Y/N's POV

Last night, I didn't sleep. How could I sleep? The entire day I spent relaxing, a day off from all the stress believing to no longer have any worries because I had thought the garden, the demon, and the box had all been a dream. I had no memory of how I had returned home, the blood on my hands was gone when I had awoken, and the box had no longer been in my grasp or in my line of sight. So it was easier for me to believe it had never occurred in the first place. It was easier to believe I had chosen to stay with Bill, and learning about his past wasn't something I was interested in because I trusted my demon. It was easier to believe that I trusted him more than any voice that had chosen to speak to me over the phone rather than to have the courage to talk to me face-to-face.

It was easier to believe all that and more.

But that wasn't the case.

I didn't choose to stay, I left him.
I didn't trust him, I wanted to know the truth.
I was listening to this voice rather than the demon I knew.

I left last night. The box was here waiting for me upon my bed. I had made my decision, and now my quest to seek knowledge and the truth has begun.

I have remained in the same spot all night long, seated on my bed with the box placed before me and the note for the first clue in my hands. The paper continued to shake. Am I shaking? I can't tell, my mind is so tired that I am not aware of anything except for the box with the three locks. I'm regretting this, I think. No- No, I'm not! I want answers, I want the truth. I'm done being lied to, having things continually hidden from me constantly from a man that I claim as my love. I'm going to go through with this... I will go through with this... except- I have no idea where to begin.

I have finally decided to rest my eyes, I can't stay up any longer. I need rest, I need sleep. So, I close my eyes. Maybe I can think more clearly about this situation once my head is clear and less scrambled with thoughts being thrown here and there. At this rate, I am sure I am going to receive a migraine if the thoughts don't cease.

It only felt like seconds, a few mere seconds, before I was jolted awake by the raven-haired demon knocking on my door and then proceeding to enter my room without my say. "So, thanks to Bill leaving early this morning to do his rounds and look around town for your 'mystery demon,' I finally got the chance to cook in the kitchen and make a complete and healthy breakfast! And don't worry, unlike Cipher, I actually know how to cook something without completely burning it and making the entire meal taste like ash! Everyone else just finished up eating, but I did save you a plate if you were wanting something to ea-... Hey, what's wrong? You look like complete garbage. Did you end up getting any sleep last night?"

I find myself exhaustingly laughing at his comparison of me to trash. I'm sure my appearance resembled trash very well and I found his comment hilarious because of that. Plus, it wasn't like this was the first time he told me this fact about myself; I am already aware that my complexion resembles that of trash in his eyes ever since Markus had hit me with a broom two years ago in the gift shop as he claimed he needed to "sweep up all the trash." That included me. At that point, he had still been lying to all of us about his plans to help Kaden Psyche take over our planet... but that one moment in the past I recall having with him made me believe that maybe there was a chance not all he did was part of his act and cover-up. Honestly, I think he had fun hanging out with me and the rest of the Pines for the few weeks after I got him the job at the Mystery Shack. Just a sliver of hope I like to believe in but I don't think he'll ever admit to my theory if I ever brought it up to him and asked.

"Does... the few seconds before you entered my room count?" I asked sheepishly while rubbing my eyes, glancing up at the raven head. He clearly didn't find what I said funny as he moved to sit opposite from me on my bed. I bit my bottom lip before hugging my arms, avoiding eye contact. I knew he'd end up asking any second now... but I can't tell him a single word of what was going on because that was the deal I had made with the voice: not a word of what we had discussed would be spoken to a single other soul.

I hate this... I really do! I was lying to EVERYONE again. Two years ago, I was lying about the fact I was dating Bill Cipher and now I'm hiding the fact I've made contact with this demon who wants to reveal every last one of Bill's secrets to me.

"Okay, what in the Nightmare Realm is going on with you and-...what's that?"

"What's what?"

"The box."

"The what?"

"Y/n, I'm not freaking blind! The box with three locks sitting in between us! Where'd you get the box? And why does it have three locks?!"

