End is The nOw.

And that’s how it ends.

“E” stands for many things:

Endings. Echoes. Envy. Evidence... and maybe even Escape.

It marks the moment reality begins to fracture — not just for the characters, but for the world they thought they knew.

Maybe even the one we thought we knew.

This is Part I of the ROTE series — a four-part, four-monitored-POV web of memory, grief, mystery, and survival, all interwoven with each other.

With a few unwanted glimpses of reality peeking through.

And yeah — bonus trauma, cults, and killer treasure hunts. 

Obviously, duh.

Each part of ROTE dives deeper into the emotional labyrinth:

Of trauma and loyalty.

Of loss and legacy.

Of the truths we swallow and the lies we live with.

Of the fallout of the symbol for justice and protection : the Police.

Of the peaceful, calm tranquil hospital room turned into a battlefield of corpses.

This isn’t just a story about a treasure hunt. It’s a story about what it costs to survive the aftermath.

A boy who inherited the wrong legacy.

Versus.

A genius who refused to stay dead.

And that might also involve a countdown that might or could just wipe everything off the map before New Year’s Eve.

In case you’re wondering — no, it doesn’t get better from here.

Because I like traumatizing people.

Yeah, I am a sadist. Deal with it.

So guys, buckle up.

Stay hydrated.

Hug your mom. Or your dad.

If you don’t have either... hug yourself.

And whatever you do — don’t trust anyone with a Rubik’s Cube.

What you just read is Part I: “E.”

The end is the nOw.

In...

3...

2...

1...

CHARACTER SKETCHES

CASPER TOWNS

AGE : 17

BIRTH DATE : 20/7/20XX

MBTI : INFP

LIKES : IDEALISTIC AND MEANINGFUL DEBATES, GOLD MEDALS, HONESTY, FIXED GOALS, (sadly) WEIRD BETS AND CHALLENGES.

DISLIKE : UNPLANNED MEETINGS AND PLANS, PRANKS, USELESSNESS, BETRAYALS, AND SECRETS.

SAMUEL BIRCHERS

AGE : 16

BIRTH DATE : 29/12/20XX

MBTI : ESFP

LIKES : CASPER, SOUR PATCH CANDIES, ANIME (has watched op TWICE, Bleach mega-fan), HUMOR, DAD & MOM JOKES, EXPERIMENTS, FAMILY, COBY, THALIA.

DISLIKE : BEATING UP PEOPLE, HEAVY CONFRONTATIONS, SERIOUS CONVERSATION, SADNESS.

THALIANA AURUM CYRUS 

AGE : 17

BIRTH DATE : 7/1/20XX

MBTI : INTJ

LIKES : FENCING, KISSES, ROM-COM, HUMUS, LEMONADA, BIOLOGY, PRAISES, COMPLIMENTS, KNIFE-THROW, MURDER-MYSTERY PODCAST...(the list goes on...)

DISLIKE : BOYS WHO CHEATS, FLIRTS, BOSSES, CONTROLLING, DRINKS, HITS, ANIME, TOUCHES, NO-CONSENT...(the list goes on...)

COBY GALVIN

AGE : 17

BIRTH DATE : 20/7/20XX

LIKES : ????

DISLIKES : ????

If you're still here — thank you.

You’re holding a thread in a web just waiting to unravel everything.

But don’t get comfortable.

Part II is coming.

Titled “O.”

And no, it doesn’t stand for “Okay.”

That’s “O” for:

Oh, no.

Oh, god.

Oh... he planned all of this.

It also stands for:

Outbreaks. 

Obsession. 

Oaths.

And the One person who refuses to stay buried.

See you there.

And remember—When the countdown ends,

The hunt begins.

That remains the FINAL question :-

What would you do if the hunt began? 

In real life?