Jespar took a long drag. “You’re speaking in tongues, love.”
Jespar’s hand drifted to his sword—not out of fear, but out of an old habit. “You’re telling me our suffering is a… quality assurance test?”
“The High Ones aren’t demons, Jespar. They aren’t gods or ancient evils.” She laughed—a dry, terrible sound. “They are patch notes . Corrections to a story that keeps breaking. Every cycle, someone finds a loophole. Every cycle, the game updates. v1.1.9 fixed the infinite gold exploit in the Undercity. v1.3.4 removed the ability to save Sirius. And v2.0.20…”
Enderal: Forgotten Stories v2.0.20 — now with 100% more existential recursion.
Jespar Dal’Varek lit his last cigarillo and watched the ember die against the perpetual drizzle of the Sun Coast. He wasn’t supposed to be here. None of them were. Enderal Forgotten Stories v2.0.20
She smiled—the same terrible, knowing smile of the Aged Man when he looked at his own piano.
Jespar stared at her. Rain slid down his face like tears from a man who had forgotten how to cry.
