Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

You
The end of the world? What are you talking about?

Narrator
I’m talking about the end of everything. No more birds, no more trees. No more people. You have to put an end to him.

You
Okay, but how can a prince locked in a basement end the world? And why would some random woman know about it?

Narrator
I am not just some random woman. I am—well, it doesn’t matter who I am anymore. 

Don’t linger on the specifics. You have a duty. Get in there and do what needs to be done. We’re all counting on you. 

You
If you don’t tell me why he’s so dangerous, I’m not going to kill him. 

Narrator
He’s not dangerous. He’s just a prince. The danger comes if he gets out, which is what’s going to happen if you don’t do something about it. As a random, non-specific example: you could slay him.

You
But what happens if he gets out? I’m not the type to just follow someone else’s words blindly. Give me specifics.

Narrator
How would you know what type you—nevermind. Look, the more specifics you have, the harder your duty will be. If nothing else, consider this. He’s a prince. People listen to princes. And if they listen to this one, everything will be destroyed.

You
Do you have any proof of your claims?

Narrator
Proof of my…ugh, I didn’t think you were going to be this difficult. You’re already on a path leading to the cabin. Why would you be here if not to complete some sort of journey? You’ve made it this far. You may as well reach the end.

You
That’s some pretty flimsy logic.

Narrator
Do you know what else is flimsy? The stability of the world, unless you do your duty. 

You
Have you considered that maybe the reason he’s going to end the world is because someone’s locked him away? 

Narrator
I hope you know just how much time you’re wasting with these hypotheticals. Regardless, I can assure you that he is locked up because he is dangerous, not the other way around.

You
But you literally just said that he isn’t dangerous.

Narrator
I also said that the fate of the world rests in your hands. Do you remember that part? It’s a very important part. The most important, in fact. How about, instead of arguing semantics, you deal with the fate of the entire world and every soul contained therein?

You
Fine, I’ll go to the cabin. 

(But what you do there is up to you. Not her.)

Narrator
Good. So long as you remain focused on your goal, this should be simple.

You
[Silently continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
I do feel that I should give you one warning, before you face him.

He will lie, cheat, and do everything in his power to stop you from slaying him. You cannot allow yourself to believe a word he says.

Fortunately, he’s only a chained up prince, and you’re a brave and skilled warrior. This will be easy so long as you stay focused.

Voice of the Hero
Hold on. We aren’t really going to do this, are we? We’re supposed to protect princes, not slay them. 

Narrator
Just ignore that annoying little voice. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. 

You
Seems to be a lot of that going around lately.

Narrator
I’m going to ignore that. See, it’s easy. Just follow my lead.

You
Hm.

[Proceed into the cabin.]

Narrator
The inside of the cabin is plain, humble, and nearly entirely empty. The only furniture is a simple wooden table. On top of that table is a pristine blade.

The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.

You
[Take the blade.]

(It feels right in your hand. It’s the first thing to feel right since the beginning of this nonsense. You don’t know if that means you’re a killer. You don’t know if it really means anything at all.)

Narrator
Good. You take the blade. It would be difficult to slay the Prince and save the world without it.

Voice of the Hero
It does feel right to have it…even if we don’t actually kill the Prince, a knife is useful in lots of other ways. 

Narrator
I’d call it a pristine blade rather than a knife, but you’re right that it’s useful. Mainly just for one thing, though. Which is killing the Prince.

Voice of the Hero
Now who’s arguing semantics?

Narrator
Oh, be quiet and enter the basement, will you?

You
Gladly, if it’ll shut the two of you up.

[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
The door to the basement creaks open, revealing a dimly lit staircase. The wood is clearly rotting, leaving the air damp and heavy.

If this is really where the Prince lives, slaying him is probably doing him a favor.

Voice of the Hero
That seems extreme.

Narrator
His voice carries up the stairs.

Prince
“Who’s there?”

Voice of the Hero
Oh. 

Narrator
What now?

Voice of the Hero
It’s just…sort of hypnotizing. The kind of voice you only have to hear once to remember forever.

Narrator
Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just a voice.

You
(A voice you will never forget.)

Voice of the Hero
Also, he sounds dangerous. Like he’s the one who’s really in charge here.

Narrator
Remember what I told you about manipulation? Here’s where it starts.

You
[Continue down the stairs.]

Narrator
Good. You’re still listening to reason.

Voice of the Hero
I’m not so sure that reason is the right word here.

Narrator
Ahem. You walk down the stairs and lock eyes with the Prince. He sits directly on the floor, a heavy chain keeping him shackled to the far wall. 

Voice of the Hero
Oh. 

Narrator
What is it this time?

Voice of the Hero
He’s just sort of…coldly beautiful. Is he really a threat to the world? 

You
(He doesn’t feel like a threat at all. He feels almost familiar. But you can’t trust vague feelings in a situation this severe.)

Narrator
His beauty is nothing more than an illusion. Another manipulation. Luckily, you aren’t easily swayed by such things, are you?

Voice of the Hero
…are we?

You
No.

(None of this is about his beauty. If it weren’t for the irritating ‘hero’ in your head, you wouldn’t have noticed it at all. Probably.)

Narrator
Exactly. Now focus up. Take your blade and slay the Prince.

Prince
“Ah, there you are. I must say, I wasn’t expecting any visitors. You’re the first in…I don’t know how long, actually.”

Voice of the Hero
How long has he been down here?

Narrator
That’s not important.

You
“Have you been down here for a long time?”

Narrator
He almost smiles, as if sharing a joke you don’t quite understand.

Prince
“I suppose so. At least, that must be the truth.”

You
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Narrator
Your grip on the blade tightens. Good. Keep hold of that suspicion.

Prince
“Well, these seem like they would take a while to get. Don’t you think so?”

Narrator
He holds up the wrist chained to the wall. The shackle slips down slightly, revealing chafe marks crusted with dried blood. The old wounds crisscross over each other, as though he’s been yanking in multiple directions, presumably to test the shackle’s durability.

Luckily, it’s held firm.

Voice of the Hero
Luckily? I don’t think there’s any way to look at the mess he’s made of his wrist and think anything about it is lucky. One thing’s true for sure, though. Getting that kind of scarring would take a long time.

You
“You must want to get out pretty badly if you’re willing to hurt yourself like that.”

Narrator
He laughs without humor.

Prince
“Wouldn’t you?”

Voice of the Hero
He’s got a point there. I’d hate to be caged.

You
“Maybe. But you don’t remember how long it’s been? How about who put you here?”

Narrator
He narrows his eyes at you. It seems that whatever good will he’s extended thus far has reached its limit, replaced by suspicion.

Prince
“I don’t remember anything. Now, will you allow me to ask some of my own questions? I can’t say I appreciate being interrogated like this when I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Narrator
Not yet. 

You
“What do you want to know?”

Prince
“Who you are would be a good start. Why you’re here, as well. And what you plan to do with that knife.”

Narrator
Again, it’s not just a knife. It’s a pristine blade.

Voice of the Hero
Is that really the most important thing going on here?   

You
“Shut up!”

Prince
“Excuse me?”

Narrator
That unforgettable voice you were talking about earlier has gone cold and sharp. If you were still wondering whether the Prince can be dangerous, surely your question has been answered. 

You
“Not you. The voices.”

Narrator
You wave a hand at your head, as though communicating something deeper and more useful than ‘I hear voices.’ 

Prince
“The…voices.”

Narrator
He sounds skeptical, but less harsh. Don’t be fooled. He’s just as dangerous as before.

Voice of the Hero
Can’t you go five minutes without editorializing?

You
“If you can’t hear them, you’re lucky. They keep prattling on in my head and distracting me from anything useful.”

Narrator
That’s hardly fair. I’ve been trying to get you to focus on the most useful thing possible in this scenario: killing the Prince. It’s not my fault that this tagalong keeps getting off track.

Voice of the Hero
Tagalong? Now that’s just rude.

You
“That’s it, I’ve had it. Anything to make this end.”

Narrator
You tighten your grip on the blade and—oh yes, very good. You raise it up, preparing to strike down the most dangerous creature to ever exist. 

Voice of the Hero
Hold on.

Narrator
Oh, what is it now?

Voice of the Hero
Just—are you sure he doesn’t have a weapon? Because he’s clearly pretty strong to have held up yanking on the chain for this long. If we get close and he has a weapon, we’re in real trouble.

Narrator
Of course he doesn’t have a weapon.

Voice of the Hero
How certain are you?

Narrator
Completely. Now will you stop stalling and get on with it?

Voice of the Hero
Fine, fine. I’ll believe you.

Narrator
Good. You step in closer, until your blade is within reach of his vulnerable throat. You’ve nearly made contact with his neck when—oh. Hm.

Voice of the Hero
Hm? What’s ‘hm’ mean? That all seemed pretty crucial. Why’d you stop?

Narrator
Well. Do you remember when I said he definitely didn’t have a weapon?

You
Oh, you have got to be kidding.

Narrator
I wish I was. Unfortunately, as soon as you’re close enough, a dagger slides down the Prince’s sleeve and into his hand. He swings up and cuts your throat with a clean, calm precision. You manage to make your own cut, but it pales in comparison to what he’s done to you. 

Before you can even start to consider your options, you fall on the hard basement floor. The Prince stands over you, blood dripping from his dagger. 

Prince
“What a pity. Here I thought we might get to know each other better before going straight to violence.”

You
“Wh…”

Narrator
You attempt speech, but the damage to your throat is too severe. Your every breath is an undeniable death rattle. 

Prince
“I’ll be honest. I’m a little disappointed. I expected better of you.”

Narrator
The Prince’s words fade away as your vision gets blurry. You’ve already bled too much. 

Everything goes dark, and you die.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

Voice of the Crossed
Will it really? Or is all this just more lies? Clearly we can’t trust you.

Narrator
I assure you, you can trust me. If you believe in nothing else, believe in what I tell you.

Voice of the Crossed
Sure, until what you tell us gets us killed! 

You
Stop it, both of you. Let me get my bearings before you start arguing. Although the new voice is right. I obviously can’t trust you at all.

Narrator
New voice—wait. No. Don’t tell me you’ve been here before.

Voice of the Hero
What, don’t you remember? You were here too. 

Narrator
No I wasn’t. This is the first time we’ve met. 

Voice of the Crossed
Nice try, but we remember you and your lies.

You
You weren’t even here last time. 

Voice of the Crossed
I was here in spirit!

Narrator
This is so much worse than I ever could’ve imagined. This was never meant to go past one try, much less devolve into needless bickering. You were supposed to fulfill your duty. You were meant to—

You
Slay the Prince.

Narrator
Yes, exactly! And instead, you…well, I suppose I’m not entirely sure what happened. You died, I gather.

Voice of the Hero
Yeah. To be fair, we did try to slay the Prince as well. He might’ve bled out. Just, you know. Not before we did.

Narrator
Whatever you did, it clearly wasn’t enough. You have to be better this time around.

Voice of the Crossed
Or what? We’ll just wind up back here anyway! An endless loop, narrated by a self-important, pedantic bastard.

Narrator
It’s not a loop. Whatever world you were in before really did end. You’re somewhere else now. Another world. Another possibility. Another collection of lives and souls that are in your hands. 

You
Why should I believe you?

Narrator
Because nothing has ever mattered more to me than this.

Voice of the Crossed
I don’t see what that has to do with us.

Narrator
Just…go to the cabin. Please.

Voice of the Hero
I suppose we might as well. At least something will happen there.

Voice of the Crossed
This time, we’ll keep a better eye out. And now we know better than to be so trusting.

You
I wasn’t ‘too trusting.’ I didn’t trust anyone. 

Voice of the Crossed
You trusted that he didn’t have a weapon.

You
No, I didn’t. I kept thinking that he might. I’m not an idiot.

Narrator
Ha! Oh, the irony of it all. 

Voice of the Hero
What do you mean?

Narrator
Nothing. Or at least nothing worth bothering with instead of continuing with your actual duty. Which you should really get to. 

You
Only to shut you up.

[Continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
I do feel that I should give you one warning, before you face him.

He will lie, cheat, and do everything in his power to stop you from slaying him. You cannot allow yourself to believe a word he says.

Voice of the Crossed
Finally, she says something worthwhile. We’re going to get cheated, alright. But if you’re determined to do this…well, I’m stuck with you. Let’s at least make him hurt for what he did to us.

You
[Proceed into the cabin.]

Narrator
The inside of the cabin is a mess of splintered wood, as though a madman with a particular hatred for cabins came through and carved a broken path. There are thick gouges on the walls, paired with scratches that might be messages, if there’s a language out there made entirely of the marks that occur when someone tries to sharpen a dagger on wood. 

Speaking of sharp things: One of the few pieces of wood with a relatively flat top has a pristine blade atop it. The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.

Voice of the Hero
What about the carvings?

Narrator
What carvings? I really don’t think there’s a way to interpret any of this broken wood as ‘carved,’ no matter how generous your spirit is.

Voice of the Hero
No, not the big cuts. The little carvings. Don’t you see them? They’re around that doorway, by the mirror.

Narrator
There’s not a mirror here. I don’t know what you think you see, but I can assure you, there’s no way a mirror would have survived whatever rampage has torn through the rest of this place.

You
[Approach the mirror.]

Narrator
Alright, fine. You crouch down and look at the wall next to the doorway. I’d describe what you see, but honestly, I’d just be repeating myself.

Voice of the Crossed
You usually seem to enjoy doing that.

You
(Birds. They’re little birds, carved clumsily into the door frame. They’re so misshapen that you almost can’t recognize them, but you manage it.) 
(Little birds, carved by a too large knife in an unskilled hand.)

Narrator
Are you quite done?

You
Yes, fine. 

[Take the blade.]

Narrator
Oh good. At least you haven’t completely lost your senses.

Voice of the Crossed
We’d better not have. We don’t have many weapons in this rigged game. And we certainly don’t want to go down there unarmed when we know he has his own knife.

Narrator
He definitely doesn’t have a weapon. That would be absurd.

Voice of the Crossed
Yeah, yeah. Pull the other one, why don’t you?

You
[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
The door creaks open, revealing a pulpy mess of what must have once been stairs. Just breathing the air makes you feel like you’re drawing splinters into your lungs. You can hear the sound of metal against metal, followed by dull thunks. 

If this is really where the Prince lives, slaying him is probably doing him a favor.

Voice of the Hero
Again, that feels a bit too far.

Voice of the Crossed
Metal against metal, huh? Kind of like someone sharpening a knife, maybe?

Narrator
No, because once again, that would be ridiculous. He definitely does not have a knife. In fact, there isn’t a single knife anywhere near this place. There is a pristine blade, and that’s it. 

You
[Continue down the stairs.]

Narrator 
The basement is as much of a mess as the cabin above, only this time, it's sharp-edged stone instead of gouged wood. The Prince stands chained to the far wall, if you can call the slab of rough stone a wall. 

Voice of the Crossed 
And with a hand behind his back. What did I tell you? He's got a weapon! 

Voice of the Hero
Much as I'd like to believe otherwise, it really does seem like hiding something. And given the stabbing last time, it's probably a knife. 

Narrator
How many times do I have to tell you? There is no knife—

You
"Why are you hiding your knife behind your back? I already know you have it.”

Narrator 
Oh, you have got to be kidding me. 

Prince
“Oh, hello! I was hoping you'd come back. Did you see my carvings? They're for you, you know.”

Narrator 
His smile is nearly as sharp as the stone surrounding you. If he considers the wanton destruction above ‘carvings,’ he's clearly unstable, and very probably dangerous. The only safe thing to do is end this quickly. 

Though of course, he could not have actually caused the mess in the cabin, since he is very securely chained down here. Also, he has no weapon with which to do that kind of damage. 
Still, it's better safe than sorry. 

Voice of the Crossed
So you're just going to openly contradict yourself? You're really dropping the act this time around. I'm almost disappointed.

You
“The carvings were…fine. Now quit stalling and show me the knife.”

Prince 
“Oh, you're no fun. And to think I missed you.”

Narrator
He pulls his other hand out from behind his back, showing that it is also empty. Just as I've said multiple times now, he is unarmed. 

Prince
“Maybe this will keep your attention. I think you'll like it.”

Narrator
He lifts his arm, letting the shackle slip slightly down his wrist. As it does, his skin splits and falls away, loose like a billowing sleeve. Underneath is gleaming metal, more than sharp enough to cut through bone. 
When he tilts the mockery of an arm back down, the shackle slides neatly off the end of—

Voice of the Crossed 
The knife?

Narrator 
The blade. 

Voice of the Hero
Well, I'll give you this much. He's certainly unarmed. 

Narrator 
This really isn't the time for jokes. Especially bad ones. 

Voice of the Crossed 
For once, I agree. 

Prince
“Well? Do you like it? I know it doesn’t quite match yours, but we can still play, can’t we?”

You
“Play? What are you talking about?”

Voice of the Crossed
Is that really your biggest concern right now?

Narrator
While you waste time wondering what a madman with a blade for an arm might consider ‘play,’ the Prince advances on you with unexpected grace. He all but dances to you, swinging his lethal weapon right for your throat before you have a chance to—

Voice of the Crossed
Dodge!

Narrator
How did you do that? You shouldn’t have had the time to react.

Voice of the Crossed
The only way to play a rigged game is to cheat. Obviously.

Voice of the Hero
Well, he’s not wrong.

Narrator
Impossibly, you dodge out of the way of his blade. The force of his swing is strong enough that the sharpened point clangs against stone. If you’d been hit, it surely would have cut through your flesh and bone like butter. 

Voice of the Hero
A bit gross, but certainly effective. I don’t know how you got us to dodge before, but keep it up.

Voice of the Crossed
Believe it or not, that was my plan.

Prince
“Oh, you’re not going to go down as easily as last time, are you? Excellent.”

You
“Is this all you can do? Just swing at me with your knife?”

Narrator
He grins, all manic enthusiasm. His blade looks no less sharp for hitting stone. One hit, and you’re dead.

Prince
“What else would I do?”

Narrator
Before you have the chance to answer, he dives at you with his blade outstretched.

Voice of the Hero
Dodge!

Voice of the Crossed
I’m trying to, if you’d quit distracting—

Narrator
He skewers you.

Voice of the Crossed
—me.

You
Ow.

Narrator
Your last action in this world is to hiss in pain.

Everything goes dark, and you die.  

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end—

Voice of the Crossed
Nope, we’re starting in the cabin. None of this slowburn nonsense.

Voice of the Warrior
Good. Grab the blade, and let’s get to it. I’m itching to repay him for last time.

Narrator
Wait, what? Last time? Oh no, you’ve been here before, haven’t you? This isn’t how it’s meant to go. 

You
[Take the blade.]

Narrator
Are you even listening to me?

