’t vary between the two monsters. Maybe it was projecting something from its past onto the two, either unintentionally or intentionally, living vicariously through the two of them? A monster’s magic was directly tied to their SOUL and their emotions, with it being stronger the more a monster wanted to fight and weaker the less they wanted to, but sometimes, if emotions were too strong, their magic could be triggered and affect other things. So maybe this mysterious monster was scammed with the empty promise of grandeur, and its magic was taking it out on others, or maybe it was doing it purposely? But then again, this monster was getting whoever met them to do what they want through a sale or something? Seam wasn’t sure, how does something go from a creepy door to talking over a device and trying to make a deal? Were the two things even done by the same person?

Seam sighed, “I don’t know what this could be.”

“NONE, NONE OF US DO!” Jevil answered back, “THERE’S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO FOR NOW EXCEPT AVOID IT, SO THAT’S WHAT WE ALL SHALL DO!”

Spam nodded, and Tenna gave a thumbs up with a small frown, but the Mage wasn’t content with that, and they were sure none of the others were either.

No, this was an issue. Even if it was just some monster accidentally using their magic, they needed to know what was going on. Jevil and Spamton were anxious about it; these things kept haunting them. Tenna was growing worried for them, and Seam wasn’t particularly content with letting this problem grow.

But then they remembered that Jevil had told them that it was unlikely for Seam to even see the door, let alone enter it. It would be a waste of time searching for it.

Maybe all they could do for now was just wait until the next incident; the mage couldn’t come up with much else right now.

They’d drop this for now, but Seam knew they’d all circle back to this soon.

Chapter Text

The next time, Seam saw the door themself, alone.

They were walking to the snowy area where the Inn was, having their orange scarf wrapped tightly around their neck as they had their hood up to avoid rain getting on their recently groomed fur.

They were in high spirits today; they had a show with Jevil today in Snowdin, one they had been practicing for quite some time. Hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs, all threaded around and covered in shimmering dusty magic. The illusions of carousels that the Jevil could conjure up but struggled to sustain for too long, held together by the thread of the Seam’s own magic. The acrobatic tricks that the Jevil would perform, reaching so high up that it felt like he’d reach the surface as the Mage stayed below, threading shapes as they danced around in a way that matched the jester’s. Sometimes they would tell stories in their shows, sometimes they just did tricks that would catch the eyes of the monsters trapped with them, hoping to give them a sparkle of hope.

Seam loved performing with Jevil.

However, Seam had stopped by the Jevil’s place in Hotland. They came to ask what time the two should either meet up later in Waterfall or Hotland or go straight to Snowdin for the show, to which Jevil told them to come an hour or two after lunch began, but that he was going there much earlier to prepare a few things. Seam had offered to come with, but Jevil told them they'd best prepare a bit more in Waterfall just in case. After all, what he was doing was apparently a one-man job.

So, before the show, Seam had bought two sea teas from Gerson after a bit of idle chat with the old man. Not only did they taste delicious, but the teas also increased a monster’s speed for a bit, which would be quite useful for today’s show. They’d have to ask for his recipe one day.

Seam was actually rather close to the entrance of Snowdin, though the Jevil was likely deeper in it, probably already by Grillby’s. They had just passed through the rocky walkway that was surrounded by brightly glowing water, nearing the docks that bordered the snowy area. It shouldn’t take much longer for them to get there.

The nage was looking at the walls of the cave, admiring the stratum of dark blue rocks that made up the walls. They were wondering what types of rocks this part of the underground was supported by when they passed by a little nook with a telescope in it.

They paid no mind to it, but when they kept walking forward, Seam expected to enter the room with the mousehole and crystallized cheese on a small table.

What they got was a long, straight hallway.

Seam immediately stopped in their tracks, taken aback by the hallway that they swore hadn’t been there before.

“Didn’t expect this…”

Now, the mage knew they likely wouldn’t see the door, that’s what Jevil had told them at least. All they would likely get was an empty hallway that would vanish once they left it, so Seam proceeded to keep moving,

Until they stood in front of a large, pale door. Then they stopped again and just stared at it.

