Immense, dark clouds stretched across the sky, churning and dense, signaling an impending storm. Ace looked up at the ominous scene and smiled with quiet satisfaction; this time, he'd remembered to bring his umbrella.

"I told you, didn't I?" a voice came suddenly from his left. "That it would rain."

Ace glanced to his shoulder, where a sleek, beautiful snake coiled around his arm. Its scales were as dark as midnight, and its eyes gleamed like amber, catching the dim light with an otherworldly glow.

Despite the creature's eerie presence, Ace remained calm. "Predicting rain doesn't prove you're a god," he said with a smirk. "Any meteorologist could do that."

"You simply refuse to believe me, don't you?" the snake asked, its tone laced with frustration.

Ace shook his head, "I don't want to believe you"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ace suddenly found himself back on the crowded streets, surrounded by people rushing to escape the impending rain. The sounds of bustling cars filled his ears, mingling with the faint, earthy scent of rain in the air.

Following their lead, Ace pulled an umbrella from his bag and opened it, seamlessly blending into the scene.

As Ace walked on, the snake leapt from his shoulder, shifting in midair. It transformed into an owl with beautiful brown leathers and the same amber mystical eyes.

Ace was unimpressed by the scene, already accustomed to the presence of the mysterious snake/owl that had appeared a few days before. The creature claimed to be a god, capable of granting any wishes, but Ace wasn't interested. He had firmly refused its offer, yet the so-called god was persistent.

Now Ace simply tried to ignore the floating creature beside him.

Then Ace turned in the opposite direction and walked back. Noticing the sudden shift, the owl asked, "Aren't you going to school?"

"Aren't you a god? Shouldn't you have all the answers?" Ace shot back with a smirk.

"You know, it's kinda frustrating talking to you"

"Well, I told you to leave. I'm not interested in any kind of wish you can fulfill"

Raindrops began to patter softly against his umbrella, cutting their conversation short. Within seconds, the drizzle turned into a downpour; the storm hitting full force, seeing that Ace quickened his pace, and the man followed him behind.

They stepped off the sidewalk and crossed the street while the signal was green, reaching the other side just in time. Ace noticed a drenched boy in a school uniform sprinting desperately to make it across before the light changed, but he wasn't fast enough.

The signal turned red, and the boy skidded to a halt beside Ace, panting heavily. Worry spread across his face as he glanced at his watch.

"I'm going to be late…" the boy muttered anxiously.

Seeing his uniform, Ace recognized from which school it was, then he glanced ahead seeing the path he was taking toward his home. Ace exhaled and extended his umbrella to the boy.

The boy was taken aback, about to protest—likely refusing—but Ace spoke up. "If you turn that corner," he said, pointing toward an alley, "you'll end up in a narrow passage. Take the second right, and you'll find a footbridge. Cross it, and your school will be right ahead."

With that, Ace handed the umbrella to the boy and started walking, unfazed by the heavy rain soaking him to the bone. Once they were out of the crowded area, the owl on his shoulder spoke up.

"Why help him?"

Ace didn't answer the question, and the two of them walked in silence all the way back home.

Standing in front of his house, Ace pulled the keys from his pocket. Just as he reached for the door, the owl spoke again.

"This is it for today. Are you sure you want to refuse?"

"Yes."

"Think carefully. I can grant you anything—money, power, women, whatever you desire. All I ask in return is a small favor."

"No. I refuse. Now, please leave."

The owl let out a low chuckle. "I'll return in a few days."

"Please, don't," Ace said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I will," the owl replied with a grin. "I'm sure you'll change your mind."

The owl transformed into particles of light, which swiftly dissipated and vanished from sight. Ace watched the scene with a tired sigh before unlocking the door and stepping inside his home.

As Ace opened the door, a well-kept living room greeted him. A large, plush sofa sat facing a short coffee table, with a massive TV mounted on the wall above it, the centerpiece of the space.

Beyond the living room, the kitchen came into view, separated by a sleek counter. Modest yet fully equipped, it featured a small table for four, a fridge, a sink, and a stove—though Ace rarely had any need for the latter.

The familiar scent of ink filled the air as he entered. Ace barely noticed it anymore, so used to it that it had become part of the background of his life.

"Anyone home!?"

He quickly heard hurried footsteps from above, descending the staircase that stood in the corner to his right. An Old man soon appeared at the bottom of the steps.

