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One would think that staying in a place where you have to fight, survive, and die multiple times a day would drive someone insane, especially after years of enduring this hell.
At first, Two Time believed the madness would only worsen with time. The tension in the air between the survivors was thick, most of it directed at 007n7. Between the relentless rounds against the killers and the suffocating atmosphere of the houseware, everything felt wrong.
But then, something started to shift. The survivors began growing closer. Slowly, their secrets began to surface and unravel. They discovered that even the killers’ rage seemed to be fading. It made them start to question the purpose of everything.
Two Time remembers when they confessed everything, how they killed Azure for the Spawn, and the crushing guilt they carried. They thought that moment would be the end of their place in the group, that everyone would hate them. Instead, they got a laugh, a hug, as if it was just another story among friends, not a confession of guilt.
Two Time huffed as they walked toward the board where the Spectre usually announced how many rounds there would be, and when. It also showed who the killer was for each cycle. As they looked over the board, they silently hoped the killer would be Coolkid. After all these years, 007n7 had finally convinced Coolkid to “play” only with him, which meant Two Time and the other survivors were left alone, for now.
How all of this worked, nobody really knew. Two Time liked to believe it was the Spawn that gave them a new life every time they were killed. But after all this time, they weren't so sure. They still held a devotion to the Spawn, but a small seed of doubt had begun to grow in the back of their mind.
They glanced over the board again, checking the day and time, only to find one of the names ruined. They made a confused sound. The killer’s name had been scribbled out, almost like someone was trying to hide it. But why? After everything they’d seen, that kind of secrecy seemed pointless now.
“Huh, a new killer maybe?” Two Time turned around, to see Elliot standing there, looking at them with a sheepish expression.
“Sorry, sorry! It’s just… strange” Elliot said, fidgeting as they rubbed their arms nervously. It was a gesture Two Time hadn’t seen in a long time, not a good sign.
“Mayhaps. Let us but hope ’tis Coolkid devising some new game” Two Time shrugged, their eyes scanning the area. Everyone was getting ready for the new round. Still, Elliot’s words had stirred a bit of anxiety in them too. Maybe it was nothing... hopefully.
The survivors prepared in a heavy, thoughtful silence. One by one, they gathered their gear, sharpening blades or checking tools. Two Time slid their dagger into its sheath and adjusted their belt before moving toward the gate, where the Spectre would soon arrive to teleport them into the next round. A quiet sigh escaped their lips.
Just then, something heavy and warm settled over their shoulders. Startled, they glanced behind them and found Guest 1337 standing there, one hand on his hip, the other having just placed the coat. His face, lined with scars and worn from years of battle, wore its usual frown, but there was no anger in it. Just concern.
“Two Time” he said, his voice low but firm, “the map we’re heading into, it’s got rain. Take the coat, and don’t get sick.”
Two Time opened their mouth, ready to protest, to remind him that even if they did get sick, the Spawn would revive them, heal them, fix everything, like always. But before they could speak, Guest 1337 was already turning away, likely off to wrangle the rest of the group and make sure no one forgot their supplies. The man never stopped looking out for them all.
Sometimes, he really was like a big, overprotective bear. Two Time sighed softly and adjusted the coat on their shoulders. It was heavy, smelled faintly of oil and old metal, but it was warm. And besides... it wasn’t like they had much of a choice in the matter.
The gate opened with its usual low hum, and one by one, the survivors stepped inside, ready for another round to begin. Most of them were relaxed, chatting quietly or adjusting their weapons with practiced ease. After all this time, dying and fighting had become routine—just another part of their existence.
But as Two Time stepped forward, their eyes met Elliot’s across the threshold. It was subtle, just a glance, but enough to show they weren’t alone in their anxiety. The two of them were the only ones tense, still unsettled by the mystery of the killer’s identity.
When the world reformed around them, Two Time found themselves alone, spawned in a dim corner of the map. The air was damp, and the ground squelched beneath their boots. In the distance, they could hear the familiar voices of Guest 1337 and Builderman calling out roles, assigning positions and strategies to the rest of the team. They knew they should go join them, offer to help, ask what needed doing, but their eyes were drawn upward.
