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It all started with three friends, a warm sunny day, and heads full of dreams. Hopes were high, buildings were raised, friends were made. A town grew and flourished, and all was right with the world.
All was right with the world, until it wasn’t. Until there were discs, and conflict over them. Until there were betrayals, and bloodshed, and sides. Blood-splattered grass and gunpowder-singed blackstone walls. Secret tunnels and hideouts in caves.
The three friends remained by each other’s sides, even through the storm of a madman. Even through button-strewn walls, and explosive-laced podiums, and even more bloodshed. Blood trickled down the remains of the cobbled streets which they walked that day.
They remained together, until they didn’t. Until hurtful words were thrown, blows were landed. Titles stripped. Close lives separated. One friend ran away for a distraction. One began to sleep too much. One stopped sleeping at all.
The world was torn to pieces.
Explosions rained down from on high. Monsters summoned from the hells. Buildings were razed. Friends were lost. One friend destroyed the town he helped found. One desperately tried to pick up the pieces.
A mysterious egg appeared. Bloodred vines crawled across the lands. Some were possessed. Some were promised everything, and lost everything.
One of the friends was thrown in prison, locked in a dark box. One continued to sleep. One busied himself with everything that wasn’t what he helped build long ago. Tortured screams echoed in the box, walls stained with blood and cries and words only one mortal man could understand. Echoes of pleas for mercy, pleas for one last breath of fresh air or one last sunset, pleas cut short by the judge’s, the jury’s, the executioner’s axe swinging down.
Eventually the conflict ceased. Friendships mended, buildings repaired. Flowers grew again on once bloodsoaked battlefields. People could laugh and be happy again.
All was right with the world.
Two friends left alone on a warm sunny day, much like the first of many spent long long ago. One friend couldn’t bring himself to wake from his slumber for more than mere moments. One friend couldn’t bring himself to distract himself with anything and everything he could find anymore. They no longer had heads full of dreams.
Everything was missing from their world.