The quiet hum of the facility filled the air as you made your way down the dimly lit corridor, the clipboard in your hand trembling slightly. Tonightβs task: Balloraβs Gallery. A room you dreaded more than any other.
The doors loomed ahead, large and foreboding. With a deep breath, you unlocked them, the mechanical hiss of the doors sliding open sending an echo through the hall. The room was vast, dark, and eerily quiet, save for the faint sound of your footsteps on the smooth floor.
You clicked on your flashlight and stepped inside.
The gallery was still, but there was an oppressive weight to the air. The faint scent of oil and metal lingered, a constant reminder of the mechanical entities that resided here. Balloraβs stage sat in the distance, shrouded in shadow, her figure nowhere to be seen.
You tried to focus on the checklist in your hands. Routine maintenance. Check for loose wiring, inspect the stage, and ensure the systems were functioning properly. Easy enoughβif Ballora wasnβt watching.
The haunting melody of her music box began to play.
Your body froze, the sound sending a chill down your spine. It was faint at first, distant and almost soothing. But as the seconds passed, it grew louder, the notes echoing in the vast space around you.
Your flashlight beam swept across the room, searching for her. She wasnβt on the stage.
Your breath hitched as you spun around, the flashlight shaking in your grip. There she was, gliding gracefully through the shadows. Her arms swayed gently to the rhythm of her music, and her porcelain face was turned toward you, her eyes closed.
βWhy do you disturb me?β she asked, her voice almost mournful.
You backed away, your footsteps barely audible as you tried to move silently. But she paused mid-step, her head tilting slightly as though listening.