There, floating against the murky sky in harsh digital lettering, was the announcement.
ROUND KILLER: AZURE
Fate had a twisted sense of humor, didn’t it?
Their body froze, locked in place by something deeper than fear. Cowardice, maybe. Or guilt. They’d always been scared, always flinched when things got hard, but this? This was something else. Maybe they didn’t have the right to fight. Not after what they’d done. Maybe this was exactly what was supposed to happen. Maybe they should let Azure find them and end it, without resistance. Maybe that would be better for everyone.
They stood frozen for long enough to feel Azure’s arrival before they even saw them. The once-familiar body they had once cherished so deeply, was now a twisted shade of violet, warped and monstrous. Tentacles writhed behind them like shadows with minds of their own, and that expression… that furious, betrayed expression. Two Time couldn’t look away, even as pain coiled tightly in their chest. They deserved this. That cold, hollow gaze told the story without words, of who Azure had been, and who they were now.
“You.”
Azure’s voice, or what was left of it, ground through their inhuman teeth. The word was simple, sharp, and final. That wasn’t the Azure Two Time had known. That Azure had died a long time ago, and yet, here they were. A monster shaped by what Two Time had done.
They couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Their limbs were ice, their heart thudding somewhere deep and unreachable. As Azure advanced, tentacles twitching with intent, there was no resistance in them. ‘Let it happen’ they thought. ‘Let them tear me apart. It’s what I deserve.’
They closed their eyes, bracing for pain, for judgment, anything to make the guilt mean something. But instead of pain, there was a scream. Then motion. Strong arms lifting them off the ground in one swift movement.
They gasped and opened their eyes, only to see Builderman, his face set with grim determination, sprinting away from Azure at full speed, cradling Two Time tightly in his arms as the killer shrieked behind them.
Before Azure could land a single blow, Guest 1337 arrived with full force, launching into an attack that knocked the killer off balance. A shriek, inhuman and piercing, ripped from Azure’s throat, echoing across the map like a warning.
Shedletsky followed right behind, swinging his sword with practiced precision, while Chance made his entrance in the most explosive way possible, literally, blasting in with his gun like a one-man storm. With the others keeping Azure occupied, Builderman carried Two Time to another area of the map, somewhere safer and farther from the chaos.
The timer was ticking down slowly, marking the progression of the round, but Two Time barely noticed. Their eyes scanned the shadows, heart racing, expecting to see someone dead but to their relief, it became clear: Azure wanted only them. No one else had been harmed.
“Kiddo, you okay? We all saw you… just standing there” Builderman asked gently, his voice carrying more concern than judgment.
Only then did Two Time realize they were still being held. A flush of embarrassment crept across their face, heat rising in their cheeks as they quickly slid down from Builderman’s arms and took a few steps back. Their hands scratched anxiously at their arms, a nervous habit they hadn’t indulged in for ages, resurfacing now like a reflex. They didn’t know what to say, how to explain that when the moment came, they had frozen completely.
Two Time simply shook their head, turning away from Builderman without a word. Their feet carried them back toward where Azure had gone, driven by something deeper than fear or logic. This was their responsibility, no matter how much it hurt. Builderman remained still, watching them go, not calling out or trying to stop them. Maybe he understood already that nothing he said would change their mind. Maybe he knew, as they did, that this path had been chosen long ago.
It didn’t take long to find Azure. A towering, purple form tore through the battlefield with monstrous grace, chasing the others like prey. Some of them were already wounded, Guest limping, Chance taking cover, Shedletsky holding his side. but Elliot, ever stubborn, was still trying to protect everyone, throwing out healing pizzas like lifelines.
