Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Audrey was walking through the halls of GENT, arriving at a closed hallway, a robotic voice spoke:

Decontamination active.

"Really?" Audrey said, frustrated, as she was being "decontaminated." When the voice spoke again, Audrey quickly left. The place was completely silent, except for the sound of ink flowing down the walls.
As she looked around, a glass box caught her eye. She approached it slowly and carefully examined the object inside.

It was an old projector... What was it doing in a glass box?

Audrey hit the box with her pipe, causing the projector to let out a growl, almost a piercing scream, making Audrey almost fall to the floor.

"Is this thing alive?"

She stared silently, and after giving it another blow to make sure it wasn't her imagination, the creature growled again. Walking to the other side, moving away from the glass box, she watched from a distance and saw a lever. She approached slowly and pulled it.
She hadn't realized there was a huge window that opened. Audrey stared in surprise to see that on the other side, there was a man with his back to her. The adult man was drawing in a notebook, sitting on a bench.

Audrey leaned closer to the window. "Uh, excuse me?"

"Can you...help me?" Audrey asked, watching as the man stopped drawing. The man quickly spoke in a tired voice.

"You must really be lost to ask me for help," the man mentioned as he continued drawing.

"I just need answers," Audrey clarified as she looked at the mysterious man.

"About the Keepers."

"Wilson."

"The cycle." At that moment, the man stopped.

"Anything would help," Audrey said, almost pleadingly. The man stood up slightly as he asked Audrey.

"What's your name?" Audrey quickly answered the question.

"Audrey, and you?" Audrey asked as she watched the man get up from the bench.

“Honestly, I almost forgot,” he said as he turned around, revealing his face and leaving his notebook on the bench.

“My name is Henry,” he introduced himself to the girl, still looking at him intrigued.

“Have you been a prisoner long?” Audrey asked as she looked at Henry.

“When the Keepers see that you’re a threat to their plans, they’ll lock you up, forever.” He answered Audrey seriously as she listened attentively. She knew those things had advanced technology, even capable of stopping the ink demon…

Bendy.

Henry continued, “Still, it’s given me time to think.”

“Things like: if you haven’t eaten in years, you might not be human.” Henry said that part firmly, but there was something deeper within it.
Audrey continued her interrogation.

Why would you be a threat to them?

“I’m what you would call a Cycle breaker. Once upon a time, I knew how to restart the cycle.”

At that moment, Audrey’s thoughts stopped. Does he know how to restart the cycle?

“And when that happens, it all starts over again.”

“Completely new,” Henry said as Audrey analyzed his words.

“Obviously, Wilson and the Keepers don’t want that to happen.”

“How did you do it?” Audrey asked. She wanted to know how to restart the cycle. She needed to know, and Henry was the only person who knew how.

“Restart the cycle?” Henry asked. Audrey nodded.

“It turns out the Ink Demon himself is the key. This world is his, but even he must obey his rules, at least for now.”

“If you get him to focus on something specific, it will reset everything.”

“And what is that?”

“It’s just a roll of film, labeled with the words ‘The End,’” Henry said, placing a hand on his forehead.

“Every day.”

“They keep it up in the Pit.”

“I'll see if I can get in and steal it. Maybe if I restart the cycle, I could make things better for everyone here,” Audrey stated determinedly. Henry remained silent, his gaze filled with concern. “What about you?” he asked. Audrey didn't know how to respond at first, but after a few seconds, she answered truthfully, with what she truly wanted.

“I'll just go home.”

Henry looked down. “Me too,” he exclaimed wistfully. “Good luck, Audrey,” he said as he turned around. “If you need me again, you know where to find me,” he said simply, before sitting back down again.
“Goodbye, Henry.” Audrey slowly backed away from the window, now with a new direction to follow. Although a part of her wanted to help Henry get out, she didn't know how, and she didn't want to call the Keepers and get caught. When she has the scroll, she'll come back for Henry.

However, another window caught her attention. An ink man was playing a melody on his banjo. There were candles and a bunch of Bendy stuff. She didn't want to disturb him and continued on her way.

