Homicidal Liu AU; "The Under-realm"

- Choosing Sides -

It felt like I'd been sitting alone in that blackened room for hours before I finally heard the faint sound of footsteps from outside the wooden door, slowly growing closer.

Sully had seemed to calm down and wasn't nearly as active as usual, leaving me in charge of this situation entirely.

I took a deep breathe, mentally preparing myself as the door creaked open.
I winced as my eyes adjusted to the ray of light that promptly filled the room.

"Liu Vicki Woods?" The voice asked.
Though, it didn't sound like much of a voice at all. It was distorted in a sense, hazy as if it were filled of static.

As my vision slowly adjusted to the light, I could make out a tall shadow standing directly in the doorway.

"Y-Yes..." I responded nervously, ready for this so called Operator to tear me to shreds for trespassing onto his property.

"You reek of Zalgo. Tell me, were you sent from his realm? What was your mission?" The Slenderman inquired, sounding slightly agitated.

By this point my eyes had entirely adjusted. I should have been terrified, but considering what I'd already witnessed since dying, this really couldn't have phased me less.
A tall faceless man, pale and long.
He wore a dark suit, his head slightly tilted in curiosity as he stared back at me with nonexistent eyes.

"I...I'm just one of his proxies. I came here under my own will, I don't-."

My sad excuse of a lie was quickly silenced as one of the creatures tentacles flew out from behind his back and wrapped around my neck, lifting me off of my feet.

I yelped in pain, writhing through his tightened grasp, my hands tugged against the restraints desperately as I tried to choke out an apology, but my words were silenced by the sheer pressure around my throat.
My heart was pounding so quickly that I could hear each agonizing beat ring through my eardrums.

"Zalgo would never let a Proxy out without reasoning. And to my mansion of all places-..." the Slenderman sighed, sounding more exasperated than anything at this point.

"Every damn week, I can't catch a break. He tries and fails to infiltrate my mansion and kill off my proxies time and time again. When will he learn that he simply cannot-."

He froze in his rant for a moment, seeming to finally notice just how long he'd been keeping me in a damn chokehold.

"Apologies, child." The Slenderman released his grip from around my neck as I fell to the floor with a small thud.

I leaned over, coughing as I caught my breath.
"I'm-I'm Sorry! I didn't even want to do it, I swear! B-but if I didn't I knew he'd kill me for real and I don't...I don't want to die. I don't want to disappear-please. Please you have to understand." I choked out desperately, beginning to cry as I pleaded for my soul.

To my surprise, I hadn't been lifted into another chokehold yet.

I heard a sigh.
"Normally, any trespasser sent from Zalgo's realm would be forced to pay with their life. But, I suppose you are an exception."

My head perked up slightly as I stared back towards the creature.
Why?
Why was I an exception?

I shook my head, forcing back the bangs that had begun to stick to my tear-ridden face.

"Why me?" I asked softly, my eyes gazing up towards the creature with the smallest hint of hope.

"You are a relative of Jeffery Woods, a proxy of mine. I know he would be displeased to find that I'd killed you, knowing you were still of some form of existence." He responded, looking back down upon me.