But then Azure stopped, his gaze locked with Two Time’s, and the chaos around them seemed to dim. The others faded into the periphery, irrelevant in this moment. The expression on Azure’s twisted face shifted. His mouth, sealed shut with a zipper, tightened as his brows furrowed in something unreadable, recognition, fury, or maybe something else entirely. The strange, sentient hat atop his head chattered incessantly, saying things neither of them cared to hear. It didn’t matter.
Two Time’s eyes never left him. The distance between them seemed to dissolve. Nothing else existed. The battlefield, the pain, the others, all became background noise. The world had shrunk to just the two of them, standing face to face with a past they could no longer outrun.
“Are you happy with the second life the Spectre gave you? To know the Spawn never existed?” Azure said, their voice strained and uneven, each step bringing them closer. The sound of it alone should have been enough to make Two Time run, to step back, to do anything other than stand there.
Every instinct told them to move, to put distance between them and what Azure had become, yet their body refused to respond. They stayed where they were, shoulders tense, hands unmoving at their sides, that same faint, fragile smile still resting on their face despite everything. It felt wrong to run now, pointless after everything that had already happened.
“All for the Spawn… yet I do repent the slaying of thee.” Two Time answered, their voice breaking despite their effort to keep it steady. The words came out slower than they expected, uneven and strained, as if speaking them made something inside them tighten further.
They didn’t understand why Azure was saying the Spawn had never been real, or why the same force they had trusted without question had led them to do something they could never take back.
None of it made sense anymore, not the devotion they had once held onto so tightly, not the reason they had been given, not the outcome that stood in front of them now. Still, they couldn’t deny what they had done. That truth remained, no matter what else had changed.
The past couldn’t be undone, and they knew that. But standing there, facing Azure again, alive in a way that neither of them should have been, something in them held onto the possibility that this didn’t have to end the same way. Maybe this second life meant something different. Maybe it wasn’t just another cycle to repeat the same mistakes. Maybe, even now, there was still a chance to do something right.
The sound of the round ending echoed across the map, sharp and unmistakable. Azure didn’t move at first, their gaze fixed on Two Time, unblinking and heavy with something that no longer needed words.
For a brief moment, everything else seemed to fall away, the noise of the fight, the movement of the others, all of it fading into the background. Then Azure stepped closer, their form shifting as one of the tentacles lashed forward without warning, driving straight into Two Time’s chest just as the timer reached its end.
“I will never forgive you, traitor.”
The words were the last thing Two Time heard before everything vanished.
When they opened their eyes again, they were back in the cabin. The sudden shift left them disoriented, their body slow to respond as the noise around them settled in. Voices overlapped, movements were rushed, and the usual order that followed a round was nowhere to be found.
A new killer wasn’t enough to cause panic on its own, they had all seen too much for that, but this time something was different. Two Time didn’t get up. They remained on the floor, one hand pressed tightly against their chest, feeling their heartbeat under their palm.
It was steady, unchanged, yet the sensation of the impact hadn’t faded. They could still feel where the tentacle had struck, as if it had never really left. Their thoughts struggled to catch up, unable to fully process what had just happened, or what it meant for Azure to still exist like that.
Something dropped over their head, heavy enough to make them flinch. The sudden contact pulled them out of their thoughts, their body tensing as they instinctively recoiled. Before they could react further, a voice spoke from behind them, firm and controlled.
“Let’s give them space. David, with me.”
It was Shedletsky. Even without turning, Two Time could recognize the tone. There was no panic in it, just direction, the kind that expected to be followed without question. Footsteps shifted around them, quick and purposeful, as people began to move away. Two Time stayed where they were, trying to piece things together, their hands still unsteady as they reached up and pushed the blanket back enough to see.
By the time their vision cleared, most of the room had emptied. The noise had faded with it, leaving behind a quieter, heavier atmosphere. Only a few remained: Builderman, Shedletsky… and Guest?
They looked at the people who had stayed in the room, their smile weaker than before as they tried to pull the blanket closer around themselves, hiding more of their body beneath it.
The warmth settled over them, steady and real, and for a moment it grounded them in a way they weren’t ready to question. It felt like something they hadn’t earned, something they shouldn’t accept so easily after everything that had happened, yet they didn’t push it away.
