The young boy had been clutching onto the left arm of Y/n for some time now, but she managed to coax him over to the couch so he could sit and calm down. Dr. Smiley left the two of them, back to the room with his supplies, and returned with a bag in one hand and a square band-aid in the other.
"Don't rip the IV out again," he ordered while handing over the square patch, "this isn't a movie."
Levi tentatively took the band-aid and peeled away the plastic seal before placing it on the red mark on his arm where a bead of blood began to form. The boy rubbed it afterward, his eyes darting toward the wooden floor. The doctor sighed, facing Y/n this time.
"I'm going to check up on the big guy outside, keep him...stable, alright?" He left without hearing a response from the girl, which made her slightly irritated, she wasn't going to lie. Dr. Smiley seemed to have a habit of leaving without a say in the matter. Y/n shifted herself so she was angled towards Levi who now was silently surveying his surroundings.
His eyes went to the tile across the room, then to the doors down the hall, his gaze holding long on the doctor's medical room, then over to Y/n. When he met her e/c eyes, he faltered. Y/n smiled softly.
"So," she began, breaking the silence, "are you feeling a bit better?"
Levi nodded at her question, taking in a slow, but a shaky, breath.
"Do you need anything? Water? Food?" Y/n asked this as if she knew where to look (she didn't, but she'd try). All the things that she had brought with her were left back at the cave. She could only hope that Jane or Clockwork would take the bag with them on their supposed camp move.
"No," his voice came out like a whisper, but Y/n still heard it. His voice made her heart flutter with warmth, a warmth that she had forgotten was possible in situations like these. Y/n nodded, placing a careful hand on the shoulder closest to her.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but..." She knew that asking certain questions could lead him to shut down or cause him to withdraw from her, but she needed to ask, "do you remember anything that happened after the...maze?"
Even saying anything similar to that place made her shudder. Levi narrowed his eyes, his strength slowly returning to his body. She remembered the look in his eyes; the look he gave whenever he tried his best to protect her.
Levi stared hard, away from Y/n for a few moments, thinking before audibly inhaling, "it was...cold, but I felt someone holding me.. Then I felt warmth for a long time," he began explaining, "I didn't know where I was but...I could still hear things, and then, during that time, I...remembered a lot of things I had forgotten."
His lips trembled, and he inhaled again, "how could I forget...my friends...my family?"
Levi looked over to Y/n, his eyes glossy, but no tears fell, "why did I forget, Y/n?"
With her other free hand, Y/n brought it around Levi to give him a quick hug, her lips tugged to a frown. It was because of him. Her father had done this to them, but he was gone now, they wouldn't forget.
"It's okay," she whispered, "it's over now. You won't forget them anymore, I promise."
_________
[ Today at 10:34 ]
RyzaNya invited OKM_Discuss
Arowna: ???? uhhh
Arowna: ryza??
RyzaNya: You guys need to listen to this really quickly. Things have gotten tricky
OKM_Discuss: Hello, give me a secodn I'm kind of shaken
RyzaNya: @DMZ You should see this too.
I am here. :DMZ
OKM_Discuss: Alright, here's the thing.
OKM_Discuss: I am 90% sure that Cutena did something totally fucked up and got herself caught by the people known as AOKM|OKMP.
OKM_Discuss: Cutena decided that it would be fine to meet the people behind the account in REAL LIFE and trade info. She met them, but now isn't responding to my messages.
Arowna: um, how long has it been?
OKM_Discuss: Two days. It was supposed to take one day.
Arowna: maybe shes just looking over the info they gave her??
OKM_Discuss: Arowna
OKM_Discuss: You don't understand
OKM_Discuss: These people are the Anti-OKM people.
OKM_Discuss: I dug a bit and found out that they also own BE-CON. They've been using this data on the app to track information through their users and to find past employees or victors through the app. ANYONE who is related to someone who had a connection with OKM is NOT safe.
OKM_Discuss: Even if you're just a very distant relative.
If all of this is true, why take Cutena? :DMZ
OKM_Discuss: My conclusion is that Cutena leads the top-rising OKM-supportive group. If you take their leader, you take the king.
