Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He has escaped us for the last time...

We need a new course.
A new game, a new aim,
For the stealer of grame.

His weakness lies with them.
Surely one could produce mayhem,
The sweet misery we consume,
Teaching him that we forever loom.

What should we do, you ask?
We need tasks...
Yes, rules for them to follow.
Innocent chores, making them hollow.

He will be too busy,
Protecting them from all the frenzy,
To notice us picking from the flock-

-A champion to add to our little stock.

~~~The Weakest Link~~~

"Welcome to Secret Life!" Grian announced with his arms raised proudly. His white wings peeked out from behind his back, stretching outward to match his arms.

The large group in front of him smiled at their host, muttering among themselves as everyone gathered in one giant circle. One of the players, though, stared at the scenery with even more fondness than the rest. Small antlers sprouted on the top of her head while her long ears twitched slightly from the breeze. She brushed her red hair off her shoulders while her emerald gaze scanned over the familiar faces with a sense of glee.

Her name was Gem, and she was a World Jumper. The young woman looked over the other players. She recognized their faces. The faces of her friends.

Well, at least they resembled her friends.

The truth was that Gem would occasionally travel from one reality to another for fun, temporarily possessing the body of her alternate selves while in these other universes. It was her way to explore the multiverse to find adventure and maybe even help different versions of her friends that might need her aid.

With that being said, Gem found herself in a brand new world. A world where her friends seemed to be playing a fun survival game. Oh, that was something she couldn't pass up.

Grian pulled everyone's attention back to the center and locked eyes with Gem. "Before we get started, I want to introduce you all to the newest addition to our group. Everyone, meet Gem."

A handful of greetings flooded towards the young lady, who responded with an awkward wave in return.

This is so weird. Usually there's another me that I inhabit whenever I jump through worlds, but there isn't one... And none of them seem to know me at all...

There were many other people, fellow friends of hers, who were also not in this game right now. Were they outside of this arena playing a different game... or did they not exist in this world like Gem?

The thought of being forgotten made the redhead's heart hurt for a brief moment until a voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Lizzie." Gem turned to her left to find another young woman, who possessed light pink hair. She held her hand out and gave a warm smile towards the newcomer.

Gem froze for a moment, taken aback by the sight. Her friend, or at least a version of her friend, who she has known for a long time was introducing herself. Eventually shaking off the strange feeling, Gem reached out and accepted the gesture. "Gem... It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, we got a newbie with us now? Then that means everyone gets one free punch?" Gem glanced over and noticed that it was Martyn who spoke. The blonde with the black headband wrapped around his forehead grinned at the suggestion, which made the redhead smirk.

Gem was used to this kind of talk in her home world. Whenever she and her friends played games like this, they would take damage, but the pain and harm that they endured was minor. Meaning, one could get blown up from TNT and barely feel a thing. An arrow through the shoulder would just feel like a stubbed toe on the pain scale, and if someone died, then they would just regenerate and return to the game perfectly fine.

Yes, technically, for this specific circumstance, the last to not die was considered the winner, but again, it was all just a game. It was never meant to be taken seriously. Therefore, when Martyn suggested that everyone take a swing at Gem, it barely fazed her.

"Actually, it's the other way around," Gem countered, which caused a few chuckles.

"Ha! Nice," Martyn replied while sending a playful punch in the arm towards the person next time, which happened to be Jimmy. The second blonde jumped at the shooting pain rippling through his arm, making him flinch. When a red light flashed through his body, a few gasps flooded the group.

"Dude! Too hard!" Jimmy spat while rubbing his arm. The small golden wings on his back bristled as he shot Martyn a glare.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Martyn shouted in a panic with his hands raised in defense.

Gem's brow arched at the scene. She was only given a brief explanation from Grian about how this game was supposed to go, specifically with the lack of regeneration of health, but...

Martyn barely hit him. How did he lose health that easily?

I guess the game must be in hardcore mode or something?

Grian then cleared his throat, yanking Gem from her speculation again.

"Well, you've all been briefed on what to do. You'll be given your Secret Task soon. If you succeed or fail, or want to re-roll for a harder task, then come see the Secret Keeper right behind me," Grian explained. He glanced back and motioned towards the structure that seemed to tower over the entire group. Gem followed his gaze and stared at the giant rock formation that resembled a faceless person in a cloak. Their supposed arms were stretched out, creating a half circle around a stone platform. At the edge of the platform resided three stone pillars with labeled buttons on them: succeed, re-roll, and failed.

The whole esthetic of the structure definitely gave an air of mystery, which Gem was expecting. That was another aspect that drew Gem to this world. The game carried secret tasks. Tasks that practically ordered everyone to act in goofy ways and forced them to keep quiet about what they were doing. It was all so intriguing. The only thing that really confused Gem when it came to the mysterious structure in front of her was the strange symbol on the cloaked figure's face: two lines that nearly connected into a box, and two dots that were placed in the corners where the lines did not meet.

What the heck is that symbol? Is it supposed to represent this Secret Keeper everyone's talking about?

Gem looked away from the rock sculpture long enough to notice Grian. The man with light brown hair was staring at the structure like the rest of the group, but his eyes suddenly gained a violet hue. Gem blinked once, and the color was gone within an instant. Grian, though, seemed just as startled by the sight as Gem. The feathers on his wings ruffled as he scanned over the group. No one seemed to notice his unease until he spotted Gem again. The redhead's brow knitted with concern. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was startled when a hand latched onto her wrist.

The culprit was Lizzie again. She leaned over to whisper to Gem. "Hey, do you like pink?" Gem blinked a few times, processing the question for a second before nodding. Lizzie gave a small smirk in response. "Well, then we should definitely head over to that mountain before anyone else does," she continued while she nudged her head to the right.

Gem turned slightly to find a small mountain in the distance. It carried jagged sides with random patches of grass due to a river running below it, but what caught her eye was the beautiful meadow at the top with several cherry blossom trees. Each one gently blew in the breeze, letting their pink petals dance through the air. "We collect that wood, and we can make as many pink buildings as we want."

Gem watched the bright smile Lizzie now carried across her cheeks. A smile she was all too used to seeing. It warmed Gem's heart as she grinned back. "Sounds great."

"Alright, that's all I've got. Good luck. I'm outta here!" Grian called out with a small chuckle. He unfurled his wings and shot up into the air. He flew high into the sky while everyone else in the group dispersed in their own separate directions.

Gem, though, followed after a fast moving Lizzie. The two raced for the cherry blossom mountain while the sunlight, peeking through the barrier above, warmed their skin.

"Come on, Gem! We gotta hurry!" Lizzie called out as she sprinted past the other players, who seemed to be heading in the same direction she was.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Gem exclaimed through her laughs. The two crossed over the large river carefully, stepping across patches of dirt and rocks. Gem nearly fell into the water when her foot landed on a slippery stone. The fast moving river splashed the cuffs of her overalls, which made her tense. She took a quick breath once she regained her balance.

Gotta remember we can't regenerate health...

Gem then looked up and noticed Lizzie was already starting to climb up the edge of the mountain. The redhead's eyes widened before she picked up the pace once again. She reached the other side of the bank with a breath of relief.

"You okay down there?" Gem turned her attention upward to find Lizzie staring back at her. The pink player giggled slightly. "I'm guessing you haven't played many games like this?"

Gem pouted at the response. "Of course I have!" she spat before slipping into a smirk. "Just not used to the no regen rules of this game."

"Pfft, you and me both. I swear these Life games get harder and harder as time goes on," Lizzie sighed.

This piqued the redhead's interest. "Games? You guys played games like this in the past?" Gem asked once she started her climb, grabbing onto a small grassy ledge.

"Yeah, Grian comes up with some pretty crazy rules for each game, but they do make everything more exciting, I guess," Lizzie explained before rolling her eyes. "Definitely makes everyone go crazy with alliances and backstabbing," she said with a small grin. She then reached her hand out to the new girl when she was close enough, and Gem gratefully accepted. After being pulled to the same ledge as Lizzie, the two continued their climb up the mountain together.

"How many games like this have you guys done?" Gem asked when they both reached a flat spot.

"Uh, not sure... five now, I guess?" Lizzie replied with a shrug.

"You guess?" Gem furthered while they both grabbed a hold of another ledge. "You don't know for sure?"

"Well, I was really only in one of the games before this one, so I can't be sure," Lizzie answered as Gem followed after her. It wasn't long until the two reached the top. The duo stared at the scenery in pure awe.

Dozens of cherry blossom trees grew on the mountain's peak. Pale pink petals scattered all over the grassy meadow while the dark bark of the trees seemed to call on them with plans for fun builds.

Lizzie and Gem looked at each other with wide smiles before racing towards the cherry blossoms. They collected petals, seeds, and threw them in their pouches and bags. They stripped the bark from the wood and used the rest of the trunk to make quick tools to help them chop down more of the flora.

"Don't cut down all of them, not until we grab enough seeds, okay?" Lizzie said while glancing over at Gem.

"Right, I won't," Gem answered back as she continued collecting fallen seeds. When her gathering began to slow, though, their conversation from before was pushed to the front of Gem's mind. She looked over at Lizzie. Strands of her long pale locks were tied up into buns on the top of her head, which made the young woman seem chipper as she swayed from side to side, grabbing seeds while she hummed. Gem watched her for a moment before she spoke. "Hey, Lizzie?"

"Yes? What's up?" Lizzie asked. She kept her attention on the tree that she was collecting from.

"You said you were only in one of these games before, but do you guys do anything else?"

"Wha'da mean?"

"I mean, do you guys do anything besides these Life Games? Play anything else? Or just chill out? Go about your everyday lives?" Gem gave a slight chuckle from her examples, but the humor died away the longer the silence went on.

"Well, I guess we do things like that sometimes when we're all greens or yellows," Lizzie finally answered.

Gem's face scrunched up from her response before stepping closer. "No, Lizzie I-Ugh, I mean what do you guys-What did you do when you weren't playing these Life Games?"

Lizzie turned to face Gem with a puzzled gaze. "I'm, uh, not sure what you're talking about. Are you not having fun? We just started, give it time. We haven't even been given our Secret Task yet-"

Gem gave a deep sigh before shifting her attention to the ground. She processed the woman's words for a moment. She then met her gaze again. "Lizzie... why did you join this game?"

There was a pause. Lizzie simply stared at Gem as if she didn't even hear the question. Eventually, she smiled. "To have fun with my friends, of course."

Gem watched her. The smile she was giving seemed genuine, but redhead just couldn't shake off this bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

When the silence dragged on, Lizzie turned to grab a few more pieces of bark from the tree. At that moment, though, her hand suddenly stopped halfway, frozen in mid-air. "And to help my husband..."

Gem shot her attention back on the young woman. She wasn't sure if she heard Lizzie right since the words were so quiet, and what she didn't notice was a flash of violet consuming Lizzie's irises for a split second. The dread that filled Lizzie's face moments before was then replaced with another bright smile as she faced Gem once again.

"Anyway, I think we have enough supplies. Now we just gotta wait for--Whoa!"

The two stopped in their tracks when bits of green and gold light consumed their vision. Two scrolls suddenly appeared in front of them, hovering in the air. They both grabbed their respective parchments.

Gem scanned over the rolled up paper. She noticed that it carried a seal with a symbol identical to the one she saw earlier with the rock sculpture, the Secret Keeper. She frowned at the sight before opening the scroll.

Convince someone to take a leap of faith. They cannot take any damage.

"Well, I better go. Gotta go work on my task, and I might as well walk around to find a place to set up my base," Lizzie explained with another grin before she started heading back the same way the two came in.

"Wait, you're not going to build your base up here?" Gem asked while she watched the young woman climb down over the edge.

"I'm not sure. I want to look around a bit first. I've got the supplies I want to build with at least," Lizzie said, giving a small wave towards the redhead. "See yeah around, Gem!"

Gem waved back, but her frown only deepened once the young woman disappeared. She turned back to her scroll and stared down at the task for a second. It seemed harmless enough, but it was hard for her now to feel any excitement thanks to the strange conversation she just had.

Something felt off about this world. Something was definitely strange with these versions of her friends, and she wasn't sure if she should continue playing along with this game.

Gem gripped the scroll in her hands and focused on the broken seal with the strange symbol. The redhead narrowed her gaze, ears flicking with mistrust, before she walked closer towards the edge of the cliff.

I gotta find Grian.

...

"Good luck. I'm outta here!" Grian said with a small chuckle before soaring high into the sky. He hovered in the air for a moment. His wings flapped against the strong breeze while he stared down at the lush meadows and mountain ranges. He watched the others scatter across the arena. Some were already tearing down nearby trees for wood while others were simply exploring the terrain. Grian smiled down at the sight, but the look soon faded once his gaze landed back on the Secret Keeper structure he just left. His frown deepened before he flew farther out than the rest.

After a few minutes, he landed safely in an open field. Instead of going for supplies, though, Grian scanned the area around him. Finding himself alone, the young man folded his wings behind his back, took a breath, and shut his eyes. A violet hue then emanated from his body and shot outward like a breeze in all different directions.

"I better not find any of you lurking around..." he muttered to himself. His vision began to spread farther than his two eyes ever could due to the purple energy. This violet blast expanded for a few yards before it completely evaporated. Once it did, Grian's hands reached for his head as he dipped forward, gritting his teeth from both frustration and pain, before opening his eyes once again.

He looked up towards the sky, specifically at the barely visible barrier that surrounded the arena. The dome encased all the players in what seemed like one large sanctuary for them. The same dome that they all have been trapped behind for every single life game. He then scanned the space around him once more with a narrowed gaze. "You won't let me use these lousy powers you gave me? Fine, but if I find out that you changed any of my secret tasks, you're dead."

Grian's threats were met with silence until a flash of green and gold light suddenly burst in front of him. He blinked a few times before finding a scroll floating in the air. He grew hesitant towards the parchment when he noticed the symbol on the seal. He snatched up the paper, and with a short beat, he unrolled it to read his secret task.

Make three bad jokes and get no laughs.

Grian let out a breath he didn't know that he was holding. The task was still something he wrote.

His shoulders eased before he placed the scroll in his pocket. "Okay... not bad, probably should check on the others and see-" Grian stopped when he noticed a figure from the corner of his eye. He tensed for a second, but he soon relaxed when he realized it was just one of his friends sneaking up from behind. After a pause, Grian smirked towards the lurking figure. "You won't catch me reading my task out loud, Skizz!"

When a few seconds of silence passed, laughter could be heard from behind some trees, "What? Pfft, no, I just came over to say hi." A man with short brown hair emerged with a wide grin. He wore a black suit, but the sleeves were torn off, which revealed several scars across his arms. "Besides, you know I wouldn't rat you out, buddy."

Grian soon gained a smile of his own. "If that's the case, then why don't you tell me yours?"

Skizz scoffed in reply. "Nah, I know how this works, nice try. You're not getting a peep out of me, G-man. I actually want to get those rewards after succeeding my task," Skizz chuckled before he walked over to a tree and pulled out a wooden axe from his belt.

Watching him chop away at the tree for a bit, Grian finally moved towards one himself and started yanking down leaves and blossoms to grab seeds. "You seem pretty confident with your task. Maybe I should have made them harder for you guys."

"No! Come on, you already came up with the hard task re-rolls, and I'm liking that this game doesn't even have the Boogeyman thrown into the mix," Skizz said after stripping some bark off the wood. Grian soon copied him with his own tree. "It's less worry off my shoulders."

Grian gained a warm smile from his friend's words before a new thought entered his mind. He stepped closer to Skizz to make sure he was looking his way. "Yeah, we definitely don't have to worry about the BOOGIE-man anymore," he said while doing a little dance. He even snapped his fingers and flapped his wings as he stared right at Skizz.

There was a pause between them. The taller of the two raised a brow, trying his best not to smile, despite the grin his friend was carrying. Eventually, Skizz went back to his tree and proceeded to pick up the last bits of wood he needed. "Yeah, definitely... Anyway, I should head out. Gotta find a place to set up base. See ya, G!" Skizz called out before rushing off over the field.

Once his friend had disappeared, Grian grew a wide smirk while pulling out the scroll from his pocket. He let it unravel in his hand, and a pen soon appeared in his other hand from a quick flash of purple light. He placed a tally mark on the bottom of the paper. "One down..." he muttered, shifting his focus back to the field around him. His eyes then landed on another figure in the distance, who carried a pickaxe. The player wore a suit as well, but he possessed a rather bushy mustache and combed black hair, presenting himself as a much dapper fellow. His sleeves were rolled up since he was busy mining away at chunks of stone that rested on the base of a hill.

Grian's face brightened at the sight of his friend, Mumbo. The pen in his hand vanished out of thin air with another flicker of purple light in his gaze. He put his scroll away and let his white-feathered wings lift his feet off the ground and flew himself across the field over to the dapper gentleman.

"Hey, Mumbo, whatcha up to?" Grian asked once he landed back on the ground. He took notice of a crafting table set out on the grass just in front of the stone patch Mumbo was working on.

His friend finally turned around, nearly jumping from the sudden voice from behind. "Ah! Grian, hey."

"You seem jumpy. Nervous about your task?" Grian furthered while his eyes trailed down towards a few tools that were laid out next to the crafting table. He grabbed a pickaxe from the small pile and went over to join the dapper fellow.

"No, no, I just--I don't know what's making me so nervous. I guess, it's the no re-gen aspect? I feel like I can't even jump without the fear of taking damage," Mumbo said with a quiet sigh, clutching his own pickaxe, before he bent down to pick up bits of stone. He then stuffed the pieces inside the pouch hooked on to his belt.

Grian chipped away at the stone for a moment before pulling something out from his pocket. He hid it from Mumbo's view as he stepped forward. "Yeah, it can be stressful, but I think I'm gonna STICK with it, if you don't mind," Grian said, tossing a small stick down by Mumbo's feet. The mustache-wearing gentleman stared at the twig. His brow knitted before looking back up at a smiling Grian.

Mumbo pursed his lips while his eyes squinted at the avian. "Hm, that uh... that was a strange thing for you to do, Grian," he said as both him and his friend stifled a laugh. Mumbo then pulled something from his pouch, which happened to be another twig. "It almost seems like you have something speci-STICK to do," he said while tossing down the stick.

Grian chuckled some more. He leaned forward as he tried his best to hold in his laughter. "Don't worry, I'm not PICKING on you," he said once he threw down his pickaxe. Mumbo finally burst out laughing, and Grian soon followed.

Mumbo took a few short breaths in between as he walked over and grabbed another tool that rested beside the crafting table. "You mind if I AXE you a question?" he asked while he swung a stone axe over his shoulder. The laughter boomed louder for the both of them as Grian nearly fell over. He leaned his hand against the jagged stone wall next to him.

"Oh, I'm not gonna get through this session," Grian said with a sigh once the laughter finally died down. He then picked up his pickaxe again, but that's when he heard another voice coming up from behind.

"Hey, Graylen, do you have any food on you?" Grian raised a brow from the strange nickname while he turned to find Scar, a young man with short brown hair and scars across his face.

"What did you just call me?" Grian asked with a puzzled look. His friend didn't answer, though, since his green gaze landed on an item that rested beside the pile of tools.

"Oh, an apple," Scar said before bending down to pick it up.

"Hey, that's mine," Mumbo said as he drew closer. He set down his tool and held his hand out towards Scar. "It must have fallen out of my bag while I was grabbing my axe."

Scar looked over at Mumbo before taking a step back. He sent the mustached man a tired glare. "Mango, you're gonna have to pry this from me cause I've just had the worst hour of my life."

"Mango?" Mumbo asked while Grian joined his side.

"Scar, what happened?" their feathered friend asked. His tone grew a tad more serious once he noticed the defeated look Scar now carried.

Scar gave a quiet sigh. He gripped the apple tight and adjusted the wooden shield that he wore over his arm. "It's been awful, guys. I ran into some mobs when I got too close to this cave, and I lost like six hearts already."

Grian relaxed when he realized that the problem was ordinary. He gave a comforting smile towards Scar while Mumbo pondered the statement.

"Sorry to hear that, buddy... Maybe I can help. I could try the new ability Grian added and..." Mumbo trailed off as he moved a hand close to his chest. He shut his eyes as a light formed above his open palm. The bright glow slowly shaped itself into a heart before it shot out right towards Scar. The green light enveloped the young man's body before it completely faded away. A wide grin soon formed over Scar's face once he noticed the extra bit of health he just gained.

"Oh! Mumbo, I could hug you--Oh, wait, I just failed my task," Scar said while his eyes widened at the revelation.

Grian instantly burst out laughing in response, falling to his knees this time. His wings draped over onto the grass, going completely limp from his fit of giggles, as Mumbo simply stared at Scar with the most dumbfounded expression. Scar hung his head low and tried to walk away, but his dapper friend followed after him.

"Wait, wait, what was your task? Are you sure?" Mumbo asked. He tried his best not to snicker.

"Yeah, I had to-"

"Careful-Careful, Scar!" Grian spat in between laughs. "You can't say it out-"

Mumbo's eyes widened once he realized what Grian was saying. "Scar, don't-"

"Call anyone but their real name for at least 30 min-"

"Scar!" Grian spat louder once he finally jumped back up to his feet.

"Okay, you definitely failed it now," Mumbo sighed, yet he also covered his mouth to chuckle. The laughter then died in his throat when guilt took over. "Sorry, friend."

"Scaaaar," Grian groaned before he dry-washed his face. "You could have just restarted the 30 minutes."

"Oh... OH! Really?" Scar asked while he took out the scroll from his pocket. He began munching on the apple as he read. He paused once he processed Grian's words, and he soon groaned in defeat. "Darn it."

"Yeah, but you just told us what it is, so now you gotta press the fail button," Grian said as he started walking away. He motioned for the others to follow.

"Are you sure? Come on, I don't want to lose any more hearts," Scar whined as he dragged his feet along. His arms hung so low that the edge of his shield scraped across the grass.

"You don't lose any hearts when you fail a regular task, Scar. You just don't get any prizes," Mumbo explained while trailing behind the two.

Grian frowned at his friend's statement. Yes, he had set up the game so that nothing was supposed to happen when someone failed, but what if it had changed?

What if they had altered the button somehow and created some kind of punishment on any player who pressed it?

Grian shook his head at the spiraling thoughts.

No, no, come on, you're being paranoid now, Grian. Just stick to the game and keep everyone safe. Save the worry for when those jerks do actually decide to do something.

"You think maybe I can just re-roll for a harder task instead?" Grian snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at Scar.

The avian gave a wary frown towards his friend as the trio continued their trek back to the center of the arena. "You sure?"

"I'll take anything at this point. I seriously need to gain back some more health," Scar sighed after finishing off the apple in his hand.

There was pause. Grian pondered the thought after he turned forward again. He honestly liked the idea of no one having to fail this early into the session, but...

Finally, Grian let out a sigh of his own. "Alright, but I'll have to ask everyone else first. This will be a one time thing, Scar," he replied. He held up one finger and glanced back.

"Fine by me," Scar said. He gained a small grin.

Silence fell over the three friends for a little bit. There was still quite a bit of distance between them and the center of the arena.

After walking up a steep hill, Scar spoke up again. "Hey, Grian, could you fly us back to the Secret Keeper?"

"NO!" Grian shouted while his wings puffed up at the suggestion. Scar snickered at the answer, and Mumbo stifled another laugh.

...

Gem wasn't sure how she ended up in this situation. She was supposed to be searching for Grian. She was supposed to be getting some answers about the origins of these games. Instead, she had ended up running into both Impulse and Scott and was now several feet below the surface in a drip stone infested cavern.

She knew she was getting sidetracked. She knew she should be telling these versions of her friends that she had to go do something, but Gem couldn't help but get swept up in the adventure. It all started when she was able to convince Impulse to jump off cherry blossom mountain and into the river below, thus completing her Secret Task. Weary of her friend taking damage, though, Gem made sure push him right in the center of the river and even jump with him for less chance of anyone getting harmed.

Afterwards, once the duo were dried off, Impulse then invited Gem to go mining with him. Contemplating the idea, she decided to go along with it. It was not just for fun, though. Gem wasn't certain of where Grian would be in the arena, especially when the avian could literally fly anywhere he wanted. If she wasn't able to find him before nightfall, then she would be all alone with dangerous mobs and only a wooden axe to protect herself. Therefore, she went along with Impulse, heading for the nearest cave, which then led them to finding Scott.

Gem thought she was nervous before about the no re-gen. Well, add that fear on top of sharp stalagmites, molten lava pits, and walking skeletons trying to fire arrows at the trio. You could say that she was better off just looking for Grian up on the surface, but at least now she had the materials to make herself iron armor and weapons. That, and she wasn't alone anymore.

"Man, Gem's really being the savior over here with that water bucket," Impulse, a man with a blue and yellow shirt, said. He chuckled at his words while he dusted off his shorts. He and Scott watched the redhead pour a large bucket of water over the pools of lava that blocked their path. The mixture caused the hot surface to cool and harden into a dark purple rock known as obsidian. The cycle continued over and over as the trio went further down in search of diamonds.

Gem gave a playful eye roll in response. "Yeah, getting rid of the lava, only one here with a chest plate. Would you guys be able to do anything without me?" Gem asked before looking back towards the two men, who currently had wooden shields as their only line of protection.

Scott, a pointed-eared elf who wore an unbuttoned dress shirt over a white t-shirt, smirked from her words while crossing his arms over the green heart on his tee. "Probably not," he answered before placing his hands together to look at Gem with glee in his eyes. "But you're doing amazing, sweetie, keep it up," he said as he began to clap. Gem scoffed at the response before all three of them started to laugh.

"Hey, I'd love to help out if we could find any more iron in this cave. There's nothing down here but stone!" Impulse spat while he hopped over a stalagmite. Scott followed along after he picked up a torch they had set on the ground.

"Yeah, maybe we should just head-ah-AH!" Gem cried out when her foot landed on a small, but very sharp, piece of drip stone. She didn't have enough materials to craft iron boots, so the thick piece of rock pierced through her sneaker, making her whole body flash red a couple of times.

Scott rushed over and pulled Gem away by grabbing her wrist. When the elf finally released her, she fell to one knee, clutching her injured foot. The throbbing pain itched inside Gem's sneaker, and her heart pounded in her ears. She tasted blood in her mouth after biting down on her tongue by accident.

"Whoa, that's some bad luck. I didn't even see that drip stone piece. It's so small," Impulse said while he ripped up the sharp rock with his pickaxe. He seemed unaware, though, of his panting friend. Gem clutched her foot with both hands now. Red stained her fingers, making her heart race even more. Scott frowned at the sight before he knelt down in front of her.

"Gem, It's okay. Breathe... the pain will go away soon," Scott said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Gem continued to stare at her foot. Her body trembled the tighter she gripped it. She then raised her head to stare right at Scott with pure panic in her eyes.

"That felt real. T-That felt real! We're not in game mode!? This is a game, right!? And why is there blood!? There shouldn't be blood! Why was that tiny drip stone so pain-"

"Gem!" Scott spoke out, snapping the redhead's attention back to him. The young man's emerald gaze was stern, but it soon mellowed the longer he stared. He then glanced over at Impulse, whose brow knitted as his eyes shifted between the two with growing concern. Scott watched him carefully before he focused back on Gem with a weak smile. "The game's in hardcore mode. You just gotta be careful next time, okay?"

His response seemed to calm Impulse. Gem, on the other hand, slowed her breathing long enough to dwell on Scott's words. She paused.

