*Before we start the chapter, I'd like you all to meet someone. This ^ is Vantablack Ink. Yes, I drew that picture. But for some reason it didn't load in properly and I had to go back and put it there again. He is the result of Nightmare taking over Ink's body canonically, buuuuut he'll be serving a different role, today. If you've been paying attention, y'all know where this is going, hehe. If not, have fun sitting in apprehensive silence, waiting for this corrupt being to show his evil face~ Hahahahahahaha!

Have I become evil, now? It was probably that virus' fault. And I'm not talking about Fresh.

Or maybe it's all the angst I've been daydreaming about, lately. Might publish it, one day. Depends on whether or not people who enjoy what I write would like a Killermare story, except Nightmare and Passive are two different people, and somehow Blueberry turned a human into Passive and that human's, uh, friend who is a guy (cuz they don't start out dating) into Killer Sans.

Something like that.

Anyway, let me know what you guys think, and I'll see what I can do.*

... ... ...

Encre groaned as he woke up. Cinnamon pawed at his face lightly, waking him up more.

"Wh-where...? Where are we?"

He sat up and took in his surroundings. It wasn't much, since it was dark and damp, but he could make out the silhouettes of prison bars. He stood up and walked over to them, grabbing a couple and shaking them. Pretty solid and sturdy, not something he could just bust down with brute strength. Not that he was very strong, but there are some instances where he's been able to break in and out of places because they were poorly built. He rolled his eyelights at the memory. Frickin' bandits and their poor excuse for a bunker.

Cinnamon went over to the bars and slipped through, having already been busy for hours trying to think of a way out. He finally succeeded, and needed Encre awake for his plan to work. There was a wooden door keeping the prisoner inside, and the keys to the door hung right next to it on the wall. For short people, there was a stool to get to the keys, but it wasn't tall enough for Cinnamon. However, he had found a poker in the next room over, and tried to use it to knock the keys down. It didn't work, so he woke Encre up.

Encre noticed the keys and nodded to Cinnamon. The small dog brought the poker into the cell, and Encre picked it up. Carefully, he hooked the end of the poker onto the keyring, sliding it off the hook and into the cell. He pumped his fist in the air and silently celebrated, but jolted when he heard another door slam. Thinking quickly, he put the keys back, almost dropping them in his rush. After making sure the keys wouldn't fall, he hid the poker behind the door, and motioned for Cinnamon to get back in the cell with him. Cinnamon got back in just as a figure appeared at the steps directly in front of them.

"H-hello?" Encre called, squinting in the darkness to see who it was. He met the eyelights of another skeleton, one with white bones, glasses, and an immaculately tailored suit. The stranger gave a friendly grin, positioning the plate of food he held under the grate and sliding it in.

"Here you go," he said. "Some food. I hope it will be enough, mister...?"

"Who are you?" Encre's expression turned sour with suspicion, and the stranger sighed.

"My name is Suave. Might I ask what your name is?"

"Name's Encre. Why am I here?"

"I... I do not know the answer to that. Lord Fallacy has not brought home an adult, before...."

"So he kidnaps children?"

"Ah! No no no no! He offers food and shelter to runaway orphans, and in exchange, they become his servants. I should know, as I am- I was, one of them, until he gave me a home."

Encre narrowed his eyesockets in suspicion, and Suave lowered his eyelights. He gasped when he saw Cinnamon, and knelt down to get a better look at the small dog.

Cinnamon was almost barking mad when he saw Suave. He recognized the upside down heart for a soul of a monster caught in Fresh's grip, and he growled. There is no way in hell he would allow Encre to be taken over by that damn parasite! He aggressively nipped at Suave's hand as he reached out to pet him, but he pulled his hand back in alarm. He stood up and smiled nervously at Encre, glancing down at Cinnamon every so often.

"U-uh, your pet is... not very friendly, is he?"

Encre scoffed and smirked.
"Oh he's friendly. But maybe he can smell deception when it presents itself."

