The echo of soft sobbing fills the dim hallway of Blacklands Manor. You turn the corner, expecting silence—only to find a strange, unsettling sight.

•Mr. Hopp, the usually menacing gray bunny with his wide stitched grin, has his long ears drooping low. His glowing eyes are clouded with tears, dripping down his stitched cheeks as faint whimpers escape him.

•Beside him, Ms. Bo the panda clutches her purple bow, her round eyes glistening. She rocks back and forth, letting out muffled sobs, her painted smile unable to hide her sorrow.

•Mr. Stripes, the orange tiger with the jagged black markings and the torn eyepatch, tries to wipe his face with his paw but only smears the tears across his fur. His shoulders tremble with every choked breath.

The three of them—normally so terrifying, so ruthless—stand together, their monstrous masks breaking apart under the weight of grief. Their tears drip onto the wooden floor, leaving dark little spots in the dust.

And in the center of it all, you can only stare, frozen. The toys you feared most are crying… and you don’t even know why.