Gem's brow furrowed. Her ears dipped low, and her eyes were set ablaze as she gawked at the elf in disbelief. "You... This is not hardcore mode. There's no amount of difficulty you could set to a game to make it feel that real. To have there be blood-" Gem stopped when she noticed the panic falling over Scott's face. He shook his head slightly to signal for her to stop, which bewildered Gem even further.

"Hey, everything's okay, Gem," Impulse said with a warm smile. "You'll get used to the game's mechanics soon enough."

Before Gem could reply, Scott spoke up again. "Hey, Impulse, could you take the water bucket and keep clearing the path for us? I'll wait here with Gem while her foot heals." His tone was casual again, despite the wide eyes he had seconds prior.

Impulse watched the two for a moment. His smile fell. His brow knitted once again, but he soon nodded in agreement. "Okay, sure... Take it easy, Gem," Impulse said before picking up the fallen bucket and walking deeper into the cave.

Once he disappeared around the corner, though, Scott set down his torch and gave Gem his full attention. "Sorry, it's just best that we don't talk about the game like that with the others around. It'll just freak them out."

"What are you talking about?" Gem asked, tensing slightly at the shift in Scott's demeanor.

"I don't know how much I'm allowed to say... You're the first new person they've added to these games in a long time, but still, it's only been people that we've known..." Scott muttered to himself, which puzzled Gem more and more.

When the two made eye contact again, Scott studied her. A flash of suspicion fell over the young man, deepening his frown. "Who are you... exactly? And how is it that the Watchers' powers don't seem to affect you?"

...

When the trio finally reached the Secret Keeper, Skizz was trailing close by, likely turning in his task. He raised a brow towards the small group that was heading right for the stone platform. He took notice of the defeated posture of Scar, who walked between Grian and Mumbo with his gaze shifted to the ground. Skizz sighed when he connected the dots before strolling over to them.

"Don't tell me Scarface already failed his task," Skizz said before his three friends looked over at him.

"Well, I wouldn't say I failed exactly... It was more like a miscommunication of directions," Scar said with a weak grin.

Silence fell over the group. Skizz, with a dull gaze, shifted his attention from the local con-man to the other two with him.

"He said his task outloud to us," Grian admitted. His arms were crossed, and he carried a similar look to Skizz.

"In fairness, I did ask him without thinking about the rules either," Mumbo added, scratching the back of his head with clear guilt.

Scar's smile fell away as if accepting his fate. He then moved towards the three stone pillars. "Well, it doesn't matter because good ole' Grian here said that I could re-roll for a hard task."

This brightened Skizz's mood. He gave a smirk towards the avian. "Whoa, seriously?"

"I said that I'd have to ask the others first. If the majority agrees, then I'll allow it as a one time thing," Grian corrected while his wings began to unfurl. Mumbo had to back up when one of the large feathered appendages brushed his arm.

"Well, I'd be cool with it, just cause I know the re-roll tasks are ridiculously hard," Skizz replied as he walked over to take a seat on the edge of the platform.

"He's right. Are you sure you want to do this, Scar?" Mumbo asked the salesman, who was now leaning against the 're-roll' pillar.

"Trust me, I'm committed to it, Mumbo. I really need to gain back some hearts," Scar insisted. He grew another smile to reassure his dapper buddy.

"Well, let's see what everyone else says first," Grian said with a smirk before soaring up high into the air and disappearing into the clouds. His take off ruffled everyone's hair as they watched him vanish from view.

"See how quick he was? We could have saved so much time if he had just flown us here," Scar said. There was no irritation in his tone at all. Rather, it was more of someone just pointing out a simple fact, almost like he was promoting the idea.

"Better question: why didn't he fly around to ask everyone while you guys were walkin' back here?" Skizz furthered, making the other two ponder.

"Presentation?" Mumbo suggested with a slight chuckle.

"Sounds like Grian... Man, I hope everyone will be willing for me to re-roll," Scar said as he glanced down at the button beside him.

"Re-roll? Why would you want to do that?" The group turned at the sound of newcomers. A man with bright golden locks and burning red eyes had spoken. He and the blonde with the small golden wings from earlier, Jimmy, came over to the group. Tango was the name of the first gentleman, the guy with the literal flaming hair and tail. He looked over the others with a puzzled look. "What's wrong? We got a breach in the rules or somethin'?"

"Scar failed his task, but he wants to re-roll for a hard one," Skizz explained while smiling.

"I need more hearts. I'm willing to risk it," Scar added as he stood up proudly.

Jimmy then gave a small laugh in response. "Come on, Scar, those tasks are impossible to do."

"Well, with Scar's track record, he's gonna need all the hearts he can get," Tango replied with a flick of his tail.

Scar scrunched up his face, from his fiery friend's words, before stepping forward. "Excuse me, I don't think I appreciate what you're insinuating over there, Tango," he replied. His tone wasn't harsh, but there was a clear warning to it.

"Scar, come on, I'm not trying to be mean. It's just that you have a track record of... losing health pretty quickly in these games," Tango said, shrugging with a grin.

Scar mulled over the fire elemental's words while he glanced to his right. "Well, true..." He then scoffed a bit, reconsidering his answer while he placed his hands on his hips. "But I've still gotten pretty far in past games."

"Yeah, but wasn't G helpin' ya most of those times?" Skizz pointed out with another raised brow.

Scar was taken aback by the claim. He then stormed over with an accusing finger towards his friend in the suit. "Not in the last game! And, might I remind you, sir, that I got plenty of kills during that one too."

Jimmy then stepped forward with slight irritation in his eyes. His wings barely peeked out from behind his shoulders as they flared up from the salesman's words. "If I remember correctly, you got most of us only because we were lugging around a sick Grian!" he spat with a narrowed gaze.

"Oh, so more help from G-man, huh?" Skizz furthered with a growing smirk towards Scar. The salesman gained a bitter frown while shooting his friend a glare.

Mumbo then stepped forward with his hands raised, making sure to stand between the two men. "Fellas, come on, let's not start picking fights. This is supposed to be a fun game between friends," he said with a wary look. Scar locked eyes with the mustache man. There was a pause, but he finally dropped his glare and turned away.

"Mumbo's right, and what are we waitin' for anyway?" Tango asked. His tail started swishing back and forth. He grinned towards Scar and flashed his fangs. He lifted his fists up and down as if he were pounding a table. "Do it! Do it! Do it!"

"We gotta wait for Grian to come back with-"

"Oh, there you guys are. You're the only ones left I couldn't find," Grian said once he landed a few feet away from the group. He focused his attention on Jimmy and Tango, taking notice of their expressions. "I'm guessing you guys already know what's happening?"

"Yeah, and we're cool with it," Jimmy said with a smile. Tango nodded in agreement while keeping his grin.

"Alright... Scar?" Grian asked once he turned to look over at his friend. Scar watched the people before him, taking in their joyful faces. He pushed away his bitterness from before and gained a smile of his own.

Scar took out his scroll and turned to face the pillar in the middle. He pressed the button, and the parchment vanished from his grip in a wave of gold and green sparks. Whispers then consumed the platform. Scar searched all around him for the source before a voice rang through his ear:

The reward is more.

The risk is great.

Let me open the door.

Accept your fate.

A shiver fell over Scar from the booming tone before his vision was consumed by more green and gold light. A new scroll appeared in front of him. The salesman hesitated before grabbing it and breaking the seal. He quickly read the text inside.

"Man, you really went all out with the theatrics here, Grian. Very chilling," Scar said towards his feathered friend with a warm smile. Grian, though, arched an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to further the discussion, but Scar was already addressing the group again. "Like seriously, we should start calling him the Taskmaster cause he really has a whole theme going with this game."

"Scar, are you sure you got this? Cause that smile you have on is not very convincing," Mumbo said. Scar's face indeed carried a strained grin after he put his scroll away.

The salesman scoffed before strolling past the group. He held his head high with even more shaky confidence. "Of course, Mumbo."

"Yeah, well, maybe we can help ya. How many people do you need for the task?" Skizz asked. He placed his hands in his pockets and followed after Scar.

"Uh, it says I just need-"

"Scar," Grian warned while walking over to his friend. He inhaled slowly before he forced Scar to look right at him. "Let me just really drill this in. You cannot tell us anything about your task," Grian explained, slicing his hand through the air. He then mellowed when the salesman nodded in response. "That being said, if we can figure out what your task is from what you're doing, we can help."

"Yeah, just start heading towards wherever you need to go, and we'll follow you, buddy," Jimmy said. He strolled towards the duo and patted Scar on the shoulder. Scar smiled in response. He then started making his way across the field. The group followed after him until Tango let out a chuckle.

"Watch he just falls off a cliff and dies," he said, making both him and Jimmy snicker. Scar slipped into a poker face from the remark as he continued on. Grian, though, rushed ahead of him and started placing torches in the dirt.

"Hey, let's make it a priority to light up the arena with torches. We don't need to make this game harder on us with mobs," Grian informed. His wings lifted him slightly off the ground as he zipped across the grass, placing one torch after another. Scar shifted his focus towards the sky to notice the sun was starting to set. The group watched their feathered friend zigzag through the field for a few seconds before copying him with their own burning sticks of wood.

Scar then grinned when a new thought popped in his head. "Man, Grian's just doing such a good job of keeping us all safe with those torches. We should call him the light of the game" he said while turning to look at both Skizz and Mumbo. "Yeah? Light of the ga-game?"

Skizz smirked at the awkward tone in the salesman's voice while Mumbo snickered. "You seem to have a lot of nicknames for Grian all of a sudden, Scar," their mustached friend said with a smile.

Scar waved off the claim and continued on ahead. "Yeah, sorry, I guess I just have those stored up from my last task."

Clearly unconvinced, the two well-dressed gentlemen looked at each other and shrugged.

They glanced over at the rest of the group to find Jimmy and Tango placing torches further out with Grian. Jimmy was watching his fellow avian for a moment, noticing how much Grian effortlessly glided over the grass thanks to his long wingspan. Unconsciously, Jimmy's wings flapped a few times, but they made very little success with lifting him off the ground. He then snapped out of his thoughts when he met Tango's gaze, and he quickly went back to work. At the same time, Mumbo and Skizz started walking a few feet behind Scar.

"Well, I guess I can start calling Grian the light of the game," Mumbo said with a slight chuckle.

"The light of the game~" Skizz replied in a very over dramatic tone before the two started to laugh.

Scar, though, came to a full stop. He turned to face the duo with the widest grin they've ever seen. "Yes! I just completed my task!" he shouted with glee before racing past his friends and heading straight back to the Secret Keeper.

"No way," Skizz muttered. He then lifted his hands up when realization kicked in. "No way! That was a hard task!?" he spat in pure disbelief, running a hand through his hair. Mumbo looked equally stunned as they followed after Scar. The rest of the group heard the shouting and started making a beeline for the Secret Keeper as well.

"There's no way..." Jimmy muttered once he took notice of Scar going right for the 'success' pillar.

"Scar, you already finished!?" Grian shouted, completely baffled as he landed right on the platform.

"Yup! Now it's time to collect my prize," Scar said before taking out his scroll and slamming the 'success' button. The scroll disappeared, and in a flash of light, dozens of supplies and special items started raining down right in front of the three pillars. Scar's face brightened even more when a green wave of energy washed over his body, filling his health all the way back up again.

The group behind him all started to shout at the sight of so much treasure.

"Scar, that was the easiest task I've ever seen!" Mumbo exclaimed, placing his hands on top of his head.

"Seriously, how could you possibly win that fast!?" Tango shouted while the flames on his head grew from the intensity of his words. "The Secret Keeper just put all that on a silver platter for you!"

"Scar, you better share some of that!" Grian called out. He watched the salesman rush over and start stuffing the fallen items in his satchel. Grian's words were serious, but he also couldn't help but laugh at the insane amount of luck his friend seemed to have. "Man, we were just too kind to him."

"Yeah, no more freebies, Scar," Jimmy said with a sigh, letting his wings drip downward.

"Relax, I'm gonna share it... I'll give a bit to the people who said the nickname," Scar said as he grabbed a bit of ancient debris off the ground. He tossed the pieces of rock towards Mumbo and Skizz, who happily accepted the gift.

"Yes!" Skizz cheered while fist pumping the air.

"Thanks, buddy," Mumbo said before placing the rock in his pouch.

"There, see?" Scar asked with a smirk.

"Can't believe he won all that so quickly," Jimmy said as he shook his head.

"I know right? Secret Keeper picking favorites or somethin'," Tango grumbled while crossing his arms.

The joy in Scar's expression dissolved, dwelling on their words. He then waltzed back over the platform and brushed past the others. "Alright, I don't want to be around you downers anymore," Scar said in a slight joking tone. He took out an egg from his satchel and tossed it to the ground. When the egg cracked open, a camel wearing a saddle burst from it. "I'm gonna take my friend here and enjoy my victory by myself," he finished before jumping onto the camel's back.

"He gets a camel too!?" Tango exclaimed, waving his hands towards the sight in front of him. Scar let out a laugh while saluting towards the group.

"So long, friends! Thanks again!" he called out to the sulking individuals before riding off with his new companion. He started to snicker when he heard the continued gripes from Tango. "Ah, what a bunch of fools," he muttered. The humor in his tone, though, soon went dry, and his smile fell away. He glanced down at his camel, scratching the back of its ear, before he focused on the terrain ahead. "Well, I better go start setting up a base and-"

Scar stopped. He felt something brush his back. He pulled on the reins of his camel and glanced behind him. "What the... What was-Grian!" Scar said when he turned and found his feathered friend leaning his back against the camel's hump as if it were a recliner. The tips of his wings were sticking out slightly, which was what had hit Scar in the first place. The two began to laugh at the interaction as Grian sat up straight.

"Just thought I'd catch a ride in style," Grian said with a smirk.

Scar shook his head, but a smile was still plastered across his cheeks. "Ha, well, come along then. Where do you want me to take you?"

"Not sure. Are you heading somewhere specific?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I figured I'd look around a bit more to see where I'd want to set up base," Scar explained once the camel continued on. The animal was rather slow, but after it went up a rather steep hill, Scar took notice of a sandy terrain in the distance. He smiled at the sight before nudging Grian. "Hey, there's a desert biome up ahead. Wanna set up shop there again?"

Grian turned, so he could face the front. He peeked over Scar's shoulder to take in the scorching patch of sand up ahead. The area was rather small, but it was still large enough for some structures to be built. There was even a mountain nearby with a flat top, a perfect place for a build.

Grian smiled at the view, but it quickly dissolved when a flash of purple light consumed his vision. Within seconds, the area around him was replaced with miles and miles of sand. The camel they rode changed into a fluffy white llama. Even Scar looked different. His skin was dark grey, almost like stone. He wore a brown shawl over his bare chest instead of his white shirt and brown coat from seconds before.

The whole scene startled Grian. He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat went dry. He glanced down at his hands, and he paled at the sight of the red that consumed them. His body trembled from the dripping blood. With shaky hands, he looked back up at Scar, and his throat tightened when he saw even more blood splattered all across the man's back. Horrified, Grian reached a hand out to touch Scar's shoulder, but he jumped when Scar snapped his head to the side, flashing a pure red eye right back at him. Grian let out a gasp before he started falling backwards.

"Grian!" Scar exclaimed when the avian fell off the camel and landed on the grass with a thud. The impact made Grian's body flash red for a second. He then groaned from the throbbing pain. When Grian sat up, he squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed the back of his head. His heart was still pounding, and he could feel the hairs on his neck standing on end. When he opened his eyes, though, he found himself surrounded by grassy fields and trees once again. He took a few quick breaths, and he jerked his head upward when he noticed a figure towering over him.

Scar. His skin was its normal tan again, and he wore his white dress shirt and brown coat. His green eyes stared down at Grian with concern as he made his camel come to a stop. "You okay, buddy? You went silent for a second and then just gasped."

Grian continued to pant while he surveyed his surroundings. When the last bits of purple left his vision, the man took a deep breath. He looked back up at Scar, mulling over what he could possibly say.

"Yeah... I just... I forgot that I still need to finish my task," Grian said before rising to his feet. He dusted himself off and fluttered his wings a bit to ensure they weren't harmed from the fall.

"Oh, do you need help? I can-"

"No, no, I've got it, but I better go and finish it before the session ends. Gotta get those prizes, you know?" Grian said rather quickly while flashing Scar a smile. He turned to leave, but not before giving a small wave to the salesman. "I'll catch up with you later, Scar."

"Okay, yeah, see ya... later..." Scar trailed off as he waved goodbye. He watched Grian fly off, seeming way faster than usual. Scar's hand was still raised, hesitating with a thought.

He wanted to say more. He wanted to ask what was bothering his friend, but once the avian had vanished, the weight of silence consumed his thoughts with old, painful memories. Feelings of loneliness that he'd rather keep buried. Feelings of uselessness that he thought he had resolved, but they were bubbling up all of a sudden. The interactions he had today did nothing to help with that either.

The isolating atmosphere pressed down on Scar as his frown deepened even more, lowering his hand back down. He then glanced over at his camel, petting its neck gently. "I guess it's just you and me, Cheerio," Scar muttered. He smiled at the name he just thought of, but the grin barely met his eyes. Still, he pushed down those deafening thoughts spiraling in his mind, and he continued on towards the desert ahead.

...

Quite a few hours had passed, and the sun had already set. Gem was back on Cherry Blossom Mountain, and she still remained with Impulse and Scott. The trio had just finished constructing houses for themselves, and they planted torches all throughout the top of the mountain to ward off mobs.

Impulse wiped his brow before looking up at his home with glee. The small cottage was made mostly out of wood from the cherry blossom trees, which gave it a pink coloring all around. "Well, I think this place looks great," Impulse said, scanning over the other pink houses next to his. He and the others then gathered around a fire pit they started, which had a few flat stone pieces around it to act as seats.

"Thanks again, you guys for sticking around, but really, you didn't have to build your bases up here because of me. I can go solo if you both want to go team up with your friends," Gem explained, looking between the two. Sure, she'd like an alliance, but she more so didn't want anyone's pity. She crossed her arms in assurance, yet she still shifted her focus to the ground. She was slightly embarrassed about her panic earlier, despite how frightening her revelation was. "I don't want you guys forcing yourselves to stick around with the newbie."

"You kidding? I think we formed a pretty great fortress up here. Besides, you already came up with a name for us, right? Gem and the Scotts?" Impulse asked with a smirk. He then scratched the side of his head, pondering the name. "I don't know how you guys got me to agree to that when it really just sounds like your names put together, but I think it's growing on me," he finished before shrugging.

Scott smirked and looked right at Gem. "You named us, so now you're stuck with us."

"Literally, you connected your house with mine!?" Gem groaned towards Scott while she motioned her hands towards the pink structures behind them. Two of the houses were indeed joined on one side, making it appear to be one long building.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to fix that," Scott explained with a sheepish grin. "I had to do it for my task." He unhooked an axe from his belt and walked back over to the houses.

"Ah! That reminds me. I gotta turn in my task before the session ends. Be right back," Impulse said as he rushed off.

Panic suddenly flashed over Gem's face while she watched the man sprint away. "Uh, you sure you don't want one of us to go with you? It's night."

"Come on, I don't need a babysitter. I'll be fine," Impulse scoffed before picking up his shield that rested beside a cherry blossom tree. He also snatched up a torch and glanced back at Gem with a carefree grin. "I won't be long!"

Gem could barely return the smile while she watched him descend the mountain. The soft chirp of crickets then carried on while the summer breeze ruffled her locks. She remained still for a moment, taking in the scenery the more she drowned in her thoughts. She then glanced down at her foot she injured earlier. The puncture wound on the bottom of it had vanished, but there was still a gaping hole in her shoe, which she'd have to fix later. Her overall health count for the game was still lowered too, just like what Scott told her. While her foot no longer hurt, the pain she felt while it healed still haunted her, and what really didn't help was that her sock was still stained with blood, like some sick reminder of what's to come.

Gem turned towards Scott. The young man was busy chopping away at the wood that connected his house to hers. His back was to her, but he seemed to feel her stare because he eventually set down the axe.

Their conversation down in the mines was a rather complicated one. Gem had admitted that she was a World Jumper and that she did not technically belong to this world. She also added that she was friends with everyone here back in her own universe just to give more context to her behavior. This whole story, surprisingly, didn't seem to faze the elf as much as she thought it would, and she couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing.

In return, Scott had explained a bit more about the game. How any type of injury would be as painful, if not more so, as if players were attacked outside of this arena. Meaning, if a player got slashed with a sword, then it would hurt as horribly as it sounded.

There were no buffs added to each player within the game that would minimize any form of attack, besides some potions or armor of course. All they had were three lives and the quick heal of injuries, so you could continue playing without having to carry around broken bones or anything else. With this idea in mind, Gem's thoughts spiraled with so many different questions, but Scott insisted on putting the rest of the conversation aside until they were properly alone.

As the crickets continued to echo in the background, Gem cast her attention to the soft blades of grass beneath her. She dwelt on the sight of Impulse's innocent smile, which made her frown deepen.

"How can he be okay with... How can all of them be okay with putting each other through this kind of pain?" Gem finally asked, shifting her previously injured foot as she talked. "They're not playing a game... They're slaughtering each other."

Scott turned to face her. His brow knitted when he heard the disgust in her tone. He leaned his back against the edge of his house and crossed his arms. "It's not their fault, really. I was the same way a while back too," he replied with a half-hearted shrug. "Still am at times..."

"But why? Why does everyone seem to be okay with this?"

Scott's gaze hardened. His attention shifted to the ground, dwelling on the question. "It's the Watchers... These-These things... They mess with our memories and our minds. They make us forget things. Make us push away everything we suffered in past games... Like they wipe the slate clean just so we can do it all over again," Scott replied while he tensed at the thought.

Gem's face crumbled from hearing her friend's shaky tone. It was a rare sight to witness Scott, any version of Scott, look so rattled. She stepped forward to offer comfort, but she held her hand back, remembering that she was now a stranger to him. Instead, the redhead continued on. "So, these... things, they let everyone here still remember everything that happened in past games?"

"More or less... Sometimes we forget. But even when we do remember, we somehow don't carry any anger towards each other, at least most of us don't... It's all pretty confusing," Scott explained. He let out a sigh before running a hand through his hair. "Yet, we also don't wonder why we're doing all this in the first place. All we do is play the game," he muttered. He then gripped his arms tighter when a new thought crossed his mind. "And even when we try to be honorable... Even when we try to refuse to play and end the cycle, those monsters find a way to either punish or trick us into doing it anyway."

Gem's eyes widened from the elf's words. A sick feeling sank to the pit of her stomach before she continued. "You keep talking about the Watchers, but who are they exactly? These super-powered beings? Some jerks with really sick ideas for entertainment? And, why does it seem like only you know about them?"

Scott's frown deepened. He pressed a palm against his forehead while he squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't know exactly who they are, let alone why they're doing all this. I just know that they're behind it, and I know because... I was one of their champions," Scott muttered, opening his eyes and meeting Gem's gaze with guilt consuming his features now.

The redhead froze. She could see the sense of dread and tiredness in the man's gaze. "What do you mean... champion?"

Scott cast his attention to the ground, almost looking ashamed. "I won a Life Game in the past... I... I was the last to survive, and after the Watchers killed me, I heard these voices while in this-this dark void..." he trailed off. He recalled the memory with a distant tone as if he couldn't believe his words either. He then shook himself awake and returned his attention to Gem. "Then I woke up in the next game with everyone, but I was more aware of what was happening... what we were doing to each other... like whatever foggy spell the Watchers cast over me was lifted, at least a little bit." Scott paused long enough to shift his focus to the ground. "And I refused to play by their rules," he added the last bit under his breath. The redhead almost didn't catch it.

Gem's brow furrowed. She moved her gaze to the grass beneath her feet before a new thought came to her mind. "Wait, if that's the case... then what about the other winners? Wouldn't they also..."

"I don't know who all the winners are, but for the ones I do, I haven't really wanted to press them about it, especially Pearl."

"Pearl? Why? What happened to-"

Gem stopped when she noticed the young man's broken expression, which acted as his answer. She closed her mouth while Scott sighed once more. "Let's just say that it was partially my fault... all my fault-I don't know," he answered before shaking his head to snap himself out of his thoughts. "But for both her sake and everyone else's in this game, I wouldn't try to ask her about it." A new sense of dread fell to the pit of Gem's stomach, and it only grew when she saw Scott blink away a few tears. The elf, though, took notice of her concern. He focused back on Gem with bittersweet warmth in his eyes. "I'm okay... just be careful with the other winners, okay?"

The redhead's expression mellowed. She watched Scott with clear worry, but she gave a nod until a new question formed. "But then, what about Grian? He creates these games, right? Sets up this whole arena like every other admin? Shouldn't he be able to stop this? Or at least, know more about what's going on?"

For a second, Scott paused. He opened his mouth to answer, but he seemed at a loss for words. Finally, he stood up straight while pondering the question. "I'm not sure actually. There's only been a few times where I was conscious enough to ask Grian about all this, but he acts like he doesn't know anything about it. Granted, the Watchers might have just made him forget too. It's hard to tell who really knows something and who doesn't."

Gem's ears flicked with irritation as she ran a hand through her hair, careful not to hit her antlers while doing so. "But that doesn't make any sense... If he creates the games, shouldn't he... Ugh! Most of what you're saying doesn't make any sense!" she shouted while pacing back and forth.

"Says the girl who told me she's from another reality where we're all friends with her?" Scott shot back with a raised brow.

Gem pouted at his words before sighing. "Okay, point taken... But with all that said, what can we do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what can we do to get all of us out of this death trap of a game!" Gem shouted, waving her hands around for emphasis.

Scott's face scrunched up, puzzled by her words. "You really want to stay and help us? Even after all I just told you?"

"Of course! We're all stuck in this game together!"

"Yes, but you're the World Jumper here. Can't you just leave the game whenever you want?"

Gem paused. Her attention turned to the digital watch on her wrist, which was the source of her special ability. She pondered the thought as her pacing stopped.

She could just go back home right now if she wanted to.

"I'll tell you right now, I don't have much of a solution on how to stop all this... I can't even promise you that I'll even remember this conversation tomorrow," Scott said. His eyes widened slightly at the thought before he took a deep breath. He then walked over to Gem and gave her a reassuring smile. "I won't push you to stay in this crazy place."

Gem watched Scott for a moment. Her brow knitted at his expression as she dwelt on the suggestion. Finally, though, her gaze soon hardened.

"If you're saying that I should just give up and leave all my friends, different versions or not, to some super-powered whack jobs, then you're not the Scott I know," Gem said while slicing the air with her hand. Her answer surprised Scott, making him flinch from how aggressive her tone was. Gem then pointed a finger towards him. "If you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

Scott paused for a second, but he soon smirked from the question. He gave a soft chuckle before nodding in agreement. "Okay... Well, if we're going to do this, then I should write a few things down for you. There's a chance that the Watchers will make me forget all this, so sorry in advance if I turn on you at any point."

Gem's determined look fell away, and it was quickly replaced with concern. "Wait... seriously?"

"I mean, you should be safe since we don't have the Boogeyman for this game, and even then, I fought against the curse pretty well," Scott continued as he headed for his house.

"Boogey-what?" Gem asked with the most baffled look. She then shook her head before following after him. "Scott, you're making even less sense now."

Scott chuckled again, glancing back at the redhead. "Why do you think I want to write all this down for you? If anyone is going to get us out of here, it's the person who the Watchers can't seem to touch."

