William wakes up in a room he doesn't recognize. He's seated at an office desk—papers neatly stacked, fluorescent lights humming faintly above him.
A blueprint catches his eyes It was labeled S.C.U.P — Scalable Creation of Ulterior Presence.
Bottom-right corner: Afton Robotics™.
William's stomach twisted.
If Dave built this thing, he had to destroy it—immediately.
He shoves the blueprint into a drawer just as footsteps patter in the hall.
A little girl bursts in.
Caucasian skin, green eyes, blonde hair tied with a ribbon.
"Daddy! Can I go play with Circus Baby too?"
William freezes.
Who?
He doesn't know what "Circus Baby" even is—but he knows instinctively that he must keep this child away from it.
"No, sweetie," he says carefully.
"But... I thought she was a gift for me..." she says, confused.
That bastard, William thinks. He set this up.
"Sweetheart," William says gently, "just listen to me. Don't go near that thing. Stay right here, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy..."
Minutes pass. Then:
"Daddy? Why won't you let me play with her?" she asks softly.
He can't tell her the truth.
He can't tell her what that thing was designed to do.
Silence hangs heavy.
"Daddy, you let the other children go see her. Why won't you let me go?"
"Because I can't keep track of every kid, sweetheart," William manages.
"Daddy... just once let me go play with her. She's so pretty and shiny! Didn't you make her just for me?"
"No means no," William said firmly.
"But..." the little girl began, her lips quivering, before trailing off in defeat.
"Daddy, she can make balloons! Have you seen her make balloons? Please... let me go to her!" she pleaded.
"No!" William shouted, the force of his voice startling even himself.
He immediately felt the weight of her disappointment. His anger softened, replaced by guilt.
"No, sweetheart... I'm sorry," he said, his voice calmer, gentler this time.
"Okay... Daddy," the little girl whispered, her eyes downcast, sadness etched across her small face.
After a few minutes, William stands.
"Daddy needs to take care of something. I'll be right back. Stay right here. Don't."
"Yes, Daddy..."
He slips out into the hallway, searching for this "Scooper."
After minutes of wandering, a voice cuts through the silence—high, strained, panicked:
"FATHER!"
William turns.
A little boy—brown hair, blue‑silver eyes—runs toward him, breathless.
"What's wrong?" William asks, already tense.
"It's Elizabeth! She... she got eaten by the animatronic's stomach!"
William's blood runs cold.
"Where?!"
The boy points at a colorful sign:
CIRCUS GALLERY.
William bolts.
Inside, Circus Baby is moving backstage—slow, deliberate steps.
He catches up and grabs at her panels, seams, wires—anything.
Nothing budges. The machine is immovable, perfectly balanced.
Of course.
Dave hid everything perfectly.
"Fuck..." he breathes.
Circus Baby approaches a towering device—the one from the blueprint.
Then a voice drifts into the air, smooth as oil.
"It's beautiful, isn't it? Using life to create life?"
Dave.
"You mean feeding your monstrosity a child's soul to make it aware? Then no—it's not beautiful, you bitch!" William snaps.
"Oh, William..." Dave sighs, as if disappointed in a student.
"So dramatic. Look at it this way—now her soul will live on."
"But it won't be her! You're taking an innocent child and making her a monster!"
Dave's tone doesn't change. Calm. Conversational. Absent of empathy.
"Do I sound like I care? I'm focused on results. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Fuck you!"
"That's a bit fast for me," Dave replies lightly. "We haven't even had dinner."
William growls. "Arsehole."
A soft hum, amused.
"Oh, by the way... that little boy? His name's Michael," Dave said, voice calm, deliberate.
"He's a coward."
"HE'S A CHILD! HE'S SCARED!" William shouted.
"Mm. Scared..." Dave chuckled—soft, cold, and sharp with delight.
"That gives me an idea."
William's pulse spiked.
"What are you planning?!" he demanded, fear and fury coiling together.
"Oh, William..."
Dave's voice fractured into a dozen echoes, all smooth, all cruel.
"If I told you, it would ruin the surprise."
The lights flickered. The world tilted, shadows twisting unnaturally.
Darkness surged, swallowing the room whole.
"Buh‑bye for now," Dave whispered.
William's vision collapsed into black.