Summary

Part 3 opens with Mateo affirming his new change, saying that the “most important goodbye” so far has been the one he said to “Past Mateo” (227). He takes Rufus to a park by a pier in an attempt to help him get some closure with his family. Rufus reveals that he has been angry at his family, wishing that they tried harder to beat death. Mateo reasons with him, telling him that “when Death-Cast calls, that’s it. Game over” and not to blame himself for his family’s death (231).

The scene moves to a brief narrative of Vin Pearce, a wrestler who has been recently out of commission because of a chronic muscle disease. Death-Cast called him earlier this morning and he is returning to the gym with a homemade bomb, determined not to die alone.

Mateo and Rufus enter a bookstore and...