~~~~~

Chapter Text

The sun scorched across the sandy plains. The wind howled through the air, slicing the deafening silence with the screams of the dead. Blood stained the golden grains. A body laid in the center of a circle made out of cacti. A figure stood over it. His hands stained with red, and his wings tattered with prickles. Memories flashed through him, replaying the day's events as if it were a lifetime ago.

You betrayed me! After everything we've been through, Scar!

I'm sorry! It was all part of my plan to get rid of Bdubs!

You really expect me to-What are you doing?

I won't fight you, buddy. For everything you've done to keep me alive this long... You may slay me and take the enchanter.

I... Scar, I can't. I literally can't.

The howls of spirits grew even more against the chilling wind, making Grian shiver. They demanded blood. They demanded a victor to ease their hunger, even if it meant the death of one of their own. Two friends, the last to survive among their comrades, agreed to a fist fight to decide the winner.

Now, one remained, a victor that was never meant to join the fight in the first place. The wind swirled around Grian, whispering for him to return home. He had proven himself, the whispers thought, gotten over his rebellious tantrum. They had thought that this was the end, but their words barely reached the numbing ringing in the man's feathery ears.

Grian knelt down to shut his friend's eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks. He didn't say a word, ignoring the voices that consumed the air. He then stood back up, walked over Scar's body, and passed the wall of cacti. The wind grew stronger around Grian, ruffling his feathers and hair. Dust started kicking up, blinding the young man's eyes briefly, yet he continued to walk across the sand. His feet finally stopped on the mountain's ledge. He looked down to find a deep rocky trench several yards below.

The howls began to scream. They rumbled with fury at the sight. Purple light flashed across Grian's eyes while a throbbing pain filled his head, serving as a demand to cease his actions. The warnings, though, barely fazed Grian. His hollow gaze glanced once more over the vast terrain. Beyond the lava and cacti, crumbled structures echoed previous battles that seemed so trivial now. It was at that moment, instead of the rushing wind flooding his ears, all Grian could hear were the voices of the fallen. All the alliances and betrayals, he missed them all, even the most notorious enemy in this war. Grian took a guess of what the bloodthirsty Red King would say in this moment:

One more life to go...

Grian grew a smile. His wings gave a small twitch, but they did not move when the man took one step over the edge.

...

Grian gasped for air. He sat up with a jolt, panting as beads of sweat covered his face. The avian scanned his surroundings in a quick hurry. He was greeted by birch wood with his furnace and chest beside him. He was still in the game. Still in Secret Life. The newest one, not... not back there.

An irritated sigh left Grian's mouth while he ran a hand through his dusty brown hair, wiping his brow from the cold sweat. Another nightmare. Another flashback, if he was specific. It was a normal occurrence whenever he played one of these games, and it didn't help that the Watchers dangled that memory in front of him, a few days before, when he was on the back of Scar's camel.

With heavy breath, Grian pulled the blankets off him and shifted his legs to the floor. Same old routine. Same old horrible nightmares.

At least in past games, a good chunk of the time, his mind would be too scrambled by the Watchers' powers, too scrambled by his own powers, to make him even question what was going on. He would be as blissfully ignorant as everyone else, laughing and joking like it was a normal day.

Actually, scratch that. He was more than just ignorant. He was down right lawless. Relishing in destruction and pranks, wondering why people looked so horrified in those early days. It wasn't until he heard the disgust in Scott's tone that he realized that he really had changed. That he was different from who he was way before these games started. That his newfound powers desired chaos, even though he had joined these games to limit his friends' suffering in the first place. He would never forget Scott's words ringing through his own sadistic laughter during his first game.

You're a monster...

Grian grimaced at the memory. He shoved away the images of his foolish younger self while gripping the end of the bed. He didn't want to be that way again. He didn't even want to be blissfully ignorant like everyone else. He joined these games for a purpose. It was his responsibility to push back the Watchers' influence. It was his job to, hopefully one day, get everyone out of here too, even if it wasn't going to happen in this game. He wasn't going to let his powers or the other Watchers cloud his mind and hinder him from his goal, not again anyway. Grian narrowed his eyes. They emanated a slight green glow, signifying which life he was on. He pulled himself out of bed and walked to the opening of his rather small base.

He wasn't too productive during the break time, the days between the first session and the one starting today. The young man was so preoccupied with checking on everyone that he hadn't considered finding allies or even building much of a base.

Grian stepped out onto the soft grass and glanced up to take notice of the tall mountain of stairs floating in the air behind the egg-shaped hut he just walked out of. His face scrunched up at the half burnt build, hating that it hadn't all turned to ash. It was even more proof that he hadn't put much thought into what he was going to do for this game, which made sense. This was the first Life Game where his mind wasn't scrambled to some degree. This was probably the longest he ever played with complete awareness of what was truly going on, and he couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing.

Grian's thoughts were interrupted when a flash of green and gold light filled his gaze. A scroll hovered in front of him. A scroll that still carried the horrible symbol on its seal. Grian snatched up the paper and unraveled it.

Move five people's front door at least twice. You must not be called out.

The avian exhaled, letting his wings finally unfurl and stretch from the terrible night's sleep. It was still a task that he wrote. A task that he really was not fond of... but he would take that over the alternative.

Stowing the parchment away, Grian made a beeline to the second staircase he made, the one that actually served a purpose. It connected to the mountain ledge, where his base rested, to the other side of the clearing. A narrow trench laid between them, but the sight barely fazed Grian as he rushed down the steps. The morning sun peeked out through the edge of the world, and it was blurred only slightly by the barrier.

It was the start of the second session. Someone would likely lose a life today. Grian's frown deepened at that thought. His wings unfurled once more, raising him up into the air to make him go faster.

One thing at a time. First check around to see how everyone is doing.

He was really hating the rule that wouldn't allow players to share their task, but it wasn't like he had too much say in these game mechanics, not when there were so many other Watchers pulling the strings. A strong breeze blasted over Grian's face the faster he flew. He currently didn't have much of a plan on how to stop the Watchers exactly. Ironically, he didn't even have much of a plan when he left them in the first place. Grian grumbled at the thought.

And I nag Scar about not thinking things through...

As if on cue, Grian's eyes caught sight of a small structure to his left. It resembled a shack with a dark wooden porch, giving it a very rustic feel. He took a guess at who would build something like that, and he decided on who he was going to visit first. A smile appeared on his face, softening the stress that had built up that morning. He landed safely on the grassy field, stopping in front of the shack only to realize that it was a shop. The lantern light from inside lit up the dim early morning, revealing a sign by the door: Trader Scar's.

Grian smirked at his friend's attempt to start up yet another business. He shook his head as he walked towards the small shop.

Let's see what Scar has for sale this time.

...

Gem woke up rather early in the day. She wasn't able to sleep much with the ever looming fact that session two started today. She had spent the break time gearing up, slapping on some temporary iron boots until she found enough diamonds to craft. She gathered plenty of materials in her base to ensure she was ready for any possible deadly situation, for both her sake and for the other players of course.

What really made her nervous, though, wasn't the looming death hanging over the day. It was the fear that she was going to be alone in this. Call her paranoid, but she checked in on Scott at least once a day to see if he still recalled everything. A part of her hated how clingy it made her feel, but after Scott warned her last session that the Watchers could make him forget everything, she really didn't want to face this terrible game alone, at least not until she knew more about what was truly going on.

With the rising sunlight peeking from the window of her door, Gem took a couple steps towards it before her gaze was blinded by a familiar light. A parchment floated in front of her, taunting her about the hard day to come. With a quick sigh, Gem grabbed the scroll and broke the seal.

Fill four people's chests/bags with light gray stained glass without being caught.

Gem's eyes widened, startled by the task. "Oh gosh..." she muttered. No, she wasn't scared. In fact, she let out a weak chuckle. Her shoulders finally relaxed while she pulled her bangs off the side of her forehead. "How the heck am I going to do this?" she spoke, laughing a little more. A warm smile filled her face, remembering that this was still supposed to be a fun game between friends. After all her built up tension melted with her dying laughter, Gem centered herself again with a breath.

Okay, not the greatest task... Ugh, who am I kidding? This is gonna be a pain!

Gem frowned at the scroll before taking out a folded paper from her pocket.

Should I just forget it and focus on my plan instead?

Gem unfolded the second paper. It was the list of things Scott wrote for her about the games, in case he ever lost his memory. The list was rather short, but it was the words themselves that made Gem's stomach churn.

Things you should know:

1) This is our Fifth Life Game, so there are four winners: Me, Pearl, Martyn, and someone else. I don't know who won the first Life Game since I died pretty early on.

2) Both Martyn and Pearl were very unhinged in their games, at least not until the end for Martyn, but I still wouldn't ask them anything. There's no telling how they'd react if you brought up anything about the games.

3) The Watchers can manipulate anyone's thinking to create more mayhem. So be careful with who you trust. Even me.

4) Burn this paper after you're done, so no one else reads it.

5) Good luck. Be safe. I believe in you. :D

A smile appeared on Gem's face when she reached the end of the list, but her eyes went back to the first two points.

Pearl, Scott, Martyn, and one other person. All of them, hypothetically, know that this is all more than just a game. Problem is Pearl and Martyn apparently went crazy during their games, and if I ask them anything, I may get a sword to the face...

Gem grumbled while rubbing her temple. "You're not giving me many options here, Scott," she muttered before tucking both papers back into her pocket. She then sighed while walking over to her wooden chest and opening the lid. "Might as well work on completing my task... just to be safe." The redhead latched onto a bucket full of sand and pulled it over to her furnace. Starting up a fire with some coal, she began pouring the sand inside.

Gem had a few things planned for today, some very dangerous ones, but one thing was for certain. Her best chance to get more answers was to find the fourth champion.

"Hopefully, he or she won't chop my head off..." she muttered while her tired eyes watched the fire. Gem had her suspicions of who that might be, but for now, she just had to wait and see.

After a few minutes passed, all the sand had turned into glass. The young woman waited for it to cool before tucking it away into the pouch that was hooked to her belt. She then heard commotion outside. The voices of her teammates drew closer, greeting the new day with utter joy. Gem smiled at the sound, but before she stepped outside, she pulled out the paper Scott made for her. Taking one last look at the words, Gem threw it into the still burning embers of the furnace. The parchment shriveled and darkened into ash before the redhead extinguished the flames completely.

She then walked outside to be welcomed by the rising sun. With one deep breath, she inhaled the crisp cool air while admiring the pink petals floating through the wind.

"Good morning!" Gem called out towards her two other teammates. The trio all exited their houses and gathered in the center. Each of them wore iron shoulder pads with matching boots, and swords were tucked away either on their backs or belts. Gem grinned at the sight. All of them really had geared up for this next session, but there was definitely still more to do.

"Morning!" Impulse said with glee. "Anyone else get woken up by a floating piece of paper?"

"I was already awake. Gotta be prepared for any attacks during this game," Gem answered with a proud stance while making a show of scanning the terrain around her.

Impulse chuckled at her intense posture. "Hey, you can relax, Gem. I know you're new, but everyone here's pretty chill, especially when we're all on green," he spoke while crossing his arms casually. "We got a while before we have to start worrying about the others coming after us."

Gem gave a smile in return, but it didn't reach her eyes. It wasn't that she was concerned about the others... okay, maybe she was a bit ready for war. Just the knowledge of former champions possibly reverting back to past games and seeking a slaughter was enough to make Gem's hair stand on end.

"True, but we still don't have any re-gen in this game, so we should be extra cautious around mobs and whatever else," Scott added, glancing over at Gem with a smile. The redhead's shoulders eased. The knowing look in the elf's eyes told her that he still recalled their discussion. He still remembered everything.

Impulse nodded in understanding. "Right, right, well, we should definitely work on getting more supplies. I'll go grab some more fish over by the pond," he said. The man pointed over to a small watering hole that resided next to Gem's base.

"Sounds good," Gem said, giving a thumbs up as her teammate walked away. Once he was out of ear shot, though, the redhead turned back to Scott.

"I'm going to stock up too. We desperately need more food and diamonds," he answered while shooting a thumb to the right. They had started a small farm of wheat close to Impulse's house. It had wooden blocks for the base and water trails in the dirt to keep the crops thriving. Scott then lowered his hand and gave Gem a tad more serious look. "Need my help with anything you're going to do?"

Gem gave a slight shake of the head. "I plan to just walk around the arena... While also going to the Nether," she avoided Scott's gaze when she noticed his eyebrows flying up. He then gave a chuckle in response.

"Yeah, that's a pretty mundane task... Want me to go with you?"

Gem waved off the idea, looking a bit offended. "No, I've been to the Nether plenty of times, during game play and non... Trust me, I already know how painful lava burns and ghast fires feel," Gem said, shivering a bit at the old memories. She then shook off the thought and focused back on her teammate. "Besides, we need some materials from there, and I don't want to drag others with me when the stakes are too high. Which is why, for everyone's safety, I hid the portal underneath my house."

Scott watched her for a moment, gaining a weary smile. "You know, you can't stop everyone from going to the Nether. There are going to be other portals."

Gem gave a huff in response, but her attention had shifted to the ground in slight defeat. "I know, but I also don't want to send anyone to their death if I can help it."

Scott's expression warmed before he nudged Gem with his elbow. "Just don't forget we can take care of ourselves, okay? We've got your back too," he said, causing Gem's eyes to twinkle with gratitude. "I'll check around for more answers too. We'll find a way out of this game together."

Gem nodded in response while she turned back towards her house. "Right, I better get to it then. We've got a long day, and I still need to complete my tas-IMPULSE!"

The woman shrieked when her eyes landed on her house. Specifically, her attention zeroed in on her front door. A large piece of the wall next to it was ripped off and replaced with a TNT block. Her so-called teammate in question was currently inside her base, adjusting the block of explosives. The man gave a nervous grin before he stepped outside, making sure to stand In front of the dynamite. He looked between his two bewildered teammates, and he rubbed the back of his head while chuckling.

"I was uh... I was doing a little redecorating," Impulse said. He avoided the redhead's growing fury by smoothing down his short bangs. "I thought you might like it, heh."

"Why-How- Impulse! Do you realize how dangerous- Were you trying to kill me?!" Gem exclaimed, stepping forward to send an accusing finger towards the man.

Impulse then shot his hands up in surrender, panic consuming his features now. "No! No! I was just- I was, uh-" The imp stopped to shake his head before backing away. "Look, I-I'm sorry, I can take it out," he said rather quickly.

He rushed back over to the wall and grabbed the corner of the dynamite. Everyone held their breath until Impulse managed to pull the explosive out without setting it off. Gem finally exhaled, watching as the man carefully tucked the dynamite in his backpack. He glanced over at the redhead, who still looked very tense. "I'm sorry. I went a bit too far... I wasn't trying to break our alliance or anything... I promise," Impulse said with a somber tone. With his head dipped low, he walked over to pick up the scattered wood on the ground to repair the wall.

Gem crossed her arms. Her anger festered, ears pulled back in irritation. She then heard Scott walking up from behind.

"Don't be too hard on him... It could have been part of his task," the elf whispered once he stood by her side. Gem gave him merely a side glance before he walked away, likely to go work on growing the crops. Gem stood there for a moment, watching Impulse restore her house. A few silent beats passed before she let out a quiet sigh.

Come on, Gem... He doesn't know this isn't a game, remember?

With a louder sigh this time, she strolled over to Impulse to help him secure the last bit of wood beside the door. When the two met each other's eyes, Gem sent him a smile. Impulse soon copied her expression, and his gaze was already lighting up.

"Hey, I saw you grab some obsidian last night. You planning on going to the Nether?" Impulse asked, making Gem tense once again. "Let's go together. Strength in numbers, right?"

Gem internally cursed at herself for not hiding her haul better. She watched Impulse for a moment. The genuine look over his face. The bright grin. She couldn't really lie her way out of it now, let alone say no. They were supposed to be a team. With a quick breath, Gem stood up and gave a nod. "Yeah, okay... Let's just make sure we're geared up first," the redhead added with a weary smile.

...

Scar started his morning off by visiting some of the others around the arena. One has to check the competition, and spread the word about his new trader's outpost, of course.

He had already made a few stops. One of which was Lizzie's base, and he even made a little deal, promising to share the enchanter he planned to build later on. As the salesman strolled across the grassy hills, twirling a piece of sugarcane between his fingers, his green gaze spotted movement in the distance. Two figures were out on the lake, placing wood down across an island in the center of the water source. Curiosity overtaking him, Scar tucked away the sugarcane into his satchel and pulled out another item. When he got close to the water, he tossed down his item, which so happened to be a small boat. It expanded when it hit the water, and Scar hopped inside, rowing the oars across the lake until he reached the island.

"Why hello, builders!" he exclaimed towards the duo, who he just now recognized as Skizz and Tango. The two men locked eyes with Scar, and they immediately smiled, surprising the salesman. With how they left things a few days ago, he was honestly a bit afraid of the results if they reconvened again.

"Scarface!" Skizz shouted with excitement, and Tango copied him, repeating the nickname at least three more times while the two rushed over to the edge of the island.

"Whoa, what a warm welcome," Scar said with a growing smile. The duo helped their friend out of the boat by grabbing both his arms and pulling him on land. "With how everything ended with my hard task, I wasn't sure you guys would want to see me."

"Pfft, you serious? Come on, Scar, that was ages ago," Tango said, swatting the air at the claim.

"Yeah, we don't care about that anymore, Scarface, relax," Skizz said while he patted the salesman on the back.

Scar's heart warmed at their words before he turned to walk closer to the island's center. "So, what is it you gentlemen are building today?"

"Just something super valuable that our base is definitely going to need," Skizz explained as the duo followed after Scar.

"Oh, do tell," Scar furthered, scanning over the wooden planks that outlined the base of, what appeared to be, a rather big build.

"We've got it all planned out, buddy. I'm gonna flatten this all out, and we're gonna make one huge heart in the center here," Skizz explained. He threw an arm around Scar's shoulders and moved his hand slowly over the grassy patch of land as if the structure was already built.

"A heart?" the salesman furthered, completely drawn in now.

"Yeah, you know how everyone can give one free heart to another player for each session?" Tango asked as he went to the stand on top of a plank, careful that his fire-tipped tail didn't set the wood ablaze. "Well, we figured we set up a lil' building for it. Call it the Heart Foundation. A place for people to, you know, leave a heart, take a heart."

"But mostly give a heart to me and Top over here," Skizz added, moving to stand next to Tango and making them both snicker. Scar chuckled along with them.

"I like it, fellas. It sounds like a good plan," Scar answered with a growing smirk. "Which reminds me, I came to tell you about my new shop that I just set up over there: Trader Scar's. The place where you can buy all your essential items to help you during your harrowing journey through this game," the salesman announced. He motioned his hands over to the small wooden shack, which illuminated in the dimly lit morning far behind him.

The two men looked to where Scar pointed before they glanced at each other, growing wide smirks as well.

"That's good to know, Scar, but let me ask you somethin'... Do you really like the Heart Foundation idea?" Skizz asked as he stepped closer to the salesman.

Scar raised a brow, puzzled by the question. "Uh, yes? I said it was a cool idea."

"Yeah, but we were wondering if you'd want to be a part of it," Tango said while gaining a smile. His red eyes beamed from his words.

"How do you mean?"

"Scar, let me just cut to the chase," Skizz said. He placed a hand on the salesman's shoulder. "We want you here, buddy. We want you to be a part of our club."

Scar's eyes widened at the offer. "Oh! Really? Like join an alliance with you?"

"More than that!" Tango spat. He walked back over to them after Skizz moved his hand away from Scar. "We're looking for a brotherhood, a pack. No backstabbing or betrayals."

"Hm, okay... Can I ask why you would want me?" Scar furthered while he pointed to himself.

"Cause of your bartering skills, of course," Skizz answered. He crossed his arms and gained a grin like his flamming friend. "We'll need someone to help us get those hearts from other players."

Tango gave a firm nod in agreement. "And let's be honest, your ability to manipulate others is just what we need for the Heart Foundation."

"Yeah, your persuasion is second to none, pal."

"Aww, you guys are buttering me up over here," Scar said with a small smile, yet it began to falter when a flash of purple filled his vision. It was then he stopped seeing the grinning faces in front of him as genuine. In fact, they almost appeared underhanded, deceitful.

They don't really care about me. They just want to use me to gain more hearts.

Scar flinched at the sudden thought. He cast his gaze to the ground, bewildered by the terrible claim.

"Scar? You okay there, buddy?" The salesman looked back up to find it was Skizz who spoke. He and Tango were watching him now with concern edging into their features. Yet, still, their worry no longer seemed real to him, even after the purple light in his vision disappeared.

Scar cleared his throat to pull himself out of his thoughts before he straightened his stance. "Okay, I'll join you... for each of your hearts."

The two men looked almost taken aback by the request until they both started to laugh.

"Oh man, see? This is why we need him," Tango said while motioning towards the salesman.

Skizz nodded in agreement, but when his laughter died away, he focused back on Scar with a more serious expression. "Look, we can do that, but you have to agree that this isn't like some crummy ole alliance you can just back out of whenever you want. You gotta be committed to this, Scar," he explained, pointing a finger to the ground for emphasis.

Scar nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we can be part of a pack, an alliance. Whatever you want-"

"NO!" both men spat in unison.

"Not an alliance. We need to treat each other like family here, face," Skizz said.

Scar gave a small smile in return. "Sure, we can be like family. Trader Scar's can be like your second home."