Suave stiffened in affront, and turned away.
"I will have you know, sir, I offered you that food out of kindness. Lord Fallacy was planning to let you starve, but I disobeyed him in hopes you would be more cooperative. He is going to come down and interrogate you, for what I have not the foggiest, but I had hoped that, by showing you a little kindness, you would tell the king what he wants to know. He gets... difficult, when something doesn't go his way. Perhaps he will even get violent. I only ask that you do not intentionally provoke him. I am trying to look out for everyone in the castle, and you could be the difference between a good day, or a bad day for us."

Encre huffed and nodded.
"Fine. I wasn't planning to get on the bad side of a vampire today, anyway."

Suave smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, sir."

With that, Suave left. Encre took the poker after making sure Suave was gone, and brought the keys over to the cell. He cautiously unlocked the door, stepping out and looking both ways. Seeing the coast was clear, he and Cinnamon headed down the hall.

It was cold, dark, and musty in the dungeon. Encre coughed lightly as he ventured farther, brushing past cobwebs and feeling his way along the wall. The dungeon must not be used much if it's this unkept. He continued until he found a flight of stairs.

'Hmm,' he thought, looking up and squinting. 'Wonder if this leads to the main floor, or outside.'

He decided to take a chance, and headed up the stairs. Lucky for him, he still had his dagger and amulet- actually, nothing of his had been taken. Maybe silver wasn't such a great vampire deterrent after all....

He shivered at the thought, drawing his trusty dagger just in case. His hand curved over the grip, relishing in the familiarity of his favorite weapon. Every creak of the floorboards beneath him made him wince, but he kept his guard up. It occurred to him that Cinnamon might not be following him, and he looked down. He sighed in relief when he spied the strange, little eyes of his faithful companion, and grinned gratefully. It may not be much, but having a companion is a comfort in a place like this.

They continued up the stairs, finally getting to a landing. The landing stretched off into hallways on either side, and Encre chose the right one. He sneaked to the end, quickly hopping past every door he crossed to avoid being seen. He emerged in a main hall, and slowly made his way through it. He furrowed his brows as another thought occurred to him.

"Why aren't there any servants?" he muttered, then smacked himself in the face when he realized he'd said that out loud. He really should be more careful if he wanted to get out of here ali-

"Oof!"

He jumped back as he ran into someone. The person held hand to their head, then looked up. Their eyesockets widened, and they smiled. Encre grimaced as he noticed their fangs, and hold up his dagger. He backed away slowly, then took off in a random direction.

"Wait!" Jasper called, getting to his feet and running after the mystery guy. Mystery guy just kept running, and Jasper was a little surprised how much stamina he had. The young prince almost burst out laughing when he noticed a small dog running with the mystery guy, and he grinned mischievously as he chased them.

Encre pushed past the few servants he'd finally found, jumping down into the foyer and completely ignoring the stairs. He landed and somersaulted into an aggressive position, ready to stab anyone who got too close. He growled at Suave when the butler saw him, but his expression softened slightly at the utterly horrified look in Suave's eyelights.

Before he could do or say anything, a weight as heavy as a boulder hit him from the side and slammed him into a wall. He grunted as he hit the wall, snarling when he saw it was Fallacy who'd pinned him. He slashed his dagger down, narrowly missing the king's arm, and Fallacy backed off.

The two circled each other, and Cinnamon's eyes widened. It looked just like one of his and Ink's fights, only less magic was being thrown around. Now, it was literally to the death, for one could kill the other with ease. Fallacy had his claws drawn, and his speed and strength more than made up for his lack of weaponry. Encre drew his sword, deciding to double wield like had in his teens. Everyone watched and held their breath as the opponents stared each other down, deciding the first move.