If anyone saw him, they'd never guess he was over seventy.

He had a medium build with a strong, muscular frame, his gray curly hair swept back except for a few strands falling across his face. A neatly trimmed beard of the same color framed his deep black eyes, and he wore a simple blue shirt paired with dark shorts.

The man is Marcus, Ace's adoptive father, someone that has been taking care of Ace for a long time.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As soon as Marcus saw Ace, his eyes narrowed in confusion, "Didn't you take your umbrella with you this time?"

"I lost it"

A scoff escaped the Old man's lips, as he said, "Is that so?"

Suddenly, a silence fell over the scene as the Old man approached Ace. Ace lowered his head, knowing full well that he should be at school. When the Old man drew closer, Ace instinctively closed his eyes, bracing for whatever would come next.

But nothing happened. The Old man simply bent down, picked up the drenched shoes from the floor, and said, "I'll take care of these. You go take a shower."

"Okay…" Ace said, heading to the bathroom quickly.

But just as he reached the stairs, Marcus' voice stopped him.

"Oh, wait, I just remembered!" Marcus called out, his tone suddenly animated, as if the information was important. "Outer Tales just released its new chapter."

That caught Ace's attention. He turned back, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Marcus nodded eagerly, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Yep, and apparently, it's the final chapter. Let's read it together, okay?"

Ace paused for a moment, then nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips, before heading to the bathroom.

Ace quickly stepped into the shower, taking only a few minutes to wash away the chill. Afterward, he changed into more comfortable clothes. After showering, he enjoyed a slice of strawberry cake.

Then he made his way to Marcus' office, where the lights were on.

The familiar sight of a well-organized office, filled with the comforting aroma of ink and coffee, greeted him upon entering. The quiet tapping of keyboard keys added a rhythmic backdrop. He noticed neatly stacked papers on the desk, books lining up in tidy rows on the shelves. The workspace was spotless, with a single coffee mug resting on a coaster, perfectly placed.

As he stepped inside, Ace spotted Marcus sitting in his prized chair—a chair so comfortable, he had jokingly called it a piece of heaven itself. Ace wasn't supposed to sit in it, though he'd sneaked a try once when the man wasn't around.

"Hey," Ace said, realizing the Old man was too focused to notice him.

Marcus looked up, startled by Ace's sudden appearance. "Oh! Hey, kid," he said, as his eyes relaxed. "I'm just wrapping up a few things here. You can read the Final Chapter if you want."

Ace narrowed his eyes, sensing something off. "You already read it, didn't you?"

Marcus's expression shifted as he looked away, saying, "Maybe... yeah..."

Ace let out an exasperated sigh, and said, "Every time…"

Ever since they started reading Outer Tales together, the Old man had always finished each new chapter ahead of Ace. He just couldn't help himself—the excitement was too much to wait. Plus, with chapters usually releasing while Ace was still at school, Marcus often got a head start before Ace even had a chance to open the site to read.

"Sorry…" Marcus said that with an ashamed smile while scratching his head.

Ace settled into a pouf in the corner of the room and pulled out his phone. Within moments, he found the site and saw the words he'd been waiting for: 'Final Chapter.' Without waiting much, he tapped to read.

Ace's excitement didn't quite match his Marcus'. In truth, he'd never been that interested in Outer Tales.

He'd only started reading it because Marcus loved the series too much, always talking about it with a spark in his eyes. Wanting to share something with the man, Ace started reading as well.

And he kinda likes it. Is not that good, but is not that bad either.

At least, that's what Ace had thought—until now. But after reading the 'Final Chapter,' everything changed.

"This is absolute nonsense!" Iske said, rising from the pouf.

Marcus glanced up, noticing the frustration etched across Ace's face, and furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?"

"This ending is ridiculous!" Ace shot back, pointing angrily at the phone. "What kind of ending is this? It makes no sense!"

Marcus closed his laptop, his attention fully shifting to Ace. "What didn't you like about it?"

"Everything—what's the point of it all?" Ace snapped, his voice thick with frustration. "Liam's entire journey was pointless! All that struggle, and for what? Just for the villain to win? Iske being the villain was a brilliant twist, sure, but then to find out he was just a vessel for the real antagonist? That's ridiculous! And Liam dying in the end? They lose everything! This is just nonsense!"

