Addendum

In the end, I had to let them go, no matter how unwillingly. You and your family have served as a wonderful stopgap for what I’ve lost, Elliot, but you can never fill the hole of what I’ve left behind, much as they could never do the same for you.

Two things you should know before you fall into the despondency that my assertion might have invoked.

One: my family dynamic changed long before I met you. Years ago, one of us was prematurely lost to the Collective, and those of us who survived never recovered from it.

Two: the fact that you haven’t replaced an abandoned family makes you no less important. You’ve carved a place into my heart as deep as Leski and Korix ever claimed.

Anyway, this signals the beginning of this story's conclusion. Only a few days linger between what you just heard and what’s soon to come. I hope you enjoy the next bit, Elliot. These days shaped me into the type of Lokke Vitras that I would play over the decades, but I suppose you’ll see that soon enough.