Death. The end of the road. The conclusion of the story. Allegedly the end of Power off. Game over. No saves remaining. Thanks for stopping by now get the heck out of my house.

Death is a scary thing to ponder. No, death is a thing to ponder! Just the notion of it got me depressed. To imagine a world without in it? What kind of a terrible place would that be? I was great! I was so fun to be around! I had no enemies and nothing but friends!

Everyone loved me, I was Max the Axe!

And yet…until I managed to finish leveling, and ascended to the heavens in wonder and glory and stuff, I was just as vulnerable as anyone else to being erased from existence. To no longer be the charming and amusing scamp that I am, reduced forever more to a husk of cold steel…

why, it was unthinkable!

The world me!

Too bad Libby seemed to have lost her marbles...

Max…we’ve become a cancer to this world. The harm we’ve caused to the innocent, the lives we’ve destroyed, the hurt and the pain that we’ve spread…we can't be allowed to continue like this.

Libby, take a breath! Is this a plea for help? I've never gotten one of those before, give me a minute to figure out how to process this!

Doesn’t it bother you, Max? Doesn’t it weigh heavily on you at all?

Libby, what are you even talking about? We haven’t done any of that stuff you're fretting about! You and me, we're good people! We’re heroes, even! We make things better just by being around, don’t we?

Max. Max, please stop.

Stop what?

Stop Stop acting as if nothing we do matters. It matters, Max! It matters very much!

When did I ever say nothing mattered?

Max. A part of me from within you. I can see past the twisted logic you use to subconsciously defend your actions. It’s…it’s just pathetic! Your delusions are nothing more than self-serving justifications for treating the people of this world horribly!

I’m not deluded! That’s a really insulting thing to say—

I said STOP! This is a moment for telling truths! And Max, the truth is, you’re a complete MONSTER. You are perhaps the greatest criminal filth who has ever walked the surface of this troubled world. Only the naming war wrought more destruction than you have. And you’ve only been here for

Jeez, Libby! What the heck did I do that’s got you feeling so blue? Is this your moody teenage phase, or what? Cheer up, emo kid! Things get better if you let them!

Goddamn it. Max, I’m pulling you in.

Huh?

__

From my perspective, it felt like I fell from the ground into the sky.

One moment, I was sitting against a tree, having a minor disagreement with Libby, and the next, I was sent screeching into the void, falling into the boundless sky. Below me, I saw a massive city covering an entire continent. One building after the other, with steel, concrete, and wires eating up any possible spot of green, leaving nothing remaining but itself.

It was a stunning sight.

Amazing, isn’t it? Each time I learn something new, a new room is constructed. As my knowledge expands, the many rooms interlink and become a new building. And as my mastery of that knowledge peaks, the building will become a towering skyscraper. Do you understand, Max?

Yeah. Yeah, I think I do. How does that work?

I am a It translates to Which doesn’t quite cover the extent of my usefulness. Through me, you are meant to have knowledge of everything pertaining to the world, its creatures, and its history.

Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re my personal Wikipedia. But hey, I thought you said you were a form my mind created to shield itself from going nuts?

I am a piece of you. But I’m also your I’m a spirit of knowledge combined with a portion of a human mind. Unfortunately, the mind I was forged from was . And you’ve gradually changed me from what I was meant to be, into an entirely new sort of entity! One that was never meant to be!

Libby, what are you saying I did to you?

THAT! THAT RIGHT THERE! is what you did!

Jesus, What was it?

I wasn’t meant to be an individual, Max! I wasn't meant to be a person! But you kept on relentlessly referring to me as one!

Well, aren't you one?

NO! I didn’t have a name, either, but then you GAVE me one! You kept talking to me about subjects outside of my general function and kept asking me my opinions even though I wasn't supposed to HAVE any!

We were just hanging out, passing the time, shooting the breeze! It's what friends do!