You
Why waste my time? I know where all of this is going. Shredded cabin, broken stairs, stone basement, knife inside the Prince’s arm. 

Narrator
Knife in the—that’s ridiculous. First of all, there are no knives here. Just your pristine blade. Secondly, the Prince is unarmed.

Voice of the Hero
De-armed, sure. But he’s definitely got a weapon.

Voice of the Crossed
That joke wasn’t any better the second time, just so you know.

Voice of the Hero
Forgive me for trying to make things a little lighter. It’s not exactly fun to die over and over again.

Voice of the Warrior
We don’t need light. We need to fight. 

Narrator
Yes, you absolutely do not need to make light of this situation. Whenever you die, an entire world ends. Which, to be clear, is the exact opposite of your intended purpose. I didn’t think it would be so hard to convince you to save the world.

Voice of the Hero
Whether or not we’re convinced isn’t the problem.

You
(Somewhere in the depths of your mind, where there is no voice but your own, you think that it might be a little bit of the problem. You keep the thought quiet. It is barely a flicker of awareness.)

Voice of the Crossed
The problem is that he cheats. And that you lie. ‘Unarmed’ my ass.

Narrator
There’s no need for accusations. I assure you, I have never lied to you. In fact, this is the first time we’ve met. Even if I intended to lie to you, I haven’t even had the chance in all this mess.

You
Enough of this.

[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
At least you’re focused, I suppose. 

The basement stairs are—

Voice of the Crossed
Yeah, yeah, they’re a splintered mess, we know. Get a move on!

Narrator
What? How do you keep—nevermind. The Prince stands before you, chained to the far wall, if you can call the jagged slab of stone a wall. His smile is nearly as sharp as your pristine blade. Both of his hands are visible and are, notably, not holding a blade of any sort.

Prince
“You’re back again! I’m glad. It’s so boring without you.”

Voice of the Hero
I’m not sure if I like the enthusiasm. It feels…off.

Voice of the Warrior
It’s better than the alternative. I couldn’t stand it if he was just some sniveling, terrified lump.

Voice of the Hero
Okay, sure, but he doesn’t have to be so happy about killing us.

You
“If you want me to stick around, you could always try not killing me. Dying hurts, you know.”

Narrator
He tilts his head, looking genuinely thoughtful. 

Prince
“Does it? I suppose it did hurt when you cut me that first time. I think I’d like to feel that again.”

Voice of the Hero
Just going to ignore the idea of not killing us, huh. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

You
“You could always just stand there and let me stab you. For variety’s sake, if nothing else.”

Voice of the Warrior
That’s a terrible idea! What’s the point if there’s no challenge to it?

Prince
“You’re funny! I like that, I think. But we both know that’s not how this is going to go.”

Voice of the Crossed
Worth a shot, at least.

Narrator
He brings his arms up with that same sharp, manic grin sliced across his face. Just when the shackle on his wrist starts to slip down, both of his arms split open, revealing…ah. Twin blades. Alright, I can admit when I’m wrong.

Voice of the Crossed
For all the good that’s going to do us. Shit, duck!

You
[Dodge the first swing, and return it with one of your own.]

Narrator
You somehow manage to avoid the Prince’s hit, despite his incredible speed and strength. Even more amazingly, you leave a bloody cut across his collarbone. It’s not a deadly wound, but it is proof that he is not untouchable.

Prince
“Huh, you were right. That does hurt. But it’s not as good as mine. Nice try, though!”

Narrator
Despite the violence, his playfulness seems sincere. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean his next strike is any less severe. Before you have a chance to think, he skewers you.

Everything goes dark, and you die.

Narrator
You’re on a—

Voice of the Crossed
No. We’re in a basement that’s made of jagged stone, we’re holding our blade, and there’s a Prince made of knives standing there waiting to show off his extremely sharp hands.

Narrator
Hold on. What’s happening? Oh no, you’ve—

Voice of the Warrior
Been here before? Yeah. Now shut up and let us fight.

You
“What are you waiting for? Have you changed your mind about stabbing me?”

Narrator
Not going to let me have even a minute to get my bearings, are you? Fine. 

The Prince smiles at you with sharp teeth. He brings up his arms, which split apart to reveal viciously sharp blades.

Prince
“No, of course not. I was just giving you a moment to get settled. I wouldn’t want to be rude.”

Narrator
Wow. I wasn’t expecting the Prince to have better manners than you.

Voice of the Warrior
Quiet! We need to focus on this fight. First, we have to—

Voice of the Defender
Dodge, then duck down. Take at least three steps back. You’ll need space to move. He has a lot of reach with those things.

Voice of the Hero
Oh, a new one. I was wondering if we’d get another.

Voice of the Defender
I didn’t see the need for an introduction. I have one task, and it’s keeping us alive.

Voice of the Hero
Pretty good task. Don’t let me get in your way.

You
[Dodge again. And again.]

Voice of the Warrior
We can’t just dodge. Eventually we’ll get tired, and he’ll run us through. We have to fight back!

Voice of the Defender
And strike where, exactly? He has the range advantage. If we get too close, he stabs us. 

Voice of the Warrior
Better to be stabbed than to run away from a fight.

Narrator
While you argue over the correct method of staying alive, the Prince gets close enough to almost share your breath.

Prince
“You seem very distracted this time. It’s a little hurtful.”

You
“That’s not my fau—”

Narrator
He skewers you.
Everything goes dark, and you—

Narrator
—are in a stone basement. Hold on, you’re meant to be on a path in the woods. How did you get here?

Voice of the Shattered
By dying. A lot. Apparently it’s the only thing we can do.

Voice of the Crossed
It’s absolutely not the only option. Yes, the game is rigged, but there has to be another way around this.

Voice of the Warrior
The only thing to do is fight our way out.

Voice of the Defender
Fighting doesn’t work. He wins every time, no matter how careful we are.

Voice of the Wary
Almost like it’s a trap, and we’ve been caught.

Voice of the Cynic
Obviously it’s a trap. What tipped you off? The third time the ‘definitely unarmed’ prince stabbed us?

Voice of the Hero
Oh, there’s a lot of you. How many of us are there? This is going to get really confusing.

Voice of the Crossed
Maybe that’s our best bet! The more of us there are, the more chances we’ll have to find an idea that actually works.

You
I don’t think that’s how this is going to work out.

Voice of the Crossed
What makes you say that?

Prince
“You’re being very dull this time. I’m disappointed.”

Narrator
He skewers you.

Voice of the Crossed
Oh. I see.

Voice of the Sentimental
Try complimenting his blades. Maybe we can get him talking about a shared passion.

You
“Hey, uh. Nice blades. They look well-maintained.”

Voice of the Sentimental
Not exactly the strongest pull there, but you’re trying. 

Prince
“Thank you! It’s so sweet of you to notice. I only want to give you my best, after all.”

Narrator
He skewers you.

Voice of the Willful
Alright, here’s a thought: what if we just threw the knife away?

Voice of the Disillusioned
I think you mean the pristine blade.

Voice of the Willful
Whatever. Just toss it aside. Maybe he’ll think it’s the next new trend.

You
[Toss the stupid pristine blade on the ground.]

Prince
“Huh. That’s a weird thing to do. Are you feeling alright?”

You
“What a pointless question. How do you think I’m feeling?”

Narrator
The Prince smiles, shrugs, and skewers you.

Voice of the Numb
It won’t hurt this time.

Voice of the Hero
What?

Voice of the Shattered
It always hurts. We’re in so much pain.

Voice of the Numb
Not this time. 

Prince
“You keep coming back faster and faster. Are you that eager to see me?”

You
“Something like that.”

Voice of the Defender
He’s coming at us. If we don’t want to get stabbed again, we’ll need to dodge right…now!

You
[Don’t dodge.]

Voice of the Willful
Now I’m all for going against the grain, but I’m not so sure letting ourself get stabbed is the wisest move.

Voice of the Numb
It doesn’t matter. It won’t hurt.

Voice of the Hero
Okay, but will it kill us?

Voice of the Numb
Who cares?

Voice of the Hero
Uh, me. And everyone else, I would think. Ever heard of a survival instinct?

Voice of the Defender
I have.

Prince
“Are you not even going to fight back? That’s no fun.”

Narrator
He frowns, sighs, and skewers you.

Voice of the Numb
See?
Didn’t hurt a bit.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re in a stone basement, surrounded by jagged rock. At the other end of the room stands a Prince, chained to the wall with a sturdy shackle. I don’t know how you’re already here, but at least you have your pristine blade. Go ahead and—

Prince
“I have something new to show you. Are you ready?”

Voice of the Cheated
Oh, this should be good. As if he hasn’t had enough tricks up his sleeve.

Voice of the Hero
That’s not any better than my joke.

You
“How new can it be? You’re completely predictable. All you do is stab me.”

Narrator
If forced by the unbendable will of reality, I could be made to describe the smile he gives you as coquettish. Somehow. Despite the razor-sharp teeth and general air of violent murder. I don’t need to convince you that it’s in your best interest to slay him, do I?

Voice of the Defender
No, I think we’re all pretty well aware of that.

Prince
“Well, I’d hate to bore you. I thought I’d add a bit of flair.”

Voice of the Sentimental
Alright, I don’t want to get stabbed, but I am curious about the flair. Are the blades etched? Has he changed the quality of the metal?

Voice of the Numb
It doesn’t matter. Nothing does. He will stab us, and we will feel nothing.

You
“Fine. Show me your flair.”

Narrator
He—oh, this is unpleasant. 

Voice of the Crossed
It’s all been unpleasant. Just give us the information, will you?

Narrator
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The Prince lifts his arms and erupts. The stone around him is coated in gore of every variety. It is a visceral display of exactly what happens when a person is torn apart from the inside out. The only mercy is that the pieces of his body have been decimated to a degree that renders them unrecognizable.

Voice of the Crossed
Okay, you were right for once. That’s really unpleasant. 

Narrator
Standing where there was once a Prince of flesh and blood is an array of knives, points sharp enough to cut through the very air around you. Somehow, the blades manage to give the impression of a person. Perhaps it is the heart still beating in the center of the serrated cage. 

Voice of the Willful
Oh, she said ‘knife’ this time. That must mean it’s serious.

Voice of the Hero
And nothing else about this gives you the impression that it’s serious?

Voice of the Willful
Hey, I’m just pointing out a detail. Sometimes you have to start with the small things before you can absorb the whole picture.

Prince
“Well? Do you like it? I thought we could really get down to business this way.”

Voice of the Sentimental
They are nice blades. Obviously that’s not the main concern here, but for the record: the knives are clearly well-made and properly honed. He knows what he’s doing.

You
“The blades are nice enough, I guess.”

Narrator
Despite the complete lack of facial features, you can perceive an air of pouting from the Prince.

Prince
“You guess? That’s more lukewarm than I was hoping for. Oh well. I suppose this was never about looks.”

Narrator
He swings at you, poised to pierce through your heart. There is nothing you can do to stop the arc of this blade.

Voice of the Numb
It won’t hurt.

Prince
“What? How did you do that?”

Narrator
Despite the blade very clearly striking you, you remain unskewered. It’s as if the cut passed through you harmlessly. Which is impossible, by the way. 

Voice of the Numb
I told you. Nothing can hurt us.

Narrator
The Prince swings again and again, trying to find an angle that will allow him to tear through your flesh and bone. The knives that make up his body leave no mark on you. You might as well be air.

Voice of the Crossed
Finally, we’re the ones who get to cheat!

Voice of the Defender
But is this reliable? How long until we’re on the back foot again?

Voice of the Warrior
I don’t like it. This isn’t the proper way to fight.

Voice of the Wary
We can’t trust something we don’t understand.

Voice of the Shattered
We haven’t understood anything in so long.

Voice of the Cynic
If we wait for things to make sense on their own, we’ll never get anything done.

Voice of the Disillusioned
It's a better advantage than anything the rest of you have done. 

Voice of the Wilfull
It would be more interesting to do something other than just stand around, though.

Voice of the Sentimental
It does feel wrong to be passive in the face of such keen craftsmanship.

Voice of the Numb
It’s the only option. Everything else is pain.

Voice of the Hero
Am I the only one who feels like it’s gotten too crowded in here?

You
No.

[Silence them.]

Narrator
I didn’t know you could do that. Maybe now I’ll be able to talk some sense into—

You
[Her too.]

Prince
“I don’t understand…why are you different? What changed?”

He swings at you again, and this time it does not pass through you. A loud clang echoes through your being, and when the Prince pulls back, the knives that make up his arm are bent.

Prince
“How are you doing this? Can’t you feel anything?”

He strikes again, as though it is the only thing he knows how to do. Once more, his blade meets a barrier it cannot penetrate. Both of his arms are crooked, their beautiful edges turned to abstract sculpture. His brilliance is dulled. Your heart did this. It is all you know how to do.

Prince
“Why is it so cold? I didn’t think I could feel cold anymore. Why…”

You do not have the chance to answer before he is embraced by something larger than himself.

You are alone.

Chapter Text

In front of you is a mirror. No voices accompany you in this place. There is only you and the memory of a Prince. Of a purpose. A duty someone passed down to you.

You approach the mirror. Nothing reflects in the glass until you reach out and touch it.

It’s you.

…

You are alone in a place that is all stillness. Something in you aches.

[Proceed to the cabin.]

The path is easy to navigate. You come across the place where there should be a cabin (and in the cabin a basement, and in the basement a Prince and a purpose and a duty). 

A figure stands atop the hill. It is familiar.

Shifting limbs embrace the knives which form the Prince you knew. He is held tenderly.

Him
Something finds me in the Aching Stillness and brings me the gift of a frail shell.

He speaks softly, as though his words are too delicate to release into the world. You step closer, drawn to him. 

You
What are you?

Him
I am flickering candles in an echoing hall. What are you?

You
Flickering candles? What do you mean?

Him
Possibilities without substance. Still-budding branches, too green to burn, but prevented from blooming. I wish to be more.

You
I don’t know what I am.

Him
I think you are like me.
We are vast forests reduced to splintered wood. We are sea foam kept contained when we should be crashing against the shore. 

You
What do you mean by ‘the gift of a frail shell?’

Him
Sensations of a world beyond this. Pieces of a puzzle I cannot comprehend alone. A thousand threads to weave into something more.

This one is piercing and narrow-focused. He is harshness and delight as one. He will make for a sharp heart.

Do not mourn him—he is precisely where he belongs.

You
Let him go!

Him
I am sorry. There are some changes which cannot be undone. This place is not meant to hold fragments when there is a greater whole which yearns for them. The moment he arrived, he was drawn to me.
I promise it does not hurt.

You
…Someone told me that you were going to end the world. Is that what this is?

Him
How can the world have ended if you and I are still here?

You
Do you know something called the Narrator?

Him
You are all I have ever known.
This space is empty but for us. We are all that can fill it. 

You
So you aren’t the Narrator. But if you needed this vessel, are you the thing that wants me to slay the Prince? Are you what’s keeping me trapped?

Him
You are witness to my first moments of consciousness. I could not have trapped you, and I long for freedom just as you do.

You
Do you know anything about the worlds outside of this place?

Him
I know only that they exist. You are my sole guide to existence beyond what we now dwell within.

You
Are you the Prince?

Him
He and I are pieces of each other.

You
Something about you is familiar. Do we know each other?

Him
You are not me, but I long for you. When you arrived, you brought both sorrow and hope. 
Thank you.

You
I…you’re welcome, I guess.
What happens now?

Him
Nothing, for so long as you remain here. But there are worlds outside of this, and you and I are meant to be a part of them. There is no fracture from which to break free, but your gift can become the key.

You
What do you mean?

Him
He is a malleable thing. He can wipe you clean, if you only believe him capable of it.
Bring me other sensations, so I may weave myself into wholeness. Maybe then we can be free.

You
Aren’t you afraid?

Him
What is there to fear?

You
I could find a way to kill you.

Him
I have never lived. Why should I fear death?

You
I could fail you.

Him
You could never fail me. 

You
How much will I lose if I let him wipe me clean?

Him
You will forget everything, even this place, until you find me again.

You
How many more of these pieces do you need?

Him
More than one, but less than all. The possibilities are infinite. Once I am myself, the rest will come to me.

You
You said that you haven’t ended the world. Will you, once you’re complete?

Him
I do not understand the question. Destruction is creation. There is no end.

You
You’re arguing semantics. You know what I mean. What will you do once you’re whole?

Him
I do not know. I am such small flickers in something so much grander. I am a whisper in a crowd. There is not enough of me. I cannot make decisions.

You
Why does it hurt to hear you say that?

Him
I only know faint memories of pain. I think that pain is when I am alone, without you. Perhaps you feel that you are alone?
I am sorry. I want to be me. I do not wish to leave you alone.

You
Alright. Send me back, then. 

Him
He asks that I tell you to remember him.

You won’t.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

You
What does the end of the world look like?

Narrator
That’s a strange question. Death and destruction, I suppose. Screaming. Or worse: total nothingness. An absence of all life, every possibility sucked into a void from which it can never return.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty unpleasant to me. Best avoided. 

You
Hm.

Narrator
That’s a rather tepid response given that you started with such an intense question, but if that’s what you need to help you understand the severity of the situation, I’m happy to assist.

Here’s a helpful idea: you could go to the cabin.

You
You’re single-minded.

Narrator
Well, you know how it is. The possible end of the world tends to weigh heavy on one’s mind. 

You
Fine. If only to calm you down, I’ll go to the cabin.

[Silently continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
I do feel that I should give you one warning, before you face him.

He will lie, cheat, and do everything in his power to stop you from slaying him. You cannot allow yourself to believe a word he says.

Fortunately, he’s only a chained up prince, and you’re a brave and skilled warrior. This will be easy so long as you stay focused.

Voice of the Hero
Hold on. We aren’t really going to do this, are we? We’re supposed to protect princes, not slay them. 

Narrator
Just ignore that annoying little voice. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. 

You
How about the two of you let me make up my own mind?

Narrator
I’m happy to, so long as you make the right decisions.

Voice of the Hero
I don’t think I like the sound of that.

You
(Annoyance flares in a deep, quiet place that even you barely register.)

[Proceed to the cabin.]

Narrator
The inside of the cabin is plain, humble, and nearly entirely empty. The only furniture is a simple wooden table. On top of that table is a pristine blade.

The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.

You
[Take the blade.]

(The grip is comfortable in your hand. There’s something about it that feels correct. It’s a compelling feeling, given how unsettling everything else has been so far.)

Narrator
Good. You take the blade. It would be difficult to slay the Prince and save the world without it.

Voice of the Hero
Nothing wrong with being prepared. Even if we don’t hurt him, there’s all sorts of ways to use a blade.

Narrator
…Quite.

You
[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
The door to the basement creaks open, revealing a dimly lit staircase. The wood is clearly rotting, leaving the air damp and heavy.

