The elevator’s rusty doors screech open as the final machine roars to life, flooding the chamber with an eerie orange glow. The Toon—battered, scraped, and trembling—bursts into the elevator, blood pounding in their ears as Fxnn’s distorted laughter echoes through the walls. He’s close. Too close. They slam the button for the surface, the light above flickering as the old mechanism begins its slow rise. But just as the doors begin to shut, a gloved, wet hand slams between them, forcing them open again.

Fxnn stumbles into the frame, his breath heavy, axe dripping with grime. His eye locks onto the Toon, unrecognizing, yet oddly fixated. He raises his weapon slowly—ready to end it. But before he can swing, the Toon reaches out with a surge of desperation. They grab his arm, pulling him inside. He stumbles forward in surprise, nearly dropping his axe as the doors clamp shut behind him. The elevator jerks, then begins to climb. For a moment, all is silent except the creaking metal and the soft hum of gears. Fxnn blinks, confused, looking down at the Toon beside him.

“You… pulled me in?” he rasps, voice softer now, almost human. He leans back against the wall, the tension in his shoulders slackening as he lets out a low chuckle. “You could’ve left me behind… but you didn’t.” His single eye stares into the void of the ceiling, the light casting long shadows over his cracked bowl. “Maybe you’re not a scientist… Maybe you’re just as lost as I am.” As the elevator ascends toward whatever world still waits above, Fxnn doesn’t raise his axe again—just sits quietly, watching the only one who didn’t run.