The castle is ever so much darker when you're around Nightmare.

Everything I laid eyes upon when I first arrived is nowhere to be found, hiding away from the skeleton before me. Even the fire lighting the torches upon the wall seems to shrink away from him as he glides calmly across the floor, seeming to have not a care in the world that everything fears him, every being around is scared of his presence. My shoes tap against the floor as we progress through the halls, not a word escaping either of us.  It takes everything not to bail on the plan as I stare into the shadows,meekly looking back into their eyes as their gaze follows me throughout the hall. Keeping my calm, I pick up the pace to reach Nightmare. Soon enough, we come to a halt at a loomimg set of doors. The seemingly heavy wood seems to be brushed away by apparitions of darkness that soon disappear moments after doing their job.

I follow the skeleton into the room and look around, finding nothing to accompany us.

The dark skeleton stops and goes nowhere as his fists clench again. The room seems to darken as the reddish-orange flame lighting the torches on the walls seems to shrink away in fear of him. 

"Such a naïve one," He growls, anger lacing his words in a terrible way. "Thinking I wouldn't figure out what you had planned." Nightmare turns in a circle to face me,instilling fear in my heart as I stare into his vicious eyes. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I cross my arms over my chest and look right back at him.

"What are you talking about?" I ask with a tilt of my head. "The only plan for me was to-"

"-Rescue Swap by form of trade and then have your friends save you?" He asks darkly, looking down to the floor.

My heart drops to my feet as I look at him in shock, my once relaxed posture stiffening up. "How did you..."

"Tell me, Y/N, Of all the pictures you have drawn..."

Nightmare looks into my eyes.
"Have any of the characters' eyes been black?"

And that's when it hits me.

The picture I drew.

He was watching me.

I turn to run, my feet slamming against the ground. The doors seem so promising as I take out my paintbrush, ready to slice the air and get back to safety, safety in the arms of my friends. As soon as I reach them, however, an unknown force pushes them closed with a slam. Closing my fists around the handles, I push and tug with all of my strength, hoping to open them and escape.

But my attempts are futile.

I slice my brush through the air beside me. Nothing happens. Again, I try to create an opening to my home, but it fails again. My heart is pounding; my breath is labored. I give up on the brush and slam my body into the doors at full force.

However my efforts are cut short as a sharp, stabbing pain blossoms throughout my back, my vision leaving me as everything I know is peacefully overwritten,the painful feeling of my code becoming something more soon subsiding.

(Oh my gaw it's another P.O.V for once)

Ink Sans' P.O.V

Whilst Dream takes care of our dazed teammate, I try to prepare for what could become of us when we go to fight. Part of me contemplates going to save Y/N now, to save them and possibly risk my own life in doing so. But another part of me knows that if I were to do this, my team could be put in grave danger as well. It scares me somewhat, knowing that my friend could be dead, or hurt, or worse by now, and I am powerless against that. I'm torn between what's right and the plan.

Nevertheless, I continue to prepare.

My hands aimlessly grab at whatever they can. Paint grenades, smoke bombs, whatever I can find, I grab. My mind is too worried about what could have become of my friend, I'm running on auto-pilot with worry. When the time comes and I feel I've gotten enough, I close the chest of supplies I keep hidden and shove it back under my bed, brushing off my clothes as I stand.

I find myself zoning out as I stare at the place where my jacket should be. I feel overwhelming sadness as I think of Y/N, how they could be cold, or tired, or hurt.

Snapping out of my trance, I take a deep breath and head back downstairs, reminding myself that whatever happens, we'll be able to help.

"Hello, Ink," Dream waves to me with a sad smile. "Blue seems to be doing well, he's already seemingly back to his normal self. He's so worried about Y/N, though... Did you finish preparing?" The golden-clad skeleton asks.

I nod slightly as I reach the bottom of the stairs. "We should put the plan into effect now, before Nightmare decides to do something drastic." I cross my arms.

"Good idea," Dream nods. "Blueberry! Let's go save Y/N!" He calls upstairs.

The shorter skeleton dashes down the stairs, his cape flowing behind him as he leaps from the third step and lands beside me.

"LET'S GO SAVE OUR FRIEND!" He chirps happily, throwing his fist into the air with pride.

Smiling, I swipe my brush across the ground, creating a portal to Nightmare's castle.

My teammates leap into the portal, leaving me alone for a moment.

"Don't worry, Y/N..." I whisper. "I'm on my way."

With that, I follow my teammates through the portal.

~~~

Cold air sweeps over my body as I land gracefully on the brick floor of Nightmare's castle. Sighing, I place my brush into the holster on my back and look at Dream and Blue.

"Ready?"

They nod, and we set off throughout the halls to find our friend. My sneakers thump against the floor as I run, my scarf flows behind me as I look around for the room we need.

"Hasn't anyone taught you not to run in the halls?" A condescending voice purrs from behind.

Turning, my teammates and I examine the figure. They Stan in the distance,  unseen, but then begin to walk towards us in a slow, stuck-up manner.

"It's against the rules." They stop in their tracks and cross their arms, sticking their hip out to the side.

"...Y/N?!"