Somehow, Claire managing to wring even more points out of Shawn than Alex had didn’t actually surprise him in the slightest.

“Oh,” Alex said. “Yeah. That makes sense.”

Shawn tilted his head to the side. “That isn’t the response I was expecting. You don’t seem very surprised.”

“It’s Claire,” Alex said. “How many did she get?”

“150 total extra points,” Shawn replied. “I won’t tell you most of what she bought, nor will I say how she managed it. That’s her prerogative. But she did buy one thing for every single one of you that I don’t mind spoiling.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“A path out of the Ancestry that won’t drop you off where you entered it,” Shawn replied.

Alex’s face went pale.

Oh, shit. I completely forgot about that. The River King and all the other families are totally just set up right outside the Ancestry doors waiting for us to come out so they can rob us blind, aren’t they?

He reached into his pocket and pulled out Gentle Shadow’s badge. Back before they’d entered the Ancestry, he’d been warned that Leah, the member of Gentle Shadow he’d briefly met back in the Assembly with Invictus, would likely have it out for them in the Ancestry.

They had been fortunate enough to avoid her. But something told Alex that she would have been one of many inevitably waiting just outside the huge doors of the Ancestry right about now, all hoping to get their chance to take a bite out of his group.

Holy shit. That could have gone badly. Really, really badly.

“Shit,” Alex said.

“It was a good catch. Not a cheap one either,” Shawn observed. “She’s shrewd. Didn’t go for the items I expected to her to either. But that’s all I’ll say on the matter. If she trusts you enough, she’ll tell you.”

“Stop that,” Alex said. “You keep trying to sow seeds of discord or whatever. It didn’t work the first dozen times you tried. What makes you think it’ll be different now? And the Ancestry is done, isn’t it?”

“Sorry.” Shawn gave him a sheepish smile. “Force of habit. I’ve been practicing for this a while. It’s gotten really baked in. I’m still not going to tell you what she got, though. That’s her choice to make.”

“I’ve got no problem with that,” Alex replied with a shrug. “Can you tell me if the others done shopping yet? Or are they still playing?”

“They’re wrapping up. The Ancestry will be complete in a few more minutes.”

“And Derek?” Alex asked. “Did he manage to secure your Legacy? I assume there was some other challenge or some crap he had to accomplish to avoid rotting away or the like?”

“What kind of monster do you think I am?” Shawn asked. “This is as much of an exciting opportunity for me as it is for all the participants. Do you really think I would risk killing the one person that I chose to inherit my Legacy?”

“Yes,” Alex said. “I do. No point giving your Legacy to someone who isn’t truly worthy of it. If I were in your shoes, I figure I’d prefer to waste away rather than to let some idiot ruin my name.”

“Ah. Well, you’re correct,” Shawn said with a chuckle. “But Derek has already proven that he suits my path. There were no more challenges for him. He is just finishing assimilation. Do try and make sure he doesn’t get himself killed before accomplishing anything significant.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Alex said.

The two of them fell silent. A minute slipped by. Another one followed it.

Alex cleared his throat.

“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask. What are you? A ghost? A fragment of a soul?”

Shawn didn’t reply immediately. When he did, his voice seemed distant, as if his attention was no longer together with them in the room.

“A memory,” Shawn replied.

“Can you… you know. Leave?”

“The Ancestry?” Shawn shook his head. “No. This is my tomb, Alex. Do not mistake the conversation we hold for true life. You’re speaking with nothing more than the fading presence of a man that failed to achieve his dreams. Just one more star in the sky. The System is full of us.”

“And there’s nothing you can do about it? You can’t… I don’t know. Just walk out?”

Shawn snorted. “No. I don’t exist. Not in any true form. Perhaps if my original life had reached greater heights, things would have been different. But back when I walked the universe in a true form, I never made it past Sage. Now I have decayed to Master. Every moment the Ancestry is open is power slipping away. In time I will decay away to nothing at all.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Oh,” Alex said, somewhat lamely. “And there’s nothing you can do about it?”

“There is nothing that needs to be done. I am already dead. Not every penitent will see God. Not every warrior will see victory. There are times when one must acknowledge what they are. And my purpose is one alone. To find one worthy of carrying on where I left off. In a great many years, when whatever true portion of me resides in the afterlife casts his gaze back to the heights of the world of the living, I want to hear my name. That is all.”

“Oh,” Alex said again.

“You do not seem particularly impressed with my goals,” Shawn said. The corner of his lips twitched. “You disapprove.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to,” Shawn replied. “Are you displeased with my lack of ambition?”

“Yes,” Alex admitted. “I am. It kind of sounds like you’ve given up to me. You’re saying all this philosophical shit. And I get it. Some of it, at least. Being famous is cool. But you’re not dead. Some portion of you is still here, and it has enough strength to do all the bullshit we just went through in the Ancestry. So you can’t deny you have some power… right?”

