this is based on aborting the weird route during chapter 5. obviously, there are some not good themes. Proceed at your own risk. also I'd recommend pinning this message

Prologue

Today was possibly one of the worst days of your life, piled on to the worst week of your life. You were forced to watch as whatever force gains control of your body via your SOUL exploits your childhood friend Noelle's worst problems, in the process resulting in her nearly killing your classmate Berdly by casting SnowGrave on him in a dark world.

Sure that would be the worst it had gotten. You fortunately could rip your SOUL out to gain control of your body, and used this to attempt to reassure Noelle that everything was a dream, and that Berdly was fine.

What you didn't anticipate was the being driving the thorn deeper, literally. It used you to force the Thorn that started this, the Thorn that represented the Thorn Ring, the one you had removed while reassuring her, back into her finger, all while shattering any hopes she had of the Dark World being just a dream.

That left you her, 5 hours ago. You didn't sleep well at all, knowing you'd have to confront her today. Better yet, she wanted to meet you at the Lake. The one you, her, Azzy, and Dess had always played in as kids. Of course, she wasn't there to play this time, as she told you to tell her 'what she's been wanting to hear.'

You braced for the word that had been driving this whole nightmare, 'Proceed.', but... oddly... that wasn't what was said. The being controlling you had... backed down? Now?? Was it some sort of sick joke?? But... Noelle didn't care. She might not have heard what she wanted, but she solved that by literally saying 'Proceed' to herself! Of course it was too late to stop!

After repeating it to herself, dragging you out into the lake slowly, you both would lose your footing, and would nearly drown. Somehow, you had managed to regain control, and bring yourself and Noelle to shore... but the damage was clearly done.

Now, you lie in bed, exhausted. You had ripped the thing controlling you out once again, locking it in the bird cage in the corner of your room under a tarp, when your window would slide open. In came Noelle, her face blank.

"We could've escaped it all... you just had to say it, just like you said it a million times before. Just like you emboldened me to reach heights I'd never dreamed of, to grow stronger than I'd ever been, and yet... You gave up on me... How could you? Are you just... trying to torture me?! Showing me a light you'll never let me reach?? Then forcing me to live on knowing I'll never reach it?!? SAY SOMETHING!" She'd say quietly, but you could tell she was angry, as she sat on the edge of your bed.