I bleed for you ~A sequel to I bleed Red | An Ink x Reader~

(Two chapters in one week? I know, I'm surprised too. I've been motivated to actually write here lately now that we're getting to the part of the book I've been most anticipating. I've had this planned since before I even wrote the first chapter so I am very excited to be sharing this plotline at last! I hope you enjoy the chapter!)

~Y/n's POV~

My whole body was completely still. I felt like I had been paralyzed or that my entire body had been frozen over. The most concrete feeling I had was my rapidly beating heart as it threatened to beat out of my chest.

A neon blue skinned human was being impaled by an equally neon red knife. I recognized this knife anywhere. It was the same one who had stabbed me all those years ago on the battlefield. I felt a small sense of relief that Kris wouldn't be terribly hurt from this stab. But he was still under it's user's control...

The owner of the knife was here. Cross. He had a wardrobe change as well, it seemed not even he was immune to the Dark World's effects. 

(art by yours truly)

His hood covered over his skull, masking his face and expression. All I knew was the sight of that familiar monochromatic color scheme made me terrified yet enraged.

I was suddenly pushed aside as Ink and Nightmare caught up to me. Ink immediately assumed a defensive stance in front of me, his paintbrush at the ready. Nightmare stood next to me, his blue eye alight with magic. His tentacles seemed to have expanded and were swaying in aggravation.

"Cross." Ink growled lowly, his grip on his brush tightening. If I could see his face, I imagined he would be baring his teeth.

"Hello, Ink. Y/n. Night..." Cross greeted with an odd politeness in his voice. I couldn't help but notice his tone soften slightly when he said Night's name. Wait, he called him Night instead of Nightmare?

"Step the hell away from Kris if you know what's good for you." Ink warned with an aggression I rarely heard from him. I suppose him having Blade's SOUL might make him more prone to her emotions... I hadn't even thought of that implication.

"Alright, alright. Relax." Cross put his hand that wasn't holding his knife into the air. He slowly retracted the blade from Kris's limp body and let him collapse to the ground. I could see the telltale sign of Cross's possession around his face, yet he wasn't moving.

I couldn't help but wonder why Cross was being so... compliant? Maybe he just didn't want to get into a confrontation. Does this mean he knows he would lose? He is very outmatched in numbers but also just pure power. Ink was the creator of universes and Night was basically a deity. And then there was... me. If it was just me vs Cross I would absolutely lose.

Cross de-materialized his knife and put both his hands up, not towards the sky but more towards his chest. He wasn't surrendering but he was showing he wasn't going to do harm... maybe. Was this a trap? Was he trying to lure us into a false sense of security?