Chapter Text
Their body wobbled with each step, searching for something solid to hold onto—even if it meant collapsing onto the ground painfully.
One last glance over their shoulder showed the faint red light glowing from Asriel’s old blanket. They ignored the trembling in their limbs and the lightheadedness creeping in.
There wasn’t time.
Only a few more steps in and their breath grew ragged. The pavement was hard and slippery beneath their feet, and the mud clung to their slacks and shoes, dragging each movement into something messier, heavier.
It was only when a flash of purple appeared up ahead that something in them snapped awake. A startled gasp escaped them as they tripped over a loose tile in their rush. The figure turned instantly, defensively at first, then softened when she recognized them— quickly relaxing, posture softening with a tension that still lingered as she moved toward them.
"Kris? What are you doing here?"
They were just outside the convenience store now. Their eyes briefly registered the sloppily written name above it and the memory it triggered made them roll their eyes—the simple motion leaving them even dizzier.
Without a word, they stood and took Susie’s hand, instinctively leaning into her.
She was warm.
There was tension there—heaviness from what had just happened… and what was destined to.
They couldn’t leave her alone. Not now.
Kris held onto that hand—larger, rougher than their own, but steady in the damp, cold night.
"Kris?" Her voice was quiet, barely above a breath. It was striking, how she still stood tall, trying to hold herself together… so unlike Kris, who stood hunched and shaky, every movement a battle.
"Susie," they began, a strange electricity running through their frame as the words… just came out—raw and unfiltered, exactly how they meant them.
Whether she noticed the shift in tone or not… they didn’t want to know. Their gaze dropped again.
After a few moments still holding her hand, they noticed how both of them had started to share the same trembling—cold, wet, carrying the weight of something much bigger than either of them.
At least… they didn’t have to carry it alone.
"We’re not letting that happen," Kris said at last, shaking their head resolutely.
Susie let out a soft scoff—maybe in disbelief.
"…What are you saying? Of—of course we aren’t."
But unlike the reassurances she’d given Ralsei earlier, her voice was small and unsteady.
It made Kris’s chest ache, made their eyes sting with tears they wouldn’t shed. Their grip on her hand tightened.
No matter how hard they held on, Kris knew Susie wasn’t going to pull away.
There was no way they could hurt her.
They opened their mouth again, tried to speak, pushing past the blank static in their head and the knot forming in their throat. They were starting to forget how hard it was to do this on their own.
"We—we’ll figure something out."
Kris was shit at reassurements.
They hadn’t been the one to comfort Noelle after Dess disappeared, or when Rudy got sick. They hadn’t been the one to help Asriel after the divorce.
They weren't even the one that consoled Ralsei before, not completely.
Trying to do it alone now—when things felt this big, this heavy— felt like throwing their body off a cliff and hoping for the best.
“Ralsei’ll probably know what to do… or, maybe we could just break into the shelter and—”
A soft laugh interrupted them. Their eyes met Susie’s for the first time that night, and in hers they saw something… melancholy, helplessness.
It made their heart—their real heart—constrict painfully.
They opened their mouth again, maybe a little offended, but were cut off once again.
"You’re talking really weird right now."
Kris felt their heart fall into their stomach.
But then her hand—still warm—tightened around theirs as the laughter faded into a more neutral expression, face softening. Both pairs of eyes now focused on their joined hands.
“…But yeah. We’ll be fine. That’s kind of the only option, huh?”
Silence fell over the vast night, the kind that stretched and filled every inch of space between words, the kind that made the world feel too wide. Just moments ago, the Dark World had felt brighter than this.
"We’ll figure it out tomorrow," Susie added quietly. The words still felt too heavy to process, suspended in the late hour.
Kris couldn’t even imagine sleeping. Their mind wouldn’t let them.
Their mother wouldn’t, either.
They winced at the thought.
“Hey, uh… you wanna come over? My house is just around the corner.”
They smiled, just a little. Of course Susie could read their mind. Or maybe it was just that obvious.
They nodded, letting themselves be pulled toward one of the little green buildings nearby, legs still unsteady with each step, still too tired, still aching from the lack of—
They felt themselves fall onto the floor, swallowing the bloody cough that came with it, not wanting to freak her out even more.
Immediately, Susie caught them, confused eyes scanning their face, strong hands anchoring them by the shoulders.
"Kris?! Dude, what’s wrong?"
Another swallow, a deep breath trying to sound stable.
“I’m fine, I just… I need to go home.”
They cursed how fragile their voice sounded—how her expression shifted with concern.
She sighed and knelt down with her back to them.
"A Piggyback ride?" Kris mumbled,
"I’m not letting you fall and crack your skull open. Come on."
Despite the pain in their limbs and the creeping sense of doom in their mind, Kris couldn’t help but smile, clambering onto her back as best they could.
They chose to ignore the flutter in their chest when she lifted them so easily—strong hands under their legs and plenty of space to settle in.
The walk was quiet, aside from the occasional chirp of a cricket or the soft drip of water from tree branches above.
Their arms hung loosely around Susie’s neck, their face buried in her wild, tangled hair.
They felt… strangely light.
And it had nothing to do with being carried.
...
Did their voice really sound that weird? Was it that different now?
They didn’t want to think about the answer. But they already knew. And knowing made them want to curl in on themselves even more, drowning in quiet misery
Across the street, they spotted the faint white silhouette of the skeleton.
He waved casually as they passed, saying nothing—maybe both parties choosing to pretend none of this was happening.
At least it meant their mom was probably already asleep.
Their house lay in quiet darkness. The music from earlier had long faded.
"Wanna stay over?" Kris asked as soon as they reached the door, handing her the keys.
Susie rolled her eyes, unlocking it.
"You just want me to carry you to your room."
They responded with a puff of breath against her neck—a silent laugh—and felt her tense just slightly. That was enough of a yes.
She brought them inside with little effort, carrying them both up to their room. She practically tossed them onto the bed and then darted across the room to launch herself onto Asriel’s—still perfectly made, probably dusty, but not a problem for her.
After a while, Kris thought she’d already fallen asleep. Her breathing was steady, and silence had thickened the room.
But then they heard a murmur and saw sharp yellow eyes looking their way.
"Tomorrow. We’ll figure it all out."
They nodded. There wasn’t enough strength left to speak without sounding weak, pathetic.
Their chest ached for a soul, and they’d wait for Susie to fall asleep before… putting it back.
A faint glow flickered beneath the covers—inside the cage.
They hoped she never fell asleep.