Slave To Torment

Unknown

"He's ok Ink... We healed him- and Gradient to-"
"The best we could, Gradient's been to scared to do anything but cry... So I don't know if we even did anything..."
Ink argued to his partner, as he looked down at his son. He was still asleep, like how they had found him the day before... Though Ink was worried, and scared...and everything like that...he was just happy to have him back now...
"Do you think he'll say anything? When he wakes up..."
"I don't know Ink... I doubt he'll wanna say much though... I can feel his fear, his pain...and I hate it..."
"I know Dreamy, I know...and I'm sorry you have to..."
Ink pecked a kiss onto Dream's skull, as he pulled the worried deity close. But that's when they both saw PJ move, and then make some noise. Keeping their composure was difficult, but they somehow managed to do so as PJ fluttered his eyes open. For as scared as Dream said PJ was, he didn't appear to be very scared when he woke up...more dazed...distracted...thinking about something that neither Ink or Dream knew. Though yes they wanted to ask about that, they knew that it could wait till they were done comforting their child.
They got close, wrapping their arms around PJ tearfully yet happily. When PJ realized who was hugging him, and where he was, his demeanor changed and he began to shake as he threw himself at his parents more.
"D-Dad-"
"Yes baby, yes it is!"
"Am I- is it?- Did you-"
"Yes, yes!-... But did we what Jam?"
PJ wiggled his way out of Dream's and Ink's grip, and looked up at them appearing confused and also worried.
"Did you get them, in the room- Something...someone?"
"Oh honey there was no one there...not anymore at least, don't worry..."
"No...there is someone... Dad...I heard something happen to someone- Someone else...in that room, the night before, they were my age- Close? I think- I don't know."
"J-Jammy you're all over the place, just slow down baby..."
Dream lightly cooed, calming PJ a slight bit but not by much... He was still slightly shaking, glancing every which way due to his paranoia and fear... Still he tried to calm himself, relax...someone was there- He thought...maybe..? Unless he was hearing things, that night...
"Please...Dad, Daddy please... There was someone I think..."
"...Would it make you feel better if we looked?.."
"Ink we-"
Lightly gripping at Dream's hand, Ink silently told him to not argue at the moment, so Dream listened. PJ thought about it, and slowly he began to nod.
"Yeah...it would make me feel better... I-I'm just worried... Dad..."
"Yeah?"
"I-I'm still scared...for me, Gradient...and if t-there's someone else..."
"It's ok, it's ok... We'll go...tomorrow-?"
"What about N-Nightmare!? And Error-...Error?... Um..."
PJ looked more confused, more confused when he brought up Error...which made sense...a lot of sense, unfortunately...
"Error is gone baby...don't worry, he is-"
"He said he was my...my other dad?- Kind of- But he wasn't happy about it... Because he isn't right? Right Dad?.."
Neither Ink nor Dream knew how to respond to that...they didn't know if the truth would hurt the child more or less... So they both just stayed silent... PJ looked at the blanket and made himself calm down once again...
"That was a stupid question, wasn't it..?"
"No, no Jam...it wasn't..."
"So...why aren't you saying anything Daddy?"
Dream just sat down next PJ after sighing, putting his arms out so he could let PJ snuggle in close.
"Because we are scared Jam...we want to protect you, even though you are much to tough for any protecting."
Dream smiled when he heard PJ let out a small chuckle, happy with the response he went on.
"So does my tuff boy want to know? Or does he want to wait, just a bit longer..."
"...Maybe...maybe wait a bit...I want to..."
"Ok Jam-"
"But will you go get him? The...someone?.."
"We can check...for you we will... Uncle Blue will be here, he'll watch you, and me your dad...and our guests will go see if there is anyone there. Ok?"
"Ok Daddy..."
"Good..."
Pressing a gentle kiss to PJ's temple, Dream got up and let him lay down.
"We'll be back, just rest for now."
"Can I see Gradient?"
"Sure, I'll tell Blue you're up and he'll bring him over."
"T-Thank you..."
"You're welcome Jammy..."
After that, Dream and Ink left the room and told Blue the good news. Once told he brought Gradient in to go see his brother. The sounds of happiness they let out was priceless to Dream and Ink...and made them extremely happy...
But they couldn't stay, at least not now, because they had to go and see the what ever PJ had thought he heard. So before they went, they went to go get Dust, figuring that he'd maybe know something about this? If not maybe where a someone could be? Or if there was a chance that there was even someone else there to begin with...
