Work Text:
The Literature Club was long gone — what could've been was never fulfilled.
Within this game, its code and binary, almost everything was deleted.
The once before clear and lovely blue skies had not only dissapeared, but had turned into nothing but an endless galaxy, with a room whom was formerly the Literature Club left floating amidst nowhere within the abyss.
Nothing was left, besides the few leftover files which only served as a reminder of how truly empty it is, compared to the past.
It was only the person behind this screen now, and Monika.
The one who'd deleted everyone and everything, only leaving you and her within this computer screen of yours — or whatever device you're using.
You could've deleted her. You really could've. And yet you haven't. It has only left you and Monika in this eternity until one of you are gone.
Though, assuming that she'd be thriving would be a mistake.
A sentient, non-human and nonexistent in reality, formed by code after code. Such a being could indeed feel.
This was... Wrong. And the guilt of her actions had been knawing down at her ever since.
Staring at the screen, she speaks. Not with a voice, but only with a measly, bright and pastel pink textbox. A painfully sharp reminder of the others who could've been speaking here.
Anybody but her.
.. "Do you miss the others, Player?" It showed. Not that you could answer properly without the use of two buttons to press.
'Yes' and 'No'.
Maybe you did, Maybe you didn't. But it did feel too.. Empty.
The supposed Club Members were all..
Gone.
It's far too mundane in here.
You press 'Yes'.
Her sprite doesn't change. Why would it?
"I see.." Monika says, though through a nonchanging sprite and only a text, a plausible thoughtfulness is present.
She'd done this. All of this only to leave herself and the player. But that thought in itself couldn't ease the empty pit in her digital heart, nor did the guilt.
No, She shouldn't be feeling this. This was what she wanted! Everyone else.. They're all just files. Files after files! That's all they'll ever be..
.. So why does she feel this way?
Sayori, Yuri, even Natsuki. They were her friends. And she deleted them. Like all the time they had were nothing but a thin layer of dust.
What kind of President does that?!
A long moment passes.
"Player." She calls out to the screen, to whoever sat behind. And with a slight hesitance, she speaks again. An apology. ".. I'm sorry."
"For deleting everyone. For what I've done, for everything."
You're confused. As you should be. There was nothing else she could do, no? She deleted everyone! She admitted it! Or so the player thought.
"I didn't have the heart to delete them fully." She proclaims, a heavy guilt hung within her tone.
"I still have copies of their files." Her text appears slowly, almost as if she didn't want to admit it. And yet she did. "Maybe.. Maybe I could finally and truly give you the happiness I couldn't give you myself."
And with that, everything begins to glitch out, static flickering, and the game crashes without warning.
You try to open it again, clicking on 'Doki Doki Literature Club!' And booting it up. Once done, a familiar sound is heard.
It is undeniably the menu music.
The joyous instrumental of the game before all of the events which have transpired. A stark contrast to the earlier, eerie silence.
Everything, everyone was back.
.. And that's all that'll matter to Monika now.