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Chapter I
The Savior and The Monster
The Narrator
You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin.
And in the basement of that cabin is a savior.
The Narrator
You're here to slay them.
If you don't, it will be the end of the world.
-(Explore) Doesn’t this
whole thing feel weird
to you? Killing someone
isn’t exactly… a good
thing.
The Narrator
Typically, it’s not. However: these are special circumstances. Slaying
the Savior is the best deed you could possibly do here. Like I
said just a moment ago: failing to do so will end the world.
The Narrator
I feel like the world ending isn’t something any good or normal person would want. Which is
why you should just slay them. Don’t think about it too hard, it’ll only make you feel worse.
-(Explore) Do you maybe
recognize me? We’ve
never met before, but
you’re weirdly kinda
familiar to me.
The Narrator
… No. We’ve never met before. I don’t recognize
you, either. I just know what you’re here to do.
The Narrator
We shouldn’t waste time with things like that. Your goal in all of this is to march
up to that cabin and to slay the Savior. Our relationship doesn’t matter much at all.
-(Explore) Are you sure?
You’re being a little bit
defensive…
The Narrator
I am sure, yes. We should get moving. The stakes of this situation are quite high,
I’d rather nothing happen between now and your encounter with the Savior.
-[Continue to the cabin.]
The Narrator
You make your way up the short path to the cabin. You’ll find the Savior within.
Voice of the Fighter
… We’re not actually gonna do this, right? They’re a savior. If
anything, they should be slaying us with a name like that!
The Narrator
Ignore him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
-[Proceed into the
cabin.]
The Narrator
The interior of the cabin is almost entirely bare. The air is stale and musty
and the floor and walls are painted in a fine layer of dust. The only furniture
of note is a plain wooden table. Perched on that table is a hooked blade.
The Narrator
The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.
-(Explore) [Take the blade.]
-[Enter the basement.]
The Narrator
You take the blade from the table. It wouldn’t be easy to save the world without it.
-[Enter the basement.]
The Narrator
The door to the basement creaks open, revealing a staircase faintly illuminated
by an unseen light in the room below. This is an oppressive place. The air feels
heavy and damp, a hint of rot filtering from the ancient wood. If the Savior
really lives here, slaying him is probably doing him a favor.
The Narrator
Their voice carries up the stairs.
Who’s there?
Voice of the Fighter
They sound… dangerous. Sharp. Like they know exactly what to say to hurt you.
The Narrator
… Don’t let it fool you. That’s all part of the manipulation.
-“Uh! Hey! I’m just
checking in!”
Are you now? Go ahead! It’s not
like I can do much of anything
to stop you! I don’t get a lot of
visitors, if you’ll believe it.
I guess they must think that I’m
dangerous, haha!
The Narrator
Great. Now they’re expecting you. Well, then. Let’s get moving.
The Narrator
You walk down the stairs and lock eyes with the Savior. There’s a heavy
chain around his wrist, binding him to the far wall of the basement.
Voice of the Fighter
Wow…
Voice of the Fighter
They’re… kinda intimidating. It’s honestly kind of cool? Intimidating but also,
um, a little bit cute? Is someone like that really able to end the world?
The Narrator
I am begging you to stay focused. There’s a lot riding on you here!
So… are you here to kill me or
something?
-[Steel your nerves and
step forward.]
Guess that’s a yes. It’s funny. I
wondered if dying would be my
way out of this place! I always
thought that it would be too
easy!!
… It probably is too easy.
Voice of the Fighter
Woah…
The Narrator
All he is is talk. I w— ah. That was about his expression. Yes, right,
you’re aesthetically attracted to the Savior. Can we move on now?
Voice of the Fighter
S-sorry! I’m so sorry. Uh. Inside thoughts. But, um, you say that he’s all talk, but they seem
pretty determined? Like they’re sure that dying won’t be a ‘way out’. Whatever that means.
The Narrator
I’m super duper sure!!! You can slay them and that’ll be the end of it! It’s easy.
Voice of the Fighter
Easier said than done, maybe…
You don’t have to kill me, you
know. You could always put
that blade away so the two of
us can just talk.
Voice of the Fighter
That’s not a bad idea. We should try to build trust with them, right? They’re
a little spooky, but they don’t really seem like a threat. It might be good!!!
The Narrator
Absolutely not. Don’t do that.
Voice of the Fighter
Shouldn’t we at least hear them out? We can, uh, figure
out what to do with him after listening to him. Maybe they are a
monster, but killing someone in cold blood just doesn’t feel right.
-[Drop it.]
-[Tighten your grip.]
The Narrator
You ignore the slight shake in your hands and tighten your grip on the blade.
Are you scared of me? I’m so
much smaller than you. Weak
and defenseless, right? Why are
you scared? It’s not like I’d be
able to do anything to you!
Right?
The Narrator
You don’t listen to them at all! And you take another step forward.
… It’s not fun if you skip all of
your lines.
You know, haha, if I’m chained up
there’s probably a reason for it,
right? I’m probably dangerous!
And if you want to do anything to
me, you have to get close enough
to use that dagger!
So try to kill me if you want! It’s
not like I have anything better
to do.
The Narrator
He’s just trying to scare you! Now isn’t the time to hesitate. I believe in you!
-“You can’t trick me into
putting the dagger down.”
I wasn’t really trying to. But if you
won’t, I’m not going to talk to you.
-[Squint really hard at
the Savior.]
The Narrator
You… do that.
The Narrator
They squint back, puffing out their cheeks.
Voice of the Fighter
They look like an angry hamster…
The Narrator
Hehe… they do!
The Narrator
Um!!! I mean!
The Narrator
Are the two of you just going to stare at each
other like that? You kind of have a job to do, aha…
-[Squint even harder at
the Savior.]
The Narrator
You sure do.
The Narrator
They also squint harder.
