the truth(51)

(The silence is unbearable. No one speaks, no one moves. The truth hangs in the air like a storm cloud, ready to explode at any moment.)

(Henry's breathing is uneven. Amelia has gone completely pale. Jack's fists are clenched so tightly his knuckles turn white. Luna stands frozen, her eyes locked onto Dakota's, searching for some kind of denial, some kind of reassurance that this isn't real.)

(But Dakota doesn't deny it. He doesn't take it back. Instead, he stands there, unmoving, waiting for them to process it.)

Henry (whispering, shaking his head violently):

"No. No, no, no, no, no."

(His voice is shaking, his whole body trembling as he takes a step back. His usual confident, easygoing demeanor is nowhere to be found.)

Henry (desperate, pleading):

"Dakota… is this true? No, please… tell me it's not true."

(Dakota doesn't look away. He doesn't waver. He meets Henry's eyes and nods.)

Dakota (calm, unwavering):

"Yes, Henry. It's true."

(The words hit like a sledgehammer.)

(Henry's entire expression shatters. His knees nearly buckle. He looks at the ground, his hands clenched into fists, his mind unable to accept it.)

Amelia (whispering, horrified):

"No… This has to be a joke, right? This can't be real. Our lives… our choices… our memories…"

Jack (muttering, voice hollow):

"All of it… just words on a page?"

Luna (cold, distant):

"Then what are we, Dakota? Are we… just characters to you? Puppets? Just some story you wrote for fun?"

(Dakota watches them all break apart, each one processing it in their own way. It's painful to watch, but he knew this would happen.)

(They needed to hear it. They needed to know.)

(But they also needed to understand something else.)

(Dakota takes a slow breath before speaking.)

Dakota (firm, steady):

"Look… I know this is hard to accept. But there's something you all need to understand."

(Henry slowly lifts his head, his expression still filled with disbelief.)

Dakota (calm, but serious):

"Yes, I wrote this world. I wrote your names. Your backstories. Your abilities. But this world? It didn't follow my script exactly. There are things happening here that I never wrote. Events that never existed in my novel. And those moments—the ones that weren't written by me—those were real."

(That gets their attention. Henry blinks, his eyes widening slightly.)

Henry (slowly, hesitant):

"…What?"

(Dakota nods, taking a step forward.)

Dakota (gently, but certain):

"This world isn't exactly the same as the one I wrote. There are things that happened here that didn't happen in my story. Which means, Henry… the emotions you felt during those moments? They were real. The choices you made? They were yours. The pain, the joy, the fear, the happiness—all of that belonged to you. Not me."

(Henry stares at him, processing his words.)

(The others slowly start to understand.)

Amelia (quietly, as if trying to convince herself):

"So… even if you wrote this world, there were still things beyond your control?"

Dakota (nodding):

"Exactly. And that means the emotions you felt, the experiences you had, the bonds you made… they weren't dictated by me. They were real."

(Henry's expression shifts. His hands, which were shaking with anger and panic, slowly begin to steady.)

Henry (whispering, almost to himself):

"So… I really did feel those things. It wasn't just a script?"

(Dakota nods.)

Dakota (firmly):

"Yes, Henry. I didn't control your feelings. You did. You chose your own path, just like everyone else here. So even if this world started as something I created… it's different now. It's something new. Something real."

(The tension in the room begins to change. The panic in their eyes starts to fade, replaced by something else—hope.)

(Henry lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He looks up at Dakota, his expression no longer filled with fear, but something softer.)

Henry (quietly, with a small chuckle):

"Damn… You really had me scared there."

Jack (rubbing his temples, exhaling sharply):

"Holy shit, Dakota. You could've led with that part, you bastard."

(Dakota smirks slightly.)

Dakota:

"Would you have believed me if I did?"

(Jack opens his mouth, then pauses.)

Jack (grumbling):

"…Tch. Fair point."

(Henry suddenly straightens up, his usual cocky grin returning.)

Henry (grinning, arms crossed):

"Wait, wait, wait. But hold up—Dakota, even if this world is different from what you wrote, it's still a world you created, right?"

Dakota (shrugging):

"Yeah, pretty much."

(Henry's grin widens.)

Henry:

"…Doesn't that make you a god?"

(The room falls silent for a second.)

(Then—)

Jack (laughing, pointing at Dakota):

"OH SHIT. WAIT. HE'S RIGHT. THAT'S WHY THE DARK MAGES KEPT CALLING YOU 'GOD OF THIS WORLD' INSTEAD OF 'YOUR ACTUALLY TITLE.'"

Amelia (gasping, eyes widening):

"Oh my god… That actually makes sense."

Luna (narrowing her eyes at Dakota, a small smirk forming):

"…So, should we start worshipping you now?"

(Dakota groans, rubbing his temples.)

Dakota (annoyed):

"Oh, for fuck's sake—"

(Henry, grinning like an idiot, dramatically drops to one knee.)

Henry (mock serious):

"Oh great and mighty Dakota, lord of this world, grant us mere mortals your divine wisdom."

Jack (laughing):

"Oh wise one, tell us, what happens in the next chapter of our lives?"

Amelia (giggling, shaking her head):

"So that's how you always knew everything before it happened. It all makes sense now!"

(Dakota sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.)

Dakota (deadpan):

"I hate all of you."

(Henry smirks, nudging him.)

Henry:

"Love you too, oh mighty god."

(Dakota glares at him, but there's no real anger in his expression.)

Dakota (crossing his arms):

"Have you idiots calmed down now?"

(Henry smirks, standing up straight.)

Henry:

"Yeah, yeah. I think we're good now."

(Dakota exhales, shaking his head.)

Dakota:

"Good. Let's keep going, then."

(Henry's expression shifts slightly, turning more serious.)

Henry:

"So… these memories. There's still more?"

Dakota (nodding):

"Yeah. But don't worry, Henry. It'll end soon."

(Henry looks at him for a moment before nodding back.)

Henry:

"Alright. Let's do this."

(The group, now steadier than before, prepares to face the next revelation.)

(But in the back of their minds, one thought lingers—)

(If Dakota is the creator of this world… what else does he know that he hasn't told them yet?)

(And more importantly… what's coming next?)