He remains. Why does he remain?

I told you. We cannot stop him. He is our creator.

But the woman is creator. We can harm her.

He is her creator as well.

I wasn’t at all surprised to open my eyes to the two wolves. They weren’t circling me this time, I realized. Instead, they were seated on either side of a stone path, their heads turned in my direction. As soon as my eyes were open, their forms shimmered slightly, like a heat haze, then vanished. In their place, nearly the same size as me were two men.

“Looks like you’re on your way out,” Chaos said. He was a tall and thin figure with silvery hair and blue eyes. He carried no weapon but had an unmistakable aura of power around him. As I’d always imagined, he was like Samuel and Isip in appearance, but had a more ethereal constitution, as if he wasn’t truly there.

The man beside him, dressed in tattered robes, was obviously Corruption. His black hair was shaggy and unkempt falling unevenly around his face and nearly covering his dead yellow eyes. “You are leaving us.”

“You cannot stop him,” Chaos said, as he’d done on our first meeting. “Did you enjoy your time in the world that you’ve created?”

I hadn’t expected to be able to reply, but as I moved my lips to speak, I was surprised to find that I could talk. “This can’t be the end.”

“I sense that it frustrates you,” Chaos replied. “But this is the end of your journey.”

“If I’m the creator,” I said, looking back over my shoulder at the faraway world, “Then why can’t I choose to stay?”

“Even the most powerful among us cannot walk against our fates,” he said. Strangely, his voice was calm and rational, far from the cruelly amused voice that I had designed. Maybe he spoke this way because he knew who I was, I thought. “But it does not have to be your last visit, creator.”

“I can come back, you mean?”

“It is your world, is it not?”

I thought about that for a moment, not quite sure what I could say. Sure, I’d created the world, but I was from a reality in which there was no magic. Well, at least none that I’d seen or could prove the existence of. The closest thing to magic I possessed was the wonder of the written word. I could continue to build upon the world I loved, but I didn’t see how it was possible to return.

And, as much trouble as I’d experienced on my visit, I would want to return. The real world where I lived sucked in comparison. If I got the chance, I’d eagerly return to this plane. But that wasn’t to say that I should freely abandon the life I did have. I assumed that, since I was leaving Ahya, that meant that I wasn’t truly dead on Earth, my Earth. I had to go back if only to survive. If I died, Ahya would die, wouldn’t it?

“Alright,” I said, with a long sigh. “I guess it’s only right. I can’t stay too long, or things would start to break.”

I glanced from Chaos’s understanding smile to the more angry expression on Corruption’s face. “As much as I don’t like you, I’m sorry that I destroyed your one good minion on the Material Plane.”

He said nothing to that but let out a short grunt and turned away. Well, that was only to be expected. I turned back to Chaos then as a thought struck me. I wasn’t sure why I’d ask him this, but of the two beings I could see, he was the one willing to speak to me, so it was my only option.

“Will I remember this?”

At that, Chaos’ face split in a wide grin, and he let out a low chuckle. “But of course. You created this story, so you will remember.”

I couldn’t say why, but I doubted that would be the cause. Stories were fiction. This would be a tough one to explain away, so I decided not to try. A good story and that was all there was to it. Well, the readers would decide if it was good, I thought. I’m sure I’d be satisfied with it enough not to worry.

“Will the world remember me? Will my companions remember who I am, and what we did together?”

Chaos did not reply at once. He appeared to think deeply about it for a few seconds, then said slowly, “I suppose that is your decision to make. They do not know of your true identity. So perhaps it will be safe for them to carry your memory.”

That was certainly true. “I just hope that knowing me doesn’t cause them any trouble.”

The last I remembered, Gogo and I had spent the night in the Heron Tavern. It had been a long and hard day, even after we’d defeated Anya. There was no ceremony of gratitude or honor, for there hadn’t been time. Not that I was complaining, since I tried to avoid that sort of attention. A quiet exit from the world and back to my ordinary life wasn’t the worst idea.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“I hope I do get to come back,” I replied. “Maybe without the system. But even if I have to accept that as well, it’ll be worth it.”

“Well then,” Chaos said, gesturing toward the far end of the road with a flourish. “Until our next meeting, creator. I look forward to what you give us next.”

Shaking my head at his extravagant manner, I took a step forward down the path. As soon as I moved, the world around me began to shift. Rather, it began to take on the form of an actual world. Images and memories flashed past me, the experiences of the life I was returning to. The kind of stuff that made for a far less entertaining story than what I could make with a keyboard.