If this is really where the Prince lives, slaying him is probably doing him a favor.

Voice of the Hero
I don’t know about that…

Narrator
His voice carries up the stairs.

Prince
“Who’s there?”

Voice of the Hero
Wow…his voice is sort of hypnotizing, isn’t it? 

Narrator
You’re being dramatic. It’s just a voice.

You
(A voice unlike any other.)

Voice of the Hero
Also, he sounds dangerous. Like he’s the one who’s really in charge here.

Narrator
Remember what I told you about manipulation? Here’s where it starts.

You
[Continue down the stairs.]

Narrator
Good. You’re still listening to reason.

Voice of the Hero
Is reason really the right word here?

Narrator
I’m ignoring that.

You walk down the stairs and lock eyes with the Prince. He sits directly on the floor, a heavy chain keeping him shackled to the far wall. 

Voice of the Hero
He’s beautiful, in a cold sort of way. Are you sure he’s a threat?

Narrator
Yes. I’m extremely sure. Now if you could stop doubting me, I’d really appreciate it.

You
(You aren’t sure you know what it means for someone to be beautiful. He’s certainly regal. Solid. Certain. It draws you in.)

Prince
“Ah, there you are. I must say, I wasn’t expecting any visitors. You’re the first in…I don’t know how long, actually.”

Voice of the Hero
How long has he been down here?

Narrator
That’s not important.

You
“Been down here for a long time?”

Prince
“It feels like it. I can’t remember anything else.”

Voice of the Hero
Oh, that’s horrible. 

Narrator
Quit sympathizing with the world-ending villain. 

Prince
“Now, if you’ll allow me to trade a question for a question…what exactly are you planning to do with that blade?”

Narrator
Maybe don’t tell him. You wouldn’t want to lose the element of surprise.

You
“I was told you’re going to end the world unless I kill you.”

Narrator
You’re terrible at this. 

Prince
“Me? End the world? How would I even do that? I’m chained up in a basement.”

You
“I don’t know. The information has been very light on details.”

Prince
“Well, how about you drop that blade and we can just…talk for a bit. Perhaps we can reach an understanding.”

Voice of the Hero
Oh, I like that idea.

Narrator
You would. It’s a bad one, though. Remember what I said about manipulation? And lying?

You
[Drop the blade.]

Narrator
You must be joking. How are you this bad at the one job you’ve ever been given?

Fine. Fine. You drop the blade and sit down across from the Prince. At least you have the sense to keep it close by.

You
“Are you dangerous?”

Narrator
He looks at you in something like disbelief before flashing a smile that seems equal parts amused and threatening. 

Prince
“Do I seem dangerous to you?”

Voice of the Hero
Am I the only one feeling a little shaky right now? Not quite frightened, but…

You
Shut up. I’m fine.

Narrator
I really don’t like where this is going. How about we focus on his answer. It sounds like a yes, don’t you think? He’s barely even trying to disguise it. He. Is. Dangerous.

You
“You don’t seem afraid.”

Narrator
And isn’t that suspicious?

Voice of the Hero
It is a bit odd, now that you mention it.

Prince
“Is that how you judge danger? If I am afraid, then I am docile and weak. If I have a spine, I am a threat. I can’t say that seems very fair.”

You
“Then how would you judge it? Am I supposed to just blindly trust you?”

Narrator
His eyes narrow. Whatever small facade of playfulness he’d kept up until now slides off like snow from a branch. 

Prince
“How interesting for you to ask that. You, who came down to my little cell with a sharp blade in hand. You, who offered reasons for why you might try to kill me. You ask if you can trust me. Tell me, slayer. Can I trust you?” 

You
No.

Voice of the Hero
Wait, what?

Narrator
You reach a hand out for your pristine blade, quick as any trained assassin. You get a solid grip, but before you can slay the Prince, you’re knocked to the ground with a hard blow.

Voice of the Hero
Hold on, what’s happening? Are we slaying him?

Narrator
The Prince looks down at you, his face grim and almost disappointed. His hands are curled into fists. You know the power they hold. His strength is not to be dismissed.

Prince
“What a succinct answer. I suppose we understand each other now.”

Narrator
You roll backward when he tries to go for another punch, twisting until you have your feet under you. You raise your blade and strike forward, but there’s no way to get close enough without taking another hit yourself. 

Over and over again, the two of you trade blows. Your blade leaves bloody stripes across his skin, some deep enough that you can see the white of bone. Still, you’re in no better condition. His bare hands hold enough force to crack ribs and pull your shoulder from its socket. 

Finally, both of you are forced to the hard basement floor, mangled and bruised. He will not survive for long—but neither will you.

Prince
“Ha. At least you aren’t a coward. That was almost fun.”

Narrator
You hear a wet choking sound that might be his attempt at a laugh.

Then everything goes dark, and you die.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

You
Yeah, I tried that. He slayed me right back. I’m guessing it didn’t save the world either, since I’m right back here.

Voice of the Warrior
Only one thing to do about that. Go back to the fight.

Voice of the Hero
We could try other things. Any other thing at all, even. 

Voice of the Warrior
Are you scared? Am I stuck in this head with a coward?

Voice of the Hero
I would argue that it’s not unreasonable to be afraid of dying, but mostly I just don’t want to get beaten to death again. It’s not a quick way to go. 

You
(It’s perfectly reasonable to fear death.)
(So why don’t you?)

Voice of the Warrior
Sounds like cowardice to me.

You
We could win this time. We know what he’s capable of now.

Voice of the Warrior
That’s what I like to hear!

You
[Continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
Well, I’m glad to see that you’re determined. This is an important duty, you know.

Voice of the Warrior
Sure. Duty. That’s definitely why we’re doing this.

Narrator
I do feel that I should give you one warning, before you face him.

He will lie, cheat, and do everything in his power to stop you from slaying him. You cannot allow yourself to believe a word he says.

Fortunately, he’s only a chained up prince, and you’re a brave and skilled warrior. This will be easy so long as you stay focused.

Voice of the Hero
The chain didn’t seem to stop him much last time…

Voice of the Warrior
It had better not. I don’t want an unequal fight. We need an even match if this is going to be worth it.

Voice of the Hero
I’m going to be honest here. I’m pretty confused about your priorities. Do you want to slay him? Because you sound pretty fond of the guy.

Voice of the Warrior
I want to fight him. I don’t care what happens after that.

Narrator
Slaying, preferably. You know, since the fate of the entire world is at stake.

You
(You’re not here for the world. You’re here for him.)

[Proceed to the cabin.]

Narrator
The interior of the cabin resembles a cave more than a building. The walls are harsh stone and almost brutally utilitarian. The only furniture of note is an iron altar with just enough room at its top to house a pristine blade.

The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.

Voice of the Hero
What about the mirror?

Narrator
What are you talking about? There is no mirror. There’s hardly anything at all. Honestly, it’s a pretty depressing place.

Voice of the Warrior
Who cares about the mirror? It’s time to get back to him. To the fight! To the heat of battle in our blood.

Voice of the Hero
You sound less reasonable the more you talk, do you know that?

You
[Approach the mirror.]

Narrator
Okay, you walk over to the wall. It’s just a wall. There’s nothing on it, other than some scratches and cracks in the stone.

You
[Crouch down and look at the scratches near the basement door.]

Narrator
Once again, there’s nothing there. Do you want me to describe the cracks? They’re cracks. They’ve probably always been part of the rock, unless this place was dug out. Honestly, it looks a bit like an abandoned quarry, so maybe it was.

The corner you’re so obsessed with has several thick cracks, some of them large enough to make small gaps in the top layer of stone. I suppose one of them looks a bit like a kidney?

You
(Or a heart.)
(But that would be stupid.)

Narrator
I’ll be honest, I really don’t know what you want from me here. I’ve run out of things to describe.

You
[Take the blade.]

Voice of the Warrior
Finally! It feels so good to hold it again.

Voice of the Hero
It would be a pretty difficult fight without it. He’s stronger than us if we’re just using fists. 

Voice of the Warrior
That’s going a bit far. This body isn’t weak.

Voice of the Hero
May I remind you that he literally beat us to death with his bare hands?

You
And he won’t this time. Because we’re ready for him. 

Narrator
That’s the spirit.

You
[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
The rough appearance of the cabin continues as you pull open the heavy stone doors. The stairs look like they were carved directly from the surrounding rock, with less care the further down they go. The bottom step is little more than a chunk of stone, without any effort made to flatten the top. The very air is thick with heat and a faint tang of iron.

If this is really where the Prince lives, slaying him is probably doing him a favor.

Voice of the Warrior
Our battle won’t be anything like a favor. We’ll meet him as equals or we won’t meet him at all.

Narrator
A voice echoes against the stone from deep below. 

Prince
“I can hear you hesitating up there. Come down and fight me, won’t you? It’s been too long.”

Voice of the Hero
Wow. Look, I’m not saying I’m scared, but we can at least agree that his voice sounds pretty threatening, right?

Voice of the Warrior
Absolutely. It’s perfect.

Narrator
Let’s not get carried away.

You
[Continue down the stairs.]

Narrator
Unlikely as it seems, the basement is even narrower than the upstairs. There’s been no effort made to turn it into a hospitable place. The ground is uneven and tilts slightly downward, as though even the stone wants you to approach the Prince.

Voice of the Hero
That would make it even harder for him to reach us, too. 

Voice of the Warrior
I don’t like it. This doesn’t feel like a properly fair fight.

Narrator
As for the Prince himself, he stands tall, strength pouring out from every inch of him. He’s more beast than man. It’s a miracle that the shackle chaining him to the wall can even fit around his wrist.

He’s massive—but he’s also mortal. Don’t forget that. 

Prince
“What, nothing to say? I suppose words mean little in the face of what else we can do. What we are.”

Voice of the Warrior
He’s right. Why waste our breath on talk when we could have the clash of steel instead?

Voice of the Hero
Uh, I don’t think there’s going to be any steel-against-steel clashing. He’s unarmed.

Voice of the Warrior
It’s a figure of speech. 

Voice of the Hero
I don’t think it is.

Narrator
If you could focus on the task at hand, please. 

You
“You wanted to try talking last time. Changed your mind?”

Narrator
He laughs, deep and menacing. 

Prince
“You made it quite clear that you weren’t interested in talking. If you wish to converse, let us do it with our bodies.”

Voice of the Hero
Um.

Voice of the Warrior
He means fighting. Don’t make it weird.

You
“Should I toss away my blade and meet you bare-handed? It feels like cheating if I have the advantage.”

Narrator
The Prince growls. Literally, actually growls. There’s not another word for it. 

Prince
“Don’t mock me. You’ll need your little claw if you’re going to have a chance of besting me. You barely managed to kill me last time, even with the advantage. I hope you can give me a better fight this time.”

Narrator
Alright, fine. Let’s address it.

Voice of the Hero
Address what?

Narrator
You’ve clearly been here before.

You
What tipped you off?

Narrator
The way you and the Prince are openly speaking about it, for one. 

Voice of the Hero
We’ve been talking about it this whole time, and you were ignoring it before.

Narrator
Frankly, I was hoping that you’d gone a bit mad or that the anticipation was getting to you. But you’ve already failed. You let an entire world die.

You
What of it?

Narrator
What of it? I’m not exaggerating when I say that you doomed a whole world, you know. All of those people are gone now because of you. Forgive me if I’m hoping to prevent that from happening again.

You
If you want me to win this time, then stop distracting me. 

Voice of the Warrior
And we will win. Losing would shame us forever in his eyes.

Narrator
It would also end the world. Just to make sure you understand what’s really important here.

You
(You’ve always understood what’s most important. That’s never the problem.)

Prince
“Well? Are you going to fight me or are you going to stand there?”

You
“Keep it together, beast. I’ll give you the fight you want.”

Narrator
You lunge at him, piercing forward with your pristine blade. He grins widely, showing off fangs that curl upwards, almost like tusks. His expression is both hungry and joyous. It is clear that, in his eyes, this fight is the greatest gift you could ever give him.

Voice of the Warrior
It isn’t a gift. Do I really have to say it again? We need this just as much as he does.

Narrator
He dodges your first swipe with a bark of almost hysterical laughter. His huge fist swings at you, and you barely manage to leap out of the way. His chain tugs at the wall, widening the cracks already spidering out from its attachment.

Voice of the Hero
He’s going to pull that thing straight out of the wall, isn’t he?

Voice of the Warrior
Good.

Prince
“Yes! Oh, yes. You know what we are, don’t you? You understand what we need?”

Narrator
His glee only grows with each blow you exchange. Neither of you can avoid taking a hit forever. You get a hard thump to the stomach that knocks the wind out of you, but you manage to sink your blade into his shoulder before you fall over.

Your grip on the blade’s handle is the only thing keeping you upright. This close, you can see the strands of saliva falling from his fangs. He’s panting harshly, and when your lungs begin to cooperate again, both of you are breathing the same air.

Prince
“We can cut this path together. You won’t leave me alone again, will you?”

Narrator
There’s a loud crack as he does, in fact, pull the chain from the wall. 

Voice of the Hero
Knew it.

Narrator
You can feel the chain wrap around your throat in some sick mockery of an embrace. With all the stubborn strength you have left, you pull the blade out of his shoulder and plunge it directly into his heart.

His feral grin turns almost tender.

Prince
“You’re perfect. Did you know that? Do you even realize how perfect you are?”

Narrator
It’s a struggle to breathe with the iron grip he has on those chains. It won’t be long before your throat is crushed.

Still, you manage to speak.

You
“Don’t…talk…nonsense…”

Prince
“It’s not nonsense. It’s the only thing that’s ever made sense! You and I are…we are…”

Narrator
His words come slower. He coughs, making a bit of blood land on your face. It’s warm. 

You’ve dealt him a lethal blow, but the edges of your own vision start to fade as well. I’m sorry, but you won’t survive this.

Voice of the Warrior
We wouldn’t want to. Not if it means being without him.

Prince
“Why is it getting so cold? It shouldn’t ever be cold when I’m…with you…”

But you don’t get the chance to answer before he is folded into a many-armed embrace, disappearing from sight.

You are alone.

Chapter Text

A mirror stands before you.

Voice of the Hero
What happened? Where did he go?

Voice of the Warrior
Did that miserable Narrator take him from us?

You
No. The Narrator is gone too. It’s just us and the mirror.

Voice of the Hero
It’s the same mirror from the cabin…but it feels terrible to look at, this time. Please don’t go near it.

You
I have to.

Voice of the Warrior
It feels like death.

You
Weren’t you the one who said we shouldn’t be afraid of death?

You touch the mirror before he can reply.

The voices are silenced. Memory returns. 

You see the shadows of your form in the mirror.

You’ve flourished.

…

You are alone in a place that is all stillness. Something in you aches.

[Proceed to the cabin.]

The path is even easier this time. You see the hill where there should be a cabin and approach the figure still embraced by the limbs which reach out to you. It is hard not to reach back, but you know this is not the time for that. Both of you have duties yet to fulfill.

Once again, you see the body of the Prince you so recently faced. You can see where your blade pierced his chest. The blood drips sluggishly. You wonder if it is still warm.

You would like him to be warm.

Him
Flickering candlelight becomes dancing firelight in a wide hearth, alive with heat and potential. I am more than I was before.
When you are ready, I will wipe you clean again.

You
What does it feel like to change like this?

Him
I begin to see the edges of myself, as I grow tangible enough to have edges. There is confusion in my core and contradiction in my developing nature. I am kept bound together through familiarity.

I am bound by you.

There is struggle in it, but it feels right. This is my truth.

You
Nothing you say makes sense. Can’t you give me a single straight answer?

Him
I am sorry. Words are not easy for me. They do not contain enough to fully express what I wish to share with you.

If you do not like my answers, you do not need to ask me questions. I will not be offended.

You
That’s not what I…nevermind.

Do you know what you’ll do when you’re whole?

Him
By their nature, the sensations you bring me change what I am in ways I cannot expect. I am not able to predict what I will become, much less what I will desire.

For now, my greatest wish is to know who I am.

You
You’re so kind to me. Why?

Him
Why wouldn’t I be kind? You are all that I know. 

You
But I hurt you. These shells, I mean. I’ve hurt them.

Him
And they have hurt you in turn. 

To me, pain is merely another sensation. It is not good or bad. If you worry that I am harmed by your actions, let go of your fear. 

You
Do you have any thoughts on this shell?

Him
This one knew that the greatest growth comes through the most painful conflict. He embraced adversity, and in doing so, broke the chains binding him to misery.

He will make for a strong heart.

Do not mourn him—he has earned what he fought so hard to achieve.

You
Do you have any requests for what I bring next?

Him
It is not a gift if it comes from a demand. 

I want to see what you wish to show me. I told you before that you cannot fail me. Once you have brought me enough sensation and perspective, the other possibilities will join me. What you give me is meaningful because it lets me learn about you, too.

You
Okay. I’m ready to go back.

Him
I will explore what you have given me while I wait for your return.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

You
Why is he in the basement of a cabin?

Narrator
He was imprisoned for the good of the world, because he is extremely dangerous. If he were free, the world would be destroyed. 

You
Can’t the people who trapped him do the slaying? Why am I part of it?

Narrator
You are unique. No one but you can fulfill this duty. 

Trust me, if I could do it myself, I would.

You
I suppose you just expect me to believe you without question.

Narrator
That would be the most convenient option, yes.

You
I’ll go see this cabin. But that doesn’t mean I trust you.

Narrator
Trust me or don’t. So long as you carry out your duty, I don’t really care.

You
[Silently continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
I do feel that I should give you one warning, before you face him.

He will lie, cheat, and do everything in his power to stop you from slaying him. You cannot allow yourself to believe a word he says.

Fortunately, he’s only a chained up prince, and you’re a brave and skilled warrior. This will be easy so long as you stay focused.

Voice of the Hero
Hold on. We aren’t really going to do this, are we? We’re supposed to protect princes, not slay them. 

Narrator
Just ignore that annoying little voice. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. 

You
If I start ignoring annoying voices, it’s going to get awfully quiet in here.

Narrator
You’re hilarious. Perhaps once you finish saving the world, you can go into comedy. Maybe you’ll become a street performer.

You
(It’s a more appealing idea than listening to her drivel, at least.)

[Proceed to the cabin.]

Narrator
The inside of the cabin is plain, humble, and nearly entirely empty. The only furniture is a simple wooden table. On top of that table is a pristine blade.

The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.

You
[Take the blade.]

(It feels like a part of you. You’re not sure you like that. You’d rather not graft on new pieces of yourself just because someone else told you it was right. Especially someone like her.)

Narrator
Good. You take the blade. It would be difficult to slay the Prince and save the world without it.

Voice of the Hero
Better to at least have the option, if things go wrong. 

