Sans reappeared in the area he had found Undyne in. He looked around and began walking up the path to her house. Once he reached the space between the camera’s where most of Undyne’s struggle occured, a shadowy darkness enveloped him.

“Hello, young one.” A growling voice rolled over him, coming from all around him.

“Who are you?!” Sans called out, he was having a hard time feeling the souls and it worried him.

“Someone who wishes to help you escape the Underground and stop the RESETs.” It purred in a tone that sent chills down Sans’s spine. He felt the ghost of a hand on his shoulder and turned to see nothing but seemingly eternally stretching darkness.

“What do you mean?” Sans kept himself alert and weary, glancing about, listening.

“Exactly as it sounds.” The voice was obviously male and had a tone in it that made Sans uneasy.

“But at what cost and how can I trust you if I do not know who you are.” Sans pointed out.

“True, my name is Quod Peccatum Cordis Tenebrosi but call me Cordis.” The voice spoke with a confidence that Sans couldn’t understand.

“But what of the cost of your help and why haven’t you broken it before?” Sans wasn’t stupid, there was always a cost, especially for so big a thing.

“I have been too weak to, I need your help.” Sans felt a hand brush against his and Sans felt a bit of pride at not flinching.

“But in what way and at what cost?” The spirit seemed to be avoiding the topic of the cost.

“My, my, you are quite the intelligent one. I only need your help in channelling your and my energy to break the barrier and with it, the RESET button. I only ask for one simple thing.” Sans raised an eyebrow.

“What is this, one small thing?” Sans had a distinct feeling that it wasn’t as small as the spirit made it out to be.

“Your hand.” Sans’s hand was grasped by a tall, shadowy figure. It’s hand looked almost human but was ice cold to the touch. The figure was out of focus but looked slender and fit, it seemed to blend into the shadows surrounding them, it seemed to be about 6’ 6”. Sans blinked, it couldn’t be that simple, could it? Sans thought, and suddenly remembered an older meaning to those words. This creature seemed old enough.

“D-do you mean in marriage?” Sans inwardly cursed at his stutter.

“Of course my dear, I’ve been watching you carefully, very carefully.” The tone sent shivers down Sans’s spine as the figure, Cordis, Sans guessed, gently dropped his hand and began to slowly make a circle around Sans. “You are incredibly smart for someone so young and also amazingly powerful. You are also quite good looking when you drop your illusion magic, you are part-dragon, a powerful breed.” He dragged a hand along the top of Sans’s magically hidden wings as though he could see right through it. Sans used his illusion magic to make himself seem a little, bigger boned, than he actually was. In all actuality, he was quite thin, but a bit short at 5’ 5”. “You are quick witted and think quickly even in the most stressful situations, managed to gain the trust of the six human souls that Asgore killed, and you figured out many things about the disappearances quite quickly. In short, beautiful and a perfectum sponsa.” The figure was in front of him again, Sans’s right hand in the figure’s left. He kissed the knuckles of Sans’s hand.

“U-um, I-I…” Sans was speechless, unsure what to say. He was an Omega sure, but he thought that he was the only one who knew that. Cordis obviously knew and a slightly calming but powerful Alpha scent wafted over Sans like water.

“There is no need to decide right now, my sweet. I will give you time to think about it,” Cordis kissed Sans’s forehead. “Goodbye, Love.” With that, the darkness vanished, and with it, Cordis.

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Sans laid on his bed, mulling silently over the encounter. He felt a little creeped out but also quite flattered. He had never been complimented before, let alone called a perfect bride, which is what perfectum sponsa meant. Sans was quite fluent in Latin, and knew that Cordis’s full name, Quod Peccatum Cordis Tenebrosi, meant Heart of Dark Sin. It puzzled him that Cordis would have such a name considering he seemed like a good guy. Sans flushed as he thought of Cordis’s parting words.

Goodbye, Love

Sans buried his face in his pillow. He didn’t know Cordis very well, nor seen his actual form but Sans was enthralled by the mysterious figure. Usually Sans took forever to warm up to people but with Cordis he couldn’t help but be tempted to take up his offer. Something was off about it but Sans didn't think too much of it.

“SANS! TIME FOR DINNER!” Papyrus called. Sans snapped out of his thoughts and sighed. Papyrus was thought to be a weak Alpha but he actually wore a device on his wrist that dulled his scent’s power so as not to hurt anyone. Papyrus was so caring. Sans let go of his pillow and stood up, tail dragging behind him. He thought for a minute whether or not to put his illusion magic in place, to make Papyrus more comfortable, he decided he should. After placing it, he headed down. Papyrus had made spaghetti, like usual.

“Hey Papyrus.” Sans didn’t call Papyrus his full name often but he felt that he should due to what had happened.

“Sans,” Papyrus’s voice was quieter than normal. “You shouldn’t have to hide from me anymore. So please don’t.” Sans couldn’t see Papyrus’s face but he felt the sadness in his voice. Sans dropped his illusion magic almost immediately. Papyrus turned to him, a smile on his face.

“Welp, let’s eat.” Sans pulled a tired smile, it felt fake to him.

“OF COURSE!” Papyrus smiled, handed Sans a plate, and moved to the couch with his own plate, turning on the T.V. Sans let his tail snake over to the coffee machine, where a pot of hot coffee sat waiting. Grabbing the handle with his tail, he reached up into the cupboard and grabbed his favorite mug, a large thing that was a nice, calming, dark blue. Placing it on the counter, he poured the coffee into the mug with his tail, taking a few bites of spaghetti, it was a little burnt but not inedible. Once the mug was filled, Sans put the coffee pot back, grabbed his coffee with his tail, and sat next to Papyrus, who was watching Mettaton’s new show with abbon.

Sans didn’t pay attention to the show, opting instead to eat and think about the offer Cordis had made. Sans tried placing aside his feelings and think about it logically. Destroying the RESET button would certainly be a plus, Frisk may have promised but she had made the same promise before and she broke it then. There would always be the temptation. Cordis watching him was kinda creepy and it was also unnerving how he seemed to be able to see though his illusion magic. Sans barely withheld a shiver, he could remember his faint touch across the top of his wings. Sans figured that there was something more that Cordis was gaining if he married Sans. Most likely his power. If Sans accepted Cordis’s offer, Cordis would be free to use Sans’s power as he wished. Sans didn’t know Cordis that well but he felt as though somehow that Cordis didn’t love Sans, not truely. The more Sans thought about it, the more he thought it was a bad idea to just accept it. Sans also wondered about what Cordis’s connection to the disappearances was. He was obviously the shadow, but he didn't seem to be the type to kidnap people.