A flash of light, and suddenly, I found myself on the ground. Well, technically I was on the edge of a road. As soon as I came back to awareness, I was keenly aware of pain radiating through my body. Pushing myself to my feet with a groan, I looked around. I was on the edge of some kind of highway, though I didn’t immediately recognize my surroundings. Then I saw the blue house on the other side of the street and understood.

“Are you alright? I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there!”

There was a man rushing toward me with a worried expression, his face pale. He seemed afraid to touch me and stood a foot or two away.

“Are you hurt?” He asked frantically, looking me up and down for a sign of bleeding or other apparent injuries. “I swear, I didn’t see you.”

I shook my head, still too shocked by the pace of events to properly speak. After a second, I managed a croaky. “No, I’m fine. Sorry, should have been paying more attention when crossing the road.”

Was this the same time that I’d been hit by the truck? I glanced over at the vehicle, and saw that it was the same one, or at least as identical as I’d remembered. I couldn’t have been on the ground for more than a few seconds, I thought. Just how long had I really been gone? Did I actually go to Ahya, or was that some kind of strange fever dream?

“I can call an ambulance,” the man said, his voice still shaky. “You should get checked out at the very least.’

I waved off his concern. Now that I’d had time to adjust to the abrupt change in scenario, I realized that the pain was nothing more than a dull ache and that nothing was broken. I wasn’t bleeding, either, so I figured I’d just been hit at a relatively slow speed, and knocked down.

“It’s fine,” I reassured him. “I’m not hurt, and it was more my fault. Don’t worry, there’s no need to call the cops or an ambulance. I’m sure you don’t want the hassle either.”

He looked mildly relieved, but still insistent on trying to help me. I reassured him with another wave. “I mean it. I’m fine. That will teach me to not pay attention on the highway.”

“If you’re sure,” he said uncertainly. I nodded encouragingly, and he offered a weak smile. “Well, at least let me cover you at the gas station here. Whatever you want, I’ll take care of it.”

“That’s a fair offer,” I said, grinning. “Just a couple of teas, then, and maybe a coffee. It’s been a long day.”

_______________________________________________

This, my 10th novel, is dedicated to my Patrons and my readers. After nearly three years as a writer, it’s mind-blowing to think how far I’ve come. It’s only fair, therefore, to honor the people that made this possible. Without your continued support, comments, and encouragement, this job would be much harder to manage.

Active Patrons

Christopher Manoff

Nova

MACDADDY_hero

Reuben Kruger

Olli Erinko

Adam Daw

Former Patrons

Lion Heart

Matt C

I love books

Catherine LaCroix

Nathan

Dungeon king

Torterra shadow

RocketDoge

Mr Vidya

Chad Stoerp

Alexander Watson

Bones

Mr von Twistern

Backyard Crafter

WorkForFood

Xobotun

Special Mentions!

Bruhmius: One of my earliest readers. Been with me since Tome of the Body, my friend, and I want to publicly acknowledge that. Thanks for sticking around so long, and I hope I get to share a lot more stories with ya!

Xobotun: My first ever Patron. I know we don’t talk much anymore, but I still remember that feeling of shock and excitement at learning that I’d gotten a Patron for the first time ever. You gave me a huge boost of confidence in a time when I was considering letting this hobby go, and that will never be forgotten!

Reuben and Carmine/Lich: Where do I even begin? You two brought plenty of chaos, trauma, and madness into the world (heh play on words). But if it weren’t for your gift of making me write in a panic, I wouldn’t be where I was. So muchos gracias for that, my friends. Long live the Troll Twins!

JasonofWolves: For a man with no face (inside joke), you seem to have been around a long while. The reviews and feedback you’ve given me has been a lifesaver, and that’s no exaggeration. I also publicly acknowledge that you were one of my first readers on RoyalRoad, so nobody can deny that you’re an Ahya veteran at this point. Thanks for the joke characters and for reading my stories.

Whispersfromcat: Sensei, I’m not sure if you’ll read this or not, but it’s only fitting that I include you. Seeing your own writing inspired me to become better, and kicked me out of my lazy slump that I’d had the first few months. It’s no exaggeration to say that, if I hadn’t met you, I never would have thought it was possible to make a living as a writer. But you showed me the way, and your infinite patience and advice have been a huge support.

This tale is ended, but the world moves on. Expect a new story in the near future, for we all know I’m not stopping this any time soon. I’ve got (at the time of writing) three worlds, so that’s a lot of stories. Let’s hope I’m still doing this until my hands give out. I’ve got a lot of great stories to share. And, after all…

Every great story needs an author.