She continued walking, exploring the surroundings until she found a staircase. Upon climbing it, she pulled another lever and continued walking through the halls. Just as she reached a new door, the voice returned.

"Unauthorized," he said, while Audrey watched in confusion as a creature, a Keeper, emerged from under the floor and pounced on her, knocking her unconscious.

In the depths of the study, a silence filled with an energy that expelled two individuals. Lying on the floor, the creature stirred, awakening from its unconscious state. Standing up, it looked around. The place had changed. The once rocky walls now had now wood with a rottenness. The scent was different, almost toxic. After checking that the air wouldn't kill it, it walked off, exploring the new realm.

Silent but alert, Hornet looked at every corner; she felt someone was watching her. What kind of realm had she fallen into? She hadn't seen it at any point, a hidden side of some realm? Turning a corner, she stared, hidden, though... what was it? It was tall, but it was covered in the same liquid as the walls and almost the entire place. Was it ink?
She didn't know what it was? Its shape was very different from what she'd seen before. Even so, she wouldn't risk being attacked. She didn't look very sane. Had the infection reached them too?

Looking around for an escape route, she saw a path, more like a small hole in the wall. She walked quickly toward the small hole just before the thing noticed her. Now safe, she crawled through the dark, narrow hole.

She wondered where this tunnel would lead her and if she'd encounter more of those things behind her.

She wasn't entirely sure, but she'd find out. Hornet kept crawling until she saw the light on the other side. She quickly exited the hole and looked around. It appeared to be a room or some kind of room. There was a piece of furniture and a vast view beyond. Looking so closely at the place, she realized she had actually arrived at a city. Lights illuminated the streets, and on the ceiling, she could see what looked like a bright light.

continued to gaze at the place, now intrigued by the new kingdom that had fallen, though her admiration remained subdued when she saw that almost the entire place was covered in ink.
Was it her energy or something similar?

Right next to her, a creaking sounded. glanced quickly at the noise and saw the knight staring at her blankly.

"hello ghost." she greeted her half-brother, as he greeted her by lowering his gaze and then raising it, then her gaze focused on the other side.

"Where do you think this kingdom is?" said as she saw more strange individuals.

The knight didn't respond, but a thousand words weren't necessary to understand him.

"Okay, let's continue." he exclaimed as they both headed toward the unknown kingdom.

Hiding in the shadows, they saw the beings of this kingdom, their yellow eyes delirious and their bodies covered in ink. Is that possible? They indicated they were infected by Radiant because of the color of their eyes, similar to those of an infected person.

Or so it seemed at first glance.

They continued their walk, dodging the infected while looking for a place to take shelter. However, one of the beings quickly began to follow them with hostility. The Knight quickly drew his stinger and attacked the creature, easily dodging its attacks.
He didn't stop to see how the fallen creature looked when, when it arrive with its sister, they continued in search of a hiding place.

Upon reaching an alley, they both entered the structure. The wood was still there wherever they went, such was the entire kingdom.
Upon reaching the end of the alley, Hornet pushed open the door. "It's locked, has to see a mechanism-"

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the room. They didn't quite understand what it was saying because a strange vapor began to rise out of nowhere. They quickly pushed the door hard, destroying it and getting away from there as quickly as possible. The gas they were breathing had an unfamiliar aroma. They hoped it wasn't poison or something worse.

Hoping there were no symptoms, they continued on their way, stopping in the room where they were. The knight looked around, curious about the area. Hornet wasted no time and began to watch for danger or another exit. Just then, Hornet saw a glass box with a strange machine inside, some kind of lamp, perhaps?

Hornet knocked on the glass, but nothing happened. She knocked harder, but still nothing happened. She let go and continued her exploits until she saw the gentleman standing there staring at the glass. She looked at what had caught her attention and was astonished to see a somewhat peculiar being sitting on a bench. He seemed to be writing or drawing, but she couldn't really tell. They stared at the man, who seemed unaware of their presence. Hornet knocked on the glass, hoping the strange being would look up, but it seemed he wasn't listening or was somewhere else.
She knocked harder on the glass until the being slowly turned around. Upon seeing them, he quickly fell to the ground, a look of surprise on his face.