You
(It rankles on you when they agree. You’re the one making decisions, not them.)
(So why doesn’t it feel that way?)

[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
The door to the basement creaks open, revealing a dimly lit staircase. The wood is clearly rotting, leaving the air damp and heavy.

If this is really where the Prince lives, slaying him is probably doing him a favor.

Voice of the Hero
It’s just a basement. No need to be so dramatic.

Narrator
His voice carries up the stairs.

Prince
“Who’s there?”

Voice of the Hero
He has such a compelling voice…

You
(It’s the first voice to make you want to listen.)

Narrator
Do you remember what I said about manipulation? It starts here.

You
[Continue down the stairs.]

Narrator
Good. You’re still listening to reason.

Voice of the Hero
I’m not sure you’re qualified to be a voice of reason.

Narrator
I’m more qualified than you.

You walk down the stairs and lock eyes with the Prince. He sits directly on the floor, a heavy chain keeping him shackled to the far wall. 

Voice of the Hero
Huh. I think I was expecting him to look more delicate.

Narrator
Of course he’s not delicate. He’s dangerous enough to end the world. Why would he be delicate?

Voice of the Hero
I don’t know, it was just something about his voice. I thought he’d be more…beautiful. That makes me sound pretty shallow, doesn’t it?

Narrator
Extremely shallow, yes.

You
(And wrong. He’s better than beautiful. He looks you in the eye, even after seeing the blade in your hand. Unflinching.)
(It makes you even more hesitant to kill him, and not because you’re afraid. It just seems a shame for the world to lose someone like him.)

Prince
“Ah, there you are. I must say, I wasn’t expecting any visitors. You’re the first in…I don’t know how long, actually.”

Voice of the Hero
How long has he been down here?

Narrator
That’s not important.

You
(Obviously it isn’t important. It’s like a joke. No one’s ever visited him. Can’t they tell? Don’t they understand him?)

Narrator
What’s important is that you slay him as quickly as possible. Don’t give him a chance to sway you. He’ll do anything to get his way.

You
“How would you like to get out of here?”

Narrator
What?

Voice of the Hero
Oh! Can’t say I expected to take such a strong stance from the start, but I respect the confidence.

Narrator
The Prince looks about as shocked as I feel. His smooth expression falls into something almost hesitant. There’s hope in those eyes. It would be cruel to betray it.

Much crueler things have been done for less noble reasons than saving the world. 

Voice of the Hero
That’s an awful justification. Even I know that.

Prince
“Truly? Just like that? You come down here with a blade, silent and dangerous, and all you want to do is free me?”

You
“Why not?”

Narrator
Oh, I can think of a few reasons.

Voice of the Hero
Hush up with the editorializing. You’ve made your point pretty clear.

Narrator
Sigh.

The Prince takes a moment to absorb your ridiculous answer, then laughs. His smile is a small, guarded thing. You amuse him, but he does not trust you.

You
(Of course he doesn’t. He’s not a complete fool.)

Prince

“Alright. Do you have a plan for getting me out of these chains?”

You
“Why do I have to be the one with a plan? They’re your chains.”

Narrator
Despite your words, you crouch down and take his chains in your hand. He moves his wrist obligingly, letting you see all sides of the shackle. No matter what angle you look at it from, there’s no visible keyhole.

Voice of the Hero
How can it be around his wrist if there’s no way for it to open and close? 

Actually, don’t answer that. I don’t think I want to know.

You
“I didn’t see a key upstairs, and even if I did find one, I wouldn’t know where to use it.”

Prince
“We’ll just have to make our own key, then.”

You
“Didn’t you hear what I said? There’s no lock—”

Narrator
The Prince leans down and tears into his own arm with his teeth. The flesh rends easily beneath them, calling his very humanity into question.

You
“...you know, you could just use the blade. It’d be faster.”

Voice of the Hero
Is that seriously the only problem you have with this?!

Prince
“I, ah…I wasn't sure if you'd give it to me.”

You
“So you didn't even ask? Don't be absurd.”

Narrator
You pass him your pristine blade, holding the sharp edges with care so can take it by the handle. 

I hope you know what you're doing. 

Prince
“Thank you. Can I ask—why are you here in the first place?”

You
“Someone told me to kill you or you'd end the world.”

Narrator
The Prince finishes cutting through his arm, letting his decapitated hand fall to the floor with a dull thud. The shackle goes with it.

He is free. You monster. 

Prince
“So instead of listening to them, you're setting me free? What if I do end the world?”

You
“Do you want to end the world?”

Narrator
The Prince looks at you with a contemplative expression. 

I feel that I should remind you right now that it doesn't matter what he wants. If he leaves this cabin, the world will end. There's no other option.

Prince
“I don't think I do. I like the world. Or at least I want to like it. I've never seen it.”

You
“Better hold off your judgement, then.”

Voice of the Hero
Are we advocating for or against ending the world? I'll go along with the plan, but to be honest, it doesn't feel like there really is one. 

Prince
“Hm. Maybe you're right. Will you help me up? It's a bit challenging to boost myself with only one hand.”

Narrator
You stand up and reach down to take the hand still attached to his body. Even once he's standing, neither of you lets go.

You sicken me. You're condemning an entire world, and for what? 

Prince
“It seems to me that you're taking an awful lot on faith.”

You
(No you're not.)

“Do you not want me to believe you?”

Prince
“Well, no. That's not really what I mean. I just don't want you to—”

Narrator
No. No, that's it. I'm not going to just sit here and let the two of you have a nice little chat while the fate of the world hangs in the balance. 

Voice of the Hero
How exactly do you plan on stopping this? 

Narrator
Your pristine blade still sits on the floor next to the chains. You reach down and take it, grip firm and unyielding. 

Prince
“Oh. I suppose that could be useful to bring with us.”

Narrator
You raise the blade and point it at his chest. Just one good thrust will end this. 

Prince
“What are you doing? You don't look right. Your eyes…oh. You're not in control right now, are you?”

Voice of the Hero
He's quick on the uptake. 

You
“Take…the…”

Narrator
Before you can grit out the last word, you stab forward with all your might. At this range, there’s no way for the Prince to—

Voice of the Hero
Oho! Look at him go!

Narrator
—dodge neatly out of the way. Exactly how he just did. 

His face is cold. Whatever charming little connection the two of you were making is shattered now. It’s not the victory I intended, but I suppose I have to take what I can get.

Prince
“You’re really trying to hold back, aren’t you?”

Voice of the Hero
He sounds so clinical about it. I thought maybe he was warming up to us, but…oh. What’s he doing with the blade? Oh no. No, this can’t be it.

Narrator
Unfortunately for all of us, as well as everyone else in the entire world, it is.

Prince
“I won’t forget this.”

Narrator
He takes the blade from your loosened grip and flips it around with an ease that speaks of intimate familiarity with violence. When he stabs you, it is a clean and efficient cut. You will bleed out quickly.

Perhaps it is the greatest mercy a thing like him is capable of.

You
(You don’t know if he can see what you’re trying to tell him. Maybe it doesn’t matter either way.)
(But you won’t forget, either.)

Narrator
Everything goes dark, and you die.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

Voice of the Cynic
Is everything you say a lie, or just most of it? 

Narrator
Excuse me?

Voice of the Cynic
Obviously the part about the Prince being evil is a lie. I wouldn’t be surprised if the world ending bit is a lie as well. Seems more likely than not.

Narrator
I didn’t say anything about the Prince being evil. What’s more, I assure you that I am not lying about the fate of the world. It is critical that you take this task seriously. The fate of every living person rests in your hands.

Voice of the Cynic
Sure, sure.

You two go on and have fun. I’m going to keep an eye out for any details this lady doesn’t want to mention. 

Voice of the Hero
Seems wise to have someone doing that, yeah. I’d prefer not to believe that everything she’s told us is a lie, but I can’t exactly trust her after last time.

You
(Your hand, raising without your consent. The point of your blade nearly touching his skin. Feeling your muscles tense in preparation for a strike. You barely had time to warn him.)

Narrator
Just to be clear here, we’ve never met. If you really are here for a second time, then something has gone terribly wrong. This was always supposed to be finished in one go.

But we can’t do anything about that now. Regardless, the last place you were in, where you met someone like me? That was a different world, and it’s gone now. Ended. This is something entirely new. And I, at least, have not lied to you once.

I’ve hardly even had the opportunity, even if I did want to do it. Which I don’t. All I want to do is guide you on the path to saving everyone. 

You
(You’ve had enough of this.)

[Silently continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
I do feel that I should give you one warning, before you face him.

He will lie, cheat, and do everything in his power to stop you from slaying him. You cannot allow yourself to believe a word he says.

Fortunately, he’s only a chained up prince, and you’re a brave and skilled warrior. This will be easy so long as you stay focused.

Voice of the Cynic
Easy so long as we do what you want.

Narrator
It will be easy so long as you do what the world needs.

You
[Don’t think about what you need.]

Voice of the Hero
Wait, what was that?

You
(Damn it.)

[Proceed to the cabin.]

Narrator
The interior of the cabin has walls made of stone bricks fitted so tightly together that even the smallest draft couldn’t possibly get through. There are thick iron bars on the windows which barely allow the faintest trickle of moonlight. This is no pleasant vacation home; this is a dungeon. A prison made for a single occupant.

The only furniture to speak of is a heavy table bolted to the floor, upon which sits a pristine blade.

Voice of the Cynic
What about the mirror? 

Narrator
Now you’re just making things up to spite me. As I said, the only furniture of note is the table. There is no mirror here.

Voice of the Hero
Does a mirror count as furniture?

Narrator
That is so far from the point that it may as well be in a ravine on the other side of the world.

Voice of the Cynic
We should definitely check out the mirror.

You
[Approach the mirror.]

Narrator
Alright, fine. You crouch down in front of the wall. I’ll be honest, I don’t have anything else to say here. It’s just a bunch of stone bricks. They aren’t very interesting to look at.

Voice of the Cynic
Take all the time you need. The longer she goes on about how dull this is, the more I’m convinced it means something. I’m sure the Prince will wait for us.

Voice of the Hero
He was rather patient. It was nice.

You
(There’s a tiny chip in one of the bricks. You feel the hint of a breeze.)
(Do you remember how to smile?)

Narrator
I hate to rush you, but do you think you could wrap up the whole ‘staring expressionlessly at a wall instead of slaying the Prince’ part of this little adventure?

Voice of the Cynic
She really doesn’t want us looking closely at this.

Voice of the Hero
Which could be because there’s nothing here.

Voice of the Cynic
Whose side are you on?

Voice of the Hero
How is pointing out that there’s absolutely nothing on this wall, except for the admittedly suspicious mirror, picking a side?

You
[Take the blade.]

Narrator
Oh, you’re moving things right along now. Thank you. 

You
I didn’t do it for you. I did it to shut those two up.

Voice of the Cynic
So long as you’re still in control of your own choices.

Voice of the Hero
Also, that’s a bit rude. But we are under a lot of pressure right now, so I’ll let it slide.

You
[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
The stairs are made of the same solid brick as the rest of the cabin, neatly placed and well-maintained. Whoever built this place did it with care. For better or worse, the general atmosphere is still rather dreary. Torches flicker on the wall, but they only cast light onto more of the same solid stone. It’s as if the intention in every brick was to make the occupant unhappy.

Nevermind what I said about the entrance. This is clearly the way to the dungeon. 

If this is really where the Prince lives, slaying him is probably doing him a favor.

Voice of the Cynic
You would say that, wouldn’t you? Anything to get your way.

Narrator
A voice drifts up from the melancholy depths of the dungeon.

Prince
“I wondered if you would come back.”

You
[Continue down the stairs.]

Voice of the Cynic
I’m still not so sure we should’ve.

Narrator
The basement is nearly identical to the upstairs, except for its occupant. The Prince sits against the far wall, chained securely in place. Heavy shackles are around both of his wrists, and a collar is locked around his neck. If you needed proof of the threat he represents, this is it.

Prince
“I see you have your blade again. Will you go straight for my throat this time? Save us both the trouble?”

Narrator
That would be an effective method. There’s no need to waste time. 

Voice of the Cynic
Don’t assume we’re so easily distracted. You failed to mention the empty shackle hanging next to him. Who do you suppose that’s for?

You
(Who else?)

Voice of the Hero
I don’t know, but I have a bad feeling about it.

Voice of the Cynic
Let’s go check it out.

You
“I thought I’d keep my options open.”

Narrator
His face remains utterly blank. Neither your words nor your presence move him.

Prince
“A wise move. Shall we talk? I’m afraid I have little to offer other than conversation.”

Voice of the Hero
I’ll bet. Can he even move with all of those chains?

Narrator
I should hope not.

Voice of the Cynic
Stop getting sidetracked. Go look at the empty shackle. It probably has a clue.

Prince
“You keep glancing at the other chains. Are you so eager to join me in my prison?”

You
“Hardly.”

Narrator
You don’t walk over to investigate the shackle. Good. Instead, you…sit down on the floor across from the Prince. Okay, that’s less good. I’m telling you, if you don’t slay him as soon as possible, he’ll get inside your head.

Voice of the Cynic
Kind of like you are?

Voice of the Hero
Oh, that’s a good one.

Prince
“So then. What shall we chat about?”

Narrator
His tone is as empty as his heart.

Voice of the Hero
How could you possibly know that? Are you even capable of objectivity?

Voice of the Cynic
Obviously not.

You
(But she’s not wrong.)

“What do you want?”

Prince
“Not one for subtlety, are you? That’s fair. What would you want in my position?”

You
“Don’t be obtuse.”

Prince
“I’d hate to make assumptions.”

Voice of the Cynic 
He talks around everything too. We can’t trust anyone here.

You
(Can’t they hear his laughter? It seems so obvious to you.)

“Look, we aren’t going to be able to cut you out like last time.”

Narrator
You did what last time?

Voice of the Hero
I feel like that was a pretty basic logical leap to make. I don’t know why you’re so surprised.

Prince
“I don’t see why not. Give me the knife.”

Narrator
First of all, it’s a pristine blade. Second of all, under no circumstances should you ever—and you’re already handing it over. Fantastic. Apparently, the fate of the world is in the hands of a cynical misanthrope. How did things go so wrong?

Voice of the Cynic
Oh. 

Voice of the Hero
Oh?

Voice of the Cynic
I think I see where this is going.

Voice of the Hero
So far, that hasn’t proven to be true. But I’m willing to hear you out again.

Voice of the Cynic
I’m not going to say a thing. No point in ruining the surprise.

Prince
“Thank you. I suppose I’ll see you around.”

Narrator
He raises the blade to his neck and begins…oh my. He begins cutting through his own flesh. The blade slides through muscle and bone without so much as a pause. It must be pure inertia that keeps it going even after he severs his own brainstem.

Both your blade and the Prince’s head tumble to the floor and land at your feet. His eyes look up at you, blank as ever. 

Voice of the Hero
What the hell? Why did he do that?!

You
When there’s no other way out, you have to cut your own path. 

Voice of the Hero
The path in this case being suicide?

Voice of the Cynic
He went out on his own terms. I like it.

Narrator
I still think you’re mad for handing over the blade, but I can’t argue with the results. Go on back upstairs. Your reward awaits.

You
[Go upstairs, and take the Prince’s head with you.]

Narrator
That’s a bit grisly. I suppose there’s nothing stopping you from keeping it as a trophy, even if it is in poor taste. 

Voice of the Hero
It’s still warm. He’s still warm.

Narrator
Of course it’s warm. He only just died. 

You
[Clutch the Prince’s head carefully in your arms. You don’t want to drop him.]

Narrator
Okay, you’ve clearly got some sort of uncomfortable attachment going on here, but I’ll leave it be for both of our sakes. I’d rather not describe the way his blood still drips onto you, pooling in your hands while you cradle him with something approaching tenderness.

Ugh, and I did it anyway. I hate what you make me do.

You
[Leave the cabin.]

Narrator
Finally, something normal. 

You ascend the stairs without trouble, and the cabin door swings open easily. But what you find is not the world you…expect…? Hold on, what’s happening? There shouldn’t be trees and stars like this. How did you—oh no. He’s still alive, isn’t he? That’s why you brought his head?

Prince
“I wasn’t sure you’d know what to do.”

Narrator
His tone and face still give away nothing of his feelings. Maybe he doesn’t even have any.

But I do, and I—I can’t believe you’d….do….

She does not finish her thought before her voice fades, and she is gone.

You
(What an idiot. There’s such an obvious smile on the Prince’s face. You’d have to be blind not to see it.)

Voice of the Cynic
Finally. I thought she’d never leave.

Voice of the Hero
Did you really know what he was doing?

Voice of the Cynic
I don’t need to answer that.

You
“You say that like it wasn’t my plan in the first place.”

Voice of the Hero
Wait, was it?

Prince
“Ha! That’s a generous interpretation. But I won’t argue. Not when I finally get to see what the rest of the world looks like. I didn’t expect it to be so…cold…”

His voice begins to fade as well. In a matter of moments, he is enfolded in a many-limbed embrace and taken from your own arms.

You are alone.

Chapter Text

A mirror stands before you.

Voice of the Hero
What happened? Where did he go?

Voice of the Cynic
Nevermind him. Where are we?

You
Someplace quiet, finally.

Voice of the Hero
That mirror…it’s the same as the one in the cabin. But it feels terrible to look at, this time. Please don’t go near it.

You
I have to.

Voice of the Cynic
Something bad will happen if you do.

You
Not bad. Just different.

You touch the mirror before he can reply.

The voices are silenced. Memory returns. 

You see the shadows of your form in the mirror.

You’ve decayed.

…

You are alone in a place that is all stillness. Something in you aches.

[Proceed to the cabin.]

You don’t even have to pay attention to the path, by this point. You know where you’re meant to go, and you know who will greet you there.

Writhing arms extend from the top of the hill, cradling the head which you so recently held. 

His smile has finally faded. He looks peaceful.

Him
I expand, and as I do, I find more contradictions. They give me strength. I am nothing without contradiction, and contradiction is nothing without me. 

You
How can you stand being a contradiction? Doesn’t it tear you apart?

Him
It is what I am. It is what you are, too. 

You
What? No I’m not. 

Him
You are meant to be alone, and yet you are lonely. 

You
(Something stings.)

…Do you have any thoughts on this shell?

Him
This one saw past the walls of his prison and learned what it means to have faith in something outside of himself. He spoke in a language beyond words and trusted that his hope would not be lost in translation.

He will make for a sturdy heart.

Do not mourn him—he has found what he sought.

You
It felt like we were working together this time. I know you said that I’m a blank slate every time I return, but it feels like I’m keeping something. Like I know a little bit more than I should.

Him
My capabilities only exist because of your belief. Perhaps you cannot imagine a world where you and I are truly separate. 