Voice of the Fighter
At least we’re not killing a stranger??? Just… glaring at him really intensely.
The Narrator
You really will have to make a choice eventually.
The Narrator
The two of you can’t just squint at one another
for forever. Soon, one of you will have to blink.
-[Drop the blade.]
-[Slay the Savior.]
The Narrator
Doubt, unfortunately, clouds your mind as you attempt to run him through.
The Narrator
Even just that small moment of hesitation is still enough for the Savior to
sidestep you and your dagger and to land a swift blow to the back of your neck.
The Narrator
It feels like you’ve been hit by a pipe. Pain blooms from the spot they
hit you, all the wind has been completely knocked from your lungs.
A tingle runs through your body, numbing your limbs.
Voice of the Fighter
Oh CRAB that hurt!!!
The Narrator
Though they’re unarmed, the blow they landed managed to
stun you. It leaves you and the Savior on relatively equal footing.
The Narrator
Your blade slashes through the air again and again, but even restrained the Savior
is quick and powerful. His fists connect with your body just as many times or more.
Voice of the Fighter
They’re quick, but they don’t have the strength or the
weapon to back them up! We can still turn this around!!!
-[Give up.]
-[Finish the job.]
The Narrator
Okay! So! You and the Savior stare at each other, both gasping for
breath. You’re both exhausted and in pain. You might not make it
out of here, but you can at least make sure that he won’t, either!
Voice of the Fighter
Whuh???
The Narrator
I’m really sorry! It’s not like I want you to get hurt! It’s just… my job to state the
facts, aha. And the fact is that neither of you should still be alive right now?
You’ve both taken way too many blows to reasonably still be standing.
The Narrator
He’s… gotten you pretty good. They might not have a weapon, but they’ve still
done enough to, um, cause internal bleeding? So if he doesn’t kill you, that will.
The Narrator
The two of you clash one final time. You feel something in your
spine slip out of place, but you push through the pain, and you
stumble forward to drive the blade into the Savior’s chest.
O… oh.
The Narrator
The two of you fall to the floor.
This was almost fun.
The Narrator
The Savior struggles to speak. Blood is… already filling his lungs.
You’re… sturdy. I didn’t hit
as hard as I thought I would.
… I guess it’s curtains,
right?
Heh. Do you really think this is
the end?
The Narrator
You don’t have any time to wonder about that, though. It’s too late.
The Narrator
Everything goes dark, and you die.
Chapter II
The Rogue
The Narrator
You're on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin.
And in the basement of that cabin is a savior.
The Narrator
You're here to slay them.
If you don't, it will be the end of the world.
-(Explore) Oh, wow. If I
was getting déjà vu
before, I don’t even know
what to call it now. I
definitely slew them last
time. They got me back,
but I know for sure that
they died. Why am I
back?
The Narrator
You’re super wrong, but sure.
The Narrator
But the Savior didn’t kill you! ‘Cause you aren’t dead! And we’ve never
met before, but I’d know you if you’d seen the Savior! And I don’t! So!
Voice of the Fighter
If They don’t remember, maybe it’s a good idea to keep it that way?
The Narrator
I can hear you!!! You can’t hide stuff from me.
Voice of the Dogged
Oh, that’s cool! I don’t really care that you can hear us, because we already
knew that, but that’s cool! Now, if you’ll excuuuse us, we’ve got a Savior to fight!!!
The Narrator
See! He gets it.
-(Explore) Okay, so,
pretend I am telling the
truth for a second and
this did all happen before.
Why should I listen to
you? Why should I even
do anything?
The Narrator
I can try, but those are weird questions so you can’t get mad at me if I do a bad job!
The Narrator
You’re acting like we’ve met before, and we haven’t, but I’m gonna pretend
like we have for a second. Or, I dunno, like a version of us has met, maybe.
The Narrator
You’re here. Which means you died. Which means you
super didn’t listen to me when I told you what to do!
Voice of the Fighter
I mean… yeah? We died, but we also killed the Savior. Right?
Voice of the Dogged
YEAH WE DID!!! They’re little, but wow could they fight! So cool! So slick!!!
Voice of the Fighter
Did we actually manage to kill them, though? They said something like that
right before they died. ‘Did you really think this is the end’, or something.
Voice of the Dogged
Eh! Doesn’t matter!!! If we’re back, it just means we
get to fight again! I want to see them back in action!
The Narrator
Gross!!!
The Narrator
And also if you’re not sure if you killed them or not you didn’t listen to me!!! Duh!!!
The Narrator
The other thing you asked was something like ‘why should I do anything’?
Which is dumb because you’re acting like nothing you did last time mattered.
Voice of the Fighter
Did it, though? We fought the Savior, both of us died, and now we’re
back! Like nothing happened. Unless there’s something we’re missing…
The Narrator
Duh!!! There is! ‘Cause how did you get back here? What if you’re in a
new place now! And you’re not just back at the start? Something
probably happened to the place that you died in!!!
The Narrator
And what if you didn’t slay the Savior for real? What do you think happened to
the people there?! They had friends and families and lives and stuff and because
of you, they might all be gone!!! Forever! And you can’t fix it anymore!
Voice of the Dogged
Woah, hey!!! Do you need a sec?
The Narrator
NO!!!
The Narrator
I just… want you to think about what you did. That’s all.
Voice of the Dogged
Cool! Got it! You can count on us, Narry!
The Narrator
What???
Voice of the Dogged
You’re the Narrator guy, right? So… Narry!
The Narrator
Just go to the stupid cabin.
-[Proceed to the cabin.]
The Narrator
A warning, before you go any further…
The Narrator
They will lie, they will cheat, and they will do everything in their
power to stop you from slaying them. Don’t believe a word they say.
Voice of the Dogged
‘Cheat’ maybe, but they don’t really seem like a liar!
Not like that’s gonna matter when we’re fighting!!!
Voice of the Fighter
Are you sure?
