"The library. . . . " Dark whispered to himself.

"Do you know what she's talking about?" Marvin asked, "What library? Back at the Iplier manor or . . .?"

"No" Dark stood up and looked around himself. The cabin had completely rebuilt itself from the fire but he thought about Celine's earlier words.

"We're not safe here. Whatever the thing is, it can hear us, even here. But Celine knows this. He must not be able to reach the library."

"The hell's the library?!" Chase scoffed at him, "We don't have the fucking time to read books, man!"

"That's where she took him, I'm sure of it. We need to go there NOW. If any of you don't want to follow, fine but-"

"We're coming" Jackie stopped him, "Anti's in this mess because of us" he glanced to Henrik, "Because of all of us."

"I know" Dark spoke deadpan, "Follow me, then" he shuddered a little, "This will require . .. physical contact, though. . . so . . .just so you know"

The Septic egos looked at each other oddly but followed Dark out of the cabin and outside in the snowy weather. He held his hands out for them and Marvin was the first to touch his arm, knowing what was coming.

Chase was the last one and looked around at the bleak setting before they'd be leaving.

Just in the distance. . .. he swore he could see a small child just coming out of the forest.

And then they teleported.

It was dark and pitch. Quiet, except for all of their own breathing and little noises.

"We're here"

"Where's here, exactly?" Jackie asked him.

Dark gave off a soft blue hue and motioned ahead of him.

In the near-distance was a grand pool of sorts surrounded by many other pools and mirrors that surrounded it all.

"That's no library I've even seen before" Chase huffed.

"Have you ever actually BEEN to a library?" Henrik snorted at him.

Dark walked ahead towards the mirrors, "Inside. He won't be able to hear or see us here. I believe that's what Celine had meant"

The Septics were. . . . unsure to say the least but Jameson was the first to follow him, not effected by everyone else's uncertainty.

Finally, the all followed behind Dark, into the gateway of mirrors.

"Dammit!" the man conducting everything from behind the scenes was not happy with this.

Nope.

Not happy at all.

'Everything I do, everything I change, they ALWAYS find a way around it! Why can't I get this right!?'

He watched as Dark led the Septic egos into the library and he cursed in his head. This wasn't supposed to go this way.

First Anti disappeared and now all the rest of them! Now he was just stuck with nothing to do! He'd track and have fun with Sean and Evelien but that would be impossible for him. He could only do this to egos. It was because they were so much more pliable. Already created by someone else, they were easy to mold into something else that HE wanted.

'Once either Anti or the Septics come back to my vision, it'll be time to end this. This has already gone on long enough. I'm tired of this play.'

He ran a hand through his hair and scoffed at the situation, 'I'll just have to reset everything just like last time'

Anti groaned and he felt his chest bounce as he coughed. He felt so tired, he could barely feel his own coughing. It did hurt though so at least he knew he wasn't dead.

Everything hurt. He head was swimming and he lifted his arms with a groan to try and pick himself up. His eyes were still shut but he it's not like he wanted to live anyway at this point. He wished he'd never have to open his eyes again.

"Hey"

A voice sounded close to him. Anti didn't know who it was but he remembered being in the fire.

Someone had gotten him out.

"Hey, wake up, already! I don't want to babysit you"

Anti cracked open his eyes, wanted to throw spite back at this person.

Only once he did, all his words flung out the window.

"Wh-. . . . who are you?"

They smiled at him, "Bout damn time you woke up. We don't have a lot of time to waste here"

Anti looked around where they were. It seemed . . .someplace familiar.

"Where are we?"

"Someplace where he can't get to you. Not yet, anyway"

Anti scowled at him, "And how the hell should I trust you?! How do I know YOU'RE not the one behind everything!? What even is going ON!? I'm so fucking confused!"

"Hey easy there, easy . . . . I know you're confused . . .. I know you're scared, Anti. I promise I'm not here to hurt you"

"And how can I trust that?" Anti tried to pull himself back with his arms but this person suddenly gripped both his paralyzed legs.

"Wait, what're you doing!? Stop it! Let me go!" Anti tried to slap them but the pain was abrupt.

Anti fell backwards on the floor and screamed, "Ahaaaaaaaaaaa! Fuuuuuuuck!" he shouted and tried to get away but it was no use.

Until he was suddenly able to kick them right in the chest, sending them back . . .with a light smirk.

Anti stared at them.

They stared back.

The glitch shuddered, a little frightened at what just happened.

"D-did I . . . wh-what . . ." Anti wiggled his toes and was able to move his legs! He stared at his own legs in shock!

"What just happened!? What. . I don't .. . the hell is going on?!"

"I got rid of the poison's effects from Henrik's drug. Don't worry. You can use them now . . HERE at least. Took a lot out of me. I'm not a healer like Celine but the void's taught some nice tricks here and there"

Anti just stared at him so confused, "Wait. . no, you can't be . . .Dark said you were-"

"Well he was wrong. I'm not gone. I never was." He stood up before Anti and offered him his hand so he could stand with him, "It's nice to finally meet you face to face by the way. My name's Damien"

As Dark led them all through the mirror gates, Henrik had A LOT of questions. How was any of this possible? It was so strange and other-worldly.

"This library isn't exactly a normal. . .library like you'd all know. It's a collection but not of books. Of memories concerning the egos. The void contains all of us. I don't know why all of us can't come to it but I suppose that has to do with the properties our creators had given us."

"For instance" Marvin continued, "I could probably get here?"

