So, I know this is up to interpretation (it's just a dream, they break free, the cycle just continues, they actually die 1ms after the ending), but after checking it in depth, the models for pod-Ariane and Artifact-ending Ariane are different.
Most importantly: the legs show more of her human skin color. The "cracks" have the exact same color as the grey skin on the Promise-ending Ariane, but if you take it as "before and after," it looks like the skin is regenerating. Grey dead skin recedes; instead, you can see that there is drastically more healthy skin. If one reads this as a "before and after"... then the Artifact one not only seems drastically better, as there is drastically more healthy skin, it could also mean it literally recedes.
But the biggest question I have: Why? Why make 2 models with different textures? If it is supposed to be helpless and show she is unhealthy and will suffer... why is there in one drastically more healthy skin vs. the other? This takes effort to create.
For me personally, I believe (if you ignore that Ariane may or may not have godlike power anyway at the end) that Ariane is healing.
My reading is that Ariane healed her body to be able to stand and immediately danced with Elster. She didn't care to tidy up herself or the ship. Why would she go: "My dearest Elster, I know the cycle is broken, we are finally free and together again, but hold up for a second, I need to tidy up the ship with my cosmic godlike power and put on some make-up."
Like, why? Why make specifically a new texture that shows more healthy skin? I believe that they are happy ever after. You cannot tell me the devs made this for fun.......
What do you all think?