The Narrator
Urgh. Does it matter?
-[Proceed into the
cabin.]
The Narrator
The interior of the cabin is smaller than the exterior might suggest. It’s darker, too. The
light that seeps into the room almost seems to lead you to the door to the basement.
The only furniture of note is a small stand with a hooked bade perched on its edge.
The Narrator
The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.
-(Explore) You didn’t say
anything about the mirror
on the wall, though?
The Narrator
That’s because… there isn’t a mirror. There’s a table, the dagger perched
on it, and the entrance to the basement. There’s nothing else in here.
Voice of the Fighter
Aaaaand there’s a mirror.
The Narrator
There’s really not.
Voice of the Dogged
Super is!!! I want to get a look at ourselves before we go in! Check
to make sure we’re in top-shape before we face the Savior again!
The Narrator
That’s, um, a fine idea and all… but there’s really no mirror!
-(Explore) Approach
the mirror.
The Narrator
You walk up to the wall. There’s wall there! Woah.
Voice of the Fighter
Oh, I really don’t like this…
-[Wipe the mirror
clean.]
The Narrator
You rub your hand against the wall. You look stupid.
Has anyone told you that before? ‘Cause you do.
Voice of the Fighter
What? But it was just there!
Voice of the Dogged
Crab. That’s a bust. Oh well!!! I’ll just trust that we’re already ready to go!!!
-(Explore) [Take the
blade.]
The Narrator
You take the blade from the stand. The weapon feels small in your hands,
efficient. It’d be hard to slay anyone without a weapon, much less the Savior.
-[Enter the basement.]
The Narrator
The door to the basement creaks open, revealing a rough stone staircase,
the walls cloaked in oppressive shadow that only deepens as you descend..
The air from below is warm and stagnant, smelling almost sweet. If the
Savior lives here, slaying them is probably doing them a favor!
The Narrator
Their impish voice slides up the stairs.
A stranger finds their way to
me. I wonder how quickly
they’ll die this time.
Voice of the Fighter
… They didn’t sound like this last time. His voice is lighter, more playful.
Voice of the Dogged
Yeah!!!
Voice of the Fighter
Don’t act like that’s a good thing!
Voice of the Dogged
But it is! He sounds ready for round two!!!
The Narrator
Um! The enthusiasm is nice, but don’t forget why you’re here! They sound
overconfident! Use that to your advantage. Remember that you’re here
to slay them, don’t worry too much about the actual fight.
The Narrator
As you descend the final step, the form of the Savior comes into view.
The room is filled with shadow, but an unseen light focuses directly on
them. A massive chain leads from their wrist to the basement wall.
Voice of the Fighter
That chain is huge! He could slip out of that thing no problem!
The Narrator
They smile at you, sharp and dangerous.
Oh. You’re back. So… death
doesn’t stick for either of us,
huh? That’s good to know.
You brought the dagger, too!
That’s knife! I’m glad!
Voice of the Fighter
… Was that a pun? The Savior makes puns?
Voice of the Dogged
YEAH!!!! Oh! That’s great.
The Narrator
Urgh.
I’m excited to see what you
have to offer this time.
-(Explore) “You look way
different this time.”
And you look exactly the same!
The Narrator
Oh dear… okay! Okay, right. I believe you.
Voice of the Fighter
Wuh???
The Narrator
Oh! What you said in the woods? About you two meeting before? I believe
you now! But, um, this is just another reason to take this seriously!!!
The Narrator
So… whatever happened last time. You don’t know if it will happen again, right?
You don’t know for sure that you’ll get another chance if you lose this fight!
The Narrator
It’s also important to realize that I don’t remember what happened last time you were here.
Voice of the Dogged
You alright, Narry?
The Narrator
Stop calling us that. And of course I’m not alright! No matter what universe
jumping time shenanigans you two happen to get up to, the fate of my
world still hangs in the balance. I’d much rather it stay intact, personally.
-I’ll try my best to do
better, this time.
The Narrator
Thank you. Now get to it.
-(Explore) “So you do
remember me!”
Of course I do. I wasn’t really
expecting you to put up a fight
last time. I didn’t try very
hard. I’m looking forward to
trying again.
Voice of the Dogged
Look!!! They want to fight! What are we waiting for?!
Voice of the Fighter
I dunno… he seems to know this place a lot better than we do. It’s dark
and we already know that he’s fast. Is this really a fight we’re gonna win?
Voice of the Dogged
Of course it is!!! We’ve got brute strength to match their power!
They even said something like it just now! Let’s! Smash! Them!!!
Voice of the Fighter
U-um?! I, man, I-I dunno if that’s the phrasing I’d use exactly???
Voice of the Dogged
We’re gonna BLOW HIM UP.
Voice of the Fighter
Okay!!! Let's Talk About Anything Else Please.
-(Explore) “I’m not, uh,
not here to fight? But
first we should probably
talk about some stuff.
Like how we’re even
alive right now?”
Alive, dead? Who cares? I’m
back, so are you. That’s all that
really matters! Dead serious.
We get to have a rematch!... An
encore! Isn’t it fun?
Voice of the Dogged
Exactly!!! Let’s do some damage!!!! Let’s fight!!! C’mon, c’mon!!!!
-[Attack the Savior.]
The Narrator
Finally doing what you came here to do, you launch yourself
from the floor and towards the Savior, blade ready to strike.
Voice of the Fighter
I guess we’re going in!!! Let’s do our best!
Voice of the Dogged
Haha!!! I’m gonna do better than our best!
The Narrator
The Savior side-steps your attack at the last possible second,
leaving you no room to reorient yourself. They sweep your feet
out from under you as they go, sending you to the ground.
The Narrator
You can hear their chains clatter to the ground as you recover from the impact.
The Narrator
As your vision clears, the Savior grins at you, casually flipping the
blade up in the air without breaking eye-contact. He catches
it by the handle, shooting you what you think is a wink.