-

Henry didn't know what else to do. Silence reigned in every corner. Trying to get out was in vain. Wilson had to come and talk to him from time to time and get as much information out of the loop as possible. When he didn't cooperate, he called the keepers to force the information out. Even so, he always left out the important parts. Knowing that Wilson now controlled the place was almost... terrifying. Not that it was a marvel in the ink demon's domain, but what Wilson did, the things he created... were upsetting everything.

He hasn't heard anything about Bendy. A part of him is worried. I mean, the ink demon made his life both terrifying and miserable in the loops, but it's not like he hated him. He was still his creation (although of course Joel is the real one and the one who gave him life). He still had sympathy for Bendy. Well, at times.

Even if he wasn't the Bendy he knew, he was still just like everyone else, trapped in this world of torture.

While Wilson now seemed to reign supreme, that girl, Audrey, gave him a small hope that this world might still have salvation—

Knock. Knock.

Henry heard the noise at his window. Did Audrey come back? That was too fast.
Turning around, he quickly saw two small beings at his window.

He jumped out of his chair and fell to the floor. The creatures were staring at him with dark eyes, their expressions blank.
Henry straightened up and slowly approached the glass. Who were they, or rather, what were they?
New creations of Wilson's?

Could be. Wilson sometimes experimented; possibly these were some of his crazy ideas.
Did they escape? They must be lost.

"Uh...hello" he greeted calmly, he saw that the smallest of them tilted his head, he was able to examine their appearance, their heads were white with large black eyes, although they were different, one wore dark blue clothes, he was small but had horns like Bendy's although at the tips they ended in two separate peaks, the other individual had red clothes and was larger than the other, just like his companion, he only had two long horns. He also noticed that they had some kind of spear behind them, were they weapons?

When he looked at the taller one, he frowned. Henry reacted quickly and asked curiously, "Are you Wilson's creations? Did you escape?"

He watched as the smaller one tilted his head, while the other continued with his now more irritated face, introducing Henry.

"Oh, excuse me, my name is Henry," he introduced himself a second time, hoping the creatures would feel more comfortable. Luckily, he succeeded, as the taller one's face relaxed.

However, before waiting for the others to introduce themselves, the smaller one pointed his hand at the glass.

probably wondering why he's locked up.

“Oh, don't worry about me. Wilson locked me up, but that's not important—”
Suddenly, as if in a flash, the smaller pulled out his gun and slammed it against the glass. Henry had to step aside. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces. There was silence on both sides until the creature pulled out his gun, causing the glass to fall to the floor in a thousand pieces.

“What's that fuss, sheep?”

Chapter Text

Silence hung in the air; it almost seemed as if Henry was going to faint from the sudden attack. The creatures stared at each other, waiting for the man to do something. But there was no response other than Henry's shock, sitting on the floor.

"What was that?" In another cell, the prophet's voice sounded intrigued. He asked again but received no answer.

Henry remained disoriented as he looked at the two creatures. The smaller one approached the man, who, on impulse, slowly backed away until he stopped. The creature had a more expressive expression than before; it seemed worried. Worried about him?
He didn't know, but that calmed Henry a little.

Wait a second.

Henry quickly got up from the floor. The creatures retreated as he left his cell. He looked at the mess of glass on the floor. How was that possible?
I understood Wilson had these windows with glass that was resistant to any blow you could throw at them, but they?

"How did they do it?" He asked the two creatures. The taller one tilted his head while the smaller one looked at his weapon, turning it over in his mind as if he were wondering what the man meant. Henry wondered if these creatures could speak, or at least understand everything he said. Suddenly, the noise from the other window echoed in the room.

“Sammy?” Henry spoke in a whisper as he approached the other man’s window. The prophet was standing with more hands pressed against the glass. Seeing Henry outside, he was startled.
“How did you escape from that sheep cell?” he questioned aloud. Henry just stared at the two creatures who approached him. Sammy almost screamed at the sight, stopping as he knelt down at the beings’ level.