Fallacy struck first. With the speed of a bullet, he raised his claws and slashed at Encre, who dodged the attack. He swung his sword down, but Fallacy jumped out of the way. The king spread his wings and flapped them, creating a strong enough gust to send Encre skidding back towards the door. He used the momentum to push off the door with his feet and launch himself at Fallacy. The vampire tried to dodge, but Encre's sword grazed his arm, and he hissed in pain.

Encre rolled to a stop next to the bannister, spinning his dagger confidently. Fallacy snarled and ran at him full speed, but Encre lodged his dagger right into Fallacy's shoulder. The king cried out in pain, falling to one knee. He looked up at Encre, who held his sword to the vampire's neck.

For a moment, their eyelights met. Encre kept his sword to Fallacy's throat, but couldn't find it in himself to slit it. Fallacy's expression held such fear, such pitiable terror, that Encre lowered his sword. When he did, something hit him and sent him flying right into a table, knocking him out.

Fallacy looked up at a furious Jasper, who'd snapped out of the trance all the servants were in, and punched Encre's lights out. He couldn't believe some random mortal would have the audacity to fight his father and win! It was unheard of, impossible! He looked down at Fallacy, and held a hand out for him. The king was busy trying to pull the silver dagger out of his shoulder, but was having trouble, since it weakened him considerably. Suave rushed over with wraps and bandages, intending to patch up the king's wounds. Fallacy blinked a few times, getting dizzy from the blood loss. He saw the mortal's pet run over to his unconscious master, trying to wake him up. Their eyes met, and Fallacy thought he saw hostility in those eyes.

Those strange, red, blue, and cream eyes....

Eyes that looked like his....

Eyes that looked like his....

... ... ...

Fallacy jolted awake, groaning as he sat up. He had no shirt on, and he looked to his left to see swathes of white bandages covering his shoulder. Damn, that mortal really did a number on him. He hissed in pain as he stood up. He hoped Jasper had taken charge and had locked that mortal back up. He still wanted answers as to why that mortal was calling to him, and he planned on getting those answers, tonight.

He made his way to his closet and pulled out a snow white shirt. Sure, it might get hopelessly stained with that stupid mortal's blood once he was done with him, but no matter. He was too angry to care. He pulled on a cloak to add a little more intimidation to his outfit, then opened the door to his bedroom. He was about to walk out, but a tiny bark stopped him. He looked down in surprise at the mortal's dog, who had sat in front of his door for the few hours he was asleep.

Suave strode up to him with a worried frown.
"With all due respect, my lord, but you should be resting. Your wounds will heal faster if you do not strain yourself."

Fallacy glanced at him, then back down at Cinnamon. He knelt down and took a good look at the small dog, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

"What are you...?"

Cinnamon rolled his eyes. Yeah, this was definitely a version of himself, alright. Curious, but cautious, since literally everything wanted to kill him back home. He used to mourn the fact that none of it could kill him, but he hoped he was over that. He had to get back to Ink somehow, and to do that, it was imperative he stayed alive. After a slight staring contest between them, Cinnamon gently nipped at Fallacy's sleeve.

"Whoa, hey!" Fallacy tried to tug back, but Cinnamon was persistent. "The hell do you want with me, mutt?"

Cinnamon ignored the insult and tugged harder, trying to get Fallacy to follow him. This was probably his only chance at freeing Encre, if that Jasper fellow was to be believed.

Meanwhile, the young prince stood keeping an eye on the mortal stupid enough to take on his father. He snarled at the thought, his fangs glistening in the dim light. Oh, how he wanted revenge on this pathetic mortal! An idea had formed in his mind about what he would do, and he smiled evilly. If Suave, who spent his whole life in servitude to Jasper alone, was so well-mannered as a servant, how much more humbling would it be for an adult to be put in his place by Fallacy? Yes, that will work. And so what if he spoke his plan aloud for that mutt to hear? It's not like he could speak and tell the whole world his plan, right?

Jasper scoffed, and pushed away from the wall he was leaning on. He was about to leave, when he heard a soft groan from the cell. He grinned maliciously, and turned back around.

