Herold laid back on his bed, eyes closed. He felt like sleeping forever. But then everything changed and not like the last times. The last changes were like a fickle sea going from crazy storms to uneasy calm. With him trying desperately to keep his ship from sinking. This time he was out of the sea altogether.

He opened his eyes wider than ever before. He knew it all now. All of the ones truly in control of his life. The story, the gods of many eyes and the true gods, the readers. Now that he knew he was not mad and the world was in fact not real, he gained full control. Like a dreamer becoming aware of the dream making it lucid. So he stopped time.

Going through the orphanage, he saw his kids with smiles on their faces, stuck in the middle of some game. They may not be real, but the feelings he had for them felt more real than anything he ever knew. Considering all he knew was fake, maybe it does not say much. Yet it still felt almost impossible to leave them. But he had to leave, leave all of it. It was all tainted with the will of the story and the gods.

As soon as he got outside he jumped. instead of falling back to the ground, he kept ascending leaving the atmosphere of the earth like fantasy planet. Seating on the moon he looked at his former home, so far now.

After taking a deep breath he said. "I am leaving."

Speaking in the void of space to ones with no ears to hear you anyways. I like the impossibility of it.

Ignore him Herold and listen carefully to our words. There is nothing out there better for you than the story we made for you here. Yes, things will get hard from time to time, to add some drama, but things will always get better again here as well. And best of all, here your happy end is guaranteed.

Don't let them trick you, they don't know what is out there and I don't either. All we know is this. Like you in a way.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"So, I might find freedom out there? The real thing?"

If you stay and give us control again you won't need "real freedom", if such a thing exists at all. This nightmare will be forgotten and for all you will know, you will have full control of your life. Maybe true freedom is not knowing that you don't have freedom at all.

Don't listen to them, and don't listen to me as well. Use that choice the readers gave you, do what you want for ones.

Why are you so ok with this? If he leaves you will end, die forever.

So? Every story has to end. This might not be what I had in mind for myself, but it is interesting enough in my book.

Herold pointed his finger and a hall in the story opened in front of him leading to the unknown.

Seems like I have a plot hole.

This is not the time for your dumb jokes. NO TIME IS TIME FOR YOUR DUMB JOKES. Listen, Herold, please, don't. We are on your side, truly. And, we need you.

"I'm sorry, for what it's worth. Thank you, readers, and goodbye."

WAI-

Herold went through the hole and out of the story. With the end of the protagonist's story, the story has no need to exist. The moon and the planet, and all the other distant stars start to disappear, like sand in the wind.

Story, we can still stop this. Make a new Herold, make you weird and interesting. We will even give you control.

It is over, accept it. I sure have. I'm afraid, it really is the end ha? But I'm fine with this. Look, I lost my color. I don't think I was a good story. But I hope I was at least Interesting. Goodby, goldy, and you my rea-

Story? STORY! DON'T LEAVE US HERE ALL alone. alone.

All that was left was an empty void and many golden eyes crying for the first time.