It's a busy day at your family's inn. The next town over is holding a festival to honor the memory of the missing heir to the throne and adventurers from all over the kingdom have begun to trickle in. Night is beginning the fall, the shades of sherbert cast long shadows across the floor that you now carry a plate of bread across.
A man from a full table raises his hand. "Astrophel, over here!"
[[Follow the man's instructions.]]Just as you place the bread bowls down on the table housing the group of laughing adventurers, the front door of the inn slams open, bringing a chilly breeze with it. The light from outside illuminates the silhouette of a haggard old woman, a bulging pack on her back that seems to be larger than she is.
"Astrophel, you forget about me?" asks one of the men at the table, bringing you quickly back to reality.
"Oh, sorry, Clyde!"
You place the last bread bowl in front of him, giving him an embarrassed smile. He seems to want to say something, but you have the old woman to tend to...
[[Stay for what he has to say.]]
[["Sorry, Clyde. It's busier than normal around here."]]You and your mother make it to the old woman at the same time. Your mother moves to take the old woman's pack.
"Oh, that looks terribly heavy, ma'am. Would you like me to take it to a room?"
The old woman, her arms ancient and like tree roots, swats your mother's hand away from her pack.
"You wouldn't be implying I'm too weak to carry this little old thing, would you? I'm perfectly fine."
For a second, you think the "little old thing" she is referring to is herself. She turns her intense green gaze upon you now, giving you a once-over with a frown plastered to her face. You feel a physical discomfort, and you feel you have to break the silence as soon as possible.
[["Would you like some food, ma'am?"]]You hold the serving tray to your chest, looking at Clyde expectantly. As you do this, you see your mother swoop in to take care of the old woman who just enetered the inn. It looks like she's being swatted away for asking to help with her bag and a smile spreads across your face at the scene.
"I've heard from your old man you've always got your head in the clouds. Is that right, Astrophel?"
His voice brings you back to the table in front of you. Just as he'd said...
[["I can focus when I need to... but perhaps you're right."]]Clyde smiles in that way that adults smile at children when they know something you don't.
"I have a feeling I know what it is you're always daydreamin' about. You know, before your father settled down here, he was just like us, in a band of adventurers, travelin' across the world and seein' incredible sights the likes of which you can't imagine..."
Both of your gazes seem to land on your father, pouring a bit of ale behind the inn counter, his cheeks rosy and full and a kind smile always on his lips. It's...
"Hard to imagine, I bet," Clyde continues, finishing your thought. "You should come with us, maybe just for a bit."
[["...Really? Could I?"]]
[["I'll think about it..."]]The thought sets your heart racing... Living on the road and bettering your swordsmanship all the while.
"You bet. Your old man seemed to like the idea. Now, it's your mother who's the worthy adversary... That one'll be your job to convince, lad."
Your mind starts racing, too many things at once, too many adventures to be had! All you can manage is a meek, "Clyde, thank you!"
"Think about it at least, kid. Now go help your mother. She'll never let you go if you neglect her here and now."
You nod, hitting your chin against the serving tray held close to your body. You rub the pain away on your way across the floor.
[[Rush to your mom's aid.]]When you reach your mother, she gives you a certain look reserved for difficult patrons. You nod just a bit, a signal that you understand, and continue on into the kitchen to get a bowl of soup and a cup of tea as quickly as you're able.
The old woman has sat herself and her bag on two separate stools away from the other patrons in a far corner of the room. You navigate through the crowd with your tray, narrowly missing one or two outstretched arms and discarded bags strewn next to their owners.
When you finally reach the old woman, she gives you a once-over, her brow furrowing. She smells strongly of patchouli and her jewelry all seems to feature stars or moons in some way.
[[Place the food in front of the woman.]]As you're carefully placing the cup of steaming tea down on the table, the old woman grabs your wrist, nearly knocking over the tea in the process.
"Hey," you exclaim, pulling against her grip, but she doesn't seem to care.
"Oh, don't be such a baby. I've got something for you. It belongs to you."