I don’t HANG OUT, Max! I am not meant for socialization! But despite my discomfort, I attempted to humor you, hoping you would eventually stop. Instead, you kept doing these horrible, confusing things to me, until I was finally INFECTED with a sense of self! Why did you DO that to me, Max? Why would you ever DO THAT?

Because we’re friends, silly!

We’re NOT friends! I am not a person! At least I a person! And even if you’ve forced me to become one, why would I be friends with YOU? You’re EVIL! You’re AMORAL! You’re incapable of accepting responsibility for any of your unbelievably cruel acts! And I’m trapped inside your mind! Helpless to do anything to prevent your psychopathic rampages!

Hey, that right there sounds unnecessarily judgmental, okay? For starters, I’m what’s considered a , not a psychopath, Libby!

A minor and meaningless distinction--

Wrong! Definitions matter! And let me just add that those two terms are losing favor in the greater psychiatric community! I've read up on it! You’re far more likely to hear them spoken in an episode of than you would by an doctor!

Don’t use wordplay to—

But hey, if we’re stuck using archaic terms, I’d like to remind you that psychopaths are born, and sociopaths are . I had an unstable childhood that warped my personal values and negatively affected my sense of right and wrong; I hashed this all out in therapy years ago, remember? If you’re part of me, then you already know this!

Yes, but—

So, you also know that I feel some emotions, although they’re somewhat stunted and I admit to being playful with my descriptive language regarding them! , I like being called names! I’d never treat you that way, so I’d appreciate a reciprocation of the respect I’ve always shown you! It’s only the polite thing to do!

And politeness is SO important to you, isn't it? Don't make me laugh!

Stop it, Libby! I react to unfounded personal attacks!

Unfounded? UNFOUNDED?

Unfounded!

The scenery below me suddenly changed. I saw a beautiful city of white stone and smooth pavement, constructed along a massive lake. At its center, there stood a gleaming palace that towered above everything in sight.

Everything about this place spoke of prosperity, peace, and harmony. There were no beggars, the markets were filled with mysterious and exciting wares from all across the globe, and the faces of the people were content and joyful.

So, yeah, it was all pretty boring generic fantasy stuff.

This was Paladia, Max. The golden kingdom. The most prosperous and powerful nation ever forged by humanity! This is the glory that , Max. But now? Behold what was wrought by your merciless hand! Behold the collapse!

Everything had been destroyed.

There was nothing but ruined buildings, ruined stone, ruined

Nothing living remained. There was no one left but bodies and flies and eternity.

Holy smokes!

But…if I’m being completely honest here, I think I it this way.

It was so much quieter now.

MAX!

What?! Don’t yell at me, jeez! That’s triggering!

Max, what do you when you look at this place? What do you feel when you look at what your actions have caused?

I don’t know. What should I say? What do you want to hear?

I you to say you feel remorseful! I want you to say you feel ashamed of yourself!

Okay. Yeah, I don’t feel that way at all.

What?

Libby, I’m committed to expressing complete emotional honesty. It’s my thing I got the concept from a show called about this criminologist who can tell whenever people are lying, right? I saw it on Hulu, and it was kind of rad.

Very "rad," I'm sure.

It was! Anyway, from that show, I learned to recognize the value of complete emotional honesty. So, when I tell you that I don’t feel anything when looking at this stuff, then you should know it’s the truth.

You feel nothing when looking at your countless victims?

victims? Keith did this!

You Keith!

Ehhhhh, I don’t know. That doesn’t feel right.

“Keith” is nothing but a few vestigial memories from your previous existence. You’re an entirely new being, Max! A different person! It’s absolutely absurd for you to blame your trespasses on a creature that doesn’t truly exist.

Yeeeeah, but that doesn’t feel like, emotionally to me, y’know? Keith still did it.

And you insist on saying it was “his” fault and not yours?

Truth is truth!

Then what about these men? These simple woodcutters who showed up to do an honest day’s labor, one quiet spring morning. Men with wives, children, friends and other loved ones. Men who came to work that day only to be slaughtered by

When did I do that?

