Is it just me or are we overthinking the True Ending (maybe cope)
>!First and foremost, I bank on the idea that Mark and Nicole do eventually end up together despite how act 3 ended and this is why.!<
>!The way I understood the timeline resets is that it was purely dependent on the ability of Marcole to move on from their grief. Mark -> his mother, Nicole -> Jake.!<
>!In act 3, during the spirit realm I'm not sure if it's Maria or Jake but they mentioned that in all timelines and all possibilities they tried to make Marcole move on from their personalized grief,but they can't. This is further supported with Jake saying that the only thing that remained constant was Nicole trying to find him. !<
>!Hence with this, it paints the idea that the Ruling happens if either of them are unable to move on from their own grief as a symbolism of them destroying their own world's because they themselves are destroying themselves to live their lives fully. For Nicole, this makes her focus on living in the past which made her destroy her friendship with Alex. Mark, focusing on his mother's death blinded him from seeing how troubled Cathy was. !<
>!Thus following this, once they are able to accept their grief (which is the name of the achievement of finishing act3 "let go") their lives are brighter. Kate and Nicole are friends again, Cathy is alive, and that the Ruling never happened (hypothesized since Nicole most likely graduated from a different school)!<
>!NOWWWW what about the cafe scene. I think that scene represents that Nicole and Mark are truly destined to be together just like in every timeline, but properly within certain conditions. !<
>!This takes me back to Act 3, Louise suggested that the Ruling triggers when they meet up but my argument above proves otherwise, meaning, no, they aren't prevented by the fate of the world to meet, they are destined to meet eventually. I mean they meet in a cafe called "tadhana" which translates to fate or in this context fated. When Mark calls the waiter Nicole looks at him for a while and is even in the center of his POV for a while (Nicole is the center of Mark's life?????). This essentially means that they may not be together as a couple by then, but eventually they will.!<
>!Anyway that's my theory for the ending, I'm happy to discuss it further in the comments if I sound too messy haha!<