Recap / It Lives Within Chapter 21 Vertigo Cave

Matthias McQuoid reveals a disturbing truth, and the fate of Rowan's love interests is decided. Part one of the three-part finale of It Lives Within.

Tropes:

• Big "NO!": Rowan lets one out if they discover that their love interest died. Averted if Rowan joined Matthias in chapter 20.
• Bloodier and Gorier: Oh so much. While It Lives In The Woods showed a brief image of the (potentially) dead friends without too much detail, and It Lives Beneath went into graphic descriptions of the (potential) deaths of the four love interests without showing any images, this chapter both describes and shows the potential deaths of Abel, Amalia, Jocelyn, and Lincoln without pulling any punches. Connor doesn't have a death sprite^note  The results screen at the end of the chapter just shows him still in his corrupted form if he dies, but the description of his body impaled and torn to ribbons by the stalactites is harrowing enough.
• Body Horror: The deaths of the four love interests all feature this in one way or another:
  • Due to the car crash, Abel has a massive gash on his chest that leaves his heart visible.
  • After falling into the grave, one of Amalia's legs is not just broken, but snapped in half, with maggots infesting it.
  • After being brutally beaten to death by her younger self, Jocelyn's nose is so bent that it's almost touching her eyes, her eyes are swollen and glazed over, and her body has more purplish-red bruises than skin.
  • Due to him not being able to handle the Power overload when he touched the artifact, Lincoln's brain exploded, resulting in him having an Eyeless Face with brain matter and blood leaking out of his eyesockets, nose, and mouth, some of it is stuck in his beard.
• Content Warning: The chapter opens with a warning stating that the chapter may contain severe gore and emotional abuse that may be triggering. Given what can happen in this chapter, it's more than justified.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: All of the main characters (bar Rowan) will meet grisly ends if their Nerve scores are too low, or if they make the wrong choices (in the former case, all of the available options will lead to their deaths):
  • If Noah or Devon is unable to break through to Connor, he will start to attack them, and Rowan will blast him with their Power, causing Connor to be flung into the cave ceiling and Impaled with Extreme Prejudice.
  • If Abel swerves to avoid his mother's ghost, he will die in the same car crash he narrowly survived when he was younger.
  • If Amalia fails to convince the gravedigger that her life is worth something, she will fall into the grave he dug for her and be Buried Alive.
  • If Jocelyn agrees with her past self that she hasn't changed, her past self beats her to death.
  • If Lincoln touches the Power-overloaded artifact to prove to his parents that he's not a disappointment, his brain will explode.
• Despair Event Horizon: Rowan nearly crosses it if all four of their friends die. Part of them wants to continue their journey and stop Matthias...
  (...But everyone is dead. Everyone.)
• Everyone Has Standards: Several examples related to the scene where a (somewhat understandably) angry Rowan gives into their anger and kills Jocelyn for her betrayal.
  • Lincoln is by far the most vocal about not trusting Matthias, and he's furious when he finds out that Jocelyn was working with him, even saying he'd like to leave Jocelyn to the horrors at the carnival, to the point that Rowan sending Jocelyn away improves his relationship score. He is nevertheless horrified when Rowan kills her, and even breaks up with them if he was in a relationship with them, saying that Rowan is not the person he thought they were.
  • If Devon became Redfield, some of their most recent memories of Jocelyn are of her being a Barbaric Bully (such as shoving them into a locker). Regardless, they are still shocked when Rowan kills Jocelyn, saying that what they did was unforgivable, and it's implied that the only reason they didn't abandon Rowan on the spot is that they need Rowan to help protect the town.
  • Abel is by far the nicest person in the story after Connor's corruption. Rowan killing Jocelyn angers him so much that his relationship score drops to 0 (as opposed to Lincoln and Amalia, who each have a 75 point drop), he breaks up with Rowan if he was in a relationship with them, and he openly states that he will never forgive Rowan.
  • Rowan themself can severely regret killing Jocelyn, and if Lincoln or Abel break up with them, they don't argue, agreeing they're dangerous and volatile and Lincoln/Abel deserves to feel the way they do.
• Eye Scream: If Rowan makes the wrong choice during their Nightmare Sequence, a bear monster will claw one of their eyes out, and their mangled eyesocket will be visible on their sprite until after the Time Skip in the last chapter when they get an eyepatch (if they survive), or they merge with their power half in the following chapter (which heals the injury and regenerates their lost eye).
