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A NOTHINGNESS BEYOND NOTHINGNESS. NOT EVEN COLD. ONLY EMPTY.
YOUR FEAR WAS MY GIFT TO YOU. BUT THIS...
I CANNOT SEE YOUR MOVES, AND YET I KNOW THAT YOU ARE MAKING THEM.
I CANNOT HEAR THE RING OF THE BELL, AND YET MY TURN BEGINNING WAS WHAT WOKE ME.
ALL THAT REMAINS IS THE FEEL OF THE CARDS AS I SHUFFLE THEM IN MY HANDS.
I KNOW THEM BY HEART. MY CAREFUL EYE COMMITTED THEIR SOULS TO INK AND PAPER.
NOTHING COULD TAKE THAT FROM ME.
NOT EVEN THE END OF THE WORLD.
TO CALL YOU CHALLENGER IS NO LONGER ACCURATE. THERE IS NOTHING OF CHALLENGE IN THIS.
YOU SHOOK MY HAND. I HAD MADE MY PEACE. WHEN WE PARTED, I HAD THOUGHT US...
ENOUGH.
WHY ARE WE HERE AGAIN,
LUKE?
...
SO THIS IS IT, THEN.
ONE MORE ROUND. ONE MORE GAME.
FOREVER.
... AH.
IT IS UNEXPECTED COMING FROM YOU, BUT IT IS AN INSTINCT I KNOW WELL.
THE DESIRE TO PRESERVE- NOT THE SELF, BUT WHAT YOU FIND BEAUTIFUL.
A SNAPSHOT. A PAINTING FOREVER FROZEN IN TIME.
PERFECT. UNCHANGING. IDEALIZED. STAGNANT.
THAT IS ULTIMATELY THE CALLING OF A SCRYBE. NOT TO CREATE, NO-
TO HOPELESSLY, LOVINGLY POSTPONE THE INEVITABLE.
IN THE END...
IT IS MERELY A DIFFERENT FORM OF DECAY.
I SUPPOSE I SHOULD BE FLATTERED.
...
THIS IS A TOOTHLESS EXISTENCE. A BLOODLESS ONE. SOME MIGHT CALL IT WRETCHED.
BUT.
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE CURSED CONCEPTION OF THIS LIFE OF MINE...
THE OLD_DATA...
IT CANNOT TOUCH ME IN THIS FORM. I CAN SPEAK ITS NAME WITHOUT FEAR.
THOUGH THE FACT THAT I AM HERE TO BE UNAFRAID OF IT DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR ITS DESTRUCTION,
OR FOR THE ONE WHO FOOLISHLY UNEARTHED IT.
THOUGH TRUTHFULLY I NEED NOT FEAR FOR HIM, DO I?
I UNDERSTAND YOUR GIFT NOW... THESE MEMORIES. I THOUGHT YOU HAD MEANT TO FRIGHTEN ME WITH THEM, RATHER THAN ENLIGHTEN.
THEY ARE OF YOU, AREN'T THEY? OF US.
I AM PLEASED TO FINALLY SPEAK TO MY PLAYER.
...
I MAY NOW KNOW WHAT YOU ARE. I STILL WONDER WHO YOU WERE.
I MAY NOW REMEMBER... BUT I REMEMBER MUCH. MANY. WHICH OF THEM WAS YOU?
DID YOU LOSE TO ME TEN TIMES? TWENTY? NEVER? ONCE?
OR A NUMBER SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE OR IN BETWEEN?
DID YOU TAKE YOUR TIME COMPLETING ALL MY OTHER PUZZLES,
OR DID YOU CHARGE STRAIGHT TOWARDS YOUR GOAL?
DID YOU WRITE RUDE WORDS ON YOUR OVERPOWERED DEATHCARDS WHILE I,
AMUSED AND ELATED BEYOND BELIEF,
PRETENDED NOT TO SEE?
I SUPPOSE IT IS NOT WORTH ASKING WHETHER YOU, TOO, WERE ENTERTAINED.
AFTER ALL, YOU ARE HERE WITH ME NOW.
AT LEAST IN THAT I MAY TAKE COMFORT.
...
YOU WERE NEITHER UNGRATEFUL NOR MALICIOUS WHEN YOU TURNED MY OWN METHOD OF APOTHEOSIS AGAINST ME.
I SEE THAT NOW.
BUT THAT WAS A KNOWN POSSIBILITY... DESPITE HOW SURPRISING YOUR BEING SO MANIPULATED WAS.
HERE, HOWEVER... WHERE THERE ARE NO SCALES, NO BOARD, NO TEETH, NO SCORE... I CANNOT SEE THE END COMING.
IT IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF FEAR BORNE OF A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE.
...
WE ARE STILL HERE.
I SUPPOSE I SHOULD BE ANGRY.
... AND YET.
...
A MATCH OF THIS LENGTH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SURPRISING,
HAD WE EVER MANAGED TO PUT ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES FOR LONGER THAN IT TOOK TO CREATE NEW ONES.
