Chapter 80: A Chance at Tomorrow

The evening sky remained the same dull grey it had been since the Rabbit left.

No sunset.

No warm orange glow.

No stars.

Just endless layers of lifeless clouds stretching across the heavens.

It felt wrong.

Not frightening.

Not immediately dangerous.

Just…

Wrong.

Like a painting someone had forgotten how to finish.

Gene sat atop one of the observation towers of the Peeps and Sheeps compound.

Beside him sat Selene.

Below them, giant sheep wandered through enormous fields while workers slowly finished the day’s tasks.

The scene should have felt peaceful.

Yet neither of them could stop thinking about what they had learned.

The nightmares.

The mountain.

The Rabbit.

The destruction.

The endless grey sky.

For a long time neither spoke.

Eventually Selene broke the silence.

“Do you think this world can be saved?”

Gene stared toward the horizon.

Toward the distant shape of Hearts Crossing.

Toward the mountain beyond.

“I honestly don’t know.”

The answer surprised even him.

Usually he always had some ridiculous idea.

Some insane solution.

Some horror-themed plan.

But this?

This felt different.

This wasn’t one town.

Or one city.

Or one summoner world.

An entire reality had been broken.

Selene hugged her knees.

“The stories changed.”

Gene nodded.

“Yeah.”

“The Rabbit lost his mind.”

“People died.”

“The sky itself changed.”

She looked upward.

“It almost feels like the world is dying.”

Gene followed her gaze.

The clouds looked motionless.

Like they hadn’t moved in years.

His stomach tightened.

He had seen worlds damaged before.

Destroyed worlds.

Broken worlds.

Even conquered worlds.

Lyra’s world came close.

But this place felt different.

This world wasn’t merely damaged.

It felt wounded.

As if reality itself had suffered an injury that never healed.

Selene leaned against him.

“Do you think Mystic Blood Valley could end up like this?”

Gene didn’t answer immediately.

Because for the first time…

He wasn’t sure.

The Hollow King was awakening.

The cult was spreading.

Entire worlds were disappearing.

The prophecy existed for a reason.

Eventually he sighed.

“If we keep doing things exactly how we are now?”

Selene looked at him.

Gene nodded.

“Yeah.”

She frowned.

“You think we’re that weak?”

“We aren’t weak.”

Gene scratched his cheek.

“We’re just not ready.”

Selene couldn’t argue.

Neither could he.

The truth was obvious.

The hotel had survived because they had gotten lucky.

Again.

And again.

And again.

The cult attack.

The infiltrators.

The ambushes.

The destroyed worlds.

Everything pointed toward one reality.

The enemy was growing stronger.

Much stronger.

Meanwhile Gene’s world still relied on a haunted hotel and a bunch of monsters who occasionally got distracted by snacks.

Lilith once accidentally won a battle because she got hungry.

That wasn’t exactly reassuring.

Gene groaned.

“I need to redesign everything.”

Selene blinked.

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

Gene began counting on his fingers.

“Defenses.”

“Transportation.”

“Emergency shelters.”

“Military.”

“Supply lines.”

“Underground bunkers.”

“World-wide communication.”

Selene stared.

Gene kept going.

“Automated defenses.”

“More schools.”

“Hospitals.”

“Fortresses.”

“Training facilities.”

“A second hotel.”

“A third hotel.”

“A giant floating hotel.”

Selene laughed.

“You always come back to hotels.”

“They work.”

She couldn’t argue with that.

The Nightmare Hotel had somehow become the center of an entire civilization.

⸻

After another few minutes Selene became quiet again.

Something was bothering her.

Gene noticed immediately.

“What?”

Selene hesitated.

Then sighed.

“The people here.”

Gene looked at her.

“The Peeps?”

She nodded.

“Emily.”

“Mary.”

“Bo.”

“The Rabbit.”

Gene listened.

Selene looked down.

“They’re all trapped in this world.”

The sadness in her voice surprised him.

She wasn’t wrong.

Everyone here felt trapped.

The Rabbit.

The sisters.

Emily.

All of them.

Survivors desperately holding together pieces of a dying world.