“And these? What are they?” Sammy asked Henry as both beings fled from his sight, exploding in the surroundings. Henry looked back at Sammy with an intrigued expression. “I don’t know… I think they’re Wilson’s creations, but…” He didn’t finish his sentence because Sammy interrupted him, worried.

“If they are… then he’ll be looking for them…” he said as he picked up his banjo again. “I suggest you run away. Our enemies will know you’ve escaped and will lock you up again, or worse.” Henry knew what he meant; interrogations are something he prefers not to remember; sometimes the Keepers don’t measure their strength.

Henry grimaces, remembering the first interrogations, but he pushes those thoughts away again.
He looks at Sammy, who’s already sitting back on his bench. He’ll regret it later, but it would be in bad taste not to ask him, even though he already knows the answer.

“Sammy, don't you want to escape too?” Henry asks, hoping the prophet-

“What? Of course not, my lord will come to save me!”

Forget it. Henry frowns as his patience wears thin. He's tired of hearing Sammy talk about Bendy as the savior. He knows perfectly well that Bendy won't come to rescue him or any of those who raise altars and praise him. He knows that Bendy doesn't care about sacrifice. He's lived through several reboots and knows it always ends with Sammy betrayed and killed by axe.

Can he change his destiny now?

“Sammy-”

“Sheep, sheep, you don't understand. He'll come to save us from this mess that's trapped us. I won't let the blasphemies of a false lord save me.” Sammy played his banjo. Henry was about to confront him, but then a female voice pulled him out of his argument.

“Blasphemy?!” Suddenly, the creature in the red suit pulls out its needle and pierces the glass with a swift, clean blow, shattering it as well as its cell. Henry is surprised by the speed of the action, and also realizes that creatures can apparently speak, while Sammy is in shock.

Well, I guess that's not a suggestion anymore, Henry thinks, just as the walls and the room fill with a robotic voice.

“Cells broken, subjects loose.” Henry quickly takes Sammy by the arm despite Sammy's complaints, walking away from the place with the creatures who quickly drew their weapons ready to attack.

Why did the alarms go off when Sammy's cell was broken into, but not him?

So many things were happening at once that Henry could only continue aimlessly. What's going on?

Just then, a Keeper came out on the floor. Both men stopped, staring fearfully at the colossal being. Henry was about to defend himself, but stopped. The axe remained in his cell. However, luckily for them, the two creatures pounced on the Keeper. I swear I saw that when the smaller one gained the upper hand, violet crystals erupted and disappeared. They attacked swiftly and strategically, wrapping thin threads around the Keeper while the Keepers tried to capture them. The final blow to the head was what caused the creature's demise.

Both men stared at each other. Sammy, like Henry, was shocked. It was the first time they'd seen a dead creature. How so?
Henry was wondering if these were truly beings created by Wilson or by the machine.

Just then, a noise behind them warned them that another Keeper was coming, so they quickly ran through the hallways. Henry didn't remember how far he ran, but when they heard it and saw they were far enough away to avoid being caught, they stopped. Both Sammy and Henry were trying to catch their breath. They didn't recognize the place they were in (in fact, the place has changed so much now that he no longer knows anything about this world).

Henry looked again at the creatures that were now staring at them. He couldn't deny that they looked cute. Although telling them that now would become strange.

"And what are you really?" the prophet said as he approached them in an almost threatening manner. They didn't flinch. They didn't say anything despite seeing Sammy in front of them.
Sammy, however, felt more impatient.

"Listen, flock, I know you can talk. I heard one of you." he said threateningly, but as always, they didn't say anything. Although the taller one had drawn his weapon and pointed it close to Sammy's face, making him back away.
If it hadn't been for Henry stepping in, he would have had a body on the ground.

"Relax, we're not here to fight," he said, trying to calm the two men who were ready to attack at any moment.
"The important thing now is to find the others," he told them both as they relaxed. However, Sammy wasn't very happy and quickly turned his displeasure on Henry.