Dark nodded, "Probably. And Anti and Wilford, too. And of course . . Celine"

'What do you think Celine wants to show us? Is Anti with her, you think?' James asked.

"I don't know." Dark shrugged, "I'm not really sure anymore even I understand what's going on. All I know is that if this thing can control us in ways we aren't aware of. . . we're all in danger"

Jackie looked down into one of the pools, "What are these? Gateways to the different memories you were talking about?"

"Don't know. I've never crossed into them before."

Henrik huffed, "Then how do you know-"

"If Celine has him somewhere in there, then he's safe. You can count on it. I promise"

They didn't look too sure but then there was a splash and they all turned to see Marvin in one of the pools. They stared at him and he looked back up at them, "It's shallower than I thought"

Dark closed his eyes, "I think they went through one of the mirrors. Otherwise, you'd see Anti in one of the pools. The pools, Celine has said, are just meant to dunk your head in and see things-"

"Like fucking Harry Potter!?" Chase shouted, "Fucking kidding me"

Marvin groaned, "Hey! That bitch doesn't get to have all the credit! Fuck off! She stole that idea!"

"Marvin, you have a Harry Potter Deathly Hallows necklace"

" . . . Didn't say I hated the story"

Dark sighed heavily, "Anyways! Let's just-"

"Guys . ." Jackie addressed them, stopping them from arguing, " . . Jameson already went through one of the mirrors."

Everyone collectively sighed and Dark rolled his eyes, "Why am I having to put up with you idiots? Fine! Fine . . Let's go, then! Let it be apparent, though, that I have NO idea what is beyond these mirrors! Celine doesn't tell me EVERYTHING!" Without another word, Dark leapt through the mirror Jameson went through.

The other Septics stared at each other but wordlessly one by one followed after them.

"Thought you were dead" Anti was limping from not being able to use his legs for so long but still tried to seem tougher than he felt, "That's what Dark said"

"Yeah well, Dark doesn't know everything. He's never actually TRIED to get a hold of me before so of course he wouldn't know!"

Anti rubbed at his legs and looked around, "Where did you bring me?"

"The library. I already sent word to Dark from the cabin so he should be here soon. If he got my message, that is. Hopefully he's listened to Celine's words, too. She's too tired to help any further now."

"Library. Where are all the books?"

They were in a sort of room that looked like a study. All around them on the walls were mirrors of all kinds. It looked like some sort of horror movie.

Damien leaned on a desk that was in this room, "All these mirrors are gateways to the person in question's memories. In their head. We're safe here, though from him as long as-"

"Who's HIM?! You've already mentioned it as a HIM. Who is he? I thought I killed Septiceye!"

"You did" Damien confirmed, "But if you really like THAT was your real enemy, you're in for a sour taste in your mouth. He's behind things so much bigger. And I can only talk to you about it here because this is a room Celine created. To block him out specifically."

"Who?"

"You really don't know?"

"Why would I be fucking asking!?" Anti tried to stomp over to him only to stumble, making himself lean on the wall. He looked at the mirror he was next to, seeing into it like a two-way mirror you'd see at a police station.

There right in front of him, he could see that crazy bastard . . . Septiceye.

The person he used to be.

Damien could practically see in his head, "That's not you. Not really"

"Doesn't matter how you paint the picture." Anti stared back at the maniac who was torturing his brothers in this memory, "It still happened. Doesn't change-"

"It changes everything, Anti. Do you want to know why?"

Anti looked over to him, breaking his gaze away from the demon.

"Because Sean didn't change any of your memories. Your lives were simply. . . . reset"

"What? You're lying. That's stupid"

"I'm not lying"

"If our lives were really just 'reset' then how are Sammy and Kallie not here? Or Henrik's kids, Olivia and Noah? How do YOU know all of this and no one else does!?"

"Because no matter how good he thinks he is, he's still doesn't have full control. And that's what he's trying to achieve. He can't, though. Not you Septic egos"

Anti was invested now in this strange tale and was about to ask more until the sound of shattering filled the air.

Damien looked over to a mirror that had cracked, "That's not good"

"What's not? What happened?"

"Seems your brethren and Dark are having a harder time finding us than I thought. I think he may have found a way to involve himself in the library! Dammit! I wish Celine was here! She'd be able to take care of this better than I could!"

"Why? What's happening!? Are they gonna be okay? They'll find us, right!?"

Damien couldn't give him an answer.

Jameson had taken the lead through the mirror. He didn't think himself brave. He just knew that they couldn't just stand around and wait for something to happen.

They had to take matters into their own hands.

When he stepped through, though, he didn't expect what he saw.

He was back at the Septic house.

It was quiet.

And empty.

Jameson furrowed his brow and walked around, hoping to find anything that could help them find Anti. Yes, he was uncertain after Sean's confession but they couldn't just abandon him without letting him explain himself AGAIN.

Hell, Anti probably doesn't even know anything about it!

He still just thinks their memories Sean created, right?

'Oh wait, he DID hear when Sean said 'again', though. . . . maybe he HAS realized something'

He didn't want to think about it but maybe Sean and Anti were in on something together. Sean always seemed to care for him more.

'But I can't think that way. . . . I wonder where the others are? They certainly came behind me, right? They wouldn't just let me come in here alone?'

Suddenly the sound of static filled the halls and Jameson jumped slightly.

The sound of music behind closed doors . . . .

Playing a song eerily familiar to him.

'Is that my gramophone?'

And against his better judgement. . . .

Jameson went on to investigate.