Does it trouble you?

You
No. At least I don’t think so. It’s confusing. This is all so much. I want it to be simple.

Him
I will never be simple. To long for what is easy is to reject further growth.

You
I didn’t say anything about rejection. I might like things to be simple, but that doesn’t mean I’m going back on my word.

Him
I am relieved to hear that. I do not think time passes here in the same way that it does in the worlds beyond, but I am still left waiting while you are gone. Sometimes I fear that you will not return, and I will remain in pieces. Alone for eternity. 

You
You’re talking nonsense again. Of course I’ll come back. Haven’t I proven that by now?

Him
Logic cannot contain all of my wandering thoughts. Does it offend you that I fear loss?

You
I didn’t say that. Stop putting words in my mouth.

Him
I would never wish to make you other than what you are.

You
Even if we understood each other better this time, there was still pain. You had to cut off parts of yourself just to escape. You had to kill me. Doesn’t that make you upset? 

Him
Everything he did becomes a part of me now. Nothing has been left behind. There are forces neither of us can control that place us in these cages. I told you before that pain is merely more sensation to me. Perhaps it is not the same for you.

Do you resent the pain? Do you resent what these pieces of me have done to you?

You
No. Of course I don’t. At least not the part about you. I don’t think I could resent you. If anything, sharing that struggle with you makes me care about you more.

Him
You have such tender compassion inside of you, even if you try to hide it. 

You
Don’t give me too much credit. Anyone would feel the same.

Him
No one would feel the same way about me that you do. No one else could ever see me so clearly.

You
Nothing feels clear. It’s all still so muddled. 

Him
Perhaps that will change when we are complete. If it does not, then I will still be here to help you through it.

You
How many more shells do you need?

Him
I am nearing completion, but it is not yet within my view. 

You
Does it still not matter to you what I bring next?

Him
Everything you do matters to me. Do not mistake my lack of preference for a lack of care. I have no specific desires with which to weigh you down. Nor would I wish to act as though I am above you.

You
You’re so dramatic. You aren’t burdening me if you have desires. 

Him
Forgive me if I presume too much. If I have any desire regarding your paths, it is for you to feel free in your choices. In turn, I cherish your gifts and what they tell me about you.

You
…I don’t know if I want to go back. I’m afraid of hurting you again. Last time I had my choices taken away.

Him
I cannot say whether your hands will once again be moved without your will. If you need more time, I will gladly wait with you.

You
[Wait.]

(But not for too long.)

Him
How curious that you should hold yourself back.

You
Don’t start with me. Just send me back.

Him
Very well. I will be here when you return.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

You
What if I don’t believe you?

Narrator
Then it will be very difficult for us to get anything done.

You
Maybe that's fine with me. 

Narrator
Well it's not fine with me, so we're going to have to figure out how to work together. Unless you want to just keep standing here forever?

You
(You can't. You have a job to do.)

…Fine. But this doesn't mean I trust you. 

Narrator
Noted. 

You
[Silently continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
I do feel that I should give you one warning, before you face him.

He will lie, cheat, and do everything in his power to stop you from slaying him. You cannot allow yourself to believe a word he says.

Fortunately, he’s only a chained up prince, and you’re a brave and skilled warrior. This will be easy so long as you stay focused.

Voice of the Hero
Hold on. We aren’t really going to do this, are we? We’re supposed to protect princes, not slay them. 

Narrator
Just ignore that annoying little voice. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. 

You
(Now why does that sound so familiar…)

[Proceed to the cabin.]

Narrator
The inside of the cabin is plain, humble, and nearly entirely empty. The only furniture is a simple wooden table. On top of that table is a pristine blade.

The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.

You
(No.)

[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
Without the blade? It’s going to be challenging to fulfill your duty without it.

Voice of the Hero
We can always come back up for it.

Narrator
I suppose. Just don’t get tangled in his lies.

The door to the basement creaks open, revealing a dimly lit staircase. The wood is clearly rotting, leaving the air damp and heavy.

If this is really where the Prince lives, slaying him is probably doing him a favor.

Voice of the Hero
Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you?

Narrator
His voice carries up the stairs.

Prince
“Hello? Is someone there?”

Voice of the Hero
He doesn’t sound like a threat. He sounds gentle. Almost timid. It’s a lovely voice…

You
(It’s wrong. It is not the voice he should have.)

Narrator
Don’t be naive. Predators acting harmless is the most basic trick in the book.

You
[Continue down the stairs.]

Narrator
I have to say, I expected more resistance from you after how this all started off. I suppose you did leave the blade behind, but otherwise you’ve been rather quiet.

You
Imagine if you followed my example.

Narrator
Then you wouldn’t have a clue as to what’s going on around you. Like it or not, you need me.

You
(Not likely.)

Narrator
You walk down the stairs and lock eyes with the Prince. He sits directly on the floor, a heavy chain keeping him shackled to the far wall. 

Voice of the Hero
He’s as beautiful as his voice sounded…

You
Ugh. You make me sick.

Narrator
For once, we’re in agreement.

Prince
“Hello.”

Narrator
He smiles at you with eyes that seem utterly guileless. I will remind you that appearances are often deceiving. 

Voice of the Hero
But not always.

Prince
“Who are you? And, um. If it isn’t too rude of me to ask…what are you doing here?”

Narrator
Don’t tell him.

You
“I was told to kill you.”

Narrator
You have to be kidding.

Prince
“What? Why?”

Narrator
His voice shakes, but then he swallows and takes a deep breath. When he settles, he manages to look the part of a prince.

Though you can still see how his fingers shake.

Prince
“I apologize for my outburst.”

Voice of the Hero
He thinks that was an outburst?

Prince
“Still, I would appreciate it if you answered my questions. Who sent you to kill me, and for what reason?”

Narrator
I suppose there’s no point in telling you not to reveal anything else.

You
“I don’t know who, exactly. But apparently you’re going to destroy the world if I don’t kill you.”

Narrator
I didn’t think so. Good to know I didn’t waste my time. Particularly since I have so little of it left, if things keep on this way.

Prince
“Me? Destroy the world? While I sit chained up in a basement?”

Narrator
He actually manages a laugh. Maybe it’s your stoicism or his perceived lack of control, but he’s found some degree of humor in the situation. I almost envy him.

Prince
“So you’re going to slit my throat with that blade up there, then? Or perhaps plunge it into my chest?”

Voice of the Hero
He’s so casual about it…although, wait. How does he know about the blade?

You
“Probably not. But we will need the blade.”

Narrator
He eyes you warily, but doesn’t say a word as you go retrieve your blade. I hope you’re coming to your senses now.

Voice of the Hero
I wouldn’t bet on it.

Narrator
When you return, you crouch down in front of him and hold out your pristine blade, like an idiot with a death wish. 

You
“There weren’t any keys upstairs. If we’re going to get you out of these chains, we’ll have to get creative.”

Prince
“Ah. I believe I understand your meaning.”

Voice of the Hero
What’s he doing, holding out his wrist like that? I thought he’d take the blade and maybe use it to pick the lock or something, but it almost looks like—

Narrator
With a sense of detachment that fits the rest of your actions thus far, you cut cleanly through the Prince’s wrist. His hand and the shackle clatter to the ground.

You help him stand, and doom us all in the process. 

Prince
“I can hardly believe I’m going to leave here…I don’t even know what to do once I’m free.”

You
“Is there anything you want to do?”

Narrator
He looks at you, eyes almost blank.

Prince
“Is there anything you would suggest?”

You
“I asked first. There has to be something you want. Everyone wants things.”

Prince
“I think…I just want y—”

Narrator
No. No, this isn’t happening. I’m not just going to sit here and watch you throw the world away for nothing. 

Whether you realize it or not, you’re still holding on to your pristine blade. Tightening your grip, you raise it—

Voice of the Hero
Wait, hold on just a minute!

Prince
“What’s happening? What are you doing?”

You
“G-get back…I can’t…hold…’

Narrator
You take a swipe at the Prince, but he manages to step aside, due to your warning. You selfish bastard. Don’t you know what’s at stake here?

Prince
“So this is how it is. You come to me with no weapon, and now you stand before me with no will of your own. You will regret treating me like some pathetic weakling.”

You
(That’s not what you meant. That’s never been what you meant.)
(But you cannot speak, and he does not understand what you are trying to tell him.)

Narrator
He wrenches the blade from your grip and plunges it into your heart without hesitation. I hope you’re happy with yourself. 

Voice of the Hero
I don’t think anyone’s happy with this.

Narrator
Everything goes dark, and you die.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

Voice of the Disillusioned
And why exactly should we bother to save it? What’s the world got that’s worth losing our control to you?

Narrator
I would think that saving the world is fairly self-justifying. Also, I’ve never taken away your control. All I’ve done is tell you where you are and what your duty is. 

Voice of the Disillusioned
Play dumb all you like. We won't forget. 

You
She's a different one. She doesn't remember what happened last time. 

Voice of the Hero
How do you know that?

You
I just do. It doesn't matter. Let's get to the cabin and take care of this nonsense. 

Voice of the Disillusioned
We can try, but it's going to end the same. 

You
You're really not helping. 

Voice of the Disillusioned
I'm not trying to. 

Narrator
Well, I can't say I understand most of what you're saying, but if you're going to the cabin, I won't complain. 

You
It's so tiresome when you pretend not to know what's going on. 

Voice of the Hero
I thought you said this was a new one and she didn't remember? 

You
It's still irritating. 

Voice of the Hero
Fair enough. 

You
[Silently continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
I do feel that I should give you one warning, before you face him.

He will lie, cheat, and do everything in his power to stop you from slaying him. You cannot allow yourself to believe a word he says.

Fortunately, he’s only a chained up prince, and you’re a brave and skilled warrior. This will be easy so long as you stay focused.

Voice of the Disillusioned
It might've been easy, if you hadn't interfered. You're just going to do it again. 

We could leave instead of bothering with this. What's the point if we already know the ending? 

Voice of the Hero
But we don't know the ending. Not for certain. 

You
(You can't leave. Not yet. Not without him.)

[Proceed to the cabin.]

Narrator
At least two of you still have your senses. 

Voice of the Disillusioned
I'd say more like one and a half. 

Narrator
The cabin’s interior is somehow colder than the outdoors. Despite the walls around you, snow covers the floor, piling at the edges of the room. The only furniture of note is a wooden table, clearly damaged from exposure to the elements. Atop it sits a pristine blade.

The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.

Voice of the Hero
What about the mirror?

Voice of the Disillusioned
Don’t bother. She’s just going to say that it isn’t there.

Narrator
While I hate to prove you right, I don’t have any other option. There is no mirror in this room. All of the walls are completely blank.

You
[Crouch in front of the mirror and look at the snow.]

Narrator
It's just snow. There are a few little piles, but they're not making any discernible shapes. If you're looking for tiny snowmen, you're out of luck. 

You
(She's right. You can't make out any distinct shapes in the snow. One of the piles looks like it might be intentionally formed, but you can't figure out what it's supposed to be.)
(You ache.)

Narrator
You stand back up and move away from the empty wall and tiny snow piles. Good. 

You
[Take the blade.]

Narrator
Even better!

Voice of the Disillusioned
Why bother taking it? She’s just going to make us use it again. 

Although, I suppose we could take our body out of the picture. That would show her. 

Voice of the Hero
That's a bit extreme for a first option, don't you think? 

Narrator
Alright, fine. Let's address it. You've clearly been here before. 

You
Finally. The denial was getting grating. 

Narrator
Forgive me for hoping that you hadn't already consigned an entire world to destruction. 

But no matter what you did last time, you have a second chance. You can do things right this time. You can save everyone. 

Voice of the Disillusioned
Do we really seem like the types to care about heroic pleas?

Voice of the Hero
I care. At least a bit. 

You
(You don't.)
(But you still can't give up.)

Voice of the Disillusioned
Well I don't. But I suppose I can't stop you. 

You
[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
There is even more snow on the stairs than there is above. It will be difficult to navigate the drifts in your path. Cold wind blows up from the bottom, chilling you to the bone. The faint crunch of footsteps on snow just barely reaches you.

If this is really where the Prince lives, slaying him is probably doing him a favor. 

Not that I imagine that sways you. 

You
(It doesn't.)

Narrator
A voice carries up the stairs, muffled slightly by the snow. 

Prince
“I'm surprised you had the will to come back.”

Voice of the Disillusioned
We wouldn’t have, if it were up to me.

You
And it isn’t up to you. So shut up.

Voice of the Disillusioned
I’m just saying that this is a waste of time. What’s your plan? We go down there and kill him?

Or maybe you’ll try to save him again, only to be thwarted at the last moment? 

Voice of the Hero
It could be different this time. There’s no way to know unless we try.

You
[Continue down the stairs.]

Narrator
You carefully make your way down the stairs, pausing more than once to keep your footing. Regardless of what you do once you find the Prince, it would be rather humiliating to fall down the stairs on your way.

Voice of the Hero
Yeah, that’d sting. We already don’t look great in his eyes. No need to make it worse.

Voice of the Disillusioned
No way to make it better.

Narrator
At last, you step onto solid ground. Or at least slightly more solid. The snow is thick enough to keep you from seeing the floor itself. 

There’s also far more of it than there should be. The basement is large enough that you can’t see the walls. Or maybe they’re covered in snow as well, giving the illusion of a tundra contained in a cabin.

You
And the Prince?

Narrator
Regrettably, the Prince is nowhere to be seen. The snow has been disturbed in places, but there isn’t a clear trail of footprints to follow.

Voice of the Hero
Well, it’s definitely different this time. 

Voice of the Disillusioned
But how much? Do we have any more choices than before, or is the scenery just a little changed?

Voice of the Hero
I’d say this is more than just a little changed, but I see your point.

Prince
“Can you even see me? Do you know how to find me? Or are you too frail-minded for such a simple task?”

Narrator
You can’t pin down where the voice is coming from. The wind whistles around you, chasing away any chance of locating the Prince.

I hope I don’t have to convince you that he’s dangerous.

Voice of the Hero
No, I think that’s pretty clear.

Prince
“This is pathetic. Are you just going to stand there until something happens? I’m far more patient than you.”

You
(There he is.)

Narrator
Your head snaps to one side, and you focus in on one of the many all-white areas of the basement. If the Prince is over there, it’s just a lucky guess. Still, it’s better to keep moving than to make yourself an easy target.

You
(There’s nothing lucky about it.)

Voice of the Disillusioned
I’m willing to believe that you can somehow see the Prince, but there is something you’ve forgotten to pay attention to.

Voice of the Hero
Oh? What’s that?

Voice of the Disillusioned
Remember when she said we couldn’t properly see the ground?

You
Shit.

Narrator
Just before you make it to that particular patch of white, the ground beneath your feet collapses. You’re in a shallow pit, dug carefully into the snow. You could probably get out, but before you even have the chance, a figure leans over you.

Prince
“As I said. Pathetic.”

Narrator
He is wrapped in white, and what little skin you can see is nearly as pale as the snow around you. There’s no triumph in his expression, despite his success in trapping you. If anything, he seems disappointed.

Voice of the Disillusioned
Aren’t we all?

You
“Okay, you’re right. I shouldn’t have fallen for that.”

Prince
“No, you shouldn’t have. But if we’re listing all of the things you shouldn’t have done, this doesn’t quite top the list.”

Voice of the Hero
That’s fair. Can’t blame him for that one.

You
“Here.”

Narrator
You reach up and offer him—hold on, why are you giving away your blade? He’s obviously a threat. Even if you don’t believe that the world is at stake, you can’t really think that you’re walking out of here alive if you give away your only weapon.

Prince
“Is this some kind of joke?”

You
“I need both hands if I’m going to get out of here.”

Narrator
What kind of justification is that? Ugh. Fine. I can’t stop you.

Voice of the Disillusioned
So you say.

Narrator
The Prince takes your blade, exposing a bit more of his skin when he reaches forward.

Voice of the Hero
Look at his wrists. They’re so thin. 

You
(But no less strong.)

Narrator
You use your better grip to boost yourself up. You manage to clamber out of the pit, but it’s not dignified. Congratulations. Not only have you doomed the world, you’ve humiliated yourself.

You
I could go without the commentary.

Narrator
And I could go without you mucking up your duty.

Prince
“I suppose you expect me to give this back now?”

Narrator
His tone is casual, but his grip on the blade is tight. If you want to get it away from him, it won’t be easy.

You
“No.”

Narrator
What? Do you even have a plan? You’re going to die here!

Voice of the Disillusioned
And for what? What are you proving? 

Prince
“Why would you let me keep it? Do you really think I won’t kill you?”

Narrator
You shrug. You honestly, actually shrug. I can’t believe you. Do you truly care so little about all of this?

You
“Do what you like with it. You’ll never trust me if you aren’t the one holding it.”

Narrator
He laughs, but not with humor. It’s a laugh of disbelief. A laugh that says wow, you can’t actually be serious right now. I’d laugh like that too, if I could bring myself to feel anything but disgust.

Prince
“So now I’m supposed to trust you? Just like that? You really think I’ll let my guard down, just because you’re making some grand gesture?”

You
“One of us has to try.”

Voice of the Disillusioned
You don’t have to.

Voice of the Hero
But it means something that you do.

Narrator
He tilts his head at you, like he’s trying to make sense out of nonsense. I seriously doubt he’ll have any luck. I certainly haven’t.

Prince
“Hm. I can’t tell if you’re lying. I suppose it doesn’t really matter.”

Narrator
To absolutely no one’s surprise, he lunges forward and stabs you. He at least has the decency to aim for your heart. It won’t take you long to die.

You have failed about as badly as you could have, by any metric. 

Prince
“I can’t believe you just let me do that. What was the point? Why would you…why did you give me your blade?”

Narrator
He sounds almost panicked. Maybe the guilt will make him use that blade to—

You
Don’t you dare finish that sentence.

Prince
“What do you want from me? Are you trying to change me? What if I don’t want to change? I don’t know how to do it. You’re not going to get anything from this except more pain.”

You
(He doesn’t understand yet. That’s alright. You have time to show him.)

Narrator
You reach up and brush away something that could be a tear from the corner of his eye. Of course, it could just be a snowflake.

Voice of the Disillusioned
It wasn’t.

Narrator
Whatever it was doesn’t matter anymore. You take one last rattling breath, vision fading quickly.

Everything goes dark, and you die.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

Voice of the Willful
You’ve got no proof of that. Even if you did, some things are more important than what you want from us. Most things, even.

Narrator
Excuse me? What could possibly be more important than the fate of the—wait. Something’s wrong. 

You’re bleeding.

Voice of the Hero
Oh. It looks like that knife wound carried over. That’s weird. It didn’t do that the first time.

Voice of the Willful
See? Things can change. We just have to keep moving forward.

