Xavier's knees buckle as he collapses onto the ground. His light brown hair is stained by blood and lead fragments. All color fades from his eyes.
Slowly I walk towards him. I put my finger up against his neck.
No pulse.
Xavier is dead.
I hear a tear drip onto his emotionless face.
I run to the computer I came out of. I jump through the monitor without hesitation, breaking the frame in the process. Soon enough, I'm back.
I take a minute to breathe.
Take a deep breath. Breathe out, breathe in.
I leave my house to go on a jog. My face is still red from tears and stress.
A jog always helps me cope with pressure. But a run won't help here. "Unless…"
I remember what all the other versions of me did. They rewound time. When Yuri cut herself, and when Sayori died, and after…
Can I do it again?
I had Xavier's file backed up! If I can rewind back to the wedding and restore Xavier's file, I should be able to recreate him!
Will he have his memories? Will he still be in the state he was in when I found him?
That's a risk I'm willing to take.
For Xavier.
I turn back the clock.
Turn it all the way back.
Turn it back to when everything was okay.
Turn it back to when I thought he would be with my lover forever.
Turn it back to the wedding.
Back up his file.
Restore him.
Keep him.
I see the last two years flashing before my eyes.
Despair.
Anguish.
Persistence.
All that was thrown away.
Xavier's life was thrown away.
But I can still save him.
I see that moment, years ago. When he disappeared into thin air.
I stop rolling back.
I stop reflecting.
I'm back in that moment.
Back in that park in Venice.
I'm back in my wedding gown I chose so carefully.
Across from my groom.
Who's about to piss his tuxedo.
I back up his file.
He starts to disappear.
He tries to scream. I'm silent.
Gone.
The man from the airplane is gone as well.
Xavier rematerializes.
"Monika…"
I check his memory banks. He doesn't have any memories of the last few years. No transformation. No insanity. No suicide.
Just the Xavier I wanted all along.
"I feel like…" Xavier sounds confused.
"What, honey?"
"Like another… Like another 'me' was just here. Like I'm not supposed to be here. Like another 'me' is still out there, in the real world…"
I'm dead silent, and the crowd follows suit.
"He's hurting. I can feel it. He's suffering. He wants you just as much as I do… But, he's out of reach of you."
I think about it.
This means this is… A clone of Xavier? He's just a duplicate?
I choose my words wisely.
"Xavier, I'm sure it's just your imagination. You're my one and only, after all!"
He smiles. "Yeah. I guess so."
The priest is confused by the interaction but continues.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
I instantly lock lips with him. For two years, I never thought I would ever feel this feeling again. One of unconditional love.
I visualize Xavier, going insane once again. Buying every piece of merchandise ever. Becoming the one thing out of his reach, just to abuse it. A feeling of discomfort and unrest goes through me.
Guilt.
This feeling is guilt.
I feel guilty.
I go into my own character file. Go through and delete everything I saw and did in the last two years.
I don't need to remember.
Xavier and I continue our kiss.
My dreams have finally come true.
DREAMS OF DOKI DOKI, ACT 1 - NEW GAME: END
