It tracked. It really fucking tracked they stopped The Harmonic Convergence, only to realize that the planet was still going to be destroyed anyway. Not only had he been dealing with the literal end of the world, but there was also that nagging voice in the back of his head that he was convinced belonged to Nameless. What else was he supposed to think? It was creepy and messing with his mental state, and just when he was about to give up? To say 'fuck it all' because he was drained and couldn't do it alone anymore? He'd discovered it hadn't been the monster in his head at all...
"Um. This isn't Fillory," came the voice again - only now? Eliot could see its owner.
Rolling his eyes as he reached out to touch the lamp post, that he was pretty sure belonged to Narnia, El didn't bother to glance Charlton's way. "How about we keep the stating-the-obvious commentary from the spectator box to a minimum?"
El was snappier than usual, his words cutting like knives through the air. He heard it, hated the tone, but physically couldn't stop himself. The exhaustion from his stint as Bill Murray in Groundhog Day hadn't been given the chance to settle in properly, but it was beginning to. He needed a nap, maybe a hundred naps. God, saving the world never got any less tiring.
"Uh, Eliot."
"For the love of Aslan!?! Unless you have something constructive to say? Leave me alone while I figure this out! Just keep hanging around, being fucking useless, but do it with your mouth sh--" It was then that he finally whipped around, and any other annoyances died on his lips before they could fill the frigid air around them.
Grip tightening around the post, El rubbed his eyes with his free hand. Maybe he was more tired than he thought? Hallucinating? That was the only explanation for him to be seeing was he was seeing only a few handfuls of feet away from him. He was dead. He couldn't be here... and yet?
"I'll take a formal apology now." Charlton said as El's eyes continued to stare in disbelief. The new wannabe Tyler Durden was leaning against the other side of the post, looking like he needed a bucket of popcorn, but Eliot didn't notice. All he saw was his friend turned love of his life turned friend again... standing in fucking Narnia of all places.
"Shut up." Pushing himself away from the post, feet like lead weights, he closed the space between them and squinted his eyes. This couldn't be real, but damn if it didn't feel real.