Lh11rar -

A "proper" ending shouldn't just go back to the start; it should establish a new reality for the hero, for better or worse.

Elara didn't run. You can't run when there’s nowhere to go but down. She swung the heavy iron key like a hammer. lh11rar

She stepped off the marble onto a floating cobblestone path that knit itself together just as her foot descended. To her left, a piece of a clock tower drifted by, its gears frozen at 12:04. To her right, a garden bench held a statue of a man holding a bunch of stone roses. He looked peaceful. Elara envied the stone. A "proper" ending shouldn't just go back to

She stood up, her boots crunching on what used to be poetry. In her hand, she gripped a heavy iron key, cold enough to bite through her glove. It wasn't for a door. In this new world, doors were luxuries for people with walls. This key was an anchor. She swung the heavy iron key like a hammer

"Proper story’s supposed to start at the beginning. Ain't so simple with this one."