Honestly, Seam never expected to actually see the infamous door, not because they didn’t believe it was real, but because it seemed like it only appeared for Jevil and Spamton, and even then, it wasn’t a constant thing with this strange hall. Also, because Seam had never seen the hall beforehand. But this sure did make things easier in figuring out what was going on with it.

Seam decided to pay more attention to their surroundings, comparing it to what they had heard from their friends. It was dead silent now, the background noises of Waterfall having all but vanished. A cricket could chirp, and it would sound like a scream.

However, the mage didn’t feel anything too strange as they stood in front of the door, which Jevil was right about it being a bit bigger than them, other than slight nervousness. It was like they were seeing an object rumored to be haunted and were worried about the slightest chance a ghost could jumpscare them, not the object itself, which was probably a fitting allegory for the door. Seam didn’t feel intense, crushing fear, or the tightening of strings (or maybe seams in their case), just mild nervousness.

That was strange. Shouldn’t they be feeling something that would make them want to run away from the door, just like their two friends? Jevil could stand as tall as he could against the few things that scared him, and Spamton was on no account all that cowardly, so shouldn’t Seam be feeling fear like them?

The mage placed a large paw on the knob of the door, which was only a bit too small for them. Their nervousness didn’t grow uncontrollably, nor did anything feel as if it tightened around them. All they felt was tense.

Though that’s not to say something didn’t feel strange about the door. Something wrong radiated off the door, like it wasn’t meant to be there. Or maybe whatever was behind it wasn’t meant to be there.

The cat bit the inside of their lip. If Seam went through this door, how long would it take for them to deal with whatever was behind it? They had a fair bit of time before their show started, but they wanted to talk to Jevil a bit before it.

Then again, there was also the chance that Seam could find out what’s been haunting their friends for quite some time now and give them some peace, some closure on the being that’s been haunting them.

It couldn’t possibly take that long, and if so, it was okay if they were a bit late; it wouldn’t matter too much.

This may be the only time they would see the door.

Seam took a deep breath, closed their eyes, turned the silver doorknob to hear a small click, and pushed the door open.

What greeted them as they took a few steps forward and finally opened their eyes was a room surrounded by black and engulfing darkness, yet the floor was a striking grey and felt almost like concrete. Nothing was in the room except one thing, which was likely a monster that stood in the middle of the room.

For some reason, the monster was a bit hard to make out and harder to describe. A few things were certain: It was taller than Seam, almost blob-like, its body seemed to be made out of goopy black stuff that looked similar to the darkness that surrounded it, and its head was round and white; it sorta looked like it was made out of bone, but not exactly a skull like that one tall skeleton.

The mage cleared their throat, letting go of the doorknob and walking more into the room, “Hello there,” They greeted politely, “I’m sorry to barge in like this, I just…”

The longer Seam stared at the head of the monster, they realized it had black slits where its eyes were, with the right one having a black line from the slit going up its face, while the left one had a black line coming down from what was presumably its eye. What a strange being.

“...I just was wondering what was behind this door.” They finished half-heartedly.

The monster didn’t move an inch, nor did it respond to anything they had said. Maybe it was asleep?

Oh, had Seam entered a stranger’s home as they were sleeping? How rude of them! Maybe they were right about it being an accident.

It be best to leave. Besides, Seam was now getting the creeps. Not crushing fear yet, but still.

So, the mage turned around, hunching over themself to avoid touching the walls of seemingly pure darkness. They didn’t even look at the dark walls.

However, as Seam made a swipe for the knob, they realized the door was not there anymore, having seemingly vanished.

‘What?’ They thought, ‘It was just here moments before.’

They once again spun around to see the monster as still as a statue. Maybe they should as it for help. It couldn’t hurt to try, not like they had many other options either.

Seam hesitantly walked up to it, first waving a paw in front of it to see if maybe that would catch its attention. When that didn’t work, they gave a quick and light tap on the shoulder.

