Afterword - Book 4 - Chapter 40 (Patreon)

Chapter 40: The Hourglass, Emptied

(Original Chapter Title: A Decision Is Made)

The urge to just say "I'm sorry," and leave the afterword there is real.

The original title was intended to avoid 'spoiling' the contents of the chapter, but when I edited it, I chose something a bit more evocative and less... bland? I mean, by this point you're probably used to me being a bit baffled or annoyed by past-me's decisions.

One thing I'm glad I did in the OG draft was choosing to write this chapter as a series of vignettes (a word I never spell correctly on the first attempt, my brain insists there should be an 'r' in there). The countdown was important, and focusing on a single memorable day (for varied reasons) from each of their final years worked well.

Lending a helping hand to local children, making love, important conversations, Ranthia's first meeting with Numeria, and the other memorable moments Ranthia found as decades became years. And as years became days. When something precious comes to an end, sometimes it's hard to truly enjoy the experience due to the fear that accompanies each dwindling moment. But Ranthia tries her best.

And then the day arrives.

It's a hard chapter to read. Gods and goddesses, I hope I did it justice.