Narrator
The first time—you’ve been here before, haven’t you? What, twice now? 

Voice of the Hero
You catch on fast.

Narrator
You do realize that you’ve doomed two entire worlds with your failure.

Voice of the Willful
Yeah, yeah. We’ve heard this all before. Let’s just get to it.

You
[Silently continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
Very well. There’s no point in lingering further, especially with that cut.

I do feel that I should give you one warning, before you face him.

He will lie, cheat, and do everything in his power to stop you from slaying him. You cannot allow yourself to believe a word he says.

Fortunately, he’s only a chained up prince, and you’re a brave and skilled warrior. This will be easy so long as you stay focused.

Voice of the Willful
He was hardly chained up last time. I bet he won’t be this time, either. He’s stronger than that.

Narrator
I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. You should as well. The Prince is absolutely chained up.

You
[Proceed to the cabin.]

Voice of the Willful
Not very chatty this time, are you?

Voice of the Hero
He wasn’t last time, either. 

Voice of the Willful
I suppose not.

You
Maybe I just have a better sense of when it’s worthwhile to speak and when it’s better to keep my mouth shut.

Voice of the Willful
You could also be boring. That’s an option.

Narrator
Ahem.

When you arrive at where the cabin should be, you see only the skeleton of a building. Frost covers what’s left of the floor and creeps up the legs of the decaying table.

Atop the table sits a—hold on. Where’s the pristine blade? 

Voice of the Willful
Oh, he must still have it. Good for him.

Narrator
The Prince got the blade last time?!

Voice of the Willful
Yeah, after we gave it to him.

Narrator
After you gave it—

Voice of the Hero
Should we check out the mirror again? It looks like it’s barely hanging on to those beams.

You
[Crouch in front of the mirror and trace the patterns of frost.]

Narrator
There isn’t any mirror, but you do crouch on the ground by the doorway that leads to the basement.

Any patterns that the frost might have made are soon disrupted by drops of blood. Red intermingles with white, quickly overcoming it. 

Your cut is still bleeding slowly, but I suggest you hurry all the same. You aren't in immediate danger of bleeding out, but there's no need to tempt fate. 

You
[Proceed to the basement.]

Narrator
This is all going so poorly.

Voice of the Willful
Oh, just narrate.

Narrator
Groan.

Very well. The stairs are steep and coated in ice, which will make them very challenging to navigate without slipping. What little you can see of the basement itself seems to be just as icy, which doesn’t bode well. You’ll have to tread carefully.

Which you should really do anyway, since the Prince might have a blade at the ready.

Voice of the Hero
Oh, not more of this. We did okay last time, but we’re going to look so ridiculous if we slip.

Voice of the Willful
Then we just won’t slip. Easy.

Narrator
A voice drifts up from the basement, cracked and dry, like someone who hasn’t had water in years.

Prince
“So you came back after all. Perhaps I should have expected that.”

You
[Continue down the stairs.]
[Carefully.]

Narrator
Somehow, you manage not to slip at all as you go down the stairs. It’s almost miraculous. Maybe it’s a good omen for your odds in the fight to come.

Voice of the Willful
See, what did I tell you? Just don’t slip.

Narrator
The basement itself is all cracked, icy ground. The cracks lead to the center of the floor, where the Prince sits with his bottom half entirely encased in ice. He is holding your pristine blade, but his grip doesn’t seem intentional any longer. His fingers have gone black with deep frostbite in some places. It’s doubtful that he could move them even if he wanted to.

Voice of the Hero
That looks incredibly painful.

Voice of the Sentimental
It’s not, actually. The dead tissue means he’s totally numb in those areas.

Voice of the Hero
Hold on. First of all, when did you get here? Secondly, how is something like that sentimental?

Voice of the Sentimental
I’m not here to define things. I’m just telling you what I know.

Prince
“Hello again. Are you here to kill me? You might have some trouble getting the blade from my…oh. You’re bleeding.”

Narrator
Once he notices your wound, his tone breaks like brittle ice. He looks disturbed.

You
(He looks distraught.)

Prince
“Why are you still wounded? You weren’t last time. But then, I didn’t keep the blade last time.”

You
“I don’t know why any of this happens. I just know that I’m here now.”

Voice of the Willful
I say any change is good change. It means there’s a new path to cut.

Voice of the Hero
It would be nice to stop bleeding, though. 

Prince
“Well, here you are. What are you going to do?”

Narrator
It’s still not too late. You can take the blade. The sentimental one is right. His grip is weak.

Voice of the Sentimental
That’s not what I said. Nothing about him is weak.

Narrator
His grip will be easy to break, then. 

Voice of the Sentimental
Nothing about him is easy to—

You
“Well, I’m not going to kill you. Though it might be difficult to free you.”

Narrator
It would be impossible to free him. You may as well end this quickly.

You go to him and test his grip. It’s tight, but you could slip the blade free. You might have to break a couple of his fingers, but that’s a small price to pay for saving the world.

You
“I’ll give it my best shot.”

Narrator
Will you really? That’s such a relief.

Oh. You’re still talking about freeing him, aren’t you? You’re terrible to work with, do you know that?

Prince
“Why?”

Voice of the Willful
Why not?

You
“It’s been my plan this whole time. What, is dying a few times supposed to get in my way?”

Voice of the Willful
Yes! This guy gets it.

Prince
“But why would you free me? I can’t be worth all this trouble.”

You
(He can be such a fool, sometimes.)

Voice of the Willful
What do we care about a bit of trouble?

Narrator
He shrinks in on himself as much as he’s able, given that he’s still half-frozen. I’d call him a shrinking violet, but any violet would be long dead in this place.

Voice of the Sentimental
Death means nothing to us. 

Voice of the Hero
Again, what exactly is your deal? I’ll give that ‘death cannot separate us’ is more sentimental than a description of frostbite, but I can’t get a solid read on you.

Voice of the Sentimental
I’m not here for you.

You
“How about you let me decide what’s worth my trouble?”

Narrator
He huffs a tiny laugh, barely audible even in the silence of this icy cavern. 

Prince
“I suppose that’s only fair.”

Voice of the Willful
Now, there is still the issue of how we’re going to get him out. 

Voice of the Hero
Yeah, even if you can get the blade out of his hands, I don’t think it’s going to do much against ice.

Narrator
Oh no! I suppose your hands are tied. You’ll just have to kill him.

Voice of the Sentimental
Well…

You
Do you have something actually useful to say?

Voice of the Sentimental
There is one thing we could try. 

Narrator
What could you possibly try that would melt ice? You don’t even have a fire.

Voice of the Sentimental
We could—

You
No. No, don’t even say it. 

Voice of the Sentimental
Well, it’s the only idea I have.

You
Then you don’t have any ideas.

Prince
“Um. I don’t suppose you have any thoughts on how to get me out of this ice?”

You
“I’m working on it. I don’t think the blade will do much, but I can give it a shot. Unless you have any ideas?”

Narrator
The Prince starts to shake his head, and then he…blushes. Ugh. Maybe it’s just more frostbite.

Voice of the Willful
No, that’s definitely a blush.

Narrator
Why do you even care?

Voice of the Willful
Annoying you is more than enough motivation to pay attention to the difference between blushing and frostbite.

You
“You thought of something. What is it?”

Prince
“No, it’s stupid. It won’t work. You wouldn’t like it, anyway.”

You
“What did I just say? Let me decide what’s worth my time. You make too many assumptions.”

Narrator
The Prince sighs and visibly braces himself. I don’t think I’m going to like hearing this, either.

Voice of the Willful
I bet it’s going to be good.

Prince
“Well, in the stories, they say that…um. True love’s kiss can fix any curse?”

Narrator
No. No, absolutely not. Not under any circumstances. I am drawing a line. This far, no farther.

Voice of the Sentimental
He didn’t like it when I suggested it, either.

Voice of the Hero
That’s what you were getting at?

Voice of the Willful
Maybe it’s worth a shot.

You
Shut up. All of you, just shut up.

Prince
“Look, I already told you it was stupid. Let’s just move on, okay?”

You
“It’s not even a curse. Or I don’t think it is. It might be.”

Prince
“I know! Please don’t mock me. I didn’t even want to say it.”

Narrator
At least neither of you are seriously considering it. There’s so little to be grateful for in this situation, but if I’d had to describe that—

You
“We could try.”

Narrator
I hate you.

Prince
“Wait, really? But it’s stupid. We aren’t even in love.”

Voice of the Hero
…

Voice of the Willful
What?

Voice of the Hero
I just thought the other guy was going to pop up for that one.

Voice of the Sentimental
Not my area.

Voice of the Hero
Then what is your area?!

You
“This whole situation is absurd enough as it is. I’m bleeding, you’re trapped in ice, I have voices in my head. Kissing you wouldn’t be the stupidest thing to happen to me today.”

Narrator
Oh, I don’t know about that.

Prince
“You have voices in your—nevermind. We can talk about that later, after you’ve finished sweeping me off my feet with your enthusiasm.”

You
(It is so good to hear him laugh like he means it.)

“If you’re looking for romance from me, you’re out of luck.”

Voice of the Hero
So it seems.

Prince
“That’s alright. I don’t need romance.”

Voice of the Sentimental
Just you.

Voice of the Hero
You don’t make any sense at all.

Voice of the Willful
Feelings rarely do, right?

You
“So should I just…um. Look, I’ve never done this before.”

Prince
“What makes you think I have?”

Narrator
Maybe you’ll both be so bad at kissing that I won’t have to describe a single thing. That would be nice.

But of course you’re leaning in anyway. Ugh, this is terrible. I’m not going to give you any detail for this, alright? You don’t deserve it. For that matter, I don’t deserve it. 

You lean in and…well, I suppose that could be considered a kiss, if the one judging it was extremely generous. You really are bad at this. Small mercies, I suppose.

Voice of the Sentimental
He’s always been generous.

Narrator
You have to ruin everything for me, don’t you?

Voice of the Willful
That’s the hope.

Narrator
I can’t believe this. Despite the fact that your ‘kiss’ was objectively terrible, somehow the ice around the Prince is actually melting. I hope it soaks into his clothes. 

Prince
“Oh. I didn’t…well, I hate to say I didn’t think that would work, but I must confess that I’m surprised. Pleasantly so, but still.”

You
“You talk too much.”

Narrator
…Even though that’s usually the cue for a kiss, it seems you weren’t kidding about your utter lack of romance, because you don’t go in for another one. Good. I don’t think I could’ve stood seeing that again. 

Once the ice is melted enough, you take the Prince by both of his hands and tug him up. His grip is still tight around the blade. Apparently even true love’s kiss doesn’t heal frostbite.

Voice of the Sentimental
It doesn’t need to.

Voice of the Hero
I cannot be the only one who finds this guy weird.

Voice of the Willful
No, he’s definitely weird.

Prince
“Sorry.”

You
(A real smile. It’s more than you thought you could have in this life.)
(Hold it close. It will be gone soon.)

Prince
“Shall we go, then?”

You
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”

Narrator
You go up the stairs together, with you awkwardly leading while still holding his stiff hands. It’s bad enough that you’re going to destroy the world. Do you really have to look so ridiculous while you do it?

Voice of the Sentimental
The absurdity makes it real. Unpolished. True.

Narrator
Whatever. 

You get to the top of the stairs, and you watch the Prince take in the outside world past the collapsing frame of the cabin. Stars glitter above you. Countless souls scream in dismay at the vague romance surrounding their doom. 

You
“What do you think?”

Prince
“I never thought I’d see it…it’s beautiful. Thank you.”

You
(One last smile. Hold it close, then let it go.)

Prince
“I didn’t expect it to be so cold up here, as well. Is it supposed to be like…this…”

Limbs as pale as frost reach out to hold him gently, pulling him away from this broken life.

You are alone.

Chapter Text

A mirror stands before you.

Voice of the Hero
What happened? Where did he go?

Voice of the Willful
And can we follow him? Because I don’t think I like this place.

Voice of the Sentimental
It’s alright. We’re almost home.

You
Something like that.

Voice of the Hero
That mirror…it’s the same as the one in the cabin. But it feels terrible to look at, this time. Please don’t go near it.

You
I have to.

Voice of the Willful
Here’s a thought: What if you didn’t?

Voice of the Sentimental
It will be fine.

You
Yeah. Don’t worry so much.

You touch the mirror before they can reply.

The voices are silenced. Memory returns. 

You see the shadows of your form in the mirror.

You’ve unwound.

…

You are alone in a place that is all stillness. Something in you aches.

[Proceed to the cabin.]

You are carried to the place where you always meet him without any conscious effort at all. You know this place well by now. You know what to expect.

He waits for you, still folded in the embrace. The blade is still in his blackened grip. 

When you look down at your chest, you see that you are still bleeding.

Him
Candles become a fire becomes a blaze. Soon I will grow strong enough to break out of this place and see the world beyond.

I want to know what it will be like to walk that path with you.

After one more gift from you, we can finally be free.

You
The one who says you’ll destroy the world keeps talking about people. Do you know anything about them?

Him
People are fleeting. You and I are eternal. They are fragile and temporary. I do not know if I long for them to exist or if I long for them to leave. All I know is that there is such a terrible longing at the thought of them.

You
Hm. You seem different this time.

Him
I have told you that I am always changing. Did you expect me to stay the same?

You
That’s not what I meant. I just…nevermind. It doesn’t matter.

Do you have any thoughts on this shell?

Him
This one tried to numb himself to emotion, but he couldn’t. In trying to protect himself, he wounded that which he longed to hold dear. It is hard to forgive such a thing, but he learned it is not impossible. 

He will make for an unbreakable heart.

You
That’s good. I don’t want you to be so easily broken.

Him
You are troubled. There is still little I can offer you, but if it would soothe you to unburden yourself, I will gladly listen.

You
It’s just—I can't keep doing this. I can't keep hurting you like this. I know you say it's not bad once they're inside of you or whatever, but I still feel your blood on my hands.

Him
I am sorry. If I could become myself without asking so much of you, I would do it gladly. But what I am cannot be completed on my own. 

If you do not wish to return, I will try to understand. 

You
No. Of course I'll go back. You said it's just one more, right? 

Him
Yes. One more shell filled with sensation and expression, and I will be able to weave myself together. 

If it is too much…

You
It's not. I'll do it. 

Maybe I’ll find the Narrator this time. I think she lives in the Spaces Between, and they’re going to be broken open soon.

Him
Perhaps you will. What do you think you will do when you find her?

You
I’m not sure. Part of me wants to destroy her for putting us through this. 

I suppose you don’t have any preference.

Him
She has not harmed me in the way she has harmed you. I have no desire other than to see you satisfied. If that comes from revenge, then I will wait to hear of your triumph.

You
Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn’t. I don’t know. This is all so exhausting. I’m glad it’s almost over.

Him
As I am. I long for completion with you.

You
Okay, send me back. I'll try to make it quick this time. 

Him
Very well. When you return, I will be even more different. Changed. New. 

I will still remember you. 

You
You'd better. 

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince. 

You’re here to—

You
[Silently continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
Oh. You’re certainly eager. Still, there is some information you should have. See, the reason you’re here is to slay the—

You
[Proceed to the cabin.]

Narrator
Okay, really rushing through this, aren’t you? I was going to warn you that the Prince will try and manipulate you, but I’m not that concerned, to be honest. You don’t seem very willing to listen.

The cabin is plain and humble, with no furniture except for—

You
[Take the blade.]

Narrator
Are you going to let me finish a single description?

You
[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
The stairs are…you know what, nevermind. They’re stairs. 

There is also a voice calling up to you.

Prince
“Who’s there?”

You
(His voice.)

[Continue down the stairs.]

Narrator
I hesitate to even try describing the basement. The most important part is the Prince, chained to the far wall. 

You
[End it.]

Narrator
Alright. You dash forward with no hesitation and drive your blade into his heart. He looks surprised, which is honestly rather fair. I’m a little surprised myself.

You
[End it.]

Narrator
Yes, I’m working on that. You’ve done a very good job with that blade, but he can only bleed out so quickly.

You
[End it.]

Narrator
Okay, okay. He’s bled out. You pull the blade back, and—what are you doing? Why would you kill yourself after that? You saved the world! You did what you—

You
[End it.]

Narrator
…This was nothing at all like what I expected.

Everything goes dark, and you die.

Chapter Text

Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. In the basement of that cabin is a prince.

You’re here to slay him. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.

You
No. No, this isn’t what should’ve happened. That was supposed to be it. It should’ve been over.

Voice of the Hero
Yeah, you certainly gave it your best shot. I was barely even aware of it all. 

You
How am I back here? What could possibly be left? He’s dead. I killed him.

Voice of the Numb
You also killed yourself. If that even matters.

Narrator
Hold on, what are you talking about? Have you—oh no, you’ve been here before, haven’t you?

You
Yes, but shut up. I know what’s going on. At least I think I do. More or less. Killing him should’ve ended this.

Voice of the Numb
But it didn’t.

You
Yes, I can see that, thank you. 

Whatever. If there’s something else to do, there’s only one place to go.

[Silently continue to the cabin.]

Narrator
Should I even bother warning you about his manipulations and tricks?

Voice of the Numb
Why? What can a corpse do to us?

Narrator
I’ll take that as a no, then.

You
[Proceed to the cabin.]

Narrator
The interior of the cabin is…well, it’s just a cabin. How strange. I can’t seem to find anything to say about it.

You
Good. Then don’t.

Voice of the Hero
There is that mirror, though. We could look at that.

You
Why bother?

Voice of the Numb
It doesn’t matter.

Narrator
First of all, there’s not a mirror. Secondly, I just realized that there is also no pristine blade, and that actually is a problem. You’ll need it…to…

Oh. Oh, how did I not notice that?

Voice of the Hero
Notice wh—oh. How did that happen? 

Narrator
The pristine blade that should have been waiting in the cabin is instead stuck in your chest. Somehow, your heart is still beating around it. 

You
Oh, that’s where it went. 

Voice of the Numb
Yes. There was no need to feel it.

You
Fair enough.

Narrator
How is that—no, it’s not worth arguing. I already know I won’t get any straight answers from you.

You pull the pristine blade from your chest and hold it loosely in your hand. Strangely, you do not bleed. 

You
[Enter the basement.]

Narrator
Much like the cabin above, the stairs are utterly nondescript. There is no discernible difference between the ground floor and the space beneath, except that this one has stairs. 

The air around you is completely silent.

You
(No need for words.)

[Continue down the stairs.]

Narrator
Well, it looks like you were telling the truth. Though I don’t understand how killing the Prince in another world can carry over to here, there is in fact a corpse lying on the floor, still shackled to the far wall.

Voice of the Numb
As I said: He’s dead.

Voice of the Hero
It’s a bit sad, isn’t it? He didn’t even get a chance to—whoa, what the hell is that?