Arowna: then shouldn't we just stop OKM Discuss then? we can report them to the police..
RyzaNya: We have no evidence. And we don't know the first thing about the people behind the account.
RyzaNya: And we can't stop now. We're already too far into this...but we should try warning others.
OKM_Discuss: Ryza is right. You guys should DISCREETLY warn people on Cutena's following list. As far as we know, AOKM has already placed us on their list.
Hey, what does OKMP mean in the account's profile? :DMZ
OKM_Discuss: Huh?
OKM_Discuss: Oh. Uh, they're hosting a project of some sort. They're using the phrase OKM Project to attempt to get the word out there and more funds... What it is about though, I'm not sure.
Alright. :DMZ
OKM_Discuss: Please be careful guys. Do not contact or respond to the account at all costs.
_________
Levi had settled down a bit more after sitting in silence for a few minutes. They talked about small things, well, Y/n did most of the talking. After being in a coma for at least a month or two, there wasn't much for Levi to talk about.
Y/n told him about the snack runs she and Jerry went on at the dead of night, hopping to different stores because of the cameras that were around, walking or taking a hidden vehicle to and back. She told him about the first time the power went out in the cabin and how one of the men was taking a shower when it happened; she'd never forget his shocked cry. This made Levi laugh, and she was glad it did.
The female also told him about her encounter with Splendorman, the first time was on the boat. Well, she knew that this wasn't her very first encounter with the tall, polka-dotted entity, but it was the most memorable one. Levi looked slightly put off at the mention of the creatures and killers in the forest.
"You had Doctor Smiley taking care of you all this time," she told him, an arm wrapped around him so he felt safe, "you also had Slenderman's protection. You know...it is the one that brought you here in the first place."
Levi straightened at the mention of the tall, faceless creature, but the expression on his face wasn't fear, it was of surprise. Y/n could only guess what he was thinking about right now.
"They won't hurt you. They were forced just as much into the maze as we were...but their time there was longer," she grimaced, "but our time was...more scarring."
"But... They are killers, right? That doesn't change the fact that they've killed people, Y/n," Levi murmured, his hands clasping together tightly, "you don't have to forgive them so quickly."
"I know, Levi, but can we think for just a moment that they've changed after escaping that horrid place? Nobody in that place had a choice in what they were doing."
Silence fell upon the room once more. Y/n remembered this part of Levi in the maze too, his self-preservation and the preservation of the ones he cared about. She understood his outlook, yet Y/n's heart still fell on the fact that someone could change after all they went through.
"Hey, yea, sorry to interrupt," Y/n jumped at the new voice in the room and she reflexively yanked her hand away from around Levi. His own body flinched at both Y/n's startle and the voice. Doctor Smiley stared at the two of them and his eyes scrunched as an amused exhale of air left his lips.
"Alright, I'm going to ignore that, but, Y/n," he pointed at the girl, "you need to go deliver the Rake back to Eyeless Jack. I've done all I can...but, I'm not exactly a certified professional."
Y/n snorted, "with all due respect...I'm sure the Rake can take care of itself..." She turned her head (and body) to take a look outside through the glass. She could see the creature standing, walking slower than usual around the foilage and back to the house, possibly testing its limits with the wound.
"Yes, true, but you can't take care of yourself with who-knows-what out there," the red-eyed doctor waved his hand in the air, "think of it as...your escort. You also don't know the new location of the camp...but with your escort, it can sniff them out even without being able to see seven feet in front of it."
Outside, the Rake made a noise of disappointment. Even without being able to see well, it could still hear and understand perfectly fine.
Y/n sighed and looked back over to Levi, who had also been staring out of the window at the Rake. His eyes were wide and his hands gripped the leather of the couch so tight that his knuckles were turning white. Her e/c eyes softened out of worry for the boy since the memories of the maze were still fresh; the attack from the Rake still stained like blood on white carpet.
"Alright," she slipped off the couch and stood facing Levi, who kept his eyes trained on the creature outside, "Levi," she placed a hand on his shoulder, lightly tugging him away from the window so he was no longer facing his previous enemy, "don't go anywhere, okay? I'll come back."
