I wasn't sure how long we had been walking through the darkness. Usually, I was fairly good at keeping track of time. There weren't any clocks, but not being able to speak gave me a lot of free time, so I basically had a virtual clock ticking in my head. However, having to think for myself instead of just waiting for Timpani to take the lead has made me lose track.

If I had to guess, we had been walking for an hour and a half when we finally heard voices. Or, well, I heard voices. Dimentio didn't seem to react in the slightest, so I wasn't sure if this was just another thing I was imagining or not.

I couldn't identify the voice yet. It was still too distant.

We finally made it to another stop, which looked remarkably similar to the last. There was a set of stairs leading up. None of this seemed familiar.

Then, there was the voice again. I looked around, confused. Dimentio, however, didn't react.

"Something wrong?" He asked me.

I frowned, then placed a hand behind my ear as if silently saying 'Can you hear that?'

He frowned back at me, then looked around. After a moment, he shook his head no, then lowered his mask back over his face. 

"I don't hear anything," he admitted. "But I don't doubt that something's there. I hear voices all the time that no one else does."

Well, yeah, but that's because you're insane, Dimentio. This is different.

I hope.

"Well... shall we press onward?" He asked, nodding at the stairs.

I frowned, then looked around the room. The voice was close. It was growing louder and louder. Like the Ink Demon's voice, it was familiar, yet unidentifiable. However, this seemed more familiar somehow.

I waved him away, silently telling him to go ahead and that I'd catch up. My social anxiety screamed at me while the rest of me was proud of myself for being strong enough to want to figure out this voice thing. I had a feeling that it would only reveal itself once Dimentio was gone.

Dimentio stilled for a second, then scoffed and turned away. "Right. Sending me out to make sure it's safe. Like sending a lamb to the slaughter. I see how it is..."

That's not what I intended it to be, but sure. If he wanted to believe I was sending him out to make sure it was safe, then he could believe that. I had no problems with him seeing me as a coward because that was exactly what I was. But I was trying to change, and sending him away was the first step.

He let out an annoyed huff, then dramatically stormed up the stairs and out of sight. I could hear him grumbling under his breath, but couldn't quite decipher what he was saying. However, by the change in attitude and the way his body had tensed up as he left, I was able to figure out something I never really considered before.

Dimentio was scared too. He was trying to put on a brave face so he wouldn't be the more cowardly one out of the two of us, but I could tell that he had no desire to explore this world on his own either. It was just odd to me. Dimentio usually preferred to keep to himself back before the world had ended. 

Or maybe that was just what he wanted to convince us. Maybe that was the character he had been portraying all this time.

As soon as he left, the voice grew louder and clearer. I looked up to the control room, which was located above the tracks and separated by a glass window. There was a metal ladder against the wall next to the tracks that led up to the room, which seemed like a rather odd design choice when thinking about trains passing by that wall. Perhaps it was just an emergency exit.

"There is something powerful in all of us,"

Inside the room, there he was. The person's voice was powerful, yet cold. When he spoke, he commanded attention. He was the type of speaker who could get people to follow behind him.

I should know. He was me. 

"Especially you, Blumiere," he breathed while placing his gloved hand on the glass and looking at me.

I drew back, confused.

He looked like Count Bleck, but that was impossible because I was Count Bleck. The Ink Demon was Count Bleck. Count Bleck could NOT be three different things at once.

"Surprised to see Count Bleck?" He asked with a grin.

I suppose 'surprised' was one way to put it.

"Well, don't be. It is I. Count Bleck, in the flesh." There was a brief pause. "So to speak..." he added.

So to speak?

I needed answers. 

"Come here. Let's take a little walk. There's something I want to show you," he breathed, waving me forward.

I hesitated.

I hated my father more than anyone in the world. However, Count Bleck was a close second. It was easier to hate him before because it felt more like self-hate. Now? I was just confused. 

I took a deep breath, then hopped back onto the tracks and grabbed ahold of the ladder. The metal was cold and rusty. I could feel bits and pieces slowly seeping into my hands.

Trying to ignore the chilling feeling, I climbed up and opened a small hatch so I could climb in. Once I was inside, Count Bleck walked through a door on the opposite side of the control room. I followed but made sure to keep a good distance.

I wasn't sure who I blamed more at the end of the day for the creation of this world. Me, or Count Bleck? I mean, Count Bleck was technically the one who did this all, but I still felt like I was in control. I felt that anger and desperation. I felt that pain.

"Watch your step," Count Bleck warned. "This place is full of surprises."