“I am not helpless,” Shawn allowed. “But the System—”

“Doesn’t really seem to give a shit about much at all,” Alex interjected. “How can you just sit around and accept death when you’re not dead yet? That seems so fucking lame. You found your successor. Good job. But why stop? Why give up? You literally have nothing to lose.”

“Your sentiment is one of a young man,” Shawn said with a wry smile. “Do you think your convictions and desires will amount to anything at all in the face of natural law?”

“What natural law?” Alex asked. “When has the System given a shit about anything at all? Don’t get me wrong. I’m talking out of my ass. I know that. I know you’re probably a bajillion years older than me or whatever. But everything I’ve seen in the very short time I’ve been in the Apocalypse has been freedom. The System isn’t fair. A truly fair System wouldn’t let Outworlders loot the shit out of 274-50. But life is never fair. And while it isn’t fair, it really feels like the System is giving everyone and everything a fighting chance. Am I wrong?”

“You are not,” Shawn said. “Opportunity. That is what the System promises. Among, of course, other things. There are some that would argue whether greater opportunity equivales to fairness or not, but I understand your argument.”

“So you think you’re above the System?”

“I see where you’re taking this.” Shawn shook his head. “But opportunity is for the living. There is nothing left for me to take. Everything in the Ancestry is borne of what I once was.”

“Sounds like the kind of shit a guy hiding away in a bunker would say,” Alex said. “If you’re slowly rotting away and you’ve already found your successor, I’m not really seeing what you’re risking here. Wouldn’t you rather die actually trying? I don’t know. I’m not you. It’s not like I’ve got a dog in the fight. It just seems so… sad. Wasting away for no reason.”

A flicker of anger broke through Shawn’s calm exterior and crossed over the giant’s features.

“Do you think I want to rot away into nothing?” Shawn asked.

“Dunno. You tell me,” Alex replied. “Because it sure as hell sounds like you do. You’ve literally got less excuse than a random salaryman who hates his job.”

Shawn stared at Alex. “What?”

“I mean, think about it. Back before the Apocalypse… there were countless people just, you know, stuck. Stuck working a job they hate. But a bunch of those guys didn’t have a choice. They had families. Wives. Parents. Kids. You know. All that shit. You have to put food on the table. Life didn’t give them a choice.”

“You think I chose to die?” Shawn asked.

“Who gives a shit about what happened?” Alex demanded. “You’re pissing me off, Shawn. You’ve got a successor. It’s not like you have to clock in for 12 hours a day and never have a moment to yourself. You say your existence is already draining away. If you said you were tired with life or some shit, I could totally buy that. It’s fair. But you don’t want to die. You’re not tired. The salaryman has a family and future to risk. What do you have? Nothing. Nothing at all.”

“I am nothing,” Shawn snarled. “Nothing at all of the being you converse with remains but a fading memory.”

“Maybe the memory wants to fade,” Alex said. “If you’re really nothing, then what the hell do you have to lose? What excuse are you going to have when you meet one of those people that never got a chance at freedom in the afterlife? You think they’re going to accept that you just had no choice? When you had all the choice in the world and you just elected to sit and do nothing?”

Shawn was silent for a moment. Then he snorted. “And what would you do, were you in my situation?”

Alex scratched the back of his neck. “No clue, man. That’s your problem to figure out. But I know I’d try to do something. I sure as hell wouldn’t just sit around and wait for the inevitable. Not again.”

“Again?” Shawn asked. “You imply you’ve been in a situation even remotely close to mine?”

“You try prepping for coding interviews,” Alex said. “Shit sucks, man. No way in hell am I doing that again.”

“What?” Shawn’s brow furrowed. “What is that?”

“You know what? Never mind. I’m just saying this world is pretty fucking sweet. You can do whatever the hell you want to. That’s not an opportunity everyone has. It would be one thing to do nothing if you just wanted to fade away. But the fact that you don’t want to die and are still doing nothing… you’re dead anyway, right? What do you have to lose? Existence isn’t living. I don’t think they could possibly be more different.”

Shawn observed Alex in silence for several long seconds. Then the giant’s head tilted slightly to the side.

“The others have finished.”

“Wow,” Alex said. “What fortunate timing.”

“Why do you care so much?” Shawn asked.

“Because this is pissing me off,” Alex said. He gestured vaguely to Shawn. “But if you’re going to just sit back and let yourself die, do you wanna give me the rest of your shit? I’ll take it off your hands.”

Shawn let out a bark of laughter. “No.”

“Figured. It was worth a try, though.”

“Yes. I suppose it was,” Shawn said. A pensive look passed over the giant’s features for no more than a split second. Then it was gone again. “It was… interesting, Alex.”

“Thanks for the stuff,” Alex said with a thumbs-up. “And for the info. Until next time.”

“There won’t be a next time,” Shawn said.

Alex shrugged one shoulder. “I guess. Saying goodbye feels a bit too much. We aren’t friends or anything. It’s always until next time with new acquaintances. After all, you never know.”

Shawn grunted. “I suppose you don’t. Until next time, Alex.”

Then he snapped his fingers, and the world was gone.