I took a deep breath in. How was I going to answer him?! I was a terrible liar, and since Markus was used to lying to a majority of people on a daily basis in the past, I am sure he would be able to sense a lie, especially a terrible one, from a mile away. And if he saw through my lie, that would only lead to more questions and possibly make him involve more people. He would possibly drag Bill into this if I kept refusing to answer him, and Bill was the last person I wanted to know about this box and its real purpose. So how was I going to convince him to not dig deeper into the meaning behind the box and avoid telling others about it...?

"I... found it. I can't tell you where I found it or what its purpose is. I just- I can't. If I do... something bad might happen, I'm sorry. Please, you can't tell anyone about this! I really don't want anything bad to happen to you guys!" I whispered to him but in a sense of urgency and fear. It was all I could come up with at the moment! Avoiding his questions would only lead to suspicion, lying was no good when it came to me, and if I tried to tell him to back-off he could go and mention all of this to someone else to try and have them come talk to me about it. I... I needed to put my faith in Markus at this very moment and pray that he would understand and help me keep this box a secret.

Markus looked concerned and confused all at once now because of what I said. He crossed his legs, deciding to get comfortable, as he stared me down in thought. He... wasn't planning on letting this go now, was he? I shrunk back in response to his stare, suddenly feeling very small and vulnerable. What if he could read my thoughts just by looking long enough into my eyes, no powers necessary? They do say that the eyes of a person is a gateway into their soul, and at this very moment my soul was looking pretty guilty and shameful from all that I have done, and I have yet to even begin this quest of mine!

"You can't tell me, or you don't want to...? There's a big difference between the two. You could not want to tell me why you're being so secretive about a very odd looking box because you have your reasons and privacy which I would usually respect... But then again, you said that you 'can't' tell me. That would imply that something is keeping you from telling me--... or... someone is preventing you from saying a word about it to me or else 'something bad might happen,' as you had put it," Markus spoke his thoughts aloud, his expression turning into that of an "anxious-parent look" the more he began to figure out what was happening here. Which was... really impressive given the fact that I have remained silent after simply stating that I couldn't tell him anything about my box. I barely gave him anything to work off of and you're telling me he practically figured it all out?! "Y/n... is someone preventing you from telling me what this is about?"

I said nothing in response to this but kept my eyes glued onto his electrifying green ones, trying to keep my body from shaking out of fear.

"...If they told you not to say anything about it... can you at least answer "no" or "yes" with a simple head nod or shake?"

I thought about that question for a moment before answering him with a small shrug, honestly having no idea whether or not that would be okay with the demon. The voice had specifically told me: "No one else may hear a word that has been spoken tonight." So... so long as I keep my mouth shut and never speak a word, would I be safe to answer any questions Markus has? I mean-- as long as they are simple "yes" or "no" questions and I don't speak a word, I should be safe... right? I have no clue, but... it is worth a shot, I suppose. I really don't want anything bad to happen to him, though, if I screw this up and the voice doesn't like the answers I have given him...

"Well... can we at least try doing that?" Markus pushed on, his concern not fading away in the slightest.

I hesitated for a moment, but then I finally gave him a small nod.

"Okay. Great! Umm... IS someone keeping you from talking about the information that comes with this box?"

Again, I nodded.

"Are you in any kind of danger?"

I shook my head quickly. He paused for a moment and just looked at me, seeming to be reading my face to make sure I had just given him an honest answer after having answered him so quickly. I was being honest, though. This... demon... didn't seem like he was out to hurt me in any way. Was he out to strike fear into me and burn a horrifying image in my brain so every time I closed my eyes I saw three dead deers hanging from a willow tree? Yes. Yes, he was. But he was not out to physically harm me, as far as I was concerned.

"...Alright... Good, you're okay. At least we got the most important question out of the way." Markus smiled kindly toward me, his previously tense posture now relaxing a bit. That was the most important question he wanted to ask me...? That-... I was not expecting that in the slightest. "Okay, now to my next question: Do you know who it is that gave you this box?"

