Frisk stepped into a narrow corridor dimly lit by soft blue crystals embedded in the cavern walls. The silence here was heavy—dense, like fog that clung to the skin. Water trickled lazily through the stone channels on either side, and tall, thin reeds swayed with a nonexistent breeze.
Then she heard it.
A voice.
No, not exactly a voice. More like an echo. It came from a flower—tall, glowing faintly, its petals vibrant in the cavern gloom. Frisk took a step closer, cautious but curious.
"Monsters can't leave the Underground."
The words drifted through the air, hollow yet deliberate, like a memory repeating itself out of habit. Frisk blinked, staring at the Echo Flower in silence. The message repeated again a moment later. Same tone. Same sadness.
She knelt beside it, brushing her fingers near its stem but not quite touching. Her gaze lingered, thoughtful.
So… they were trapped. All of them. Not just by stone and magic—but by a history she didn't yet understand.
Frisk didn't speak. She rarely did. Words had a way of feeling too small for the weight of things. But her thoughts stirred.
Why can't they leave? What happened to make them stay?
She stood, scanning the room for more flowers, but only that single one stood there, tirelessly echoing its line. It made her wonder—was this something someone had said in passing? A rule? A fact? Or was it regret?
Behind her, the quiet sound of footsteps padding across wet stone made her turn. It was Sans.
"heya, kid." He gave a lazy wave. "you like flowers? this one's got a voice. creepy, huh?"
Frisk gave a faint nod. Her eyes returned to the flower.
Sans shrugged, looking up at the rocky ceiling. "it's kinda funny. they only repeat what they hear. no thoughts of their own. makes you wonder what kinda conversations they're eavesdroppin' on."
She gave him a small, unreadable look.
"don't worry," he added. "most of 'em just repeat weird stuff. jokes, secrets, old memories. nothin' dangerous... probably."
With that, he slouched off, disappearing into the shadows, hands in his hoodie pocket like always.
Frisk lingered for a moment longer. The Echo Flower whispered again.
"Monsters can't leave the Underground."
She didn't know what to make of it yet—but she was starting to understand one thing clearly.
This wasn't just a journey through caves and puzzles. It was a place full of voices. And those voices… they remembered everything.