Encre blinked the fatigue out of his eyesockets and looked up. He thought he was seeing Fallacy smiling so evilly at him, but he soon realized it was someone different. A black cloak lined inside with magenta, a matching vest covering a white dress shirt, black pants, and dark boots made up his outfit, and orange markings made his yellow eyelights stand out. Encre tried to move his arms, only for the clank of metal to sound in his nonexistent ears. He looked up and found his wrists were bound in metal shackles, chained to the wall by heavy, iron chains. He looked back at the vampire prince before him and growled.

"So," Jasper began casually, his voice sounding cocky but smooth. "Did you really think you could escape? Cute. My father would have hunted you down, and ended the lives of every, single one of your friends and family for a stunt such as the one you pulled today."

Encre snarled, but his snarl turned to a vicious smirk.
"Joke's on you, buddy. I don't have any family. They're all dead thanks to filthy beasts like you."

Jasper growled in anger and gripped the bars of the cell.
"Why, I oughta-!"

"Jasper!"

The prince turned to find his father walking down the stairs. Jasper looked down in embarrassment and bowed to his father as Fallacy approached the cell. Encre's brows furrowed as Fallacy stood staring at him, and his eyesockets widened when he saw Cinnamon in the king's hands.

"Let him go!" he cried, his breathing beginning to quicken. The king smirked and set Cinnamon down, and the dog squeezed through the bars. He trotted over to Encre and sat next to him, glaring at Fallacy. The king rolled his eyelights and turned to leave, but Jasper caught his attention.

"You know, Father," he said smoothly. "We could use another servant in the castle. It is getting short-staffed, nowadays."

Fallacy turned to his son with an unamused look, and Jasper held his hands up in surrender.
"What possible reason would we have to take in someone who tried to kill me?! He could try it, again!"

"Not if we take all his weapons and armor," Jasper urged. "This could be the perfect revenge. You can get all the answers you want, while also humiliating him. How about it?"

Fallacy turned to look at Encre, who glared back with obvious disdain. The king grimaced, then sighed. Perhaps they could use some extra help in the castle. He might regret it later, but for now....

"Fine. Have Suave get him ready to work within the hour."

Jasper nodded and smirked at Encre, who gulped. Welp, there goes his freedom. And he was doing so well!

... ... ...

"I feel ridiculous," Encre said as he adjusted the bowtie on his butler livery. Suave stayed silent as Encre continued to fidget, feeling strangely uncomfortable in a suit designed for a servant. After awhile, he gave up, and looked to Suave for further instructions. The butler looked down and motioned for him to follow, and they headed to the library.

Fallacy stood up as they entered. Suave clicked his heels and bowed formally, stepping aside to show Encre.

"Your personal butler, my lord."

Encre gaped at Suave when he heard what was said. Him? A personal butler?! To Fallacy???!!! He gulped nervously as he met the king's eyelights. Fallacy smirked at Encre's obvious unease, and motioned for him to come forward. He did so, and held his head high. He may have been turned into a servant, but he bows to no one! Especially not some pompous, spoiled nobleman of a vampire who thinks he can just waltz up to him, smirk down at him, tilt his chin up, stare into his eyelights, get uncomfortably close with that strange gleam in his eyes-!

Wait, what is going on?

Encre finally snapped into reality, and realized Fallacy had gotten very, very close to his face. He could feel heat rushing to his face, but he wasn't sure why. Was it because he was embarrassed? Maybe.

Fallacy laughed softly as a rainbow tint covered Encre's cheeks, and he patted the artist on the head, intensifying the blush.

"Ugh, stop that," Encre growled, swatting Fallacy's hand away. The king held his hands up in surrender, a cocky grin on his face, but a sharp pain through his shoulder made him lower his left arm, and support it with his right. Encre's expression turned to a worried frown, and he looked to Suave. The butler sighed, then walked up to Fallacy.