A strange sound echoed through the room as the monster shot up, white eyelights appearing in their socket as a mouth finally became noticeable to the mage, turning into a wide, empty smile before the monster vanished without a trace.

The Mage clawed out at where the monster once was, “Wait!” They cried out, but no one heard them.

The Mage was now all alone in a strange, silent, and empty room with no way out.

Shoot.

Seam began spinning their head around, looking for any possible exit. Yet all they saw around them was pure darkness, with the only light being in the center.

“Hello!?” The Mage yelled out, “Is anyone near? I think I’m stuck!”

The Mage tightly clutched their raincoat. Could anyone hear them while they were stuck in here? Would anyone know where they are? How long would they be stuck here?

Would they miss their show with Jevil? Would they be stuck here forever?

While they knew deep down their thoughts sounded a bit paranoid, it really wasn’t that unreasonable; there was no exit, and this surely wasn’t a normal room.

“Help! Can anyone hear me!?”

They paced around the room, “I think I’m stuck here!”

“Anyone?”

Their shouts went unanswered, so they called for help louder, repeating the same phrases.

But nobody came.

“Jevil! Are you nearby?”

“Spamton?”

“Tenna?”

They called out their friends' names despite knowing the futility of it; none of them were even near the area of the underground they were in.

But nobody came.

Fear struck their SOUL. There was no way out; no one could hear them. Seam was all alone.

Was this why Jevil felt such extreme fear? Why were nonexistent strings tugged at Spamton? Fear made sense, but strings didn’t. None of this did.

They now stood in the dead center of the room. Maybe they should just sit down for a minute, think of what to do next.

Seam did that, but not the sitting part. They couldn’t stay trapped in this strange room; they had things they needed to do.

They hadn’t checked the walls, maybe they’d have something?

So Seam began checking the walls for anything, unsure of what they were looking for. Maybe something like the path that led to Temmie Village? Just anything to get out of this room, that’s all they hoped for.

The dark walls felt weird. Whenever Seam touched them, their body knew something was there, that a physical object was there, yet they felt nothing. The walls felt like they were made of air, as if they were walls of actual pure darkness.

In normal circumstances, Seam would be curious about what in the world these walls were made of. One couldn’t make a wall out of darkness, per se, but one out of magic that appeared like darkness was possible. That wasn’t on their mind right now

However, the wall across from where the entrance was was different. The Mage pressed their paw firmly against it, but it hit nothing. Their paw went through where the darkness started and into it, yet the lighting surrounding their arm didn’t change at all.

Could…Could they walk through here? Where did it lead to?

They pulled their arm back; it was obvious what they would do. They had no exit here, and Seam knew staying stagnant would not bring them home. All they could do was go forward.

Seam took one cautious step forward, unsure of whether there was even going to be ground below them. Lucky for them, there was something solid, so they continued walking forward, but at a snail's pace. It was giving the same sensation as when they touched the walls, so while they were standing on something solid, their mind disagreed.

Their SOUL plunged in their chest, the sickening feeling of falling dawning on the mage. They felt their body tense to the maximum as everything around them slowed as they continued forward, acting like they were walking on a tight rope.

Just one step forward, then another, they could do this.

After some time of walking in what was practically a pitch black void, the grey concrete behind them was nearly all gone, leaving the Mage with no bearings on which direction was which. Left and right looked the same, so did up and down. Maybe a bit of light would help.

The Mage raised a shaky paw and took a deep breath in a futile attempt to steady themself, spawning a sphere of shining dusty magic. They could tell it was producing light based on how the rays shone on their body, yet around them, the darkness didn’t brighten; it was as if no light was being produced.

Just where was Seam at exactly?

Their legs were quaking with every step, but not from exhaustion, but from the feeling of them falling. Their body wanted to so desperately crumple over right now and to grab onto anything truly solid, something their mind could register as solid.

Their will soon weakened enough to where their body won, and Seam collapsed onto their knees. They were shaking wildly as every piece of hair on their body stood on end, the only thing keeping them grounded was the ball of light in their grasp and their breath.