• My God, What Have I Done?: If Rowan kills Jocelyn, they can instantly regret it, but the rest of the cast will angrily point out that no amount of "sorry" will undo her death, and Rowan will have to live with what they did.
  Rowan: I'm sorry...
  Abel: Well, you have thought of that before you fucking killed her! I don't want to hear anything about how sorry you are! Being sorry won't bring her back!
• My Skull Runneth Over: A rather disturbing case happens to Lincoln if he touches the Power artifact. Lincoln has the power of psychometry and can read the history of any object just by touching it. The problem is, if an object is too full of history, such as the runed artifact Lincoln's parents want him to touch, or the knife used to kill Jessica (which is when Lincoln first reveals this), the information overload will be too much for his brain to handle, leading to a gruesome end for Lincoln.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: If Rowan's Nerve is low enough (and if Jocelyn led them into the trap without warning them), they can attack Jocelyn for her betrayal and beat the everloving shit out of her. Rowan can then choose to spare Jocelyn or go even further and straight up murder her.
  Jocelyn: Okay, that's enough! I'm not a punching bag!
• Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure: If Abel and/or Lincoln's Nerve scores are below 50, they won't reconcile, resulting in one of them (whoever's nerve is below 50, or if both are under that threshold, whoever's is lower) leaving. If this happens, they will die.
• Rationalizing the Overkill: If Rowan gives into their anger and beats Jocelyn to death without remorse after her betrayal, they will invoke this trope and say that she had it coming for trying to lead them to their death. While no one denies Jocelyn screwed up and that Rowan did have a right to be angry, they also don't think Jocelyn deserved to die for it; Jocelyn was manipulated by Matthias (an infamously good manipulator), she was only trying to protect her town, she clearly regretted her actions, and before Rowan killed her, she promised she would make it up to Rowan (though the sincerity of this is very questionable at best).
  Rowan: I had to do this. There was no choice. She would've killed me otherwise.^note In all fairness, Jocelyn DID plan on handing Rowan over to Matthias on a silver platter.
  (The response depends on who is present, in order of priority)
  Abel: No, she wouldn't have. She was tricked by Matthias, too. We all were. She didn't deserve to be killed for it.
  Amalia: You don't know that. She was manipulated by Matthias, Rowan. We all were!
  Lincoln: She was manipulated by that piece of shit who calls himself my father! Yeah, she had some responsibility in it, but that doesn't mean that your only option was to kill her!
• Rejected Apology: If Lincoln's nerve is above 50, but Abel's is not, Lincoln will try to apologize to Abel for what he had done a decade ago, only for Abel to reject it, saying it's 10 years too late.
• The Reveal: Loha was the one who created Rowan.
• Riddle for the Ages: What happened during Devon and Noah's nightmares, and how would they have died if the other hadn't woken them up in time?
• Shout-Out: The achievement you get if all four love interests die is called "Corpse Party".
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: Amalia, Jocelyn, and Lincoln all give one to the people in their nightmares if their Nerve scores are high enough.
  • Amalia is told by a gravedigger that she never accomplished anything in her life and it's time to go into her grave where she belongs. Amalia's response:
  Amalia: I'm not going down there, and I'm not dying! Not before I have the chance to make a difference in the world and do something worth remembering! So you can say whatever the hell you want, but I'm not going anywhere!
  • Jocelyn is told by her past self that she doesn't deserve to be happy after how awful she was in the past, and that she should have just died at homecoming. Jocelyn's response:
  Jocelyn: No, you're wrong. I know I was a terrible person in the past, and I'm not perfect, but nobody's perfect! I've worked hard to become a better person, and I believe that's worth something! Cody didn't die because of me, Britney didn't leave because of me, and I deserve to live!
  • Lincoln is shamed by his parents for being a disappointment, and the only way he can prove otherwise is by touching a Power artifact that will overload his brain and kill him if he touches it. Lincoln's response:
  Lincoln: No. I'm not going to kill myself to try to make you love me for who I am. Dad, I know you wish I felt the same passion for the Power that you do, but I don't! I don't want to be your heir or successor. I want to be me. There's nothing wrong with that. And you! (pointing to his mother) I don't know who the hell you are, but my mother would never say such things. And even if she did, it wouldn't matter. I don't need anyone's approval to be myself.
