The soft glow of Child's Play's playroom seemed to settle over the group like a protective blanket. Olive finally let herself sink back onto the pillows, rabbit clutched tight. Leonardo floated nearby, swirling glowing petals around her, and Amphibian perched by the door, vigilant but relaxed. Then without warning, the static buzz of a small children's television in the corner crackled to life. The screen flickered, initially showing a cheerful cartoon that instantly twisted into something cold and dark. Olive's stomach sank. "No... no... not now..."
From the TV, a voice hissed, cold and venomous, dripping with malice. "Olive. You cannot hide. I know where you are. I am coming. And when I find you... you will die."
Olive's rabbit slipped from her hands. Her chest tightened, breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps. "No... no... this can't be happening!"
The glowing petals Leonardo had been creating quivered, as if sensing the shift in the room. Leonardo's brush froze midair. "Mon dieu... she... she found us... already..."
Child's Play tilted its brain-like folds curiously, cooing softly, yet the pulse in its tendrils quickened with what seemed like concern. "Observe... danger... imminent... react... protect..."
Callie jumped to her feet. "Olive! Stay calm! We can't panic!"
But Olive couldn't. Her eyes were wide, tears threatening to spill. "She... she's going to kill me! I can't... I can't!"
Before anyone could stop her, Olive bolted from the bed, rushing past Leonardo's floating art and Amphibian's protective stance. Her small feet padded quickly across the glowing floor. "I... I have to... I have to stop her... I have to go back... I have to do it myself!"
Leonardo flailed with his brush, trying to block her path with glowing petals. "Non! Attendez! Dangerous... do not run!"
Amphibian leapt after her, webbed hands reaching for Olive. "Princess... wait... do not go alone... dangerous... too dangerous!"
Callie called out, panic rising in her voice. "Olive! Stop! We're coming with you!"
But Olive didn't slow. Her terror propelled her forward, ignoring the familiar glow of the playroom, the floating toys, and even Child's Play's cooing warning. The message from her mother, the Collector had ripped through her fragile sense of safety. The TV flickered again, the screen distorting into the Collector's cold, sneering face. "Run, Olive. Run... but there is nowhere safe. You belong to me. You always have."
Olive's knees buckled for a fraction of a second, but only a fraction. She scrambled to her feet, clutching her rabbit, and bolted toward the hallway, leaving the playroom in chaos behind her. Leonardo's petals scattered as he floated after her, shouting, "Attendez! Stop! Dangerous! Non!"
Amphibian vaulted through the air, croaking, "Princess! Wait! We will protect you! But do not go... not alone!"
Callie's voice echoed down the corridor, growing fainter as Olive ran. "Olive... please... don't leave us!"
And in the playroom, Child's Play hovered near the TV, tendrils twitching in agitation, pulsing faintly as if trying to calculate the best way to stop the impending disaster. Its cooing turned almost frantic, a strange mixture of concern and curiosity: "Observe... danger... respond... clever... survive... learn..." Olive didn't look back. Her mind raced with fear, guilt, and determination—knowing in her heart she had to face the Collector herself, even if it meant plunging back into the hellish dark web. The hallway ahead stretched into uncertainty, shadows shifting with the fluorescent glow, and every step echoed with the Collector's warning. This was no longer a playroom. This was a race for survival.
Olive ran down the twisting, sterile corridors of the ward, clutching her rabbit to her chest. Her heart pounded so hard she was sure the walls could hear it. Every turn looked the same, fluorescent lights flickering overhead like a strobe of terror. "Callie! Jang! Leonardo! Amphibian!" she screamed, her voice echoing back at her, distorted. "Help! Please!"
The laughter started softly, a quiet, eerie giggle from somewhere just out of sight. Then it grew, manic and infectious, ricocheting off the walls. "Hee-hee-hee! Where are you, little mouse?" a voice squealed.
Olive froze, her breath catching. From the shadows, a figure lunged: a doctor in a blood-splattered white coat, wild eyes glinting, hair sticking up in chaotic tufts. A scalpel gleamed in his hand. Doctor Cuckoo Carnage. "I've been waiting for you, my little experiment!" he shrieked, hopping forward like a maniacal marionette. His grin stretched unnaturally wide, teeth flashing as he swung the scalpel toward her.
