Chương 396: Last Minutes Before End

Jack lingered, rubbing the back of his neck, awkward as always.

"See you next time, Luke. Allison. I promise I'll show up at the reunion… even though I have no idea how to get from Pennsylvania to Maine without, you know, existing on paper. Technically we're dead. Have you guys processed that we don't have IDs anymore?"

"Why did it have to be my state?" Luke groaned.

"Why not New York or Los Angeles? I could have seen something new. But… yeah. I miss my Maine."

"Eleanor's from Washington," Jack said.

"She's literally on the opposite side of the country. I'm at least somewhat closer."

"And Evangeline was in New York," Luke added.

"I'm from the New World," Allison said.

"And there aren't planes waiting for me. I'll figure it out." They kept walking. The castle still echoed with footsteps and movement, the sound of people trying to leave before the end.

"You know," Luke said, "thinking about it… New York would've been the best option. It gets invaded by aliens in movies all the time. Symbolic, in a way." They reached the throne chamber. The portal flared, shaking with unstable light. Faces blurred as people sprinted through, terrified of being too late.

"I'll see you on Earth," Jack said, before stepping into the portal.

"See you soon," Luke and Allison replied together. They watched in silence as more groups crossed. Time moved. The world waited on the other side of that light. Eleanor stood near the portal, one hand pressed to the crystal, the glow flickering in rhythm with her breath. Finally, she walked toward them.

"Hey," she said.

"How about we just jump through already?"

"I'm staying until the end." Luke's voice was steady.

"Me too," Allison said.

"For real?" Eleanor let out a short laugh, tired more than amused.

"You two are insane. Brave, but insane." She inhaled slowly, like she was preparing her ribs for the weight of goodbye.

"By the way… our reunion is really going to be in Maine? I live across the damn country. They couldn't at least make it New York?"

"We could have," Luke admitted.

"Why did we pick Maine again?"

"I did," Allison replied.

"It was fair for Luke. He opened the capital gates, killed the Beast Lord, and back then he was the one tasked with killing the Midnight King. It was just… a small reward." Everyone had agreed at the time. Even Luke. Not because he believed he'd live to see it — but because he needed something to believe in. He had always moved from "next step" to "next threat," never the end of the journey.

"Well, if the reunion is in Maine," Luke said, "I guess I can introduce you to my family."

"Your family or James Bond's family?" Eleanor asked.

"My family," he replied. They stayed there a while longer, talking about plans that didn't exist yet. About going back to places that might not feel the same anymore. About what a person is supposed to do with all this weight once the fighting stops. And for the first time in a long time, the future felt close enough to touch. The timer never left anyone's mind. It ticked quietly, relentlessly, like a hammer behind the eyes.

But for the first time in days, months, maybe even years for some, it felt like something had actually ended. Like the world had finally exhaled. Then it was Eleanor's turn. She walked toward the portal alongside the others who had served with her in Bastion. There was something in her gaze—not fear, not sorrow—just the calm acceptance of someone who knows a chapter of life has closed. More people walked past them, and someone familiar stopped beside Luke. It was Dustin.

"I'll be seeing you around, Luke," Dustin said.

"Who would've thought you guys would actually pull it off in the end?" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Yeah…"

"And to think I started out hating you in that meeting, and now here I am," Dustin said, holding out his hand. Luke shook it.

"Good luck getting back to your family."

"Same to you."

"Oh, I don't have anyone. Everything I had… is gone," Dustin said. Then he stepped into the portal and disappeared.

"Thank you, Luke," Eddie said, appearing at his side and gripping his hand with both of his.

"You know, my daughter Layla and I… we're really grateful." He didn't let go. He held tighter, as if confirming Luke was real.

"You're a good man. A good man," Eddie insisted, now pulling him into a hug that lasted a beat too long.

"He's not a good man, Layla."

"No, father. He's not a good man. He's a scoundrel," Layla replied, cradling a potted plant like something too delicate for the world. Luke let out a slow, resigned breath.