Levi nodded and Y/n faced Dr. Smiley, "don't do anything weird."
The male's brows raised and she could tell by the lift of his mask around his lips that he was grinning, "me? Doing something weird? Wouldn't dream of it." Despite the fact that the two of them had only recently met, she had grown rather fond of his witty remarks.
Y/n exited the house, waving one last time towards her small friend, and approached the Rake who stood out in the middle of the clearing with its milky eyes trained towards the sky. It was somewhat clear outside today, with only a small amount of white clouds decorating the blue sky. Hearing her approach, the creature craned its head to the side, searching for the blurred form of the girl that it would accompany. She could still feel the worried and terrified (for her) eyes of Levi from inside, but when the Rake finally noticed her when she was within a certain length away from it, it chuffed, and began walking into the forest.
Y/n flashed the house a small grin and hurried after the Rake. Even with the wound stitched up and cleaned, it could still move pretty fast. The terrain was still a bit damp from the previous rain and the deeper they traveled, it grew a bit more chilly. The Rake had also noticeably slowed down for her to catch up, then increased its pace again. It was like a game (but she found it pretty amusing).
They passed Floral Brush, Y/n remembered the wildly grown flowers and foilage next to the trails and climbing up the trees. The two of them stepped off the path now and began walking through a much denser part of the forest. Y/n had to use her hands as a shield each time she'd duck under some low branches or through an unavoidable bush.
"Are you-," she shook off the dew that stuck to her clothes and shivered violently, "are you sure we're going the right way?" Y/n trusted Dr. Smiley's judgment, but the Rake's detour was...interesting.
The Rake made another noise, one mixed with a whine and a...laugh? Did it laugh? Y/n chuckled awkwardly, "no, like, I'm serious. Are we-"
In front of her, the Rake paused and lifted two heavy-looking branches that blocked off an almost invisible entrance with its talon. It blinked, then focused its gaze down at Y/n before directing its head over to the entrance. Y/n was so surprised that its almost human-like nature caught her off-guard, "uh, thanks..." She ducked, just in case the branches would hit her face, but they didn't.
The Rake responded with a quick, higher-pitched click. A happy signal, she supposed. The opening led to a poorly designed path that curved to the left, then slanted downwards. At least this new camp provided more light.
And the sound of voices that slowly grew louder as she approached sent relief through her system.
"Oh, well look who it is." The first one to notice her arrival was familiar and Y/n smiled at the sound of her voice, "made a friend too? How nice." Clockwork stood at the opening of the camp, the trees around it dense, grown close enough that it would be extremely difficult to break through.
"It's nice to see you again, Clockwork," Y/n responded, stepping out of the narrow passage so the Rake could follow through. The large entrance of the Rake is what brought most eyes toward the opening, then to Y/n, then away. Some lingered on her for a few moments longer before they too left her. Clockwork raised her brows up in surprise, but then she reverted back to her smug look.
"Yea, well, it's a good thing you're still alive. Pretty sure most people here would out their position if your body ended up mauled in the forest," the brunette crossed her arms, shifting her weight to her right leg, "your stuff's over there. Blanket too," she motioned with her head at the far corner of the camp where a large tree stood. It was hollowed out in the center and Y/n's bag was positioned under the cover of the tree.
Y/n smiled, "thanks," and with a nod, she left Clockwork's side.
"Oh! And BEN took your phone!"
Great.
Y/n noticed the Rake had made its way underneath the shadow of some leaves and had laid down comfortably. Eyeless Jack sat beside it, double-checking the creature's wound. Instead of going to her bag immediately, she hurried over to the doctor's side.
"Is the Rake alright?" She asked. Jack didn't respond right away, but she assumed it was a yes as he closed the leather bag beside him without the need to pull anything out.
"Just needs more rest. Smiley did as much as I could do in his situation," he exhaled. Y/n stepped away from the beast lying on the forest floor and decided it would be best to go to her bag in the first place; though, she didn't expect for Eyeless Jack to follow.