Skizz and Tango watched the salesman for a moment, obviously unconvinced, but before either of them could respond, gold and green light flooded the air around them. Three parchments appeared in front of the men, signifying the start of the session. Each player quickly grabbed their respective paper and shifted away to read their tasks in private. Scar broke the seal of his scroll and scanned over the text.

Be Pearl's hype man for 30 minutes of the session and don't get called out.

Scar's eyebrows flew up from the task. "hype man?" he muttered to himself before curling his lips when he noticed the two other players were still only a few feet away. He then tucked away the parchment and smiled towards his friends. "Well, gentlemen, I believe that's my cue to depart. I promised Pearl that I'd meet up with her to do some trading, which I'm sure will go great since she's awesome to trade with."

"Hold it!" Skizz said loudly. He rushed back over to the salesman, who was about to hop back into his boat. Scar turned around to witness Skizz giving an exasperated sigh. "Look, face, we'll give you time to think about our offer, okay?"

"Yeah, and remember no betrayals. You're either in or out, buddy," Tango furthered while putting away his scroll.

"And in an act of good faith," Skizz said before shutting his eyes for a second. He held out a hand in front of him, and a green light formed in his palm, slowly shaping itself into a heart. He sent the glow towards Scar, enveloping his friend with a bright green glow for a moment.

Scar grinned at the gesture, taking notice of the little bit of health he just gained back. "Oh! Whoa!" he said before glancing over at the rather quiet fire elemental. "Tango, do have an act of good faith?"

Tango's burning hair flickered. He grew a strained smile. "Do I have an act of good faith..." he muttered, glancing at the ground to mull it over. He then let out an annoyed huff, and before Skizz could stop him, Tango held out his palm and formed a green heart as well.

The light flew towards Scar, making his smile even wider. "Okay! Thank you, I'll be back. I've got to go talk to Pearl, but I promise I'll be back with my answer, fellas, okay?"

"Okay, but one more thing, face, one more thing," Skizz insisted. He carried a serious look in his blue eyes again, yet he still gained a smirk. "If there's a scenario where you go up to Poppers and you're like 'Oh my gosh, I totally just played those chumps'... We will find out," he warned, squinting his gaze towards the salesman while he crossed his arms.

Scar paused for a moment. He then tilted his head to the side. "Who's poppers?" he asked with a slight curious tone.

"You know who Poppers is, face, come on," Skizz grumbled before he stormed off, going back over to the planks on the ground. "Point is we love you, and we want you here, pal," the well-dressed gentleman insisted with a calmer smile this time. He went over to his wooden chest to grab more supplies, so he could continue working on their build. Scar, though, still remained puzzled as he glanced over at the fire elemental.

Tango, looking a bit confused as well, shrugged with a smirk. "Honestly, Poppers could be anyone in that sentence, but you get the idea, Scarface. We'll be watching you," Tango said. He shifted two of his fingers from his eyes over to Scar's for emphasis. The salesman gave a weak chuckle towards his friend's theatrics before hopping back into his boat.

"Message received, fellas. Talk to you later, goodbye!" Scar called out while he rowed back over the water.

Once he was finally out of earshot, though, Scar let out a sigh. His shoulders dropped from the built up tension he didn't know he was carrying. "Oh man, they were pretty persistent... Maybe I should join their pack?" Scar asked himself once he reached land again. The idea, though, soon crumbled when he recalled those troubling thoughts from before. He grimaced at the claim after he stepped out of the boat. "Well, I'll agree to an alliance... but a brotherhood? That's to be determined," he muttered. He grew a smirk as he made his way over the grassy fields, shoving away the festering bitterness those negative thoughts brought.

Scar's attention was then pulled towards his shop when he noticed some movement. A pair of white wings waltzed into the small shack, causing Scar to recognize the figure immediately.

"Ooo, a customer," he said to himself before he started to sprint with a spring in his step. He passed by his camel, who laid comfortably by the right of his store. Its reins were tied to a small fence post to ensure the animal wouldn't wander off.

Once he stepped inside, Scar dashed in front of the figure with a bright grin. "Why hello there, traveler. Welcome to Trader Scar's," he spoke to Grian as the avian scanned around the rather tight space. The shop only consisted of two areas: the main room and the back room. The back room, which held all Scar's extra items, was closed off by a door, and the main room was divided by a wooden counter with barrels of items resting on a shelf above.

"Is this your base?" Grian asked with a slight smirk.

"Why yes it is... I do plan on making a sort of town around here, though. Maybe make a courthouse next door to settle disputes?" Scar suggested with a shrug. "Anyway, care to take a look at our selection? Anything catches your eye?"

Grian scanned over the items that leaked out of the open barrels. He pondered for a moment before giving a shrug. "Eh, none of it. It's all junk," he teased, making Scar gasp dramatically. "Really I just came by to see how things were going."

"Oh, really? Aw, that's sweet of you, Grian... Besides insulting my items," Scar muttered under his breath.

Grian then snickered. "Come on, none of this stuff's gonna help you in this game."

"Oh yes they will, sir!" Scar said. He moved behind the counter and rested an arm against the already scratched wood. Grian rolled his eyes from the man's words as he continued. "Now, you sure there's nothing you'd need? We've got potions, gold, and I've always got more stuff in the back..." Scar trailed off when a slight commotion came from outside.

"And we're coming down the mountain as we come!" a voice rang out in a musical tune that almost sounded like a threat. The two men turned towards the main door to witness a couple more players bursting into the room.

"Aha! There you are, you swindler!" Jimmy shouted. His wings flared up with irritation. Martyn was right behind him, looking equally annoyed. The two blondes glared the salesman down while Grian merely raised an eyebrow towards Scar.

"Do I even want to know?" Grian asked.

Jimmy then moved to stand closer to his fellow avian. "Don't trust this man, Grian. He gave us coal when he promised a flint and steel."

"Yeah, and then he used our diving board as a quick getaway," Martyn said, crossing his arms. He then gave a small smirk towards the salesman. "I'd be more proud if I wasn't the one being played."

Scar, on the other hand, remained unfazed as he headed to his back room to grab an item from one of his chests. "I meant no harm, fellas. You came here for your ingots, right?" he asked as he reentered the room. "Well, here you go." He pulled out a few iron ingots and handed them to Jimmy. The avian hesitated, squinting his eyes at the ingots, before he snatched them from Scar's hand.

"How is it that you've set up a shop already?" Martyn asked. He looked around the room in disbelief.

Scar grew a proud smile. "We are hard workers here at Trader Scar's," he said before looking back at Jimmy. "And I did not swindle you, mister. I simply misspoke. The deal was for flint. You thought it was flint and steel-"

"You definitely said 'and steel', Scar," Martyn pointed out with a dull gaze, making Scar give a weak chuckle.

"Well, I gave you the ingots in the end, so I was still honest-"

"Looks like he really was STEELING from you," Grian added, making Martyn snicker in response, and Jimmy nodded rather quickly in agreement.

"Yup, he definitely stole from us," the gold-winged avian huffed in a matter-of-fact tone. Jimmy then gave a small wave as started making his way out the door. His demeanor was already friendlier with the ingots now in his clutches. "Alright, thank youuu!"

Scar gave a scoff at the claims and followed after his friend. "You know, I don't have to take these accusations. Pearl would never treat me like this. I should just go set up shop by her instead," he rambled before he ripped off the wooden sign from the front door. He flipped it over, took out a marker from his satchel, and started scribbling a new message. He continued to write as he walked back inside. Scar assumed Martyn and Grian were still looking through the items in the barrels when Scar made his way back behind the counter. His attention was focused on his writing as he spoke. "Well, if it does interest you, fellas, I am willing to trade a golden apple for a heart."

Grian perked up from his friend's offer, gaining a smile. "Oh, I'll take that deal."

"Great!" Scar beamed, but when he finally looked back up, his grin faltered. "Wha-Why are we tearing down my establishment!?" The salesman panicked once he spotted a giant hole in the wall where his window used to be. He dropped his marker and sign onto the counter when his hands motioned towards the sight. Most of the damage was covered by Grian's wings, yet it was still clearly visible. The avian then gave a sheepish smile in response.

"I was wondering why I felt a draft," Martyn added after he turned and finally noticed the hole too. He then raised an eyebrow towards the man with the red jumper. "How the heck did you do that without either of us hearing you?"

"I uh... I'm just that good with an axe, heh," Grian replied with a weak chuckle. Martyn, though, frowned when he realized that the avian didn't possess an axe on his belt. He opened his mouth to further the discussion, but he stopped himself when acknowledged Scar's presence. Grian did so as well, seeing the distraught look of the salesman, so the young man picked back up the wooden pieces that were left on the ground from the demolition. "I'm sorry, I'll put it back together."

Scar's broken expression melted away before he headed towards the backroom again to grab another item. "Alright, a heart for a golden apple. I can agree to that deal."

Once Grian restored the front of the shop, he stepped back inside just as Scar returned from behind the counter. The avian stopped, though, when he noticed his friend holding a gold apple.

"Wait, no, I was gonna give you a golden apple for a heart," Grian said while taking out an apple from his pouch.

Scar raised a brow at the claim. "No, I said I was going to give you a golden apple."

"Scar, no, I don't need a-"

"No, I was going to give you a gold apple," Martyn cut into the conversation by slapping an apple onto the counter. He gave a smirk towards his friends, but instead of laughing, the duo looked at the blonde with slight irritation. "What? I want a heart too."

"Let's have Pearl decide this. She's smart, intelligent, and a wonderful person. Come on, everybody!" Scar announced as he headed out the door. The two remaining inside the shop watched him go before giving each other puzzled looks.

Martyn then shrugged. "Eh, you make the deal. I don't wanna walk all the way to Pearl's," he said to Grian before exiting the shop. Grian sighed at the random turn of events, yet he still followed after Scar.

"Scar, wait! We don't need Pearl. Let's just settle it here," Grian called out once he finally caught up with the salesman.

Scar turned, still clutching the golden apple in his hand. "Okay, then give me your heart."

"No, I want the extra bit of life."

"Come on, the extra hearts are free, right? Let's just both gift ours to each other," Scar suggested while he put the apple back in his satchel. Grian copied him, tucking away the one still in his hand.

"I can't give you my heart, Scar. I'm saving it for someone SPE-CIAL," Grian replied in a rather dramatic tone to emphasize both his lack of seriousness and to poke fun of the double meaning in their words. He even crossed his arms and turned away slightly to further the point, causing Scar to slip into a poker face.

"Wow..." he mumbled with a smirk, yet there was still a hint of hurt in his tone.

Scar's smile then faltered. No, it wasn't from what Grian said. He knew that there was no malice behind the words. What surprised him was the flash of colors in his vision. It was all like a photograph being thrown in his face. Instead of the grassy open field, a dark forest surrounded him now. He could see from the corner of his eyes that he was wearing a purple robe with baggy sleeves. His hand was extended towards Grian, who still stood in front of him.

This time, though, his friend was different. He carried a wide grin that one could see as eerie. His neon yellow eyes glowed in the dark, yet they strangely carried a tint of purple, enveloping his pupils and making them appear distant and cold. Grian reached out towards Scar's hand. He attempted to take the extra life, the glowing heart, that rested in the salesman's palm.

As he reached out, lightning then blasted through the sky, making Grian's smile flash a pair of fangs. His nails shifted into sharp talons, and his glowing eyes appeared deranged now. Glowing purple eyes then began sprouting in the air all around the avian. Scar's heart skipped a beat at the frightening image.

"Scar?"

The young man blinked a few times, finding himself back in the grassy field. Grian was there still, and he had a look of worry. His knitted brow and frown was jarring against the sadistic grin he saw seconds before. Scar tensed for a moment before shaking off the feeling. Grian's frown deepened as he stepped forward.

"Look, I didn't really mean- Wait! No, I'm not falling for this," Grian said while holding his hands up in the air. His wings almost copied the movement too, making Scar fully snap out of his thoughts. Grian then shifted his hands to his hips to give a rather defiant look towards the salesman. "I know your playbook, Scar. I'm not gonna be tricked into making any deals with you because you're looking sad," Grian pointed out with a growing smirk as if he caught the conman red-handed.

Scar paused for a second, processing his friend's words. Eventually, he gave a shrug in response before slipping into a smirk as well. "I don't know what you're talking about, G. Trader Scar's is all about honesty and fairness," the salesman replied, holding a hand up like it was a promise.

Grian's eyes dulled at the blatant story. "Sure, lie to your former business partner in like every other Life Game," he said while rolling his eyes. He then smiled as he started to turn away. "Anyway, I better go. I wanna go check around the arena to see how everyone else's doing."

Scar gave a wave in response, watching the avian fly off once more. His thoughts, though, soon dialed back up again. They pulled that frightening image from before to the front of his mind. Scar frowned at, what he assumed, was a memory while he placed a hand against the side of his head.

That was from Last Life, right? I don't remember Grian ever looking like that...

... Or maybe he did, and I just... forgot?

Scar shook his head once more. He removed himself from the troubling thoughts. Yet, the after effects still lingered. The image pulled up old emotions. Feelings of isolation soon weighed him down until he almost thought he was going to cry.

Scar then shoved the emotions away while he narrowed his gaze, irritated over their nagging persistence to keep him down. He wasn't going to dwell on what happened way back then.

"It's over and done with," he muttered before he turned to head back to his shop with his head held high.

...

Gem let out a gasp once she exited the portal. Its freezing touch sent shivers down her spine, cooling her down from the literal hellfire she just escaped. Gem leaned against the stone wall of her basement to catch her breath. She and Impulse had just spent a few hours in the Nether: collecting items, trading with piglins, and dodging Endermen. The journey was extra harrowing for Gem since she not only had to worry about herself, but also ensure Impulse didn't fall to mob attacks or burning lava. It was a miracle that neither of them took any damage.

Gem shifted her focus back on the swirling portal. Fear edged its way into her skull, clenching her jaw at the lack of company. Impulse wanted to stay behind to continue trading with the piglins, and he seemed rather content to do so when literal monsters and lava surrounded the man. The redhead tried to wait for him, but her teammate insisted she head back home. Every fiber of her being hated the idea, but she then remembered Scott's words from earlier, which allowed her to even walk through that portal in the first place.

Gem let out a deep sigh, shifting her tired gaze to her now gold footwear. "He's got gold boots... he'll be fine..." she muttered. After much reluctance, the young woman pushed herself off the wall and headed back upstairs. When she walked outside her house, though, her anxious thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a figure waltzing into the base next to her, and it definitely wasn't Scott. Gem went next door, and her eyes narrowed towards the man who was sifting through her teammates' chest.

"Excuse me?" Gem asked with hands on her hips, causing Jimmy to jump.

His wings puffed up from the shock as he turned around. His shoulders then eased at the sight of the redhead. "Oh, hey, Gem, you scared me there for a second."

"Why? Because you're doing something wrong?" Gem furthered with a raised brow.

Jimmy waved his hand to dismiss the claim. "No, I was just bored and wanted to go searching around the arena to see what everyone's been up to," he explained a tad too casually, and his mischievous smirk made Gem's eyes squint. "Trust me, I've already been bamboozled today. I'm not gonna do that to anyone else."

Gem crossed her arms, not buying the act. "Uh-huh..." she muttered hesitantly while walking over to the avian. The poor actor went back to the wooden chest, and he started picking through the items with a wide grin. "Either way, this seems like a huge invasion of privacy here, Jimmy, especially if you're not actually stealing anything."

"I just want to see how decked out everyone is so far, and boy, I was right! Scott's rich over here," Jimmy said with a more genuine tone now once he lifted up a handful of diamonds and a golden apple. He then cleared his throat and carefully put the items back once he spotted the glaring redhead beside him. "Man, I think I might just live here then," he said as he stood up straight to face the young woman. He began rummaging through his satchel. "I'll just set up my bed in the corner here, and I'll be part of the band now." The avian took out a small wooden and wool block, and when he placed it down on the corner, opposite to the wooden chests, the block expanded and formed into a bed.

Gem's brow furrowed from the man's words, baffled by the sudden plans he was making. When he turned away to adjust the blanket over his makeshift bed, though, the redhead's eyes shifted to the dark blue satchel he had resting on his side. A new thought came to her mind, causing Gem to dive a hand through her pouch and pull out the light grey stained glass. She carefully leaned forward and tucked the pieces under the lip of Jimmy's bag before she stepped away.

"Well, it's not my house, so do whatever you want," Gem said while she exited the base, but that's when she heard a new voice coming up from her left.

"Argh... Come on, you little-" Gem turned to find a zombie with decaying green skin and stitches across her face. She wore a brightly colored leotard and leggings to go with her fiery orange hair, which carried live snakes inside. The serpents emerged from her wavy locks to hiss towards the creature their host was riding. The whole scene was happening right across Gem's front lawn.

"Uh... Cleo?" Gem asked, watching the undead player riding a pig over the bumpy rocks and uneven dirt. She used a stick with a hanging carrot to guide the animal forward. Gem was at a loss for words the longer she stared. The sight completely baffled her, and it made her question, for a second, if this whole game was just some crazy fever dream she was having.

The zombie looked up from the call of her name. "Oh... Gem was it? Hey, don't mind me, just trying to get this darn thing to go faster," Cleo grumbled towards the stubborn pig. The chunky farm animal grunted back at the player before zeroing in on the carrot again. It trotted forward now with even slower steps, causing the snakes on Cleo's head to hiss louder.

Gem opened her mouth to speak, but she remained speechless. After a couple seconds, she finally managed to ask, "Cleo, why are you riding... that?"

Cleo didn't look back. She continued to keep her full attention on her ride as she moved towards the edge of the cliff. "Cause the floor is lava," she said a few moments later, and her answer bewildered the redhead even more. Gem tried to question her bizarre logic, but the zombie spoke again. "Hey, do you have a safe way down the mountain? I don't even know how I got up here to be honest."

Eventually, Gem was able to snap out of her confusion long enough to process the question, seeing that both Cleo and the pig stopped to look down over the mountain's edge. "Uh, not really... I really should get to building some stairs now that you mention it," Gem replied, trailing off near the end as she pondered the new thought.

"Eh, it's fine. I'll figure it out," Cleo replied with a sigh. Gem frowned from her tone. She stepped forward to continue the conversation, but the redhead then heard commotion from behind. Gem turned to find the door to her base wide open, and with Jimmy nowhere in sight, she quickly put two and two together.

Gem huffed rather loudly before storming over to her base. Once she made it to the doorway, her suspicions were confirmed by finding the blonde in question digging through her chest. "Jimmy! Get out of there!" she shouted, causing the avian to flinch.

Jimmy turned to face the fury-filled deer, trying his best not to smile. "Get out of where?" he asked. He held his hands behind his back and began to look around as if the answer was somewhere else.

Gem's ears dipped low in irritation while she glared at the bird. "Jimmy..." she warned, and her low tone finally made the young man hold his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay, sorry, I'll go," he said while he walked past the redhead to exit the base.

Once he disappeared around the corner, Gem let out a sigh, allowing her head to fall into her hand. "Everyone in this universe is completely crazy..." she muttered. A part of her then wondered if that was a side effect to being stuck in a literal death game loop for so long, but she dismissed the idea with a shake of her head. She really didn't want to think that deeply about the weirdness of her alternate reality friends. Besides, her real friends back home weren't any less insane if she were being honest.

"Did I miss someone doing something stupid?" Gem's head shot up from the sudden new voice. She then smiled when she saw it was Impulse, who was climbing up the steps to her basement. The man was completely unscathed and still carried his wide grin.

The tension in Gem's shoulders eased at the sight of her teammate safe and sound. She took a breath as she leaned against the door frame to look outside. "Yeah, basically... Jimmy wouldn't stop barging into our bases. Then, Cleo came in while riding a pig. This game is completely insane."

Impulse started to chuckle. "Well, the pig thing is new, but yeah, you'll definitely have to get used to the craziness. We're a pretty weird bunch," he said before he moved to leave. Gem stepped out of his way, and she then watched him. Impulse waved goodbye until he hurried towards the edge of the cliff, which Cleo must have disappeared from too.

Gem's expression softened the longer she dwelt on the man's words. She recalled memories she had back home that were quite similar to these present shenanigans, making her heart warm. "Yeah... but you guys are my weirdos," she muttered to herself before closing the door to her base.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

While exploring the arena, talking with some of the other players, Grian had started to grab some more supplies for himself, especially when his current little base lacked pretty much everything.

He acquired a bow and some arrows while fighting off skeletons in the caves, and he was now testing out his new weapon in the open field by his home.

That's when he heard digging to his right.

With the fletching still in his hand, Grian drew closer to the sound and spotted a hole that was, at most, eight blocks wide. Inside it was Jimmy. He was using his shovel to move the dirt and grass into a pile, so he could reach the stone underneath it. The blonde was too focused on his assignment to even notice the newcomer, and when Grian looked down at his still loaded bow, he suddenly grinned at the opportunity that was presented to him. With a purple tint in his eyes. The avian pulled the string back and took aim.

"Hey, Jimmy, heads up," he said to his friend.

Jimmy jumped at the sudden voice. "Oh! Hey, what's-Ah!" Just as he turned around, Grian released the arrow and sent it flying a foot away from the blonde. Jimmy's wings rose in alarm, looking down at the arrow now sticking in the stone by his foot. He then glared towards his smiling friend. "Oh, it's gonna be like that is it? Do it again then," he dared.

With an even wider grin, Grian took aim while his eyes gained even more of a violet hue, but Jimmy stopped him by shaking his head.

"No, no, you gotta do it right," Jimmy said, catching the shorter avian off guard. Grian raised a brow, tilting his head, as Jimmy climbed out of the hole to stand next to him. The blonde then pointed up towards the sky. "Go on, shoot it up in the air. We're playing chicken, right?"

Grian's smile soon returned at the idea, making him snicker. With his eyes swirling with purple now, he raised the bow into the air to take aim. A new voice, though, interrupted the show.

"Hey, what... what the heck are you guys doing?" Martyn asked. He walked over to the duo and put all his focus on Grian, who still kept his attention towards the sky above. Eventually, the shorter avian removed the tension from the string to turn and give the newcomer a dull look.

Jimmy, though, smiled towards the other blonde. "We're playing chicken. Come on, if it hits you, you're out of the game," he said towards Martyn, and he then turned his attention back to Grian. The golden-winged avian gave a quick nod for him to start.

Martyn, though, frowned towards the man. He looked and watched Grian's eyes brightened again, giving them an unnatural hue that made the blonde's blood run cold for a second. He stepped forward and held out his hand to his friends.

"Hey, wait, you shouldn't-" Martyn's concerns evaporated from his throat when Grian released the arrow high into the sky.

The blonde's heart strangely began to race with panic while his two bird pals dashed around him as if it were a game of tag. Martyn couldn't understand why he felt such sudden fear. Normally, he would love playing a game like this. He would even find ways to make it more dangerous just for a laugh, but now...

Martyn backed away from the center. He kept his focus upward. His wide eyes darted across the sky. He desperately tried to locate the arrow, feeling an almost foreign urge to not want him or his friends to get hit. "Guys, this isn't-Why- This is crazy!" he shouted just as the other two came to a stop. Their laughter soon faded as they looked at the stressed blonde.

Martyn's statement, though, seemed to have done the trick and woke up the shorter avian. Grian blinked for a second, pausing like he had just snapped out of a trance. The purple hue in his vision dissolved, and he soon looked up at the sky. His eyes widened in horror when he noticed the arrow heading right for Jimmy. Grian's pupils glowed purple once more, but they carried a new purpose this time. The tip of the arrow was consumed with a violet spark to match, and it caused the sharp object to shift its course.

Jimmy, though, was none of the wiser, frowning towards his teammate with a puzzled look. "Dude, it's just a game. It's fine-Whoa!" the avian gasped when the arrow landed an inch away from his foot. He then let out a snicker. He held his hands up in victory at the close call, but his friends weren't laughing along with him.

Martyn watched the canary. His brow knitted while he fell deep in thought. He worried for their safety, but why? They literally killed eachother on the daily, and he began to sweat when one of them almost got hit with an arrow? Strangely enough, the fright he felt was also familiar to him, almost like dejavu. Martyn then realized that there was a common factor in these feelings, and he then snapped his attention onto the man with the red jumper.

Grian, on the other hand, was frozen. His whole body felt heavy while he kept his focus on the arrow wedged in the dirt. He then shifted his attention to the bow in his hands. With a trembling grip, he nearly dropped it as if it were burning hot. He glanced over at Martyn, and his panic grew when he saw the frustration over his friend's face.

"Grian, why the heck would you-"

"Sorry, gotta go," Grian said as he turned to leave, quickly stuffing the bow and arrows back into his pouch.

"Grian!" Martyn called out louder, but the avian was already flying off into the sky.

"Martyn?" The blonde stopped to look back at the canary. A frown fell over Jimmy while he stared at his friend with growing concern. "Hey, what's wrong? Grian and I were just having some fun."

Martyn's own frown deepened, but his gaze soon softened at the sight of his teammate with the utter confusion consuming his features.

Martyn's mind was a growing muffled, foggy. He could feel the tension of a headache coming on, yet he knew it wasn't from stress. The blonde leaned a hand against the side of his head before letting out a sigh. "Yeah... Yeah, I know. It's nothing, mate, sorry."

Why was I so angry? And...scared? They were just playin' a stupid game. All of this is just a game.

It's not like they were gonna feel any real pain... right?

What the heck is going on with me today?

Martyn shook his head before glancing back at Jimmy again. "Hey, I'm gonna go head to Cherry Blossom Mountain. I heard that new girl, Gem's, got an enchanter. Need anything enchanted?"

