#but the entire game hinted at clive having to LIVE for himself

[mistress-light]

Well, maybe I am now convinced that Clive did survive.

[acursedhalo]

I would just like to say you singlehandedly saved the ending for me. I didn't even think about these things, I was too upset lol.

I'd like to add a few more things that I believe hint that Clive is still alive:

The game does not shy away from showing characters dying. All bearers and dominants who die from the curse are shown to fully turn into stone before completely dissolving, but it was just Clive's hand. Of course, Clive's hand falling limply like that was startling and immediately makes you think he's dead, but I think this is just the devs toying with you. He did just face a god and survive, so I believe him falling unconscious from exhaustion isn't outside the realm of possibility.

When Torgal howled, I assumed it was a mournful one to further drive it home that Clive is dead. But going through some gifs and screenshots, I remembered Torgal howled when Clive, Jill and he made it back to the hideaway from Dhalmekia after the second time skip. It's a "coming home" howl, and I think it's what it's meant to convey during the ending as well. It happens after the sun rises, which we know is a symbol of Clive's return. I might be misremembering, but I think Jill gives Torgal a surprised look here. Or, they share a look. Idk I remember a look.

Clive narrates the beginning and end of the story. You could handwave that away, I guess, but it goes deeper than him simply thinking these things as he lays dying. The post-credit cutscenes with the two brothers who are spiritually meant to represent Clive and Joshua shows a book called Final Fantasy that was written by Joshua Rosfield. Now, I don't think Joshua actually wrote this book, or at least he didn't publish it. I think it's his scholarly findings about the eikons and Ultima that Clive and Tomes went on to publish in his honor, and it's likely that the story Clive narrates is actually this very book. Who he's telling the story to remains up to the player's interpretation, I guess. Given the number of children in the hideaway, it could be them. Hell, it could even be his and Jill's children.

Jill is very much the player in that final scene. She immediately assumes the worst when Metia fades away, like Gav and I then did because of her reaction, until she sees the sunrise and smiles. I couldn't for the life of me understand why a sunrise would make her smile in such a devastating moment (it's not like Ultima made the sun disappear) until the above post reminded me of what the dawn narratively represents, which is Clive always making it back to her.

And lastly, Clive dying spits in the face of both Joshua's sacrifice and the message Clive's loved ones have been trying to hammer into his head for the entire game. He's been all too willing to charge headfirst into death if it means saving everyone else, and the people who love him remind him constantly that he doesn't have to sacrifice himself. The hardest thing for Clive to do is to accept the gift Joshua gave him, which is to live the life he has without his little brother.

Whether Yoshi-P will ever confirm whether Clive is alive or not, or if it will remain up to player interpretation, I have no idea.

But I've seen someone say that Yoshi-P wanted the players to feel hope when they play this game. So, I think ultimately it's up to the player to decide whether they have hope and faith in Clive's promise that he will return.

“I’ll be back. I promise” - Clive Rosfield

[multiverseinteract]

The Labyrinth- 11:20 am

Clive approached the massive structure first, stopping in front of the open gates.

"It.. Looks like the entrance to a maze," Cyrus said.

"A Labyrinth, such as in legend," Trecero croaked out. His voice was hoarce, and obviously weak, but he'd come back around enough and was wide awake.

"Legend?" Cyrus questioned quickly, "Like... Old Greek myth, legend?"

"Er.. What's Greek? I only know an old story I heard once, from my buddy Trust. His story was about a legendary Labyrinth located in the center of what he called 'The Underground'. Some dungeon stuff that I never ended up doing. It was legendary, apparently. Trust never found it," Trecero explained.

"Ah, that makes... Some sense. Dungeon stuff, though? Like.. Is that a norm?"

"Yeah, actually. Dungeons and adventures and missions and stuff like that. Our worlds pretty wild compared to yours, huh?" Farrow chimed in.

"Well, it sounds like you're just living in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. See I've got explosions, and mafias, and poison gas explosions, more explosions, guns, zip lining, life threatening situations all the time, living the life in my world. I have a corvette!" Cyrus seemed to take pride in everything he said, which surprised Rascal a bit.

"Cy, you talk of that really lightly,, you were in therapy for months after the poison gas incident, and the mafias-? Don't you remember what they did to y-" Cyrus quickly cut him off with a nervous laugh.

"Nah nah, it's all over now, I'm fine! That's just our world, you know?"

Rascal instantly caught the distraught tone in Cyrus's voice, but didn't say anything further.

"... You have a corvette?! And you know about DnD too!? The hell? A nerd secret agent? Awesome!" Alex was obviously stoked over the whole situation, and Rascal was left in awe that the corvette was what he got excited about.

"What's... DnD?" Farrow dipped an ear in confusion, and Trecero just shrugged and gave him a 'don't even bother to ask' look.

Clive approached the entrance to the Labyrinth, peering inside.

"Guys, let's focus on the maze thing. This feels important," he said, catching everyone's attention.

"Look at the top of the walls.. They are covered in spikes," Marque pointed out.

"And barbed wire, it looks like. Damn, this things high security.. They really don't want anyone cheating, huh?" Albi added.

