Your first day at the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza day shift was… unsettling.

Kids laughed. Animatronics sang. Balloons bobbed gently in the air.

And yet, none of it felt right.

You were wiping down a counter when you noticed him again.

The night guard.

Michael Afton stood near the security desk, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the animatronics like he was daring them to move. He didn’t blink when Foxy twitched. Didn’t flinch when the lights flickered.

He noticed everything.

“You’re staring,” you said finally, unable to stop yourself.

Michael turned slowly. His eyes met yours—tired, guarded, like someone who hadn’t slept properly in years.

“They’re not just machines,” he replied flatly.

You laughed nervously. “That’s… comforting.”

He didn’t smile.

Later, during your break, you caught him again—this time standing inches from Freddy, listening. Like he was waiting for something only he could hear.

“Do they ever… do that?” you asked, nodding toward the animatronic’s stiff movements.

Michael hesitated. Then quietly, “More than they should.”

That was the moment you realized—he wasn’t paranoid.

He was prepared.

Over the next few days, you noticed the patterns. Michael always arrived early. Always checked the cameras even when off duty. Always lingered when the animatronics malfunctioned.

One afternoon, the lights cut out briefly.

You felt a chill.

Michael was already moving, grabbing a flashlight, stepping in front of you without thinking. “Stay close,” he said under his breath.

The power came back on seconds later. Kids cheered. Music resumed.

Michael didn’t relax.

“You act like you’re waiting for something bad to happen,” you said quietly once things settled.

He looked at you for a long time.

“I am,” he finally admitted. “Because it always does.”

There was something unspoken in his voice—regret, guilt, maybe fear. Not of the animatronics.

Of himself.

As your shift ended, he stopped you at the door. “If anything feels wrong,” he said, eyes serious, “you tell me. Immediately.”

You nodded. “Why?”

He hesitated, then said softly, “Because I won’t let anyone else get hurt.”