"That same tall, dark cookie called us today, offering more information. They spoke of areas to investigate, and planned on meeting us there... We won't take back our word, we agreed to help each other, and they will be aided."

[Volunteer Investigator, Dark Choco, is now temporarily open for questions.]

"Dark Choco? Are you alright?"

"Yes, Detective. I'm fine. This place is the same as usual, but I wanted to check in. Is there anything new?"

"Well, yes, just a tribal leader who's dealing with some other entities, but not much more."

"That's nice to hear... I've sent something to your email, I'd like you to view it.-"

And before I could get a response, he hung up... In response to his request, I looked at my emails and saw what he had left.

What an odd fellow.

[From the pov of Dark Choco]

It's been.. weeks. I know he's still out there, no matter what people say. Whipped is alive, I can FEEL it... at least, I think I can. It's been raining for the past few days, but today is the day I go back to the studio, where his legs were left behind.. It's going to hurt, to see them again, but I know it'll lead me somewhere. Somewhere.

Only with a trench coat over my body, I walk down the Street Light-lit streets, away from the sanctuary that served as a temporary home. My temporary work here.. it'll leave a permanent mark. I will help that detective solve this case, even if he's in denial of it ever producing a result.

Who gives up so easily? Just from.. finding something disturbing. I still feel embarrassed about that call, about how.. I just swore and hung up. I don't even remember swearing, but he told me I did.. I chuckled at that.

As I stop in front of the studio, I get a chill down my spine... nothing like before, it was a chill that wanted me to turn back and return to a supposed safe place, but I have walked too far, and put too much time to give up now. Whipped, I will find you.

And I enter the Studio.

I swore I heard a crash from within before I entered, so I rushed to get to the ballroom.. only to see a corpse hanging by its limbs, strung up by threads similar to how a puppet would, the jam staining their outfit, you would think that this amount of jam would be impossible to produce... but I underestimated it.

Their body was just loose there, but when I cautiously stepped forwards.. I saw how similar they were to that hotel owner. No, it wasn't similarity. It WAS the hotel owner, completely drenched in jam. I pulled out my phone, staring dead at the contact in my phone. I have to tell him, I won't hesitate this time.

I press the contact and wait for him to pick up, which he eventually did.

"What's happening, Dark Choco?"

"It's Earl Grey, we were wrong the entire time, both of them are victims in this mystery."

"Earl Grey?! Where are you right now, where is he located?"

"I'm at the studio, he's.. been murdered, but something seems off about the room."

The room.. it was similar to the inside of a dollhouse, the aura being nostalgic and fake at the same time..

...

No, it can't be, this doesn't feel right, I cautiously back away from the corpse just in case that it was an ambush set up by whatever entity lurks here.

"I have something to protect myself, don't worry about me yet... I'm suspecting that this isn't all that it seems."

Watching it carefully, I attempt to circle around, only rarely flicking my eye away to anything else in this distorted space that was not there before. What would do such a thing, and why would they do it?

Would it be to keep you from getting away? From running off and out of their clutches?

"Dark Choco, whatever you're doing, you may be putting yourself in more danger. Just get out of there!"

"But what if we're right at the end of this case? This mess!?"

"The only end that may be here might be your own!"

I ignore his warnings, I'm not easy to take down. What if we're right at our answer? What if Whipped was right nearby!? I can't just abandon him now. I can't abandon this case. I watch the strung up figure with wariness, unsure if.. whatever hung it up would make it move.

..did it just twitch? No.. my mind is playing tricks on me.. I think I saw his finger move.

I sigh and go to rub my eye for a moment... the corpse had vanished, now I'm on high alert, I am going against an entity who knows that i'm here for one thing, Whipped.

Welcome, Dark Choco. I hope you enjoy the scenery.