I already knew that, and had been watching my steps for years. I had no idea why he felt the need to warn me. What, was it so he could feel like he was helping me? 

If he wanted to help, then he better start explaining some things.

"Count Bleck is sure you want to know what's going on," he breathed while walking.

Obviously. Who doesn't want to know?

"Well, you're smart. Count Bleck is sure you've already put together the fact that we're in a cycle," he started. "An Ink-stained nightmare being played on loop. But, that's nothing new for you and me." He explained.

I shivered slightly.

"With just a pencil and a dream, and the help of our most loyal teammates of course, this world came to life," he continued.

At what cost though? I thought he didn't want to bring anything to life. I thought he wanted total destruction, not more suffering! Our whole thing was ending everything so there would be no more pain, because with existence always came hardships. 

"However, like a record played over and over again, it has begun to crumble and wear down..." he trailed off. 

What was he saying? The broken world was breaking? Was that even possible?!

"This place is a monument to choosing the wrong path. I don't know whether this place was made for revenge, or perhaps regret. That's my riddle to solve," he explained. He was lacking his usual third-person style of speech for a moment, which made me wonder whose riddle to solve it really was. 

 There was a long pause as if he was waiting for me to answer. He must have known I couldn't speak, right? I mean, practically EVERYONE knew that Brooks was a silent character. So why was he waiting for so long?

Eventually, I tapped my throat as if silently stating that I couldn't speak. He frowned at me slightly, then nodded in understanding.

"Ah, forgive Count Bleck. Brooks is shy, yes? Somehow I forget that detail."

Alright...

"Well, the truth is, Blumiere, someone is messing with what we have," he started. 

What DO we have? A broken world filled with resetting and death? An endless nightmare being played on a loop over and over? A world where Timpani doesn't even remember my full name? Please, Count Bleck, enlighten me on what we have that's worth losing.

"Bad things have begun to emerge from the puddles," he continued. "Wicked people who never should have set foot in this place. The worst of them is searching for you, I'm sure you're aware. He's managed to take over most of this place and has manipulated most of the lost ones into helping him try to bring what he calls 'order,' to this world. And you and I both know what his idea of order looks like..."

Oh...

Was that what my father was trying to do? Establish his idea of order here.

Oh dear Grambi, we really were in a nightmare. I could feel my eyes widen and my heart began to race. Panic began to course through my body.

"He's trying to freeze the cycle in place. Change the script," Count Bleck explained. 

Well, to be fair, there was nothing good about the permanent cycle we had been stuck in. However, whatever my father had planned for this place was guaranteed to be a thousand times worse than what was already happening here.

Count Bleck let out a sigh, then stopped in front of another door. I followed him through about three rooms. I made sure to memorize where I went so I could make my way back to Dimentio without getting lost.

"Look, Blumiere. Above all, just remember, there are always reasons for everything, even when you can't understand things yet." He explained.

I hated how he was talking to me as if I was nothing more than a scared, confused child. I mean, sure, I felt like a scared confused child, but I didn't want Count Bleck acting like he was superior and wiser than me.

If he's so smart, then why can't he just fix things? 

He smiled at me. I hated that smile because it was my smile. I hated everything about him.

"I can't do anything about it because I'm not here," he said. "I'm not real. I'm just a memory..."

With that, he vanished. Like a ghost.

I shivered, then looked around myself. 

He really just disappeared...

I looked at the closed door he led me to. I know my plan was to go back and meet up with Dimentio... but I was a little curious, I admit. 

Finally allowing my intrusive thoughts to win, I swung the door open to see what, but an entire city.

It looked like we were outside, but the sky was dark. The world was still the same color as the inside. On the wall next to the door I swung open, there was a message. It was fresh. I could tell because the ink was still dripping. A CITY BUILT ON BROKEN DREAMS

Right next to the door was who, but little Inky. He jumped and looked at me, terrified as always.

He looked around, nervous. I was expecting him to just take off and run again like he always did. I made sure to move as slowly as possible, not to scare him.

I slowly kneeled down, then held my arm out to him. I wasn't going to move any further. If he wanted to take my hand, then that was his choice.

He hesitated. He had yet to say a word. I silently wondered if he, like Brooks, was silent. The word "shy" wasn't in his description, so I wouldn't expect him to be, but you never know.

He looked at me. I did my best to stay strong and hold eye contact, which was actually harder than I would have thought. Usually, whenever someone looked at me, I would immediately look away. I was about to give in and look to the side when the little guy finally took my hand.