"Which ones?" Sammy asked while crossing his arms. Henry was about to answer but was interrupted again.

"I'm not going with you. I'm going to find my lord. You can keep exploring until you're caught." He turned and walked away from the group. “But Sammy—”

“Will you stop calling me that, sheep? Don't try to take me away from my path, I am not who you think I am or will be, will return to the flock… my lord will rise from the ink and FREE us!” he shouted as he disappeared down the halls. Henry was about to stop him, but he just stopped and watched him walk away. Trying to reason with him is nearly impossible.

He looked back at the creatures, who were staring strangely at the direction the occultist had gone. It wouldn't surprise him if they thought the man was crazy, a maniac, but Henry kept trying to help him despite the rejections.
No matter how many restarts he never succeeded, he would never give up.

"Well, that was weird." Henry said, trying to lighten the mood. The smaller one nodded.

"Can you understand me?" Henry asked, looking at both individuals. They nodded. "Can you tell me who you are?" Henry asked, while the creatures took a moment to think.

"Can I ask you a question first?" the taller one asked. Henry remained silent, despite having already heard her voice, but nodded, as he would rather get along with his saviors.

"What kingdom is this?" he asked, making Henry even more confused.

"Uh? I don't know if I can call this a kingdom. You're in the Ink World," Henry said, hoping he'd answered the question. However, after a few seconds, he changed the subject.

"I'm Hornet, from the Hallownest Kingdom." she introduced himself formally. Henry had never heard of that place in all his time on the loop. He even thinks Wilson couldn't possibly name a man like that an extension of the place.

"Nice to meet you, although I don't know where your home is, and I highly doubt there's a place like that around here." he said sincerely. Now she seemed more confused, but didn't ask any more questions.

"And who are you?" Henry asked, shifting his gaze to the younger boy. He leaned closer and introduced himself in a masculine voice. "Ghost," was all he said, bowing in respect.
Henry had never seen anything like that in his life. He didn't know whether to bow back or simply nod.

"I've already introduced myself before... Henry Stein." He introduced himself to the beings. There were many things to ask, and both had many doubts.

"I'll assume your companion is Sammy." Hornet said, looking at him. Henry nodded nervously. "He is a..." Henry said, Saying that Sammy was their friend would be confusing to them. Who, a friend in his right mind, would want to sacrifice you?.

"And who were the ones who attacked us?" Ghost asked curiously. Henry stopped and spoke seriously.

"They're called the Keepers. Dangerous. They locked me up for being a Cycle Breaker." The beings paid close attention to Henry as he continued. "For you, it's a strange term. In this world, it's like a loop that restarts and restarts, telling the same story."

"But one man, Wilson, disrupted the order and locked us up." Henry finished as the creatures looked at each other.

"So, he's disrupting the order of your reign?" Hornet asked firmly. Henry nodded. "Of course."

The creatures now seemed to understand, although Henry was a little hesitant. But he assumed they were on the same page.

"Of course, Radiant is controlling this Wilson." Hornet whispered. Henry blinked twice. "Radiant??"
Before Henry could ask about this Radiant, Hornet got there first.

"Would you let us accompany you on your mission? We could help each other and find what we're both looking for?"
Hornet said with a sense of grandeur. Henry wondered if this being was some kind of royalty.

"Of course, it's better to be together." Henry replied with a smile. Both beings looked happy and determined. He doesn't know much about them, but on this adventure, he could learn more about them and where they come from. Now that he sees them better, they look a lot like insects.

Chapter Text

Ghost was tired... tired of the ink. No matter where they went, they always found it. The scent was something that still made him uncomfortable, but he figured if nothing had happened in the first few minutes he spent inside this kingdom, nothing would happen later... or so he hoped. The yellowish walls made him ache, reminded him of that irritable, familiar feeling. He would push that feeling aside, but the lights were too bright for him. Hallownest's lights were pure white, giving him a feeling of comfort. Despite how destroyed the place is right now, that feeling of "home" isn't easy to deny. He'd rather be fighting infected or saving those in need, gods, he even preferred avoiding stupid traps than being here.

