Vance's steps echoed softly through the dim corridor as he walked, his emotions a swirling mix of excitement and caution. The encounter with Flowey had rattled him more than he cared to admit. It wasn't just the sinister undertone of Flowey's words it was the realization that this world, while familiar, wasn't bound by the rules of the game he loved so much.
"Maybe monsters here aren't as friendly as they seemed in the game," he thought, gripping the strap of his bag a little tighter. Still, there was a spark of determination within him. Despite his wariness, he couldn't help but feel thrilled to be here, to explore a world that had once only existed on a screen.
Soon, the hallway opened into a wider chamber, and Vance's breath caught in his throat. The sight before him was unmistakable: he had entered the room with the first save point.
A sense of nostalgia washed over him as he took in the surroundings. The floor was littered with crimson leaves, their earthy scent mixing with the faint magical hum in the air. Vines crawled along the walls, framing a large, star-shaped marking on the floor. The faint glow of the marking was both comforting and surreal as if it were silently beckoning him forward.
"This is it," Vance murmured, stepping into the room.
His heart pounded as he approached the star. In the game, this was where players saved their progress at the very first save point in the Ruins. He couldn't help but wonder if he could interact with it in this reality. The thought sent a ripple of excitement through him.
Standing at the center of the marking, Vance closed his eyes and concentrated. He tried to replicate the save process from the game, picturing the familiar text in his mind: "The shadow of the Ruins looms above, filling you with determination."
He waited, expecting… something. A faint sound, a feeling, anything. But the room remained silent.
Vance furrowed his brow and tried again. This time, he imagined the save prompt more vividly: "Would you like to save? Yes. Save complete." He even whispered the words under his breath, hoping that might help.
But nothing happened.
Opening his eyes, he glanced around the room, half-expecting the glow of the star to respond to him. Yet the symbol on the floor remained static, offering no sign of acknowledgment. Disappointment welled up inside him, but he quickly shoved it aside.
"Maybe saving doesn't work in reality," he muttered to himself.
Kneeling down, he studied the star marking more closely. It looked so real—almost identical to the game—but there was no hint of functionality. It was just… there. A symbol.
As he rose to his feet, Vance couldn't help but wonder. In the lore, saving was a unique ability tied to Frisk, the protagonist, and Flowey. Perhaps it was exclusive to them. Or maybe, now that this was reality, game mechanics like saving simply didn't exist anymore.
"Guess I'll just have to be more careful," he thought, his lips quirking into a small, wry smile. He took one last look around the room before turning to the doorway that led to the next area.
As he stepped into the adjoining corridor, the atmosphere shifted slightly. The stone walls here were smoother, the air cooler. The passage wasn't long, and soon he found himself in a smaller room.
Vance stopped in his tracks, his eyes lighting up with recognition. This room was another one he remembered clearly from the game. At the far end stood a locked door, its surface adorned with simple markings. In front of it were four stone plates embedded into the floor, arranged in a loose pattern.
He smiled despite himself. This was the first puzzle of the Ruins—a simple one, but seeing it in reality brought a wave of excitement.
"Well, at least this part hasn't changed," he said, his voice breaking the quiet as he stepped further into the room.
The puzzle was straightforward: he just had to step on the plates to unlock the door. With a small bounce in his step, Vance approached the first plate and stepped on it.
A faint click echoed through the room, and the markings on the door flickered briefly.
"Okay, that's one down," he said, stepping onto the next plate.
Each click of the plates filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction. He felt like a kid solving a familiar riddle, the nostalgia bringing a smile to his face. After stepping on the fourth plate, the door let out a low thunk and began to shift, the mechanisms unlocking with a satisfying sound.
Vance grinned, taking a moment to admire his handiwork before walking through the now-open doorway. As he stepped into the next corridor, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope amidst his guardedness.
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As Vance stepped through the newly opened door, the faint trickle of water greeted him. The room beyond was laid out just as he remembered from the game: two flowing streams with wooden bridges crossing over them, vines decorating the walls, and a few levers scattered around.