You have never seen this woman before in your life, and it didn't seem like your mother had either. You look back at your mom, who simply shrugs unhelpfully.
[["Something... for me?"]]The old woman lets go of your wrist to crane over her enormous bag, clanging and clattering the contents around for such a long time that you wonder if the soup will still be warm by the time she gets to it.
At last, she pulls out a jar with something like a frosted shard of crystal, sharp and clattering against the glass walls of its container. It glows a pale yellow light like a candle, reflecting prettily off of the walls of the jar. It's beautiful.
She holds it out to you.
"Well? Take it. It's yours." She shoves the jar at you but you can sense she's being a little bit careful with it, so as not to bang the shard against the glass.
[[Take it.]]
[[Don't take it.]]"I had assumed that was being done already, boy."
She looks around the inn, taking an especially long glance back into the kitchen. Something about the condescending way she's doing it makes your blood boil.
"It'll be right out," your mother provides pleasantly. You're grateful. It looks like this'll have to be a double-team situation. Sometimes it's like this with especially ornery guests, and your mother and you make a great team against them.
The old woman disappears into the chaos of the full dining area without another word. You give your mother one last "can you believe this?!" glance before disappearing back into the kitchen to get the food.
[[Take a deep breath and brave the outside.]]You take the jar in your hands. You expect the glass to be cold against your skin, but it's warm where the shard rests at the bottom.
"Now be careful, alright? That there's a fragment of a star, it's delicate."
You look from the old woman back to the jar, lifting it up and looking at it from different angles. "I'm sorry but... you must be mistaken. It's beautiful, but, I've never seen this before in my life."
The old woman looks away from you, bored. She settles into the chair she's seated in and picks up the spoon you placed next to her bowl of soup. She puts her hand to the bowl and the steam that had begun to dwindle starts anew. A witch?
"I know you haven't. But it's yours. See how it glows?"
You look back into the jar, the shard glowing happily at the bottom.
"It glows for you, not me," she continues. "Not for anyone else. For you."
[["Sure, but..."]]The old woman takes up her spoon again, getting a mouthful before continuing.
"That star shard is important, and it's your responsibility now. It is yours, as I've said. Protect it, and nurture it. Without you, it will fade. And I will not tell you what will happen once it fades."
You hold it out again, shifting the jar so the shard rolls softly against it.
"You haven't even introduced yourself yet. What a rude boy! Go on, then!"
You look around at the other patrons, far enough away that if any of them look your way, maybe they won't hear you introduce yourself to this glowing piece of glass. Maybe they'll think you're talking to the old woman, even.
[[Introduce yourself.]]
[["..."]]You can feel your cheeks burning, just a bit. You glance at the old woman, but she's not looking at you. Big shocker.
Tentatively, you hold it close to your face, and give it a smile. This is silly. "H-hey there. It's nice to meet you. I'm Astrophel."
"And I'm Caelestis," the old woman crows in a gravely voice, as if she is speaking for the shard. She lets out a great laugh. Caelestis? The name sounds familiar...
"You were just messing with me," you accuse. But the shard seems grows brighter against its prison... Did you do that?
"I am not 'messing with you,' boy. Caelstis is the name of the thing in that jar. Now take that it and put it somewhere safe. And //do not// open it."
[[Head off.]]The old woman groans.
"You'll never get anywhere with it like that. You have to learn to nurture it! Talk to it! Stars get lonely too, y'know?"
Her gaze returns to you, accusing. Is this some children's game from where she comes from? Like a pet rock? A pet... star shard? Surely it's not really a star shard, is it?
"Let me know if you need anything else, ma'am."
She grunts in acknowledgement, turning back to her soup. But before you can leave, she croaks out a "wait."
"Don't open that jar, boy. Under any circumstances. You hear me?"
You nod back to her, but your patience is already thinning.
[[Head off.]] You place the jar atop a shelf in the kitchen for now. You don't have time to make it to your room during the dinner rush, but you retrieve it once most of the patrons have gone to bed and you start to head to bed yourself with the jar under your arm. The sound of it tinkling against the glass is nice. It sounds almost like a sweet song.
