At Time's End

Chapter 27 - Home

I didn't even realize it at first, but I was making progress on the cure. With Chester back to work, gathering resources for Karmella - ethics are of no consequence to me right now - Karmella making whatever machines we need with Chester's stolen stuff, and Eterna and Ignus just helping in general. Chester's knife wound has healed well enough, and his symptoms have paused for a while - besides his hands shaking, which seems to be permanent. A bad quality for a thief, especially in lockpicking, but he'll survive.

It's definitely unethical to steal things from others - there's no doubt about that - but Chester tends to 'help' a bit too... eagerly. He hears us needing something, thinks for a while, and then goes "I'll be right back!". He returns, with the thing we need, clutched in his hands. I can't really stop him from stealing - I mean, what can you do to stop a kleptomaniac? 

I can't say I've loved this... journey - "KARMELLA SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I DECAPITATE YOU-" - but I don't think I would have it any other way.

I walked downstairs, either to inspect the noise or to catch a break - I didn't know. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, just watching the two quarrel. To think, a month ago? I would've gone exactly the other way when hearing either of the two yelling. Now, I just lean on the railing and smile at the two.

"Oh yeah? You won't be able to decapitate me if I-" Karmella enveloped Eterna into a hug, but it became clear to me it was definitely not a hug soon enough. I greeted them loudly enough to let knew know I'd seen them, making them turn around in shock, and left upstairs as fast as I could. 

Not too long after, I heard a knock on my door - by the speed and intensity of it, it was an embarrassed Eterna - but I had locked the door. "Sorry! I'm busy right now," I said, holding in a laugh. She gave up. 

The only thing missing was Chester, but I wasn't too worried about him. 7 years in the crime business - with that, I was quite sure he could keep himself safe, where ever he was.

And with those thoughts, I continued writing... and writing... and writing even more. My wrists were sore, and still I writing. Even if I wasn't in formal school, I still knew how to create a proper scientific report. After all, that was a lot of what I did when I was working under Eterna.

While I was writing said report, I came to think about what I would do when I left. Or, not what I would do, what the cast of 1453 would do. Would they get used to life without me? They would have to get used to it. It wasn't really a question, was it? I hope they get along well enough. Karmella and Eterna would probably get together - finally - and I wouldn't be here to see it. 

The question is: Is it worth it? This entire time I've been working towards my goal of acquiring immortality with one assumption. If that were to be challenged, all my effort - all my progress - would be destroyed. Or would it? Is there another way?

"Hey, Chester's telling stories about the time when he was still under Alice's rule," Karmella yelled from behind the door. I've heard enough of those from the woman herself. "You wanna take a break?"

"Sure," I answered, weighing between working and pausing for a while. The break I had a few minutes - or had it been an hour already? - ago wasn't really a break. "I'll come for a moment."

I descended down the stairs - this time, noticing all the things I did the first time. The folded part of the carpet in the corner of the 5th step that never quite straightened despite putting all sorts of weights on it, the worn railings, the ceiling lamp that loomed above, waiting to either be replaced or to fall down.

Chester gestured for me to sit down, continuing his story despite a new person joining the listeners. Even Ignus was there, he didn't have much to do except listen. He seemed a bit spaced out, perhaps remembering something... or someone. Although usually a bit pessimistic, his hologram smiled - for once.

"-so then, when Alice was finally done chewing him out over some minor thing, he walked out of the door, and forgot to close it behind him - that door is horrid at its job, I can tell you that - and that woman blew a gasket about it, I could genuinely see her veins almost burst from her head. She still spoke in that weird, screechy voice of hers, but everyone - every soul in that hallway knew she was a centimeter from going full on apeshit on that poor inmate-" It seemed like he was having fun while telling the story, despite it being the highlight of the tragedy that his life was thus far. 

And even despite being surely traumatized by his days there - where Alice goes, misery follows - he was still a damn fine storyteller. Maybe the person Ignus was reminiscing about was a storyteller too..?

"Well, guys, it's been nice. Uh, I gotta get back to work." It wasn't because I was busy, rather because I wanted to finish this project. I had promised to myself I would get it done, and by my own mother's grave - if she ever dies - I would. 

"Alright. I'll go back to building that homemade laptop of mine." Karmella was trying to build her own computer, to prove Eterna wrong, mainly. 

"Try not to explode anything," said person scoffed, while also getting up and heading to their room. "You too, Jaiden. Don't die, alright?"

Chester stayed behind to chat with Ignus - he needs it, he's lonely - and perhaps tell more stories.

The thought I assumed I had abandoned had returned.

Could I really leave this behind?