Mr penis

Devesto reveals the truth, the shadow leaves a message, and Yoshi restrains him)*

Toady still had Devesto pinned by his shirt, eyes narrowed, jaw tight.
The others formed a tight cluster behind Yoshi, who now stood like the group’s shield.

“Talk,” Toady said.

For once, Devesto didn’t smirk or wiggle or try to dodge the question.
He just inhaled slowly, his expression flattening into something too calm.

“It’s not a ghost,” he whispered.
“It’s not a mutant. It’s not a machine. It’s something else.”

Norther frowned.
“Something else like what?”

Devesto blinked once.
“Something that wasn’t supposed to be alive anymore.”

Before anyone could respond, a faint clicking echoed down the hall—like metal tapping metal.

Curator’s breath caught. “Is it coming closer?”

“No,” Devesto said softly.
“It’s talking.”

“What do you mean ‘talking’—” Mewo began.

But then—

SKRRTCHH… SKRRTCHH…

A horrible scraping noise dragged across the wall.

Something was writing.

Shira clutched Corpse.Bride’s hand.
Randomiser nearly climbed onto Cornball like a koala.

Yoshi stepped forward, all instincts flaring.
“You stay behind me,” he ordered the group.
Then to Devesto:
“And you—don’t you dare move.”

Devesto smiled thinly.
“I don’t need to.”

Yoshi glanced at Nobleranger, who nodded. Together they grabbed Devesto by the arms and forced him down onto his knees—Yoshi’s grip firm, Nobleranger’s steady.

Devesto hissed out a breath but didn’t resist.
If anything, he looked amused.

“Restraints?” he chuckled.
“How delightfully democratic.”

“Shut up,” Nobleranger muttered.

The scraping continued, louder, like letters carved into steel.

Toady, Yoshi, and Curator slowly stepped forward while the others held their ground.

As they approached the wall, the lights flickered—just once—revealing jagged, freshly carved words in the metal.

Words that froze the blood of every person present.

“YOU’RE NOT ALONE.”

The speaker-cat hissed and bolted behind Cornball’s legs.

Randomiser screamed,
“I HATE THAT PHRASE SO MUCH—THAT IS A TOP TEN WORST PHRASE EVER—”

Corpse.Bride squeezed Shira’s arm.
“This isn’t normal. This isn’t NORMAL—”

Norther took a shaky step back.
“This implies intent. Awareness.”

Curator’s voice cracked.
“It knows we’re here.”

Toady swallowed hard.
“And it wants us to know it.”

Mewo shook her head violently.
“Nope nope nope nope I refuse to deal with intelligent horror monsters—”

Yoshi exhaled sharply through his nose.
“This is why I tackled Devesto. He’s making it worse.”

Nobleranger tightened the hold on Devesto’s wrists.
“Alright freakshow. Explain.”

Devesto smiled—not wide, but soft.
Too soft.

“I tried,” he whispered.
“You all thought I was just being weird.”

“You were,” Mewo snapped.

Devesto leaned his head back slightly, eyes half-lidded.

“It followed us long before the bombs fell.
At the community center.
At the library.
At the arcade.
Every time we met up…”
He paused, humming faintly.
“It watched us.”

Goober’s voice cracked.
“W–why us?”

Devesto grinned at them specifically.
“Because you’re entertaining.”

Yoshi yanked him closer.
“Stop. Talking. Like. That.”

Devesto chuckled softly, allowing the pain, almost enjoying it.

Then—

His expression shifted.

The amusement drained.

The grin faded.

For the first time since they found him…

He looked afraid.

“…Whatever it is,” he whispered, eyes locked on the message on the wall,
“It’s not haunting us.”

The group leaned in unconsciously.

Shira whispered, “Then what is it doing?”

Devesto licked his lips.
Looked up at them one by one.

And said:

“It’s choosing.”

The corridor went silent.

Then—

SKRRTCHH…

A new word peeled itself into the wall beneath the first.

Slow.
Deliberate.
Shaking with each stroke.

“ONE.”

Randomiser fainted again.

Cornball screamed, “BRO—IT’S DOING VOTING ELIMINATIONS—”

Mewo’s face went pale.
“Nah… Yoshi. This is your thing. Fix the voting monster.”

Yoshi stood frozen.

Because even he—lover of every voting-based game ever—had never seen something like this.

Toady lifted their head.

“We move,” they said quietly.
“Now. Before it decides anything else.”

Behind them, Devesto trembled—not with fear, but with a terrible, quiet excitement.

“…It’s starting,” he murmured.

Yoshi tightened his grip around Devesto’s arms like he was restraining a live grenade.

“Not tonight it isn’t,” he growled.