Transcendent - Chapter 6 - Rebirth (Patreon)

James: It's finished! This final chapter of Transcendent ended up going a little longer than I expected. I thought it would be the shortest chapter in the series, but that didn't end up being the case.

Mistress Cereza: I just finished reading it. It's so good, my talented slut!

James: Thank you, Mistress. Was the ending anything like you expected?

Mistress Cereza: After the last chapter, I had some notion of where you were going, but with the twists, turns and details you unveiled, it was impossible to pin it all down.

James: That's good to know. The only thing worse than being too predictable is being completely undecipherable.

Mistress Cereza: It's wonderful, my love. I'm so proud of you!

James: Jeez, I'm turning red here. It definitely feels nice to finish another series.

Mistress Cereza: You had a couple story notes you wanted to share?

James: Ah, yes. First of all, when I go back and give chapter one a fresh edit, I'm going to change the chapter title to "Lost." My original concept was to name the first and last chapters of the series "Prey" and "Predator", but as the story progressed, I changed my mind. I think "Lost" and "Rebirth" work better.

Mistress Cereza: Oh, interesting. It sounds like you were going for a more animalistic theme in the beginning.

James: Yeah, but it didn't end up playing as large a role as I thought it would. Plus it's just not a good look to call someone who's been on this journey a "predator", even if it's meant in a more cheeky, BDSM context.

Mistress Cereza: I agree.

James: Okay, time to divulge the inspirations for this series (or at least the ones I can remember at the moment.) Keen observers and fans of these works may have noticed some along the way.

Transcendent Influences:

• Chapter 1 - The Birds
• Chapter 3 - From Dusk Till Dawn, Jacob's Ladder
• Chapter 5 - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
• Chapters 1-6 - Silent Hill

Mistress Cereza: What an interesting mix of homages. Some excellent movies, a piece of classic literature and an outright terrifying videogame series. The Silent Hill vibe I felt from the beginning. The others weren't as obvious. I suppose I should've noticed The Birds, though.

James: They say bad artists borrow and good artists steal, but I don't like making my catalysts too obvious. I just try to weave them into the background.

Mistress Cereza: You did so beautifully. I hope all our readers enjoy it as much as I did.

James: Me too, Mistress. I look forward to the comments. And thanks to everyone whose support enabled me to finish another series! We'll be back with your next poll soon.

Mistress Cereza: See you then, darlings!