I thought for a second that they had their brains messed with so that they thought they were back to their normal lives, while meanwhile they were still stuck in that cave forever. I kinda like that ending more, though it is rather bleak..
It's crazy how good this art is, and how absolutely lifeless and stiff the panel/page composition is. The characters just feel like they're floating in space and the line of action is broken all the time. The tentacles genuinely don't look like they're moving in many of the panels where they're apparently meant to be thrusting.
Hopefully the artist can improve his composition later. I've looked at a couple of his other galleries and his attention to detail is exquisite.