I was about to answer, but then stopped. That is a-... tricky question. Was he talking about if I personally knew him? Like- if I was aware of his name, what he looked like, where he lived? "...Elaborate?"

"Oh-... umm... right- Is the one who gave you the box someone you know here in town?"

I shook my head.

"Uh-... okay... Do you know whether or not they are... human or supernatural?"

I nodded.

"...Are they a demon?"

Again, I nodded.

"Okay... a demon... that's helpful to know-... Wait... Is it the dream demon that's after you?! The one that gave you the nigh-"

I shushed him quickly before grabbing his hand to calm him down, shaking my head while keeping a relaxed expression on my face. This seemed to throw him off entirely as he looked down at the box then back up at me, more questions beginning to swarm inside his head.

"It's... not the dream demon...? So... another demon has made contact with you?"

I nodded.

"...That seems oddly suspicious, don't you think? Do you have any proof that this demon isn't our mysterious dream demon that Bill has been tirelessly hunting down day after day...?"

I looked down, letting go of his hand and leaning back so my back hit the headboard of my bed. I thought about it for a moment... but I could only shrug. This voice CLAIMS that he is a "demon of music" but I have... absolutely no proof of this. Why have I been blindly trusting this voice this entire time? It was as though the more questions Markus asked me, the more I began to wake up from some trance and see the reality of it all. I placed blind faith into this demon I have yet to meet face-to-face... but why? Why have I been so willing to listen to this voice when it has given me absolutely no reason to trust it?

"Great... That's... That's just great, sweetheart. And the box? Did this demon force you to take hold of this box?"

I shook my head.

"You took the box WILLINGLY? Why? Why would you do that- What's so important about this box that you took it straight from a demon that you have never met before?!"

And just like that, it felt as though I was going under the trance once more, recalling the purpose of the box and what the voice promised me: the truth about Bill Cipher. "Answers," was all I whispered underneath my breath, my gaze now locked onto the box and almost forgetting about the fact Markus was still there sitting in front of me.

"Answers to what?" he asked, taking the box in his hand and looking it over.

"I can't..." I muttered, shaking my head before looking up at him with an apologetic expression.

"Right, right, of course you can't tell me because if you were to tell me then 'something bad could happen,' I get it. Just-...tell me this, at least: Is what you're hoping to gain from inside this box really worth all this? The secrecy, the lies, putting trust in a demon we have never encountered before- who could also very well be the dream demon who has been after you?" He lifted the box in front of me, allowing me to take a good long look at it before I gave him my final answer.

Was this all worth it...?

Lying to Bill... Going against my own boyfriend to find out the truth of his past... The past he will never tell me about on his own accord... At this point, it feels like the only way I will ever be able to learn about his past is through this box.

"All the secrets he keeps from you, all the lies he tells you. Don't you want to know the truth? Know the real Bill Cipher that he hides from you? The monster behind the golden mask he wears."

I do not know why I thought back to those particular words that the voice had spoken to me on the first night he made contact with me... Bill isn't a monster, I know he's not! Even when the townspeople of Gravity Falls start to doubt him and are unable to look past the things he had done to them a couple years back, I am still unable to see the monster that everyone claims to be there inside of Bill! I know it's not true, I know it! ...Yet... why do those words that the voice spoke to me intrigue me so? Why is it so unnerving not knowing what Bill had done in the past? What has he done that makes everyone so persistent in calling him a monster? Why do I care?! I was not bothered by his unknown past before! I accepted the fact he did a lot of bad stuff before and I moved past it, seeing him as the demon he is today and not the demon he once was-- but his words! His words tempt me and make me rethink everything I thought before- how can just a few mere words spoken to me by a complete stranger make my head start to fill with so much uncertainty and distrust for the man I love?! Why can't I just stop, stop wanting to look deeper into Bill's past, and instead why can't I just respectfully leave it be until he is ready to talk to me about it?!