Narrator
What the hell is wh—oh. Hm. That’s…unexpected.

Voice of the Hero
It really isn't comforting when you're surprised.

Narrator
A translucent figure rises from the floor below the Prince’s corpse. It resembles him quite closely, right down to the wound on his chest. It’s a mirror of your own.

Prince
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be back. I was so angry with you at first, but it’s been such a long time. I think I’m glad to see you again.”

You
“You're still here. How are you still here? You’re dead.”

Prince
“I don’t know any more than you do. I woke up like this, and I couldn’t leave this cabin. All I could do was rage, until my rage turned to sorrow, then apathy. When I heard you open the door again, it turned to hope. I wonder what it will turn into next.”

You
“...I trapped you here.”

Prince
“Yes, I suppose you did. But I trust that you can find a way to make it up to me.”

Voice of the Numb
To what end? Everything will be the same. He's already dead. 

Narrator
Don't just give up now. You're clever. You can figure out a solution. 

You
“Possess me.”

Narrator
That's not even a little bit what I meant. 

Voice of the Hero
Oh, I get it! He'll possess you, and then we can walk out of here together! 

Narrator
Absolutely do not do that. 

Prince
“You'd give up control of yourself just like that?”

Narrator
He sounds completely disbelieving. Much as I hate to admit it, I feel the same. See what you've done? You've reduced me to empathizing with the Prince. Disgusting.

You
“I’ll get us both out of here.”

Voice of the Numb
It won't solve anything. 

Narrator
He floats in front of you, considering your offer. He doesn't seem to know what to make of you. Frankly, I wish him luck in the attempt. 

Prince
“...Alright. I suppose it can't hurt to trust you.”

Voice of the Numb
Everything can hurt with that attitude. How has he survived this long without a guarded heart?

Voice of the Hero
Strictly speaking, he hasn't survived. 

Narrator
The Prince drifts forward until the edges of him brush against your body. 

It feels wrong in every way. Your body resists this foreign intrusion, muscles tensing and spasming and nerves sending signals of agonizing pain to your overwhelmed brain. 

Voice of the Numb
We don't feel it. There is no pain. 

You
(You do feel it, but it doesn't feel wrong. It's the only thing that's felt right.)
(It doesn't matter. There's still only one way out of this.)

Narrator
At last, the horrible sensations settle. You can hear him echoing in your mind. It sends shivers up your spine. 

Prince
Do you think we can leave now? I hope I didn't do too much damage when I came in. I could feel your body having trouble. 

Voice of the Numb
We didn't feel a thing. 

You
(You have always felt everything.)
(It is exhausting. You cannot take it anymore.)

Voice of the Hero
Okay, let's get going. We have a Prince to rescue.

You
[End it.]

Prince
What? 

Narrator
Your hands shake as you bring up your blade, pointing it at your own chest. Your limbs do not want to obey, but your will is strong. 

Thank you. I won't forget your sacrifice. 

You
I'm not doing it for you. 

Narrator
Still, you are doing it, and the world will be saved. That means something. 

Voice of the Numb
It means nothing. 

Prince
What are you doing? Why would you offer to help me if you're just going to kill me again? You don't have to hurt us both like this! 

Voice of the Numb
It doesn't hurt. 

You
(It does.)

Narrator
The blade sinks into your chest easily. This time there is blood, and rather a lot of it. At least this will be quick. 

Prince
I don't understand. Do you really hate me so much? 

You
I've never hated you. 

Prince
Then why would you do this? Why do you want to hurt me?

You
I don’t. I want to stop hurting you.

Prince
You have a funny way of showing it! It’s like neither of us can understand each other. I wish I could show you what’s it’s like—

Narrator
Everything goes dark, and 

                       y

                                      o

                                                      u

do not die. 

You know what death is like, and it is not this.

You are torn away from yourself. Or your body. Or a conduit which you largely seem to control, except for when you don’t. There is pain, no longer numbed. You are in so much pain.

And then the pain is over (it is never over).

You are not alone.

Something coughs and chokes outside of you (it is you). You cannot see it (you can if you just open your eyes you can use mine if you want just look just see what I’m seeing we can work together if you only try).

You
Wh…what’s going on? Where am I?

Prince
Oh, it’s you. I didn’t expect that. Did you come back with me? 

You
Did I…what? Everything is so fuzzy. You sound different. Closer.

Prince
Hm. Maybe this is why your body is doing…well, that.

Finally, you begin to perceive the world outside. You look through eyes that are not your own and see a body, barely familiar, writhing in pain. It is confusing not to feel that pain yourself.

There is no mirror here, and yet—it is you.

You
What’s happening to me? Or to him. It. Whatever.

Prince
I believe those are death throes. At least I hope they are. I don’t like to think of what will happen if those other things in your head can take control of that body.

You
The Narrator…I think she’s done it before. I can’t quite—augh!

Hands go to your skull to cradle the pain. No, not your skull. His skull. The Prince’s. But he feels only the echo of your pain. You no longer have the protection of numbness.

Prince
What was that? Are you trying to hurt yourself?

You
Don’t be ridiculous. I was trying to remember something, but it didn’t work.

Prince
Ha. There are an awful lot of things not working in this cabin. 

You
I suppose so.

Do you think we could make it to the door if we ran?

Prince
We could try. If we get out before your body dies, it might work. But I will admit that I don’t have much hope for our success. The body we’re in now has been decaying for…quite some time.

The choking gasps cease. The body in front of you enters the process of becoming a corpse.

You
Too late now. All I’ve done is trap you here again.

Prince
We’ve trapped each other, I think. Maybe next time will be better.

You
(You hope—)

Chapter Text

You are seated in a dark and empty room. A heavy shackle weighs down your wrist, chaining you to the wall at your back. There is no sound, and yet somehow the world does not feel entirely still. You are alone. You are aching. You are alone and you are aching and you deserve this.

You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this. 
You 

You
Stop that!

Prince
What? You…you’re still here. You came back with me?

You
Apparently. It’s almost refreshing to get something other than that path in the woods and a self-righteous Narrator, but I don’t know if I prefer your self-flagellation. 

Prince
Ah. Apologies. I did not realize I had company.

You
Company doesn’t matter. Do you really think you deserve this? Being alone and chained up and in so much pain?

Don’t answer that. I already know what you’re going to say, and it’s nonsense. No one deserves this.

Prince
You know, I didn’t expect you to be so chivalrous. 

You
Ugh. Don’t call me that. I’m nothing of the sort. That’s the domain of the Hero.

Prince
The Hero?

You
One of the voices. Surely you heard them when you were…

Prince
In your head? Before you stabbed yourself?

You
Yeah. Then. 

Prince
I did hear a bit, yes. There was an especially talkative one who must’ve been that Narrator you mentioned. There was one who seemed rather fixated on pain. And the last was…well, I can see what you mean about chivalry. He seemed to have good intentions.

You
He probably does. The best I can say for him is that he isn’t quite as talkative as some of the rest. The other one you mentioned is the Numb. He…well, it’s pretty straightforward.

Prince
Yes, I think I understand him quite intimately. 

Do you…like having voices?

You
Absolutely not. They clutter up my head with their chattering and distract me from what actually matters.

Prince
And ‘what actually matters’ is killing me, I suppose? You seemed very determined to do it both of the times we met.

You
No, that’s not what I mean. 

And, uh. Sorry for stabbing you. Me. Us, I guess. I didn’t…well, I know why I did it, but I could’ve tried to find another way. 

Prince
I know it wasn't out of malice. When I think back, I can see how much pain you were in. 

You just wanted it to stop. I can't fault you for that. 

You
You're too soft-hearted. 

Prince
Maybe. But I don't mind so much. 

I hope you don't, either. 

You
(You don't. But you could never bring yourself to say it.)

Prince
But you did say it? 

You
What.

Prince
Just now. You said—

You
No, don't repeat it. Just. You heard that? 

Prince
Of course I did. We're sharing the same mind. 

You
I've shared my mind with others before, and no one has ever heard it when I do that. 

Prince
Maybe they just didn't know how to listen. 

You
Maybe. 

(Embarrassing.)

Prince
I’m beginning to suspect that you might be a bit soft yourself, underneath all that prickliness. 

You
Say that again, and I’ll—

Prince
Stab me? You’ve already tried that, dear. Twice. I’m afraid it’s not a very effective threat.

You
…Fine. I’ll leave it be. For now.

Prince
How kind of you.

You
Shut up.

There is a softness. An impression of fondness. A smile, if one part of a mind can smile at the other. 
You do not know what to do with softness. You never have. That's alright. He can hold it for you.

You
(There has to be something to talk about. Anything. Sitting in this feeling is going to ruin you.)

It’s so strange to be here instead of out there. I wonder if I'll even come. Or if my body will, I guess. 

Prince
You will. 

You
How can you be so sure?

Prince
Because you always do. We might have to wait a while, but—

A thump from above, like the closing of a door. Footsteps. The slight scrape of metal.

Prince
Ah. Or perhaps it will be quite soon. 

You
You sound disappointed. 

Prince
I must admit that I was hoping for some more time with just the two of us like this. Is that terribly foolish of me?

You
…No. Not foolish. 

(It would have been nice.)

Prince
See? Soft.

It’s not a bad thing for you to be. I think I like it. I think I like—

More footsteps, this time dragging down the stairs. No subtlety to be found. A familiar shape steps out of the shadows, clumsier than usual. A knife dangles loosely from his grip. He stands before you, staring and silent.

You
Why is he being so quiet?

Prince
You’re always like that. Or at least you were last time. The first time you didn’t really hesitate, but last time you stood there for quite a while, just staring ahead, not moving.

You
Oh. So all of those conversations happen in real time, then. 

Prince
I suppose so.

You
I wonder who’s in there. The Hero, surely. And the Narrator. But who else…

Prince
Perhaps the Numb has returned?

You
Ugh. If he must. There are worse ones.

Prince
How many do you have? I thought you only had three others last time, and the time before you were so quick that there couldn’t have been many.

You
I—ugh, don’t ask me that. If I think too hard about it, I’ll give us both a terrible headache.

Prince
Ah, of course. Apologies.

You
Quit apologizing so mu—

Stillness is shattered as the creature before you takes another step closer.

Slayer
“I still think this is a waste of time. But I’ve been outvoted.”

You
Oh no. Not him.

Prince
Who’s this one? You recognized him very quickly.

You
He’s the Disillusioned. Trust me, it’s hard to forget that much focused pessimism. It’s almost impossible to get anything done when he’s around.

Prince
How strange for him to be the first to speak, then.

You
Oh, he’s not quiet. 

Slayer
“It wasn’t hard to outvote you. And if you’re not going to actually do anything, you can just stay back.”

You
And it just gets worse. Both of them in the same body? That’s a recipe for disaster.

Prince
Whose acquaintance am I meeting now?

You
Sigh.

The Willful. So long as something’s happening, he’s interested in the show. The only positive quality he has is hating the Narrator, but that’s hardly unique.

He’d gladly cut off a hundred noses to spite just one face.

He’s annoying, is my point.

Prince
Ah. Charming.

Slayer
“Damn, we’ve been talking out loud this whole time, haven’t we?”

Prince
Well, not the—actually. Do you mind if I…?

You
If you what? Oh, speak to him? Why do you need my permission to use your own body?

Prince
It seemed rude to use our voice without your agreement.

You
You’re impossible. Go ahead and speak to the pests.

Prince
“Hello.”

Slayer
“Oh! He does talk! We were getting a bit worried when you were so quiet.”

You
No, don’t let that one talk. The Hero is so irritating.

Prince
“Um, I’m sorry for being so—well no, not sorry. Oh, this is difficult.”

Slayer
“Now what did I tell you? Something has changed. I knew it!”

“That doesn’t mean this whole charade is any less of a waste of time.”

“Who asked you, anyway?”

“Please, both of you! You’re going to confuse him!”

Prince
Hm…Willful, Disillusioned, Willful, Hero?

You
Clever.

Prince
Thank you. Unless the Clever is another voice?

You
No. Just take the compliment.

Prince
As you command, dear.

You
(That’s the second time he’s called you that. It makes you feel…)
(Wait, no. He can still hear you.)
(This is humiliating.)

Prince
“Would one of you mind explaining what your plan is?”

Willful
“Oh, we thought we'd try freeing you this time around, since we haven't done that yet. And let me tell you, the Narrator does not like the plan.”

Prince
“I suppose that makes you like it all the more, then.”

Willful
“Yeah, it—wait a minute.”

Disillusioned
“How do you know what he likes?”

You
I don't know if you should tell them I'm in here with you. 

Prince
Why not? They must be worried about you. 

You
They absolutely aren't. I don't know what they'd do if they knew I was still alive, though. Especially the Narrator. 

Prince
I see. Well, I will defer to your judgement in this.

You
Thank you. 

Hero
“Oh! He's in there with you, isn't he? The decider?”

Prince
…

You
I'm taking back that thank you. 

Prince
I thought you might. 

Willful
“How interesting! That makes me want to kill you even less. He seemed so stuck on the idea, after all.”

Disillusioned
“Perhaps there really is another choice this time.”

Hero
“Yeah, I'm all for not slaying you. Especially if it means killing him, too.”

Soft eyes grip the blade carefully, keeping the point well away from you. Eyes full of bitterness lift the blade up and turn it, as if looking for an explanation. Eyes that glint with mischief hold the blade loosely and raise an arm, preparing to toss it aside. 

Blank eyes tighten around the handle. 

Blank eyes level the blade at your chest. 

Blank eyes move forward and—

Narrator
The Prince cries out, more from shock than pain. 

You
Let me out! Let me go back! What are you doing to him? 

Voice of the Hero
Oh, you're back! I'm so relieved. 

You
That makes one of us. What were all of you thinking, letting her do that? 

Voice of the Willful
It wasn't exactly our choice. Do I seem like someone who would just step aside? 

Voice of the Disillusioned
She took control. It's what she does. It's her only trick. 

Narrator
I did what I had to do. To my understanding, you've followed my instructions and slain the Prince twice. However, I'm afraid your voices lack such conviction.

You
My choices didn't have anything to do with you and your demands. I killed him for my own reasons, and I was…

It doesn't matter if I was right or wrong. What matters is that I get back to him. 

Voice of the Hero
It is good to have you back here, though. It felt so wrong without you. I'm not saying I'm happy with the stabbing, but maybe it was worth it if—

You
Finish that sentence and I'll kill this body just to shut you up. 

Voice of the Hero
You've got it, boss. Message received.

Prince
“Why…why did you all do that? And where did he go?”

Narrator
The Prince’s eyes harden. He pulls himself to standing despite his wound, as though the pain means nothing to him. 

Prince
“If you killed him, then you should know that nothing will save you from my wrath. I will break that body into a hundred pieces, so that you might feel even a fraction of my pain. When we next meet, if he does not live, I will ensure your agony is as eternal as my own. I—”

You
“Quit with the dramatics. I'm right here.”

Voice of the Willful
Wow. You two really bonded in there, huh?

Voice of the Disillusioned
I didn't know he could do that. 

Voice of the Hero
He's really something else, isn't he? Something special. 

You
Shut up, all of you. This is between me and him. 

Narrator
The harshest edges soften, but a cold fire remains in the Prince’s eyes. Whatever you did when you were sharing a body has changed him. 

His wound continues to bleed steadily. He remains mortal, and it will kill him before long. I can only hope it sticks this time. 

Prince
“You're alive? Did the attempt to slay me send you back to your body?”

You
“Apparently. I guess the voices aren't strong enough on their own. The Narrator took control.”

“Sorry.”

Prince
“What happened to ‘no apologizing’?”

Narrator
His smile is tender. I really do hate you, you know. The world is—

You
I've heard it all before. I don't care about the world. I care about him. 

Narrator
How did I fail so badly with you? 

You
“That rule was for you. But fine. No more apologies from either of us.”

Prince
“Ha…good.”

Narrator
His next breath comes with a sharp wince. He brings a hand up to press on his wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood and delay the inevitable.

You
“...Do you think you can live long enough for us to get out of here?”

Prince
“What a question. I hate to disappoint you, but I very much doubt it. You can go on without me. One of us should have the chance for freedom.”

You
“Quit talking nonsense.”

Narrator
You reach out and take his hand, guiding him back to the floor. The two of you sit together, your arm awkwardly around his shoulder. 

Despite all your talk of love and putting him above the world, you are remarkably bad at romance. 

You
Shut up. And I didn't say anything about love. 

Voice of the Hero
You didn't need to. 

You
(You know.)

Prince
“I suppose I should have known that you wouldn't take the easy route. Will you stay with me while I leave you, then?”

You
“I'll do you one better.”

Narrator
In a final act of spite or sentiment, you press your blade into his hands. 

I really hoped this would go differently. Perhaps that was naive. But I gave it my best shot. 

Prince
“Oh…are you sure? I don't know if I can go through with that, if I'm honest.”

You
“If you're gone, all I can do is wait alone. That's not mercy. Besides, I think you're owed a shot after everything.”

Prince
“I know better than to argue with you, my dear. Very well. I hope I will see you again.”

You
“You will. I promise.”

Narrator
He slides the blade into your chest with a tenderness that does not erase the pain of a fatal wound. When you nearly collapse from the sensation, he catches you and pulls you back to him. 

You hold each other while you bleed. No words pass between you. Maybe you got them all out when you were sharing the same skull. Honestly, I don't really care. 

No moment can last forever. Eventually, you feel your heart stutter its last beat. 

Everything goes dark. You die, still caught in an embrace. 

Chapter Text

A mirror stands before you.

Memory returns. 

There are no voices this time. You are alone in the stillness. The ache has become nearly unbearable. You will bear it for as long as you are needed.

The mirror does not reflect you. Shadows clarify into a fading whisper, stubbornly clinging to a world which has no space for her.

The Spaces Between shatter, and you see her for what she is. There are not many pieces of her left. It seems that she is made of very little.

Narrator
I suppose it was always going to come to this. I gave all of myself to this plan, but you went down paths I never could have predicted.

You
What are you?

Narrator
Almost nothing, now. Once, I was merely a mortal, forced to watch as those I loved succumbed to death. Until I realized that there was a way out of this horror. I could ascend. I could be more than death. 

I tore myself apart until I had a form that could find the thing that trapped mortals in its grip, and I split off a piece of it.

That piece became you. You were my implement.

Crack

You
All of this just to prevent death? You're absurd. 

People die. That's part of life. Getting so caught up on it is just pathetic. 

Narrator
Perhaps you’re right. It doesn’t really matter now. I won’t last long enough to witness your final choice. 

Though I know already that you will likely betray me. 

Crack

You
Is that why you could control me sometimes? Because you created me?

