Eternal Ink (Ink Demon x Gender neutral reader insert)

Chapter 23

Audrey and I walk down the stairs, keeping a look out for anything that might pop out and attack us. Audrey would sometimes shiver at the cold ink around her skin. Me, well, I'm used to it by now. We both came across a mirror and Audrey looked herself in despair.

"What have I become...?" She asked no one in particular. I pat her back comfortingly and take a look at myself as well. And wow. I look really different. My horns were sharper, I had fangs, and spikes ran down my back. Also my hair was a fucking mess Jesus...

Why do I look like Benicio...? But at the same time not?? This...this isn't making any sense...And what the hell is making my chest glow open like that?? I guess Only time can tell with those questions...

I looked back at Audrey, who still stared in dismay at her inky demise. I sigh, poor girl...I know what it's like to be new to all this. Hell I'm still learning.

"Come on Kid...We need to get a move on...Like Allison said, we can't stay in one place for too long." I tell the upset woman and she nods, reluctantly moving along. We continued walking, the mirror being long forgotten.

There was door that needed a code, which we found easily due to the tape that laid on the desk. It was 451, yeah 451. Once the code was put in the door lifted up, and we easily made our way out.

"So why do you call Alice, Allison??" Audrey asked me curiously. I avoid eye contact with her, nervously scratching my neck. My tail poked my cheek as if it was telling me to tell the curious girl.

"Well...I knew her before all this...But it seems she has forgotten me..." I mumble sadly

"How long have you've been trapped down here...?" Audrey wonders and I sigh with a grim look.

"I've lost track...But I can't exactly leave. As I said before, I'm dead. My soul is forever trapped within the ink." I chuckle dryly and Audrey gives me a concern look. I look at her and cough awkwardly.

"But I'll be fine!! Promise!! I'm not mad being stuck down here, I've accepted my fate." I assure her, which sort of worked.

We descended a small set of stairs, the ceiling shuttering making us jump. I began looking for some loot and Audrey wanted to listen to the tape, which was the voice of the cheese grater himself. Wilson. It was like his voice triggered something in my body because I emitted a small annoyed growl.

'It seems that Arch Gate Studios, in all it's misplaced admiration, was so eager to absorb the life's work of that crooked Charlaton, Joey Drew, they didn't fully realize what they had acquired...

Call it fate that I just happened to be there on the loading dock that morning. When the delivery boys dropped one of the crates, it smashed opened, and inside there was something truly special.

A mass of yellow steel and beautiful rivets. Some kind of machine. No one knew what it was. So the fools put it on display for all to see. But I could tell that this crude device held secrets...Secrets...that could be mine...'

"Y/n...Do you have any idea what he's talking about...?" Audrey questioned and I nod with a glare on the tape.

"Yes. Yes I do. The Ink Machine is what he's talking about...It's the Machine that makes the ink realm...well The Ink Realm. And Benic- The Ink Demon has power over it..." I tell her and she widens her eyes at the information.

"That means that machine Wilson tricked me to turn on was...was the ink machine!!" Audrey gasps. We both flinch as the roof once again rumbled, dust falling above us.

"Let's go." I say and Audrey nodded in agreement. I climbed up the brick wall, helping Audrey get up as well by pulling her up. We went to turn the corner but we were met with Fisher, who rudely slammed the door.