Selene swallowed.

“I wish we could help them.”

Gene nodded.

“Me too.”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“I mean really help them.”

Gene blinked.

“What do you mean?”

Selene looked toward the fields.

“What if they could leave?”

That made Gene pause.

Leave?

The thought sounded ridiculous at first.

Then…

His eyes widened.

Wait.

Leave.

His mind immediately began connecting dots.

Selene noticed.

“Gene?”

Gene sat upright and  hit himself in the head!

He squatted down in pain due to hitting himself too hard.

Then afterwards he tried to remember what he was so excited about.

As he remembered he got excited again.

His emotions were doing gymnastics.

“Why didn’t we think of that before?”

Selene frowned.

“Think of what?”

Gene slapped his forehead.

“Athena.”

A familiar voice immediately appeared inside his helmet.

YES GENE?

“Can you contact the hotel from here?”

There was a brief pause.

YES.

Gene froze.

Selene froze.

Both stared at each other.

“Athena?”

YES.

Gene slowly stood.

“You mean we’ve had cell service this entire time?”

CORRECT.

I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH EITHER OF YOU IF YOU WERE NOT.

Gene looked physically offended.

Selene burst into laughter.

⸻

Five minutes later Gene was still complaining.

“I climbed a giant hill.”

“Walked through nightmare territory.”

“Got chased by giant spiders.”

“Talked to an insane rabbit.”

“And NOW you tell me that we can contact the hotel!”

NOONE ASKED.

Gene stared angrily into space.

He hated when Athena was technically correct.

Selene was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

Finally Gene sighed.

“Fine, Athena please call the hotel.”

⸻

Several seconds later.

A familiar voice answered.

“Thanks for calling the Nightmare Hotel, today’s special includes 50% off any family gathering. Remember! Proceeds go to funding the new orphanage that will  soon be built at the edge of town. This is Hank speaking how may I help you.”

Gene smiled.

“Hank.”

There was a pause.

Then a scream.

“GENE?!”

The connection crackled.

“YOU’RE ALIVE!”

Gene blinked.

“Why wouldn’t I be alive?”

“You vanished into a lake and were gone for about a week!”

Hank calmed slightly.

“Oh my bad! Did you perhaps need something?”

Gene nodded.

“Please Get Me Mother Sarah.”

⸻

Three minutes later.

A shadow appeared behind Hank.

Then another.

Then another.

Mother Sarah emerged.

Several new hotel guests immediately fled.

Gene smiled.

“Hello Sister Sarah.”

Mother Sarah adjusted her veil.

“Master Gene.”

Selene waved.

Mother Sarah waved back.

The interaction somehow felt completely normal despite occurring across realities.

Gene got to the point.

“Can you open a warp gate?”

Mother Sarah tilted her head.

“To where?”

Gene looked around.

Then grinned.

“To us please.”

⸻

Several seconds passed.

Mother Sarah blinked.

Then blinked again.

“…”

“…”

“I believe that it I s possible?”

Athena answered.

PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: 87%.

Mother Sarah immediately smiled.

⸻

Half an hour later.

The Peeps and Sheeps compound gathered outside.

Mary.

Bo.

Emily.

Workers.

Farmers.

Several enormous sheep.

Everybody stared.

The sky suddenly darkened.

Wind howled.

Shadows stretched across the ground.

The air trembled.

Emily hid behind Selene.

“What is happening?”

Gene grinned.

“We are calling in transportation.”

The sky split open.

Everyone screamed.

A gigantic tear opened across reality itself.

Black fog poured outward.

Silver light flashed.

Countless shadows crawled along the edges.

Then a massive hand emerged.

Followed by another.

The tear widened.

Mother Sarah floated through.

Looking absolutely terrifying.

Black blood dripped from her eyes.

Fog halo glowing.

Lantern blazing.

Four arms folded together.

Emily looked ready to faint.

Bo grabbed a rifle.

Mary grabbed two rifles.

Mother Sarah politely waved.

“Hello children.”

Everyone froze.

The contrast somehow made things worse.

⸻

The portal stabilized.

Beyond it.

