I walked through the halls, my Ice pulsing from me.

I was done here. I have no use for Delusion or Lie.

I pulled my power from the Earth and pushed it through me. And the stone turned to ice. The chambers turned to ice. The sleeping Imp turned to Ice.

Let it all die, I said. Let its own Lie rot it out.

I expected Bergen to come to me, but he didn’t. Good riddance.

I blasted my Power through the palace, turning it all to stone and then Ice, festered on its Lies.

There was nothing I hated more than Lie.

I moved through the Palace, passed through the throne room, and out into the Courtyard. Every foot step sending a new blast of Ice through the stone.

“May it all shatter,” I muttered and, with a flick of my wrist, the Garden gate swung open wide.

“Let it all die,” I said. And my Ice pushed through like a later frost, killing everything in its wake. I could not exist in a World with Lie any longer. I could not.

I kicked open the door, my traveller’s cloak tight around my next, and I walked on, not bothering to look back once. I didn’t know where I was going only that I was on my way. I was sick of this chapter of my life and I was closing it.

I was strong enough, well enough to journey on alone.

They have enough from me. It’s all there. I have nothing more to say.

I shrugged, allowing the Garden, the work, and all my research to fall behind me. I didn’t need it. I didn’t need anyone. No one was meant for me. I was tired of this battle. Tired of believing in Love.

I walked for a ways, the tears burning. Hating the world. Hating all of it. Hating the Story. Hating love itself. Hating everything that couldn’t love me. I stood too close to Truth to be loved. I knew that now. And I couldn’t touch anything less than Truth.

I would be a hermit.

“The Bitter Hermit,” I thought.

You want to know what Love does? It softens the heart and keeps the Desire to grow on alive… Love does not conquer all. I have decided. The hate and Fear in this world, the Lies are too powerful.

I walked into the Dark night.

I raised my hand, snapped my fingers, and the Iced Palace and all within shattered into a powder of dead ice. My own heart among the shards.