It wasn’t long before they heard something, something other than the mage’s own breath, something cracking in the distance, growing louder and louder until Seam realized something was breaking near them.

“H-hello?” They spoke out, but then it quickly turned into a surprise yelp as they felt their surroundings change

It wasn’t until Seam felt the wind rush against them did they realized they were now truly falling, whatever was supporting them beforehand having shattered.

Their ball of light broke into dust as the Mage braced themself for an impact, but it never came.

All that happened was their vision turning dark and darker, yet darker. Their only thought was the darkness they saw, until they no longer thought because now, the Mage was unconscious.

…

Pain was what they felt first, not major pain like a broken leg or rib or something, but like they hit their side against a table and probably had a bad bruise under their fur.

Another thing was the lack of piercing fear in Seam’s SOUL. It was like a mountain had been relieved from them, but they still felt lingering traces, even in their drowsy state.

The final thing they felt was that they were lying against solid, yet soft grass, which wasn’t a common thing in the Underground, but it was present in a few areas.

But that meant that wherever they were, they had left that room!

With the Seam’s surge in will from that thought alone, they began pushing themself off of the ground, moving themself in order to be sitting. Seam began blinking their eyes open, realizing they were in a noticeably brighter area, yet it was still rather dark.

The mage looked down to see the grass their paws were now clawing at, which was unlike anything they had ever seen. They were in a small patch of dark crimson grass, which, as they glanced around, they realized that a tree was some distance away, the trunk and bark being a deep black with reddish hints, and the strangely square leaves being a bright red.

This still wasn’t an area in the Underground; Seam still wasn’t home.

They frowned at that thought. They needed to get back; they were probably missing their and Jevil’s show!

Seam began to stand up, but they realized there were a few items scattered around. Most were small daggers with a thread loop for a handle, which could be easily pocketed, though they weren’t quite sure where they came from. There were also a few bandages on the ground too of various colors, which, as the Mage picked them back up, they felt like they were made of the thread they used to sew.

Finally, and the most eye-catching, was a giant staff that was shaped exactly like a seam ripper and was nearly their height. It was a bronze-like color, nearly a bright orange. It kinda looked similar to the one Seam had in their sewing kit, but brighter and larger.

Seam grabbed onto the staff and used it to balance themself, leaning on it as they tried to steady themself. The mage huffed a few breaths as they did so; that fall must’ve knocked the wind out of them. Rubbing their eyes, they realized another major thing.

For some strange reason, their outfit had changed drastically. They were wearing a baggy, long-sleeve shirt with purple and orange vertical stripes and long with dark purple pants with orange star shapes sewn onto them over their knees. They had on a reddish-violet tattered cloak (or a cape?) that had hollow star shapes on it that glowed and twinkled, and their orange scarf had been replaced by a fluffy and furry orange neck piece. Strangest of all, as the Mage investigated whatever was on their head, they also came to realize that they had on a stereotypical wizard hat with a wide brim, the same color as their new cape.

They felt over where their orange eye patch was, only to realize that it wasn’t there. Instead, it had been replaced by a button that was attached to them, albeit flimsy, and the straps of their eye patch had been replaced with thick seams. Someone had sewn a button over where their missing eye was.

They…Seam never recalled any of this happening. They never had changed outfits, they didn’t own any clothes like this, no one had ever replaced their missing eye with a button of all things! They’d gotten the comment a few times that they looked like a stuffed cat plush, Angel be, they bled stuffing and had sewn cloth on themself a few times as a bandage, but this was a step too far! They’d at least like to be told before a button was stitched over their eye.

Whatever, Seam needed to get going. They weren’t finding answers at this rate; they’d been terrified by being trapped in that dark room beforehand, and they still so desperately wanted to go home. Maybe they could tell Jevil about this, and they’d figure out what to do from there.

Outside of the small patch of crimson grass they stood on was that newly discovered dark matter stuff, which, while Seam would rather not have to walk over it, they had to. It was the only way to get to that tree and figure out where to go from there.

