Chapter 5

***3.5 Years Before Reset, 10 Years In The Past. . .***

G walked forward, the world around them near pitch dark. A silhouette of a building could be seen in the distance, run down, but intact. R followed from behind, a glowing orange echo flower in their hands, making some light.

"Another universe... this is amazing." G walked up to the building, touching the walls, feeling it. "And this is real, not an illusion." They took their hands off the wall, then circled around the building, taking in its many features.

"Indeed it is, G." R stood at the entrance, shining light into it to see what lay ahead. "This way." The scientists walked into the building.

The place looked like a ruin, cracked walls, dusty and uneven floors, it must have so long since this place existed. Might even have been older than the universe in fact.

"Over here." R shown their light over a stairway spiralling down. Looking at it, G tested it, then once sure it was safe and stable, went down, R trailing after.

They reached what looked like a lab. Flickering lights, test tubes, two beds at the side.

". . . They have been watching us."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at this." R pointed to screen, showing The Underground.

". . . All this time... someone knows we came." G looked around, trying to find someone, but only seeing darkness.

"We aren't the only ones here for sure, theres someone else here." They stood there in silence, listening out.

"Hello there." The scientists immediately turned towards the voice, their light shining over a figure, their hood covering their face.

"You... your the one who has been watching us. The skeleton from the myths." The hooded figure chuckled, lifting their head to show miscolored red and purple eyes.

"Hello there, Doctor G and R. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person." The vantablack skeleton grinned at them, before turning towards the darkness.

"No Paps, not yet." They looked at the two.

"I believe you have questions." The two looked at each other, then nodded.

"Who are you?" G took a step forward, cautious.

"My name is... Sans. But most know me as DisReal." The skeleton walked towards G, stretching out their hand. "How about a handshake?"

G stared at the black skeletal hand, then sighed, before taking it.

"Why have you been watching us? What is your motive?" DisReal laughed.

"Your children of course. That was the whole reason this project existed." G looked at R, then looked back.

"What do you mean?" The skeleton pointed at the screen.

"Your creations are very useful... potentially deadly weapons. The grey soul one especially."

"Rue?"

"So thats their name..." DisReall stood there for a while. "Do you know the legend? About a monster absorbing human souls, becoming a God?"

"It's an old legend, but its real." R stood beside G.

"That grey soul... its empty." The soul appeared in front of them. "Look at it, its empt, isn't it? Hollow, like a vessel."

G stared at it, then reached out to try touch it.

"It's just a hologram, an illusion." DisReal snapped, the soul fading.

". . . What does this have to do with Rue?" DisReal looked at G for a while, then burst out laughing.

"You still don't get it?!" They wiped their non-existent tears. "Due to that emptiness, their capable of absorbing HUMAN souls!"

DisReal looked at G again. "Think about it, a monster with a human soul becomes a God, a human with a human soul?" They chuckle. "You get it now?"

G stood there, still. "That isn't the purpose of the project, the purpose was to-"

"Now now G." DisReal smiled. "Think about the power that *mistake* could give." DisReal turned around.

"If you won't use it, I'll get it myself."

"You can't do that! You can't just take their soul like it's yours!" G shouted at DisReal. This was ridiculous. No way they would just let them kill the child...

"Then I'll force you." Suddenly, DisReal appeared in front of G, a bone spike in their hand.

"Die." They stabbed forward.

. . .

. . .

G stood at the entrance of what once was the lab. They fell onto the ground, panting, their mind going haywire, remembering the past events.

. . .

. . .

R had put themself in front of G, taking the hit.

". . . Hilarious." DisReal pulled out the bloody spike.

"G-G.... run." That was his last words, before R fell to the ground.

G stood there, shocked. Before snapping back to reality, running for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Bones flew past G, they themself barely dodging. They ran up the stairs, almost reaching the top.

"Your coming back down." The entire staircase fell down, G grabbing onto the ledge of the exit. A bone stabbed his leg, making them yelp in pain.

"If I can't go up there you are coming down here." Another bone stabbed them, making them yelp again, their hand slowly losing grip.

*Think G, think!* G went through all the things they could possibly think of, trying to find a way.

"Just give me your soul G, and we can work this out." Another bone.

G then remembered the button. Quickly they created it, pressing it.

"What are you-" The entire lab beneath them glitched, and then.... ceased to exist.

G got out of the now small hole, standing up and looking at the filled up lab. They had reverted the lab, making it seem as if it was never built, crushing whoever was inside... R... that skeleton... G laughed. They had survived. Slowly, then stumbled towards the portal. Without R, they couldn't go back to the present. They had to relive the past once again, as if this never happened...

. . .

. . .

***"Without the power of Enwrite, the things that had been done, changed in Encode will not be inscribed into the present, thus making it not permanent, and so non-existent."***