The nostalgic sight brought a smile to his face. He recalled the simple "puzzle" that Toriel had Frisk solve here, flicking two of the levers to deactivate the spikes in the next passage. It had always amused him how Toriel had gently guided Frisk through such rudimentary challenges, her actions subtly reinforcing her name's clever pun.
"Toriel… tutorial," Vance murmured, a chuckle escaping his lips as he crossed the first bridge. The clever wordplay had always been endearing to him, and the thought of meeting Toriel in this world sent a small thrill through his chest.
As he approached the levers, another thought crossed his mind: What period of Undertale am I in, anyway?
He paused, tapping his chin in thought. From what he remembered, Undertale took place sometime in 201X, an ambiguous date intentionally left vague. But in this life, his memories of the surface world only went up to 2005.
"So, if it's really 2005, then maybe Frisk won't fall for a few years yet," Vance speculated. The thought was oddly comforting. It meant he had time to explore and maybe even figure out how this world worked before the events of the game unfolded.
Shaking off his musings, Vance reached for the first lever and gave it a firm pull. The mechanism clicked, and a faint hum of magic pulsed through the room as the corresponding spikes in the next hallway receded.
"Simple enough," he muttered, moving to the second lever. He flicked it, and another set of spikes lowered into the floor with a satisfying clunk.
As Vance stepped back to admire his handiwork, his gaze drifted to the third lever in the corner. In the game, that lever had always been non-functional—just an extra detail in the room. But now, standing in front of it in reality, curiosity gnawed at him.
"Did this lever… really do nothing?" he wondered aloud, stepping closer.
His fingers brushed the lever, the cool metal smooth under his touch. For a moment, he hesitated. It felt silly, but part of him couldn't resist. What if this lever actually did something here?
Just as he began to pull it, a voice suddenly rang out, sharp and urgent.
"DON'T TOUCH THAT LEVER!"
Vance jumped, whirling around to see Flowey emerging from the ground, his petals trembling with what seemed like genuine alarm.
"That lever's dangerous!" Flowey hissed, his voice low and warning. "It leads to an underground section of the Ruins that's better left alone!"
Vance blinked, taken aback. He had never seen Flowey act like this—not even in the game's more unpredictable moments. The flower's frantic demeanor was unsettling, and it made Vance's hand freeze mid-motion.
"Why?" Vance asked cautiously. "What's down there?"
Flowey's expression darkened, his ever-present smile twisting into something almost sinister. "Let's just say it's not a place you'd want to explore, kid. Trust me on this one. You're better off leaving that lever alone."
Despite the warning, Flowey's sudden appearance and cryptic words only fueled Vance's curiosity. He stared at the lever for a long moment, his mind racing. What could possibly be so dangerous?
Still, the tension in Flowey's voice gave him pause. The flower had been nothing but manipulative and sinister during their first meeting, but now… Was he actually trying to protect him?
With a sigh, Vance let his hand drop. "Fine," he muttered, stepping back. "I'll leave it for now."
Flowey relaxed slightly, though his grin remained unnerving. "Smart choice," he said, his tone slipping back into something more playful. "Stick to the main path, kid. You wouldn't want to get yourself in trouble this early on, would you?"
Before Vance could respond, Flowey burrowed back into the ground, disappearing as suddenly as he had appeared.
Vance stood there for a moment, staring at the spot where Flowey had been. He couldn't shake the feeling that the flower wasn't telling him everything. Whatever that lever did, it was clearly important.
But for now, he decided to heed the warning. There was still so much of the Ruins to explore, and he couldn't afford to get sidetracked so soon. Taking a deep breath, Vance turned and made his way toward the next room, the faint sound of running water fading behind him.
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Vance stepped into the next room, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone walls. The room was sparsely decorated, with only a single object in its center: a dummy. Its blank, stitched face stared at him lifelessly, its arms flopping to its sides as it swayed ever so slightly in the still air.
He stopped a few feet away, taking in the familiar sight. Vance's mind wandered back to his own experiences playing Undertale. He remembered this dummy well—or rather, the ghost monster possessing it. The memory brought a faint smile to his lips as he recalled his first encounter with it in the game.