How he got here was a mystery to him. The feeling of a call from the void, as if someone were opening the door for him to come in... I don't remember, but he shouldn't be here.

And by the way, who was Henry? It was strange; he'd never seen a being like him. When Ghost asked him about him, he replied that he was a human.

What's a human?

Perhaps a new species never before discovered. I was very curious, despite the negativity the place provoked in me. I couldn't deny it. Henry was unlike anything else. There was something about him, something that gave me a strange feeling. There was something about this hidden kingdom, and apparently something not very good.

What had happened here? What did Henry mean by resets? Did Wilson take over the kingdom by depriving the king, or was this kingdom still without a king? Many things, but no answers. He also hadn't found any notes that told a little about the history of the place. Which disappointed him a little. He tried to ask Henry but stopped, considering that perhaps this man didn't know everything he wanted to know, and if he did, it would be very annoying. So he kept his doubts to himself and followed the unknown "man" through more inhospitable lands.

Along the way, Hornet remained silent, watching Henry's every step, waiting for any unusual action from him. Ghost knew her sister didn't trust the man. Saving him was his decision, not her sister's. For her, it was unnecessary. He could have been an enemy, like those larvae. Some weren't always healthy, but it was the risk taken, it always has been.
Freeing others from the bonds that held them back, but for her, it wasn't a risk worth taking. Even if there was a greater good ahead, she felt it. There was something strange about him.

Of course, there were so many things and so few answers.

Besides, having barely met the man and following him without complaint, there was no one else to go to, and the place seemed dangerous. The other being simply wandered off, deliriously. Henry was leading them down an unknown path, but it was better than being alone without any answers. Hornet wasn't confident.

They continued walking, Hornet holding his stinger, while Ghost just followed the path. Henry was silent, occasionally glancing sideways, which made Ghost feel strange.

Ghost would keep his doubts to himself, but if Hornet didn't say anything, he would. "Where are we supposed to be going?" he asked cautiously. Henry looked at the knight with that calm expression.

"With some friends?" Ghost and Hornet stared at each other.

Now it was Hornet's turn to answer. "What kind of friends?" she asked Henry as he stopped.

"What, is something wrong?" Ghost asked, while Henry looked at the Insects, signaling with his hand for them to remain silent. Suddenly, a noise sounded throughout the place. Henry indicated where they were walking, but remained silent. The brothers followed the man, silent, but prepared for any appearance.

However, silence reigned for a few minutes. After waiting, Henry calmed down, knowing that no threat would come. He turned to look at the insects, who remained alert at all times. "There's nothing to worry about anymore... no one will come," Henry said in a calm voice, trying to calm they down. However, even as they descended, they remained alert to his every move, even following his movements, slow and stealthy, as if expecting an attack from him.

Henry couldn't help but feel bad about that action. In this kingdom, he learned that people are distrustful of one another. He can't blame them for everything here. However, Henry sometimes gets tired of it. He experienced it with Alison and Tom, and although he doesn't hold a grudge against them, But a part of him felt betrayed. Confused and alone in a world he knew little about. He was afraid.

He couldn't let those creatures, who barely knew the rules of this kingdom, feel that way. So he decided to do something about it.

"Hey, I know they probably confused now. We all are, even if you don't believe it." Both insects looked at the man as he continued.

"But, believe me, I don't intend to hurt they, I never will. I don't want they to trust me if they don't feel ready yet."

Henry continued walking to the new section of the place, the sound of ink like a river echoing throughout the space.

“But in this kingdom, I learned that being with each other… we are still stronger than alone.”

Henry smiled at them both as he continued on his way. A sincere smile, without malice, just that of a man tired of so much chaos. Both siblings remained silent. Ghost watched as his sister softened her gaze at the man's words. She was still cautious, but no longer as distrustful as before. Ghost didn't know Henry at all, but for a brief moment, he felt relieved to have Henry as his guide in this world.

There were secrets hidden in the walls, like a melody missing notes or a book with blurred words, but now they were discovering them, and the first step to understanding this story was this man before them.