Light wrapped around me like warm silk.My metal body felt weightless — not floating, but… settling.As if the universe finally put me back where I belonged.
The battlefield faded.Forkulus' broken empire dissolved into sparkles.The smell of burnt soup and heroic sweat slowly vanished.
And then—
I found myself in the quiet forest.The first forest.The place where my second life began.
Where I woke up.Where I met Pantharion.Where I sliced my first suspicious mushroom.
Everything was calm.Almost too calm.
A gentle breeze brushed across my blade.I could almost swear nature whispered:
"Welcome home."
Pantharion Lands, Dramatically, As Usual
A second flash of light erupted behind me.
Pantharion materialize — spinning, glowing, crying dramatically,and somehow wearing a magical chef cape that he absolutely did not have before.
"POINTYYYYY—"THUDHe fell face-first.
I sighed."Smooth entrance, Gordon Ramsay."
He rolled onto his… pan-bottom.His voice trembled.
"We… we survived.We actually survived."
I would have smiled if I had a face.
"We did," I said softly."Good job, Pan."
He went silent.And for the first time since I knew him — he wasn't bragging, ranting, or threatening soup.
Just quiet.
The System Speaks One Last Time
A soft chime echoed.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Divine Mission Completed.
Dimensional Link Severing…
Remaining Time Together: 60 seconds.
Pantharion froze.
"…what?"
My core tightened.
"Oh," I whispered."It means… we're being sent back.Separately."
"NO."His voice cracked."NO, NO, NO—WE JUST WON! WE JUST— You can't leave me, Pointy! You — you're my knife! My partner! My—"
He choked.
I stayed silent. Because if I spoke too soon…I would break.
The Last 60 Seconds
Pantharion shook.He clattered his pan-lid like trembling hands.
"Pointy… please… I'm not ready."
I spoke softly.
"You will be."
"No I won't!"
"Pan… listen."
I felt my edges dim.My divine glow fading.
"We both got a second life.And somehow, in a world full of monsters and chaos…I ended up meeting a frying pan who thought he was a god."
Pantharion sniffed.
"I am a god…"
"You're a moron," I corrected."A brave, loyal, dramatic moron."
He let out a broken laugh.
"You… idiot… don't make this emotional…"
A faint glow wrapped around me.The pull of dimensional recall.
30 seconds.
The Promise That Hurts
I said the words he needed to hear.
"But Pan… this isn't goodbye."
"What do you mean…?"
"We're utensils.We don't die easily.We bend, we scratch, we get thrown in random drawers — but we survive."
He hiccuped.(How does a pan hiccup? Don't ask.)
"Pointy… don't go…"
"I have to," I whispered."But one day — in some kitchen,some forest,some world —we'll clatter into each other again."
His voice broke.
"Is that… a promise?"
"It's a cutlery oath," I said."The sharpest kind."
The Last 5 Seconds
The light intensified.My form started dissolving into particles.
Pantharion lunged, trying to hold onto me — but his pan-body passed right through the magic.
"POINTY—!!"His voice echoed, desperate.
"Pan…"My voice faded like a dulling edge.
"Thank you…for being my first friend."
Goodbye
A final flash.
Everything went white.
No sound.
No pain.
Just peace.
As I vanished, I heard a faint whisper—Pantharion's last words before the worlds separated:
"I'll find you again, partner…"
And then—
Silence.
A new beginning.
A lonely forest.
A quiet breeze.
And somewhere, in another world entirely…a frying pan cried alone under the trees.