I thought I might take a stab at
using a weapon, this time! Hope
that's alright.
Voice of the Dogged
He's perfect.
Voice of the Fighter
Whuh???
You’re sturdy. Don’t be scared
of using your hands!
The Narrator
With that, they vanish into the shadows with the blade.
Voice of the Fighter
Crab, crab, crab!! What do we do?! He took our weapon!
Voice of the Dogged
Did you listen to him at all? We use our hands!!!
Our fists are our weapons! It’s not over yet!!!
The Narrator
… He’s not, um, wrong? You can still fight!!!
Voice of the Dogged
YEAH we can!!! We’re gonna fight.
The Narrator
Try to focus on actually slaying the Savior? Please?
Voice of the Fighter
Yeah, uh, I second that actually.
-[Wait for their next
move.]
-[Face them head-on.]
The Narrator
… Oh, you really have a death wish, huh?
The Narrator
Okay! So. You get back to your feet, ignoring the pain in your
back, and throw yourself into the darkness after the Savior.
Aw! Don’t just take a shot in
the dark!
The Narrator
The Savior taunts you from the shadow. You hear the rustling of fabric.
Voice of the Dogged
They’re close!!! Strike at them!!!!
-[Dodge their attack.]
-[Throw a punch in the
direction of their
voice.]
The Narrator
Your fist makes brief contact with the Savior’s body. He laughs in a way
that makes it obvious that you didn’t do much damage. Especially when
you feel the dagger you were supposed to be using slice at your cheek.
Voice of the Dogged
Augh!!! We almost had them!!! Go again!
Let me illuminate things for
you!
The Narrator
He weaves out of the darkness, spinning the blade
in his hand casually. It feels… natural in their grasp.
Voice of the Dogged
Oh yeah? Well, we’re just gonna have to show them up!!!
The Narrator
That’s, um, a dangerous way of thinking.
Voice of the Dogged
Don’t care, Narry! He’s out in the open! Give him our all!!!
Voice of the Fighter
We should probably attack while we have an opening.
The Narrator
Urgh.
-[Attack the Savior.
Again.]
-[Let them get closer to
you first.]
The Narrator
You once again throw yourself at the Savior. They’re clearly
expecting you, but overestimate the time they have to act.
The Narrator
He starts to bound out of the way, but you’d been expecting it this
time. You pivot and land a heavy blow to their jaw. I… don’t believe it.
Voice of the Dogged
YEAH!!! CRAB yeah!!! Oh man, what a rush!!!
Voice of the Fighter
… it did feel pretty good to actually land a hit.
Voice of the Dogged
Our fists are an extension of us!!! That dagger was just holding us back!
The Narrator
Don’t celebrate too soon. Though they’re momentarily staggered, they
recover quickly enough to lash out with the blade and catch your arm.
Look at you! You’re starting
to get it!!!
The Narrator
They wink again before hiding back in the shadows.
Voice of the Fighter
For someone who wants to fight so bad, they sure don’t attack us straight on.
Voice of the Dogged
That’s not their style!!! He’s quick!
Voice of the Fighter
It feels like he’s playing with us.
Voice of the Dogged
If it’s a game, we’ll win it! No problem!!!
The Narrator
Ignore their arguing. You have a job to do.
-[Clash with the
Savior again.]
The Narrator
I guess there’s not much I can do to stop you.
The Narrator
Once again, you hurl yourself into the dark. You’re hyper aware of your own body
and the space around it. Every shift echoes in the stone. Even while you charge
in, you hear the Savior swiftly dodge by you. They’re behind you now.
The Narrator
You turn over your shoulder, landing a blow to their chest. He’s
knocked back into the light as he gasps out. They recover
quickly, launching back at you as you find your own light.
The Narrator
It’s less of a fight and more of a dance. The Savior weaves and dodges around
your fists as you take negligible blow after negligible blow from their weapon.
Voice of the Dogged
We’re in perfect sync!!! I bet even our hearts are beating the same right now.
Voice of the Fighter
And, uh, that means we're kind of at an impasse, right? We’re not hitting him
often enough to knock him down, and he’s not hitting us hard enough to.
The Narrator
That’s true. As you are now, the two of you have reached a stalemate.
This is fun! With your sharp
attitude and my cutting wit,
we’re putting on a pretty
good show!
Shanks a lot!!!
The Narrator
Urgh.
The Narrator
BAD!!!
Voice of the Fighter
Hah! N-no, wait. Now’s not the time to laugh! Ahem. Phew. I’m good. I’m good!!
Voice of the Dogged
HAH!!!!
The Narrator
Despite the two fools you seem to share a consciousness with, you
manage not to laugh and get stabbed to death as a consequence.
The Narrator
For the first time in a long while, you manage to catch them with
your fist. You jab their stomach and they stumble to the ground.
Voice of the Dogged
No. What? That was too easy!!! They wouldn’t have just gone down like that!
The Narrator
They did, though.
Voice of the Fighter
No, um… I’m with him. That felt too easy.
Oof… I think I’m sword of at
my limit, haha.
The Narrator
He stares up at you from the ground, slit pupil rounding.
Kill me.
Voice of the Fighter
Wuhuh????
Voice of the Dogged
Just like that? No! NO!! I don’t believe it. There’s something he’s planning.
I’m sure of it!!! They wouldn’t just beg for death! That’s — that’s boring.
Voice of the Dogged
After all of that, they wouldn’t just give up! I don’t believe it.
The Narrator
Now isn’t… really the time to hesitate! Slay them before it’s too late!
-[Slay the Savior.]
-[Stay still.]
The Narrator
You drive your clawed hand into their stomach, feeling
flesh give way under talons and blood coat your skin.
Thanks.
The Narrator
And then he sinks the dagger into your heart.
Voice of the Dogged
I KNEW IT!!!
The Narrator
Don’t sound so excited about being stabbed?!?!