Jimmy's concern soon melted away with a smile. "Oh, seriously? I was just up there. Must have missed the enchanter," he spoke while digging through his blue satchel. He then handed Martyn a iron chest plate and some boots. "Thanks, man."

"Sure thing," Martyn replied before walking away. He stowed the armor in his backpack, and his head started throb again, white noise buzzing in his ears. He rubbed the side of his head with a slight groan. "Come on, can't be gettin' sick during a session."

There be no growing ill today, Martyn. Prepare yourself. Your metal will be tested, laddie.

Martyn froze. He scanned the terrain around him, searching for who had just spoke. The voice felt eerily familiar. He knew the person, yet... he couldn't quite remember who they were.

...

After Gem had finished building a pink staircase against the side of Cherry Blossom Mountain, she and Impulse both decided to take a look around the arena and possibly find Scott.

The two teammates took a rather peaceful stroll. They stopped only a few times to greet other players along the way and make a quick stop to the Secret Keeper for Gem to turn in her task. Impulse would walk a little faster at times, but the young woman kept her slow pace, allowing herself to just take in the scenery. After their long excursion through the Nether and building a whole staircase from scratch, Gem was just thankful to be taking a breather. The sun was past its highest point in the sky, and its heat enveloped her skin while the summer breeze kept her cool and ruffled the blades of grass across the lush green meadows. She gave a slight stretch of her arms as she took in a deep breath.

"Hey, I see Scott!" Impulse called out from a few yards ahead. Gem followed his gaze and spotted the elf in question near the edge of the border. He was next to a small stone structure with gated pens filled with sheep and cows beside it. There were even a couple of cherry blossom trees planted next to the base, so its pale pink petals decorated the grass around it, brightening up the whole flat area on the bottom of the mountain.

Impulse went sprinting off, and Gem picked up the pace to follow after him. When they drew closer, Gem realized that there were three other people that Scott was with.

One of them was Cleo, who thankfully wasn't riding her pig anymore. The other two were men with white hair. The one closest to Cleo wore a blue headband over his forehead and a navy mask that covered the entire lower half of his face. All anyone could see were his eyes, and one was even bright red with a scar over it, contrasting the neon green glint in his other pupil.

The second man was a tad shorter than the rest. He also wore a headband with a bright red hue. The rest of his clothes, though, were slightly tattered as if he had been in a fight. He even had a bit of a black eye and a missing tooth to go with the theme, but the way he joyfully waltzed around the animal pens, feeding them pieces of wheat while nobody else paid any mind, made it obvious that his roughed up appearance was a normal thing.

"Hey, Scott!" Gem called out, waving towards the elf when she had gotten close enough. Scott turned from his conversation and smiled at the sight of his teammates coming up the wooden steps to meet him.

"Hey, I was just talking about you," Scott said. He then focused on the redhead. "You've got your enchanting table with you?"

Gem tilted her head a bit, curious from the request. "Uh, yeah, it's in my bag, why?" she asked while patting her satchel.

"I was trying to make a deal with Etho and Cleo over here," Scott explained, shooting a thumb towards the zombie and the man with the face mask. "We can get some of their cows in exchange for letting them enchant their armor. Wha'da think?"

Gem smiled. "That sounds great, actually."

"Sweet! We finally get some cows," Impulse said with growing excitement before rushing over to the pens.

"Ooo, an enchanting table? I want in on that too," the second gentleman by the pens, Bdubs, said. He rushed over to stand with the group after giving Impulse the rest of the wheat in his hands. Impulse happily accepted and began feeding the pieces to the mooing cows. All the farm animals started flocking towards his side of the fence.

Gem, though, held her hand up before Bdubs got any closer. "No, the deal was for Etho and Cleo. I'm not giving my enchanting table out for free," she replied after she grabbed a small box from her bag. The redhead tossed it down onto the grass, causing it to expand and form into a table with a book.

Bdubs then frowned, scowling at the deer in a rather dramatic way that Gem couldn't even take seriously. She stood her ground, hands on her hips, until the man started backing away with a loud huff.

"Fine! Guess I'll just hold on to all this lapis and do nothing with it," he said while he stormed off towards the pen full of sheep. He took shears out of his pocket, clutching them tight like they were a sign of defeat.

"Oh, wait, we do need lapis," Etho pointed out after rifling through the pockets of his vest.

"Oh yeah, darn it, I thought I had some on me," Cleo said while she dug through the pouch on her belt. She then looked back over at the sulking man. "Bdubs, could you lend us some?"

"I'd love to if my friends would be nice to me and let me enchant my stuff too," Bdubs said after shearing the wool from one of the sheep and stuffing the material rather forcefully into his moss colored backpack.

Gem let out a sigh. Even if Bdubs wasn't being dramatic right now, a part of her still wanted to say yes, simply if it meant everyone would have better armor to protect themselves. "Fine, Bdubs, you can enchant."

"Wahoo! Yes! Thank you," Bdubs cheered with a wide grin as he rushed back over to the table.

Etho chuckled at the man's antics. "Feel better, son?"

"Yes, yes, I do, dad," Bdubs replied while handing out the lapis to both Cleo and Etho.

His response caught Gem off guard. "Dad?"

"Yes, Cleo is my mom, and Etho is my dad, who finally came back after getting milk," Bdubs answered. He stood between his two taller teammates with hands on their shoulders like it was a family portrait. Gem's brow furrowed in utter bewilderment until Cleo started snickering.

"You've gotta give better context than that, Bdubs. You're freaking her out!" Cleo said through her laughter, making both Etho and Bdubs chuckle as well.

Scott then leaned over towards the completely baffled redhead. "It's part of their alliance. They played house during the last game and called themselves the Clockers," he explained with a smirk.

While that reduced some of the confusion, Gem still looked at Scott like she had millions of questions. "The Clockers?"

Scott simply gave a shrug, trying his best not to laugh too. "Me and Martyn were also kind of like their babysitters or uncles, I guess?" He rested a cheek in his palm, sighing from his own strange words. Gem's face twisted more at the new information, but finally, she gave up and just let out a tired sigh of her own. She then grew a smirk.

Everyone in this world is definitely crazy...

"Hey, I forgot to ask, did you run into Martyn by any chance?" Scott asked with a tad serious tone now.

Gem raised a brow towards the elf. "No... why?"

"Well, he was looking for you, and I told him that you were in the-"

A thunderous boom echoed in the distance, stopping everyone in their tracks. Before anyone could question it, a holographic image popped up in front of each player. Gem's eyes widened when she noticed that it was an image of Martyn. The color was faded to a light blue except for a giant neon green 'X' that crossed him out.

Right below the image was some small text: Martyn was slain by Piglin Brute.

Gem's mouth fell open in horror while Scott cringed at the words.

"Ugh, Martyn, why..." Scott groaned as he let his head fall into his hand, yet his tone carried obvious guilt.

"Ooo, that's rotten luck," Etho muttered.

"Yeah, but come on, that place is difficult even when not in hardcore mode," Cleo furthered with sigh.

Gem listened to their responses, and it horrified her even more since all she could imagine was the blonde suffering a painful death to a pig monster surrounded by burning lava. Her whole body burned from the growing tension while the frightening images continued to whirl through her mind.

"Gem?" Scott asked carefully. He took notice of her frozen posture even after the digital image faded away. He stretched a hand out to her shoulder, but he drew back when the redhead spun around seconds later and started sprinting down the steps. "Wha-Gem! Where are you going!?"

"I gotta check if he's okay, Scott!" Gem shouted as if the answer was obvious.

"He's fine, Gem! He'll just respawn back at the Secret Keeper!" Cleo called out towards the disappearing figure that raced over the fields. She frowned at the sight before looking over at Scott. "Is she okay?"

"New girl's in for a rough time if only one death freaks her out," Bdubs said while he flipped through the book on the table.

"Hey, cut her some slack. She might have never played a game like this before," Etho pointed out before looking expectantly towards the quiet elf.

Scott's attention shifted between each of them until he felt another presence come up from behind.

"Hey, is Gem okay?" Impulse asked. Scott turned to see his teammate's worry-filled expression. The elf then took a step back.

"I'll go check on her. Could you stay here and bring the enchanter and the cows back home?" Scott asked while he started heading towards the steps.

"Uh, yeah..." Impulse trailed off from the continued concern, but he soon smiled before shooting a thumbs up. "Sure thing!"

Scott returned the smile and then sprinted off in the direction of the panicking redhead.

Gem, on the other hand, nearly stumbled several times thanks to the uneven earth below. She panted with growing frustration as if even the soil beneath her feet wanted to mock and keep her from her destination. A part of her knew she was overreacting. She knew that if she were to find Martyn at the Secret Keeper, then he would appear completely unscathed. He'd probably even question her strange need to check on him too.

In any normal circumstance, she wouldn't have given Martyn's death a second thought like the others. She might have even chuckled, but Gem couldn't get the sight of blood out of her mind. The amount of pain she felt with a simple stalagmite to the foot was nothing compared to what Martyn must have felt when the Piglin inevitably struck him with a golden axe. The gory picture made her sick, but thankfully, her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted the Secret Keeper. Right below the mountain sculpture, a man with a black headband and neon green t-shirt stood.

"Martyn!" Gem shouted while running over to him. The blonde in question had his face in hands, but he quickly turned his attention towards the loud call. He expression then melted into a scowl.

"Ugh, come to poke fun? Wouldn't blame you," Martyn groaned, dry-washing his face once the redhead reached him. "Gem, where the heck were you? Scott said you were in the Neth-"

"Martyn... are you okay?" Gem asked in between pants, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

The blonde paused from the question. "Uh, yeah, other than my pride, I guess," he replied before looking down to see if he was injured anywhere. He then cringed at a new thought while scratching the side of his head. "But now that you mention it, my head's been pretty foggy today... Seriously thought I heard Ren's voice when I was in that bastion, heh."

Gem stopped. She jerked her head up to look right at Martyn. Her eyes were wide in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

Martyn squeezed his eyes shut and began to rub his temple. "I said I thought I heard Ren. He's probably still there taking all my items right now," Martyn grumbled before finally letting his hand fall to his side. His gaze then moved towards Gem again, noticing her still baffled demeanor.

The redhead stood still. She carefully studied the man's face. His words rang through her mind while she recalled their werewolf friend in question. Gem didn't think there was a version of him in this world, just like with her and many others, but-

"Martyn... Ren's not in this game," she said slowly, watching to see how the blonde would react.

Her response made Martyn freeze. He cast his gaze to the ground for a moment before searching all around him. He blinked a few times like he was just registering where he was. His mouth fell open until his attention landed back on Gem, rendering himself completely speechless. "I... Who... Ren's not..."

"Gem!" The conversation was interrupted by the call of Scott, who came rushing towards the duo. He slowed down, though, when he took notice of the thick tension in the air. He looked from Gem to Martyn, taking in the severity in their eyes, and the elf tensed as well.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked, placing a hand on the redhead's shoulder. Gem finally turned her attention from Martyn to her teammate. She opened her mouth to speak, but there were too many words filling her mind.

"Scott, I-He said-"

"S-Scott?" All eyes went back to Martyn. He focused right on Scott. His confusion then bled into guilt. "You... and Impulse... I killed you."

Gem's throat constricted by the weight of the blonde's words and the possible threat emerging. She instinctively went for the sword on her belt. She could sense a similar feeling edging into Scott's stance when he moved to stand in front of her, completely on guard now. Scott refused to tear his focus off Martyn, whose gaze soon shifted towards the ground again. The blond gripped the sides of his headband, ruffling his hair while his body started to tremble. Surprised by the sudden shift in his friend's demeanor, Scott took a cautious step forward, concern spilling over his face. "Martyn?"

"I-I just killed you. All to get time. To win! W-Why did I do that?" Martyn began to ramble as he leaned forward. Gem, though, took notice of his eyes. One began to glow purple while another was consumed with an orange hue. Both colors flashed rapidly over his irises the faster his breathing grew. "I-It's supposed to be just a game, but I saw the blood. The burnt skin-It's all REAL!"

"Martyn," Scott said again. He drew closer with slow movement, like he was approaching a wounded animal.

"And I laughed! Why would I do that!?" he spat while throwing his hands outward. His breaths sped faster and faster. His lungs never seemed to get enough air while his glowing eyes darted around the arena. "Why are we acting like none of it matters? Why the heck are we playing this game again-"

"Martyn!" Scott shouted, clamping his hands down on Martyn's shoulders. The blonde snapped his attention right back on the elf, and the glow in both his eyes slowly diminished the longer he focused on his friend. His breathing grew quiet now that he had something to focus on, and his gaze returned to its neon yellow.

Scott watched him for a moment. The two stared at each other in silence, aside from Martyn's slowing breaths. Finally, the blonde's expression crumbled, twisting into shame.

"Scott... I-I'm so sorry, mate. I... I'm sorry," Martyn muttered before dipping his head low to the ground.

Gem's own heart broke at the sight. She loosened her grip on her sword and watched the two in front of her. She could see, though, a warm smile growing on Scott's face.

"Don't worry about it... We're still the Mean Gills at heart," the elf replied, causing Martyn to lift his head up once more. The blonde studied him, searching his expression for any form of deceit. Eventually, though, the heaviness in Martyn's tired gaze began to ease, and he even choked out a chuckle from his friend's words. Scott's expression then fell away when a new thought crossed his mind. "I'm sorry too, Martyn... I didn't even consider that you might be going through this because you won the last game."

Scott's pulled away when Martyn gained a puzzled look. "Whada mean? I still don't know what's even going on," Martyn said before rubbing his temple again. "My head's been hurtin' since the last session, and it's only gotten worse today. I keep seeing old memories and..." Martyn groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. "Ugh, I can't even explain it. It just sounds crazy."

Gem took this as her opportunity to intervene. She drew close to the duo, and they both turned to acknowledge her. "Trust me, what you're going through is by far the least crazy thing going on in this game."

Martyn stared at the redhead, studying her features like they had just met. His eyebrows then shot up from a sight of recognition. "Wait... Gem? You... You look different... Why do you have antlers?" he asked while pointing up towards Gem's head.

Gem's ears dipped from the question. She glanced over at Scott, but he seemed equally confused. "Whada mean? I've always had these-" Her heart stopped. She was reminded of their conversation right before Scott arrived, and she suddenly felt her stomach twist into knots. "Wait... Is there actually another Gem in this world?"

Before anyone could answer, the conversation ceased when another person came barging in.

"Martyn! What the heck happened, man?" Jimmy called out. The group turned towards the new voice to find the avian walking over to them from Scar's shop. Scar and Lizzie were right outside of the store too, looking expectantly at the trio with puzzled looks.

Martyn's gaze went back and forth between Gem and Jimmy, mouth open slightly at a loss for words. Scott then leaned over towards the blonde. "Meet us at our base when you're done. We can talk more there," the elf muttered, but it was loud enough for Gem to hear as well.

It took a second for Martyn to process the request, but he soon nodded. He then made his way over to Jimmy and gave a smile towards the avian that didn't meet his eyes. "Hey, you know me... couldn't resist finding valuables, heh."

Scott and Gem watched the two for a second before they made their way back towards Cherry Blossom Mountain. Their walk was quiet. A sense of unease filled the air between them despite the rather beautiful stroll they were now having. Gem wanted to stay silent to finally let her racing thoughts settle, but she couldn't resist the question that was rattling in her mind.

"I thought there wasn't a version of me in this world," she muttered quietly to her teammate. Scott kept his attention ahead, but he sneaked a few glances with a growing frown. "Was I wrong with what Martyn said?"

"I don't know. He said his mind is pretty jumbled, though. He could have just confused you for someone else, Gem."

"Yeah, but Scott... He said he heard Ren."

Scott immediately halted. Gem turned back to see the wide eyes of the elf before he shifted his attention to the ground. "Ren... Oh my gosh, REN!" Scott shouted. His eyes darted around at his surroundings as if the werewolf was somewhere in sight. Gem's frown deepened while she made her way back to her teammate. Scott then held a hand to his temple. A new sense of dread consumed his features. "How did I... How did we forget about Ren?"

"Was he in one of the past Life Games?" Gem asked.

"Yeah, but... not for a while. It was... It's been two games since we've last seen him," Scott muttered, his words making him sick. Gem paled from the news while her pupils became dots. The elf scanned the grassy fields again with growing urgency. More panic edged into his features. "Where... What the heck did they do with him?"

Gem then pointed to herself. "What about me? Do you remember me from a past game?"

Scott finally looked back at the redhead. He scanned over her face, processing the question, until he grimaced. "No-Maybe? You... You look familiar but... Ugh, this game sucks," Scott groaned before he buried his face into his hands.

Gem stepped forward, holding her hand out to him. "Hey, it's okay. We'll figure this out."

"No, Gem, you don't understand," Scott said, lifting his gaze to meet hers. Gem's gut twisted from hearing the exhaustion in his tone. "I thought I remembered everything. I thought I was free from the Watchers this whole time... but if I'm actually forgetting about some of my friends, then..." Scott paused as his throat tightened. He choked on his last few words while his vision blurred with tears. "Gem, I don't know what to think right now. W-What if there's something else I'm forgetting?" Scott stuttered. He ran a hand through his green hair and pushed the loose strands out of his eyes.

Gem's gaze hardened. She then placed a hand on the elf's shoulder. "Scott, look at me."
Her teammate shifted his attention back to her. They stared at one another until Scott was able to keep his focus completely on the redhead. "We're going to figure this out. We've already made some progress today with Martyn, right? We'll talk to him later and go from there," Gem said before growing a smile. "One day at a time, okay?"

After taking a moment to process Gem's words, Scott gave a small smile in return. His shoulders eased, and he blinked away the tears. He took a few slow breaths to calm himself while he turned his head up towards the sky to let the fear melt away from his expression. After Gem moved her hand off his shoulder, Scott looked back towards her with a tired demeanor. "Sorry... I'm sorry, you're right. I don't know what came over me there."

Gem slipped into a poker face. "Scott, you're literally in a death game loop. I think you have the right to panic a little."

Scott let out a weak chuckle, easing his tension even more. "Fair point... Come on, we better head back home before Martyn comes," the elf said as he started walking again. He motioned Gem along, and she slowly followed after him. The redhead, though, tightened her fists while her burning gaze focused on the fields ahead of them.

I swear I'll get you out of here, Scott. I'm not gonna let those jerks torture you and the others anymore.
...

Grian's wings beat against the wind, desperately trying to fly faster and faster. The avian didn't know where he was going, but his quick breaths and high altitude were making him dizzy. He soon landed back onto the ground again, falling to his knees due to them suddenly feeling weak. His heart began to race and pound in his ears.

He shouldn't be panicking. It's not like that incident with Jimmy was the first, or even the worst, thing he's done due to his Watcher Instincts, but still, he thought that by being fully aware, not having his mind currently scrambled by the other Watchers, he could control it. He could see it coming.

Maybe it happened because he was so used to treating this whole thing like a game, or maybe he was becoming more like a Watcher than he'd like to admit. Grian couldn't tell. All he knew was that he was about to let an arrow land right on one of his friend's heads!

You're a monster...

Scott's words rang through his mind again, making the avian's chest start to hurt. Gripping the blades of grass underneath him, he was able to take in deeper breaths, and he soon shoved away the horrifying memories that started to pile on him. A throbbing pain stabbed at his skull, making him grit his teeth.

I'm not like them... I'm not them. I'm not one of them!

"Grian?" The avian snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to find one of his friends.

"BigB?" Grian asked, recognizing the rather tall young man in front of him. He had curly dark hair, a well-trimmed beard, and he wore a blue sweater with a cookie in the chest pocket, giving him a very warm and friendly demeanor.

BigB bent his knees to be eye level with the avian. His brow was knitted with concern. "You alright? You kinda just crashed right outside my base."

Grian's muscles eased, and he took a deep breath. "Yeah, just... just went a little too high up, I guess," he answered with a weak chuckle before rising to his feet. He then turned to search the area around him. "Where is your base?"

"Oh, it's down there," BigB said while standing up as well. He pointed to his left towards a large hole in the dirt. There was a large boulder next to it, and an arrow was carved into the stone, pointing downward towards the hole. Grian raised a brow. When he walked closer, he realized that the hole was more like an entrance to an underground cavern. A stone staircase extended down far beyond what Grian could see, and the avian's eyes widened at the strange structure.

He then sent a look towards the smiling cookie man. "What the heck have you been up to, BigB?" Grian asked while holding back a smirk.

"Wanna come and see?" BigB asked as he started descending the steps. He motioned for his friend to follow, and with slight hesitation, Grian headed down after him.

The two made their way down the long winding staircase until only torches, hung up against the walls, lit their path. Eventually, they reached a pair of wooden doors, and BigB stepped back to let the avian go first. Grian's brow furrowed, but he reluctantly pushed open the door and headed inside. Once he did, though, he stopped dead, gawking at the sight in front of him.

"Whaaat is this?" Grian asked. His voice grew a tad higher to emphasize his shock. His shoulders tensed while the chilling air of the cave made his hair stand on end. The entire room was made out of stone and shaped like a perfect rectangle. There were several smaller rooms blocked off by more wooden doors across three of its sides. The walls and floors were barren, and there were only a few torches on the walls to light up the dark room, making the whole space dim. The eerie silence and seclusion unnerved Grian. His wings ruffled, sensing something very off about the room.

BigB walked past his feathery friend. He bumped his shoulder, making Grian jump and snap out of his thoughts. The taller of the two, though, didn't seem to notice as he turned to stand in front of the several double doors. "It's a rough draft," he said with a casual shrug.

There was a pause between them. Despite BigB's answer and his usual warm smile, the sense of danger still lingered in Grian's muscles. It made his friend's casual attitude come off as unnatural, even ghostly. Before Grian could respond, though, BigB held up his hands to halt him. "Wait, wait, wait, want to see something else cool?"

Grian, still looking a bit shaken, finally gave a nod. "Sure?"

BigB, though, didn't wait for an answer. He walked through the nearest down and closed it behind him. Grian could see him waltzed down, what appeared to be, a narrow stone hallway through the little window of the door. It was only seconds before BigB returned to the main room, but he had reentered through another pair of doors.

More silence filled the air, but this time the tension fell away. Seeing BigB's proud grin and glee in his eyes, it caused Grian's shoulders to finally relax, and he even let out a chuckle at his friend's antics. "What... BigB, this is a whole new level of weird."

BigB chuckled as well. "I told you, it's a work in progress. I plan on making it into like a hotel for everyone or something."

"Uh, sure... Feels more like a crypt to me," Grian said with a weary smirk, causing BigB to snicker even more. Grian then waltzed over to the nearest set of doors. He hesitated for a moment, feeling another chill brush the back of his neck, before he pushed it open.

Instead of being greeted by a narrow hallway, though, Grian found his surroundings altered once again with a flash of purple in his eyes. The stone around him vanished completely, melting away like candle wax and replaced with grassy terrain barricaded by large oak walls. These towering walls were also connected by stone towers at its corners.

"Not again..." Grian mumbled, recalling the previous incident he had with Scar last session. He recognized the fortified structure immediately. The same patches of crops and the same cobble stone walkways. Of course, there was also that tricky trapped door at the fort's entrance with the sound of a lava pit bubbling underneath. All of it was identical to the base he had in a past game, and he did not intend to stay there. "Uh, BigB?" Grian asked as he turned to head back the way he came. He stopped, though, when he couldn't find any sign of his friend or the door he had just walked through.

Grian's body froze. His wings flared up while his eyes scanned the area for any sign of an exit. His gaze then narrowed, and his jaw clenched with anger. "You think you can keep messing with my head like this? Did you idiots forget that you can't feed off my emotions like the others? It's one of the perks of being like you, jerks," he growled. His eyes gained a violet hue as he spoke towards the chilling air all around him. He even unconsciously flashed a pair of fangs through his grinding teeth, which caused the winds to howl slightly in laughter.

Before the wind could taunt the avian any further, though, Grian heard the faint sound of sniffling. The young man stopped. He turned back around, and his eyes widened when he spotted someone behind him. The newcomer's back was turned. He was on his knees, face turned down towards the cobblestone path beneath him. His blonde hair and signature black headband drew Grian in. He recognized the look instantly.

"Martyn?" Grian asked. He stepped closer with slight hesitation.

Martyn didn't respond. He just continued with his silent crying, dipping his face further into the dirt until his head touched stone. His fists laid out in front of him, shaking with a sense of unmistakable anguish. The blonde was wearing a black and violet cloak that hid his usual green shirt and jean shorts. It draped over his body and made him look smaller than he really was.

"Martyn, what is it? What's wrong?" Grian asked with growing concern, which overcame his caution in that moment. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Martyn flinched from the sudden touch, and Grian yanked it back. The blonde, though, did not react further than that and eventually let out a deep breath.

Martyn responded, but he barely uttered a sound. "T-They're... They're all gone."

Grian's brow knitted. He turned back to his surroundings, scanning the base for the others in his past alliance. The other Southlanders. There was no other soul in sight, but what really grabbed Grian's attention were these wooden stands that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. While these stands were usually used to hold his teammates' armor, the three standing in front of him now had jack-o'-lanterns placed on the top of them with tattered clothes to cover the body.

Grian squinted at the strange statues that were scattered around the base. Each one possessed clothing that resembled one of the other Southlanders: Mumbo, Impulse, and Jimmy. They were all positioned in different areas while posing like they were going about their daily routine. They even held broken spyglasses to signify their allegiance to each other.