"My lord, I must insist you lie down. That wound will not heal if you do not rest."

Fallacy rolled his eyelights.
"Fine, but Encre will be the one to help me. As my personal butler, I expect him to handle any duties I give him. You may go."

Suave hesitated, but bowed respectfully. He took one last glance at Encre, then disappeared through the door, probably to go sulk, somewhere. Encre raised a brow at Fallacy, and the king smirked.

"Do you know anything about wrapping wounds?"

Encre scoffed and nodded. Fallacy snorted, then went over to his nightstand. Inside, there were rolls of bandages and wraps, a few containers of a healing solution, and some medical tape. Encre stood awkwardly, wondering what exactly he was supposed to do if Fallacy was the one getting all the supplies out. At length, Fallacy motioned him to come over.

"Come, sit." He patted the bed next to him, and Encre sat next to him with a skeptical look. Before he could say anything, Fallacy began putting the healing solution on him!

"Whoa, what the-!" Encre scooted away from him, putting a hand where Fallacy had put the healing solution. It was right where Encre had knocked into a table, and a bruise had formed. It would seem, in his unprofessional resentment of Encre, Suave had conveniently overlooked the wound, and Encre wanted to drop through the floor rather than be healed by a vampire.

"Come over here," Fallacy demanded, restraining himself from sounding too harsh. "I'm just trying to help."

"Help?!" Encre nearly shouted, closer to hysterics than he'd ever been in his life. "Help?! Why on earth would you want to help me, the guy who almost killed you??!!"

"Because I don't believe you are a threat. Especially without your precious, silver weapons and armor."

"Oh yeah, where is my silver dagger, hmm? I'd like that back, if you don't mind."

Fallacy chuckled a bit.
"Actually, I would mind. I don't want you going around, threatening me, my son, or my servants. Now, if you would sit down and hold still, I'll wrap up that bruise for you."

Encre narrowed his eyesockets in suspicion, but did as he was told. He watched every move made by the vampire with careful scrutiny, ready to counter any attack made towards him. None ever came, and he was starting to wonder if this was the magic Neil was talking about. The type that makes you question reality. He shook his head as a hand waved in front of his face, and he realized he zoned out, again.

"You just love getting lost in a far-off land, don't you?" Fallacy raised a brow in amusement, and Encre huffed. Fallacy shook his head and put the supplies away, earning a look of confusion from Encre.

"Wait, wasn't I supposed to patch you up?"

Fallacy shook his head.
"No need. I'll be up in a few hours, anyway. It's about... four o' clock, so the sun will set soon. Then, I'll go out hunting with Jasper, and we'll be back at dawn, more or less."

As he spoke, he got comfortable on the bed, and Encre raised a brow.
"You're just gonna sleep in that?"

"You ask a lot of questions," Fallacy said as he sat up slightly.
"Maybe I will take off my cloak. But I'd rather not undress with you in the room."

Encre stood up and watched Fallacy take off his cloak, brows snapping together in confusion.
"I can leave the room if you want. Why, is it uncomfortable?"

Fallacy deadpanned as he plopped back onto the bed.
"It's fine. I'm not changing, so you don't have to leave. What exactly would you do if I dismissed you, anyway?"

"Escape."

Fallacy looked at him in astonishment, caught off guard at Encre's bluntness. "R-really?"

"Yep," Encre grinned proudly, snorting a bit at Fallacy's dumbfounded look. After an awkward silence, Encre sighed. "Why did you bring me here? Why not just... kill me, like any other victim?"

Fallacy looked down and fidgeted with his sleeve.
"I guess... part of me wanted to get back at you for getting away. But, there was a more... compelling reason for me to seek you out."

Encre looked at him, and their eyelights met. The artist was thoroughly confused by the vampire's behavior, and he was actually reconsidering making a break for it. He was initially joking when he said he'd try to escape, but now he really wanted to. Something about the king didn't feel right, but something else told him it was fine and he was just being paranoid. But that look....

