Thank you… truly, thank you for reading this story all the way to its end.
With this chapter, the journey closes at 128 chapters.
I never thought it would stop here. When I first started writing, I had dreams of building this world out to 500 chapters and beyond. I had outlines, arcs, secrets waiting to be revealed. I wanted to let Jay grow, let Alicia shine, let Rei carve his path, and let you witness it all. I wanted to keep going.
But I couldn't.
And the reason hurts to even write down.
Here on Webnovel, only 2–10 people read the story daily. Just a handful of you. But when I checked elsewhere— on piracy sites—I saw the same story being read by hundreds, even more than a thousand people every single day.
Do you know what that feels like for a writer?
It's like watching your child smile, but not at you—smile at strangers who stole them from your hands.
I should have been happy that so many were reading. But instead, it broke me. It made me feel invisible in the very place where I should have been seen.
And I'm not strong enough to pretend it didn't matter.
So this is where I end it. Not because I don't love the story, but because I can't bear the weight of continuing under that shadow.
To the 2 or 10 of you who really did read here, who turned the pages one by one, who maybe left a comment or just quietly followed along— you are the reason I managed to get this far. You mattered more than you'll ever know. You were the heartbeat of this story.
Even if it hurts to stop, I want to leave you with my deepest gratitude. Thank you for choosing to spend your time here, with my words, with Jay and the others. Thank you for letting them live in your imagination. Thank you for walking beside me through this strange, long journey.
I'm sorry I couldn't keep going. But I hope you carry a small piece of this world with you, wherever you go. Because if even one of you remembers this story after today, then it was never truly wasted.
With a heavy heart, and all my gratitude,
– zeroShunya