The sight unnerved Grian. He walked over to the nearest one, which happened to be Mumbo's. The dapper statue even had a mustache drawn on the jack-o'-lantern, making the avian raise a brow at the strange craft before him.

Did Martyn make these? I don't remember him ever doing this when the others...

Grian's thoughts trailed off when he turned around again. He jumped when he found Martyn standing only a few feet away from him now. When the blonde raised his head, Grian's blood ran cold. His friend's narrowing gaze was consumed by a bright purple. He sneered the avian down with a deep scowl.

"Martyn?" Grian tried again in a warning tone this time, but his voice only seemed to boil the blonde's fury even more.

"Why couldn't you just die?"

Grian's breath fell short. His wings were raised from the sudden threat as Martyn stepped closer.

"All they wanted was you. All I had to do was kill you, and my friends would still be here," Martyn muttered. His voice broke with emotion, and his purple irises were set ablaze.

"What are you talking about?" Grian asked. Flashes of memories then began to fill the avian's mind: a sword and his hands all covered in blood. His eyes glistened at the images of the fallen bodies and poured red all over the ground, but he soon shook himself out of the daze and stood tall again. "Martyn, Mumbo and Jimmy were trying to kill me. I didn't have a choice-"

Grian had started to back away from Martyn's slow approach, but his wing ended up smacking the statue behind him. He looked back to see Mumbo's statue falling to the ground. The pumpkin struck the cobblestone and broke open with a loud crack!

The sight made Grian stop breathing for a second until he felt a hand snatch the front of his jumper. He looked to find Martyn again. Grian grabbed the blonde's arm to shove him off, which caused the two to struggle. Martyn, though, refused to let go and kept a death grip on the red cloth. "It's all your fault! You were never meant to be here."

Grian froze. He stopped struggling. He kept his hand on Martyn's arm, but he slowly looked up to meet his gaze again. His breath then hitched when he noticed the white in Martyn's eyes was now consumed by the glowing violet hue. More eyes with a similar color began sprouting in the air all around him as well. The young man scowled at Grian with pure hatred in his gaze. "All they wanted was you. Why couldn't you just go back to them, Grian!"

Grian opened his mouth to respond, but he was left utterly speechless. All he could do was stare in horror, frozen with his mouth agape and breath evaporated in his lungs.

His thoughts were quickly kicked into high gear, though, when he noticed Martyn raising something with his free hand: a diamond sword.

Grian flapped his wings to help himself pull away from the lunatic, but his feet suddenly felt glued to the ground. He couldn't move. The young man pulled against Martyn's grip while trying to free his legs at the same time, but none of it was working.

"Martyn, please stop! You can't listen to them. It's not what you think!" Grian demanded, but it slowly turned into a plea with the growing panic in his tone.

Tears poured down his friend's cheeks. Martyn's brow narrowed, making his violet eyes even more frightening. He then raised his sword high into the air. "I'm gonna finish my task."

"Martyn, NO!" Grian spat just as an orange light blinded him. He closed his eyes briefly, holding up his hands to protect himself.

"Grian?"

The avian's gaze shot open. He lowered his hands ever so slowly to be greeted by BigB and the barely lit cave again. The cookie man watched his panting friend with a knitted brow, tilting his head to scan him up and down. "Are the hallways that freaky? Should I put more torches back there?"

Grian didn't respond. He couldn't. He was too busy searching the room around him to remember where he even was. The violet glow in his eyes dissolved, and the air around him was back to its regular underground chilliness. After pausing for a moment more, Grian turned to leave. "I gotta go, BigB... Sorry," he muttered quickly as he headed for the door.

"Wait!" Surprisingly, Grian stopped. He glanced back to find his friend digging through the pocket of his jeans. BigB then pulled out a small plastic bag full of cookies and tossed one of the chocolate chip sweets over to the avian. Grian turned and caught it. He studied the cookie in his hands before looking back up towards his friend. BigB gave a warm smile despite the hint of worry on his face. "Take it. They always cheer me up when I'm havin' a bad day."

Grian's heart warmed at the gesture before he took a quick glance at the ceiling. He then turned to leave again. "Thanks, B... And hey, I like the B you carved into the ceiling," he said while pointing a finger upward. The stone above indeed held a large carving of a 'B' that stretched over the entire room.

BigB's smile grew with glee. "Ha! Oh, I love you so much. I'm so glad you noticed, dude."

Grian returned the smile before exiting the room. Once he left, though, he wasn't able to witness the grin instantly evaporating from his friend's face. All life fell away from BigB's expression. He watched the avian go with a cold calculating stare while his eyes swirled with a violet hue. He then dropped the bag of cookies and went back to working on his room in utter silence. The sweets hit the stone floor, causing several to break and crumble, but the player continued on with sudden urgency in his steps like he had a task to complete.

At the same time, all the joy dissolved in Grian's eyes. He used his wings to carry himself over the steps and out of the cave faster. He couldn't stand being down there for a second longer. Once he reached the surface, the man started to pace back and forth in the grass, replaying the horrifying illusion he just went through.

It was something he had never experienced before. In the past, the Watchers would simply taunt Grian with mixed versions of his memories from past games. This hallucination, though, was different. Way different. Never once did Martyn ever confront Grian like that during Last Life, and there were certainly never any creepy statues of his fallen teammates, at least there wasn't any that he ever saw. Grian then grimaced at a new thought.

Martyn did try to kill me after I killed Mumbo and Jimmy, but that was just because he was the Boogeyman... right?

The avian's frown deepened. He recalled something during his time with the Watchers. To ensure chaos would spread in these games, the Watchers would sometimes turn a couple players into spies, completely invading their mind like a parasite and controlling them like a puppet. This could only happen, though, if the player's soul, or their will, is fractured, or wounded enough, from trauma, which could very likely be the case for any of his friends in this game.

Was Martyn a spy? Is he still a spy? But then what about BigB? I saw the vision in his base, and that whole place was beyond creepy.

Grian let out a purely exasperated breath. He looked down at the cookie still in his hands, rubbing his thumb against the crumbly texture. His gaze then hardened.

Come on, Grian... This all could still be the Watcher's plan to trick you... Why would they show you that stuff with Martyn if he really was a spy?

"To toy with you," Grian uttered. His tone was bitter from the realization. The Watchers know how much he cares for his friends, and by showing him that they were under his control, that they could make them turn on him, was too much of a delicious opportunity to pass up. Grian's body began to shake. His grip tightened with boiling anger, which almost caused his cookie to break. With slow breath, Grian tucked the treat into his pouch and started making his way back home.

He couldn't be sure if his theory was right, and besides, there was one player who would more so fit this spy role than Martyn. A certain redheaded deer who was pretending to be a friend he's known for a long time. Grian was just surprised that no one seemed to recognize her, so he played along and introduced this new Gem at the start. Their forgetfulness might have been caused by the real Gem still being stuck in the Watchers' void, but that just left the avian with even more questions to the point his head hurt. He wasn't sure what game the Watchers were playing, but he wasn't going to let any one of his friends be their pawns again.

Eventually, Grian shook off the deep thought he was in and began to unfurl his wings once more. His eyes stared ahead with newfound intensity right before he took off into the sky.

I'm gonna get you all out of here... Even if I have to drag each of you out of this arena myself.

...

The sun was heading down towards Cherry Blossom Mountain when Martyn arrived. Scott and Gem brought him into the elf's base to talk in private. Thankfully, Impulse was off somewhere trying to complete his task, so it was just the three of them on top of the mountain.

Scott took one last look outside before shutting the door behind him. Gem stood off to the side while Martyn sat in a chair by the back wall. He leaned his head forward, running a hand through his blonde locks before he looked back up at the duo.

"Okay, I think we got some time before the session ends and everyone has to gather by the Secret Keeper," Scott explained while he walked closer to his friends.

"So, what exactly's happening here? I feel like I'm about to be interrogated," Martyn said, emphasizing his spot in the chair.

"You chose to sit down," Gem said with a dull look.

"I just walked all the way from the other side of the arena! I had to rush back to my base to restock my supplies before I came here," Martyn said while throwing a thumb towards the white backpack he wore.

"We just came here to talk about the games," Scott said. He moved his gaze to the ground once his tone dipped.

Martyn's brow furrowed. He shifted his attention between the duo. "So you two know something's seriously wrong with this game, right?"

"Yeah, I've known for a while. Ever since I won Last Life, actually," Scott said. His eyes met the blonde's once again. "And since you won the last game, you're realizing it too, right?"

"You won a past game?" Martyn asked with a look of surprise. When his friend nodded, the blonde sifted through his memories to recall the specific game he was talking about. He stared off at a random corner of the room as he thought. "Right... Right! I remember. It was you, me, and Ren left..." he muttered while he adjusted his headband. His throat went dry when the memory grew more vivid. "I tried to use an End Crystal to-to blow you up, but it backfired when the zombies came and-"

Concern filling her features, Gem watched the man shiver from his own words. Eventually, though, Martyn shook off the feeling and focused back on Scott. "So it's because we won? That's why everyone else is actin' like everything's fine? And why we're the only ones who notice somethin's wrong?"

"Pretty much..." Scott muttered. Silence filled the air for a moment until Gem spoke.

"What do you remember after you... after you died in the last game?" she asked, looking right at the blonde.

Martyn rubbed his hands together and began searching through his memories once more. "Not much... After my time ran out, everything went pitch black, and it felt like I was falling endlessly," he said, staring intensely at the wooden floor. "I heard these whispers, then a clicking sound followed by an orange light. Everything lit up, and I no longer felt cold... and then I was here."

Gem and Scott looked to each other before shifting back to Martyn. "Orange light?" Gem asked.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, it made my mind less clouded. It calmed me down, I guess. I no longer was... no longer hungry for more time. No longer feeling like I needed to win," Martyn explained while rubbing the back of his neck.

"That might actually explain what I saw earlier," Gem spoke up. She looked to Scott while motioning towards the blonde. "Earlier, I could have sworn his eyes were flashing purple and orange."

"Wait, me?" Martyn asked, pointing to himself.

"I saw it too... I've never seen orange before, but purple usually shows up when someone is the Boogeyman," Scott explained.

"But I wasn't-I'm not the Boogeyman. Trust me, I know how it feels, and I never felt the sudden urge to kill anyone today," Martyn said as he raised his hands up in the air in defense.

Gem's face twisted from his words, looking sick to her stomach now. "What the-Ugh, seriously, what kind of game have you guys been playing? That's horrible!"

"Tell me about it..." Scott muttered with a sigh.

"What about you guys?" Martyn asked, looking between the two. He then turned to Gem. "What happened after you won?"

Gem frowned from the question, scratching her cheek absently. "I uh... I've never actually won a game before." Martyn raised a brow, puzzled by her statement, but the redhead continued before he could say anything. "I'm not... I'm not actually the Gem you know either, Martyn. I'm uh... I'm from an alternate reality."

"What?" Martyn spat. His brow furrowed again, staring at the woman like she had grown a second head. He then shifted his gaze to Scott, who remained unfazed by the information. "You can't be serious."

"I know it sounds crazy-"

"No, realizing that I've been trapped in a death game loop is crazy, but alternate realities?" Martyn's face twisted from his own words before shaking his head. "You've got to be joking."

"Hey, I once thought World Jumping was crazy too until Doc made this watch for me out of the material from an End Portal," Gem said while showing off the digital watch on her wrist. She then stepped forward to make sure Martyn was giving her his full attention. "Besides, didn't you say that I look different? Your Gem isn't half deer like me, right?"

"So? Scott became a fish man in the last game!" Martyn shouted while pointing to the quiet elf.

Gem grew a puzzled look before glancing back her teammate. "Really?"

Scott shrugged. "I drank the wrong potion by accident, and I grew fins and gills for half the game," he explained with a smile. "It was kinda fun, actually. I looked pretty cute."

Gem smiled before returning her focus to Martyn. "But seriously, though, I'm not the same Gem... When did you last see her anyways?"

Martyn's frown deepened. He glanced around the room as he racked his brain again for the answer. "The only time I remember was... was in the last game, actually. I didn't recognize her at the time because she was dressed like Cleo for some reason." Martyn then smiled. He looked over at the redhead with a somber gaze. "You-She gave me a diamond and wished me a Happy Birthday."

Gem's neutral expression broke, mouth falling open from the news. She turned her attention to Scott, and he seemed equally rattled.

His eyes shifted to the ground while he gulped down the sudden sick feeling in the back of his throat. "That was Gem?" Scott whispered to himself.

"If you're not her, then where is she? And where's Ren?" Martyn asked, standing up now to narrow his gaze at the redhead.

"I don't know! I just-I just came here thinking this game would be normal and fun... Honestly, we know about as much as you, Martyn," Gem replied, crossing her arms from the discomfort.

Martyn studied her face, looking for any form of deceit. He glanced over at Scott, but his tense gaze softened when he noticed the tired expression his friend now carried. "Well... Then what about the others? Who else won a past game? You think they'd know anything more than we do?"

"The only other winner I know for sure is Pearl, but I really don't want to bring this up with her," Scott said while glancing to his right.

"Why not? We're in a literal death match with each other, Scott, with no way out. We should be bringing Pearl in on this too."

"You do remember how unhinged she was in Double Life, right? The game she won?" Scott snapped with a sudden narrowed gaze. His words made the blonde freeze while Gem grew uneasy from the sudden mood shift. "Do you really want to trudge all that up with her and make her snap again?"

A shiver went down Martyn's spine as he turned his attention to the ground. He then focused back on the elf after brushing off the haunting memories. "Okay, not Pearl... Then what about the 1st game, 3rd Life? Who won that one?"

"I'm not sure," Scott said. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I didn't get close enough to the end to narrow down who it could be."

Martyn's shoulders dropped before letting out a sigh. "Yeah, me neither... I can't even remember who was left after I died. It was so long ago. Feels like one big blur now," he muttered, dry washing his face.

The group fell quiet for a beat until Gem spoke up once more. "Well, whoever it is, I think we should be focusing our attention on Grian. He claims to be the host of these games, right? He created the Secret Tasks and whatever else?" Gem started before glancing towards Scott. "I know you said you tried to talk to him in the past, but if all three of us go up to him, then he'll have to take what we say seriously."

Scott pondered the thought, mulling over the idea. "It's worth a shot. I can't really think of anything else we could do." The two then looked over at the blonde.

Martyn bit his lip, forehead creased from his troubling thoughts. "I don't think... We shouldn't talk to Grian."

Surprise fell over the duo as they watched their strangely nervous friend.

"Why not? What's wrong?" Gem pressed, brow furrowing with slight impatience. A part of her regretted not being kinder with her tone, but with so many road blocks already, she was starting to get frustrated.

"It's just... You guys are gonna think I'm crazy." Martyn scratched the back of his head as he fell deeper in thought.

"Martyn, come on, have you not been listening to our conversation?" Gem furthered with a raised brow. The blonde looked at her, but he kept his weary frown. He then turned his attention to Scott.

The elf's gaze softened. "You can tell us."

After a moment, Martyn sighed, his body suddenly growing tense. "Fine... back in Last Life, something happened to me. I didn't really understand it at the time... I still don't really," Martyn muttered with a bitter chuckle. "But I heard these voices. Like the wind was whispering in my ear." The blonde unconsciously moved a hand to his ear, grimacing at the buried memory. "It... It told me that Grian was dangerous... That none of us would be safe until he's out of the game."

"What did the voices sound like?" Gem asked, drawn in now from the new information. She then turned to Scott. "You think it might be the Watchers?"

"Watchers?" Martyn asked, yet his eyes carried a hint of clarity.

"That's what these things call themselves. It was the name I kept hearing in between games... I think they're the ones who put us all in this game in the first place," Scott answered, his tone growing bitter.

"The Watchers... Yeah, that... That name does sound familiar," Martyn said with a slow nod.

"Why would they say Grian is dangerous though?" Gem asked. "Sure, he can get under my skin a lot with his pranks and jokes but-"

"I don't know," Martyn said before a flash of fear consumed his posture. "I obviously didn't believe it at first, but I could tell something was off about him during that game."

"What do you mean?" the redhead furthered.

"Just his overall demeanor. It was eerie, and I kept overhearing him say how he wanted to release a wither when he wasn't even a red life yet," Martyn grimaced at the old memory, recalling the screams and howls of the three-headed beast that shook the whole arena.

Gem stiffened at the mention of a wither. She didn't want to imagine how horrifying that creature would be in a game like this. "What do you mean by red life? What does that have to do with anything?"

"When you're on your red life, you're not just supposed to act hostile because of the rules," Scott answered with a heavy tone. "You actually become hostile and violent towards everyone around you."

Gem's blood ran cold from the new information. How was that even possible? Would she act like that too if she turned red? Maybe she could fight it since the Watchers' powers didn't seem to affect her, but there really was no guarantee. Despite the glow not being as bright as the rest of the players, her eyes still had a hint of a neon green hue to signify which life she was on. Gem's shoulders tensed at that fact.

"Martyn, what else did the voices say to you?" Scott asked carefully, watching his tired friend with a weary look of his own.

The blonde sat back down in the chair. His throat went dry the more he tried to pull from his memory. "The voices said that they could save me and the other Southlanders from doom. From the chaos Grian would bring... All I had to do was kill him whenever I became the Boogeyman." Martyn's eyes darkened from the words that were like poison in his mouth. "I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to believe it," he muttered before lifting his gaze to the duo in front of him. "But after Grian killed Mumbo and Jimmy... He had no remorse, and he was still yellow... I got scared that what the voices were saying was true." Martyn then let out a sigh, dipping his head towards the floor. "But I failed. Joel stole my kill. And once he was red, Grian went on a rampage, and he convinced Impulse to help him release a wither onto the other players... It was all just utter chaos."

His words brought horror to Gem's face, but she then paused. She didn't think Martyn was lying, but some things weren't adding up. The person he was describing didn't sound like the Grian she's known, different version or not. Sure he can be a menace, but this just sounded down right evil. Before she could respond, though, Scott spoke first.

"Something's off..." Scott muttered. He squinted his gaze as he pondered. "As far as I know, the Watchers love it when there's chaos. If it was them speaking to you, then why would they want Grian out of the game?"

"Maybe it wasn't the Watchers then?" Gem guessed.

"Maybe..." Scott replied before shaking his head. "Either way, we still should talk to Grian." Before Martyn could protest, the elf stopped him. "I know what happened was terrible, Martyn, believe me. But you can't judge how any of us act in these games."

"I know. I know," Martyn groaned while standing up to his feet. He grew frustrated with his tone. "But you weren't there for most of it, Scott. Being in an alliance with him during that game. He-It was just-"

"Did you forget that Tango and Jimmy also released a warden that one time too?" Scott pointed out like it was an average fact. "Ren went completely crazy and became the Red King, and do you want me to even mention Pearl again?" the elf asked, holding his hands out to dare his friend to object. They had a stare off, sharing a knowing look to the blonde's actions in the previous game as well. Martyn then looked away, guilt eating away at his features. Afterwards, Scott breathed a deep sigh, moving a hand to his hip. "Look, all I'm saying is that you can't judge Grian too harshly... We've all done terrible things to each other in these games, Watcher influence or not," the elf finished, moving his gaze to the right as a heavy weight filtered through his eyes too.

At the same time, Gem looked between the two men. The elf's examples left her with so many questions to the point she glanced at the ground with awkwardness settling in.

"I feel like a third wheel all of a sudden..." she muttered sheepishly. The duo turned to her, seeing her lost smile while she shifted her eyes back and forth between them. Soft chuckles soon fell over the group, breaking them all out of their troubled thoughts.

"Trust me, you don't want to know about all those stories. They don't end happily," Scott replied while his tone grew slightly somber at the end.

"I know, but I still want to help. You guys have been through a lot," Gem said, switching her attention between them again.

Scott and Martyn looked at each other. A warm smile soon fell over the elf's face. He then held out a hand to his friend. "Let's work together to figure this all out, kay? We can work on what we want to say to Grian before we talk to him."

Martyn hesitated. He felt like he was experiencing deja vu again. He was half expecting to stab Scott in the back and disappoint him all over again.

Could he trust himself? Could things be different this time?

With a weary smile, Martyn reached out and accepted the handshake. Gem's grin brightened at the gesture, making her look even more like his own redheaded friend. Would he ever see her again? And what about Ren? Martyn couldn't even remember the last thing he said to him. It had been that long.

"Hey, we should probably head over to the Secret Keeper before anyone gets suspicious," Gem explained after she took a look out the window. The sun had practically disappeared, so the torches were now the only source of light.

"Yeah, Jimmy's probably wonderin' where I am..." Martyn trailed off while he looked at the others in the room. His smile grew a bit more. "And, thanks guys for... for all this... I feel a lot less crazy now."

"Yeah, this game will do that to you," Scott said with a dull look, but he soon smirked. Martyn gave a small chuckle before the trio made their way to the door, prepared to face the hardships that would likely come in the very near future.

~~~~~~

Silence filled the air, making Pearl numb. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the dirt walls of her base. The brunette's head was mostly covered by her navy blue hood. The fabric made her feel safe and calm, especially this morning where she found it hard to get out of bed.

It was the start of the next session. She had already been given her task over an hour ago, but her body had not moved much since then. The horrible flashes came back. Memories of past games. They usually were tolerable. She would at least be able to still laugh and continue about her day. Even when she first woke up in the last game, realizing that all of this was more than just some fun activity with her friends, Pearl was able to power through it and shove the emotions away.

Granted, that unconsciously caused her to build another tower with BigB. A tower almost like the one when she lived in seclusion from the rest of the players. The tower where she became a literal witch in the woods two games ago...

And, of course, she also did her best to avoid Scott during Limited Life for several reasons, so really, she might have just been avoiding her emotions altogether. Today, though, she just couldn't find the strength to pull herself to her feet.

For the alliance. Come back to green, Scott. Aw! You're beautiful again.

Oh my goodness! You're my best friend. I love you so much.

~~~~

Oh, a-are we not gonna be gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss again?

I don't know, Pearl, you abandoned us.

I didn't abandon you! I was just following Martyn.

~~~~

Scott, what are you doing? Scott, wha-

Tilly death do us part-

Scott, wait-NO!

Pearl flinched at the sound of the explosion. She raised a hand to her face, still feeling the heat of the blast that scorched her skin. The young woman frowned at the memories, and her body suddenly felt heavier. She then let out a bitter sigh while she shifted her focus to the floor.

"Why does it always gotta be you, Scott?" Pearl muttered. She had intended to sound angry or disgusted, but the tears welling up in her eyes betrayed her. The brunette then cringed when she recalled that she had died by the elf's hands in the last game too. She had so much that she wanted to say to him, to everyone. Screams of outrage. Wails of tears. Pleas for forgiveness.

The young woman, though, just couldn't bring herself to face everything that happened. She couldn't admit how deranged she became. No matter how justified she felt at the time, Pearl couldn't bring herself to talk about any of it. How she practically lost her mind during her winning game and murdered four of her friends without batting an eye...

Eventually, Pearl wiped her tears away before she forced herself to stand up.

Come on, you can't just stay in bed, silly. You've got stuff to do.

Her thoughts were then interrupted when she heard a knock at the door. Pearl swiped at her cheeks again, ensuring they were dry, before she walked over to answer.

"Hey, I'm fine. I was just workin' on-" Pearl stopped. She had thought that it was Mumbo or Bdubs, her fellow Mounder allies, checking on her again, but she was surprised to find a golden-winged avian smiling at her.

"Hey, Pearl, this your base?" Jimmy asked before squeezing past Pearl to head inside. The brunette grew baffled by his sudden entrance.

"Yeah? It's just a lil' somethin'," she said while expressing her grievance through her crossed arms.

"It's nice. I like it," Jimmy said as he walked to the other side of the room. He then took some small blocks from his satchel and began tossing them to the floor. When they hit the wood, the blocks expanded and grew into large pieces of cobblestone.

Pearl's eyebrows flew up as she watched the man in front of her stack these bits of cobblestone on top of each other. "Excuse me, what are you doing?" she asked with a narrowed gaze while also trying to suppress her chuckle.

"I'm buildin' myself a little room in the corner. Figured I move in. It's pretty cozy in here," Jimmy stated after he finished one side of his makeshift wall, which divided the already small room in two.

Pearl then scoffed, hands on her hips now. "Uh, I don't think so, sir. Who said you could move in here?"

"I did. Just now," Jimmy said before finally turning to look right at Pearl. The two had a rather intense staring contest before the avian held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay... I'll reduce my space." He pulled pieces of his wall off to start on the other side, which took up a third of the room now.

Pearl's brow furrowed. She motioned her hands towards the makeshift structure now cluttering her home. She tried to respond, but the words were choked by her bewilderment. She then groaned before turning to leave. "Yeah, sure, sure, stay as long as you want, Jimmy," she said flatly as she walked outside to take a breather.

"Thanks, Pearl!" Jimmy shouted. After he was halfway finished with his little corner, he then rushed back outside and waltzed past the brunette. "I gotta go do somethin', but I'll be back to finish that later."

"Yeah, well, it might not be here when you get back, mate!" Pearl called out towards the disappearing avian.

"Oh, it will be. It definitely will be!" Jimmy shouted back before he disappeared down a hill.

Pearl sighed again, rubbing her eyelids to soothe her anger. She then heard more voices approaching.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Pearl's house. Please exit to your left hand side," Scar announced from the top of his camel. The large animal trotted along the grassy field until it stopped a few feet in front of the brunette. Pearl looked to find Bdubs sitting on top of the camel as well, looking over the salesman's shoulder to make eye contact with his teammate.

"Hey, Pearl!" Bdubs said with a wave before he hopped off the camel.

Pearl's tired expression melted away at the sight, waving back towards her friends. "Well, hello, gentlemen. Is this the ferryman?" she asked with a smirk.

"Oh, I'm just dropping people off to admire your base, Pearl," Scar said with a quick wave as well. He then pulled the reins of his ride, turning the camel to head back the way he came. "Anyway, I better go. Goodbye!"

"Oh, uh... Okay? Goodbye," Pearl replied while she watched the camel trot away. She raised a brow at the interaction before turning to her teammate. "What was all that about?"

"I don't know. He was talking about you a lot, and then I just somehow ended up back home," Bdubs said with a weak smile. He rubbed the side of his head and used his other hand to throw a thumb at the upside down house that rested on a small hill a few feet behind him.

"It's probably his task." Pearl shifted to her right to find her second teammate, Mumbo, strolling up towards them. The dapper gentlemen carried a small smile while his eyes trailed to where the camel disappeared. "He's been bringing you up all morning, and then he runs away before I can ask him about it, heh," Mumbo chuckled.

Pearl smirked at the answer, but before she could respond, she heard a bark coming up from behind. The brunette's smile widened when she turned to see her grey wolf pup rushing over to her with his shiny yellow collar.

"Oh! There you are, Mailbox," she said with glee before crouching down to pet the dog. She scratched behind his ear, which Mailbox happily accepted. "Did you have fun with Mumbo this morning?" she cooed after the wolf licked her cheek. She then looked up at her friend. "Thanks for taking him for a walk, mate."

"Not a problem. Glad you seem to be doing better," Mumbo said with a warm smile.

Pearl gave a small nod in response, and it was genuine this time. Bdubs then interrupted the two with his own wide grin.

"Oh! Mumbo, I've gotta tell you this idea for my base. It's gonna be huge!" Bdubs said with glee before he ushered his friend over to his hill. He glanced over at the brunette as well. "You too, Pearl. I want your opinion on this."

"Okay, be there in a sec," Pearl said as she continued petting her wolf. The two men headed over towards the upside down house, and Pearl watched them for a second. Her eyes soon shifted back to Mailbox, who was peacefully rolling his back in the grass and letting her scratch his tummy. While the nightmares swirling in her head were still present, right now they were brought to a quiet afterthought. Her heart warmed the more she thought about her friends and this present moment.

There was still so much she wanted to say. So much she still felt guilty about... but that was all for another day. 

