The falls

chapter 43

The air in the cavern was thick with dust and the strange hum of unseen energy, a telltale sign that they were getting close. Lilien, Jessica, and Neomi moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls as they ventured deeper into the underground tunnel. They knew this was where the last interdimensional rip was located, the one Bill could use to reignite Weirdmageddon. But something felt off, an uneasy tension settling over them.

Neomi squinted ahead, spotting the faint glow of the rip in the distance. "We're close," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the growing hum.

Jessica nodded, gripping the scanner she had borrowed from the Mystery Shack's lab. The device was supposed to track energy signatures, but it was going haywire, the readings spiking erratically. "This place is definitely unstable," she muttered, her brow furrowing. "The rip is worse than the others."

As they approached the final rip, the girls slowed down, creeping to the edge of the cavern. There, hovering in the air, was the tear in reality, a shimmering vortex of swirling colors and strange shapes that defied logic. But they weren't alone.

In front of the rip, Bill Cipher-possessing the body of an unsuspecting tourist-was standing with his back to them. He wasn't acting like the cocky, chaotic demon they were used to. Instead, he was busy, carefully working on something-a large device he had set up around the rip. It was sleek, with glowing red lines running across its surface, and every few seconds, it emitted a faint pulse.

Lilien's heart skipped a beat. "What the hell is he doing?" she whispered, her eyes narrowing.

Jessica leaned in closer, trying to make sense of it. "That thing... it's scanning the rip," she said, her voice low with confusion. "But why? Bill never cared about the stability of rips before. He'd just make them bigger, use them however he wanted."

Neomi shook her head, her face scrunched up in thought. "Yeah, but he's being cautious now. Like... he's afraid of something."

The three girls exchanged glances, their minds racing. Bill had never been afraid of anything. He thrived on chaos and destruction, so why was he being so careful now? It didn't add up.

Lilien's eyes darted to the device Bill was using. "We need to leave," she said, her voice tense. "If Bill's afraid to use the rip right away, that means we've got time to figure this out. But if he catches us here-"

Jessica didn't need to hear any more. "Agreed. Let's go."

Neomi gave the rip one last glance before following the others, her heart pounding in her chest. As they hurried back through the tunnel, the questions weighed heavily on their minds. Why was Bill being so careful? What did he know about this rip that they didn't?

Whatever it was, it was enough to make the girls realize that their fight wasn't over. They had a chance to stop Bill, but they had to figure out what he was planning first. And the clock was ticking.