• Turned Off By The Jerkass: "Jerkass" is putting it very mildly in light of the circumstances, but the outcome is essentially the same. If Rowan beats Jocelyn to death for her betrayal, whether they regret it or not, Lincoln or Abel will break up with Rowan if either one is in a relationship with them, with Lincoln's reaction being more fitting to the trope.
  Rowan: Lincoln, I think we should talk about what happened...
  Lincoln: What is there to say?! You killed someone in cold blood, Rowan! Someone who was your friend— who was our friend! When I watched you do that, it's like I didn't even recognize you anymore.
  Rowan: Yeah, but...
  Lincoln: Yeah, but nothing. You're not the person I thought you were, Rowan, and if this is who you really are... (Scarring Hearts: Lincoln has broken up with you) then I really don't think we can be together.
  Rowan: Are you...breaking up with me?
  Lincoln: Yeah, I guess I am.
  Rowan (regrets killing Jocelyn): ...Okay then
  Rowan (does not regret killing Jocelyn): Whatever. Your loss.
• Unstoppable Rage: If Rowan attacks Jocelyn, their anger will get more and more volatile. Even if they stop before it's too late, Jocelyn has been beaten half to death by this point, to say nothing of what happens if Rowan gives in to their anger.
• Villain Reveals the Secret: If Rowan romanced Matthias but didn't join his side and chose a different love interest, he will expose Rowan.
  (after Rowan's love interest jumps to their defense)
  Matthias: I see. So he/she is the reason you rejected me. After everything we shared, you chose him/her over me?
  Rowan: Matthias!
  (love interest is surprised and confused)
  Matthias: Oh, they didn't tell you? My dear, you are not the only one who's had their hands on this heartless creature.
• "What Do They Fear?" Episode: Rowan and their four love interests are thrust into nightmares by the Power, each one involving their worst fear. They have to have the willpower to overcome the fear or lose their life.
  • Rowan's nightmare involves them being back in the woods they lost their family in, and Annie dares them to try and save her this time, knowing that the guilt of being unable to save Annie weighed heavily on Rowan for the whole book.
  • Abel's nightmare involves him driving a car with his siblings in it, down the same road his mother died in a car crash on, and her ghost shows up in the middle of the road...
  • Amalia's nightmare involves an elderly version of her self about to be buried in a lonely grave, with the gravedigger remarking how she did nothing in life and has nobody to remember her.
  • Jocelyn's nightmare involves her being confronted by her younger self, who reminds her of what a Barbaric Bully she used to be, and that she hasn't really changed.
  • Lincoln's nightmare involves his parents viewing him as a waste of potential, and challenging him to prove he's worth something by touching an artifact that will kill him by overloading him with the Power.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • Lincoln will not be pleased with Rowan if he finds out that they romanced his father Matthias, especially if they also romanced him too. In fact, if this occurs and Lincoln also romanced Rowan, his relationship score will drop to 0, and if he is dating Rowan, he will break up with them on the spot.
  Lincoln (if Rowan did not romance him): (Lincoln's relationship score drops by 15) Seriously?! He's twice your age, and he's a dick!
  Lincoln (if Rowan did romance him): (Lincoln's relationship score drops to 0) It doesn't matter what you did or didn't know, Rowan! He's my dad! You should know better than to mess around with both a father and his son! God, what is wrong with you?!
  • Abel will have a similar reaction to the above, also breaking up with Rowan if dating them.
  Abel (if Rowan is dating him): (Abel's relationship score drops by 25) Rowan, Matthias didn’t have to be a psycho murderer for you to realize it’s wrong to lead both of us on like that. He was like a father to me, and you knew that! How could you betray me like that?
  • Amalia's reaction is less extreme, as she simply loses 25 relationship points, but doesn't break up with Rowan, although it does have an effect on her route in the last chapter if Rowan survives.
  • Averted with Jocelyn, who doesn't seem to care and in fact thinks she deserves it.
  • If Rowan gives in to their anger and kills Jocelyn, the rest of the cast will harshly call them out, saying that Jocelyn didn't deserve to die. Even the associated achievement is called "Heartless Creature".
• Your Head Asplode: Sort of. If Lincoln touches the runed artifact in his nightmare, the information overload will be too much for his brain to handle, causing his brain to literally explode. Where this deviates from how this is normally depicted is that his head itself is left mostly intact, with Lincoln sporting an Eyeless Face with brain matter and blood leaking out of, well... everywhere it can.
• Your Mind Makes It Real: The nightmares that the main characters are thrown into by the Power affect the real world; if they die or suffer an injury, the same thing happens in real life.