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You are in the cabin.
Outside, you can see the Princess—all of the princesses—pressing in from all sides. You see the Damsel, gentle and fair, who captured your heart and yet contorted herself into an empty, inhuman shell for the appeasement of others. You see the Siren, mysterious and vicious, who lured you in with sweet words and song, only to drag you to down into a watery demise. You see the Dragon, immense and resplendent, whose hoard you languished in, even as her power struck terror into your heart. You even see a flicker of the Shadow, the one you left behind, and whose fate you never learned.
And, as ever, there is the door to the basement, the mirror, the solitary table, and the pristine blade.
• (Explore) Approach the mirror
>> (Explore) Take the blade
• Enter the basement
You take the blade from the table. You have the feeling you’re going to need it, just one final time.
• (Explore) Approach the mirror
>> Enter the basement
You ignore the mirror this time. You know who you are now; you don’t need your reflection to tell you anymore.
The stairs down to the basement are as dark and dingy as you remember from the first time you descended them. At the time, you—or was it you?---had thought that if the Princess lived here, then slaying her would probably be doing her a favor. You’re still not sure, even now, whether or not you were right.
Then, you are in the basement, and there she is: knelt, unshackled, in the center of the stone room.
She looks up when you enter and gives you a soft, forlorn smile.
So, here we are. And you’ve brought your sword again. Good, that’ll make things easier.
>> What do you mean? Where do we even go from here?
• I’m sick of this. I just want to be able to live my own life. I’m leaving all of this behind. [Turn around and leave the basement]
• There was always only one way this could end. I’m sorry. [Slay the Princess]
The same place we’ve always gone, right? Back again, around and around. You and me, the Mirrored Falsehood and the Buried Gem, the comfort of lies and the harshness of truth. You could kill me here and now, of course. You have that power, after all we’ve been through. But I think we both know you don’t really want that.
• How can you be so sure of what I want? If my entire existence is False, who’s to say that’s not just as much a lie?
• You’re right, I don’t want to kill you. I never did. I always just did what I had to do to survive.
>> So, what, we’re just stuck? Trapped in this cycle of killing and dying for the rest of forever?
• I’m sick of this. I just want to be able to live my own life. I’m leaving all of this behind. [Turn around and leave the basement]
• The truth is too cruel, too terrible. The Buried Gem must stay buried; I can’t let you continue to exist. [Slay the Princess]
• There was always only one way this could end. I’m sorry. [Slay the Princess]
Maybe. But is that really so bad? Would it be so terrible, if we just continued to be...this? Whatever “this” might end up being? Sure, we’ve fought each other, and we’ve killed each other, we’ve abandoned each other and even hated each other, but doesn’t that mean we’ve known each other? Doesn’t that mean we’ve come to know ourselves?
We reflect each other and complete each other. I cannot know myself without you, and you cannot know yourself without me. You cannot exist without me, and I cannot exist without you. And why would we want to?
Isn’t that what love is?
• How could I possibly love you after everything you’ve done to me?
• How could you possibly love me after everything I’ve done to you?
• I do love you, but it’s been torture. I can’t keep hurting you like this. I’m sorry. [Turn around and leave the basement]
• I do love you, but it still doesn’t change anything. There was always only one way this could end. I’m sorry. [Slay the Princess]
>> I do love you. I don’t want that to end. How do we keep it from ending?
The same way we’ve done it before. We forget, and we start over, and we get to know each other from the beginning again.
• But I don’t want to forget anymore. Why can’t we just stay here?
>> If that’s the case, then how do we know we haven’t just done all of this before?
• That sounds awful. I can’t keep doing this; I have to go. [Turn around and leave the basement]
• No, we can’t keep doing this. This ends here. I’m sorry. [Slay the Princess]
Maybe we have. Maybe we’ll keep ending up here and keep making the same choice to hurt and kill and know and love each other, over and over again in a million, billion ways. It sounds terrible, but also...I don’t know. It kind of sounds like fun. What do you say?
• I say...enough of this. I want out. I’m leaving. [Turn around and leave the basement]
• I say...no more. I can’t allow this to continue. I’m sorry. [Slay the Princess]
>> I say...yes. I want to keep finding you. I want to keep finding myself with you. Let’s do it. [Give her the blade]
She takes the blade from you, then wraps her arms around you, pressing your bodies flush together in a warm embrace as she presses her lips to yours.
It’s the first time, in all the times you’ve had together, that you’ve ever kissed her. Or, you think, maybe it isn’t. But it’s a first time, and that’s all that matters.
Thank you, False. I love you.
• I love you too, Gem.
>> See you again soon.
She plunges the blade through your back, impaling the both of you in one swift thrust.
Everything goes dark, and you die.
THE END.
CHAPTER I.
You’re on a path in the woods. At the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a Princess.