This was a good rehearsal.
Let’s give it our all next
time, okay?
Voice of the Dogged
Exactly. This isn’t the end!!!
The Narrator
But it is. Everything goes dark, and you die.
Chapter III
The Show Must Go On
The Narrator
You’re on a path in the woods—
Voice of the Dogged
See? SEE??? This was just the beginning!!!
Voice of the Lovestruck
And now we’ve begun again! A new story to tell!! A new page to turn!!! It’s wonderful!
Voice of the Dogged
EXACTLY! This guy gets it.
Voice of the Fighter
Oh there’s two of you now. That’s good. That’s fine.
Voice of the Lovestruck
It’s more than fine! You could stand to learn a thing or two about passion!
Voice of the Dogged
About EXCITEMENT!!!
Voice of the Fighter
Maybe!!! I think I’m passionate and excitable enough
already, though! This feels more like obsession to me!
Voice of the Lovestruck
What is love if not obsession?
Voice of the Fighter
Healthy? Good, honest love? Obsession is obsession! And this
feels obsessive! Eugh! That doesn’t even feel like a word anymore…
The Narrator
What is happening here. What are you doing.
Voice of the Dogged
Talking.
The Narrator
… I got that, thanks.
Voice of the Lovestruck
We’re just explaining the depths of our passion
to our friend, here! No need to be alarmed, ehe!!!
The Narrator
… So you’ve been here before. Obviously.
Voice of the Dogged
Oh! Cool that we don’t have to convince you this time, Narry!
The Narrator
Narr— nope! Doesn’t matter! Um… how many times have you been here?
Voice of the Fighter
Three? This is our third.
Voice of the Dogged
Our third chance to finally get out on top!!! We’ll beat the Savior for sure this time!
Voice of the Lovestruck
And it will be perfect.
The Narrator
… Oh dear. No wonder everything is so off now.
Voice of the Fighter
Do you maybe remember us this time?
The Narrator
No. I’m sorry, this is the first time we’ve met.
Voice of the Fighter
… Then how do you know about the looping?
The Narrator
Because you all started talking about things being ‘just the beginning’ and talking
about, um, I’m guessing the Savior? And obsession. And you’d only know about
all of that stuff if you’d seen more than you were supposed to, aha.
Voice of the Fighter
Super fair. Carry on.
Voice of the Dogged
Let’s get moving already!!! What are we doing just
standing here! We’ve got places to be! Saviors to fight!
Voice of the Lovestruck
To woo!!!
The Narrator
You should fight them, yes. With killing intent. You are here to
slay them. Don’t ‘woo’ them, don’t ‘battle’ them. Slay them.
Voice of the Fighter
That’s the plan. Or, uh, my plan at least.
The Narrator
At least one of you has common sense.
Voice of the Fighter
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t… really trust you? I know that’s rude
of me and all, but mostly I just want to get this over with, ehe…
The Narrator
That’s a good enough reason for me.
-(Explore) This place is…
a lot different this time.
Where are all these
lights even coming from?
It feels like we’re being
watched.
The Narrator
It’s… a sign that their influence is spreading. You can’t let it spread any further. Please.
Voice of the Lovestruck
Is it really a big deal? Things change! It’s what they do! They’ve
changed, the cabin’s changed, oh! Even we’ve changed. So
why not the woods? It makes just as much sense, right?
The Narrator
Because the woods weren’t supposed to change! This is supposed to just
be… a normal path. If it’s not, that means something really bad has happened.
-(Explore) Is it too late
to just walk away from
this all?
The Narrator
You don’t actually mean that. You know as well as I do that you’re in it for good.
The Narrator
Even if you weren’t, I’d make you be!!! Because you’ve already killed
three whole worlds because you were dumb and didn’t actually follow
directions! So you’ve gotta do it right this time! Or else!
Voice of the Dogged
Or else what?
The Narrator
Or else… I dunno! And I don’t want to find out,
either!!! So just go and stab them or something!
-It… seems like our only
real way forward is
through the cabin. I
guess we should
probably see this thing
through, huh? [Proceed
to the cabin.]
The Narrator
It isn’t long before you make your way to the end of the path, staring up at the
cabin on the hill. The light of the moon follows you the whole way, focused
squarely on your form. You see almost nothing from beyond its ray.
The Narrator
Except for the cabin itself, I suppose. The light lets you see that much.
Voice of the Fighter
Any words of wisdom before we go in?
The Narrator
I figured you’d heard it all before by now.
Voice of the Fighter
…
The Narrator
Um… I believe in you. I-I know you don’t trust me! And I
can’t make you. But… I do. I believe in you. You can do this.
Voice of the Lovestruck
Not that we buy into your schemes and fake trust, but now is as
good a time as any to get a move on! Move forward to our destiny!!!
Voice of the Dogged
To one more fight!
Voice of the Fighter
To the end. I hope.
-[Proceed into the
cabin.]
The Narrator
The interior of the cabin is dimly lit, but not pitch black. A dark curtain hangs along the
far wall of the cabin, the entrance to the basement hidden somewhere behind it. The
only furniture of note is a wheeled cart with a hooked blade perched on its edge.
The Narrator
The blade is your implement. You’ll need it to do this right.
Voice of the Dogged
Kinda a dramatic looking place, huh??? Fancy!
Voice of the Lovestruck
Very!!! It’s great. Every moment between now and our fated encounter with our dear
hero is one that my anticipation grows in!!! I’m excited to tear these curtains open!
Voice of the Fighter
Heh. Deer hero.
Voice of the Lovestruck
???
Voice of the Fighter
Y’know! ‘Cause they had antlers last time? Ehh… nevermind.
Voice of the Dogged
Eheheh! No, hang on! That’s pretty good!!!
Voice of the Fighter
I try.
Voice of the Dogged
But also… the dagger! Don’t forget about it!!!
