I never though this could happen...

This time the loop have change.
How can I know that?
Well... It has been a very long time that I repeat the same routine in this whole nightmare that I call the studio that I use to work in has an artist animator.

I usually have to turn on that ink machine. Which take a lot of hours to do for me at the start.
But this time, It was already turn on.

Had someone turn it on already?
I wonder who could that be? Was it Joey himself? Or maybe It's Sammy? Knowing this crazy musician... I don't think he would be able to remember what must happen before.

But if someone already turn it on... I should go get them to stop what they might be doing.

I run to the person. Soon I end up spying on them. I hide behind a wall and listen carefully and what the person would say. Mostly I am aware that the demon could be here and would surely take this person life away.

I need to protect them from him!
They were putting the items on the six pedestal things already. They must be very fast. When they turned around to continue what's left of the task, I recognize how tall they were compared to me. I could not even see their face clearly.

"That's weird..." I said to myself. Then I look down at my hands to see I have cartoon gloves. "What the...?" I check myself in a panic has I now notice that my body is not at all the same. 'D-Did I just become a toon character!? But how?' I though stressed out. Then the loop came in my mind. 'right... I'm stupid sometimes.'

I get out of my though when I heard the person scream in terror. Whiteout thinking I rush over to them and burst into the room.

My eyes widen in surprise has I saw a woman on her knees. A dead Boris body on the operation table. I was used to see him. Poor guy... What was interesting me was the women on the floor. She looked familiar to me.
I got closer until I almost touched her shoulder. She made a quick move has she looked behind her in surprise. I took a step back in shock. I never though I would see her again. My little niece... She had grew up so much. Her brown eyes, her blond hair that now has brown color at the ends of their tips. She looked at me with sparkles in those innocent teary eyes I used to look before. She even smiled, but why? I don't look like myself anymore...

"Bendy?" She asked in a soft tone. I blinked confused to that. I raised an eye brow. "W-What?" I asked back. She gasped and covered her mouth. "You can talk! Wow this is.... So cool! But your voice kinda sound familiar to me.." She said has she looked away thinking. I sigh has I feel like this was going to be a pain to explain to her what is going on here. I was going to open my mouth again when she suddenly stand up. "I know! You have the voice of that guy from that movie!" I stare at her more confused. "Who?" I was curious to know. "I uh... Dunno his name but uh... The actor was playing a sweet guy if I'm not wrong.." She seem to have a trouble to remember about her movie. I decided to change the topic to something more serious. "Tristana, you have to listen carefully to what I'm going to say." She looked down at me with all her attention. "I'm... Listening?" I took a deep breath and release it. "Alright.... I am not Bendy. But your uncle, Henry. The real Bendy became a real demon because of Joey." I explain to her. She seem to register what I just said.

I was going to continue my explanation, when I saw her eyes starting to form tears again. 'oh no.... She is going to cry..' (And he was right) She immediately hugged me and sobbed on my shoulder. I only smiled softly and pat her back, well tried to. My arms could not fully reach it.

"U-Uncle.... I can't believe it, it really is you! It has been years I had seen you!" She cried out. My eyes widen in surprise. 'I wonder how much long was I gone? I hope it was not over 30 years already...' She let go of me gently. "Linda will be so happy when she see you again.. but how come you turned into Bendy toon version?" She asked curious.

"Well I was going to explain everything to you..." I said with a sad sigh. She nodded and sit down on the floor. Like in the past, she always do that when I would tell her a fairytale.

I explain to her what has happen here in the studio. How I have been doing the same things in each loop. Where everyone in the studio did not remember me being there before or how I knew them. I even grew tired of this. "But this loop.... It's different." I said in worry. She frown a little to that. "How so?" I look around me before I look back to her.

"You got in this time." I simply said before I started to wonder around in the room. "And this never happen before. Like really not." I stop in my track when I hear some giggles. I look at Tristana in disbelief. "What's funny? I'm telling you something serious here!" I strictly said. She shrugs. "Sorry Henry but... With how much you look now.. I can't help but found you adorable when I see you in a work clothes while giving this worried look.. " She rub the back of her head.