The options that appeared during the encounter had been straightforward enough: fight or flee. Vance had never chosen to attack it. Back when he first played, the very idea of harming anything in the game had felt wrong to him. Sure, some of his classmates had teased him relentlessly for not "playing the real challenge" of the genocide route—especially for avoiding the infamous Sans fight. But Vance had fallen in love with the game's world and characters almost immediately.
It wasn't just a game to him. Even during his first playthrough, Undertale had felt alive. Each character seemed to have a soul, a story, and a heart. The thought of destroying that, even if it could be undone with a simple reset, felt wrong. It wasn't about the difficulty of the fights; it was about preserving the connection he felt with the characters and their world.
As he stood in the presence of the silent dummy, memories of his first playthrough played in his mind like a nostalgic movie reel. He remembered how his classmates had spoiled most of the game's plot for him before he even touched it. YouTube videos, forums, and endless discussions about endings and theories had robbed him of much of the mystery. Yet, despite all that, Undertale had still managed to enchant him.
Shaking off the memories, Vance turned his attention back to the dummy. In the game, it had simply stood there, waiting for Frisk to choose between fight or flight. But now, here in this living, breathing version of the Underground, Vance wondered if things might be different.
What if it's more than just a silent, passive figure? he thought, his curiosity piqued. Frisk had always seemed to be a quiet protagonist, but their interactions were limited to the game's mechanics. But Vance was different. He could talk, and express himself. Maybe he could get the dummy to respond.
He crouched down slightly to meet the dummy's unblinking gaze. "Hey there," he began, his voice gentle but hopeful. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I wanted to say hi."
The dummy didn't move, its blank eyes staring back at him.
"I know this might seem weird," Vance continued, a nervous chuckle escaping him, "but I was kind of hoping we could talk. You're… uh, not just a regular dummy, right? There's a ghost in there, isn't there?"
Still no response. The dummy swayed slightly as if moved by a faint draft that Vance couldn't feel.
He sighed, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "You know, back when I first played the game you're from, I didn't really know how to handle this encounter. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to fight or just run away. I guess I took the easy way out and just left."
The dummy remained motionless, but Vance felt compelled to keep talking. "I didn't want to hurt anyone, you know? Even if it was just a game, it didn't feel right. And now… well, now I'm here. And you're here. And I really don't know what to expect."
For a brief moment, he thought he saw the dummy's body twitch—just a slight jerk, almost imperceptible. His heart skipped a beat.
"Did you… did you just move?" he asked, leaning in closer.
Silence. The dummy remained still.
Vance exhaled slowly, deciding to try one more time. "Look, I know you're probably shy. Or maybe you just don't want to talk to me. And that's okay. I just thought… maybe, if you wanted to say something, I'd listen."
The room felt impossibly quiet, the air thick with anticipation. Vance stared at the dummy, half-expecting it to suddenly come to life. But after several long moments, it became clear that no response was coming—not yet, anyway.
He straightened up, a small smile playing on his lips. "Well, if you change your mind, I'll be around," he said softly. "You don't have to be shy with me."
With that, Vance turned and headed toward the door to the next room. As he walked, he couldn't help but glance back over his shoulder, half-hoping to catch the dummy moving or reacting in some way. But it remained still, a silent observer in the quiet room.
Still, Vance couldn't shake the feeling that his words had reached someone—or something—within the lifeless figure. He resolved to keep an open mind as he continued his journey through the Ruins. After all, if the world of Undertale was truly alive, anything was possible.
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After Vance left the room and the faint sound of his footsteps faded into the distance, silence returned. The air grew still, and the lifeless dummy stood alone once more in the dimly lit chamber.
Moments later, the quiet was broken by a faint shimmering noise. From the wall behind the dummy, a transparent figure began to emerge—a ghostly form floating just above the floor. Its round, spectral shape wavered slightly, as though it hadn't fully materialized yet. The figure drifted toward the silent dummy with an almost impatient energy.
"Oi, sis! You in there?" the ghost said, its voice raspy yet carrying a hint of playfulness.