So the Mage did just that, using their new staff to make sure there was solid matter for them to walk on by sliding it over the dark matter. The sensation of falling returned again when they walked on it, but the Mage knew they weren’t because the patch of grass wasn’t getting any lower, and neither was the tree; they weren’t walking in what was essentially a void.

They made their way over to the tree and just stared at the tree; it was unlike any they’d seen in the Underground. Was this a kind of tree on the surface?

Seam had intended to just give a quick glance behind the tree to see if anything was different behind it, but when they moved to look behind it, a pair of floating, white skeletal hands grabbed the sides of their face, dragging them over.

Seam thrust their staff to stab whoever had grabbed them, intending to push them away. However, the stab simply entered whatever gooey matter they had stabbed, doing little to no damage.

They’d looked up and saw the monster from before, its form more clear, yet it was still overall amorphous in shape. It was also taller, too, looming over them as Tenna did, yet the mage didn’t get a friendly feeling from them.

Seam dropped their staff and latched onto the holes in the monster’s palm, clawing at them as they tried to tug them away. A noise came out from the monster as it glared down at them, sounding what they could best describe as garbage noise.

“☟︎⚐︎🕈︎ ✞︎☜︎☼︎✡︎📪︎

✞︎☜︎☼︎✡︎ ✋︎☠︎❄︎☜︎☼︎☜︎💧︎❄︎✋︎☠︎☝︎”

The Mage resumed trying to pull the monster’s hands away, though nothing worked. “I’m sorry for intruding,” They started up, grunting as they pulled, “I was simply just trying to investigate something, but could you please let go?”

The monster just continued looking at them before it made a noise that sounded almost like laughter, and it began clutching at their fur tighter, pulling it.

The Mage winced in pain as they met the monster’s eyes, as it gave a wide, hollow smile, an unsettling feeling blooming in their SOUL as they began to sweat

“☹︎☜︎❄︎ 🕆︎💧︎ 💧︎☜︎☜︎ ☟︎⚐︎🕈︎ ❄︎☟︎✋︎💧︎ 🕈︎✋︎☹︎☹︎ 🏱︎☹︎✌︎✡︎ ⚐︎🕆︎❄︎📪︎

💧︎☟︎✌︎☹︎☹︎ 🕈︎☜︎📪︎ 💧︎☜︎✌︎💣︎✍︎”

A sharp headache began for Seam after the monster stopped making those sounds. Unsure of what to do, they let out shaky laughter, “Haa ha, could you please let go?”

The monster made more of the garbage noises, but this time the Mage could understand them, “YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO BE HERE.”

“What?”

“YOU ARE NOT THE ONE I WAS CALLING FOR.”

The Mage knew who this monster was calling for.

“TELL ME, SEAM. WHY ARE YOU HERE?”

It knew their name, it even said it right too, as ‘Shawm’ instead of how it was usually pronounced, so it must’ve heard it before, not just have read it. The Mage could lie, though something was compelling them to be honest, “I-I… I wanted to know what was making my friends so scared.” They confessed, “Can you let go?”

It didn’t let go, “THEY WERE FEELING THE EMOTIONS OF OTHERS LIKE THEM,

THEY WERE FEELING THEIR FEAR.

IT IS VERY, VERY INTERESTING, IS IT NOT?”

They shouldn’t be here; they needed to run. They needed to get away, “Others like them?”

“NOT LIKE YOU,

ONE COULD SAY THAT THE ONES LIKE THEM ARE THEM.” It elaborated before lowering itself to the Mage’s level,

“I DO WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN

IF I TOLD YOU THE SAME THINGS I TOLD THEM.”

That didn’t sound good.

“WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW SOMETHING?” It asked, “I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO TELL YOU IT,

THOUGH YOUR FRIEND USUALLY TELLS YOU SOME OF IT.”

Which of their friends? Seam really didn’t want to know, but something was burning in them. What did this person want to tell them? What did they supposedly know?

“Okay.”

The monster gave the same smile, “FIRST, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?”

“No.”

