Do you really like reactive programming? What if I told you that the same performance is achievable with imperative coding style? With virtual threads coming to Java we can once again keep our code base clean and maintainable. Thanks to project Loom in JDK, the paradigm can shift once more even for applications that require high concurrency. I will describe performance problems which most of the modern frameworks solve by forcing developers to enter the dark world of reactive programming. Then I will introduce Helidon Nima - new microservices framework which is built on top of a server designed for Loom with fully synchronous routing that can block as needed, yet still provide high performance under heavy concurrent load. I'll also talk about challenges, benefits and impact on application development in such an environment. - Is it the end of reactive programming?