Chapter Three: The Seventh Restart

Seventh Restart

There is no longer an office, simply black space

Wander in the blackness

Find a book store

Get bored and leave

Narrator restarts the game

—Confusion Ending Schedule

Stanley woke up again, he opened his eyes. Before his eyes this time is no longer his office, but completely dark instead.

Even though he knew that this will happen after the seventh restart, his heart still tightened up a little.

"All of his coworkers were gone," he heard the voice of Narrator, "wait, where's all the light? Why is it so dark?"

Stanley felt relieved when he heard the familiar sound, he looked up and laughed.

He did not realize that the ice between him and Narrator had somehow turned into warm water. This sound was no longer a boring sequence of instructions, but a person who he cared and minded.

He decided to lie a bit—maybe not just a bit.

Narrator was still muttering to himself, "What could possibly go wrong…"

Stanley said five phrases slowly, "May fourth. London. Sky blue. Tulip. Leaves of Grass."

"How did you know…wait! How could you speak?"

"You told me that I could get your full trust if I say these words, before you lost your memory. Can I get your trust now?"

"Lost my memory? I…"

"It's a moment of life and death, let me just tell you what happened briefly."

Half an hour later.

"That's what happened in the last cycle. Did you understand?"

"I see," Narrator said, "eh…Another question, the reason I told you my secret…is really that…I love you?"

"That…It was a little awkward actually when you told me that ," Stanley kept lying with a straight face, "To be honest, I didn't know you were going to do that such suddenly."

"Ah…I was so reckless, sorry." Narrator sounded a little nervous. He seemed to be…blushing?

"No problem."

"I don't remember at all…So, what was it like? God, I can't even imagine."

"It was very touching. We both cried." Stanley said, "You cried like a baby."

"Really? I hadn't cried in years…How did you answer me?"

Stanley laughed, "I surely love you, too"

The mood suddenly became subtle again.

Stanley broke the silence, "Um, let's go find the book store."

"Oh alright. You can't see, right? Just slow down, I will tell you the direction."

Stanley walked while touching the wall. It was quiet. They can only hear their breath. Stanley couldn't help to be kind of nervous.

"I can't see the road, is this office building?"

"No, it is…How could I put this? I think it's a maze. But the style of hallway is similar to your office building, even the corner…look out!"

Before Narrator finished, Stanley hit something.

"Uh…you might already realize. Even the corner has a potted plant like your old office building."

Stanley squatted and rubbed his toes. "What about a fern?"

"No," Narrator asked confusingly, "why would you ask? Is that for something?"

"Didn't you say it will be important in the game after?"

"Oh…I think it might just be a joke," Narrator said embarrassedly, "though I don't remember saying that."

"Don't worry, I didn't really believe it."

"Okay."

"Right, is the book store still far away? Use your 'advanced point of view."

"I don't know. The maze is not a map I designed, I can only see where you've been."

"Okay," Stanley shrugged his shoulder, "I can't see, anyway. I'll just count on you. You won't get lost, right?"

"Maybe."

"What's 'maybe'?" Stanley said loudly.

"Uh…A modest way to say 'No, I won't.'"

"Are you sure you won't? You can take me to the book store, right?"

"If I know what the entire maze looks like, I can do that without trying. But now I don't know, either, so…"

"Oh!" Stanley stopped.

"Don't worry, I will remember the way. Even if we run into a dead end, I can always take you back. It will just take a little longer."

"…My dear, can you say the important point first next time?"

"Hey, we have been through many intersections, right?"

"Yes, five."

"I'm very obedient this time. I went wherever you told me to."

"Well…Want a cookie?" Narrator told a right joke rarely.

Stanley laughed, "I don't want a cookie. I want chocolate."

"I don't have that."

"I know you don't." Stanley said, "As the one who declare his love first, you haven't even give me anything."

"Um…What do you want?"

Stanley thought, then said, "Ugh, I can't think one. I'll let it go this time." He laughed happily, like Narrator really proposed to him during last play through.

Narrator didn't say anything, then said seriously, "Stanley, I won't make any story you don't like. If we can defeat the 'schedule'"

"Hey, why are we talking about this now?" Stanley got angry, "But really, what if I died? How would you deal with it?"

"Don't make this assumption." Narrator said anxiously.

Stanley shrugged his shoulder, "Where's your humor?"

"We shouldn't joke about this."