"Yes, it is."

The words came out of my mouth faster than my mind had time to process that I was answering the powerless demon's question. Wait- but I was nowhere close to being ready to give my answer to him! I didn't even know what my answer to his question was going to be! So why did I say "yes" and with so much... confidence? It didn't feel right! It felt like someone else had answered for me at that moment, only with my voice and mouth. I should take it back; I should explain to Markus that I didn't mean for that to be my answer-... but my mouth refused to open and I couldn't get myself to speak up. I am so confused... Why was my mind trying to accept this as normal and that I had made that decision on my own while my heart knew better than that and could tell that something was really wrong here...? My heart knew- it just knew I would never in my right mind say "yes" to this!

"I see," Markus started with a sigh, placing the box back down in front of me before continuing, "Well, if that's the case then this box must be pretty important..."

It's not.

"So, why haven't you opened it yet?"

"Because I have yet to find the three keys that will fit these locks, Locke." I picked up the piece of paper once again and handed it over to him. It was a clue, a riddle to where the first key was, but the tricky part was that it was all in Caesar Cipher. If someone who wasn't a demon were to get their hands on this, they would never be able to figure out what this piece of paper said. Lucky for me, I'm not your average human and I have taught myself how to decode anything in Caesar Cipher. It's quite easy once you get the hang of it; at this point, Caesar is like a second language to me.

"Wait- you were planning to go and find these keys all on your own?! What if this demon set up traps for you?!"

"Then tough luck for me, I guess. Look, I'm sure I'll be fine, and if anything bad happens I can easily get myself out of it with my demonic powers-"

"You mean the same powers that have been malfunctioning ever since you've come back? The same powers that you can't get to work the majority of the time even when your life's on the line, like when the gnomes had been after you on your first day back?"

"...Yeah?"

"...Heck. To. The. No."

"What? Why?!" I exclaimed, looking at him in shock. Was he seriously going to try and stop me from doing this?!

"I'm not about to let you get yourself into possible danger because you want to be some 'hero of Gravity Falls' again and jump into this blindly and unprepared! If you want to do this, then I'm coming with you. End of discussion," Markus spoke firmly, crossing his arms.

"Wha- NO! No, you can't come with me! I have no idea whether or not the demon who gave me this quest would be okay with that! What if he hurts you because I let you come along?! I've already risked your safety enough by telling you this much information!"

Markus shrugged. "Who cares what happens to me? I'm already a poor excuse for a demon with no friends or family... I'm just seen as a good-for-nothing demon slave to the Pines family... and no one else in this town will even give me the time of day after what I did for Kaden... I hurt... a lot of people, including you... I ruined your entire childhood and any hope of you having a good relationship with your birth father... So who cares what this demon does to me for helping you out? At least I go out trying to redeem myself, and in the process I'm getting to keep you safe."

"Markus-"

"And if you don't let me come, then I guess I have no choice but to tell the others about this box and this mysterious demon that you have been speaking to behind our backs. I think I'll start with Bill first, then I'll tell Ford- or I'll tell them both at the same time!" He noticed the fear that spread across my face because of these words, and in return he gave me a smug smirk. "If you let me help you locate these keys, then I promise that your secret is safe with me. Bill and the Pines will never find out about this, and in return I get to keep you safe and alive! I think it sounds like a pretty good deal to me. What do you say?"

Well... He got me there. I growled slightly, crossing my arms and slouching back. "I say: I officially hate you and your cockiness."

"Aaaand~?" he grinned, leaning forward slightly as he fluttered his eyes in an innocent-looking manner.

"...Fine. It's a deal. But this means you can't talk to anyone about this- and NO loopholes! You don't get to speak, nod or shake your head, use sign language, use charades, write it down, or even record yourself saying it! You got it?!"

"Understood!" He took my hand and shook it firmly, a way to signify that the deal was sealed. "Now then... let's figure out Riddle Number One, shall we~?"

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