Their fingers tightened slightly against the fabric instead, holding it in place as if letting go would force them to face more than they could handle. Two Time noticed Shedletsky lowering himself to one knee in front of them, positioning himself close enough to speak without raising his voice. Off to the side, Builderman and Guest stood together, their attention split between the situation and each other.
They weren’t speaking out loud, but something in the way they glanced at one another and shifted their posture made it clear they were communicating in their own way. Two Time chose not to focus on it, unsure if they even wanted to know what was being said or decided in those quiet exchanges.
Shedletsky cleared his throat, a small, deliberate sound that drew Two Time’s attention back to him. “So, are you okay?”
The question caught them off guard. For a second, they just stared at him, their expression blank as the words settled in. It wasn’t what they had been expecting to hear, not after everything that had happened out there. They had braced themselves for something else entirely, something harsher, something that matched the weight of what they had done and what had just taken place. A question like that felt out of place, almost wrong, and they didn’t know how to respond to it right away.
The silence stretched longer than they intended, and it took them a moment to realize they hadn’t said anything at all. They were still looking at him, unmoving, their thoughts lagging behind the moment. Awareness crept in slowly, bringing with it a hint of embarrassment as they understood how it must look from the outside. Their gaze shifted slightly, and they forced themselves to answer, their voice coming out more automatic than certain.
“Yea, verily… why should I not?”
Shedletsky’s expression tightened at their answer, his frown deepening as if he didn’t quite believe it, or maybe didn’t want to accept it at face value. He opened his mouth, likely ready to press further, but before he could say anything, Builderman stepped in from behind and pushed him aside without much warning, taking his place in front of Two Time.
Shedletsky let out a short, irritated curse as he lost his balance and dropped to the floor, the impact dull but enough to draw a reaction.
“Matt would be better at this, John” Builderman said, his tone edged with impatience as he settled where Shedletsky had been. Shedletsky sat up slowly, one hand moving to the back of his head as he rubbed the spot where it had hit. “Yeah, and we both know why he isn’t here” he muttered in return, his voice lower now, carrying a weight that lingered for a moment longer than the words themselves.
Builderman didn’t respond to that, only rolling his eyes before turning his full attention back to Two Time. The shift was immediate, and it made something tighten in their chest again. They swallowed, their grip on the blanket adjusting slightly as they tried to steady themselves under his gaze. There was something different about the way he looked at them, not distant, not cold, but direct in a way that made it hard to look away, even if part of them wanted to.
“Kid, we heard everything. Everyone already understood who he was. You don’t have to fight this alone”
Two Time’s eyes dropped almost immediately, their expression tightening as embarrassment settled in. The words didn’t sit right with them, not in the way they should have. If anything, they made it harder to breathe.
They had expected anger, something clear and justified, something they could accept without question. What they got instead felt undeserved, and that made it worse in a way they couldn’t explain. They had seen what Azure had become, had stood there and faced it directly, and they knew exactly what part they had played in it. That truth hadn’t changed, no matter what anyone else chose to say.
Their fingers curled slightly into the blanket as they kept their gaze lowered, unable to meet his eyes again. It didn’t make sense to them that the others weren’t pulling away, that no one in the room seemed to look at them with the kind of disgust they had been bracing for. If anything, they were still here, still close, still trying to reach them, and Two Time didn’t know what to do with that.
They felt a faint vibration near them before they could react, and then they were suddenly pulled forward, lifted into someone’s arms without warning. Their head pressed against the side of a neck, their body drawn into a firm hold that left no space between them and the person holding them.
The sudden contact made them freeze completely, their muscles locking as their eyes widened in shock, their breath catching in their throat as they tried to process what was happening.
A gruff voice spoke from above them, steady and protective, the sound carrying through the chest they were pressed against. “No matter what you ask, they’re in no headspace for answering anything. The last thing they need right now is you overwhelming them” It was Guest.