"Yes. It's something more serious than your table, right?"

Stanley found a door. He tried pushing it. It opened with a creaking sound.

It's still darkness behind the door. Stanley sighed like always, but Narrator sounded excited, "Oh, we arrived!"

"Book store?"

"Yes, it's right here! A giant book store. Let me count. There're hundreds of books!"

Stanley suddenly relaxed, and smiled. Then he felt exhausted from this travel. He laid down, "You can just start reading. I don't need to read one by one, right?"

"No," Narrator staid, he sounded exhilarated, "God, I'm so nervous. Let's pray."

Stanley laughed. Though he was still a little bit nervous, it was the first time he felt alive since the fifth restart.

He didn't talk, but laid in the darkness silently, waiting for Narrator's news.

He even felt some kind of happiness that he never felt before in a moment.

But a minute later, Stanley still didn't Narrator saying anything. He realized something was wrong.

"Narrator?"

There was no response.

Stanley had a terrible feeling suddenly. His heart beats faster. He stood up and shouted, "Narrator?"

"Ah?" Narrator seemed just regain consciousness, and answered hastily, "What?"

Stanley was relieved, "You didn't talk. I was scared. Did you read? What did you find?"

"I did. I read every single book," Narrator said. His tone sounded full of anxiety. Apparently, the sentence had not finished. There are some bad news that Narrator seemed to be hesitating of.

Stanley was stressed again, "And?"

"The book…the books had nothing on them." Narrator innervated himself and finally said it, "It's just blank paper." He stopped. He said, "Sorry, Stanley."

Stanley felt dizzy. His brain was purely blank, and then came lots of chaotic thinking. He felt himself trying to say something, but he could not organize his language, so he stayed silence.

Narrator was silent, too, in the darkness.

Neither of them talked. There was only the sound of their breath for a long time.

Ten minutes later, Stanley said softly, "So you are saying, that there's nothing for us?"

"Yes." Narrator's voice sounded far away.

"We should have thought of that." Stanley stopped. His started smiling like before, "Maybe the designer of the game doesn't want us to just get out this simply, does he?"

"Yeah."

"If the clue is so easy to find, then it will be unlikely." Stanley laughed at the ceiling, "Let's keep trying, Narrator. Don't tell me you've lost your confident."

Narrator however was still very upset. He didn't respond to Stanley positively and just said ok.

"Cheer up. Don't be frustrated. We will success. Trust me."

"Ok."

"Let's keep looking. What do you think?" Stanley walked along the wall, and asked Narrator.

"I already looked." Narrator said.

Stanley didn't say anything. He squatted down and started groping from the bottom of a bookcase, trying to find something. But he didn't even find a little nick.

Stanley stood there and thought for a while. He went to the left side of the book store, and took out the first book, "Do you need me to check the book again for you?"

"No," Narrator was still in a bad mood, "I read them. There's nothing left to check, let's just leave."

Stanley remembered the sentences on the schedule. He laughed at himself, "Are you getting board?"

"What?"

He sighed, and said softly, "Nothing, just kidding." He cheered up and said, "Shall we leave and check the whole maze?"

He pushed the door, and went forward along the wall.

Nobody talked in the darkness.

Could he get away from the fate on the 'schedule'? Stanley did not know, he actually did not have any confidence himself. He was just pretending to be more calm than Narrator. Maybe it was because he wanted to protect Narrator, maybe it was his subconscious refusing to think and face this problem.

He comforted Narrator, and tried to cheer him up, showed how relax he was, but did he really think about this question? Did he think about the ending? He asked himself, but he could not find the answer.

It was silent in the maze. Stanley's trepidation started emerging. He tried to start a conversation, "I think we walked for like half an hour."

However, Narrator didn't response.

"Narrator?" Stanley said with louder voice.

"Ah, what?"

Stanley stopped, "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing."

Stanley shook his head, "No, you were distracted. Tell me, what are you thinking?"

"Nothing." Narrator dodged this topic stubbornly.

"If you feel upset, worry or fear. It's fine. Tell me. Don't deal with all of them by yourself, okay?" Stanley said seriously, "I am always with you."

Narrator responded this encourage with his silent.

So Stanley kept saying gently, "Don't lose hope, trust me, we can do it. It's not the end, we…"

However, before Stanley finished, he lost his feeling. With no sign, the game restarted.

THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END