Flickers of Faith (Bendy and the Ink Machine)

10- The Path of the Demon

Author's Note: The next book is titled Tides of Longing and will again be available on my profile soon if it's not already posted.

The artwork within the chapter is by Slipnslideblog (Silver) on Tumblr. (Gif warning)

__________________________________________

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." – Isaiah 43:2

__________________________________________

And then two heroes' stories merged into one.

Both of the disciples were now enveloped in an aura both besides their own and yet inspired by them. Two different souls, two different purposes, two different threats. Speed and tone were polar opposite, and yet it was the same force that ran through the pipes and soaked the studio through till it reached its very foundation. It was like a snow globe; something beyond the comprehension of all but one within these walls had gradually sunk just under the surface of the denizens' awareness.

And then Francine and Sammy unknowingly shook this power until it flew back into their faces.

Certainly, something sinister was profoundly unsettled by what they both were looking for.

The very same thing.

With each footstep of her dashing came with it a pound, slam, crack, and burst of ink. It spat in all directions, uncaring about the laws of reality. It spat at her, going full force now that the curse's tampering could no longer hide plain in her sight.

It did, however, hide just behind his as something across the room stole his full attention. He would never notice how the world just behind his feet became disturbed with each step closer to an innocuous object that seemed to call to him, to something deep inside he buried away.

Somewhere beyond his hearing, Francine yelped in panic as a floorboard fell from the ceiling. She jumped back, but the woman was not deterred. As soon as it finished smacking into the inexplicably overflowing river of ink, she hopped over the obstacle and continued to run despite the black that chewed her legs and tried to pull her back, tried to slow her down.

Where was he?! Where was he-

Through flying oily beads against a supernaturally murky backdrop- a place that she was sure wasn't the same hallway that the demon path led out to last time- she saw him- she saw a white flash.

The demon's massive cartoon glove was undeniable as the tip of its fingers slipped to the rightmost path at a T-corner that materialized from nowhere.

And so the game began.

Francine forced herself to focus beyond the fear inside her as she desperately clung to the axe; beyond the immediate bashing and clanging of ink, wood, and the small objects caught up in their fury; and beyond even the rooms themselves as they twisted into a maze. As darkness swallowed every surface- including her own- with moving, swarming shadows, she knew it was his aura. She knew that the worse it got, the closer she was to the truth, and so her eyes searched past distraction to catch hints of the slimy beast.

Crash!

His leg sprinted past the bend.

Rip!

His elbow slipped between a tightening crack in the walls.

Boom!

His grin turned away, a brief burst of white in a room swishing with black.