Fulfilling a Promise ([Ib] Garry x Reader)

Anew Encounter

After leaving the safe room, we continue where we left off. As soon as the door closes, the knot in my stomach came back to my attention. This place makes me absolutely sick. But, I have to deal with it if I want to get the three of us out of here.
We've been walking around this area for awhile, and I suppose it's my fault. I thought taking a break would be refreshing, but ever since, I haven't been able to think straight. It's like when your parent wakes you up for school, and as you keep saying "5 more minutes," you never truly get that full 5 minutes, and you end up being even sleepier than before. Since my brain is dead, I can't remember the solution to our most recent puzzle. We need a password to a locked door, and the hint is the title of the big fish painting in the exhibit. I think it's safe to say that the others feel the same, 'cause right now we're just a ensemble of "uhhhhhs."
Okay, think. What were you doing before you bumped into Ib? You were looking at a small builtin about Guertena after looking at the fish painting. God...what was it called?
"Abyss of the Deep"
"A world where man will never stand...
To realize that world, I decided that I would engrave it within the canvas."
"Ah! That was it! Abyss of the Deep!"
My outburst happened to startle poor Garry, but nonetheless, another puzzle is now solved. We went over to the locked door and put the password in the panel.
The room was spacious, it had bookshelves on either sides, and a black and red painting in the middle. It's sort of become habit to check all the rooms with bookshelves.
"Hey Garry, can you read this for me? I don't know what it means."
On the other side of the room, Ib is trying to read a rather small book, the spine of the book only being about the width of a fingernail. Garry briefly looks over her shoulder, and immediately snatches the book from her and firmly closes it. His eyes are widened, and his face is almost as red as Ib's rose. What could be in that book that could get him so fluster-
"D-Don't read this kind of stuff until you get older, Ib."
Oh.
Well then, changing subject, what's with this painting? Looks sinister, but then again, what isn't in this hell?
As soon as I finish that thought, the lights flickered and the room turned to pitch black. I've never been a fan of the dark, the whole 'who knows what'll happen' gist always seems to unsettle me. I start to panic, trying to find the wall in the dark to at least make sure I'm in a room.
"Ib! (Y/N)! Are you there?"
Garry calls out for us, and we both respond quickly. He seems relieved.
"But this is a problem...ah, that's right. I forgot I had a lighter."
Garry digs through his pockets and pulls out his lighter. The result of a few clicks of the lighter is the room dimly illuminated, but with obscure writing on the walls in bright colors, that weren't there before.
N O
P L E A S E
D O N ' T
D O N ' T K I L L M E
N O N O N O
Garry looks around the room, in confused paranoia. It looks like all of the things like this are starting to get to him. Poor thing.
"I don't think this is...good for my mental health..."
I couldn't have said it better myself. I wonder how this place would affect someone if they were here for a long period of time. They'd be mad as a hatter, I'm sure of it. Oh god...what if we never escape? What if we're stuck here forever? What would we decide to do, using the littlest bit of logic and sanity there is in our psyche? What would get us to death quicker, the monsters lurking about or our dwindling sanity, telling ourselves that it would just be easier to end it yourself? God..I-I can't take this anymore...
I could feel my head starting to ache and my ears starting to ring. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the insanity and the almost insured death that follows. I don't really know what got the panic attack started, but suddenly I burst into tears, and shallow, ragged breaths. Garry and Ib seemed to notice, and they lead me out of the room, posthaste. Almost immediately after, Garry embraced me with his long arms and held me close, trying to comfort me. One of his arms wrapped loosely around my back, and his other hand rest atop my head. He shushes me and whispers sweet nothings to me, like "it's okay," and "everything's going to be fine." As much as I wanted to believe him, I knew very well that his words were lies with innocent intention. But I fell right in. His reassurance and the warmth of his shoulder against my face was all I needed right now.
He's so good at this...nobody else has managed to calm me down after a panic attack. I wonder if he's got bad anxiety, too...
After a few minutes of settling down, I emerge from his shoulder, face tear stained and my (E/C) eyes puffy and red. Garry looks down at me once more.
"Are you okay, (Y/N)?"
"Y-Yeah...I'm okay, thank you..."
Garry puts a soft, genuine smile on his face.
"Good. Just like you said earlier, you're going to be safe as long as you're with us. I promise, and I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."
I smile back. Bless whatever fate that let a person like Garry be here in this hell. We venture on, with regained composure. There seems to be red footprints on the purple floors that weren't there before, leading towards a small door in a previously ordinary wall. Upon entering the door, a figure bumped into Ib, shrieked, and fell back on their behind.

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