Getting to the door to Horror's and Dust's room, Ink knocked and waited a few seconds till Dust opened it.
"Hey, is everything alright?"
"Oh um yea, it's just...PJ thinks he heard someone, someone else at the castle?"
"The only ones that should've been there was Killer, Nightmare, and Error. Is he saying he saw someone else?"
"Not even saw, apparently heard..."
"And he's sure it wasn't one of them?"
"Pretty sure, do you mind coming with us? I would ask Horror...but I'm not going to ask Horror..."
"I'll go get dressed, in not- You know what, just give me a sec-"
"Yeah ok"
Ink slowly closed the door, then turned to Dream to say something when they heard talking in the other room. After some petty arguing, the door opened and with Dust was Horror.
"Horror, we-"
"I know better then him...please...let me go..."
Even though both Ink and Dream knew better then to let Horror go, it wasn't like telling him no would keep him from going, especially consdering that he got most of his temporarily lost energy and magic back. So begrudingly, Ink slowly nodded as he agreed to let Horror go.
"Fine...but if you feel like you have to go...we won't stop you from leaving..."
"As long as they aren't there, I'll be ok..."
"Ok, come on then, let's go"
Dream said, as he opened a portal back to his brothers now empty castle. They stepped through, and it was unsurprsingly silent...earily silent though...a familiar silence...to Horror at least... It brought back memories near instantly, but he kept it together, like he always had to before...and now...
"You ok Horror?"
Looking over at Dust, Horror lightly smiled and nodded, leaning closer to him to try and relax more.
"Yes I am...don't worry..."
"'I always try my best not to..."
"Good"
"Very, anyways where should we go Horror?"
Ink queastioned, Horror about to answer when he didn't- Not knowing where they should first go...
"Well...it depends where did he say he heard the noises?"
"He...Oh he didn't... But Gradient said PJ was down stairs with him before we found them both where we did... So probably from there..."
Thinking about where this mystery person could've been from the spot Ink just said PJ was, and he could only come to one conclusion after considering the few options.
"It'd have to be down that hall, near my old room...and Nightmare's..."
"Ok, lets go look over there again"
"Alright lead the way then Dream"
Dream was about to do what Horror suggested, when Ink dipped out ahead of him. This of course did not make Dream happy, causing him to grumble and pout.
"Ink-"
"Dream I'm worried about you, both... Even though there is no one here can you just let me be worried..?"
Though he wanted to say no, Dream couldn't find it in him to do so and just scoffed and nodded. Ink grinned and chuckled awkwardly as he started walking. They all looked around the area they were going through, not seeing anything to out of the ordinary... Not even when they arrived in Nightmare's room did they see anything that was out of place... But that's when Horror suddenly did...
"This...this is weird- No not weird but different..."
"What's different?"
"This, it just is..."
Dust became more confused, as he went over to look at what Horror was looking at. It wasn't anything that looked to suspicious, just a slightly ajare dresser. Now very confused, Dust asked why this was so strange to Horror.
"But why?"
"It's moved, Nightmare doesn't move these kinds of things... He is rather particular...to say the least..."
"Ok, wanna move it then?"
"Mine as well"
Grabbing a hold of the rather heavy dresser, Horror and Dust moved it with a slight amount of difficulty to find something intersting on the other side. It was a tiny door, that was rather well locked up...and had a strange amount of goop surounding it...like something that was trying to get in kept getting their appendages slammed into the cracks of the door...or it was made from a someone trying to get out. The sight was disturbing, and raised a lot more questions then the answers this trip was meant to solve.
"What do you think is even in there?"
"I don't know... But we should get Dream and Ink, looks like some of the locks might need some somewhat powerful magic...that niether of us have-"
"Oh come on-"
"Dust we wouldn't be able to break a magic lock Nightmare made no matter how hard we tried. Hell the chances of Dream and Ink doing so is higher but not by to much. But don't worry I'm definetly not saying you're weak, I can garentee you you're not from experience~"
"D-Don't tease...and I-I'll go get them..."
"Thank you Dusty~"
With a radiant blush, Dust turned around and went to get Ink and Dream as Horror lightly chuckled. A few moments later and Dream and Ink were working on the magic locks on the mysterious small door. It only took a couple minutes for them to break through them miraculously, and now they were easily able to open the door.
"Want me to open thid door now?"
Ink asked, getting an answer rather quickly
"Yes...I can't tell you what will be on the other side... But yes please do..."
After gettting the answer from Horror, Ink turned back and slowly opened the tiny door...and froze once he saw what was on the other side...