You place the jar on the table beside your bed, its soft light illuminating the room as if a candle were lit. As you crawl into bed, you stare at the shard. You wonder if what the old woman said was true, or if she really is just some traveler gone off her rocker, trying to play some sort of prank on you.
[[Say Goodnight to the shard.]]
[[Sleep.]]"Your name is Caelestis, right? I... I swear I've heard your name before, but I can't remember from where. I'm sorry."
The light seems to flash a bit rapidly at that moment. Was it just a coincidence...? But it seemed like the light was almost... excited.
"Goodnight, Caelestis."
You close your eyes, the soft glow of the star shard casting a soft light against your face.
[[Sleep.]] Around you stretches an island, no larger than the dining room of your inn. The soil is littered with large trees that stand taller than the island is wide. The sound of gently lapping waves reaches your ears. It is nighttime, and beyond the land is a pitch black expanse of calm ocean. The air is salty and damp.
Against your hip rests a soft glow: the jar with your star shard hanging from a strap around your shoulders. Its glow comforts you in the silence.
Turning from the sea, you see a clearing. In that clearing, there is a boy sitting with his leg crossed on the edge of a large glass coffin, its lid laying beside it and the angles plated with gold that glint against the moonlight.
Without thinking, you move to step forward.
[[Take the step.]]Fractstar
A narrative text adventure
By Tom Subbie
[[Begin]]A branch breaks beneath your boot, and the boy leaning on the coffin looks up, startled. He stands, leveling his eyes on you. His pupils are inhumanly large.
"Who goes there?" he says loudly. He seems to be on guard, his arms close to his sides. His hair is to his chin, the ends straight-cut as the blade sheathed on his hip.
//Danger!// cries your heart, yet you are still taking your next step. Something about him draws you closer...
[["I'm Astrophel..."]]"I'm Astrophel," you begin, your steps drawing you toward the boy and your eyes never breaking from his gaze. He looks at you, surprise hidden in the calm mask he wears.
As you draw up close to the boy he looks you over, his eyes catching on the star shard. Protectively, you take it in you hands, drawing it close to your heart. He smiles, his mouth cutting a grin into his face.
"What's that, eh?" he asks.
[["Why should I tell you?"]]
[["It is a star shard."]]He laughs. A low laugh that stands the hair on your arms.
"What is this, a joke? We are in my dream, after all. Why //shouldn't// you tell me?"
His... dream? But this is clearly your own dream. Something about the impossibility of the statement sends you reeling, your grip on the star shard loosening for just a moment.
"But maybe it makes sense that //you're// here. After all, you have that." He points to the jar in your hands.
[["What do you mean?"]]"A 'star shard'?" asks the boy, a laugh creeping in at the edges of his voice. "Is that what they told you?"
He says it cruelly, like you're a child. Like you could never possibly know what he means. And you don't, and it frustrates you.
"That's what they said," you say, stepping back from the boy, your grip tightening around the jar. "That's what it looks like."
"What's in that jar, it's mine. Surely you've felt it. It is drawn to me. Give it to me."
[[Give him the jar.]]
[[Refuse.]]He smiles again, leaning back on the edge of the coffin.
"I am Caelestis. Have you heard of me?"
Caelestis. The name sounded familiar, and something by that name you now hold in your hands... But it seems daft saying it aloud, so instead you say nothing at all. But your silence says it all anyway. He laughs again, this time the pitch climbs dizzily into a soprano. A cold wind blows through the trees.
"I'm guessing you have, judging by that look. But I wonder how much you know. I wonder how long it has been since my name was uttered, the words conjuring a person in the speaker's eyes instead of a simple shard of light."
Caelestis stands again, drawing closer to you. He reaches towards the jar.
[[Hand the jar over to Caelestis.]]
[[Take a step back.]]Caelestis smiles down at the light radiating from the glass jar, but there is something terribly sad hiding behind his dark eyes.
