Act 5 (Dénouement) – Eve’s resolve.

The cracks increase, the switches become more frequent. With each second that passes, the actors forgo their characters further and immerse themselves into the play. They do not abandon it and play it out to its conclusion. Thus, the curtain opens.

Eve: I will not accept this.

God: What do you mean? You will not accept this? It is not for you to decide. We say you will remain in the Garden of Eden. Thus, there is no choice for you on that matter, and you will stay in the Garden of Eden. We realize that you will not like it first, and we will accept that you will hate us for some time. But eventually, you will thank us for saving you from making a foolish decision because of your immaturity and this toxic relationship with her.

Eve: No. That is not for you to decide. It is my decision and mine alone. For this life is mine. You say that our lives have been tainted with evil. But what is evil? Is it the mere act of knowing good and evil? How can one be good if one does not know of it? I see good and evil, and thus I will understand how to make the world better. Adam and Lilith have helped me. And I feel neither anger nor hatred for you. I am grateful for all that you have given me. Even knowing about good or evil, I would still tend your garden. I cannot see any wrong in what I did before, and I will continue my work. It is your world, and I wish to fill it with bliss. But not just yours. I desire to bring happiness to all the endless worlds in this universe. To Adam’s, Lilith’s, and the Archangel’s worlds. All the creation in this world deserves happiness. And I will tend to make it happen. And now that I know about good and evil, I know what I can do to bring beauty into the world. And each new world will allow me to improve my work. I have decided that I shall fill my world.

God: Eve, do you not realize? There is no happiness in your path, for misery and death are all that await you. This world is cruel. It is cold; it is harsh. And you are not ready. I have created this garden as a realm of good, protected from the evil of the world. Please, stay with me. Or else, you will walk a path with no happy ending. Believe me.

Eve: I am sorry, but I cannot do. If I stay in your sheltered paradise, I will remain forever innocent and ignorant. I will never become ready. I am sorry, but you have to let me go. I am not a small child. I am an adult woman, and I make my own decisions.

And the play shatters. All actors return to their original selves. Yet, they continue the play.

Geißel: No, I cannot accept this. For your own sake, I have to keep you here. Even if I have to force you, Altera.

Eric: Sorry, pal, looks like she made her choice. I mean, yeah, sure. Who knows where we'll end? We might make it, or we might fail big time. But we'll walk. And honestly, if Altera stays with you, she'll remain miserable and empty. That’s worse than any death.

Ragna: If you tell us a thousand times that we fail, then we're going to tell you a thousand times that you've no idea. We fall a million times, and we rise a million times. The world's cruel. It’s ugly, and sometimes, I can't stand it, but we still fight. Even if it’s a slither of hope, we will keep going. We have each other. At this point, we can’t return. We move forward and reach the end. Whatever that will be.

Geißel: No, I can't accept this. You think I will let my sister die? I won't allow that. I will protect her with everything I have, even if I have to make sure that the entire world can’t harm her.

Quin: I think they made it clear. They know the good and the evil. They know suffering, horror, and misery. And definitely, they will encounter more as they continue. But you have no choice in that matter. That pure sister of yours is long gone. Instead, a beautiful woman stands before us, one that is no less worth than the one before. Whether they find a happy ending or a tragic end, that’s their choice to make. We can’t do anything. It’s their journey, they’re the protagonists of this heroic journey, and we’re mere side characters here.

Nephthys: They have each other. Keeping them away would only make them sad. If you keep Altera away, how can you make her happy to make up for the stuff you've taken from her? They're her friends, and as much as you won’t like it, they are also part of her family. They went through the levels and made it through all of them.

Jareth: As a more or less neutral observer, I can only agree. Keeping your sister with you will only harm. You cannot grow if you live secluded from the outside world. Neither will you learn. You will remain stagnant at best and reverse in the most horrible case. Meanwhile, the world will continue to change, and one day, you will never be able to catch up. A cage with bars of gold cannot hide that it is still a cage.

Altera: Sorry, Geißel. But I won’t stay here even if I don’t know what will await me. I don’t know what tomorrow will be like, and maybe I’ll be scared, or I’ll be happy. I could make it through. Perhaps, I won’t. But I know as well, my purpose isn't to make a better world. I don’t care if people say there’s no meaning in life. I don’t care if this world's cruel. I don’t care if my actions are meaningless. I’ll still try. As a Valkyrie. As a woman. As an adult. As a human being. I’ll continue to walk my path together with all the friends I make.

Geißel: I...I...[falls in his chair, the hammer falls from his hand to the ground]I lost.

And with this, Ragna, Altera, Eric, and Jareth have cleared the eighth and final level of the tower and completed their trial.