The team spent seven days, seven nights, and seven weeks brainstorming solutions. Some proposals were solid, while others were controversial, but the common thread throughout was that the Anti-Theory seemed to counteract each of them in one way or another.
Then, Dr. Tofu had an idea. He called the team together for a meeting to discuss his plan.
Dr. Tofu: "I have a proposal."
Dr. Vento: "And what might that be?"
Dr. Tofu: "What if we construct a narrative apparatus capable of resetting the entire narrative, effectively eliminating the 'error' within it?"
Dr. Vento: "And how the hell is getting rid of a 'glitch' supposed to solve our problem? Sounds like absolute nonsense."
Dr. Tofu: "Because the Anti-Theory is the error. It is the ultimate antagonist for every narrative within the Narrative Stack. It represents the flaw—the antagonist in every story, the 'death of the authors.'"
He paused for emphasis.
"This narrative mechanism would serve as a reset for the system."
He gestured broadly, as if framing an idea.
"Think of it like a computer.
The Anti-Theory is the bug, the error. Resetting the system can often clear up issues like glitches, crashes, or corrupted data."
He straightened up and continued.
"This device would be a 'Narrative Singularity Engine,' or NSE for short."
Dr. Vento scoffed, half-smiling.
"Terrible name, but I'll admit—it might work."
Professor Zeke adjusted his glasses, nodding slightly.
"I have no objections."
Dr. Tofu: "Good. However, constructing this machine could take anywhere from three to five years. Let's just hope he doesn't manifest during our work, eh?"
Five years passed in a blur, the team working tirelessly on the Narrative Singularity Engine. Sleepless nights turned into months, and months stretched into years, but the machine was finally nearing completion. The engineers, scientists, and scholars had poured their every effort into creating a device capable of resetting the narrative—a final chance to restore order to a stack full of narratives.
The three men gathered for a drink, sitting in the room where the Narrative Singularity Engine (NSE) had been painstakingly assembled. The air was thick with anticipation—They were about to finalize their plans for luring the Anti-Theory into their carefully constructed narrative.
Professor Zeke: "Before we proceed, how do we neutralize its abilities? It could simply turn our machine into ice or warp it into something ridiculous—like donuts."
Dr. Vento: "I anticipated that problem. So, I installed an 'Anti-Power' device. It'll force—or rather, influence—our author to write an event where the Anti-Theory's powers will be canceled, essentially breaking them down into non-existence."
Dr. Tofu: "...Sounds stupid, but okay."
Professor Zeke: "Alright, so how do we draw this thing into our narrative?"
Dr. Tofu: "It seems to be drawn to narratives with an immense amount of energy. Our narrative should have that kind of power, but it'll likely take years for the Anti-Theory to manifest in a higher narrative. After all, the dead Author Entity, 'Abby,' has been writing about the Anti-Theory for year's, and it killed her five years ago."
Professor Zeke: "We could try to find a way to influence our designated Author Entity to generate more narrative energy."
Dr. Tofu: "I doubt it. Those bastards will never listen—not for one second."
Author'sNote: "I take offense to that."
Dr. Tofu: "And I'm sure there's some dumbass Author's Note that says, 'I take offense to that,' that the reader can see."
Zeke tried to hold back his laughter, but the joke had landed too well. A small chuckle slipped out, and the tension in the room lifted slightly.
Dr. Vento just smirked, clearly amused by the exchange.
The three of them shared a bond beyond just their work—it was the kind of camaraderie that could only come from shared hardship. They had all been lowly orphans, with no one to call family. That lack of a traditional support system had forged them into something stronger—more resilient, more connected. They had become each other's family, their shared history and common goal creating an unbreakable bond.
The playful teasing, the banter, the back-and-forth—it was all part of the same tapestry that held them together. They weren't just colleagues; they were brothers in arms, fighting for something bigger than themselves, something far more dangerous.
But despite the levity in their voices, the weight of their mission hung heavily in the air. They had one shot to stop the Anti-Theory, and failure was not an option.