Paul25 sighs, thinking, “In many ways, the brutality of the reality timeline is not much worse than this. During my greater than one-thousand-year tenure on Earth, I saw many a friend fall terminally ill — comforted and given false hope by their friends, including me.” He shakes his head, continuing his silent muse. “Here, there is false hope a plenty, instilled in all on this timeline by Dad’s all-encompassing love. They will all die, as sure as a summer leaf will fall in the Autumn to rot. And yet, like a warm end of summer day, they will feel the warmth of love from this doppelgänger of the reality timeline’s Stefan and the joy of success — all of it filling them with hope for what can’t possibly be. I feel absolved of my incompetence in creating the reality timeline. Reality sometimes kills the dream — the dream-like life on this timeline that created us.”
Paul1 breaks into a gentle cry and buries his face into Stefan’s side. “I’m so sorry, Dad.”
Stefan cuddles Paul1 tightly and strokes his hair with his bloody hand, giving him the mark of a butcher. “I know my son. I know. It was a terrible event for all of us. Now there is just one thing left to do—something that will keep your brother’s death from being totally useless."
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