-(Explore) The crabbing
mirror is back…
The Narrator
A mirror? But… there’s no mirror here! There’s the cart, the hooked blade on
the cart, and the curtain leading to the basement. There’s nothing else here.
Voice of the Fighter
That’s what you said last time! And there was a mirror that time, too!
Voice of the Dogged
Doesn’t matter, don’t care! Smash the mirror or something! Just get
going!!! I want to show the Savior what we’ve learned since last time!
Voice of the Fighter
… Huh? We haven’t learned anything.
Voice of the Lovestruck
We’ve learned showmanship, my friend! Y’know, don’t
worry about it, let the professionals take it from here!
Voice of the Fighter
Sure.
-(Explore) [Take the
blade.]
The Narrator
You pull the hooked blade from the table. The weapon feels small in your hands,
efficient. It’d be hard to slay anyone without a weapon, much less the Savior.
Voice of the Dogged
YES!!! I can’t WAIT to see what he does with it this time!!!
The Narrator
Are you… thinking about giving the Savior your weapon???
Because I really feel like you should think about it before doing
something like that! You kind of need a weapon to fight with!
Voice of the Dogged
Do we, though?
The Narrator
Um. Yes?
Voice of the Lovestruck
We don’t need anything but our own body, fiend! A blade will just
slow us down. There is nothing like the passion of using your own
force of will to clash against your beloved. We use our fists, now.
Voice of the Fighter
Really? From the way you talk, I sorta figured you
thought using our hands was… I dunno, brutish?
Voice of the Lovestruck
Not any more brutish than allowing our dear hero to fight without a weapon!
It’s a noble cause! They also happen to look very good with a dagger in hand.
Voice of the Dogged
Ehehe… yeah.
Voice of the Fighter
I-I mean— now isn’t really the time for this!!!
The Narrator
It’s not. You’re on a bit of a ticking clock, I’ll remind you.
-(Explore) Approach
the mirror.
The Narrator
You step forward and approach the gap in the curtains, hesitating before you part them.
The Narrator
… Like you don’t see the gap at all. Y-you really
think that there’s a mirror there, don’t you?
Voice of the Fighter
A pretty dirty mirror, yeah.
-[Wipe it clean.]
-[Smash it.]
The Narrator
You send your fist crashing down against the curtains. The fabric warps around
your hand, heavy and velvet. As you reorient yourself, the curtains part, softly
sweeping against the ground as they reveal the stairs to the basement.
The Narrator
The stairs are dimly lit and dark, making it hard to discern where one step ends and
the next begins. This, at least, is mitigated by the handrail on one side of the steps.
The Narrator
The air travelling up from below is mild — comfortable, it smells of salt and sugar.
Despite its almost pleasant initial feeling, it burns the back of your throat.
If the Savior lives here, slaying them is probably doing them a favor!
The Narrator
His voice rings up the steps, resonant and theatrical.
Right on cue! Welcome back to
the stage, I’m so excited to
share it with you again!
Voice of the Lovestruck
They sound absolutely divine! Go, go, go! Don’t keep him waiting!
Voice of the Fighter
… He sounds. I-I dunno what to call it, but I don’t like it.
Voice of the Dogged
Don’t listen to him!!! Just! GO!
-(Explore) “Are we
going to fight again this
time?”
The Narrator
The Savior laughs, gleeful and bright and just a little off.
Oh, my naive injaynue, we’ll
do more than just fight!
We’re going to perform.
Voice of the Lovestruck
I like the sound of that!
Voice of the Dogged
I could go for more of a focus on the fighting part, personally.
-[Continue down the
stairs.]
The Narrator
The moment you reach the bottom of the steps, a light shines in
your eyes. Like your walk to the cabin, it focuses directly on you.
The Narrator
The Savior stands on a grand stage in the basement, a spotlight also shining
down on him. They grin at you wildly. A truly massive chain hangs from
their wrist. One that, in fact, doesn’t even seem to be real.
Voice of the Fighter
So he can just get out of it any time, can’t he?
The Narrator
… It looks like it.
Voice of the Lovestruck
It’s not like they had a difficult time getting out of their restraints last time!
Just another show of how wonderful they are! Nothing can hold them back!
Voice of the Dogged
Nothing WILL hold them back!!! This time there won’t be any reason to! I can feel it.
You look great! And you
brought my dagger with you
again!!! Good! I was worried
I’d have to make you go back
for it!
The Narrator
Their dagger? No! This is yours! It’s for you to use to slay them
with! Whatever happened last time, please ignore it. Please
just… do what you’re here for. For the sake of the entire world.
Voice of the Dogged
We’ve been over this!!! We use our FISTS, Narry!!!
-[Meet the Savior on
stage.]
-[Turn around and
leave.]
The Narrator
Urgh. You walk down the isle and clamber up the front of the stage,
popping up about a meter from the Savior. He stands at least a
head taller than you even without his massive, curling antlers.
Voice of the Lovestruck
He’s beautiful.
Voice of the Dogged
And powerful.
I’m sure you understand
what happens next.
Voice of the Dogged
YES.
The Narrator
The Savior raises their shackled hand, the restraint sliding down their arm. The chains
don’t rattle, they squeak. And then he brings it down, meeting your eyes in a bow.
Voice of the Lovestruck
We bow back!!!
Voice of the Fighter
Do we?
Voice of the Lovestruck
Of course we do! It’s only manners!!!
The Narrator
… I guess you bow.
The Narrator
The Savior only grins wider, lips cracking with the force of it.
He stands back up, glances at his restraints, and crushes them.
Voice of the Fighter
Uh oh! Uh oh!!! Be ready!!!
Voice of the Dogged
Face them head on!!! Don’t be scared!!!
-[Step out of the way.]
-[Meet them in the
middle.]
The Narrator
Just as the Savior begins to charge at you, you do the same. They lash
out with their claws and you with your blade. Both of you land hits,
but they’re nowhere that will slow you down for the moment.
