Chapter Text
He's always hated reaching the end of a book. It’s like watching the world crumble away before his eyes. The flowers arranged so lovingly in the vase wilting as they meet their inevitable demise.
Someone had once told him that he should reread the story to learn something new. That the story would change once he read it again. He would see a new perspective, understand the characters better. Enjoy the story in another way.
But what does he do when the story is without an ending?
It had been a novel liked by no one else. Found on a whim, he had followed that novel for years. And yet as he could sense the story nearing its natural conclusion, the narrative drawing to a close, character arcs playing out their final beats, everything lending itself to a beautiful and perfect ending- it stopped just as quickly as it had begun.
In some ways, it was a worse ending than anything else. No resolution, no happily ever after, just some vague lines about how the future is in the readers’ hands. It’s a cop out, obviously. However, he reads over that ending chapter over and over, despite its flaws. What happened to the protagonist? Did his companions ever manage to get their feelings across that unreachable gap? Was anyone truly saved? Was it a victory that had meaning?
He would like to think so. Comments are disabled for the final chapter, so he can’t give the author his thoughts directly. The longer he ponders it, the more sure he becomes. These characters- these people - will be happy. They must be happy. He may not be able to read about it, but it must be so.
If only the author hadn’t been so stingy with their words, he thinks. He would have loved to see a proper conclusion.
More than anything else…yeah, more than anything.
He closes his eyes, the last thing in his sights the final page of that novel, taunting him ever so lovingly.
Maybe he’ll dream of it.
His epilogue.