The soft hum of the cameras filled the security office as you leaned back in your chair, eyes flicking between the monitors. It was nearing 3 a.m., and so far, the animatronics had been relatively quiet. The eerie stillness of the pizzeria was almost more unsettling than the chaos of movement.

Almost.

Switching to the feed in Kid’s Cove, your breath hitched. Mangle was gone.

You quickly flipped through the cameras, searching for any sign of them. A flash of white and pink metal appeared on the monitor for the Left Air Vent. Mangle’s disjointed body twisted unnervingly, their glowing eyes staring directly into the camera as if they could see you.

“Not good,” you muttered, switching to the hallway feed.

But before you could process the image, the office lights flickered, and a metallic scraping sound echoed from the vent above you.

Your instincts screamed to grab the mask, but something held you back. Slowly, you turned your flashlight toward the sound.

Mangle was perched in the vent, their head tilted at an unnatural angle. The flashlight beam illuminated their torn frame, the wires dangling like tendrils as they descended partway into the room.