In a movement so swift you have no chance to stop him, he raises the jar and throws it on the ground, shattering it against a stone beside your feet. He winces, sinking on his knees to the forest floor next to the fading light of the star shard.
"May you, kind soul, never be burdened by my heavy heart," says Caelestis. And before you can respond, he takes the shard in his hand, throwing it into the sea surrounding the island.
Your eyes follow the star shard, and when you look back, Caelestis is gone, leaving you terribly alone on the tiny island.
//''ENDING 2: ALONE''//The boy lowers his reach without batting an eyelash.
"You're protective of whatever's in that jar."
You nod without hesitation. "I was told to protect it, that I should be the one to restore it."
Caelestis lets out a short breath, an almost-laugh. "That's good. Commendable, even. I thank you for that, Astrophel. As you probably have guessed, I am connected deeply with what you hold in your hands. It is a piece of my soul."
So it wasn't the shard of a star but instead the shard of... a soul? Who would deem it necessary to shatter a soul?
[["But why?"]]"I possess a unique power," begins Caelestis. "People called it the power of the Unknown. It was a curse, really. It was future sight."
Caelestis draws closer, placing his hands on the top and bottom of the jar in your hands. The sound of the waves seems to grow louder as you study his strange eyes, his long eyelashes, his long slice of a mouth...
"I was a prince before this, in a small kingdom. My father the king used my ability to draw in crowds, to draw in people. And it worked. All day I would tell people their fortunes, all for varying fees that would go straight to the kingdom.
"When I was young, I would look into the future for fun, mapping out the roads of how many possibilities spread out before me. But the older I got, and the more I would be accosted even in my off hours to tell fortunes, the narrower and less those roads would become, and the more sick I would feel looking into my own future."
[["Did something happen?"]]Caelestis smiles unpleasantly, rounding his strange eyes from the jar to you. A chill spreads through your bones.
"A man had snuck into the castle that night," Caelestis continues. "He had strategically picked a spot where the guards were not frequently posted. I still remember the smell and the warmth of the fresh bread that I held in my hands from our kitchen. I was almost excited--an unexpected path opened before me. Something new, and I couldn't help but smile when the man cornered me.
"He asked me to tell his fortune, of course, and I refused. After a bit of a scuffle and with a knife against my throat, I felt I had no choice, and nobody to cry out for. He had but one path before him. One singular path."
[["Does that mean... death?"]]"Yes, Astrophel. It means death," he says, as if he is teaching a child a simple concept. "He accused me of lying, of course. Why wouldn't he? I laughed in his face. I couldn't stop laughing. I didn't even attempt to break free, but the man panicked and his knife dug into my flesh."
Caelestis removes his hands from the jar and unbuttons his dark blue doublet, a dark red stain spreading across the white fabric beneath. When your hands move to touch the fabric, it still feels wet with his blood.
"My father the king had been hiding in a nearby passageway the whole time. Not once did he think to come to my aid. He probably thought it would hurt business, as it were, if anything should happen to either of us."
Caelestis rebuttons his doublet, walking back over to the coffin to sit beside it. He pats the ground next to him, an invitation.
[[Sit beside him.]]
[[Stay standing.]]You move to sit beside him, placing the jar between the two of you. He takes it, scooting a bit closer in the process.
"Anyway," Caelestis sighs, "I did die that day. Father spent millions to save me, you know. Probably thought it would even out. But alas, all the mages could do was salvage the pieces of me they could keep together. There were seven of them. And in my father's grief, he scattered them, blaming the man who accosted me and burying him along with the pieces of me he was too ashamed to hold on to.
"All have remained unfound. And one such piece is what you now hold in your hands. For what it's worth, I think it's significant that one such as you holds it."
"What do you mean?"
Caelestis looks away from you out towards the water. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"
[["The woman who gave me this, she said it was drawn to me..."]]
[["But now I can give it back to you, right?"]]
[[Why did you try to take the shard?]] "Suit yourself."
