Chapter 396: Last Minutes Before End

Jack lingered, rubbing the back of his neck, awkward as always.

“See you next time, Luke. Allison. I promise I’ll show up at the reunion… even though I have no idea how to get from Pennsylvania to Maine without, you know, existing on paper. Technically we’re dead. Have you guys processed that we don’t have IDs anymore?”

“Why did it have to be my state?” Luke groaned. “Why not New York or Los Angeles? I could have seen something new. But… yeah. I miss my Maine.”

“Eleanor’s from Washington,” Jack said. “She’s literally on the opposite side of the country. I’m at least somewhat closer.”

“And Evangeline was in New York,” Luke added.

“I’m from the New World,” Allison said. “And there aren’t planes waiting for me. I’ll figure it out.”

They kept walking. The castle still echoed with footsteps and movement, the sound of people trying to leave before the end.

“You know,” Luke said, “thinking about it… New York would’ve been the best option. It gets invaded by aliens in movies all the time. Symbolic, in a way.”

They reached the throne chamber. The portal flared, shaking with unstable light. Faces blurred as people sprinted through, terrified of being too late.

“I’ll see you on Earth,” Jack said, before stepping into the portal.

“See you soon,” Luke and Allison replied together.

They watched in silence as more groups crossed. Time moved. The world waited on the other side of that light. Eleanor stood near the portal, one hand pressed to the crystal, the glow flickering in rhythm with her breath. Finally, she walked toward them.

“Hey,” she said. “How about we just jump through already?”

“I’m staying until the end.” Luke’s voice was steady.

“Me too,” Allison said.

“For real?” Eleanor let out a short laugh, tired more than amused. “You two are insane. Brave, but insane.”

She inhaled slowly, like she was preparing her ribs for the weight of goodbye.

“By the way… our reunion is really going to be in Maine? I live across the damn country. They couldn’t at least make it New York?”

“We could have,” Luke admitted. “Why did we pick Maine again?”

“I did,” Allison replied. “It was fair for Luke. He opened the capital gates, killed the Beast Lord, and back then he was the one tasked with killing the Midnight King. It was just… a small reward.”

Everyone had agreed at the time. Even Luke. Not because he believed he’d live to see it — but because he needed something to believe in. He had always moved from “next step” to “next threat,” never the end of the journey.

“Well, if the reunion is in Maine,” Luke said, “I guess I can introduce you to my family.”

“Your family or James Bond’s family?” Eleanor asked.

“My family,” he replied.

They stayed there a while longer, talking about plans that didn’t exist yet. About going back to places that might not feel the same anymore. About what a person is supposed to do with all this weight once the fighting stops. And for the first time in a long time, the future felt close enough to touch. The timer never left anyone’s mind. It ticked quietly, relentlessly, like a hammer behind the eyes. But for the first time in days, months, maybe even years for some, it felt like something had actually ended. Like the world had finally exhaled.

Then it was Eleanor’s turn. She walked toward the portal alongside the others who had served with her in Bastion. There was something in her gaze—not fear, not sorrow—just the calm acceptance of someone who knows a chapter of life has closed.

More people walked past them, and someone familiar stopped beside Luke. It was Dustin.

“I’ll be seeing you around, Luke,” Dustin said. “Who would’ve thought you guys would actually pull it off in the end?”

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“Yeah…”

“And to think I started out hating you in that meeting, and now here I am,” Dustin said, holding out his hand.

Luke shook it.

“Good luck getting back to your family.”

“Same to you.”

“Oh, I don’t have anyone. Everything I had… is gone,” Dustin said.

Then he stepped into the portal and disappeared.

“Thank you, Luke,” Eddie said, appearing at his side and gripping his hand with both of his. “You know, my daughter Layla and I… we’re really grateful.”

He didn’t let go. He held tighter, as if confirming Luke was real.

“You’re a good man. A good man,” Eddie insisted, now pulling him into a hug that lasted a beat too long. “He’s not a good man, Layla.”

“No, father. He’s not a good man. He’s a scoundrel,” Layla replied, cradling a potted plant like something too delicate for the world.

Luke let out a slow, resigned breath.

“The truth is, I was very worried about you during that war,” he said.

“R-really?” Layla blinked, startled.

“Of course I was.”

“Th-thank you,” she managed, trying to arrange herself into something dignified.

Luke stepped closer, wearing a calm, almost sincere smile.

“And you were also worried about me? I’m flattered, Katarina.”