Olive shrieked and stumbled backward, tripping over a loose tile. Her rabbit slipped from her hands. She scrambled to her feet, but before the blade could strike. A gunshot rang out. Doctor Cuckoo Carnage's eyes went wide in shock. The scalpel dropped from his hand as a neat, clean hole appeared in his forehead. He collapsed backward with a high-pitched scream, hitting the floor with a sickening thud. Olive spun around, wide-eyed, and saw a woman standing in the hallway, hair wild, eyes manic, wearing a nurse's uniform smeared with crimson. A pistol glinted in her hand. "He gets... carried away sometimes!" the nurse said, grinning like she'd won a twisted prize. "I'm Nurse Maisie Massacre... and yes... he is my husband..."
She holstered her gun, stepping over Doctor Cuckoo Carnage's twitching body. "Needs to be kept under wraps... otherwise... chaos... mess... very bad..."
Olive's legs trembled. "Y-you... you're... his... wife?"
Maisie Massacre's grin widened. "Of course! Partners in... life... surgery... experimentation... mayhem..." She gestured toward the far end of the hallway. "Come on, little one. You're safe... for now... in the waiting room. Just... try not to... breathe too loud..."
Olive hesitated, glancing back at the still-twitching doctor. "I... I... okay..."
Amphibian croaked from the shadows, rushing to her side. "Princess... this place... dangerous... but... follow... now... trust... me..."
Callie and Leonardo appeared moments later, emerging from side corridors as Olive shuffled between them, still trembling. Leonardo muttered, "Mon dieu... a married... manic... couple... unbelievable..." while Amphibian glared at the duo, golden eyes narrowing.
Maisie Massacre smiled, snapping her fingers. "Move along... quietly... everything is fine... for now..." With that, she led Olive and the group down a twisting hallway, past flickering lights and echoing maniacal giggles from her husband. Doctor Cuckoo Carnage whimpered faintly from behind a locked panel, muttering incoherently to himself.
Finally, they arrived in a spacious room at the center of the ward: the waiting room. Plush chairs lined the walls, shelves of bizarre, glowing toys filled the corners, and the faint scent of antiseptic clung to the air. Maisie Massacre set her gun down, hands on her hips. "Sit. Rest. Calm... for now..."
Olive collapsed onto one of the chairs, hugging her rabbit close, her mind spinning. "I... I thought... I was going to die..."
Callie placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're okay. We're all okay... for now."
Leonardo hovered nearby, fidgeting with his brush. "Incredible... terrifying... chaotic... yes... but... we live... still..."
Amphibian crouched near Olive, tail flicking. "Safe... temporary... but rest... you need... then... we plan..."
Child's Play's distant cooing echoed faintly through the ward, watching, calculating, still curious.
Olive hugged her rabbit tighter, her body trembling—but for the first time since the Collector's warning, she allowed herself a tiny, cautious breath. The waiting room, for all its strangeness, was... a reprieve. The waiting room was still quiet, relatively speaking, Olives clutching her rabbit, Leonardo fidgeting with glowing petals, Amphibian perched protectively nearby. Then a low groan echoed from the far corner. Doctor Cuckoo Carnage sat up abruptly, clutching his forehead. "Maisie! What the hell?!" he shrieked, voice cracking dramatically. "You shot me! In the head! Do you know how painful that is?!"
Maisie Massacre rolled her eyes, pistol dangling loosely in her hand. "Really, Cuckoo? Again with the dramatics? You act like this every day. You like it when I shoot you. Admit it."
"I do not like it! That hurts! My scalp! My brain! My... pride!" he shouted, flailing a hand toward her.
"Oh, please... dramatic much? You're lucky I even saved your life afterward. Honestly... you're impossible!" She crossed her arms, smirking.
Olive peeked around her rabbit. "Uh... they're married?" she whispered.
Callie pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "Yes... yes they are... and yes... I hate it."
