Adam walked down the narrow path leading to Mai's motel, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He felt light, almost happy, as if completing some small, insignificant task. Yet, beneath that fleeting satisfaction, a shadow lingered—a gnawing question that refused to leave him. Even if he helped someone, did it truly matter? There were countless others, countless lives burdened with the same relentless pain. Did his efforts change anything at all, or were they simply drops in a vast, uncaring ocean?
There was no reward in doing this—not for recognition, not for gratitude. And yet, it had never been Adam's goal to gain anything. Still, it felt meaningless. Perhaps it was because he had not truly suffered the pain he tried to alleviate. Perhaps that distance, that separation from true suffering, was why it felt hollow.
The ground trembled suddenly, a low quiver that seemed almost alive, shaking beneath his feet like some parade of monsters was passing by. From the chaos, Mai appeared, standing atop a writhing mass of creatures. Her smile was bright, almost unnervingly cheerful in the blazing noon sun. Around her, a bizarre assembly of monsters and animals seemed to march in solemn formation, silent companions to her radiance.
Adam froze. The black, amorphous creature that had supported her twisted, its form writhing, and turned toward him. Amid the shifting shadows, her face remained a mask of composure, though he could see the tremor at the edges of her smile and the shimmer of unshed tears.
"Adam… you know…" Her voice was soft, struggling to remain emotionless, yet her eyes betrayed her, glistening with the weight of gratitude and something more fragile—fear, relief, exhaustion. "Thank you."
Her head dropped slightly, teeth pressing together as though to hold in words too heavy to speak. "Without you, I would have—"
"Shut up." Adam's voice was firm, though his chest tightened. He stepped back instinctively, taken off guard by the vulnerability she dared to show.
"I just… I just want to help someone because they need it," he said, his words steadier than he felt.
Mai's gaze fell to the shadows pooling at her feet, wolf-like shapes pressing into the ground around her. They watched her with solemn attentiveness. "Even then… thank you," she murmured.
"That's what I want to hear," Adam said, tilting his head, a faint, soft smile forming as he observed her attempt to hide her face behind her hair and hands. Around them, the city moved on, oblivious to the parade of unnatural beings that had gathered, pressing closer, yet giving space, as if polite observers in some bizarre pageant.
"What do you want to do?" he asked.
"I want to rest," Mai replied quietly.
"Then rest," Adam said. He exhaled, watching the points of effort drain from him like currency—another two hundred gone, leaving five hundred remaining. Still, he didn't mind. At least he had done what he wanted. No regrets lingered.
From the fabric of creation itself, a new presence emerged. White-haired, hollow-eyed, and impossibly thin, a figure floated just above the ground, a cloak like wings of light trailing behind him. He radiated an elegance that made Adam's breath hitch slightly.
The Pale King knelt before him, voice low and reverent. "Master…"
Adam felt a strange heat of embarrassment rise to his face, awkward beneath the gaze of this ethereal being. From somewhere inside his mind, Rehan nudged him with a smirk. Yeah… every created being is naturally loyal to you.
"I know," Adam muttered softly.
Mai descended cautiously from the black monster, her feet brushing the ground as she approached. "Who is this?"
"Someone who will help you," Adam said simply.
"And you?" she asked, looking between the two of them.
"I have someone to meet," Adam replied.
Realization flickered across Mai's face. She smiled, wrapping him briefly in an embrace. "Then I'll wait for you. Thank you…" Her tone turned mischievous, playful, like a princess bargaining over a reward. "Then… what can he do?"
Adam thought for a moment. "Oh… a lot, actually."
The Pale King stood, expression unreadable. "I am Thalliene, the Ruler of Kaloterm, Kingdom of the Mindscape. I was… but that realm has disappeared. Now, I serve the Master." His voice carried an almost nostalgic weight, as if remembering a world that had been lost long ago.
Mai tilted her head, squinting. "Okay… so you're Thalliene, the white-eye boy," she said, unconcerned with decorum.
Adam faded into the background, arms crossed, silent, trying to act nonchalant. Mai's curiosity turned toward what this new ally could do.
"What can you do? Can you make gold?" she asked, brushing off the grandeur.
Thalliene's pale gaze was steady. "I control the four stages of existence: power, matter, space…"
"Yeah… so can you make gold!?" Mai asked again, hopeful.
Without a word, Thalliene produced a gleaming bar of gold. Mai's joy was immediate and infectious, though she tried to suppress it, unsure how to dance or celebrate without breaking decorum.
In reality she just doesnt know to dance.
"Yay, I'm rich! Thank you again, Adam… and Thalliene! I feel like I'm bothering you though…Useless" Her voice rose with excitement, drawing glances from passersby who moved aside politely, unsure if this was some elaborate street performance.
Thalliene gave a calm nod. "Don't worry. You're a friend of the Master."
Adam exhaled, tired from crossing lands to find Mai. "Yep." {If i can make you happy forever i would}
They reached her small room. Her old Toshiba struggled with Street Fighter, and Thalliene kept losing, grumbling with each retry. Dinner was simple—juice and pancakes—while Mai dove into Dragon Quest, imagining herself as the hero, slaying monsters and slimes. Thalliene critiqued the tiny kingdoms, sparse creatures, and undersized trees, rambling like an old gentleman while quietly tidying the room with magic.
As Adam was just silently petting the wolves... The Miniature humanoids and Giving them pancakes.
Time Passes.
Adam watched silently, absorbing the scene. Eventually, he stood. "I guess this is it."
"Are you really leaving?" Mai asked softly.
Adam hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah…"
The room was quiet, futons and blankets scattered across the floor. Thalliene gave a reassuring thumbs-up. "Everything will be fine."
Adam wondered if it would. [Rehan: Yeah…]
He waved goodbye, promising silently to return. The log of creation awaited:
[Leave this Plane][Yes] [No]
Surrounded by white light, Adam floated upward, leaving the world behind.
"Goodbye… Mai Jiko."