Inner Demons 》Ticci Toby x Reader《 Savior Book 2

Chapter 20

Within the next hour and a half, you stared down the long staircase that led to the room where Dr. Smiley held you hostage and drained your blood to kill Zalgo. The memories sent shivers down your spine and you felt a warm hand on your back.

"Do you want me to go first?" Toby asked softly.

"No," you replied and took his hand in yours, interlocking your fingers with his. "We do this together."

After ensuring that everybody was ready, you and your friends began to descend the long concrete staircase. The presence of your friends eased your fear of what could be lying at the end of these stairs. You and Toby were pressed close together and squinting into the solid darkness with nothing but a weak flashlight to cut through it. The familiarity of this darkness unsettled you. No one spoke until you reached the iron door at the foot of the stairs.

"Is everybody ready?" Toby asked, his twitching hand resting on the handle of one of his hatchets. 

"For what, exactly?" BEN frowned.

"Anything," Jeff replied in a steely voice. 

"Sexy cat girls," BEN smirked half-heartedly. "Got it."

"Let's rock and roll," Jeff said with a grin. His voice was unexpectedly twinged with excitement. Jeff strode past you and Toby and threw open the heavy iron door. In seconds, everyone's weapons were in-hand and poised to strike.

"I can't see a damn thing," Jeff growled under his breath as he peered into the room.

"Just like my dream," you whispered and you felt Toby squeeze your shoulder. You shook free of Toby's grip, brushed past Jeff, and stepped up to the entrance of the ink-black room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jeff hissed and yanked you back.

"Let her go," Toby commanded after a few moments. 

Jeff whirled on Toby and shouted, "You're just going to let her go in there?"

"Yes," Toby replied calmly, but his eyes betrayed his claim.

"What's your deal?" Jeff snapped.

Toby's voice was eerily calm as he said, "I trust her. As much as I hate to admit it, she can take care of herself. So I have to let her go."

"Toby...," you frowned.

"Go," Toby sighed, ignoring the look on Jeff's face. "We'll be right behind you."

You nodded determinedly and faced the doorway. You could feel everyone's eyes on you. Everybody seemed to hold their breath as you took your first step into the darkness, then another, then another. The room sucked at your ears like a void, causing them to pop and ring. You grit your teeth and pressed on blindly until something made you freeze.

A voice. In your head.

"Hello there, my dear," the voice greeted.

"Where is he?" you growled. Toby called out from somewhere behind you and you told him that everything was alright.

"You know where he is," the voice chuckled. "That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"I want to see him," you requested softly.

"As you wish."

A small ring of light encircled you and you looked across the gap of darkness to see Zero lying motionless in his own circle. Just like you'd seen in your dream except this time, the voice in your head began to cackle, it's haunting voice rising and rising. You doubled over and covered your ears, but the ear-splitting sound only got louder. Then it abruptly stopped. When you looked up, Zero and his light were gone.