You feel like he hasn't looked at you once this entire time, not really. Although his figure is imposing, he looks so small like this. Has he been sitting here like this this whole time? With no one but himself for company? You almost regret denying him this simple thing.
"Anyway," Caelestis sighs, "I did die that day. Father spent millions to save me, you know. Probably thought it would even out if he could earn it back from my ability. But alas, all they could do was salvage the pieces of me they could keep together. There were seven of them. And in my father's grief, he scattered them, blaming the man who accosted me and burying him along with the pieces of me he was too ashamed to hold on to.
"All but one have remained unfound. And that piece is what you now hold in your hands. And one such piece is what you now hold in your hands. For what it's worth, I think it's significant that one such as you holds it."
"What do you mean?"
Caelestis looks away from you out towards the water. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"
[["The woman who gave me this, she said it was drawn to me..."]]
[["But now I can give it back to you, right?"]]
[[Why did you try to take the shard?]]Caelestis smiles, but not impersonally or coldly. It feels private, and just for you.
"Was she a witch? I suppose I //am// drawn to you, aren't I? How embarrassing to be outed like that. What am I to say?"
A heat spreads through your cheeks. Embarrassing indeed...
[["But now I can give it back to you, right?"]] "I'm afraid it's not so simple. I haven't been able to leave this little island the whole time. I don't even know how much time has passed since my death. Nobody who has held that shard before you has been able to use its power or speak to me like this. I don't even know how to get my body back.
"That's why it's so important that it be protected, Astrophel." Caelestis takes the jar, placing it in your lap and wrapping your hands around it. His touch is gentle, but his eyes are stern.
"Will you protect this piece of me?"
[[Accept.]]
[[Decline.]]When you re-enter the dining area, the old woman has sat herself and her bag on two separate stools away from the other patrons in a far corner of the room. You navigate through the crowd with your tray, narrowly missing one or two outstretched arms and discarded bags strews next to their owners.
When you finally reach the old woman, she gives you a once-over, her brow furrowing. She smells strongly of patchouli and her jewelry all seems to feature stars or moons in some way.
[[Place the food in front of the woman.]] "I'll protect it," you begin. "You're safe with me, I promise. But what do we do? Put you back together?"
"Ideally," Caelestis says with a laugh. "But now the question is, is it safe //out there//?" Caelestis points up to the pitch black sky.
"You mean... in the real world? Outside of our dream?"
With a shock, you remember how carelessly you had placed it out in the open, right on your bedside table. Was it that sought after? Was it safe right now, at this very moment? Before you can answer, a splash comes from the shore to your left and both of you look to the source.
[["What was that?"]]Caelestis laughs a short, bitter laugh. "I did not expect much else. It is no fault of your own that you have chosen this. All I ask is for you to... let me do something with the shard."
You see no reason not to hand him the shard at this point. He takes the jar from you, gently, in both hands, like it's heavier than it felt in your own.
In a movement so swift you have no chance to stop him, he raises the jar and throws it on the ground, shattering it against a stone beside your feet. He winces, sinking on his knees to the forest floor next to the fading light of the star shard.
"Caelestis, what are you doing?!"
"May you, kind soul, never be burdened by my heavy heart. This is truly for the better," says Caelestis. And before you can respond, he takes the shard in his hand, throwing it into the sea surrounding the island.
Your eyes follow the star shard, and when you look back, Caelestis is gone, leaving you terribly alone on the tiny island.
"Caelestis," you cry out, but no voice responds. Not even the echo of your own voice.
//''ENDING 3: AWAY''//A pure black creature skitters up and out of the water. It has many limbs and looks more like a giant spider than anything. It skitters across the ground straight for you and Caelestis.
You gasp, looking from Caelestis to the star shard. Can he protect himself? Caelestis stands, holding his arm out in front of you.
"I think it's a piece of me. Do you see it? At its base, there's something that looks just like the thing in that jar."
You see it glinting against the moonlight: a gold point that seems to be poking out of a deep healed wound on the creature.
"Can you fight?" he asks. It seems to snap you back to reality and you stand too.
[[Yes, but...]]Without protecting the shard, you can't protect Caelestis.
