Ace quickly stepped into the shower, taking only a few minutes to wash away the chill. Afterward, he changed into more comfortable clothes. After showering, he enjoyed a slice of strawberry cake.
Then he made his way to Marcus' office, where the lights were on.
The familiar sight of a well-organized office, filled with the comforting aroma of ink and coffee, greeted him upon entering. The quiet tapping of keyboard keys added a rhythmic backdrop. He noticed neatly stacked papers on the desk, books lining up in tidy rows on the shelves. The workspace was spotless, with a single coffee mug resting on a coaster, perfectly placed.
As he stepped inside, Ace spotted Marcus sitting in his prized chair—a chair so comfortable, he had jokingly called it a piece of heaven itself. Ace wasn't supposed to sit in it, though he'd sneaked a try once when the man wasn't around.
"Hey," Ace said, realizing the Old man was too focused to notice him.
Marcus looked up, startled by Ace's sudden appearance. "Oh! Hey, kid," he said, as his eyes relaxed. "I'm just wrapping up a few things here. You can read the Final Chapter if you want."
Ace narrowed his eyes, sensing something off. "You already read it, didn't you?"
Marcus's expression shifted as he looked away, saying, "Maybe... yeah..."
Ace let out an exasperated sigh, and said, "Every time…"
Ever since they started reading Outer Tales together, the Old man had always finished each new chapter ahead of Ace. He just couldn't help himself—the excitement was too much to wait. Plus, with chapters usually releasing while Ace was still at school, Marcus often got a head start before Ace even had a chance to open the site to read.
"Sorry…" Marcus said that with an ashamed smile while scratching his head.
Ace settled into a pouf in the corner of the room and pulled out his phone. Within moments, he found the site and saw the words he'd been waiting for: 'Final Chapter.' Without waiting much, he tapped to read.
Ace's excitement didn't quite match his Marcus'. In truth, he'd never been that interested in Outer Tales.
He'd only started reading it because Marcus loved the series too much, always talking about it with a spark in his eyes. Wanting to share something with the man, Ace started reading as well.
And he kinda likes it. Is not that good, but is not that bad either.
At least, that's what Ace had thought—until now. But after reading the 'Final Chapter,' everything changed.
"This is absolute nonsense!" Iske said, rising from the pouf.
Marcus glanced up, noticing the frustration etched across Ace's face, and furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?"
"This ending is ridiculous!" Ace shot back, pointing angrily at the phone. "What kind of ending is this? It makes no sense!"
Marcus closed his laptop, his attention fully shifting to Ace. "What didn't you like about it?"
"Everything—what's the point of it all?" Ace snapped, his voice thick with frustration. "Liam's entire journey was pointless! All that struggle, and for what? Just for the villain to win? Iske being the villain was a brilliant twist, sure, but then to find out he was just a vessel for the real antagonist? That's ridiculous! And Liam dying in the end? They lose everything! This is just nonsense!"
Ace paused for a moment, taking a deep breath after rushing through his words. Marcus stayed quiet, giving him space to gather his thoughts. Finally, Ace shook his head in disbelief and said, "This ending is absolutely ridiculous…"
Ace braced himself for Marcus to argue, to defend the book he held in such high regard. But instead, the Old man burst into laughter, his chuckles filling the room.
"It's a terrible ending, isn't it?" he said through his laughter. "I thought the same thing."
Ace's eyes widened slightly in surprise for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Exactly! What kind of ending was that?"
"Yeah, everything felt pointless. Liam kills his best friend, only to find out Iske was just a vessel for the real antagonist. Then, with barely any fight, the villain strikes him down in one blow, and that's it. The book just ends. No closure, no resolution."
Ace nodded quickly. "Yeah, if it were me, I would have changed so many things."
Marcus leaned back, resting his chin on his hand as he studied Ace. "Yeah? Like what exactly?"
"First, Iske being the villain," Ace said firmly.
"I thought you liked him being the villain?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It was a good twist. But I still want him to have a happy ending. And, of course, everyone else too. Liam shouldn't die. I hate bad endings, especially when they're poorly executed."
Marcus chuckled, "So, you want a happy ending?"
Ace nodded. "It's too cruel. After everything, they just die."
Marcus agreed with a nod. "Yeah, I get it. I would save everyone too—especially Iske, Natalie, and Jacob."
Ace rolled his eyes. Of all the characters, Marcus liked those three the most, which always confused him.
"I don't get why you like them so much," he said, raising an eyebrow. "They barely even had any screen time."
Marcus let out a faint smile, one that was enigmatic for Ace. He couldn't decipher it, no matter how many times he saw it.
"Well, I do love them," Marcus said, his eyes relaxing in a kind manner. An expression Ace saw many times already.
Before Ace could inquire further, Marcus stood up, effortlessly changing the subject. "I'm going to make dinner."
Ace frowned suspiciously at that. "You?"
"Yeah, I know how to cook," Marcus replied, sounding offended.
Ace rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure, I've been here for years, and you have not once cooked"
"Very well, then I'll cook the best meal you will ever have"
Ace nodded nonchalantly. "Sure, go ahead. I'll just order takeout for both of us after you inevitably burn whatever you're attempting to cook."
Marcus took that as a challenge and headed down to the kitchen, determined to prove Ace wrong.
Meanwhile, Ace settled back onto the pouf, slipped his airpods in, and let the music flow through him as he opened the 'Final Chapter' once more. He read through it again, trying to make sense of the ending, all while bracing himself for the inevitable disaster that would come with Marcus' attempt at dinner.
About thirty minutes later, a burnt smell wafted through the house, and Ace couldn't help but smile, thinking, 'He really did burn the food?'
'What a waste'
Leaving the office, Ace headed for the kitchen, already imagining how he would tease the Old man about burning dinner. As he descended the stairs, the lights were all on and the smell of charred food intensified.
"I told you we should order takeout!" Ace shouted.
However, there was no reply. Ace didn't find it strange at first; he figured that Marcus might be embarrassed after burning the food. As he reached the living room, though, he found it empty.
At that moment, a flash of lightning struck, startling Ace as the deep sound of rain poured outside, making it feel as if the world were coming to an end.
However, his attention quickly shifted to the stove, where thick smoke billowed from the oven.
Ace frowned, his thoughts immediately racing, 'Where is he?'
"Old man?!"
His voice echoing through the now eerily quiet house. He moved cautiously toward the stove, the smell of burnt food thick in the air.
Suddenly, as he reached the kitchen, a flash of lightning lit up the room, jolting Ace from his focus. He spun around, and his heart sank. There, behind the counter, lay Marcus unconscious on the floor.
Ace froze, rooted to the spot as the scene before him unfolded in surreal slow motion.
The heavy downpour outside seemed to grow louder, pounding against the windows with relentless force. Smoke lingered in the air, thick and bitter—a scent Ace knew all too well.
As the rain intensified, memories surged within him. Yet he couldn't hear the storm; he could only feel the sharp smell of fire and smoke.
A sharp, ringing sound began to buzz in his ears, faint at first, but growing steadily louder, like a distant scream creeping closer.
It swallowed the world around him, drowning out all thought, all sensation, until it was the only thing left. The tinnitus became a relentless pulse, hammering in rhythm with his heart, suffocating him as his gaze remained fixed on Marcus, motionless on the cold floor.
"Old man?"