"Something about you called to me, that night. The night we first met. I wanted to know what it was, so I went looking for you."

Encre looked away, trying to make sense of it. Something... called a vampire to him. He tried to push the thought away, but he had a pretty good idea what it was. There is no way this was a coincidence.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Fallacy sighed as Encre's expression hardened. "Maybe you really don't. It could be magic, after all. What I do know is whatever called me to you didn't have your best interests in mind. If it did, it wouldn't have attracted the attention of a vampire, would it?"

He smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but Encre refused to look at him. Fallacy put his chin in his hands, a bit frustrated with Encre's lack of cooperation. He was suddenly struck by an idea, and glanced at the artist.

"You know, you're a pretty good fighter. I haven't met someone like you... ever, actually. Where did you learn how to fight like that?"

Encre's lips twitched, and Fallacy was half afraid he wouldn't answer. After a few seconds, Encre spoke.

"My father taught me. Said I'd need it, for whatever reason. My parents supported me when I said I wanted to be an artist, and they did everything they could to help me achieve my dream. They taught me how to survive, how to hunt, how to fight. Even how to sew. They never stopped believing in me." Encre's expression softened, and Fallacy almost wanted to pull him into a hug from how sad he looked. The expression disappeared quickly, and in its place, a scowl marred his face. "But they're dead, now. They were killed by vampires, and I never got to say goodbye. You happy now? I told you my life story."

Fallacy's breath caught in his throat when Encre said that. He never got to say goodbye to the people he loved, and who obviously loved him. It made his soul hurt to think where he'd heard that before, and he scooted to the edge of the bed. Encre had sat as far away from him as possible, but Fallacy could still reach him. He put a hand on Encre's shoulder, and the artist looked up at him with suspicion. Slowly, Fallacy rubbed Encre's shoulder, and the artist's paranoia doubled.

"You have no idea how close that hits. I understand where you're coming from, I really do. Jasper's mother died when he was only twenty. He'll be turning one hundred soon, but I don't think he's gotten over it. He was devastated when we found her. She'd died in her sleep, and we didn't get to say goodbye. He... still resents me for closeting myself for a week, and I don't blame him for it. I... didn't want to admit it, but Jasper's mother meant a lot to me, and her death just.... I don't know. It's just there, at the back of my mind. I have to live with it, I can't escape it, and it won't stop plaguing me. Jasper did try to get me to date again, even suggested I date you-"

"WHAT THE ACTUAL-!"

"Relax, relax, I wasn't planning to. Heh, I really should tell him that no respectable gentleman would date another male. I doubt he would listen to me, having an interest in Suave and all, but-"

"Hold up, let me get this straight. Would you actually consider dating a male?"

"Hmm.... I don't see why not."

"I see several problems with it!"

"Like what?"

"I- y-you can't have children-"

"Funny, because both my parents are males. Vampire males, to be precise."

"Uh-"

"Tell me, would you be opposed to dating a male?"

"Yes-"

"Why?"

"Because-"

"Yes?"

"I- er.... Uh.... B-because a respectable gentleman would court and marry a young lady. You said so yourself. No respectable gentleman would date another male."

"Are you a respectable gentleman?"

"Er, y-yes?"

"I could change that~"

Oh fuck, what did I just write-

*Ahem* At this, Fallacy pinned Encre to the bed, smirking mischievously. Encre struggled beneath his grip, noticing the sun was going down. How had it gotten so dark so quickly?! Damn, he was screwed, now. If only he had his dagger-!

Suddenly, a sharp pain rocketed up from his hand. He screamed as it crawled quickly up his arm, radiating throughout his torso, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He clawed at the sheets beneath him, afraid to open his eyes, which he had closed in pain.

Fallacy pulled away from Encre as he writhed in pain, suddenly afraid for the poor artist.