"Listen, Y/n, Doctor Smiley wasn't trying to hide the fact that he had Levi with him. It just wasn't...the right time for you to find out just yet." His voice was quiet and Y/n kneeled next to the hollow tree, placing a hand on her bag, "I understand if you're frustrated or hold some distrust towards some of us, but please understand that we cannot tell you some things."
"I'm..." She paused, closed her lips, then opened them, "I'm not frustrated."
Eyeless Jack stood to the left of her a moment longer before he finally spoke again, "I may not be able to see, Y/n, but my understanding of tone and one's feelings have not disappeared." Then, the doctor turned and left her alone.
___________
Sasha, I would like to warn you about something, the voice rumbled deep within the male's mind as he traversed mindlessly along the forest trail. His clothes were dirty, his head throbbed, and his feet were aching.
"What? What is it?" He muttered, his voice barely leaving his lips.
Like animals, humans are placed along a food chain. The more power you have, the higher up on the food chain you are. It's funny that humans don't realize that they are like animals too... It laughed, only intensifying the headache further, "okay, but why are you trying to warn me about a food chain?"
On a human's food chain...even if you are below your predator, you can still kill them. So even if your opponent is stronger than you, you can still kill them. Sasha, you are prey to the ones in this forest, but you can kill them.
"That doesn't make any sense. You don't make any sense!" Sasha lifted his hands, but paused in his motion, spotting the dried blood under his fingernails. He remembered the pain of the wound the creature gave him...and now it was gone, you injured a predator, Sasha, a wild beast, one that hunts humans like you. Who says that you can't kill them all?
"I've seen what they can do. I can't. I can't, I can't!"
Oh, but you can, Sasha. You just need to lure someone out for me... Would you like me to show you how?
__________
Y/n didn't know when she fell asleep, but she did.
Y/n didn't know when she started dreaming, but she did.
This didn't feel like a dream. She knew she was dreaming, but... The place around her was unfamiliar.
"Uh...hello...?" Her voice, it was her voice, so she was herself still. But this place, it was a perfectly square room with four doors on each wall. There was a screen above one door, reading, KILL THE KEY. She shivered; this felt wrong. There was minimal furniture in the room. A small bed, a small chair, a shattered, glass table, and one lamp, its cord not connected to any outlet in the room.
Y/n stepped closer to one of the doors, the door that had the screen above it, and opened it. She flinched when it swung open and saw a woman running at her, reaching out at her, shouting, but she couldn't hear her. The h/c-haired girl yelped, feeling the woman's hands shove her down to the floor, then, a loud shot rang out, the sound of a gun. The woman fell, blood staining the room's walls.
Y/n let out a cry of terror, her head whipping around to look for the person who shot the woman but found no one. Quickly getting to her feet, Y/n stumbled away from the corpse and rushed to another door. She screamed again when the door's handle scorched her hand.
"Y/n," a voice whispered in her ears, familiar, but unrecognizable with the echo surrounding it, "help me."
Before her sat a cabin, the one she left just hours before.
~
Y/n gasped, lurching upwards within the confines of the camp. It was dark, but there was enough light that she could see at least ten feet in front of her. The female slept next to the hollow tree, using her bag as a makeshift pillow. The dream she just had was so vivid, but the only thing she really recognized was the cabin at the end.
She needed to return to Doctor Smiley's cabin.
The girl unzipped her bag in a rush and pulled out the hoodie she had been gifted and tugged it on. Despite the hot blood pumping quickly through her system and warming her body, she knew it was a cold night and quickly tugged it on. Y/n stood and surveyed the camp. She noticed only a few of the killers were still awake, Ticci Toby, Bloody Painter, and Jane. She hurried over to the monochrome-clad female and knelt at her level (since she was sitting).
"I'm heading out real quick to visit Doctor Smiley again," she whispered. Jane's head tilted to the side.
"Didn't you just come back from his place..?" She inquired with a most noticeable questioning voice. Y/n pursed her lips and nodded. Jane was silent for a few long seconds before she sighed, "alright. Go do what you have to do then."
Y/n smiled. As long as someone knew where she was going, it was fine.