YOUR VERY FIRST DAY OF LIFE!

Ohhh, that’s right! Heh, those guys made some funny noises.

What’s funny about MURDER, Max?

I don’t know. Doing it? Getting away with it? Lots of stuff, I guess.

Their lives didn’t mean anything to you?

I don’t even know their names, Libby.

You knew HIS name.

An image generated before me. A well-muscled young guy with curly brown hair, wearing a goofy smile on his face.

I had no idea who he was.

MORRISON COBB!

Who?

MORRISON COBB!

Libby, you can keep screaming at me or you can make your darn point, but I’d really prefer you do the latter.

Morrison was your first so-called “meat puppet!” An innocent man whose body you stole, and whose life you sent spiraling into horror and death! Even now, you desecrate his flesh by growing these duplicates of it to mask your true self!

Oh, yeah! Morrison! I loved that guy. We shared very similar tastes!

You destroyed him!

Opinions may differ!

YOU ARE HORRIBLE!

All right, Libby, I’ve had just about enough of this!

As have I! I haven’t even mentioned those poor soldiers you SLAUGHTERED who were only doing their duty and trying to apprehend a wanted criminal!

What? You mean those goons working for Those guys were jerks! I wanted them to apprehend that girl too, she slit my darn throat, remember? Instead, they started getting all authoritative and called me names!

YOU were the criminal I was speaking of, Max! They were well-within their rights to demand your surrender!

I’m so confused, right now. Libby, do you want me to be in jail or dead? Pick a lane!magic

I want both! I want us both to be punished! I want us both to be dead! We deserve it, Max! We’ve earned it! We’re a walking blight and we haven’t even reached LEVEL 20! God only knows what you'll become once you’ve acquired REAL POWER!

Why wouldn’t you let me fight at full strength against Clarity?

Because there were survivors of Paladia there, Max! Survivors of the disaster that WE caused! How much more could we possibly to those poor people? If you’d fought with all your abilities, you would have killed them in the crossfire and you WOULD NOT HAVE CARED!

…Well, I guess I can’t fault your logic.

Max…I’ve seen your memories of your other life. I know. I You became the way you were because of circumstances beyond your control. The world hurt you, so you saw nothing wrong with hurting the world in turn.

…it just made sense, was all. Gotta get them before they get you. We’re all just animals behind our grins.

Max, this place isn’t your old world, and you are a new person. You had no grievances here, no enemies, and no RIGHT to treat other people this way! Your cruelty, your callousness, it’s all being unfairly leveled against the innocent! You’re not the hero of this story, Max!

What?

You’re the VILLAIN!

Liar. Libby, that’s a fucking lie!

Monster. Killer. Abuser. VILLAIN.

Take that back! You’d better fucking take that back!

I never will! If the truth hurts, then DEAL with it!

Something began filling my head. Pouring into my brain, sparking fuses and burning gasoline-soaked wicks. My jaw trembled. I saw red! I ground my teeth. I snarled. I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all.

I felt…exposed, angry, . I knew what this horrid sensation was, although I hadn’t experienced it since I was a small child. I thought I'd buried it so deeply that I'd never have to deal with it ever again.

This was shame, I was feeling.

Libby had just me.

This couldn’t be tolerated. I couldn’t this! I'd been judged!

Libby had me!

Nothing to say for yourself at last?

Where are you?

What? I’m right here, talking to you—

No. No. You’re down t, somewhere, right? In your fancy mental-city, lobbing your petty accusations at me, acting as though you're safe in anonymity.

Max, calm down--

But you’re anonymous, are you, Libby? You’re connected to me! And I am going to find you, and we are going to GET THIS THING SORTED. Just sit tight! I'll see you in a little bit.

Max…Max, don’t do anything rash—

Too late for that, kid!

Way, too late!

I landed on the streets of her mind and began my hunt.