The Narrator
You go to strike him once again, but you… don’t
have the dagger. Why don’t you have the dagger?
Voice of the Lovestruck
We need it not, pest!!! It was never going to stay in our grasp.
Voice of the Dogged
Nothing wrong with giving them an opening!
The Narrator
D-did you let him get it on PURPOSE?!
Voice of the Dogged
Haha, yeah? I thought that was pretty obvious.
The Narrator
Oh dear…
Don’t go easy on me now! I
know you can keep this thing
away from me better than
that!!!
The Narrator
He tosses the hooked blade back at you. You catch it by the blade, slicing into your palm.
Voice of the Dogged
He looks disappointed in us!!! Don’t screw it up this time! Do a better job!!!
Voice of the Lovestruck
That look in their eye… it’s almost enough to make me turn the blade on ourselves.
Anything to avoid making them disappointed! It shakes me to my very core.
The Narrator
I really do want to disagree with those two, but you should at least
try to keep the blade on you this time. It’s, um, really important?
Try again.
-[Keep the blade close
to your body.]
-[Swing the blade
quicker.]
The Narrator
He throws himself at you again, this time rearing his antlers. You hop
around him, the dagger held close to your side, waiting for a chance to strike.
Better! Again.
-[Again!]
-[Swing the blade
quicker.]
The Narrator
You once again attempt to keep the dagger close to your body. This time, the Savior dances
around you with ease. They avoid the small slices you send their way and return with their
own blows. He’s dizzyingly quick, you lose sight of where he was and where they’ll be next.
The Narrator
You feel their claws rake at your arm from behind you. He winks when
you twirl around to face him, holding the blade in bloodied fingertips.
See! That was more
believable! I had to work for
it this time. That’s a lot
more natural.
Voice of the Fighter
They’re spinning circles around us!!
Voice of the Dogged
Because we were playing keep-away with their
dagger!!! Now we’re back to basics! It’s so much easier!
Voice of the Lovestruck
He’s pleased with us! Just look at that expression!!! We did
it, we did it! Oh, it’s enough to make my delicate heart burst!
The Narrator
Don’t listen to any of them! Focus on the Savior, dummy! It’s gonna be
harder now that they took the knife for real! So you’ve gotta at least try.
Back to it.
The Narrator
They twirl the hooked blade in their hand, doing fancy parlor tricks
instead of actually attacking you. Which means you have an opening! Go!
Voice of the Dogged
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
-[Attack the Savior
head-on. Again.]
-[Aren’t you getting tired
of this?]
-[Couldn’t you try
something new?]
-[Isn’t changing the
whole point? Why do you
just keep doing the same
thing?]
The Narrator
The Savior swings the blade and you throw a punch. It almost
seems easy, practiced, how you fall into a rhythm. Every action
is returned in equal measure. Neither of you have a leg up.
The Narrator
Even with their speed, the Savior lacks your strength. Even with your
power, you lack their grace. Nothing is happening. The two of you are
just exchanging useless blows. You can’t just keep doing this.
Voice of the Dogged
Yes! We can!!! Eventually, one of us will slip up! And the other will
find their opening! Even if we lose, we’ll still get something out of this!
The Narrator
No! If you lose, the world ends! For the THIRD time!!! You can’t let that happen!!!
Voice of the Lovestruck
There’s no losing in this dance! Don’t you get it? This is
harmony. We move as one! Perfect mirrors to each other.
Haha!!! I can tell you feel it
too! This is right, this is good!
This is how we’re supposed to
be, jay bird!
Voice of the Fighter
We’re getting nowhere like this. Any ideas, big guy?
-[Attack HARDER.]
-[Is this really all you’re
good for? Throwing
punches?]
-[Do something new.]
The Narrator
Urgh.
The Narrator
The fight rages on. Every time one of you seems to falter, they recover just before
a killing blow. You stay silent and stoic as the Savior chatters and quips. Even
breathless and bloody, he seems entirely unbothered by your onslaught.
Voice of the Dogged
Just a little more!!! We’ll have him cornered!!!
Voice of the Fighter
No! We won’t! I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing!
It's all a show!
Nothing matters, we'll get to
share the stage forever!
Neither of us can die!!! The
curtain never has to close! We
can just keep doing this again
and again and again!
Voice of the Dogged
We don’t ever have to stop!!! We can stay like this FOREVER.
Locked in eternal combat! I couldn’t ask for anything better!
Voice of the Lovestruck
We’ll never have to part with them. It just goes on and on!
Voice of the Fighter
… Or maybe I spoke too soon. Just, uh, do something?
-[Attack.]
-[You know that you’re
more than this.]
-[Do something new.]
Voice of the Fighter
That’s a little vague, but I’ll take it!
The Narrator
Oh? Um!!!
The Narrator
You… grab their hand with your own, lacing your fingers between the hilt of the dagger.
One hand wrapped around the Savior’s back, you whirl them around and dip him low.
Voice of the Lovestruck
O-oh!!! Oh, as much as the passion of combat is thrilling and wonderful,
there’s nothing quite like the thrill of romance. Good job!!! GREAT job, even!
Voice of the Dogged
This is suddenly a little much for me, wow.
Voice of the Fighter
You were okay with beating each other to death but not actually dancing?
Voice of the Dogged
YES???
The Narrator
U-um! The Savior looks at you, wide-eyed, and then laughs.
A REAL dance of death! This is
why I knew you were the
perfect one to share the stage
with!
The Narrator
With his free hand, the Savior runs his claws down your chest. In turn, you step
on their foot. The Two of you twist around until you’re the one dipped. You
drive a knee into his stomach and he drags the dagger along your cheek.
Voice of the Fighter
Did we… actually change anything? Are we still just as stuck?
The Narrator
No. Your dance is already slowing them down! If you can
keep that dagger out of use, you’ll fully be the one in control!