Ace paused for a moment, taking a deep breath after rushing through his words. Marcus stayed quiet, giving him space to gather his thoughts. Finally, Ace shook his head in disbelief and said, "This ending is absolutely ridiculous…"

Ace braced himself for Marcus to argue, to defend the book he held in such high regard. But instead, the Old man burst into laughter, his chuckles filling the room.

"It's a terrible ending, isn't it?" he said through his laughter. "I thought the same thing."

Ace's eyes widened slightly in surprise for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Exactly! What kind of ending was that?"

"Yeah, everything felt pointless. Liam kills his best friend, only to find out Iske was just a vessel for the real antagonist. Then, with barely any fight, the villain strikes him down in one blow, and that's it. The book just ends. No closure, no resolution."

Ace nodded quickly. "Yeah, if it were me, I would have changed so many things."

Marcus leaned back, resting his chin on his hand as he studied Ace. "Yeah? Like what exactly?"

"First, Iske being the villain," Ace said firmly.

"I thought you liked him being the villain?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was a good twist. But I still want him to have a happy ending. And, of course, everyone else too. Liam shouldn't die. I hate bad endings, especially when they're poorly executed."

Marcus chuckled, "So, you want a happy ending?"

Ace nodded. "It's too cruel. After everything, they just die."

Marcus agreed with a nod. "Yeah, I get it. I would save everyone too—especially Iske, Natalie, and Jacob."

Ace rolled his eyes. Of all the characters, Marcus liked those three the most, which always confused him.

"I don't get why you like them so much," he said, raising an eyebrow. "They barely even had any screen time."

Marcus let out a faint smile, one that was enigmatic for Ace. He couldn't decipher it, no matter how many times he saw it.

"Well, I do love them," Marcus said, his eyes relaxing in a kind manner. An expression Ace saw many times already.

Before Ace could inquire further, Marcus stood up, effortlessly changing the subject. "I'm going to make dinner."

Ace frowned suspiciously at that. "You?"

"Yeah, I know how to cook," Marcus replied, sounding offended.

Ace rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure, I've been here for years, and you have not once cooked"

"Very well, then I'll cook the best meal you will ever have"

Ace nodded nonchalantly. "Sure, go ahead. I'll just order takeout for both of us after you inevitably burn whatever you're attempting to cook."

Marcus took that as a challenge and headed down to the kitchen, determined to prove Ace wrong.

Meanwhile, Ace settled back onto the pouf, slipped his airpods in, and let the music flow through him as he opened the 'Final Chapter' once more. He read through it again, trying to make sense of the ending, all while bracing himself for the inevitable disaster that would come with Marcus' attempt at dinner.

About thirty minutes later, a burnt smell wafted through the house, and Ace couldn't help but smile, thinking, 'He really did burn the food?'

'What a waste'

Leaving the office, Ace headed for the kitchen, already imagining how he would tease the Old man about burning dinner. As he descended the stairs, the lights were all on and the smell of charred food intensified.

"I told you we should order takeout!" Ace shouted.

However, there was no reply. Ace didn't find it strange at first; he figured that Marcus might be embarrassed after burning the food. As he reached the living room, though, he found it empty.

At that moment, a flash of lightning struck, startling Ace as the deep sound of rain poured outside, making it feel as if the world were coming to an end.

However, his attention quickly shifted to the stove, where thick smoke billowed from the oven.

Ace frowned, his thoughts immediately racing, 'Where is he?'

"Old man?!"

His voice echoing through the now eerily quiet house. He moved cautiously toward the stove, the smell of burnt food thick in the air.

Suddenly, as he reached the kitchen, a flash of lightning lit up the room, jolting Ace from his focus. He spun around, and his heart sank. There, behind the counter, lay Marcus unconscious on the floor.

Ace froze, rooted to the spot as the scene before him unfolded in surreal slow motion.

The heavy downpour outside seemed to grow louder, pounding against the windows with relentless force. Smoke lingered in the air, thick and bitter—a scent Ace knew all too well.

As the rain intensified, memories surged within him. Yet he couldn't hear the storm; he could only feel the sharp smell of fire and smoke.

A sharp, ringing sound began to buzz in his ears, faint at first, but growing steadily louder, like a distant scream creeping closer.

It swallowed the world around him, drowning out all thought, all sensation, until it was the only thing left. The tinnitus became a relentless pulse, hammering in rhythm with his heart, suffocating him as his gaze remained fixed on Marcus, motionless on the cold floor.

"Old man?"