Jake *spoilers*

[yunakougami]

Am I the only one who is confused on what really happened to Jake and his mom? Did his mom took away her life and included Jake too or did they just simply vanished due to an accident or something?

[chocobread]

Since Jake appeared as a black butterfly like Maria (who died), I’m guessing that he must have died at some point after he and his mom left. I don’t think the game hinted at what could have happened. Maybe they encountered some kind of accident after they ran away from home?

[amills1]

My guess is that they left and went far enough away never to be seen again. Jake being a butterfly isn't really evidence since they indicate that there have been hundreds of iterations so it's possible that it's his spirit after he died of old age/natural causes trying to adjust events to help Nicole out. It's hard to tell - you think if they'd died in an accident though that his father and sister would have been notified unless they couldn't ID the bodies.

[Sim de Lune]

I think something must have happened. Even if they moved somewhere else, would you cut all contact with your father, sister and best friend? He could have sent a letter, a message, anything.

[Zastier]

The game never confirms whether Jake and Maria are dead until the very end. They both disappear without a trace, with nobody close to them knowing what happened. It is never explained how they disappeared, all we and the characters know is that they are gone. It's the most devastating kind of loss, a loss with no closure.

[Pirangunter21]

Originally posted by yunakougami:

Am I the only one who is confused on what really happened to Jake and his mom? Did his mom took away her life and included Jake too or did they just simply vanished due to an accident or something?

The game leaves it vague, I'm also guessing they both knew about the events that unfold as they have been experiencing just like Mark, Nicole, and Louise. I'm assuming they both still alive in alternate universe but manifest through a black butterflies (symbolize cycle of life and death).

This is also referencing to "Zhuangzi And That Bloody Butterfly" story where the great Daoist thinker of that name fell asleep one day and dreamed that he was a butterfly. Keep in mind the whole story seems to be a butterfly effect and the whole butterfly metaphors can be seen everywhere