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It’s a cycle of death. Killing someone and losing lives, and for three lives each, the cycle is not only inevitable, but ultimately, incredibly, endless. A book that breathes life into an empty shell can only, almost ironically, continue this cycle of death.
Tommyinnit, a child born into a simple place that was turned into war and bloodshed has been, and perhaps always will be, an important cog in this cycle for his home. He was given three lives at birth and all of them were taken, by Dream. Not technically a dream, however one could argue that his dreams for his country, for his L’Manberg to become independent, were the reason for his first two. It’s almost disheartening to think that even after his third life is taken, that it isn’t the end.
Maybe a tale of vengeance, begins. Of friends, allies, calling for the murder of Dream, how would they even get to him? Locked inside a prison and a tale of murder causing murder causing murder, begins. A simple theory, really. Say that Tubbo gets into the prison and somehow kills Dream, after singing those books Sam, as acting warden, would have no choice but to kill Tubbo. Then perhaps, Ranboo would kill Sam for this murder? Then maybe Ponk kills Ranboo? And then that brings Technoblade and Philza into the mix and then everything. Happens. All over again.
Or if you don’t like friend murdering friend’s murderer, what if nobody kills Dream? What if Dream brings Tommy back to life, maybe for an exchange of his freedom? Then what? Then a barely healing child lives with the fact that he’s only alive, because his abuser, his tormentor, his murderer three times over, struck a deal. How does he even begin to step forward from this? Dream is the reason that Tommy died, and Dream is the reason that Tommy is alive again. Dream owns Tommy in life, and in death, and there is no way to escape this. Helplessness is almost inescapable.Especially when you begin to consider, Dream’s hunger for power, for leverage only grows. Who’s to stop him from killing Tommy a fourth time? Just to bring him back. Then what’s to stop him from doing that as much as he pleases? Death is no escape for Tommy because he’s not free. Maybe dying and being brought back the first couple of times is okay, is the most ‘okay’ way that they can be. It’s not great, mental wise, but at least Tommy has his friends? His disks, his hotel, and maybe even his future. Unless Dream decides to keep putting a sword into it. Into him. Life, regardless of how well it may seem that it’s going, will always have a blade against bare skin, reminding that there is no escape. There isn’t an escape from Dream after all of this because he controls when Tommy lives or dies, Tommy is dead because of him, and Tommy is only alive because of him.
Who’s to say that eventually, Tommy will hate being alive again? There’s always the nagging blade, telling him, almost carving it into his brain that there is no escape from Dream. That he closest he will get to escape is death, but death can’t even be counted as an escape because Dream is there, untouchable, unkillable, and with a book and a method. A method to keep Tommy’s cycle going for as long as he wants.
To Tommy, Dream is inevitable. Dream with a book, Dream with the breath of life, Dream with the blade of death, there is only Dream. And even if Dream dies the reminder that life for Tommy only exists because of him. That is hopeless, inescapable, inevitable. Tommy wants his future to be his? It can’t be. Never fully. He owes all of his deaths to Dream, and his chance at a future to him as well. Dream is inescapable, and the paranoia of dying leads to the paranoia of being revived.
How does Tommy even begin to escape? Where is even the sliver of hope that this child needs?
Where is the hope that everybody needs?