“I DID NOT EXPECT YOU TO.” The monster responded, “YOU ARE IN A WORLD DARKER THAN DARK,

WHERE YOUR MIND CANNOT MAKE SENSE OUT OF ANYTHING,

YET IT IS NO MERE ILLUSION.”

…What? The monster continued to explain, but Seam interrupted, intrigued, “How can something be darker than dark?” They didn’t trust this monster, but they were rambling on about something, plus they seemed interested in giving them some answers, so would it hurt to question a bit? But firstly, “Also, can you please let go?”

The monster listened, finally letting go of Seam’s face as they moved themself to stand up properly, leaning down to grab their staff, “IT IS POSSIBLE

FOR PHOTON PARTICLES TO BE NEGATIVE,

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE?” They asked, their hands floating down to their sides.

Maybe? “Aren’t those light particles?”

“YES, WHEN THERE IS NEGATIVE LIGHT,

A PLACE LIKE THIS IS CREATED.” They told them.

“HOWEVER, YOU ARE NOT IN THE SAME REALITY YOU WERE AT ONE POINT.

IF THAT WERE TRUE, A PLAYING CARD WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO KILL YOU.

YET HERE IT COULD.”

Is every time this monster explains something, it’s just going to create more questions? “A card could kill me here? What do you mean by that?” Seam moved their staff closer to themself, unsure of how to exactly hold it for a proper fight or attack, but trying their best.

A small chuckle escaped the monster,

“YOU ARE STRONGER THAN MOST OF THE CARDS, SEAM,

THE ONLY ONE YOU WOULD STRUGGLE WITH IS THE BLACK JOKER, YOUR FRIEND.

HOWEVER, HERE, THE CARDS CAN BECOME ALIVE. THEY ARE LIVING LIKE YOU AND OTHER MONSTERS, EVEN HUMANS.”

The monster lowered their head, becoming eye level with the mage,

“YET IN YOUR WORLD, THEY ARE JUST MERE OBJECTS UNTIL IT BECOMES DARKER THAN DARK,

BUT SOMEHOW THEY STILL FEEL, EVEN IN THE LIGHT.

IS IT NOT STRANGE?”

The black joker card, their friend? It took Seam a second before it clicked, but could this monster once again be referencing Jevil? The monster had mentioned the other people like him existing, so maybe someone similar?

Think about that later, “It is.” They responded honestly, “But what does that have to do with…whatever you wanted to tell me?”

Their hollow smile widened, “IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU.

AFTER ALL,

DO YOU NOT WANT TO KNOW THE NATURE OF YOUR WORLD?”

So this monster was claiming to know the nature of the world? Or more specifically, their world. What was this monster going on about? Seam was leaning towards being more skeptical about what they would say. Seam barely knew who this monster was, and they had been haunting their friends and likely were the ones who led them…in this negative light place. However, this might help them get out.

Seam hoped they wouldn’t regret this, “I suppose, though if I do so, will you help me leave?”

“HOW ABOUT A DEAL?

IF YOU LISTEN TO ME, I WILL HELP YOU LEAVE.

I HAVE NOT HAD SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS IN A WHILE,

AND NO ONE FROM YOUR WORLD, MY HOME, TOO.

SEAM, WILL YOU LEND AN EAR?”

They didn’t have any other choice, so Seam nodded.

The monster moved over closer to the trunk of the tree, their body lowering and squishing down, likely their version of sitting. One of their hands floated over and patted at the ground next to them, gesturing for Seam to sit by them.

And Seam did just that and sat, folding their legs, it be rude not to. Despite having sat down, the monster was still taller than them when Seam was standing, yet it was still like its form was ever changing.

Just listen and they’d get home, that’s what Seam believed. They were clinging to growing hope for getting home now.

-

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

…

The Man stood up as Seam kept their eyes on the ground. Something was building behind their eyes, tears likely, but they didn’t feel sad. No, they didn’t. They weren’t sure what they felt. The Man’s hands floated down towards Seam’s face, cupping it as he tilted their head up.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING I JUST TOLD YOU?”