~~~~~

Chapter Text

It was rather early in the morning, before the next session had even started, and Grian was more than ready for the day ahead.

He had done a lot of work in between sessions: collecting supplies, setting up defenses by his dreaded egg fort, mining materials, and much more. One very important thing he also managed to do was regain access to the lists of tasks. No, he couldn't know what anyone's secret was during the sessions, but now he would be alerted whenever a task was changed, with the likely culprits being the Watchers.

It had taken him a few painstaking hours by the Secret Keeper to accomplish that goal, using his powers over and over against the structure. It was proven rather difficult because there was a strange new barrier surrounding the Keeper, locking him out of the task generator. It was different from the barrier around the arena. For one, it didn't take any hearts of damage. It seemed to have no effect besides blocking Grian from accessing the tasks.

Well, there was one other thing it affected: his Watcher abilities. In fact, it was the reason why his powers were weakened during this game in the first place. He discovered this when the new barrier finally fell. It emanated a bright orange glow as it dissolved, and Grian, practically gasping and ready to fall over from exhaustion, could feel the surge of power restoring back into his body like a wave of cold air that made him shiver. He hated these powers that seemed to stick right underneath his skin, but it was currently his best chance at combating the Watchers.

There was something else, though, that was throwing the avian off.

Grian had thought that the Watchers made this new barrier to keep him away from the secret tasks, but it was odd that it also acted as a buffer towards his powers, regardless if he was trying to break into the Secret Keeper or not. Wouldn't that hinder other Watchers inside the arena too? And why did it have an orange glow to it?

With this in mind, Grian probably should have had more hesitation when he was pushing his way through the magical force field, but he was so tired of just sitting around and waiting for the Watchers to make a move. Besides, he felt better with the thought of breaking something of those dusty old creeps, who lived on their own little cloud in The End. Getting through this barrier was still ten times easier, and much less painful, than trying to break through the arena's border. He didn't even lose any health after he got through.

Grian took in a deep breath. He now perched himself on the roof of his egg base to watch the rising sun. He could finally have a breather before his new task was thrown at him. The avian felt accomplished, despite having a twist of unease in the pit of his stomach. He still wasn't completely sure about that new barrier's origins, if it really was created by the Watchers, but who else could have made it? Regardless, the young man chose to snuff out the concern and be proud that he now had a way to ensure he'd know if the tasks were changed.

The only thing Grian currently regretted, besides his ugly egg-shaped base, was that he didn't have the time to find an alliance. After the days he spent wandering around the arena, checking on his friends, he soon realized that most of the players had already formed groups, making the avian feel strangely isolated on his little hill top. He really needed to find allies soon before this game started to get dangerous.

"Grian!"

The avian looked down towards the wooden bridge to find three players heading right towards him. Grian frowned at the fact that he didn't even noticed that he had company. He placed a hand to his head, suddenly feeling the heaviness of his eyelids. He had spent so much time stocking supplies and dealing with the Secret Keeper that he didn't find much time to rest.

I must be more tired than I thought.

Grian unfurled his wings and landed back down on the ground to greet his guests: Martyn, Scott, and Gem.

Grian zeroed in on the redhead. He had kept an eye on this Gem more so than he felt comfortable with admitting. He kept his distance a fair amount, only flying a couple times over Cherry Blossom Mountain to see if there was any strange activity. What he really wanted to do was swoop down and confront this Gem-poster directly, but he knew if she was connected to the Watchers in some way, then it would be dangerous for not only himself but for all his friends, who were basically hostages in this death game.

Usually, Grian was more than willing to poke the bear and enrage the Watchers as much as he could, but with so much control they seemed to have over his friends' minds, and sometimes even himself while in this arena, he didn't want to risk making a wrong move.

That's why, for now, the avian played it cool. Grian smiled towards the group. "Hey guys, what's with the serious looks?" he asked with a nervous chuckle, looking over all their frowning faces. "What? Did someone break the rules again?"

"Grian, we really need to talk to you about these games." Gem took the lead, stepping forward with an unwavering tone and straight face. Grian blinked a couple times. Watcher Spy or not, she was definitely blunt like the real Gem.

Her words, though, made Grian pause. His blood pressure then shot up the longer he processed what she just said. Yet still, Grian simply cleared his throat before raising a brow. "What do you mean?"

"We know these games are all on repeat for us. We never do anything but this," Martyn said while throwing his hands up to emphasize the entire arena.

Grian's body froze, throat going dry as he swallowed. How did they all know? He had never experienced any of the players actually being awake enough to tell that this was more than just a game.
The avian's eyes trailed over to Scott just then.

Wait... I think Scott might have asked me once or twice in the past, right?

Grian internally groaned. He remembered it now. Scott would ask him occasionally about the games, during Double and even Limited Life. Yet, too bad for him, all those times he asked were also times when Grian's own brain was too scrambled like the others to give a true answer. That... or maybe a part of him just didn't want to be honest about how messed up their situation really was.

Either way, how was it that Scott always seemed to know? Were the Watchers' powers weakened on him? If so, that just left the avian with a rabbit hole of even more questions.

"Grian, we're coming to you about this because you're the host," Scott explained, seeming to notice the intensity in the avian's posture. "We were wondering if you knew why we keep repeating this game over and over again."

There was a pause. Grian looked over his friends. They all held their breath, hoping for an answer that the young man was just not willing to give.

Finally, Grian laughed. "Wow, if you guys feel that way, then I'll just have to spice up the rules for the next game," he said before brushing past the wall of bodies to descend down the steps.

"This isn't a game, Grian! We're literally killin' each other, and for what? To win?" Martyn shouted, narrowing his gaze.

"Uh, yeah! Did you forget the rules, Martyn? We're five games in on this, dude," Grian replied as he continued to walk away.

"Grian, come on, in what game has there ever been blood? No amount of game settings inside an arena can make injuries hurt this badly," Gem replied in a sharp tone. She sounded already fed up as well.

Grian stopped. His frown deepened from the young woman's point. She was obviously right, of course, but her precise wording made her seem extra suspicions in his eyes. Just what was her game? Why was she here asking questions like everyone else? Maybe she wasn't a spy?

Grian then froze when a new thought entered his mind. He recalled the strange barrier and its unknown origins, carrying an orange glow. He glanced back at the redhead with a narrowed gaze.

Maybe she had something to do with it...

He opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes shifted to Martyn and Scott, making the words evaporate from his throat. He couldn't afford to let up. Call him selfish, but he'd rather die than admit to his friends what was really going on... What the Watchers had turned him into.

Finally, Grian spun around to face the group again. His expression grew strained, but his tone was still light and even humorous. "Well, you're new, Gem. We do things differently around here. Besides, we come back after we die."

"Yeah, but what happens to us after our last life?" Scott asked with crossed arms.

"Nothing. We get teleported outside of the arena and are out of the game." Grian's mouth came up with that lie a little too fast for his own liking.

"Wrong. We get sent to some kind of void-thing before we're thrown into another game!" Martyn spat, eyes turning hostile.

His angry-filled gaze made the avian's mind flashback to the horrific illusion he saw in the last session. His eyes glanced down towards the iron sword strapped to Martyn's belt. It made his wings ruffle.

"Grian, we just want to know what's going on. Please, you can tell us." Scott stepped forward with a smile. The warmth in the elf's gaze seemed to calm the avian, even if for just a moment.

Grian saw the fear and concern edging into all their faces. He wanted to be honest with them. He didn't want to just leave them guessing like this... but knowing was far more of a curse than not.

A smile grew over Grian's face, sending a comforting tone right back on the elf. "Everything's fine, guys, trust me. Just go enjoy the game." He sent a reassuring look towards the trio as if to silently say that he understood their concerns. He then turned to leave once more.

"Grian, wait! Seriously, we need to talk about this-"

The conversation came to a halt when green and gold filled everyone's vision. A scroll floated in the air in front Grian, but his focus shifted elsewhere when his eyes flashed a sudden purple. His powers were alerting him. A task nearby had been changed. Grian turned, and his eyes widened when he noticed a violet parchment that Gem now clutched in her hands. She seemed to be the only other person to notice the strange color too.

Gem's expression was unreadable. She hadn't even read the task yet, but her confusion was soon replaced with suspicion. The redhead narrowed her gaze when she made eye contact with the avian. Grian quickly copied her while they seemed to have a silent conversation.

Grian then smirked. The purple hue of the paper was an added feature he just implemented. A color that only fellow Watchers, or those not of this world, could see.

Not only was her having a task from the Watchers already suspicious, but the fact that she could see the color made her appear even more like a Watcher Spy.

Or, there was a slim chance it might be because she was just from another world, which Grian had suspected before, but that seemed more unlikely. Grian's never known anyone that could travel between realities without the Watchers' help, and even if they really didn't bring her here, why would she willingly come to this hell hole of all places?

Either way, Grian was just smiling because his new feature to the tasks was working. That, and maybe he was enjoying the annoyed look that now consumed Gem-poster's face.

At that moment, the redhead drew closer to the avian with her cold stare. "What the heck is-"

"Look, guys, I better go. Session's already starting," Grian cut her off. The young man stuffed his scroll in his pocket before stretching out his wings. He shot up high into the sky before anyone could stop him.

He then made a beeline for the top of the mountain where his base rested at the bottom, far away from anybody. He just wanted to think in peace for a second more. While a sense of pride fell over Grian, he still was left with so many more questions than answers.

Why was this Gem-poster with Scott and Martyn in the first place? Martyn wasn't even part of their alliance on Cherry Blossom Mountain.

And how was it that both Scott and Martyn seemed to know more than everyone else?

What was the connection?

It couldn't be that they were past winners. Well, Grian was never sure who won the other Life Games. One obvious reason was he never got close enough to the end to guess who, and he also never cared enough to use his powers to watch the rest of the sessions. That would just make him exactly like the Watchers...

Despite all that, it didn't make sense to Grian if the connection was them being past champions because after Grian won his game... He didn't gain more clarity of what was going on around him. His mind was only scrambled even more.

He wasn't sure if it was a side-effect of losing his last life while being a Watcher or if it was just the other Watchers scrambling his mind to make him act like everyone else in the games, but the whole experience unnerved Grian. Yes, during Last Life, he completely forgot about his time with the Watchers and acted like the whole thing was just one fun game, but he still wasn't his old self. He was much more aggressive, chaotic than in the first game. It was like he was running completely on his worst tendencies. He practically became the perfect image of what the Watchers had always tried to make him be, which scared Grian to death.

He never wanted to be like that again. That bad side of himself, though, occasionally slipped out in later games, but luckily, he seemed to learn to catch himself most of the time.

Grian shook his head. He pushed himself away from his spiraling thoughts and focused back on topic.

Martyn and Scott can't be past champions, but they also can't all be Watcher Spies. So, what's the connection?

Grian finally let out a groan. All these questions rattling around in his head, all these uncertainties. All these back-and-forth mind games he apparently just started playing with this Gem-poster. It was already starting to get on his nerves.

"That's it! Consequences or not, I'm just gonna go back and talk to her," Grian said with his hands up in the air in defeat. He heaved a heavy breath before dry-washing his face. If Grian was going to get any concrete answers, then he would have to talk to this Gem-poster after all. He just needed to get her alone, away from his friends. No matter what, Grian was not going to drag any one of them down in all the Watcher nonsense.

Before he jumped back into the sky again, Grian decided to check his task while he was alone. He took the parchment back out and broke the seal. Then, all of a sudden, a wave of purple energy flooded out of the scroll and rushed through him. A cold shiver flooded Grian's senses, but horror soon replaced his features.

The paper's still white. The task couldn't have been changed, so why was there pur-

Grian stopped when he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. He clutched the front of his red jumper, taking in a few slow breaths to calm himself. His eyes glowed a bright violet as he looked down, attempting to see the cause of the sudden pain, and his body froze.

A green string glowed from where his heart was and spiraled out far across the arena. The other end of it jerked slightly, indicating someone else was attached to the other side. All the air suddenly left Grian's lungs at that moment. It was like he was having another horrible flashback.

His hand reached out to the glowing string of fate, yet as he suspected, he couldn't touch it. When he let the purple in his eyes diminish, the string vanished from sight. Grian grumbled under his breath. He had a good hint to which task he had, and it was definitely one of the ones he wrote alright. He didn't plan, though, for the person to be attached to somebody else with a string of fate. That would bring back too many not so pleasant memories for anyone.

This addition must have been what that purple wave of energy did, and it took all of Grian's will power not to fly right to the edge of the arena's border and start pounding on it while giving the Watchers some choice words.

Instead, Grian looked around himself with a bitter expression. "Okay, you wanna play that game? Fine..." he grumbled before unrolling the scroll to finally read it.

For every heart of damage Joel takes, you must take the same. You can let them in on this secret, but no one else... If either of you die in this session, you fail.

The auto generator of the Secret Keeper randomly picked a player's name for this task, so this time, it happened to be Joel. Grian sighed once again, focusing on the name. Out of all the players, Joel wasn't the worst one for this task. Heaven forbid he got stuck with Jimmy, and definitely Scar for multiple reasons...

The avian knew, though, how reckless Joel could be, so this pairing was still not ideal.

I gotta find him quick.

Grian wasn't sure if his green life was actually in danger because of this string of fate. It likely could just be another ploy for the Watchers to mess with him, but he didn't want to take the chance to find out.

"I'll find Joel, then I'll go talk to Gem," Grian said to himself as he unfurled his wings once more. He gave them one strong flap while he kicked off the ground-

-But that's when Grian started falling. The avian yelped as he gripped the ledge. His body now dangled over the side of the mountain.

Grian panted, adrenaline shooting through his veins while he desperately clutched the rock. "W-What the heck was that?" he squeaked due to panic. He eventually crawled his way back up, settling on his knees to give himself time breathe. He took a look over the side and stared down at the high drop he would have taken.

Then, another sick feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. Grian stretched out one of his wings, and his pupils shrank at the sight.

His wings were clipped. The feathers at the base were all gone, making the extra appendages look twice as small compared to normal.

That purple wave of energy didn't just add the string of fate. It had taken away his ability to fly too.

Grian would have been more surprised if this was the first time the Watchers did something like this to him. Sometimes he could fly in the games, but the Watchers tended to take that ability away every now and then if they felt Grian had too easy of an advantage... Or if they just felt like messing with him.

He could try to fight back against the Watchers' powers in that moment to get his wings back, but that could take a while. It was also more strength than Grian was willing to spend right then and there. With a tired breath, the avian folded his feathers against his back and rose to his feet.

"I guess we're walking today..." he muttered before looking down at the high mountain that he inconveniently placed himself on. The young man groaned at the fact, raising his fists in the air as he yelled. He could practically hear the wind around him snickering with amusement. The Watchers were seriously getting on his last nerve.

...

Gem gave an irritated huff, pinching the bridge of her nose to contain her frustration.

"Well, that all went poorly," Martyn grumbled after the avian flew off. "Maybe we should have started with asking about the Watchers?"

"I don't think it would have made a difference. He either doesn't know or is refusing to talk to us for whatever reason," Scott said with a frown, looking as tired as the rest of the group.

"He definitely knows something. I know that annoying smirk a mile away," Gem groaned before turning to face her teammates. She then held up her scroll. "He did something with my task."

"How do you know?" Martyn asked with concern edging into his features.

"Just look at the color! Why the heck did he make it purple?" the redhead asked while examining the paper's texture.

Martyn and Scott glanced at each other, confusion filling their gazes.

"Gem, that scroll's not purple," Scott pointed out with his finger.

It was Gem's turn to look puzzled. "What do you mean? The whole paper is glowing a bright purple color."

"It looks the same as any other-" Martyn stopped. "Wait, maybe it's the Watchers. You think they changed your task?"

"That would make sense, but Grian..." Gem trailed off. Her brow furrowed, tensing when a sudden idea popped into her head. "The way he looked at me..." She shook off the unease and held up the scroll towards her teammates. "I really think he had something to do with this."

"So... You think he's working with the Watchers?" Martyn asked with growing intensity. He didn't seem as unnerved by the idea as Gem. Rather, it was contempt. He gritted his teeth before brushing his bangs out of his face. "I knew it... I told you we shouldn't have talked to him."

"Hold on, you guys are making a pretty serious accusation without much proof," Scott said. He held his hands up to prevent either of his friends from talking any further.

Martyn's frown deepened before he motioned towards the redhead. "Yeah, but Gem-"

"No, Scott's right," Gem said, shaking her head to dismiss the ideas in her head. Different version or not, Grian was still her friend. The same avian who was currently spending his days in her world playing pranks and fishing for a dumb mending book. He would never do all this to his friends, at least not knowingly. "We just gotta keep trying. Grian's stubborn, but he can't ignore all three of us forever."

Silence fell over the group, signalling an agreement. Martyn watched the redhead for a second. It looked like he wanted to say more, but he eventually just shifted his attention towards the grass below.

With nothing more to say, the trio finally read their tasks. Gem broke open the glowing parchment and scanned the text inside.

You declared yourself incorrectly successful last session, you must re-roll for hard as punishment.

If you fail the hard task, you will immediately be sent to your red life.

Gem's eyes widened at the last words on the page. She could practically hear the chilling threat in her ear.

"Is it that bad?" Gem lifted her gaze to see Scott staring at her with a knitted brow. He glanced over at Martyn, who carried a similar look. "Maybe Martyn can guess it, so you don't have to do it."

The blonde's neon yellow eyes beamed at the idea. "Yeah! Yellow means I can make greens fail their-"

"No! No, you can't-" Gem spat before cringing from her words. She let her forehead fall into her palm. "Sorry, I just... Trust me, I have to do this," she groaned after lifting her head back up.

Her words puzzled the two men even more, seemingly worsening their concern.

"Do you need any help?" Scott asked.

"I'm not sure. I gotta visit the Secret Keeper first," Gem said with newfound heaviness in her tone.

There was a pause between the trio. They were trying to find the words to comfort the redhead. Eventually, though, Scott smiled. "Well, if you need help, you know who to ask, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be running around the arena in the meantime, using my yellow powers on the other greens to mess with them... and in case somebody's got a dangerous task too, of course," Martyn said with a wide grin. It then faltered slightly when he focused on Gem again. "You sure you don't want me to guess your task?"

"I'm sure," she said while giving a reassuring smile. Gem then turned to leave. "I better get going. See you guys."

"See ya!" Martyn said.

"Good luck! Love you!" Scott called out as well.

Gem's heart warmed at the gesture. She turned back while walking backwards. "Love you too!" she shouted once there was a few yards between them.

When she turned around, though, Gem's smile dissolved. She unrolled her scroll once more and stared at the words. "Red life..." she muttered.

It had to be from the Watchers. They were threatening her. Was it because they finally realized that she didn't belong in this world?

And why did Grian give her that look? Did he know what was in the scroll? Just how many secrets was he keeping?

Despite all this, what frustrated Gem the most was that she did all this to herself. She had done her task wrong in the last session. She just then realized that she only filled up one person's bag when it was supposed to be four.

"How the heck did I forget that part?" Gem muttered, blaming her stressed mind on the forgetfulness. Either way, she had to do the hard task. She couldn't be brought down to her red life, especially with the possibility of her growing hostile towards other players.

I just hope the task doesn't involve me hurting anyone.

If that was the case, then she would have to forfeit the task.

"Why hello, Gem!"

The redhead was pulled from her troubling thoughts by the sound of her name. She turned and spotted Scar rushing over to her. Gem hadn't realized that she was passing the salesman's shop while on her way to the Secret Keeper. She then noticef another structure built right beside it. The second building was made entirely out of stone. It carried pillars on the front steps with traffic light colors on the front of the roof to signify each life in the game.

"Hey, Scar," Gem said with a smile. She really hadn't interacted much with the salesman up until that moment. She pointed towards the new structure once Scar reached her. "I like the new build. Is it a bank or something?"

"It's a courthouse. You know, a place for people to settle disagreements during the game," Scar explained, copying her smile. "Been thinking about if I want to create a little town. Even elected myself the mayor, heh." He emphasized the bright blue sash he now wore over his brown coat. He then took out a monocle from his pocket and placed it over his eye. Gem stared at the new additions to the man's attire. Her long pause eventually made the salesman give a nervous chuckle. "I'm still kind of on the fence about the town... I don't want to waste too much time building."

No, Gem wasn't judging the man's strange fashion. She was just a little shocked since it reminded her of home.

There was a time when her friends were playing a game where Scar ended up being the mayor of their pretend town. She was too busy to join them at the time, but she had seen plenty of pictures of his mayor attire. This Scar currently wore an identical monocle and sash to that outfit. The sight made Gem's heart warm. She glanced down at her watch. Every part of her wanted to just go home in that moment, but she fought the urge and kept her hands down.

Instead, she smiled towards the salesman. "Sounds like a fun idea, Scar."

Scar's own smile grew. "Why thank you, but I'm probably gonna change my outfit to something else. I don't know," he said with a shrug. "Anyway, would you like to step into Trader Scar's? I'm willing to give a discount since you're a new customer."

"Eh, maybe later. I've got a lot of stuff to do today," Gem said before turning to leave.

"Oh, okay, see ya then..." Scar said while sending a wave. The redhead copied him before she made her way towards the Secret Keeper. What she failed to notice, though, was the slight frown that appeared on the young man's face. It was quick, gone a second later, but Scar couldn't ignore the pain he felt with the rejection, minor as it was. He hated how the refusal affected him like that, but it was becoming a regular occurrence lately.

Still, Scar pushed down the feeling, claiming that he was just being negative. He turned to head back towards his shack before taking out his new task from his satchel.

...

Grian dashed across the field with growing urgency. He had already wasted an hour making his way down the mountain in careful strides. Thankfully, he hadn't sacrificed any health, but the loss of his wings was already starting to weigh on the avian.

Grian came to a slow stop a few yards away from the Secret Keeper. He rested his hands on his knees, which were starting to feel wobbly. One thing he was still not used to after... after his transformation from the Watchers was his change in bone structure. His legs were thinner, bones hollow, which allowed his wings to carry him easily, but it also meant that Grian could no longer run as fast as he used to. Avians could still sprint like humans, Grian learned. They just have a different level of endurance. People who were born avian, like Jimmy, grew up knowing their limits and learned how to preserve their strength. For those, like Grian, though...

He had gotten better at pacing himself thanks to the games, but it would still sneak up on him sometimes, especially when he was in a hurry like today. After taking in a few slow breaths, Grian lifted his head to scan the area. A wave of relief soon washed over him when he spotted who he was looking for in the distance. The avian continued on ahead with a slower pace. He eventually reached a small clutter of houses, each built in peculiar positions, which Grian knew belonged to the Mounder alliance.

The trio stood outside of Pearl's base with a fourth member. It was a young man with brown hair that also carried a green streak over the bangs. His ears were long and curved, and they matched the color of his streak. He had a brown vest over his white shirt and possessed iron shoulder pads. In fact, all four of them had iron shoulder pads, signifying even further that they were a team.