The dummy twitched slightly, the faintest glow appearing in its button-like eyes. Slowly, a voice emerged—soft and hesitant, as though unused to speaking. "Mad Dummy? Is that you?"
The ghost spun around dramatically as if showing off. "Who else would it be, huh? Of course, it's me! Who else floats all the way back here just to check on you?"
The silent dummy or rather, the spirit inhabiting it let out a small chuckle, the sound muffled and low. "It's been a while. I thought you were busy causing trouble somewhere else."
Mad Dummy's ghost crossed its spectral arms in mock offense. "Trouble? Me? Come on, I'm reformed!" It then cracked a mischievous grin. "Well, mostly. Anyway, I was in the area and figured I'd see how you're doing, stuck in that old thing. Not too boring, is it?"
The silent dummy shifted slightly, its voice carrying a hint of warmth. "It's quiet here, but it's not so bad. I keep to myself, mostly. But... something interesting happened just a little while ago."
Mad Dummy's form brightened slightly, leaning in closer. "Oh? What happened? Don't tell me you've been chatting up Froggits or something."
"No," the silent dummy said with a shake of its head. "A human came through."
At this, Mad Dummy froze mid-drift, its ghostly form pulsating slightly as if an electric shock had just jolted it. "A human?"
"Yes," the silent dummy confirmed. "They were young, maybe a child. They tried to talk to me actually talk to me. I didn't respond, though. I wasn't sure if I should."
Mad Dummy's expression twisted into a scowl. "You're lucky they didn't do anything worse than talk! Haven't you heard? There have been rumors about humans causing trouble again. A few years ago, one of them attacked a monster up in Snowdin. It's made everyone on edge about humans all over again."
The silent dummy hesitated, its voice laced with uncertainty. "I… I didn't sense any hostility from this one. They seemed... kind. Curious, even. Not like the stories you're talking about."
"Kind?" Mad Dummy scoffed, spinning in place like a whirlwind. "Don't be fooled, sis! That's how they get you! They play nice, act like they're your friend, and the next thing you know BAM! They've got their grubby little hands on a knife or something!"
The silent dummy remained still, but its voice came out steady. "Not all humans are the same, you know. Just because one did something horrible doesn't mean they all will."
Mad Dummy threw its spectral arms into the air, exasperated. "Maybe not, but are you really willing to take that chance? You know what happens if a human decides they don't like you. And it's not like we can fight back—not in the state we're in!"
"I'm not afraid," the silent dummy said softly. "If they'd wanted to hurt me, they would've done it already."
Mad Dummy huffed, its form flickering slightly as it began to pace. "I still don't trust 'em. Not after what happened in Snowdin. You didn't see the aftermath, sis. Monsters terrified, questioning if we'd ever really be safe again. Sure, it was just one human, but it reminded everyone how fragile our peace really is."
The silent dummy tilted its head, its voice thoughtful. "Maybe this human is different. They didn't seem like the kind to cause harm. They even mentioned not wanting to fight me."
Mad Dummy grumbled but didn't argue further. Instead, it floated closer to its sibling, its voice dropping to a gentler tone. "Just… promise me you'll be careful, okay? I don't want anything happening to you. You're all I've got left, you know."
The silent dummy's glow softened. "I'll be careful. And thank you, brother."
Mad Dummy gave a small, reluctant nod, its usual bluster subdued. "Good. Now, if that human comes back and so much as looks at you funny, you better call me, got it?"
The silent dummy let out a quiet laugh. "I'll let you know. But something tells me this one might surprise you."
Mad Dummy frowned but didn't argue further. With a final glance at the silent dummy, it began to float backward toward the wall. "Fine, fine. Just don't forget who's looking out for you, sis. I'll be around if you need me."
And with that, Mad Dummy's ghostly form faded into the wall, leaving the silent dummy alone once again.
But the room didn't feel quite so quiet anymore. The faint traces of warmth from their exchange lingered, and for the first time in a long while, the silent dummy found itself curious—perhaps even hopeful—about what the future might hold.