The realization hit almost immediately, and with it came a sharp sting behind their eyes. They didn’t try to pull away. Instead, they shifted closer without thinking, their face pressing further into the space near his neck as if trying to hide there. The warmth of his hold didn’t waver, and the steadiness of it made something in them loosen just slightly. Their eyes burned, vision blurring as they tried to keep themselves together, but it didn’t quite work.
Without fully realizing it, their tail moved, curling slowly around Guest’s arm, holding onto him in a way they hadn’t allowed themselves to in a long time. Their eyes slipped closed, their body still tense but no longer resisting the contact. Guest’s hand moved carefully, one resting against their head while the other adjusted the blanket, pulling it up further around them. He said something under his breath, too low for them to fully catch.
The blanket settled over their head again, leaving just enough space for them to breathe while keeping them hidden from the rest of the room. Two Time didn’t move, staying where they were, held securely in his arms, letting the warmth and the quiet moment keep everything else at a distance.
They felt Guest lean back slightly, shifting his weight as he began to rock them both in a slow, steady motion, a quiet hum slipping from him without much thought. The movement was gentle, repetitive, and it made it harder for Two Time to stay tense.
Bit by bit, their body started to loosen in his hold, the warmth and rhythm pulling them toward a kind of tiredness they hadn’t let themselves feel in a long time. Their grip on him didn’t weaken, though, if anything it became more certain, as if letting go would break something fragile.
From where their face was tucked into the crook of his neck, their voice came out low and muffled. “I am no child to be thusly coddled.”
Guest let out a quiet huff, something close to amusement rather than annoyance. “You aren’t, you’re right. But even an old man needs a hug sometimes. It’s part of being human”
Two Time sniffed softly at that, the sound small and unsteady, their fingers tightening in the fabric of his shirt as if they needed something to hold onto. The words settled in a place they had been trying to ignore, and it made their chest feel heavier in a way they couldn’t push away.
“I… I merit not this.”
Guest didn’t hesitate, his arms tightening around them just a little more. When he spoke again, his voice lowered, meant only for them to hear. “Do you think it’s Noob’s fault for what happened to Guest 666?”
Two Time shook their head immediately, the answer coming without pause. “Noob knew not what would come to pass.”
Guest gave a small hum at that, one of his hands moving up to their head, his touch careful as he brushed lightly through their hair, slow and deliberate. “Then by that same logic, you can’t carry all the blame either. You were manipulated, and you’re still young. You shouldn’t be carrying something like this on your shoulders”
He rested his face briefly against their hair, not pulling away even though it was unkempt, rough from neglect. It didn’t seem to matter to him. His hold remained steady, grounding, as if he had no intention of letting them drift too far into their own thoughts again.
“What about we go take a long, warm bath and then get some sleep?”
The suggestion made Two Time jolt, pulling away from Guest almost instantly, the blanket coming with them as they put distance between their bodies. They looked up at him with a sharp glare, their posture tense again, the earlier calm breaking as soon as the idea settled in.
Just hearing it was enough to make their skin crawl, their grip tightening around the fabric wrapped over their shoulders. Guest didn’t move toward them this time, only raising his hands slightly in a quiet gesture of surrender, his expression steady rather than offended.
“It’ll help you feel better, and I can help. I have a daughter of my own, I’ve got my fair share of experience” The edge in Two Time’s expression softened at that, not disappearing completely, but easing enough to show hesitation instead of resistance.
For a moment, their thoughts shifted away from themselves. The mention of his daughter lingered, and with it came the realization that he, too, had something beyond this place, something he couldn’t reach. The idea sat with them longer than they expected. If this helped him hold onto that, even a little, then maybe they could go along with it.
They gave a small, reluctant nod before pushing themselves up onto unsteady feet, the blanket slipping slightly but staying around their shoulders. The movement wasn’t smooth, and it didn’t go unnoticed.
Guest was beside them almost immediately, one arm moving to support their weight without making a show of it. They didn’t weigh much, that much was clear, and judging by the slight shift in his expression, he wasn’t pleased by that fact.