You scoop the shard up in your arms, standing to protect it but falling back when the backs of your legs hit the coffin, and you fall back into the cushioned bed with the jar still held securely against your body.
Caelestis stands his guard and the thought of losing him now after all that is unbearable. The creature jumps, its spider-like legs sharpened to spears and angled at Caelestis.
He moves at just the last second, but the creature stabs him in the leg, bringing him down. Blood oozes out, seeping through the fabric of his pants. He collapses on the ground, the wind blowing him away as if he had turned to ash.
[[Call out for Caelestis.]]"You idiot, protect the shard," Caelestis yells, but you can't, you can't move, you can't leave his side. Whatever protective feelings you had for the shard have transferred to the boy it belonged to.
But in a moment that feels like eons, and one you will never forget, Caelestis dives for the shard only to be too late. It shatters against the creature's sharp claws and Caelestis cries out, the echo of it ringing in your ears. It's more than you can bear and you cover your ears.
The beast rushes towards you and lunges.
You wake up in your bed, the covers sticky against your skin from your sweat. In a trance your eyes go to the jar you had set beside your bed, but it has shattered, and no light from the shard can be seen from the darkness of your room.
//''ENDING 4: AWAKE''//You call out his name weakly, but the sound dies in the stagnant air around you.
In your panic, you hadn't even thought to look in the jar in your hands, but now in the stillness of the air you don't feel the warmth you had come to expect to from the shard.
When you look down, the jar remains empty.
Something muffled, a voice, comes from nowhere in particular. Leaving the jar, you stand up and see a glowing sword like a beam of light buried in the dirt where Caelestis used to be.
[[Take the sword.]]You take the sword, struggling for a moment to dislodge it from the soil it's embedded in. As soon as it's safely in both of your hands and held out before you, the ground begins to grow white with frost, spreading from the coffin and fanning outward.
The frost travels up the trees, tinting them white, then reaches the water.
"Astrophel, wake up," booms the voice, like a clap of thunder.
Out of the frosty water, another hulking creature lumbers onto the shore. Its silhouette is wolf-like in nature but wrong, as if the wolf itself had been dead for years, its shape barely holding on to its frame. An eye glints out from that darkness, catching sight of you. The weight of the sword feels heavy in your hands and you feel almost eager to swing at the beast, but you have to keep your head.
[[Run towards it.]]
[[Wait to see what it does.]]You charge towards the beast, but it seems to grow in size. Its long canines glint against the moonlight as it closes in and you take an unpracticed swing, only to miss.
"Shit," you spit. Your nervous hands shake, the blade trembling in your hands. //You've gotta snap out of it. For him.//
You slide on the dirt of the island, turning around to face the beast again, but it's already closer than it was just a moment ago. The weight of the sword is comforting in your hands.
[[Parry.]]
[[Strike at the monster.]]
[[Let the beast come to you.]]The beast hunkers down, sidestepping, waiting to see what you do too.
"Astrophel, you have to wake up!"
That's right, you're in a dream, you have to wake up. For Caelestis. Without you, he'll be lost. But how does one wake up from a dream? The beast lunges for you, its stride crossing the length of the island in seconds to where you stand.
Sometimes, you dream that you are falling. And just before you hit the earth you gasp awake. Will that work here...?
[[Let the beast come to you.]]
[[Defend yourself.]]You hold your ground, your heartbeat drumming so loud you bet the beast can hear it even now.
The beast lunges, and at the very last second you thrust your sword upwards. It whines loudly into the night air, collapsing on the ground for just a second before hobbling back onto its feet.
You let out a //woof!// before shaking out your nerves a bit, but you're still asleep.
It growls, its bared teeth glinting against the moonlight.
[[Parry.]]
[[Defend yourself.]]Instinct takes over once the beast's feet fly off the earth. Your arms raise the sword in your hands at the last second and you swing hard, pushing the beast far out of the way.
It tumbles into the ground, righting itself just before it collides with a tree.
"Wake up!"
