𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚎

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ８

> ᴀ sᴛᴀᴄᴋ ᴏғ ᴠɪɴʏʟ ʀᴇᴄᴏʀᴅs

"𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥."

So what made this world any different?

The Surface was, interesting to say the least. Seeing the sun for the first time in what seems like years. Or maybe he's seen it before. One or two hundred times? Thousands? Was there even a point to keep track of something you can't remember? Maybe after the billionth and first sun you allegedly see you get transported to a different dimension with your brother. Trapped in a world where everyone knows your name.

Filled with familiar faces, some more identical than you think.

Sans, or in this universe Red, couldn't care less about the situation he was in. Maybe back in his universe, Underfell, another version of him did. Still latching onto hope with his brother, that one day the two of them and everyone would be able to see proper daylight. Not having to fear the other monster's wrath and hatred for humanity and instead live above ground.

He almost missed that younger, brighter monster that he once was. Aware of the edginess. Aware of the walls monsters put up. Aware of the smell of death in the air. It was just a matter of time before he was swallowed whole, just like the rest of them.

But then he remembered the painful reality he lived in.

Underfell doesn't get happy endings.

Cynical just like the others. Moping about, fueling each other's toxic habits and violent antics. He was guilty of it all. Drinking more, smoking more, and even having to stick with that mindset the world pushed on him.

"Kill or be killed."

A phrase he lives by day by day.

His brother would call him pathetic if he saw him like this again. Idleling around, watching as people go by. Normally he was supposed to be gathering around intel, but you know him. A skeleton, like himself, wouldn't budge. He was stuck in a world he hated and now he got his wish of living in the Surface.

You know, when you meet alternative universes of yourself, it brings things into perspective. That you're just a copy of the supposed "original" timeline. There could be infinite upon infinite of yous, living better, living worse. It was all a blur when Red thought about it. But the current universe he's in is what he's been missing this entire time.

Eating some good food with friends, sharing bad jokes. Somewhere that's happier, more hopeful. A world where you don't have to always look behind your back every second in fear of being killed. A world where being weak wasn't an insult. A world where everyone is relaxed, kinder, and forgiving.

It was like looking into a mirror where he saw his old self living that life.

A world of you and your brother living... happier lives.

He had every right to be jealous of them.

This world was his punishment, a paradise disguised as his prison full of delusion and misdirection. A maze with no exit. A room with no door.

For now, he had to deal with it. Just like he had to deal with what Underfell threw at him.

Red stuffed his hands in his oversized jacket, grumbling to himself. Trapped not only in this strange universe but with the last two monsters he wanted to see. The freakishly tall Stretch dragged his feet just beside him as his brother, Blue, marched to their destination.