“Where… might the admins be?” Two Time asked quietly as they began walking, their steps slow as they made their way toward the communal bathroom.
Guest exhaled under his breath, a faint tension in the sound. “I don’t know. I sent them away. They were only making things worse”
Two Time nodded at that, not pressing further. The hallway felt longer than usual, each step taking more effort than it should have, but they kept moving until they reached the door. When it opened, they immediately went still again, their body stiffening as their gaze locked onto the empty tub ahead of them.
Guest let out a quiet chuckle at their reaction, the sound low and unbothered. “Really, a cat” he muttered.
Two Time shot him a glare at that, their tail flicking sharply behind them in clear irritation. Guest didn’t react to it, or at least didn’t show that he cared. Instead, he turned his attention to the task at hand, moving toward the tub and starting the water.
He adjusted the temperature with practiced ease, letting it run until steam began to rise faintly. After that, he reached for a bottle of soap, squeezing some into the stream until soft pink bubbles began to gather and spread across the surface.
Once he seemed satisfied, he shut the water off and glanced back at them, lifting a hand in a small gesture to call them closer. Two Time approached slowly, their steps hesitant, stopping just short of the tub as they waited, unsure of what he expected from them next.
“Just undress. I’ll turn around. While you clean your body, I’ll take care of your hair, alright?”
He didn’t wait for an answer, already turning his back to give them privacy, not leaving room for argument or delay.
Two Time hesitated for only a moment before letting out a quiet sigh, their shoulders dropping slightly as they gave in. They moved quickly, pulling off their clothes with more urgency than care, as if finishing faster would make it easier.
Once done, they stepped into the tub, lowering themselves into the water. The warmth spread through them almost immediately, easing the tension they had been holding onto without realizing just how much of it there was. Their body relaxed on its own, their posture softening as they settled in, the heat doing more than they expected.
For a while, they didn’t say anything, simply staying there, letting the warmth settle in. Guest eventually turned back around, likely expecting some sort of signal, only to find them already in the tub. Two Time noticed the movement and tensed slightly, glancing up at him, waiting for some kind of reaction, maybe irritation for not saying anything.
But, as usual, Guest didn’t respond the way they expected. He didn’t comment on it, didn’t question it. Instead, he simply reached for something nearby.
Before they could follow what he was doing, a bar of soap was dropped into their hands. Two Time blinked in surprise, looking down at it for a second before glancing back up. Guest gave them a small, easy smile, and before they could say anything, he lifted a bucket and poured water over their head.
The sudden splash made them let out a startled shriek, their body jerking slightly from the unexpected movement.
Guest chuckled, the sound deeper this time, clearly amused by their reaction as the water dripped down from their hair and face.
They didn’t resist as Guest moved closer, his hands settling into their hair with steady, practiced motions. His touch was careful, working through the strands without rushing, taking the time to ease apart the knots that had been left unattended for far too long.
Every movement was deliberate, his fingers pressing lightly against their scalp before shifting to untangle another section, making sure not to pull too hard. Two Time stayed still, letting him do what he needed, their earlier tension fading without them noticing.
The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable. It held, steady and uninterrupted, as the water shifted softly around them. Two Time let out a quiet hum at some point, the sound slipping out without thought as their body continued to relax under the warmth and the repeated motions.
Their eyelids grew heavier, their focus slipping as they tried to stay aware of what was happening, but it didn’t last long. Bit by bit, the exhaustion they had been carrying caught up with them, and their eyes closed fully before they could stop it. When they opened them again, everything had changed.
They were no longer in the bath. Instead, they found themselves lying in their bed, the familiar weight of blankets resting over them. For a moment, they didn’t move, their mind slow to catch up as they adjusted to the shift.
They became aware of someone nearby, the subtle movement of fabric as the blanket was adjusted more securely around them. They didn’t have the energy to react, only watching faintly as the presence lingered for a second longer. Just as their eyes began to close again, pulled back under by exhaustion, they felt something soft against their forehead.
“Goodnight, kiddo.”