We finally reached the lighthouse, and just as we arrived, Max woke up. I gently placed her down and Chloe immediately asked, "Max? Can you hear us? Please say something." I could see that Max was still a bit out of it from fainting at the beach, so I helped her steady herself.
"Max? Are you alright?" I asked, feeling anxious. I looked at Chloe, my cousin and one of my closest friends. Max and I had gone through so much to bring her back, and we always had each other's backs. Even though Max was different from us, we were still like little pirates, dreaming of taking over Arcadia Bay, or maybe even the whole world.
"Chloe? Aiden? I think I blacked out... I'm really sorry," Max said weakly. I could barely hear her over the loud wind and pouring rain. "Oh, thank god! Please don't ever do that again," Chloe replied, sounding relieved.
"I'm sorry... but that nightmare felt so real... it was terrifying," Max explained. She had a nightmare while she was out? I didn't want to know the details. Max and I moved closer to the cliff's edge, both of us shivering from the cold.
"This storm is our fault, Chloe! We did this! We changed fate so much that... we messed up everything! All we brought was death and destruction!" Max yelled, starting to panic. "Our powers are responsible for all of this..." I said, staring at the wild storm.
Suddenly, I felt Chloe grab my shoulder, so I turned to look at her, and Max did the same. Chloe exclaimed, "Fuck all that! You two got powers you never wanted! You saved me, and that was meant to happen, just like everything else, except for what happened to Rachel. Without those powers, we wouldn't have found her! You might not be Time Masters, but you are Maxine Caulfield and Aiden Price, and you both are incredible..." Chloe said with confidence, but I noticed tears in her blue eyes.
Max and I were at a loss for words. What could we even say? We never wanted these powers, yet somehow, we felt responsible for everything happening around us.
"Max… Aiden… This is the only way," Chloe said, handing Max the picture of the blue butterfly that he had snapped in the bathroom before we realized our powers. "It feels like I took this photo ages ago…" Max replied, moving toward the edge of the cliff we were standing on.
I approached her and glanced at the picture. "You could use that photo to go back to the moment it was taken, Max. All it would take is for me to… to…" Chloe began to cry, covering her face with her hands.
I felt a heavy weight in my stomach. She couldn't be suggesting that! No, no, no! "Fuck that! No way! You are our top priority now!" Max shouted, refusing to accept it. "Chloe, no! We won't let you die! That's not going to happen!" I yelled, my heart racing.
Chloe shouted, tears streaming down her face, "You all keep showing me how great you are! I don't even deserve this! I'm so selfish compared to my mom and you, Aiden. You're way better than I am. You should be with her and my stepdad. There's so many people who deserve to be happy and alive so much more than I do!"
I felt more and more hopeless. I had already let Jodie die because of me, and I couldn't let that happen to Chloe too. I had promised to keep her and Max safe. This just didn't seem right.
"No, Chloe! Don't even think about it! We're not trading you!" Max yelled at me. "You can't trade me! Maybe you two have been holding me back from my true fate. Just look at how many times I've nearly died or actually died when I'm with you guys! Ever since Max saved me for the first time, things have gone crazy in Arcadia Bay! I know I've been selfish, but maybe it's time I accept what's meant to be… what's meant for all of us," Chloe shouted, her voice getting more desperate.
It was clear she didn't want to go down this path. Hearing her say it hurt so much. Max and I couldn't bear the thought of losing her… not like this. We had already lost her too many times before.
Chloe, I can't hold back my tears anymore. "Aiden, listen, Max just returned to us this week. You both have given me so much love, friendship, and a sense of family. I haven't felt this happy or laughed like this in ages! No matter what reality I end up in, those memories we created together are real and will always belong to us. Whatever choices you both make, I trust that they will be the right ones," Chloe said to us.
"Chloe, we can't do this!" Max exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. Chloe held her shoulders firmly and gazed into her eyes. "No, Max... you two are the only ones who can make this decision," Chloe replied gently.
Deep down, we knew it was the right choice, but giving up Chloe for a town that meant nothing to us felt wrong. I remembered the amazing night Chloe and I had at the Firewalk concert when we were sixteen; it was unforgettable.
We had all faced so much together, and these girls had become my family. I couldn't imagine losing Chloe. Looking at Max, I saw the sadness in her eyes; she didn't want to let go either. "Max, Aiden, it's time," Chloe said, urging us to act.
Max turned and tore the photo in half. "Not anymore!" she yelled, as the wind carried the pieces away. "No, never again," I said, gazing at the fierce storm.
Max stood beside me, both of us watching the unstoppable storm. There was no use in fighting it now. I put my arm around her as we faced the chaos. "Max… Aiden… I'll always be with you," Chloe said, joining us.
"Forever…" Max murmured. "Always," I replied, feeling tears stream down my cheeks. Chloe held Max's hand tightly, and we all looked on as the tornado began to tear apart the town we once called home.
Max was too scared to watch the storm, so she buried her face in my shirt. I put my other arm around Chloe, and she hugged me back. This was probably the toughest choice Max and I had ever faced together.
After the storm passed, we climbed into my truck to leave. I let Chloe take the wheel since my head was pounding and I wasn't in the best shape to drive. Max leaned her head on my shoulder while I held her close.
We drove silently through the ruined town, and it was painful to see the destruction. Chloe parked the truck at the town's edge and touched my shoulder, making me look at her as she smiled. She leaned over to hold Max's hand, giving us both a sense of comfort that everything would be alright.
I couldn't shake the guilt of not being able to save Rachel or anyone else from the storm's wrath. It felt like there was nothing we could do to help the town. With heavy hearts, the three of us drove away from Arcadia Bay, leaving it all behind.
This was a week that I would never forget for the rest of my life. Man… Life is Strange for sure.