"Guess not... Do you think it's that important, or is it a game?" Molly asked, "Like, it might just be a dungeon challenge or whatever Trecero said. Not worth our time."

Clive took a step back, considering the possibility.

"Well... Does it look like there's a way around?" he asked to Molly, who turned to look down and check.

"... There might be. I think I see a light curve at the end there. I can go check if-"

Cutting Molly off, Clive suddenly let out a yell and tried to jump back. His foot was caught, almost glued to the ground as a black form grew up his leg.

"That's an issue!" Alex yelped as both he and Albi leapt at the same time to assist him. Though, their combined efforts, along with Cyrus, Rascal, and Marque, did nothing but nearly break Clive's leg. The substance just grew more, until it had covered him up to the chest.

"Fuck! Get me out of here!" Clive wheezed lightly while still gripping onto Albi. His voice switched to an almost squeaky, audibly frightened tone as the black reached his neck.

"It's crushing me-"

Albi kicked at the source of the black, and drew back his foot in pain. Nothing he was trying was working, and soon before him, Clive was entirely covered, and suddenly the black dropped in a puddle back onto the ground, seeping into the concrete before disappearing.

"Clive!" Albi yelled as he dropped onto the ground, still smacking at the ground.

"What the fuck-? What- happened-?" Cyrus took a step back, now in fear for his own life. He tightened his grip on Rascal's hand, and Rascal didn't bother correcting his language this time.

"Albi. Look- there- in the Labyrinth. It appears similar to that of the portals the crystals create- come on, let us hurry!" Marque tugged Albi to his feet and they both took off towards the shadowy opened portal. There was a man waiting at the entrance, and as Albi tried to run right through the portal, he was met by a clear wall, stopping him cold.

He looked into the eyes of yet another familiar man.

"Oh, Albert, dear old friend. Yet from another world, I can easily tell," the man gave Albi a sinister yet surprisingly polite grin. He was dressed in a pinstripe suit and fedora, with a golden tie tucked neatly into his jacket.

"Jacque. From another world? I remember you from mine.. You lived in my world. Where is Clive?" Albi almost snarled back at the man.

"Oh not to worry, he's just fine. He's spending some time with me," the man, "Jacque", moved aside to show Clive, who'd already been strapped down in a steel chair in the center of the room.

"Clive! Clive can you hear me?!" Albi pounded on the invisible wall stopping him from strangling Jacque instantly, and Clive looked up.

"Albi-?" Clive squeaked out. Clive wasn't normally afraid, but seeing Jacque again, the one man that had bested him in the past, gave him a new sense of fear he'd never felt before.

"We're going to play a game! If you know me in your world, you know how this works already. Me and my games..." Jacque chuckled to himself.

"What game?" Marque growled, as the rest of the team was joining behind the two.

"You're going to solve my Labyrinth. Isn't that going to be fun? Clive here is located in the center. As is the core crystal you're searching for," Jacque held up a fire shaped crystal that looked like a dark smokey quartz, "The Faded Flame."

Albi blinked in surprise and moved his hands away from the portal.

"If you make it to the center of the maze, Clive goes free, you get the Faded Flame, and you can go on your way," Jacque said, and for a minute, the offer sounded good.

"However," his sudden drop in tone gave everyone an awful feeling, "Until you reach the center, I am allowed to do whatever I please to Clive. He belongs to the Torturkammer, until you reclaim him."

Albi's expression dropped upon hearing his words, and without hesitation he cried up.

"What did your world Clive do to you that would make you go after an entirely different one!?"

Jacque simply grinned, setting the Faded Flame lightly on a nearby table, that was covered as well in shining blades and tools laid out in a neat line.

"Oh, I have nothing against you, however, Clive, in my world, had a friend... He beheaded me. Cut my head clean off with a bloody butcher's knife. The sorry excuse of a man murdered me in my sleep in cold blood, but even the dead don't forget. Of course, when Neptune appeared, it was my chance at salvation. I am alive again. But seeing that someone is tampering with that, especially him-" Jacque gestured to Clive, "Sends a rage through me like nothing ever did before."

"I know you," Cyrus spoke up quietly, stepping forward, "From my world."

"Ah! I didn't see you there, Cyrus old boy. Long time no see, how are your lashes doing, may I ask?" Jacque grew a new snarkiness in his tone, and Cyrus recoiled lightly.

"Healed. You're lucky you're protected by this damn portal, or you'd be dead!" even Cyrus was displaying a new anger, which surprised Rascal, and admittedly scared him a bit.

"Oh no, dear... But we don't have much time to talk. I'll see you at the center," Jacque smirked and tipped his fedora, "Good luck surviving. But don't worry! I'll give hints on how to get to the center. All you'll need to do is follow this sound!"

Jacque pulled a small remote from his suit pocket and pressed a button, and a sharp electrical sizzling and a blood curdling scream came from behind him.

"No- Clive!! Jacque, don't hurt him!!" Albi cried, once again trying to get through the barrier, "Clive hang on, we're gonna get there!! I promise!!"

"I'll keep him alive for you, but the condition you find him in depends on how quickly you manage to get here, and only if you survive."

And with that, the portal closed, and the team was left in the darkness, facing the Labyrinth.