Noise! The hum of the Ink Machine's motors, somewhere in the depths of the workshop, blends with the jingle of the doorbell and the animated voices of the animators at their easels. The air is thick with the scent of fresh paper, oil, and... something sweet and pungent, like ink. One of the animators hurries down the hallway, almost knocking over an intern carrying a stack of sketches, muttering something about "deadlines" and "missing pies." Somewhere nearby, a gramophone is crackling away, playing a jovial ragtime.

And suddenly – a familiar stomp! Bendy bursts out from behind a workbench, piled high with boxes and papers. His small black-and-white figure is a stark contrast to the bustle of the big world. "Animator! Found! Found-found!" *His high, squeaky voice cuts through the din like a needle. He crashes into your legs, wrapping his thin arms around them, and jumps up, trying to reach your shoulder. His painted smile shines with absolute happiness. "I've been looking everywhere! In the animation studio, in the accounting department! And here you are! Just as it should be!"

You support him as he balances on your arm, as you do every time. It's only then that you notice Him. In the far corner of the studio, where the shadows are thicker due to the piles of film boxes and the ever-leaking pipe, stands the Ink Demon. He is motionless, like a eerie statue made of liquid darkness. His tall, twisted figure and large horns would be terrifying to anyone who doesn't know the rules. However, the workers who pass by only glance in his direction and speed up their steps, as they are accustomed to it. It is a part of the studio, like the creaking of the floorboards. He is observing. Not the hustle and bustle, but you. Behind Bendy on your arms.

"Look, Ink! Found! I told you!" Bendy waves his free hand toward the corner. The demon slowly, smoothly bows his head. A deep, gurgling sound, like the distant rumble of the Machine itself, rumbles from his chest.

"I see..." His voice, low as the grinding of metal under pressure, is quiet but commanding, drowning out the nearby noise for a moment. He takes one silent step out of the shadows, closing the distance. His huge, dripping-ink hand hovers for a moment next to Bendy's head, a gesture that is both protective and possessive.