Jang muttered under his breath, arms crossed, eyes narrowing. "I don't trust either of them. Not a bit. Not one iota. They're insane... married... insane... together... dangerous..."
Leonardo floated a little closer to Olive, whispering, "Mon dieu... they... amazing... chaotic... terrifying... spectacular..."
Cuckoo stomped his foot (or what could pass for a foot) dramatically. "Maisie! Do you realize how traumatic it is to be shot? Traumatic! And you didn't even apologize!"
Maisie Massacre shrugged, leaning against the wall, grin wide. "Apologize? Ha! You'd be whining for a week. Honestly, you like the attention."
"I do not!" he squealed, spinning around like a maniacal top. "I am a professional... a genius... an artist... a doctor! And you... you're my chaotic... wife... who... shoots me... at the worst possible times!"
Maisie threw back her head and laughed. A loud, maniacal laugh that echoed through the waiting room. "And you... you love it! Admit it! You couldn't live without me, darling!"
"I do not!" Cuckoo shouted, then paused, flustered... and slowly, begrudgingly, cracked a smile. "...Fine... maybe... just a little... you insane woman..."
Olive, Callie, and Jang just stared, frozen. Callie muttered, "This is... I can't... I can't watch this..."
Jang groaned, face in his hands. "I do not... want... to... be here... at all... ever... again..."
Amphibian let out a low, frustrated croak, tail flicking. "Yes... caution... insane couple... high priority... ignore... too chaotic... yes..."
Leonardo floated closer to Olive, whispering, "I... find it... fascinating... how... they... interact... chaotic... domestic... adorable... in a horrific way..."
Maisie Massacre leaned down, brushing Cuckoo's shoulder with one manic tendril. "You know you love me... you can't resist... admit it!"
"I... fine... yes... whatever... stop... let's... move on..." he groaned, flopping onto a chair, pretending to faint again.
Olive clutched her rabbit, whispering to Callie, "Do... do we... just... go along with them?"
Callie shook her head, muttering, "We have to... for now... but I'm not trusting them... ever..."
Jang groaned again, muttering a long string of expletives under his breath while watching the married maniacs bicker, laugh, and then snuggle in absurdly affectionate ways. Child's Play cooed from the corner, tendrils twitching in amusement. "Observe... chaotic... clever... humorous... fascinating... survive... learn..." The room pulsed with manic energy, laughter, and ridiculous bickering, as Olive, Callie, Jang, Amphibian, and Leonardo tried, unsuccessfully—to blend in without losing their sanity. And for the first time, in the middle of the dark web's horrors, the group realized: even the most terrifying enemies could be... oddly domestic.

High above the ward, hidden in a shadowed corner of the dark web, the Collector observed. Her red eyes gleamed in the darkness, a slow, wicked smile curling her lips. She watched Olive cling to her rabbit, trembling from the earlier chaos, and Callie pacing nervously beside her. Jang, arms crossed and scowling, muttered under his breath while keeping an eye on the manic married duo, Doctor Cuckoo Carnage and Nurse Maisie Massacre. Leonardo floated nearby, obliviously swirling glowing petals around Olive, and Amphibian crouched protectively. The Collector's gaze lingered on Jang. Memories surfaced, times long past, when he had been hers. When they had laughed, argued, and loved, before the fractures and betrayals. The darkness of the web twisted her thoughts, turning nostalgia into venomous amusement. "They never change," she murmured to herself, voice smooth and cold. "Always the same... chasing... protecting... clinging... afraid." Her lips curled into a soft, chilling laugh. It wasn't loud, not yet. Just enough to let herself savor the thought. "Jang... Callie... Olive... so predictable... so deliciously fragile. And yet... so entertaining."
