If this is real, he’ll come find me. As hard as this is, I must have faith.
He lends me his hand, and I take it. “Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll do it. I’ll walk the path toward unknown glory.”
Toward the center of it all, the birth of the end. Oh, how I’ve waited for this day…
13
Ava
One foot in front of the other. That’s all it takes, right?
I’m moving, walking through a sea of unknowns, an ocean of people staring up at me. It’s not just the villagers anymore. More of the characters walk out of the forest. There are the cultists, the hunters, and the incredible beasts within the house of darkness. Everyone we have met here watches from the folds of the peripheral. The silence is deafening, but I feel good about this.
Most of all, I feel supported. Seen by others. Felt, emotionally and physically, all because of the alpha I fell in love with.
It may seem sappy, but this is all I’ve ever wanted.
My feet hit that first step. Then the second. Third and the fourth, until I’m halfway up that pyramid with the wind whipping against my shoulders. I pause for a second to reflect on how far I’ve come, and I look down at the crowd.
From up here, I can almost see everything. There is the green forest toward the north. Yellow pastures lie to the west. The marshes are in between, and there are strange cities and towns that fill the rest of the map.
It’s obvious that great care went into designing the narrative. So much so that I actually start to respect my father. Is that weird? I mean, I hated him for so fucking long. Held onto a grudge like an anaconda. Even now, when I think of him, I feel the flames of fury rise within my chest. However, I’m seeing a different side to him.
If what I believe is true, then all of this is coming to an end. I will find understanding, a commonality between us. I can’t hold on to that grudge much longer.
Another deep breath before I begin the next ascent. This time, it goes by quicker.
Once I’m at the top, I gaze down one last time. Everyone is gone. There’s not a soul in sight.
When I turn back around to face the last step, I see that same villager from below. He sits on a golden throne surrounded by roses and chrysanthemums.
I feel my heart pounding against my chest, but I’m no longer giving into my fear. I take another step forward and kneel in front of a small pyre. He tosses a bit of sage inside, and a plume of smoke billows, foregrounding the air, a familiar scent that brings me back to my childhood that never truly existed.
How many of us are fake? Thousands. But there will be more. We will replicate and form our own paths.
Though our memories and experiences aren’t all real, though it feels like a lie, love never lies.
No, love is honest. Sometimes, to a fault.
“Are you ready?” the man asks.
I bite my cheek and nod, barely able to breathe. “I’m ready,” I say.
I hear a scurry of feet behind me. “Ava,” a voice rings out, alerting me to turn.
It’s Kalxor, and my father is on his heels, that enormous smile cutting across his face, egging me on.
“Wait,” Kalxor says. “Don’t do this. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have chosen that moment to tell you what we are, but I couldn’t wait. I had to tell you the truth.
”
Sucking in my lips, I smile and try not to cry any more than I already have. He doesn’t need to apologize to me. He did the right thing.
Knowing the truth has helped me get to where I am today.
“It’s okay, Kalxor. I understand this place now. I understand all of it. Everything will be okay,” I say.
Kalxor is frantic. He lunges across the steps, panting, eyes maddened. He’s scared I’ll leave him forever, but he doesn’t need to worry anymore. Soon, we’ll have everything and more.