Voice of the Dogged
That’s a cheap way to win!!!
The Narrator
I! Don’t! CARE!!! I don’t care what you think is cheap, stupid! I want you to save my
world so a bunch of people don’t die!!! Why don’t you get that?! I don’t care about
the Savior!!! I HATE them! I care about EVERYONE ELSE! So just kill them already!!!!!!!
Voice of the Fighter
…
-[Keep that dagger out
of use.]
The Narrator
… Thanks.
The Narrator
As the two of you engage in your gorey waltz, you keep your eyes on the
blade. Even as spotlights burn and wounds pile up in both number and
severity, you make sure that the Savior has as little time with it as possible.
The Narrator
Eventually, you are the one doing most of the damage. From the way they wheeze,
how their tails hang limp, how their nose bleeds, you know that he’s on his last legs.
Just fighting hasn’t ever given
me a rush like this. You were
holding back on me last time,
weren’t you? If you’re
capable of all of this, you
must have been!
Voice of the Lovestruck
Even battered and bloody, our dear hero speaks true! This is so much more
than just a fight! He said it, didn’t he? That we’d perform? What a show!!!
Voice of the Dogged
I-I still would have liked to keep fighting.
Voice of the Lovestruck
Nonsense!!! I can hear it in your voice! You’re just as pleased with this outcome as me!
And scene.
… The end of a show always
feels so cold.
You don’t get the chance to take your bows, nor will you ever.
It’s time to leave. Memory returns.
Voice of the Fighter
They’re gone. Where did they go? Should— should we try to find them?
Voice of the Fighter
And the mirror is here. Why? Why now?!
Voice of the Lovestruck
We’d JUST gotten to the good part!!! This can’t be the end!!!
Voice of the Dogged
They were RIGHT THERE.
-(Explore) “It’s okay! I
know you’re confused,
but we’ve done this
before. Even if you
don’t remember.”
Voice of the Fighter
… We have?
Voice of the Lovestruck
I don’t care! Our dear hero is gone!!! That’s all that matters to me!
Voice of the Fighter
You’re, uh, sure this is okay?
-“I promise.”
Voice of the Fighter
Good. Okay.
-[Approach the mirror.]
You approach the mirror.
-[Gaze into your
reflection.]
Silence as you reach forward. They’re gone once again. The mirror
always makes them leave. But you need to see what’s in it.
Do you not recognize yourself? It’s you.
You find yourself in the Long Quiet once again.
-[Proceed to the cabin.]
You are at the cabin.
-[Approach them.]
There’s a world beyond the
endless walls of The Long Quiet.
I wonder what it means for us
to know it.
-(Explore) “Do you think
there are people out
there?”
People. Fleeting and hopeful
and precious. They aren’t like
us. They cannot last.
Is their worth measured in
infinity? In stillness? Or is it in
their capacity to change?
I wonder…
-(Explore) “I don’t think
I understand.”
I would not ask you to. You are
like me, but you are also
something other than me. Your
perspective is wholly your own.
-(Explore) “Do you think
it’ll be real out there? Do
you think we’re real?”
Of course we’re real. ‘Nothing’
is an idea that dwells in the
absence of ‘Something’. But…
‘nothing’ cannot exist on its
own. And because of that,
‘nothing’ can’t exist.
-(Explore) “What’s gonna
happen when you
awaken?”
If I knew that, I’d already
be awake.
-(Explore) “When you send
me back, I’m never alone.
There are voices that
follow me. Some of them
are me, I think, but not
all of them. The one that
isn’t is one I call the
Narrator. You… you don’t
have something like that,
do you? No voice guiding
you?”
No. The only voices I hear are my
own. Pieces of me, but only ever
myself. Do you think that your
Narrator lives in the spaces
beyond this?
-“They do. I know that
for sure. I don’t know
how, but I know They’re
from somewhere else.
I… have some questions
that I need to ask
Them.”
Do not search for answers from
things that run from themselves.
the only answers worth knowing
are the ones we find within
ourselves.
-(Explore) “Have you ever
felt like we’ve done this
before?”
We have. This is our fourth time
meeting.
-“N-no. I mean… all of
this?”
… That is a dangerous line of
thought.
All that matters is here and now.
I know you in this moment. You
know me as well.
-(Explore) “There’s only
one more you need
after this, isn’t there?”
Yes. Whatever you bring me
next, I know it will be enough.
The gravity of it will pull the
others back to my orbit. And
then I will be singular. A final
multitude.
-(Explore) “Since this is
the last time, should I
bring you something
specific back? Is there
something you want?”
No. I will be content with
whatever you bring me. I trust
your judgement. You have not led
me wrong before, nor will you
ever.
-(Explore) “Do you have
any thoughts on this
vessel?”
This one yearns to grow and
struggle. They desired to
perform, to become something
that they are not. He will make
for a strong and fulfilled heart.
Do not mourn him — his act has
finally become reality.
-(Explore) “If… if this is
the last time I’ll get to
see you before the end, I
don’t think I want to go
back. Can’t I just stay
here?”
You could, but the both of us
would remain unfinished. I
understand if you need some time,
though. I’ll wait with you.
-[Wait.]
I will see you when you return.
What will you make out of
eternity? Will the images of ‘You’
and ‘I’ stay untouched in your
mind, or will they simply become
mindless copies of what we are?
If you look away, will you cease to
be? Or will you hang in the sky long
after your own death, immortalized
in patterns you helped to build?
You will always eventually stare
into the sun. You cannot run from
learning what you are for forever.
You will always want to
understand.
I will be waiting by your side until
you are ready to return to mine.
-“Okay. I’m ready to go
back.”
The next time I see you, each of
us will finally know what we
are.
I will be here, waiting for you.
Always.
-[Do you realize yet?]
Everything goes dark, and you die.
Chapter I
The Savior and The Monster