24 full runs. i went through 24 iterations of a life led by our protagonist before i finally made one i wanted to stay for. in some lives, i was too jaded to care and too angry at the circumstances that i gave in to callousness. in some, i was curious and went down different paths just because i could. and in other runs, i treated the characters and this story with the greatest care and the reverence they deserve.
wow, i must've spent upwards of 5 hours reading through this story !! this was so incredibly well-written that i found myself genuinely lost in this world you've made and got invested in the lives of these characters. i felt the bone-deep resignation in unsuccessful runs like it was mine; felt hopeless frustration at the repetitions and the seemingly never-ending loop; felt the loneliness under the crushing weight of a world that i had to save even though it shouldn't have been my responsibility. i felt the contentment of finally settling down and giving these characters an ending they deserve. the way the plot is slowly revealed is brilliant. i feel there's still so much of this game that i haven't even touched ! but at some point, you have to stop.
concepts like this are always so interesting when done right, and this is one instance where it's clear that it's been handled with so much skill and love that it's difficult to step away once you've started. this—and you—are beyond brilliant. thank you so much for sharing this with us !! xx