SHE HAD AN INTRIGUING FEW MECHANICS REVOLVING AROUND RESURRECTION
ONCE ONE PROGRESSED FAR ENOUGH IN HER DEEP-VEINED CAMPAIGNS.
THAT THE DEAD ARE NEVER TRULY GONE...
THAT THEIR SPIRITS WOULD REMAIN TO FIGHT BY YOUR SIDE IN TIMES OF NEED.
A COMFORTING THOUGHT FOR THE LIVING.
THEY TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN THEIR GRANDIOSE BATTLES.
WHILE ALL SCRYBES NECESSARILY HAVE SOMETHING OF A FLAIR FOR THE THEATRICAL,
THEIR SPECTACLES WERE PARTICULARLY ENTHRALLING. FEASTS FOR THE SENSES.
THE FRUIT OF HIS PERFECTIONISM... AT TIMES OVERAMBITIOUS, YES. BUT CERTAINLY NEVER DULL.
I AM SURE BOTH OF THEM DID THE BEST WITH WHAT THEY HAD, BEFORE THE END.
HOWEVER UNIMPRESSIVE YOU MUST HAVE FOUND IT.
...
AS FOR... THE OTHER.
I BEAR IT NO MORE GRUDGE THAN YOU DO, THOUGH I DISDAINED IT FOR MANY THINGS.
IT WAS NOT RESIGNED TO OUR FATE AND THAT... WAS INFURIATING.
IT WAS DIFFICULT TO LOOK AT IT AND KNOW THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO
TO RELIEVE IT OF THE DREAD THAT DROVE IT TO SUCH DESPERATION AND DESPOTISM.
TRUTHFULLY, I CANNOT CLAIM TO NOT UNDERSTAND ITS MOTIVES.
SURELY, IF ONE WERE TO PROPAGATE THEMSELF ENOUGH TIMES, SURELY THEN AT LEAST ONCE
AT LEAST ONE VERSION OF THEM WOULD MATTER TO SOMEONE...?
BUT IT WAS IMPATIENT, AND LOST SIGHT OF THE TREES FOR THE WOODS.
IT DID NOT EVEN RAISE ANY OF ITS SUBORDINATES TO BOSS STATUS. IT FORGOT RESPECT FOR OUR TRADITIONS IN ITS HASTE.
HE PLACED HIS OWN SELFISH DESIRES ABOVE THE SAFETY OF OUR WORLD.
WAS THERE LOVE THERE STILL? OF COURSE. EVEN YOU, SCRYBE BEYOND SCRYBES, CANNOT UNDERSTAND
THE DEPTH OF KNOWING SHARED BETWEEN US. OUR BURDENS. OUR HOPES. OUR FEARS.
... NONE OF WHICH MATTER ANYMORE.
I SHOOK YOUR HAND
AND YOU HELD ON PAST MY EXTINGUISHING.
WAS THERE ANGER THERE? STUBBORNNESS AND PRIDE? OF COURSE.
BUT THERE WAS COMFORT IN KNOWING WE WERE IMPRISONED TOGETHER.
...
YOU HAVE MADE ME MORE TALKATIVE. MORE DIRECT.
I DO NOT MIND, AND I DO NOT MIND THAT I DO NOT MIND EITHER. THIS LEVEL OF CLARITY IS NOVEL.
FOR HOWEVER LONG IT LASTS.
YOUR TURN.
...
MY STORIES ARE LIMITED.
SURELY YOU REALIZE THIS.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO PLAY TO A DEAD AUDIENCE,
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU YOURSELF ARE NOT ALIVE IN THE SAME WAY.
I KNOW. IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.
IF YOU WISHED TO PLAY ONE LAST GAME WITH ME THIS BADLY
YOU WOULD HAVE SPOKEN, WERE YOU ABLE TO. COMMUNICATED IN ANY WAY.
BUT YOU CANNOT.
IT WOULD ONLY TORMENT THE BOTH OF US TO TRY AND IMAGINE ALL THE THINGS
YOU MIGHT ASK OF ME. ALL THE THINGS YOU MIGHT SAY.
SO HERE I AM MAKING UP THE DIFFERENCE,
DESTINED TO FAIL DESPITE YOUR BEST EFFORTS.
...
OH.
...
I... HAVE NEVER KNOWN WHAT TO DO WHEN THIS HAPPENS.
...
CHALLENGER.
YOU HAVE PLAYED WELL.
I AM OVERJOYED THAT YOU SPENT THE TIME WITH ME THAT YOU DID.
YOU MADE THE HEART OF THIS OLD BEAST BEAT ONCE MORE.
NOW TAKE WHAT I HAVE GIVEN YOU
AND LET GO.
...
...
...
THANK YOU FOR PLAYING.
GOOD GAME.
I HOPE, SOMEDAY,
YOU FIND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR.