Heya, folks! Sorry about the sudden hiatus! Life's gotten a little tougher for me in the workload, and I want to take the extra care to make sure these last few chapters are extra great.

So! There might be longer pauses between chapters a few more times. But I'll be out of the thick of it soon enough!

Thank you for all the kind words and support! Without further ado, on with the chapter!

Big thank you to my beta reader, who read this chapter like a week ago lol

---

Elliot jolted awake somewhere much darker than where he was a moment before. He blinked, staring around in confusion, taking in the new environment. He was surrounded by tall purple trees and dark, overgrown foliage. He flinched.

It was a place that he recognized as Subcon, though he knew he never saw it like this. He knew that his beloved home kingdom had become a forest, not because he'd lived through it but because Snatcher had seen it.

Speaking of which, things seemed to be back to normal. Elliot felt his shoulders falling in melancholic relief. Though the last thing he could remember was Hattie reaching for the ball of timepieces, and then... he was here. Something had changed, though. His head didn't feel so crowded with memories and extra, intrusive thoughts. Hat Kid had managed to save the world, though he'd missed it, and he and Snatcher were separated again.

But the knowledge was left behind. He supposed that's how he could recognize the forest without seeing it himself.

Just looking around made sudden tears flood his eyes. He hadn't been given a single moment to process things. All of a sudden, Elliot and Snatcher had been forced to share the same headspace, and Elliot had seen far too much. Hearing Snatcher's thoughts and seeing his memories as if they'd been his own felt like treading on forbidden ground. He was not supposed to be there, he was trespassing, but he couldn't escape at the time.

Didn't those memories affect him just the same, though? For the first time, he got to see what happened after his death- to learn that he died- and to just brush the incomprehensible feelings Snatcher carried. He'd never felt such anger and grief before, and it was near impossible to think those emotions could come from him.

But now, as Elliot stared up at the trees, at the shrouded branches hiding the sky far above, he was starting to understand. The emotions that bubbled in his chest and spilled from his eyes came from the knowledge that he shouldn't have but belonged to him all the same.

He turned in a circle. He was near a tree, turned into a home. He knew now from Snatcher. And in the opposite direction was a large path. He recognized it as the one that led from the village- both in life and after it. Now it was overgrown and covered with dead grass and layers of dirt, nigh unrecognizable from the wide cobblestone street he could remember. If it weren't for what he knew now, he never would've recognized it. Or any part of the forest, for that matter.

He swiped at the tears on his face, taking a deep breath. He tried calming himself down by trying to think of how he'd gotten there. It was unlikely he appeared in Subcon immediately after Hat Kid saved the world. Besides, she wasn't anywhere with him. So did she take him to Subcon before Snatcher put his crown back on? That... would make the most sense.

And now he was alone, surrounded by a melancholic, dead kingdom. A prickle of anxiety ran over him. My old home...

Elliot shook his head, trying to shake the feelings away with the movement. He headed down the path, hoping to clear his head one way or another.

The forest air was sharp and crisp, surprisingly fresh for a place that looked so diseased. His eyes darted, drinking in the sights. Elliot could already picture every part of Subcon and had to keep reminding himself that he hadn't seen everything himself. Those were only Snatcher's memories. I should make some of my own.

His pace was steady along the path framed with glowing mushrooms. It was as if he'd walked down this road a thousand times. In his life, he had. In his death too. But this was the first time he trod down the rugged, transformed road himself.

He arrived at the village and paused. If he closed his eyes, he could still see the frame and the outline of the village he knew. The vibrant, bustling, alive village.

Elliot opened his eyes. What he saw instead of houses were hollow tree trunks of the same size. Instead of flowers and bushes, the ground sported mushrooms and gnarled roots. The people were still there but now remained as watchful spirits and hooded figures.

Several of the hooded figures were staring at him. Elliot's gaze awkwardly edged away. Why were they looking at him like that?

One of them waved a small arm and called, presumably to him. "Boss!"

He finally met its eyes. It waved harder and nudged its companion. The hooded figures clustered together, waving and jumping up and down, still yelling, "Boss!"

Confused, Elliot pointed to himself, giving them a questioning look. They all nodded vigorously, their lamp-like hoods bobbing up and down and casting light in wild directions. Nervously, Elliot headed over.

"Hey, boss!" one of them said. "You okay? We haven't seen you in Subcon for a while!"

Elliot regarded them solemnly. Oh, he realized. They think I'm Snatcher, don't they? Their concern for him had an odd meaning now that he knew what Snatcher did. He knew the minions held the souls of Subcon's residents. He knew they worked for him and were loyal to him.

He knelt in front of them, matching their heights. Elliot offered them a smile, trying to lighten the tension he felt. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'm... not your boss."

The minion stared at him, or at least he thought it was staring. It was impossible to tell with the burning bulb of its hooded face. "You're still our prince, though," the minion replied.

Elliot felt his heart shatter in his chest. "Oh..." Again, tears spilled down his face. It felt futile trying to wipe them away now so soon after they'd started, but he rubbed at his face anyway.

The minions shared glances. "Sorry, boss," one of them said. "We didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's fine," Elliot replied, waving away the minion's concern. "I-I'll be okay."

The minions shared a look. Even if their glowing expressions were unreadable, he had the feeling that they were skeptical.

"Are you sure, boss?" one asked. They all glanced back at him, their eyes like spotlights.

No. No, I'm not sure. It was meant to be a thought, but Elliot suddenly realized he said it out loud when the minions shared another concerned look. He backpedaled, forcing a smile. "Uh, never mind that! I'm fine! No need to worry about me!"

They edged another glance at him. "Do you want a hug?" one asked, sounding confused and concerned.

Again, his answer slipped out. "I-I'd like that."

The minions surrounded him before he understood what they were doing. Their bodies, he noticed, were plush and soft. The material of their cloaks was thin and smooth and was wrapped in so many layers that it felt like one's hand could eternally sink into the pillowy comfort.

Elliot grimaced; again, the tears were pricking his eyes. His head sank, automatically leaning to rest on the minions. He remembered not to with a jerk of his head, wiping the tears away so the minions wouldn't get wet. "Sorry," he mumbled, not fully knowing why he spoke.

"It's alright," multiple minions said at the same time, assuring him.

A smile slipped across Elliot's face, even if he hadn't fully meant it to. "Well... thank you, guys," he murmured. "You were... quite comforting."

One of the minions who'd snuggled comfortably against his chest lifted its head. "No problem, boss!" it said happily. It lifted one arm and reached for Elliot's head, gently adjusting his crown and patting tears out of his eyes. "Or... would you rather we call you prince?"

The other minions looked up at him, waiting attentively. Elliot sighed, smiling again. "Either is fine," he admitted. Then, with a smile, he added, "Or you could call me Elliot."

---

I do have another piece of art for this chapter.

And a bonus! The AHiT Discord's reaction to the image.

*gesturing at the image like a weatherman* As you can see, there's only a single brain cell in this whole picture. It's bounced back and forth like they're playing tennis. Fascinating, really.

Aaand that's all! Thank you for reading :)