Seam met The Man’s eyes; they were so devoid of life, yet in the right angles, one could see the life that still lingered in them. A shattered monster.

The mage closed their eyes and gave a tired sigh, “I do…” They weren’t sure why, but they felt so exhausted. Like they could fall asleep at any moment, yet Seam knew they couldn’t, not here.

“HOW DO YOU FEEL?”

That was a difficult question. How did Seam feel? A veil had been lifted from their eyes; nothing looked the same anymore. This dark place they were in was merely an illusion; nothing here was real. Yet, back in the light where Seam had lived their entire life, that wasn’t real either, but in a different way.

How did they feel about that? Upset? Disbelief? Happy?

No, they didn’t.

“I feel…hollow.” Seam answered quietly, a slight waver in their voice, “Nothing really matters, does it?”

What a painful thing to say, to think, but it was true. Nothing truly mattered, did it? Everything could so easily be stripped away by one person, and nothing Seam could do would stop it. Their existence was of a nature their mind could barely grasp, best described as a game, and they were not the player; no one here was. No, they were just a mere participant.

“IS THAT SO?

IF YOU VIEW THINGS THROUGH THAT LENS NOW,

TELL ME, SEAM,

WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?”

“...I don’t know.” They hadn’t had time to think about that. They aren’t sure what they’d do now. Tell others about this? Tell all of monsterkind that nothing they would do would matter, that they would never have freedom?

Could Seam be honest with themself and admit that they’re friends would never get the freedom they all wanted? They would never have the freedom to go to the surface. Never have the freedom to achieve their dreams.

That they never had the freedom to make choices that truly mattered.

Seam almost flinched at that last thought. It hurt a bit to think that, after all, they had gotten that phrase from one of their friends. Yet here they were, putting a negative spin on it.

“INTERESTING.

VERY

VERY

INTERESTING.”

They didn’t care what else The Man had to say at the moment, “Can I leave now?” They asked because Seam just wanted to go home. They weren’t sure what hour of the day it was or even if it was day anymore, but they were tired. Their world had been shattered; nothing would matter, but they so desperately just wanted to leave.

The Man let go of them and smiled, “YOU MAY.

THOUGH I HOPE THIS IS NOT THE LAST TIME

WE WILL SEE EACH OTHER.

I DO WISH TO SEE WHAT YOU WILL DO

WITH SUCH A STRANGE, BUT WONDERFUL GIFT.”

Seam slowly propped themself up with their staff, briefly noticing the stars on their cloak were nearly black and without light, “How do I leave?”

The Man raised one of his hands and pointed south, where a straight trail of crimson grass was surrounded by the unending dark, “FOLLOW THIS PATH,

YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF IN THE HALLWAY, IN FRONT OF THE DOOR.

YOU WILL ONCE AGAIN BE IN LIGHT.”

Seam gave a short nod toward The Man, “Thank you and farewell, I hope we never meet again.” They told him before walking down the path.

They kept their back to him, not wanting to see whatever face he was making. The Man…Seam was glad that Jevil and Spamton had never opened that door. Maybe since Seam had answered, they would leave those two alone. Hopefully he wouldn’t start this thing with Tenna.

Nothing changed as they went down the straight path until they reached the end, where a familiar pale door was. The cat opened the door without issue, though the other side of it was still pure darkness.

Despite that though, Seam went through the door and was forced to shut their eyes once they did so.

They heard the rushing of nearby waterfalls, humidity clinging to their fur, light stinging their eyes after having been in the darkness for a while, the smell of wet rocks and water, and they felt the rocky ground beneath them.

Seam could feel themself decompress, and they let out a sigh. They were finally back in Waterfall.

They blinked their eyes open and realized that they were in the strange hallway once more, but as they paid a glance behind themself, they realized that the door wasn’t there. It had vanished.

Good.

Another thing they noticed was that they were back in their now dirty tawny colored rain coat with their scarf, though their hood was flipped up, which they quickly corrected.

…How long had Seam been in there for?