The underground laboratory was silent.

Not the usual silence of an empty room, but the kind that pressed against the ears-heavy, suffocating, alive. Yazmina had navigated the facility enough times to know that no one patrolled this far down at night. Not even security.

Which meant if she got caught, there'd be no one to blame but herself.

She moved carefully, her footsteps barely making a sound against the pristine tiles. In one hand, she gripped a small flashlight, its beam dimmed to the lowest setting. The overhead fluorescents remained off, casting the lab in a blanket of shadow.

The reinforced glass chamber stood exactly where it had been hours ago, the thick metal plating keeping its occupant locked away.

Yazmina stepped closer.

The scorpion hadn't moved. Its massive form remained still within the containment unit, its dark exoskeleton reflecting faint traces of light. The red mist from earlier had long since dissipated, leaving nothing but a sterile, air-controlled environment.

She exhaled softly.

It was waiting. She knew that much.

And now, so was she.

Yazmina raised the flashlight slightly, watching how the creature's sleek form caught the light. There was something unnatural about how still it was-how perfectly its body remained poised, as if any moment, it could strike.

A predator playing dead.

What are you really?

Her mind worked quickly, analyzing every detail. The way it had feigned submission earlier, how it had resisted the gas, the strange intelligence in its movements... This wasn't just an anomaly. It was an outlier.

Something different.

Something dangerous.

Then-

A noise.

Yazmina stiffened.

Soft. Faint. But there.

A shuffle.

Someone was outside.

She immediately doused the flashlight and slipped behind a row of metal cabinets, pressing herself into the shadows. Her breathing was slow, measured, every instinct telling her to stay perfectly still.

No one should be here.

This area was secluded, restricted. Even Crane only came when necessary.

Then who-?

The door creaked open.

Yazmina narrowed her eyes, her muscles coiled for movement if necessary. The figure stepping inside was small-too small to be an adult. At first, she thought it was a child, but then she saw it.

Porcelain.

White, flawless skin, glossy under the dim emergency lighting.

Curls of bright red hair, tied into pigtails with blue bows.

Thin black eyebrows, long lashes framing big, unnervingly blue eyes.

A blue dress with white ruffles, a long skirt and sleeves, stockings, and black Mary Janes.

A pull cord at her back.

Yazmina's breath caught.

No way.

Poppy.

The doll who would help the Player in the game. The doll who was not yet proven if she's an ally or a foe.

Now here she was.

Real. Moving. Sneaking into the lab just like Yazmina.

Poppy stepped forward cautiously, her small hands clutching the folds of her dress. Her big blue eyes scanned the room before she whispered-

---

POPPY'S POV:

(Okay... okay... this is fine. I just need to be quick. Get in, find it, and get out.)

(But... what if it isn't here?)

(No, no-Ollie said it should be somewhere deep in the labs. This is deep enough... right?)

(I hope he's right.)

(I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be doing this. But... it's for Ollie. He needs it.)

(And he's the only one who's ever cared about me.)

(I don't know why he needs the poppy gas... but if it's important to him, then it's important to me too.)

(The vents were harder to get through this time. Dustier. Tighter. This place is falling apart, but I still remember it like I was just here yesterday.)

(I wish I wasn't.)

(Father built this place. I used to know every inch of it. Where everything was. Where everyone went. Where they kept secrets. But I never thought I'd have to crawl through it like a rat.)

(But what else am I supposed to do?)

(I have to help him.)

(Ollie would do the same for me. He's the only one who listens. The only one who doesn't treat me like some... doll. Some thing to be looked at and locked away.)

(Unlike them.)

(I just have to find the vial. That's all. Then I can go back.)

(...But what if someone sees me?)

(No one should be here. Right?)

(Right?)

---

Yazmina stayed hidden, her heartbeat steady as she watched Poppy move with careful, deliberate steps.

The doll's porcelain face remained eerily expressionless, but her bright blue eyes flickered with determination.

She was searching for something.

Poppy's small hands glided over the metal shelves, skimming past stacks of files and vials of unknown substances. Her movements were swift but precise-like she already had an idea of where to look.

Then, she paused.

Her gaze locked onto a set of enclosed boxes stacked neatly against the far side of the lab. Yazmina squinted, silently shifting to get a better view.

There-printed in bold black letters on each crate:

"POPPY GAS-HANDLE WITH EXTREME CAUTION"

Bingo.

Poppy's hands curled into fists for a moment, as if steadying herself. Then, she stepped forward and carefully lifted the lid of the nearest crate. Inside, rows of neatly arranged glass vials reflected the dim light, their crimson liquid swirling within like something alive.

She hesitated only for a second.

Then, with quick, practiced movements, she reached in and plucked a single vial from its slot.

Yazmina watched as Poppy cradled the vial in her small hands, staring at it for just a beat longer than necessary.

As if questioning whether she was doing the right thing.

Then, without another second of hesitation, she turned on her heel and moved toward the exit.

Yazmina's eyes narrowed.

She's not supposed to have that.

She waited a few moments after Poppy slipped out, then silently emerged from her hiding spot. Moving with practiced stealth, she followed the doll through the dimly lit corridors, keeping a careful distance.

Poppy was fast-far faster than Yazmina expected-but Yazmina was patient.

And she needed to know where Poppy was taking that vial.

Because whatever Ollie needed it for-

It couldn't be good.

-----

Poppy moved fast, clutching the vial tightly in her small hands. She navigated the dim corridors with practiced ease, her footsteps barely making a sound against the cold, sterile floor.

She just had to reach the nearest vent.

But then-she stopped.

Her tiny frame stiffened as a low, guttural chuff echoed through the hallway ahead.

Something was there.

Poppy's wide blue eyes darted toward the corner just in time to see a shadow shift. Then, stepping into the pale sliver of light-

Yarnaby.

The massive creature loomed, its body coiled and tense, thick strands of colorful yarns fibers twisting unnaturally as it sniffed the air. Its button-like eyes were black and hollow, unblinking.

Poppy swallowed.

Yarnaby was sensitive to movement. And even more sensitive to sound.

Slowly-painstakingly-she began to climb toward the vent.

Her small fingers gripped the cold metal edges, her movements controlled and precise. She barely breathed. Inch by inch, she pulled herself up, careful not to shift too much weight at once.

She was almost there.

Just a little more-

Then-

Clink.

A tin can tumbled from the edge of the crate she had brushed against.