Her mind flickered with images of her past, her own moments with Jang, laughter that once belonged to them, warmth that had been her own. But now, those memories only fueled her amusement, her hunger for control and chaos. "She reminds me... of all of it," the Collector whispered, eyes narrowing at Olive. "That little girl... so much like what he once loved... so easily broken... and yet... daring to fight." A soft chuckle escaped her lips, almost like a whisper to the shadows around her. "They think they are safe... they think they have allies... but I am always watching. Always." The red glow of her eye pulsed with malevolence as she leaned back, savoring the scene below. Doctor Cuckoo Carnage bickered with Maisie, Amphibian protected, Leonardo floated with his art, and Olive, little Olive was terrified yet determined. "All of it... reminds me of him... of us... and it makes me laugh," she said, the sound a mixture of fondness and menace. "Yes... laugh, my shadows... prepare... because soon... they will see what I am capable of." She vanished into the darkness, leaving only the faint echo of her laughter drifting across the ward. The group below remained unaware, their momentary respite ending even before they realized it had begun. The game was far from over.

The group huddled together in a narrow corridor of the ward, fluorescent lights flickering overhead. Olive clutched her rabbit tightly, Amphibian's eyes glinting with caution, Callie pacing nervously, and Leonardo hovering nearby with brush at the ready. "Okay," Jang muttered, arms crossed, jaw tight. "We need an exit. A way out of this nightmare."
From the shadows ahead, two familiar figures emerged: Doctor Cuckoo Carnage and Nurse Maisie Massacre, both grinning maniacally. "Looking for the exit, are we?" Maisie cooed, twirling a scalpel like a baton.
"Yes..." Olive whispered, voice trembling.
"Or maybe... you're already lost," Cuckoo added, hopping from one foot to the other, wild-eyed. "We could tell you... but riddles make everything more fun!"
Leonardo raised an eyebrow. "Riddles? Mon dieu... Why would you do such a thing?"
Maisie smiled sweetly, tilting her head. "Because... chaos is delightful... confusion is art..."
Cuckoo held up his finger dramatically. "Listen closely, little ones... if you want the exit... answer this: 'I have keys but no locks, I have space but no room, You can enter but never leave. What am I?'"
Jang groaned. "Seriously? Seriously? I'm done with this—"
Maisie giggled, hopping around like a maniacal ballerina. "Think... think... clever... or stay forever!"
Callie muttered under her breath. "I swear... if he makes us solve one more riddle..."
Olive whispered, "Keyboard? It's a keyboard, right?"
Cuckoo clapped his hands dramatically. "Correct! Correct... for now... but beware... the next riddle!"
Jang's patience finally snapped. He yanked a gun from his belt, one he'd taken earlier and pointed it squarely at Cuckoo. "Enough with the riddles! I'm done playing your games!"
"Wait!" Olive shouted, but Jang ignored her. He pulled the trigger. BANG!
Doctor Cuckoo Carnage reeled, spinning, a perfectly round hole in his forehead... and then immediately sat up, blinking, brushing imaginary dust off his coat. "Really, Jang? Again? You shot me... again... oh, darling... you never learn!" He grinned, exaggeratedly clutching his chest.
Maisie Massacre sighed theatrically. "He's fine... obviously... you're scaring him..."
Jang's jaw dropped. "What the hell?!"
Cuckoo hopped forward, flailing dramatically. "You think you can kill me? Me? I'm eternal... I'm immortal... I'm... fun! Did you miss me? I missed me!"
Olive buried her face in her rabbit, stifling a giggle despite herself. Amphibian croaked indignantly. "Yes... too chaotic... too dangerous... too absurd... but alive..."
Leonardo hovered, glowing petals swirling around, muttering, "Mon dieu... miraculous... horrifying... incredible..."
Callie pinched her nose. "I can't... I can't deal... this is insane... married maniacs, riddles, and now... this..."
Cuckoo flopped dramatically onto the floor, then rolled upright with a manic grin. "*Oh... you humans... you never understand... the fun... the delight!"
Maisie Massacre laughed, twirling like a ribbon. "See? All better now! Everyone's alive... mostly... happy... ish..."
Jang muttered under his breath, glaring daggers at the couple. "I swear... I hate these people... I do... I hate them so much..."
Child's Play cooed softly in the background, tendrils twitching in amusement. "Observe... chaos... clever... survive... laugh... unpredictable... fascinating..." The group took a shaky collective breath, realizing that even in the middle of riddles, gunshots, and death-defying theatrics, somehow... they were still moving forward.