The h/c-haired girl raced out of the camp, giving Toby a friendly wave on the way out (as he was on guard duty for the time). The two, low branches were a tough battle to get through, but she managed with a little pushing. There was barely enough light for her to tell where she was going, but despite that fact, she had grown used to pointing out landmarks through forests and remembering locations. Maybe that was one good thing about that terrible show.
Floral Brush was the easiest path to get to and through, but it was growing darker now, she couldn't see the hiking path that she and the Rake had followed along to get to the camp, but that wasn't the most worrying thing that caught her attention.
The smell of smoke was in the air. And with smoke, came fire. Y/n ran as fast as her legs could carry her, the pungent smell growing stronger and stronger with every step until she saw red and orange light between a large batch of trees.
Y/n barreled through the grass and bushes and stared at the sight before her, the homey cabin now flooded with flames. Smoke rose from the broken ceiling and through the shattered glass.
"Levi!" She called, "Doctor!"
With all the alarms ringing off in her head, she hurried towards the front door, using her right hand to lift the end of the hoodie over her mouth and nose, but as she approached the door, she heard a rumble and quickly stumbled back, sprinting the way she came. Just in time, flames burst out from inside the house, almost knocking the front door off its hinges. It was broken to pieces, wooden splinters covering the grass.
"Levi-!" She cut herself short upon hearing the sounds of hoarse coughs coming from somewhere next to the house. Even over the sound of the roaring flames, she could hear something. Y/n scrambled to her feet, face, and skin now becoming heated with smoke and sweat. Her frantic eyes searched for movement while circling the house, pausing whenever she believed something moved under smoldering pieces of wood and flames.
Yet, that's when she saw it. The shift between a cover of smoking wood caught her eye, extremely close to the edge of the house where the fire could continue to spread. The wood came from some toppled planks of the roof and had fallen down next to the back of the house; but she could still see them; him, Levi.
Y/n hurried over, her breaths short and quick. She was sure she had inhaled too much smoke, but she wasn't worried about that right now, that was the last of her worries. She bent down and gripped the end of one of the wooden beams, her eyes pricking at the sting of the wood, then tossed it to the side. Y/n did the same with the next one, and the next, and the one after that.
"Levi, Levi, please say something, stay with me," she heaved, her hands warm and most likely full of splinters. Y/n tossed the last one aside and grabbed onto the younger male's collar and began to drag him back, away from the flames of the house that had grown dangerously wild over the span of a minute.
Much to Y/n's relief, she could hear Levi sputtering and coughing, struggling to catch his breath. Once Y/n thought that the two of them were far enough from the building, she dropped to his side, "Levi, please tell me, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Her voice was trembling at this point, but she got him out of there, she saved him.
Y/n reached down and wiped away the soot that stained his face as his eyes fluttered open. The boy winced in pain and gripped the grass below him, "Y/n?" He murmured, his voice dry. He began to cough immediately after speaking, wheezing and choking on his own breath. The female turned him to his side slowly, then back when he managed to gulp down greedy breaths of air.
"Yes, I'm here, you're safe, you're safe.." She weakly laughed with happiness and panic at the thought of losing her friend. Levi repeated those words, "I'm safe..." His eyes were distant for a moment as if he was thinking.
"Y/n, Y/n... I saw my brother, I saw him," his lips trembled as he choked on another dry breath of air. Y/n's heart thundered in her ears.
"No, no, you're okay, don't leave me, please." His brother... That meant he was about to die. His life had flashed before his eyes under the burning building, hadn't it?
Levi shook his head slowly, "no, Y/n, he's alive...my-my brother is alive..!" He was trembling even more so now, "I saw him...I saw...him!"
"Levi, shush, it's okay. You saw your brother, it-it might've been something you thought you saw-"
"But...it wasn't him..." He murmured, "it wasn't his voice..!"
Y/n grew quiet.
"Levi...what is your brother's name?"
Levi grew quiet and Y/n brought a hand to the side of the teen's face, "Levi?" It was cold, too cold, even with the flames nearby, "Levi?!"
The boy's heterochromatic eyes met her own, and his last words brought a knife to her heart, "Sasha.."