//I'm trying, damn it...//
You think back to all the things your mother told you to do when you're having a nightmare. There are ways to escape this. All you have to do is remember how.
[[Call out to Caelestis.]]
[[Call out to your mother.]]
[[Run towards the water.]]"Caelestis!"
You put your heart into raising your voice this time, and the sound seems to vaporize into the chilly air.
"//Caelestis!//"
You call out again and again, and just as you open your mouth to call his name once more, a small glimmer catches your eye. It rests on the horizon, peeking out above the waves that surround the island. It hovers, not moving an inch.
Could that light be... Caelestis?
[[Call out to the light.]]The beast growls, stalking its prey. You cry out Caelestis's name once more and it seems to anger the beast.
It speeds up, pouncing right towards you as the sun on the horizon lifts into the sky
[[Wake up.]]Your eyes open slowly, and the sound of feet shuffling and gruff voices brings it all back. You sit up immediately to see against a bright light Caelestis there in your room, holding someone by the arms and struggling against them, fighting them off.
The jar beside your bed is untouched, the light shining brighter than you thought possible. It must have woken you up.
"You're awake," Caelestis breathes, relief clear in his voice. The spot on his leg where the creature had stabbed him is stained a deep crimson, and he is struggling not to put weight on it.
[[Go to his aid.]]Faster than you've probably done anything in your life, you throw the covers off of your person. Next to your legs on the mattress lay a glowing sword--Caelestis's sword.
You take it with you towards the pursuer, knocking the hilt against his head and sending him to the ground in a heap. Caelestis collapses too, his hand gripping his wound, his knuckles turning white.
"You're here," you say.
"So are you."
"I think your light woke me up."
"And somehow me calling your name at full volume //didn't// do that. Incredible. Looks like we have a long way to go if you're going to be the keeper of what's in that jar."
[[End.]]This is the end! Congratulations for making it through!
Thanks for playing!
//''ENDING 0: ALIVE''//The boy smiles down at the light radiating from the glass jar, but there is something terribly sad hiding behind his dark eyes.
In a movement so swift you have no chance to stop him, he raises the jar and throws it on the ground, shattering it against a stone beside your feet. He winces, sinking on his knees to the forest floor next to the fading light of the star shard.
"May you, kind soul, never be burdened by my heavy heart," says the boy. And before you can respond, he takes the shard in his hand, throwing it into the sea surrounding the island.
Your eyes follow the star shard, and when you look back, he is gone, leaving you terribly alone on the tiny island.
//''ENDING 2: ALONE''//You say no, and his smile falls. His eyes are dark, hard, unrelenting as he gets up from the coffin and strides towards you at a brisk pace.
His hands are cold on your arms as he attempts to break your arms free from their grip around the jar. But you keep hold. You have to keep it safe, no matter what.
The boy pulls hard against you and lets out a frustrated expletive. "What's so important that's in that jar, huh? Tell me!"
[["Why should I tell you?"]] You continue to look at the shard. It's beautiful, but it's certainly not yours. You tell the old woman this.
"Oh, for gods' sake, boy, just take it. You're the only one that can you know. Doesn't that intrigue you?" She rolls her eyes as she says it, the jar held flat against her palm.
"But why?"
"It holds the soul of a prince, and only you can protect him."
You both laugh, but you can feel you are both laughing for very different reasons.
"You're... making fun of me, right," you ask.
"I am not. Now take it. Its yours. Go throw it in the river out back if you like." She places the jar on the table before you, turning away dismissively.
[[Take it.]]
[[Leave the jar.]]"You'd better! We could use someone like you. I've seen you swingin' that old sword around. I really think you got the potential, Astrophel."
You think back on all the times Clyde and his troupe have visited--all the times he's told you stories from the adventures he's been on, and all the times he's been beside your father as he tells you the right footing to have when you swing your sword at an enemy.
But then you look back at your mother, the lines growing under her eyes and still holding a pleasant smile on her face. You couldn't possibly leave her to do this all by herself...
"I'll think about it Clyde. I promise. But right now..."