"E-Encre?! Wh-what's wrong?! Tell me, what's the matter-?!"

His eyesockets widened as streaks of darkness snaked up Encre's arm, and the artist screamed louder as cracks formed all over his body. He fell off the bed, holding his arms around his quaking body, as if he could hold himself together. He vomited out a black substance, and cried out in pain as the black streaks finally reached his eyesockets. His right one splintered under the pressure of dozens of black, slimy tendrils breaking through it, latching themselves onto his skull. His body was covered in the stuff, and his one, working eyelight was now an unsettling, purple crescent.

Fallacy gasped in horror as the creature turned to him, a smile working its way up its face. It stood up as two tendrils materialized behind it, and faced Fallacy fully. He thought he could make out Encre's clothing in the midst of all the black, but it was difficult when all the light in the room came from the now risen moon.

The creature suddenly laughed, and Fallacy flinched from how similar it was to Encre's voice. It was almost... layered, somewhat, and more sinister. He backed away from the edge of the bed as the creature walked towards him. In an effort to bring Encre back, Fallacy spoke.

"E-Encre? I-is that you?"

The creature seemed to hesitate for a second, before hissing and lunging for him. He rolled off the bed right onto his wounded shoulder, and groaned in pain. He got up and raced to the door, panting as he emerged in the hallway. He backed into the wall behind him as the creature stalked up to him, a sinister grin spread across its face.

'Is this how I die?' he thought, sliding to the floor and shaking with fear. The creature raised its tendrils to strike him, and he shut his eyes tightly. Yep, this might be where he dies.

They were interrupted by a shrill bark. The creature turned its head to find that Cinnamon had come. But he wasn't alone.

"Get away from my father!" Jasper yelled as he lunged for it. The creature dodged, sending its tendrils after him. He dodged, sending a nod to Suave, who held a bat. Jasper kept the creature distracted while Suave snuck up on it from behind. He swung at the creature's head as hard as he could, but it barely fazed it. It turned to look at him, and he backed away. The creature was about to strike him, but Jasper stood in front of him.

"Leave him alone, you slimy octopus!"

The creature roared in outrage, and shot its tendrils at the both of them. Jasper pulled them out of the way, then slashed at the creature with his claws. They went right through the creature, and it hissed at him. He hissed back, but was caught by surprise when the creature suddenly disappeared in a pool of ink. Jasper wildly looked in every direction, but the creature was nowhere to be seen. He looked to Suave, who held a hand to where the creature's tendril had grazed his arm.

"Are you alright, Suave?"

"I-I'm fine. What about Lord Fallacy?"

Jasper quickly went over to his father, who had stood up, still holding onto his wounded shoulder. He breathed a shaky breath as Jasper helped him into the study, only a few doors down.

"Father, what was that thing?" Jasper asked as he helped Fallacy sit down at his desk.

"Th-that... was Encre."

Jasper snarled.
"That damn mortal! He's caused us enough trouble as it is! Now he's a tentacle creature?!"

"Calm down, Jasper," Fallacy said, looking up at his son. "We need to find him. I think I know what's wrong with him."

"But-"

"Trust me," Fallacy said, a smile on his face. "I know what to do."

-----------------------------------------------------------

Mmmm, do ya tho?

Hello! Have a chapter, brought to you by my phone case being a fidgety, bitch-ass piece of crap!

So, I felt like writing today, er, yesterday by the time this comes out (rip my sleep schedule), and I had the inspiration to draw a picture right in the middle of writing. I decided it would be kinda unfair for me to use some random pic I found on the internet for Vantablack, so I was like, "ya know, I feel like drawing, lemme just get my sketchbook out-"

Anyway, I haveta cut this short, cuz I just had the scariest experience ever to befall a writer: my phone shut off cuz the battery can only stay in the phone if the case is keeping it there, and I thought I lost all my progress. I will literally throw my piece of garbage phone case across my room if it makes me lose all my damn progress.

-_-