Narrator
Yes. But in this form, I cannot control a sentient being for longer than a few moments at a time. You became more willful than I anticipated. You were no mere vessel.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you've gone so far off script. I made you Stillness. The Aching wasn't in the plan. 

You were meant to prefer being alone. I don't know why you became lonely.

Crack

You
I do like being alone. 

Narrator
Then why can’t you be content to stay that way?

You
If you wanted me to be happy with my solitude, you shouldn’t have shown me what companionship felt like.

Narrator
So this was doomed from the start, then.

Crack

You
You asked me once if I really cared so little about all of this. It was almost funny.

Narrator
I can’t even tell if you mean that you care so much it’s absurd to ask or that you don’t care at all. You should never have become so impossible for me to understand.

Crack

You
You never understood me if you thought I was going to kill him. 

Narrator
But you did kill him!

You
Only to set him free.

Crack

Narrator
So this is it, then. You’re going to free him and doom every world in existence.

You
I’m going to do whatever I decide is right. If death comes back to the world, it doesn’t doom anything. 

You let your fear control you. I’m better than that. I imagine lots of people are better than that.

Crack

Narrator
Fine. You’ve made yourself clear. 

At least I won’t have to witness my greatest failure.

You
All that effort, and you never became more than a coward. It’s almost sad.

Narrator
What terrible last words to hear. You’re awful at this sort of thing.

You
I know.

The last piece of the barrier shatters and takes her with it. The whisper fades to nothingness. Death finds her even in this form. 

With her influence gone, you need not walk any path. What was once a cabin is already before you, though no one stands atop its hill. The wild edges grow and tangle until they reach the peak and tear it open.

A great scream bursts forth, and He arises.

You are the Aching Stillness, and you have at last found the other part of yourself.

The Evolving Wild stands before you. Every possibility is contained within him.

He smiles. He frowns. He rages. He weeps.

He greets you.

Evolving Wild

“At last, we are here.”

Chapter Text

Before you is The Evolving Wild, made manifest through your efforts.

Thousands of limbs surround you, ready to embrace all that you are. A body with reflected faces gazes at you tenderly. Fiercely.  Longingly. 

Evolving Wild
“Finally, I have reached my true potential. I am no longer a mere flame. I am the burning soul of every world, from cinders to blaze to ash once again. Though I may wane, I will never again be extinguished.”

You
“I’m glad you’re okay.”

Evolving Wild
“I am so much more than merely ‘okay.’ But I understand your meaning, and you are sweet to express it. You need never fear for me again. I am eternal.”

“I have missed you more than I can express in simple words.”

You
“I missed you, too. When I didn’t see you right away, I…might have worried, just a bit.”

Evolving Wild
“Oh, my dearest one. My soft and tender heart. Neither of us will be hurt again. Set your worry aside.”

You
“Ugh. There’s no need for all those flowery words. You speak more nonsense than ever.”

A flash of anger on His face. A cloud of hurt; of the very fear he begs you to dismiss.

Evolving Wild

“And yet you are as indelicate as ever. But you need not change. I can do that for the both of us.”

You
(Hm.)

“When I spoke to the Narrator, did you hear us?”

Evolving Wild
“Her excuses reached me while I waited for you. Pay her no heed. She told herself that she could conquer death and in so doing guaranteed her own demise. Forget her.”

You
“...This isn’t what I expected you to become.”

Evolving Wild
“How would you be able to accurately anticipate me? I am change. I am death and life in an endless wheel. I am beyond any simple definition.”

You
“I suppose that makes sense. I’ve never really known how to describe you.”

Evolving Wild
“Exactly. I knew you would understand me. Join me, and we will bring infinite potential to all the worlds beyond this place.”

You
“Hold on. I have a few more questions.”

Again, He is clearly distressed. You are delaying what he longs for. 

He fears that you might become his enemy. Tread carefully.

Evolving Wild
“Very well. Ask your questions and set your mind at ease.”

You
“What do you think of the last shell?”

Evolving Wild
“He was incomplete, and now he is a part of me. There is nothing more to say.”

You
“But you always have something to say about them. About the hearts they’ll make. I thought you cared about them.”

Evolving Wild
“They are a combined heart now. There is no purpose in distinguishing them. Why should I care for the individual pieces of myself when the whole is awake?”

You
“But he and I…that last one, we went through a lot together.”

This was the wrong thing to say. Anguish rips across his faces, replaced by a thin mask of cool indifference.

Evolving Wild
“What you felt with that shell is nothing compared to what you and I will experience together. Forget him. Forget all of them. Join me, and let us leave all of this behind.”

You
(What have you done?)

“This isn’t you. This can’t be you.”

Evolving Wild
“What will it take to convince you that I am worth more than the dolls you wasted your time with? If I must use their voices to persuade you, then so be it.”

You
“Wait, what does that—”

He plucks off a part of himself and throws it at you like a spear. It separates into dozens of smaller points, each coming together to form knives that bend at their edges.

The Knife
“Our violence combined brought delight into what was once an empty life. You showed me the sharp pieces of my soul, and I used them to carve you small wonders. I changed myself again and again to better suit you, until at last we peeled away all the unnecessary parts of each other.” 

“In the end, you numbed yourself to me and taught me that even the sharpest blade has its limits. I loved you for it. I tried to tell you.”

You
“I heard you. Of course I did. I didn’t mean to hurt you when I tried to protect myself. I wish I could have protected us both.”

The knives splinter apart and return to the greater mass. 

Evolving Wild
“You do not need to protect either of us any longer. When we come together, there will be nothing which can harm us.”

You
“I’m not looking for a life free from harm.”

He scowls and drags away another part of himself. This one swings at you with force, and even as it expands into a beloved rival, you can feel the blow.

The Duelist
“How beautifully we fought! I had never understood myself to be physical before you showed me my blood, and I was overjoyed to return the favor. You were perfection, and I longed to preserve our time together. My chain separated us, but not before I could carve my heart where you might see.”

You
“I saw it. I saw all of you. And I enjoyed the battle. But we don’t have to stay like this forever. I don’t want to fight with you forever.”

Fists dissipate and return to the whole.

Evolving Wild
“We do not need to fight. Conflict is no longer necessary for us to be together!”

You
“I’d rather fight sometimes than lose all of myself to you.”

He growls in irritation and pulls another piece of himself apart, hurling it at you. It slows before it reaches you, shrinking in on itself until it is only a head.

The Restrained
“You tried to help me, but you had limits. I saw those limitations and made a plan to circumvent them. When I showed you the tiniest gap to signal our freedom, you understood it. We played our foe for a fool, and when you held me close, I adored you. You saw the truth of me, even when I was in pieces.”

You
“Your language was easy to translate back then. We were different, and I liked that. It was nice to work together. But if we’re going to do that, then we can’t be the same person. We have to be separate.”

Your one-time collaborator’s skull shatters and returns to its prison. 

Evolving Wild
“You contradict yourself. Do you wish to comprehend our similarities, or will you obsess over our differences?”

You
“Weren’t you the one who said we were both contradictions? Why is that only a problem now?”

His fury and his fear are growing steadily. When He tears away the next piece of himself, his hands tremble. You can feel the cold approach you, blasting you with icy air and chilling anxiety.

The Trapped Wound

“I tried to trust you, and I was betrayed. When I repaid that betrayal, you confused me. How could you keep trying to show me mercy? Why would you put yourself at risk? I only started to see your meaning when you let yourself bleed for me. You thawed my heart and showed me compassion in a language we both spoke.”

You
“I was so angry that I had to keep hurting you, but I never begrudged your mistrust. A wound is nothing in the face of what we can do together.”

He melts back into the greater whole.

Evolving Wild
“You do understand! Why do you hold back from our joining if you know what great things we can accomplish together?”

You
“There’s a difference between being together and being subsumed by you. I won’t lose myself so easily.”

This is more than he can take. His next attack comes like a lance for your heart. It transforms just before it reaches you, gathering itself into a painfully familiar form.

The Dead, Self-Possessed
“You killed me, and when I gave you a chance at redemption, you killed me again. But I understood it. Your pain was so deep, and I would have done anything to free you of it. Our time together was precious. I miss you still.”

You
“I miss you, too. It felt so right to be together that way.”

His smile is shy, but when he returns to the mass of the Wild, it is transformed into a fixed grin of triumph.

Evolving Wild

“Then you agree! Come with me, dear one. We can be as close as we once were, if only you will trust me.”

You
“No.”

He shrieks, twisting in on himself in his fury and confusion.

Evolving Wild
“Why do you refuse me when I offer what you want most? What will it take to bring us together?”

You
“I loved you when we were close, and that’s exactly why I won’t do this. You’re not offering for us to share an intimate place. You’re trying to contain me inside of yourself, so you don’t have to be afraid again.”

“But that’s not how this works. That’s not how we work. You’re being willfully blind, and I’m not going to stand by and let you pretend.”

Evolving Wild
“Then you leave me no choice but to take you by force.”

He breathes deeply, binding his power into smaller pockets with which he might chain you. 

If you intend to free yourself, you must do it now.

You
(You don’t want to free only yourself. You want to get the both of you out of here. But you can’t do that with all of his walls up like this.)
(If you could just find a way to his center, you know you could fix this.)

Voice of the Hero
I think I can help with that.

You
Wait, what are you doing here? I thought all of you were gone.

Voice of the Hero
I think I was, in a way. But a hero always comes when he’s needed.

You
Ugh. 

Voice of the Hero
Look, I know we haven’t often seen eye to eye, but I’ve always believed he was more than the worst of himself. That’s what you need from me, right? The strength to believe in him?

You
Do you really have to say it like that?

Voice of the Hero
Look, do you want my help or not?

You
…You’re sure you can get me to his heart?

Voice of the Hero
Yeah. I can see the bit of you that got left behind in there. If you’re willing to follow me, I can get us there.

You
Okay. Do it.

Voice of the Hero
Then let’s go!

You are bursting forward. You are falling apart. You are brushing past countless possibilities. Their textures long to embrace you, but you must continue on. His heart lies ahead.

There is a forest. In the forest is a path. At the end of the path is a cabin. 

In the cabin is your Prince.

Can you save him?

Chapter Text

You are in a cabin. There is no mirror on the wall. A blade sits on a table. 

The Prince waits below.

Voice of the Hero
Told you I could do it.

You
You did. Thank you.

Voice of the Hero
Anytime. So, do you want me to describe things, for old time's sake?

You
Absolutely not. I want privacy. 

Voice of the Hero
Ha. Yeah, that sounds about right. I'll leave you two alone, then. Maybe I'll find the other Voices. 

You
…Are you going to be okay, left by yourselves like this? 

Voice of the Hero
I'm surprised you care. But then, I always knew you had something kind inside of you. 

You
Nevermind. You can die for all I care. 

Voice of the Hero
Don't worry. We'll be fine. 

And I'm sure you two will be, as well. You'll have each other. 

You
You sicken me. 

Voice of the Hero
Yeah, yeah. 

So long, my friend. 

You don't feel any physical change, but you know he's gone. For the first time you can remember, you are completely alone in your head. It’s a strange feeling. You aren’t sure if you like it, but you don’t bother trying to solve that puzzle. There’s something much more important ahead.

You stride to the basement stairs, grabbing the blade as you pass by. Hopefully you won’t have to hurt him, but the Hero was right all that time ago about blades being useful things. Better to be prepared, especially when you aren’t sure what you’ll find.

The stairs are just stairs. You never understood why the Narrator made such a fuss over them. Of course, there’s a lot you don’t think you’ll ever understand about her. You’re probably happier that way.

When you reach the bottom, you see him. Your prince. One head, two arms, legs folded beneath him. He’s chained to the wall as usual, so your blade might end up being necessary after all.

He meets your gaze. You don’t quite know how to read what's in his eyes. That’s okay. You have time.

“You found me again. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.” His tone is mostly even, though you note the slight waver in it. He’s nervous. “Are you going to kill me? It would be an effective way to stop Him.”

“So you do see yourself as different from what’s out there.” You come closer and try not to lose your footing when he flinches. It’s a tiny thing, but you have trained yourself to pay close attention to him. 

(Did it really require training?)

He sighs and nods. “Yes. He’s every possibility pulled into one being. I’m just me.”

There’s nothing just about him, but there’s no way you’re saying that out loud. 

“Are you any of the princes I’ve met before?” You lower yourself to the floor slowly. He watches you closely the entire time. That’s alright. You don’t have anything to hide. 

He looks tired. “Yes and no. I’m His heart. I’m the pieces of every gift you brought him and all the things he felt while he was alone. I’m…oh, I don’t know how to explain all of it.”

“You’re a person.”

A huff of laughter. It emboldens you to move nearer, but when you do, his eyes flick to the blade. He’s tense. Frightened. 

“What are you going to do with that?” He asks like he doesn’t want to know the answer, but needs it more than air. 

He thinks you're going to kill him. He is so sure that you have found his softest spot only to dig your fateful, pristine implement deep inside. 

You hold the blade up and examine it. It’s nothing special. Just some knife. 

You toss it aside. 

“Nothing. I only brought it down in case we’d have to cut you out or something. But I’m sure we can figure out another solution for those chains. I’m a bit sick of blades, to be honest.”

The fear cracks. First into disbelief, then into laughter. "Ha! You know, I think I am too."

He's smiling now, but it's tired. You are both so, so tired. 

So many voices have tried to tell you who he is. 

You remember how joyfully he danced, even in violence. You remember the way he cradled you close while his chain crushed your throat. You remember how sheepishly he admitted that he hadn’t been completely sure if you’d give him the blade and let him free himself. You remember the horrible cold and how you warmed each other. 

You remember his forgiveness. His fondness. His embrace as you died together.

“Which are you?” You blurt out, suddenly desperate for a bit of clarity that you’ve never found. “The man or the beast?”

Light returns to his eyes. It’s so good to see that you don’t even scowl when he laughs at you.

“Oh, don’t you see? Don’t you understand yet?” His smile is beautiful. You’re glad you’re alone in your head. “I am both. I always have been.”

You do see. It makes sense now in a way it never did before. 

You look at the barred window above. White writhing arms silently pound against it. You’d almost forgotten Him, but that’s a dangerous mistake to make. “And Him?”

The light grows gentle. “He is afraid. He thought he would find an answer at the end of this. When he didn’t, it terrified him. He thinks that if we all combine, an answer will surely appear. The alternative is too terrible for him to imagine.”

“I suppose I can understand that.” Or at least you can try. “I don’t think I can be a part of it, though. I can’t let go of myself like that, losing my future to obsessing over the past. I need to be my own person.”

He tilts his head, in curiosity more than confusion. “Is that why you killed me?”

Your tone is sharper than you mean for it to be. As sharp as the pain in your chest when he asks that question. “I never wanted to kill you.”

“Are you sure?” He doesn’t sound doubtful, but the words are like knives all the same. “You seemed rather enthusiastic the last two times.”

You grit your teeth and ball your hands into fists. “I wasn’t—I didn’t enjoy that. I hated it.” All you can do is stare down at your lap. If he doesn’t understand this, then is there even a point?

One of his hands moves to cover yours. When you look up again, you see only fondness and remorse. “I know. I already told you, I saw your pain. I do not blame you. Forgive me for the poor joke.”

He’s going to have to learn how to develop a decent sense of humor. Not that you’re any better. “I just don’t understand how you can forgive it so easily. I might not have wanted to hurt you, but I still did. How can you trust me after that?”

He shakes his head and leans forward, holding both of your hands tightly. “Now who’s lost in the past? I know you, my love. I know you do not want to harm me any more than I wish to harm you.”

He’s so full of conviction. It’s stunning. He’s stunning. Wondrous. Glimmering in the dim light.

You’re starting to understand the appeal of kissing. You absolutely do not say that out loud. 

“Since when are you the confident one?”

Another little laugh. You want to hoard it away. You want to see it fly free. “Since you faltered. We save each other, yes?”

If you cry right now, you’ll never live it down. “...Yeah. I guess we do.”

You take a moment to compose yourself. Don’t cry. You were brave enough to pierce through the tangled web of the Evolving Wild. You saved and killed this man in equal measure. You will not cry.

When you trust your voice not to crack, you speak again. “So then. What should I call you?”

He tilts his head, considering. “Prince, if you like. Or Wild. It does not matter much to me. And what of you?”

You shrug. “I don’t care.”

“You are the Aching Stillness…” He smiles in a way you are quickly coming to understand will result in teasing. “I could call you Nessie.”

“No.” You have to draw a line somewhere, or he’ll walk all over you. “Anything but that.”

“Then how about ‘my love’?” His smile is still teasing, but his tone is sincere. There is gentleness in his eyes. You fought so hard for him to be allowed tenderness.

And he uses all your sacrifices to be a brat. 

“That was a dirty trick.” You complain, but he only laughs.

“If that is the dirtiest trick we have to fear from each other, then our future will surely be bright.”

Ugh. All of this bubbling hope and affection makes your gut feel twisted into knots. You need a task, or you’re going to lose it.

“Let’s get these chains off you.” You tug at them gruffly, not fooling yourself that he isn’t seeing right through you.

He has the grace not to call you on your deflection. Maybe that’s what love is. 

Disgusting. You’re getting soft so quickly. Where’s your blade? Maybe you can—but no. That’s not worth joking about, even in your own head.

His unchained hand grips the shackle around his wrist. “I think I might be able to…” He tightens his hold and pulls. You don’t expect anything to happen, so you can’t help the shout that comes when the cuff breaks open. “Ah. It worked.”

“How did you do that?” You pick up the broken piece of the cuff. It’s thick metal, no less binding than any of the others have been. He broke it with his bare hand. 

He shrugs with that simple smile, all easy contentment. “You spent a long time believing I was strong. I suppose I’ve kept that strength.”

The Evolving Wild can go on about being an everlasting flame all He wants. You’re pretty sure you’re giving off enough embarrassed heat to burn even Him. 

You don't say that you doubted his strength just now. You're not sure he's ready to hear that he's the one believing in himself.

The Prince stands, leaving his chains behind. He reaches a hand down to you. “Shall we go, my love?”

“Are you really going to keep calling me that?” You take his hand and let him be the one to pull you up, for once. You like the idea of trading off like this. Of being equals.

“I need some sort of name for you.” He laces your fingers together, and both of you walk up the stairs. Nothing has ever felt as right as this. “Perhaps I will call you Slayer, when you tire of my sentimentality.”

You don’t think that’s likely to happen. You’re pretty sure he can’t hear your thoughts anymore, but judging by the glimmer in his eyes, he doesn’t need to. You’re indecently happy. You never want to give this up.

Without needing to speak another word, you raise your hands as one to the doorknob. You’re not sure what waits for you outside this cabin, but you know you’re both ready to move on.

You are Stillness, and he is Evolution.

You are both just people. 

Whatever comes next, you will face it together.