As you walked through a portal in an attempt to get back to Dreamtale, something changed. It was the air, the location, the aura... it wasn't Dreamtale's aura, nor the doodlesphere. It was an aura you had never felt, which was odd. You'd been to almost every universe in this Multiverse, but this one... it felt completely different. It was too empty to be any of the places you've ever known... but what was it?
"h͚̖̜̍̃͐-h͚̖̜̍̃͐e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑h͚̖̜̍̃͐e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑h͚̖̜̍̃͐-h͚̖̜̍̃͐e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑h͚̖̜̍̃͐..." A familiar glitchy voice brought you out of your thoughts as you turn around to see a glitched skeleton standing behind you. You took a step back, startled and taken aback as you felt a rush of adrenaline and a spike of fear. You never felt this much negativity anywhere in the past, this wasn't normal at all. Something is definitely wrong. But you pushed your wary thoughts to the side as you noticed the glitched skeleton taking a step towards you with a menacing smile.
"o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊h͚̖̜̍̃͐ y͉̝͖̻̯ͮ̒̂ͮ͋ͫͨ/n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊! w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂-w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂h͚̖̜̍̃͐a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊ a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍ l͕͖͉̭̰ͬ̍ͤ͆̊ͨo͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊v̪̩̜̜̙̜ͨ̽̄e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑l͕͖͉̭̰ͬ̍ͤ͆̊ͨy͉̝͖̻̯ͮ̒̂ͮ͋ͫͨ l͕͖͉̭̰ͬ̍ͤ͆̊ͨi̞̟̫̺ͭ̒ͭͣt̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊l͕͖͉̭̰ͬ̍ͤ͆̊ͨe̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑ s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚-s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚u̟͎̲͕̼̳͉̲ͮͫͭ̋ͭ͛ͣ̈r̼̯̤̈ͭ̃ͨ̆p̱̱̬̻̞̩͎̌ͦ̏r̼̯̤̈ͭ̃ͨ̆i̞̟̫̺ͭ̒ͭͣs̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑!" The skeleton's voice, just like his appearance was glitched. His black hoodie stood out in the white blankness of the one place that you had always been forbidden to go to. The Anti-Void. The thought of where you were made your eyes widen as you barely suppressed a shudder, glancing upward enough to see exactly what you had been told about in horror stories. Thousands of SOULS, mostly determination hung by blue thread above you, sickening trophies of the terrible deeds the skeleton in front of you had done. You had never seen a universe be destroyed, or even a fight between creation and destruction or positivity and negativity before, only hearing about them through whispers condemned by Dream and Ink. Neither of them wanted rumors to spread or fights to break out in such a peaceful time in the multiverse. You looked at the skeleton in fear, though you tried to hide it through cold and anger, though you really never wanted to hate the skeleton nor be angry in general. You just were annoyed and not in the mood for this.
"Error. What did you do to my portal?" You sounded like you are chiding a small child from the way you talked to him, making him recoil slightly before he grinned.
"y͉̝͖̻̯ͮ̒̂ͮ͋ͫͨ-yo͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊u̟͎̲͕̼̳͉̲ͮͫͭ̋ͭ͛ͣ̈ w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊ a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑r̼̯̤̈ͭ̃ͨ̆s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚. y͉̝͖̻̯ͮ̒̂ͮ͋ͫͨo͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊u̟͎̲͕̼̳͉̲ͮͫͭ̋ͭ͛ͣ̈ w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂-w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊ t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊ k̲̱̠̞̖ͧ̔͊̇̽̿̑ͯͅn͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂ w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂h͚̖̜̍̃͐a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊'s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚ g͎͚̥͎͔͕ͥ̿-g͎͚̥͎͔͕ͥ̿o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊i̞̟̫̺ͭ̒ͭͣn͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊g͎͚̥͎͔͕ͥ̿ o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊, w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂h͚̖̜̍̃͐y͉̝͖̻̯ͮ̒̂ͮ͋ͫͨ i̞̟̫̺ͭ̒ͭͣn͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊k̲̱̠̞̖ͧ̔͊̇̽̿̑ͯͅ a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊d̥̝̮͙͈͂̐̇ͮ̏̔̀̚ͅ d̥̝̮͙͈͂̐̇ͮ̏̔̀̚ͅr̼̯̤̈ͭ̃ͨ̆e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍m̘͈̺̪͓ͩ͂̾ͪ̀̋ w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑r̼̯̤̈ͭ̃ͨ̆e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑ a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍-a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍c͔ͣͦ́́͂ͅt̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊j͇̗̲̞̪̹̝̫̞ͬ͐̀ͧ̿n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊g͎͚̥͎͔͕ͥ̿ o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊f̳͉̼͉̙͔͈̂̉f̳͉̼͉̙͔͈̂̉. a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊d̥̝̮͙͈͂̐̇ͮ̏̔̀̚ͅ i̞̟̫̺ͭ̒ͭͣ h͚̖̜̍̃͐-h͚̖̜̍̃͐a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍v̪̩̜̜̙̜ͨ̽̄e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑ t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊h͚̖̜̍̃͐o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑ a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍-a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚w̠̘̗͖̮̥ͣ̽ͫ͂e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑r̼̯̤̈ͭ̃ͨ̆s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚."Now it was your turn to recoil, frozen like a child with one hand in the cookie jar. Again, you tried to hide your fear and surprise with something else. This time, you chose suspicion. That was reasonable, being suspicious of a murderer.
"How am I supposed to know you're telling me the truth?"
"y͉̝͖̻̯ͮ̒̂ͮ͋ͫͨo͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊u̟͎̲͕̼̳͉̲ͮͫͭ̋ͭ͛ͣ̈ a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍r̼̯̤̈ͭ̃ͨ̆e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊'t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊." Error didn't stop grinning for a moment, staring at you as if he could see right through you, all the way down to your soul. You took a step back defensively, before considering his offer.
"...why would you even want me to know?"
"i̞̟̫̺ͭ̒ͭͣt̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊ h͚̖̜̍̃͐-h͚̖̜̍̃͐e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑l͕͖͉̭̰ͬ̍ͤ͆̊ͨp̱̱̬̻̞̩͎̌ͦ̏s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚ m̘͈̺̪͓ͩ͂̾ͪ̀̋e̮̟͈̣̖̰̩̹͈̾ͨ̑͑ o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊u̟͎̲͕̼̳͉̲ͮͫͭ̋ͭ͛ͣ̈t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊ t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊-t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊, i̞̟̫̺ͭ̒ͭͣ'm̘͈̺̪͓ͩ͂̾ͪ̀̋ n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊ g͎͚̥͎͔͕ͥ̿-g͎͚̥͎͔͕ͥ̿o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊i̞̟̫̺ͭ̒ͭͣn͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊g͎͚̥͎͔͕ͥ̿ s̪̭̱̼̼̉̈́ͪ͋̽̚o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊f̳͉̼͉̙͔͈̂̉t̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊ o͎̜̓̇ͫ̉͊ͨ͊r̼̯̤̈ͭ̃ͨ̆ a̘̫͈̭͌͛͌̇̇̍n͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊y͉̝͖̻̯ͮ̒̂ͮ͋ͫͨt̘̟̼̉̈́͐͋͌̊h͚̖̜̍̃͐i̞̟̫̺ͭ̒ͭͣn͉̠̙͉̗̺̋̋̔ͧ̊g͎͚̥͎͔͕ͥ̿." The glitch reassured you, his grin never leaving his face.
There's nothing to lose. If Error tells a lie it won't matter and if he tells the truth he's helping me, you thought to yourself.
"What answers do you have?"