The beautiful lights of Mystic Blood Valley could be seen.

For the first time in years…

Mary looked genuinely hopeful.

She stared.

People walking.

Children playing.

Bright skies.

Buildings.

Life.

A living world.

Tears appeared in her eyes.

“That’s real?”

Gene nodded.

“Yep.”

Emily stared too.

The giant sheep slowly wandered closer.

One sheep immediately attempted to enter the portal.

Gene laughed.

“Guess they’re ready.”

Mary looked uncertain.

“Are you sure?”

Gene nodded.

“You’ll be safer there.”

Bo crossed her arms.

“This is our home.”

Gene understood.

Leaving wasn’t easy.

Even a dying home remained home.

Selene stepped forward.

“You can always come back you know.”

Mary blinked.

“What?”

Selene smiled.

“We’re not abandoning this world.”

Gene nodded.

“Exactly.”

They weren’t giving up on this place.

Not anymore.

The Dreamseer test.

The Rabbit.

The mountain.

Everything connected somehow.

And if there was a chance to save it…

He wanted to try.

Emily finally spoke.

“Really?”

Gene nodded.

“Of course”

The young girl looked toward the horizon.

Toward the nightmare-filled landscape.

Then toward the portal.

Toward safety.

Toward hope.

She made her choice.

“We will go.”

⸻

As everyone prepared.

Mother Sarah approached.

One of her extra hands carried something.

Gene frowned.

“What is that?”

Mother Sarah handed it over.

Gene examined the object.

It looked like a revolver.

Sort of.

Mostly.

Maybe.

The weapon appeared assembled by someone who only vaguely understood guns.

Athena immediately scanned it.

ITEM IDENTIFIED

CHERRY LAUNCHER

RARITY: ABSURD

Gene blinked.

“What?”

FIRES CHERRIES.

“…”

INFINITE CHERRIES.

“…”

NO RELOAD REQUIRED.

Gene stared.

Then fired.

A cherry shot across the field.

It landed at the sheep’s hooves.

The giant sheep immediately ate it.

Gene looked at Mother Sarah.

Mother Sarah shrugged.

“The vending machine made it this morning.”

Selene nearly collapsed laughing.

Gene pocketed it.

“Sure.”

At this point nothing surprised him anymore.

⸻

The evacuation took hours.

Workers.

Animals.

Supplies.

Entire herds of giant sheep.

Everything moved through the portal.

Mary and Bo remained last.

They stood before the gate.

Looking back at their home.

Their fields.

Their world.

Bo wiped her eyes.

Mary hugged her sister.

Then both stepped through.

Emily followed.

The giant sheep followed.

Mother Sarah guided everyone safely.

Eventually only Gene and Selene remained.

The portal still waited.

Mother Sarah floated nearby.

“You are not returning?”

Gene shook his head.

“No, not yet.”

Selene nodded.

“We still have a test to finish .”

Mother Sarah looked disappointed.

Then understanding.

The Nun nodded.

“I shall prepare rooms for our guests.”

Gene smiled.

“Yes for now, but we may need to build them a town of their own.”

Mother Sarah bowed.

Then disappeared back  into darkness.

The portal slowly closed.

Reality stitched itself together.

Silence returned.

The world felt emptier.

But also strangely lighter.

Hope existed now.

Even here.

⸻

Gene and Selene stood alone.

The road stretched ahead.

Old.

Broken.

Mustard yellow.

Waiting.

Far away.

A sign stood beside it.

The words barely visible through fog.

HEARTS CROSSING

Selene grabbed Gene’s hand.

“Nervous?”

“A little.”

She smiled.

“Me too.”

Gene glanced toward the horizon.

Toward whatever awaited them.

The Dreamseer test wasn’t over.

Not even close.

Somewhere ahead:

• Hearts Crossing
• The Rabbit’s warnings
• The mountain
• The truth about Dreamseers

And perhaps…

The answer to why this world had fallen.

Gene adjusted the absurd cherry pistol at his side.

Selene summoned a small dragon to ride on her shoulder.

Together they started walking.

One step.

Then another.

The road stretched endlessly ahead.