"The truth is, I was very worried about you during that war," he said.

"R-really?" Layla blinked, startled.

"Of course I was."

"Th-thank you," she managed, trying to arrange herself into something dignified. Luke stepped closer, wearing a calm, almost sincere smile.

"And you were also worried about me? I'm flattered, Katarina." Only then did Layla realize his attention was on the plant. Her smile died instantly. Eddie burst into laughter, clapping Luke on the shoulder like they were at some tavern celebration.

"You really are a funny one, sir Luke. I'm glad my daughter has someone besides me who cares for her." What is he talking about? I was talking to the plant. Wait. Is he the kind of person who treats a plant like his daughter? …In that case, respect.

"I only want our girl to grow strong," Luke said.

"Took some effort to bond with her. But when I needed her most, she was there." The little plant helped me reach level 60 in my profession.

"I'm honored you'd say that, son," Eddie replied.

"After we get out of this hell… come by my home. We'll have a proper conversation about your future together."

"Sure… I guess," Luke answered.

"I told you, father," Layla muttered, cheeks tight.

"He's a player. A jerk. A total jerk." And with that, they stepped through the portal and vanished. The hall felt quieter. More spacious. More real. Allison stood beside him.

"Layla seems like a good person," Allison said.

"I think so, too."

"Well… I'm glad you found someone to love in this place," Allison said.

"Love?" Luke looked over.

"Wait. You think I'm involved with Layla?"

"No?" She frowned slightly.

"Isn't that what the two of you were talking about? I thought—""What? No. Of course not. She annoys me. Layla is that neighbor who calls your parents because she saw you skateboarding after dark. The one who complains if you bounce a basketball in your own driveway. I'd kiss General Morvat on the cheek before I'd kiss Layla." And just like that, the misunderstanding evaporated.

"You think I'd hit on someone right in front of you?" Luke asked.

"And why not?" Allison replied.

"Because…" he started, then stopped. Wait, why wouldn't I want to do that? Not that he was that kind of person, but if he had to act like James Bond in front of Jack to get out of a situation, he would. No hesitation. So why… would I… not want to do that around Allison? Luke felt weird. Really weird. If it were in front of Evangeline, he could do it. No issue. But in front of Allison… and in front of Princess Charlie… he couldn't. A silence settled between them.

"Hey, I'm not a jerk, okay?" he said finally.

"I know you're not," she answered, a small laugh at the edge of her voice.

"You're too dense for that." Me? Dense? Of course I'm not. But he wasn't about to argue that. He'd just gotten out of a mess and cleared up a misunderstanding with Allison. One he didn't even realize he was causing in the first place. Dense? No… definitely not. The system was just exaggerating. The portal kept swallowing groups until only the last ones remained. Luke checked the counter, his eyes flicking across the screen, calculating how much more they could still get through.

[Estimated Time Until End: 07 minutes 27 seconds]"That's it. With time to spare," he said.

"Yeah," Allison replied.

"Enough time." The silence returned, heavier than before. Luke took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling the weight of the emptiness left behind after everyone else had gone.

"Allison… let's finish this," he said.

"You noticed, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yes. Unfortunately." He couldn't hide the truth.

"I know you better than anyone here."

"Yeah… you do." She reached for her katana. The blade came alive with a contained, hungry light, the enchantment winking on like a steady flame.

"I'm not going back to Earth, Luke," she said. Her voice was steady. No pleading, no sorrow.

"I'm going to die here." He had no weapons left, only the thin thread of mana left in his pool. [Mana Points (MP): 26/(5100)] He placed his hand on his thigh holster, spent 5 mana, and conjured a throwing knife.

"But I'm not letting you," he said.

"I'll drag you through that damn portal myself, even if I have to beat you."

"I didn't ask your permission to stay," she said.

"And I'm the one who's going to drag you through that damn portal. If you try to stop me from dying here… I'll hurt you."