The corridor was silent now, save for Olive's shaky breathing and Amphibian's low, nervous croaks. Jang scowled at Doctor Cuckoo Carnage, who was flopping dramatically on the floor, muttering about immortality, while Maisie Massacre twirled lazily nearby, humming a chaotic tune. Leonardo hovered midair, glowing petals swirling, seemingly trying to calm everyone with bursts of color. Child's Play floated ahead, tendrils curling thoughtfully. Its soft cooing filled the corridor like a gentle lullaby, almost hypnotic. "Observe... listen... learn... follow... survive..."
Olive stepped closer, voice trembling. "Child's Play... please... tell us... how do we get out of here?"
The brain-like creature's folds pulsed, faintly glowing. "Exit... not obvious... dangerous... riddles... distractions... obstacles... but... pathway exists... follow... carefully... trust..."
Jang crossed his arms, jaw tight. "Can you just say it like a normal person?!"
Child's Play's tendrils twitched. "Fine... clear... follow the lights... through the hall of mirrors... past the nurse's lounge... avoid shadows... portal behind the final mirror... step through... survive... arrive..."
Leonardo clapped his hands softly, petals fluttering around the group. "Magnifique... finally... clear instructions... yes..."
Amphibian leapt ahead, signaling them to move. "Follow me... quickly... carefully... Princess Olive... stay close..."
The group moved cautiously, ducking under flickering lights, navigating twisting corridors lined with cracked mirrors that reflected fragmented versions of themselves. Cuckoo tried to dart around theatrically, pretending to trip, while Maisie skipped alongside, humming cheerfully. Jang muttered incessantly under his breath, still suspicious of every move. "Are you sure this is safe?" Callie whispered, clutching Olive's hand.
Child's Play floated beside them, tendrils pointing the way. "Safe... relatively... compared to before... focus... forward..."
Finally, they reached the final hall of mirrors. Light shimmered off the fractured surfaces, creating a kaleidoscope of reflections. At the end, a single mirror pulsed faintly with color. "Portal..." Child's Play cooed. "Step through... careful..."
Olive swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. "We can do this... we have to..." She glanced at Jang, Callie, Leonardo, and Amphibian. "Together..." One by one, they stepped through the mirror, the world twisting around them like liquid light. The air felt different, warmer, lighter. Child's Play's cooing echoed faintly, fading behind them. When they opened their eyes, they were no longer in the sterile, oppressive ward. They were standing in the middle of a vast flower field, colors so vibrant they hurt and delighted the eyes at the same time. Petals of every hue stretched toward the horizon, swaying gently in a breeze that smelled of honey, sunlight, and life itself. Butterflies, more than Olive had ever seen, flitted around, landing briefly on flowers and then darting away. Olive gasped, dropping her rabbit onto a soft patch of grass. "W-wow... it's... it's... beautiful..."
Callie knelt to touch the petals, eyes wide. "I can't... believe... this... it's... real..."
Jang exhaled, shoulders relaxing for the first time in what felt like forever. "I... I didn't think... I'd ever... see anything like this..."
Leonardo floated in awe, swirling petals around them. "Magnifique... incredible... alive... color... life... I... adore..."
Amphibian croaked happily, splashing in a small pond that reflected the rainbow sky. "Yes... beautiful... peaceful... temporary... yes..."
Olive ran forward, spinning in the open space, laughing through tears. "We... we made it... we're... free... for now!"
Even Child's Play, floating behind them through the portal, cooed softly in approval. "Observe... survive... beauty... fragile... precious..." The group gathered in the middle of the field, breathing deeply, letting the soft breeze and endless colors wash over their minds and bodies. For the first time in a long time, in this terrifying dark web world, they could breathe, laugh, and feel alive. And for Olive, it was more than relief, it was hope. Hope that they could face the Collector. Hope that they could survive. Hope that beauty, even in the darkest corners of the web, still existed. For now, at least, the horrors of the ward, the shadows, and the manic duo were behind them. And the flower field... the flower field was magic.