Hey everyone. Lost here. I know it's probably a surprise to hear from me again after over 2 years of radio silence. Sadly, this is not a chapter, nor do I plan on posting any more. I sincerely apologize if I got your hopes up with this alert only for them to come crashing down once you realized it was just an AN—I've been there, I know, it sucks—but I figured I should at least give you guys a confirmation that this story will no longer be updated since I said it would be a hiatus back in 2020.

When I first used that term, I thought that maybe I'd return to post more chapters someday. But it's been quite a while and I can no longer see myself doing that. I have a full time job that's paying the bills, and whatever time I can put towards writing these days is put towards writing original stories. It is with melancholy that I now formally announce this work, and any others I've written, to be discontinued.

While I now view this story as a chapter in my life that has passed, I still look back at it with fondness and nostalgia. This story was my first venture into the world of writing fiction. In many ways, it taught me how to be a better writer, and I won't ever forget that. Nor will I forget the amazing community of readers who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story, offering encouragement, enthusiasm, and feedback on how to improve. It meant a great deal to me, and still does.

I hope you all live wonderful lives and keep stumbling upon stories that stimulate your imaginations, immerse you into worlds that you never want to leave, and make you giddy with anticipation every time you get that alert heralding an update. My thanks to all of you for being awesome!

Farewell, and for one final time, Lost out!