The game you will get used to (10) - End (Patreon)

The day had come. Our fifth anniversary. I woke up, still in her body. But today... this game would end.

She never confirmed it, not directly. But I could feel it. Something inside me just knew: this was the final day.

Not long after, a letter appeared, floating in the air.

I took a deep breath.

Whatever the final mission was, I was ready to face it.

I’d probably scold her a little for putting me through this madness, then hold her tight for all the pain she’d carried alone.

I stepped forward and picked up the letter.

[To Lucas,

Welcome to the last letter.

How was it?

Did you enjoy my game?

Are you ready for the final mission?

Before we begin, I need to apologize.

I’m sorry for lying to you.

The part about returning to your original body if you completed all the missions — that was a lie.

Still, I’m asking you to complete this final mission.

I already knew you would go along with it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be holding this letter.

I wish I could’ve seen every one of your cute reactions with my own eyes.

But I never had the chance.

Every letter you read, every sound you heard, every spell I cast. All of it was prepared in advance.

They were set to activate only when the right conditions were met, linked to the magic within my body.

It was a very complex spell. I hope everything worked correctly.

You might be wondering what all this was really about.

Let me explain.

You already know your lovely girlfriend carries the blood of a witch.

That’s how I could use all kinds of magic.

You’ve experienced this firsthand through all the strange games we played together.

Even when some of them were mistakes. I am truly sorry for those.

But my witch blood… isn’t normal.

It’s tied to death.

And because of that, I have the ability to see when someone is approaching their final moments.

It appears above their head as a glowing red mark.

I called it the 'Mark of the End.'

And it’s never wrong.

I’ve tried to stop it many times.

But no matter what I did, I could never change it.

Since I was a child, I’ve watched people die. Helpless to save them.

So I started dressing in black. Mourning everyone I lost.

My world turned cold. Colorless.

Until I met you.

You brought light back into my life.

I love you.

More than anything.

Every day we spent together made me feel human again.

And I wanted to stay like that, forever.

But then I saw it.

The Mark.

Above your head.

In that moment, I felt like the world around me shattered into countless pieces.

I cried alone. I couldn’t let you see me like that.

But I knew, deep down, that I couldn’t live without you.

The thought of a life without you tore my heart apart.

I searched for any way to save you.

This was the only way.

It is a spell called 'Life Swap.'

It exchanges two souls, but their fates remain with their original bodies.

It may look like a simple body-swap spell, but it is much more complicated.

Only lovers can use it.

It was the only way.

I’m sorry I kept it from you.

I knew you would never agree.

I’m sorry for acting on my own.

I’m sorry for being selfish.

But I couldn't lose you.

I know that living in someone else's body is difficult.

So I created this game as my final gift to you.

I taught you everything you need to know about living in this body. I hope it helps you adjust with ease.

I even added a small extra challenge to make it a bit more fun.

Sometimes, living as a girl can be dangerous. I don’t know what might happen, so I’ve placed some defensive magic just in case. I hope you’ll never have to use it.

And about my friends... Claire don’t worry.

I’ve told her everything.

You can be friends with her, or make new ones if you’d like.

This is your life now.

You’re free to do whatever you want.

To be whoever you want.

Just promise me one thing: Continue my last mission.

I wish I could keep writing.

Keep talking to you.

Stay with you just a little longer.

Laugh with you.

Do everything we never got to do.

Play more games with you.

But this is where the game must end.

Last mission: Stay alive.

Love forever,

Thalia]

The paper was wrinkled and damp.

Tear stains marked it in scattered waves.

Another drop landed on the page.

It came from me.

Tears streamed down my face, and I sobbed, ugly, uncontrollable sobs.

Was I such a terrible boyfriend?

Why didn’t you talk to me about this?

Why didn’t you say a single word?

If you had told me, I would have stopped you.

I never would have let you go.

I would have accepted my fate.

I was the one who should have died.

So why did you leave me behind?

I sat there for hours, unable to move, the letter still in my hands. Her words echoed in my head again and again. I read them over and over, as if some hidden meaning might appear. But nothing changed. She was gone.

The pain was overwhelming. My chest ached like it had been split open. I cried until I couldn’t anymore—until even the tears felt dry.

Lost in my grief, time moved on without pause. My life goes on.

A new life. Still in her body.

Thanks to everything she prepared, I had no trouble adjusting to this new life.

Still… I held on to the smallest hope that she was out there somewhere.

That she was still fighting fate in some distant place.

But then, I found out. Several days later.

My old body had been found. Lifeless.

She was gone.

That hope vanished.

The weight of reality sank in.

I wanted to follow her. I wanted to be with her again.

But I could not.

I could not throw away the life she gave everything to protect.

I could not let her effort be in vain.

I could not waste her sacrifice.

What I had to do now… was live.

To carry out her final wish.

To complete her last mission.

I will keep going. I will move forward.

As her. As Thalia. As me.

And I’ll keep playing the last game she left behind—

The game I’m slowly getting used to.

The End