The fire atop Mt. Ebott crackled softly, casting flickering shadows as the man continued his tale. The girl sat motionless, her eyes reflecting the flames, awaiting the next revelation.
—
In the Void, where time and space held no meaning, Frisk stood once more before Chara. But this time, the void was not empty; it pulsed with a crimson light — the embodiment of Determination.
Chara's voice echoed, devoid of emotion:
"You persist. Even after all you've done."
Frisk remained silent, the weight of countless resets pressing upon him.
"Determination," Chara continued, "a force that defies death, bends timelines, and fuels obsession. You've wielded it to shatter worlds, to rewrite fate, all for your own ends."
A memory surfaced — the laughter of friends long gone, the warmth of moments lost.
"But Determination is not redemption," Chara whispered. "It's a mirror, reflecting your true self. And what I see... is unforgivable."
She extended her hand, a fragment of Determination glowing within.
"Before I erase this world, I'll grant you a glimpse. See what I see."
As the fragment touched Frisk, the abyss transformed into a serene white expanse. Memories unfolded — not of battles or resets, but of simple joys: shared meals, heartfelt conversations, moments of genuine connection.
Tears welled in Frisk's eyes.
"Consider yourself lucky," Chara said, her voice tinged with melancholy. "Perhaps I grew bored of watching you kill my family over and over."
Frisk looked up, determination rekindled.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Then, without hesitation, he lunged forward, attacking Chara one final time.
—
The rain outside Mt. Ebott hadn't let up. The fire crackled softly between the man and the silent girl, casting their shadows against the soaked earth and trees. She sat closer now, the small jacket snug around her shoulders, her wide eyes reflecting the flames as the man's voice lowered.
"And then… something changed."
—
In the void, where light and darkness intertwined, Frisk stood — broken, bloodied, but defiant. Across from him, Chara grinned, crimson embers in her gaze, her grip on reality absolute. The strings of Determination she wove around him shimmered, binding him like an insect in a cruel web.
And yet—
He moved.
Faster than her strings could react, Frisk's fist connected with her cheek.
A sickening crack echoed in the void. Chara's head jerked sideways, a crimson droplet tracing the air.
Her eyes widened.
"...What?"
Chara stepped back, fingers brushing her face as if not quite believing what had happened.
"You… you were trapped in my strings. No one moves in my web. No human can touch 'its' magic. Not like this."
But then she saw them — Frisk's eyes, no longer stained red, but burning gold. And the Determination… it wasn't his anymore. It was leaving him. Trails of red orbs, like fragile glass spheres, floated around her now, closing in.
"What… are you doing?"
Chara's voice faltered — for the first time, uncertain.
Frisk said nothing, teeth clenched, his battered form trembling, not with fear, but with a deeper, older strength. One that even she didn't recognize.
Chara's lips curved into a delighted grin.
"...I'll admit it — you've surprised me."
"I didn't expect this. Not from you."
"It seems you've found… something. Something even I don't fully understand."
She took a slow step forward, hands outstretched.
"But it doesn't matter, does it?"
"You still haven't learned a thing."
Her eyes softened, a cruel warmth within them.
"You're just like him, you know."
The name wasn't spoken, but Frisk felt it like a dagger — Asriel.
"I could've ended this. Could've erased it all and left you to rot in nothingness. But no. You always thought you were better. That you could fix what you broke. That you could win."
The floating red spheres closed in around her. Chara's smile widened unnaturally.
"Well… congratulations, partner."
"Your existence is minutes away from disappearing."
"And this time — you're not coming back."
The abyss shuddered. The light collapsed inward.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And in the suffocating void, only two ember-like eyes remained, staring with inhuman intensity. Chara's voice echoed one last time, low and venomous:
"…Goodbye."
Then even those eyes vanished.
And there was nothing.