Deception | Alias Duology

Epilogue: [Auto-Played-Message (2)]

If you are reading this, not everything has failed.

I am Elias, once known as Blank Slate and Denizen, and by the time this recording is released to End, I am already dead. It's okay. I left with my life—oh so short—fulfilled, surrounded by my loved ones, and at peace. I am leaving these recordings all around End as a message from someone who's been where you have.

But before we continue, here are some things to know about me:

I live out the rest of my days with Edison and seven cats (Skittles, Smarties, Mars, Cookie, Kat, Kit, and Chocolate). I love them all.

I am an uncle. It feels as weird as it sounds; I never thought I'd make it this long. Or more accurately, that Edison would marry and have kids this soon.

Wraith, after she graduates End, systematically takes out every gang she catches a whiff of. We meet a few times and she always looks happier. More at peace. I am happy for her.

I don't change the world. I don't think I ever wanted to the way Deception made me think I did—not in the tear-everything-down-and-rebuild, not the heroes-are-corrupt-let's-overthrow-them, not even the government-sucks-let's-reform-it way. I think I wanted to change what we already had to be something better. And I did. RESTORE offers to relocate families to Ten School villages now. End is less rigid. I didn't change the world, but I like to think, now that the parasite is consuming the last of my strength, I planted the seeds for change. That's enough for me.

My seed is this: if you are reading this, not everything has failed. If you are broken, there is healing. If you are lost, there are search parties. If you are drowning, there is a lifesaver. If you are hopeless, there is hope. If you have failed, there are as many chances as you need to get up and keep going.

End isn't the end of you, it's the end of having to do things alone the hard way.

I didn't clean up my life alone, or on my second chance. Or my third, or my fourth. I didn't do it on my own. If it weren't for Edison, David, The Storm Cell, Wraith, and all of End to help me, to give me another chance, I wouldn't have made it to a point where I could face my death and say, "It's okay. I'm ready to go."

You won't always be stuck in a rut. It won't be like this forever. There are as many chances as you need, as much grace as you need, as much help as you need here. All you have to do is accept it and keep on fighting.

That is my hope. That is my seed.

Thank you, for everything.

[You have reached the end of this recording.]