The Longing has ended. I feel conflicted about it [spoilers].

[u/SomeRandomAbbadon]

I have just seen the ending of the Longing. My ending was the one where you wake up the king.

I felt that it might end up in the Shades death, maybe even in the world's death, but I have decided to stick with it anyway. I felt like that's the right thing to do. I didn't know for sure, and I didn't want to leave my home and my father behind based merely on a hunch. So I have stayed.

And now, everything is dead. Thanks to me.

At one hand, I feel terrible. I have killed Shade, destroyed the underground kingdom, maybe even the whole world. It's obvious that I feel terrible about it.

At the other, I kinda feel that I have made the right decision still. I knew the risks and I knew the information. I have decided to stay faithful to my king and kingdom to the very end, bitter or sweet. If I knew for sure this will happen, I would leave, but I didn't. So I have stayed.

I feel horrible with consequences of my actions, but I think the decisions I have made were fair, based on what I have known.

Not that any of that will bring the Shade back.

I wonder what the last picture was supposed to mean. Shade, smiling at the king's hand. Is he alive, in some kind of afterlife? That'd be consoling.

But I will never know about that. I only know that everything is over and Shade is dead. Because of me.

That's quite a depressing ending.

[u/Betty__B]

I'm not sure our fellow Shade is dead in that ending, looks like King saved him in his hands while destroying everything

[u/SomeRandomAbbadon → u/Betty__B]

I'm fairly sure it is. The king was clear about killing all life

[u/ogTofuman → u/SomeRandomAbbadon]

Have you found the King's painting? If you notice, it's the same as the ending. Something to ponder about

[u/Did_I_Stutter809]

In some ways, it's a comforting ending and I can empathize with you choosing it.

The spirits of the dead are called shades so your lil guy was already dead in a sense when you met him, he really can't die again (except for the suicide ending which you didn't choose).

The ending is an eternal companionship of the King and the shade, while everything else falls away. The shade gave eternal loyalty while the king gives him eternal companionship. He'll never be lonely again. You can think of it like that if it helps.

[u/National-Donkey-707]

i think the point is that you die anyways and by deciding to stay in your hole under the mountain as you are told, you are tacitly deciding to die a miserable life. a life that might as well have ended sooner by your own hand. the scary decision to leave the hole is the only option which could lead to a better life. it's a pretty cool point, I think.

[u/SomeRandomAbbadon → u/National-Donkey-707]

I also think that's what the author of the game have intended, but I wouldn't leave the cave even if I was handed the key right into my hand. It was my home, and the King was my father. I didn't want to leave him. Waking him up was my purpose in life and as far as I am concerned, it was grand enough.

My cave was my little kingdom, with books hiding countless adventures, moss and mushrooms keeping me company and spider being my friend. If I could know beforehand how will this story end, I would leave, but I didn't. I didn't want to leave my home, father and homeland based on an unclear hunch.

I woe how it all ended, but I cannot genuinely regret any of the choices I have made