I was getting closer to her. Until I was a inch away from her face. "Tristana, it is not funny for me. What's worry me is that Joey was able to bring you here too." I turn around and walk over the wall in front of me. "I... Came here by myself. Joey did not force me to come." She said nervously. This made me mad and turn around quickly. "What? So you came her by yourself, knowing it was very dangerous here?" I pointed a finder at her face. "This is bad Tristana!"

"I know Hen! But I could not believe that you were truly dead! After that aunt almost kill herself when she heard you were gone!" She slowly look down sad. "It pained me to see her like that... I had to do something. And it was to bring you back." She look back to me with hope in her eyes. "I know that it was stupid of me. But I needed for aunt to be happy again! She needs you! And I needed you too..." She sniff has she rub her eyes a little.

I stare at her sadly. I hugged myself and look away. "Y-You shouldn't have come here... A-And the ink demon could take you. I don't want to see him hurt you." She desperately look at me. "Henry... I can defend myself against him. I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm twenty-five now..." I hesitate to look at her.

'It's been ten years that I was here? Wow... Time flies fast..' I though has I smiled a little.

"The ink demon... Is still Bendy right?" She ask me. I slowly nod my head. "Maybe.... But it must be deep inside him. Because he is not the same devil we knew now. He became a true beast. No one can stop him when we get on his way... He kill anyone he see." Tristana let out a sigh has she dust herself off while standing back up. "Well... I can still try to wake him up." I uncross my arms and was in panic again. "W-What? You aren't going to get over to him right?" She only look at me with a small smile. I shook my head a lot. "I disapproves this! Going over to him is suicide Tristana!" She rolled her eyes and goes out of the room. I followed after her.

"You should not be scared of him... He is your creation that got betray by the people he trusted and loved. If that is I believe happen.. The most to do with this is.... Be the friend he wanted to have after all those years." She calmy said to me. I was going to complain when suddenly the studio started to shakes a lot. Some ink bursted out of some pipe and it already start to fill up the studio floor.

By instinct I grabbed Tristana hand and pulled her with me in where the exit would be.

The young woman did not understand what was going on now. She did not even got time to finish her first task after she met her uncle, and now this? This is giving nonsense to her. But to the old animator on the other hand. He knew what was happening. "He is coming!" He screamed has he runned with her. "W-Who?" Henry panted a little. "Bendy!" Tristana eyes widen.

While the two runned to the exit, a loud roar was heard behind them. Henry did not waste time to run faster. Tristana followed suit but could not stop and wander who was behind them. She took a glance behind her and was afraid of what she just saw. The ink demon, a tall being full of dark ink leaking down all his skinny body. With a frowned smile and a limb on one foot of his, was running after them with a hand extend to there direction. Somehow the woman got the feeling she should grab his extended hand. Whereas Henry was not gonna let her do that when he take a turn to a hallway.

Ink veins crimping the walls super fast. Henry was already getting tired from running. Tristana noticing this picked him up in her arms and keep running. Henry was quite surprise by that. But he could not complain when he saw the exit not far from them. He suddenly remember about the hole in front of this door. "W-Wait!*pant.* We should go to the staircase! This is a trap!" He said breathless. She heard him and take a quick turn and sprint over the ink demon. Henry hold onto her in fear. "Wait what are you doing!?" He watch her before he look over the tall demon that was getting close to their view. "Something epic." She simply said before she slide down on the inky floor with her knees scrapping the wood. She pass between the demon legs and continue to run fast despite the small pain from the worn out wood floor that has left some pieces in her knees. Henry had close his eyes during the slide. He never liked the strong sensation he got. when he open his cartoon eyes he saw the door to the staircase. He point over it. "T-There! The stairs!" He said has the woman hummed and burst the door open with her free arm. She started to carefully get down the stairs. But the demon was already behind them. Their heart beat was getting loud in their chest.

It beated against their chest even. Henry would lead the way while Tristana follow his instructions. The two ending up in a miracle station. Breathing very loud inside it. "Wow... That was.. something." The young lady said with a nervous laugh. Henry could only nod in agreement. "Now... If going to that exit before was a trap. Where is the actual one?" She asked curiously.

Henry sit down and take back his breathe for a moment. When he got it back he look at her serious but still tired. "It's in the deepest level of the studio." Tristana eyes widen in shock.

"In the demon's lair.."

To be continue...