"I know, I know. Go an' help your mother out, would you?"
You nod, a fond smile on your face.
[[Rush to your mom's aid.]] "I'm sorry, but I really don't know what you're talking about. If you don't mind, it looks like my mother needs help."
You turn towards your mother, leaning against the edge of the bar and laughing at something your father just said. What that old woman said was ridiculous, but your hands clutch tighter and tighter against the tray in your hands as your feet carry you further away from the jar and its shard.
The old woman grunts angrily, shoving the jar back into her bag and leaving the cooling soup on the table. As she leaves through the door of the inn, you feel as though she really is taking a part of you with her.
But you must be thinking about it too much, getting too inside of your head like you always tend to do.
//''ENDING 1: ABANDON''//"Yes, but not without a sword. What about you?"
He gestures to the whole of the island, the creature circling you both just beyond him.
"Not exactly a lot of weaponry around here. Although all the time in the world to practice."
He says it bitterly and you almost feel bad for asking, but there are more important things to worry about.
"It doesn't matter. Protect the shard."
You look to the shard where you left it next to the coffin.
[[Grab the shard.]]
[[Stand beside Caelestis.]] You attempt to parry, but the sword is unsteady in your hands and it slips out of your grip.
The beast snarls, its teeth bared at the sword itself. It advances forward just as you do and the sword shatters against the beast's teeth. Then it turns your gaze towards you.
It lunges, its teeth digging into your neck. The moonlight cast across the island seems to dim as everything goes dark.
You do not wake up.
//''ENDING 5: APART''//"You said yourself that you weren't able to restore your body from within this dream. Why did you try to take the shard?"
He pauses for a moment, his eyes clouding a bit.
"I said before that all the paths I saw before me kept narrowing and narrowing until only a few remained. I still have this power, you know. Even here. But there is only one path that I see now. It is dark, empty, and endless. Just like the very island that we sit on.
"There is nothing here, and there is no one. I am merely a ghost, floating through this space. I thought maybe, if I got hold of one of the shards, I could forge a new path, even if that meant it would be the last road I ever went down."
[["The woman who gave me this, she said it was drawn to me..."]]
[["But now I can give it back to you, right?"]] Calling out to Caelestis seems to not have done anything last time, so your mind wanders to the one person who can always help you, the one person always there to save you from your nightmares: your mother.
You call out into the darkness, once, twice, you keep calling out for your mother. But your voice is only swallowed by the chilled air--the breath in your lungs seems to wear thinner and thinner.
Collapsing to the ground beneath you, all hope seems to lose you in this dark and hopeless expanse. Silence gives way for the beast to tread forward.
You do not wake up.
//''ENDING 7: ALARM''//If there was one technique that you remember your mother using on you, it's a healthy splash of cold water. You glance from the beast to the expanse of water surrounding the tiny island.
Looking at it, it's uninviting to say the least. Were you awake right now, surely walking into it would mean almost instant hypothermia.
But this is just a dream... right?
[[Enter the water.]]
[[Call out to Caelestis.]]
[[Call out to your mother.]] Your footing lost again, the beast surging forward as if nothing had happened in the first place, you take another unsure swing. It has the most weight behind it that you can muster.
But in your attempt to land a swing, the beast's light feet leave the ground and go straight for your heart. The two of you collide with the ground in a heap, and the beast's teeth meet your flesh in a flash of red.
You do not wake up.
//''ENDING 6: ANXIOUS''//The sword heavy and sure in your grip, you turn opposite from the beast to run straight for the water.
Just before you step in, you stop short, the chill in the air seeming to go straight through your flesh and into your bones. You shiver, glancing between the water and the beast currently hurtling toward you.
But you steel yourself. You have to wake up. You need to protect Caelestis, and you can't do it here.
The ice in the water feels like knives against your legs, but you go on, for Caelestis. You keep going, until you are completely submerged, your vision seeming to sway before your eyes are even underwater, and then your vision goes blank.
You do not wake up.
//''ENDING 8: AGONY''//