[Hereafter] Chapter CCXX: Misguided Wish (Patreon)

I'll release the image that is linked in this chapter at a later date, after this has had enough time to circulate so that the people with access to it aren't spoiled.

It should be readily apparent by the end of this chapter exactly why it's named the way it is. If you read the CiP back before this chapter got its editing pass, you'll also have seen a bit of a longer ramble in a certain part, but it got cut down because the editor thought it went on too long, and I kinda agreed with him. It was just hard to cut some of it - to "kill my darling," as the expression goes - because too many characters don't get much chance to talk or do anything.

Oh well.

There's only a couple more chapters left in this Singularity. As incredible as it is, we're nearing the end, and this saga can finally be put to bed.

Oh, uh... Surprise, by the way? Yeah, Sita was kept tightly under wraps. I wasn't even sure I was going to use her in this Singularity, but she slotted pretty neatly into a roll I happened to need her for, even if she only got to stick around for a single chapter.

EDIT: Moving down all the way. 1/3/25

EDIT2: Made some pretty big changes to this chapter to ease some of the pain points pointed out in the SV thread. The overall outcome is the same, but some of the stuff leading up to it went through quite the overhaul.