I'm not the same person I was, when we wrote this story together. I miss that person, and I miss the people who helped make those memories. But I like the person I became, and the life I made. I've got a wife, and a child on the way. I've got a good job, and good friends (both online and irl). I doubt anyone will ever read this. Part of me hopes not. I've never really been the sentimental type. But every so often I get the urge to come back and to read these stories we wrote together.

God, they're cringe, aren't they? But something I've come to realize as I grow ever closer to the dreaded three-oh is that "cringe" is just the recognition of the fire that once burned in your own soul, still alight within someone else's. It's your soul shivering. But once was can be once more. Never the same, perhaps. But the fire can burn again. And I hope you're all doing well. I hope your life is better than you hoped for, back when we were here. I hope you're all out there living your best life. I carry that hope with me, just as I carry the spirit of our friendship forward here. We were just a buncha goofy kids playing pretend at the end of the world. That part, at least, has not changed at all - I am still, very much, a goof playing pretend at the end of the world.

If you do end up reading this, feel free to look me up. My most common user is TheSnoitart, so reach out on Discord, Steam, whatever. I'll keep an eye out. Part of me hopes I don't hear from you, because that means you've had no reason to come back here. I only ever do when I'm feeling some typa way, and that way is not good. I want better for you. But if you are down enough to be here, and you do end up seeing this, come say hi. We can talk about the good times, catch up on what all we've missed.

All that said, I think I'm done screaming into the void. Not even sure why I felt the need to say anything. Maybe I'm just freaking out about having a kid, revisiting all the moments when I still was a kid. Maybe winter's chill is starting to get to me and SAD is a b***h. Maybe I shouldn't trust the way I feel about anything after 1am, and it's 2:43 as of writing this. I dunno. It took me a week to read just about everything I've written on Gaia. I think my first post was 2007 or 2008. Last post was I believe 2014 or 2015. 8 years of writing, covered in a week. To be fair, not much of it is left. This guild, for example - the revamp is the only remaining writing, and that's probably less than half of what we wrote. Library of Alexandria be damned, what was lost here is a travesty. Although the words may be lost forever, I'll never forget the adventures.

Cheers, everyone. It's been a Riot.