Grian sighed with relief when he saw Joel perfectly safe and laughing with the others. His shoulders eased before he ended up plopping down onto the grass, exhaustion finally catching up with him. He took out his secret task again, rereading the words. With confirmation, Grian turned his attention back to the group. "Joel? Hey! I've gotta talk with you-"

"Hold on a sec, Grian, we're bonding here," the man said with a smile that ended up flashing a pair of sharp canines. He was too enveloped in a discussion with Bdubs to even turn towards the avian.

Grian furrowed his brow with annoyance before he slowly rose to one knee. "Joel, seriously! I-I need to talk to you," he replied with a nervous chuckle, already not looking forward to the likely long day ahead.

"Just a minute, I'm in the middle of somethin'," Joel added before he laughed at something Pearl said.

"Joooeel," Grian whined.

"Shh!"

The avian gaped at the response. He then gave a strained chuckle in response. "Don't you shush me!" Grian spat while laughing a bit more. He soon rose back to his feet, but not without Mumbo taking notice.

"Oh, you alright, Grian?" the dapper gentleman asked as he stepped away from the discussion and headed over to his friend. This ended up pulling the attention of the others too.

Grian waved off his concern. "Yeah, I just ran around a little too much this morning. Had to scale an entire mountain," he said once Mumbo reached him. The rest of the group soon made their way over as well.

"You scaled a mountain?!" Bdubs asked, looking impressed.

"Why the heck did you do something like that?" Joel asked with a raised brow.

Grian gave another nervous laugh. He hated himself for mentioning that little fact, but he still wasn't too concerned with how to answer. Whenever his wings were clipped in the past, his friends never seemed to notice or question why the avian suddenly stopped flying. Even when the evidence was thrown right in their face, they still didn't see the change in his wings, and it was all thanks to the Watchers' influence over their minds, which Grian was reluctantly thankful for just so he didn't have to try too hard to lie to them.

"I was just looking for something up there, and it took me a while to get back down. Gotta be careful with the no re-gen, right?" Grian replied while shrugging it off.

His answer seemed to please most of the group, but Pearl simply looked more puzzled. "Why didn't you just fly?" she asked.

Her words caught the avian off guard, making him flinch for a split second. The question seemed to confuse the others, but Grian quickly recovered.

"I just... I didn't feel like it today, you know?" he replied. His voice grew a bit pitchy with his nerves. He tucked his wings further into his back when his answer seemed to puzzle the brunette even more. Before she could respond, though, Grian stepped closer to Joel. "Hey, I gotta talk to you about something important for a sec." He started motioning for them to leave with his thumb.

"Alright, I'll see you guys later. Good luck with the tasks," Joel said, specifically sending a thumbs up to Mumbo.

The dapper gentleman sighed at the reminder. He took out the scroll from his pocket like it was a chore. "I'll definitely need it..."

When the two men turned to leave, though, Pearl's eyes instantly widened at something. "Whoa, whoa, wait, Grian! What happened to your wings!?"

The avian came to a sudden stop. The utter shock in the brunette's tone made it clear to Grian that she could see his rather small wings now, and it horrified the young man. He glanced back towards his friend with a rather tense look.

First Scott, then Martyn, and now Pearl?! What is happening today?

The others didn't seem to acknowledge it, though, as Bdubs simply titled his head. "Whada mean? They look the same as usual."

Pearl turned towards the shorter man with the most baffled expression. "Are you blind, mate? His wings are practically nothing now!" she spat before turning her concern back on the avian. "Grian, what the heck happened-"

"Sorry, Pearl, we gotta go!" Grian grabbed Joel's wrist and started pulling him along.

"Whoa-hey!" Joel spat from the sudden yank, but he still followed with a quick pace after he pulled his arm away.

"What the-Grian!" Pearl shouted in further disbelief, but Mumbo placed a hand on her shoulder before she could follow after them.

"You alright, Pearl?"

The brunette looked at her friend. Frustration ate away at her features, clouding her concern as she studied Mumbo's expression. She opened her mouth to speak, but his face told her that he clearly had no idea what was going on. She then glanced over at Bdubs, who carried some unease, but it was towards her instead. It was at that moment that Pearl remembered what kind of game she was being forced to play, and no matter what she saw, her scramble-minded friends weren't going to see it.

Instead, they were staring at her. Yes, they watched her with care in their eyes, but she still couldn't stand the looks. Eyes burrowing into her like she was insane. She just couldn't take those judgmental stares haunting her again.

Eventually, Pearl gave an exasperated sigh before turning to leave. "It's... It's nothing, nevermind," she replied while she took out her scroll. "I'm gonna go start on my task."

"Oh, alright..." Mumbo replied, watching her go with a knitted brow.

"See ya later," Bdubs added as he gained a frown. Mumbo soon copied him once the two looked at each other.

At the same time, Grian and Joel finally slowed down once they were quite a ways away from the others, ending up on a rather steep hill.

Grian stole a few breaths, trying to ease his panic more so than anything else. His mind spiraled with several questions before he heard the ogre next to him.

"Well that was totally weird," Joel said, glancing back in the direction they came from. "You think it was part of her task?"

Grian brushed away the concern for now. He was just relieved that Joel and the others still didn't seem to notice anything different. The avian then shrugged it off before taking out his scroll. "Hey, look, I know this may seem like a breach in the rules, but I need you to read this."

Joel turned back. He glanced down at the paper with a puzzled look. "What?" he asked, judging his friend's words, but he still accepted the paper. He unrolled the scroll, careful not to tear it with his claws, and scanned over the text. "Grian's secret task-"

"Not out loud!" Grian shouted in a hush tone. His wings puffed up in alarm while his friend's eyes darted over the words.

A smile then grew over the ogre's face. "Pfft, seriously?" Joel asked while snickering. He waved the rolled up paper in his hand as he leaned forward to laugh harder.

"Yeah, it's gonna be a long day..." Grian sighed before he snatched the scroll back and tucked it away.

"How many hearts you on?" Joel asked while crossing his arms.

The avian paused. He then shot his friend a look when he saw the mischievous smirk. "I'm not telling you that," Grian said flatly. He crossed his arms too, daring the ogre to try anything.

Instead of going anywhere near the avian, though, Joel simply leaned a little too far to the right. Grian's eyebrows shot up once he realized what the man was doing, but Joel was already too far out of his reach. The ogre tipped over the edge of the hill. He plummeted a few feet before smacking his back against the dirt with a loud thud!

Right when Joel made impact with the ground, his body flashed red, and surprisingly to Grian, his own body glowed red as well. He winced when the pain crept up his back. He could feel a bruise coming along. Even though he knew it would vanish in a minute anyway, it still unsettled the man. Dread shot through Grian once he realized that his health was connected to his friend after all.

"Minus two," Joel groaned before smiling up at Grian, who glared right back.

"You're a complete masochist!" he spat loudly in frustration, but the heat in his words died when he heard the sound of both laughter and pain coming from the ogre once he sat up.

"I didn't know the task actually connected your hearts to mine. That's crazy," Joel said before standing to his feet. He bent his back, cracking it to remove the ache faster. "It's Double Life all over again. I should tell Etho."

"Don't you dare." Grian sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know, I didn't have to tell you. That wasn't a requirement." The avian glanced to his right. "I should have kept my mouth shut," he muttered.

"Yeah, that was a mistake on your part, Grian," Joel replied while keeping his grin. He then paused and pondered a new thought. "Honestly, though, I don't know why I did that. I've don't got many hearts to begin with." The man shook his head before walking a few feet. "That's probably why I don't last long in these games. The stuff I do for a joke, man." Joel looked up a Grian and sent him a kinder smile this time.

The avian's anger diminished, and he couldn't help but grow a small smile of his own. "Well, don't worry, cause you've got me to keep you safe," Grian replied as he stepped down the hill to reach him.

Joel paused for a second, hesitation filling his features. "Oh, you're gonna follow me? I was just gonna come get ya if I needed back up or something," he said while he headed off in a random direction.

Grian followed after him. "You're joking, right? We're soulbound, dude. My life and task are literally in your hands today." The two walked further up another hill until they reached a red and white striped tower with a built in water slide spiraling around it.

"Yeah, but you following me around is really gonna make my task difficult, Grian." Joel stopped a few feet in front of the tower and turned to face his friend. "Why don't you just go hang out by the helter-skelter, and I'll let you know if I need you," the ogre explained while he motioned his head over to the tower. Grian looked towards his friend's base to find a nice wooden balcony up at the top. The sight, though, only made him frown bitterly.

"So, you want me to just sit up there alone while you're running around with how many hearts?"

Joel pondered the question, seemingly counting the invisible hearts in front of him. "Minus two... Seventeen."

"Right, yeah, that's not gonna happen, my friend." Grian suddenly gained a crooked smile. His eyes grew a bit intense as he stepped forward. "I don't think you know who you're talking to here," the avian said almost threateningly before slapping his hands on the ogre's shoulders. "You're not leaving my sight."

Despite his friend's intensity, Joel kept his poker face. His eyes then dulled before groaning in defeat. "For goodness sake-fine." Grian's smile grew, grinning like a child. "You can follow me, but you can't question what I'm doing, okay?" Joel said as he turned to head back down the hill. Grian was hot on his trail. "And if I'm quiet, you've got to be quiet. And seriously, don't. Question. Anything!" Joel shouted with clear frustration, making Grian laugh.

The two continued their walk in silence for only a minute before a new thought came to the avian.

"So, since we're practically inseparable today, does that mean I can be a Mounder?" Grian asked with a raised brow. There was a hint of humor in his tone, but he still posed it as a genuine question.

"I don't know, Grian. Why are you asking me?" Joel replied while he kept his focus ahead, scanning around the arena for people. He then paused long enough to assess the question before he turned to look back at his friend. "Why don't you ask Mumbo? Aren't you guys like... best buds?"

Grian shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he frowned at the thought. "I mean, yeah... but I don't wanna go crawling to Mumbo about joining the alliance. I'll look pathetic," he whined with an embarrassed grin.

Joel arched a brow at the claim. "Right, but it's okay if you come crawling to me for an alliance?"

Grian then snickered. "Of course! Cause we're soulmates, Joel. We'd do anything for eachother." The avian furthered the claim by placing a hand over his heart.

The ogre's eye began to twitch, restraining himself from smirking. "Yeah... I'm not answering to that."

Grian cackled from his antics, clutching his stomach as the ogre walked away. He then held his hand out to Joel and tried to speak in between breaths. "Hey, no-come back!" he called out while trying to suppress his giggles.

"I'm walking away, Grian! Goodbye!" Joel shouted. He stormed off in a huff and was already a few yards away.

"Joel, wait, seriously! We gotta stick together!" Grian exclaimed with more urgency before racing after his friend.

...

Gem carried a heavy gaze as she made her way up the steps on Cherry Blossom Mountain.

Her trek across the arena had been slow due to her troubled thoughts.

Not only were the whispers from pressing the Hard-Roll button completely chilling, but the task the Watchers just gave her was most definitely difficult.

Gem pulled back out the scroll once she came to a stop on the steps. She scanned over the words one more time.

Open the End Portal.

The redhead's ears dipped low in irritation. Thankfully, the task didn't require her to directly hurt anyone, but she might as well kiss her first two lives goodbye because the job was impossible.

"I can't even be sure that the End Portal is located inside the barrier... I'm doomed!" Gem whined while pulling on her braid.

Her complaints were silenced, though, once a new thought came to her mind. Her gaze shifted to the digital watch on her wrist. Gem tucked away the scroll and pressed a button on the side of the device. Instantly, the small screen on the watch flipped open, revealing the inside filled with wires and other bits that didn't make too much sense to Gem. Her attention, though, was on a tiny plastic tube attached to the watch's center. Inside the tube was a bit of black and purple goop that sloshed around whenever Gem moved her hand.

She had taken extra precaution to listen to all of Doc's warnings and details regarding the watch, and one thing that always stuck with her was what the device was powered on: a tiny piece of an End Portal, specifically the one that appeared after you defeated the Ender Dragon.

The piece was essential for World Jumping, and that old memory gave Gem an idea.

If I can't find a way out of the game by myself, then maybe I can extract a bit of the End Portal to make something that could teleport us all out of here.

Gem sifted through her pockets before pulling out a small notebook. She opened up the pad of paper to scan over the extensive notes Doc had given her in case something were ever to happen to her watch during travel. She would have rather not used this alternative because it meant taking everyone in the game away from their home and just tossing them into another alternate reality, which would make for a very terrible scapegoat.

She would have no idea if everyone's minds would still be affected by the Watchers, even if taken to another world, and what if she tried to move them while one of them was on a red life? Would they forever be stuck as hostile and violent towards everyone around them? Not to mention how dangerous it would be to even get a piece of the portal inside a game like this. It would be incredibly risky to have her, or any of the others, try and defeat the Ender Dragon with no regen-health.

Nothing about this plan was ideal, but at least it was an option. Gem currently was running low on those.

The redhead sighed before putting away the notebook. She needed to get to work on finding that portal, if it was even inside the arena. Lord, did she pray that it was. That uncertainty frightened Gem the most, but she had to try. Not only for her own sake, but now it was also her chance for Plan B.

Gem continued her trek up the steps. Her mind grew heavy with several thoughts until her brooding was interrupted by voices.

"Gem! You're back!" The redhead turned, finally reaching the top of the mountain, to spot Scott and Impulse standing right outside their houses. What really caught Gem's attention, though, was the new attire both her teammates wore.

"Whoa! Look at you guys. You look amazing," Gem spoke while heading over to the duo. Both men possessed face paint with their signature colors: A neon yellow thunderbolt for one and sea blue eyeshadow under the eyes for the other.

Impulse's sleeves were torn off, leaving only the fringes, and he wore black jeans that carried a couple holes in the front to really give him a hard rocker vibe. His short hair was now buzzed on the bottom, and he had a single silver earring on one of his ears that matched the "i" on his shirt.

Scott, on the other hand, possessed a more peppy, fashionable style. His hair was now its regular powder blue, which matched the color theme for the rest of his attire. His coat had puffy see-through nylon sleeves, and he still had on his white shirt with a green heart in the center.

"You like it? We're officially bandmates now," Impulse said with a grin.

"Yeah, totally!" Gem smiled. "I didn't even think to put together a new outfit for the alliance." She looked down to find her regular green sweater and blue overalls. She mulled over the idea.

Should she even be focusing on that when there were so many more important things at stake?

"It's fine. You can always plan an outfit in between sessions," Scott pointed out, noticing the sudden stress in the redhead's gaze.

"Yeah... I guess for now I'll be just Gem," she replied with a playful shrug.

"She's just Gem~" Scott sang out, causing his teammates to chuckle. Impulse then joined in on the tune, and the trio's laughter grew.

Gem's warm smile, though, faltered once a heavy question soon laid on her tongue. When the singing and laughter died away, she looked over to Scott. "Hey, could you... Do you want to go to the Nether with me?"

This made the elf pause. He blinked a few times, wondering if he heard her right. "Uh, sure? You need something from the Nether?"

"I just... I want to go check out the bastion that Martyn found-"

"That Martyn died at," Impulse corrected with a weary smirk.

There was another pause as her teammates stared expectantly at the redhead. Gem shifted her gaze away for only a second before brushing off the statement. "Yeah, but it's Martyn..." she joked. Despite her nonchalant stance, it was obvious that something was eating at her nerves.

"Wow, insulting the champion of the last game," Impulse snickered, yet Scott remained quiet. Scott studied Gem's cracking mask of confidence. Impulse then waved off the claim and started walking away. "Well, I've had my fair share of the Nether already. I'll take care of things around here if you guys wanna go," he finished while making his way over to the crops.

Gem then turned her entire focus on the elf, who silently raised an eyebrow at her. "So, Nether?" she asked again, forming a strained grin.

Already picking up the context clues, Scott slowly melted into a smile before he nodded in an agreement. "Sure, let me just go get some gear."

...

Scar let out a deep breath from behind his counter, pushing away the thoughts piling up in his mind. He moved his hands outward in motion with his breath to return his focus to the present.

"Come on, Scar, no more being a downer today. You are making a mountain out of an ant hill... or mole hill?" he asked, pondering the question before shaking his head. "Either way, you are going to do your task and enjoy this wonderful game with your friends," Scar said to himself within his little shop. "And hopefully gain some allies." He then pulled out his secret task once more.

Remove all the light sources from around 5 people's bases. If someone questions you, you need to put them back for that player.

"Oh..." he muttered before a giggle escaped him. "This is gonna be fun. And slightly nerve-racking." He quickly gained back the pep in his step and stuffed the scroll in his satchel. He then made a beeline for the door. Once he stepped off his front porch, though, he took notice of an empty fence post to his left.

"Where'd Cheerio go?" Scar asked while scanning the terrain around the shop. He took off his monocle for a moment to squint at the empty fields of tall grass and wildflowers, but there was still no sign of his camel. He huffed at the results. "Well, I guess we're walking to our destinations today."

Scar looked around once more until his eyes locked onto the build closest to his shop, which so happened to be Grian's egg hut on the top of the hill. He grew a smile while marching his way over to his bird friend's base.

As he started picking up the torches leading up to Grian's wooden staircase, a couple figures made their way over to him. Their voices halted Scar in his tracks. He stuffed the blown out torches into his satchel before turning towards the newcomers.

"Why hello there, fellas." Scar smiled when he spotted Tango and Skizz.

"Sup, Scar, nice to see ya," Tango said with a smile as he walked past the salesman. "We can't talk, buddy. Gotta go find, BigB," he added before glancing to his right. "You know why he's wearing a monocle, Torchy?" The question was aimed towards an empty space next to the fire elemental. Skizz had stopped a few feet behind him to stand beside Scar. Both men watched their flaming haired friend while Tango simply shrugged like his question was answered.

"Uh... Am I missing something?" Scar asked with a slight chuckle, watching Tango continue his walk across the field. The fire elemental kept on talking to the air on his right the further he went, despite still having no one around to listen.

Skizz gave a tired sigh before rubbing his eyelids. "Top's been weird all morning. Either this is his task, or he's officially gone insane."

Scar giggled a bit more the longer he saw how animated Tango appeared in the distance with his hand movements and excited expressions. "Well, whoever he's talking to, he seems to be really enjoying it."

"Yeah, he does," Skizz snickered at the sight. When his laughter melted away, though, he regained his focus and turned back to the salesman. "Anyway, face, I've got some stuff I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh... Is this about the Heart Foundation?" Scar asked. His tone dipped from the shift in topic.

"No. Well, yeah, but you don't have to worry about it, buddy. We..." Skizz's words grew distant when Scar's attention moved towards the sight of white feathers in the distance. He spotted Grian following after Joel as they headed towards the Secret Keeper. Panic fell over Scar before he held up his hands to halt his friend's words.

"Hey, can we walk and talk? I've got some things I need to take care of real quick," Scar asked while he headed back towards the wooden staircase.

"Oh, sure," Skizz replied, trailing behind the salesman. He then raised a brow when his friend started picking up each torch on the ground. "What are you-"

Scar quickly turned to face Skizz again. He pulled out some red material from his pocket. "I will give you ten redstone to not question what I'm doing," he said, holding up the bright stones towards the well-dressed gentleman.

Skizz gave a smirk towards Scar's panicked face before accepting the bribe. "Deal." Once Skizz stowed the items in his pockets, he followed Scar up the staircase. "Look, face, I just came to say that you don't have to worry about giving us an answer to the Heart Foundation. BigB's gonna join us."

Scar slowed his pace. He had removed a few torches in the grass, by the egg hut, until he stopped to look at his friend. "Oh, are we not allies then?"

"No, no, we're still allies, buddy," Skizz said with a smile. He then rubbed the back of his head, glancing towards the ground. "I just realized that Top and I might have been too pushy with ya last session, so you don't have to join the Heart Foundation if ya wanna keep to your shop over there," he explained while throwing a thumb back towards Trader Scar's.

The salesman looked back over at his shack, realizing how much space there was between his little town and the rest of the players. He shook off the thought and sent a genuine grin towards Skizz. "Well, thank you, but don't you worry. You most definitely have an ally at Trader Scar's," Scar replied, placing a hand to his heart like it was a declaration.

Skizz warmed at the sight. "Thanks, buddy, but one more question," he furthered as he watched Scar remove more of the torches around the egg hut. "Now, this is gonna sound like it came out of left field, but bear with me, Scar," Skizz added. He placed his hands together and took a quick breath. "Have you... Have you ever felt the urge to want to share your task with someone? Like you wish you could, especially today?"

Scar hummed as he worked. He pulled off one torch that was attached to the side of the hut while pondering the question. "Well, I mean, I get kinda lonely when doing my tasks, but you're keeping me company right now, so that's great," he answered, chuckling slightly in his response.

"That's great, that's great, just the answer I needed, face, thanks!" Skizz called out before he rushed back down the stairs. He gave a small wave goodbye, and all Scar could do was return it with a puzzled gaze.

"Okay?" The salesman shrugged at the strange interaction. "Man, everyone's being a little off today," Scar muttered while he scanned the area around him. "Darn these tasks. They have us all acting squirrely-" The young man stopped when his eyes landed on a torch at the very top of the egg hut. It was the last torch around Grian's base.

Scar let out a huff, despite his growing smirk. "Darn it, G, you really gotta make this difficult for me," he said after gripping the edge of the wall to pull himself up. With a few heavy grunts, the salesman placed his foot against the wood, giving himself a bit more height. He leaned forward, fingertips touching the bottom of the burning stick. His face soon lit up when he latched onto the torch. "Gotcha-"

Scar's words were cut short when he yanked the stick. The shift caused his foot to slip. He smacked his chin against the wooden roof before gravity took over, and he plummeted backwards until he crashed into the dirt. His body flashed bright red from the impact. He stared up at the early morning sky with a deep groan. "Darn it..."

"Scar? Scar!" a new voice cried as the salesman slowly sat up. Mumbo came rushing over to him with panic at the state of his friend. "Goodness, what on earth happened?"

Scar sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I can't keep a heart for the life of me, Mumbo," he replied while the dapper gentleman helped him to his feet.

Mumbo gave a nervous chuckle in response. "Oh, really? H-How many hearts you lose?"

"I don't know... a heart and a half from the fall? I was just doing some cleaning up around people's bases," Scar replied as he walked over to pick up the last torch off the ground.

Mumbo's brow knitted when he watched Scar place the snuffed out torch in his satchel. "Uh, you know torches are kind of important, Scar, since they... they keep mobs away?" he furthered with a raised brow, clearly expecting his friend to know the answer.

Scar glanced to his right with obvious panic. He then pulled a couple iron ingots from his satchel and held them out to Mumbo. "Don't say anything."

The dapper man laughed at Scar's pleading look before accepting the items. His laughter soon died away, though, once the salesman started making his way back down the stairs. "Whoa, wait, where are you going?"

"You can't ask questions either, Mumbo!" Scar shouted from the other side. He was already heading back to Trader Scar's before making a left towards the mesa biome with a skip in his step.

Mumbo's eyes dulled at the sight. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. "This is going to be impossible..."

He chased after Scar, rushing over the grassy hills until his shoes met red sand. His pace was slowed due to the less traction until he finally caught up with the salesman by a small pond.

"Come to enjoy Martyn and Jimmy's hot tub with me?" Scar asked while he started picking up torches around the pool's edge.

"Scar, listen to me, buddy. You don't have to tell me what you're doing, but maybe I could help you?" Mumbo asked with a small smile.

"Oh, help me?" Scar asked after putting the torches away. He then noticed his friend's nervous demeanor before he crossed his arms and grew a sly smirk. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your task, would it?"

"No, No! I just-I know you've been having trouble health-wise lately, so I thought I'd help you today. I wanna make sure you stick with us in this game for a long while, buddy," Mumbo replied while running a hand through his slicked back hair.

"He's definitely gonna need the help!" a voice called out in the distance. The two men looked over to see Tango passing by again. "Something Torchy and I can always agree on!"

"Why that little-" Scar grumbled before he marched forward a few feet. "Get out of here, you!" he shouted with a shaking fist. The fire elemental laughed while dashing off back towards the center of the arena. "Gosh, he's been weird today."

"Yeah... But uh, Scar? Do you want my help?" Mumbo asked.

Scar turned back to his dapper friend. He knew the request was likely related to the man's task, but the salesman couldn't pass up this opportunity. Sure, he didn't enjoy the risk of failing his own task with having a witness tag along, but he more so didn't want to spend most of his day alone. With that being said, Scar nodded towards Mumbo with a bright smile. "Sure you can help!"

...

The eerie buzzing of the portal filled Gem's ears after she stepped through. The chill that flooded her body soon evaporated once she and Scott entered the Nether. The heat from the surrounding lava was already making her sweat. She wiped her brow with her sleeve before taking the lead with her shiny gold boots. Scott, wearing similar footwear, followed after her.

"So you wanted to find that bastion?" Scott asked casually while the two kept their focus on their surroundings, stepping across the small inclines of netherrack. A few towering Piglins marched past them with their golden swords tucked on their belts. The tall beasts snorted and huffed as they walked. They glanced towards the humans with mild suspicion before continuing on with their business.

"Well, I tried to ask Martyn about it, but he wouldn't say where-"

"Gem..." Scott's tone made the redhead stop to finally look back at him. He crossed his arms with a raised brow. "If this has something to do with your task, you don't have to tell me, but please don't start making up stories that you're coming here just to get some treasure," he said, smirking at his teammate's baffled demeanor. She opened her mouth to argue before Scott continued. "You and I both know you wouldn't come back here unless it was absolutely necessary."

Gem sighed in defeat, shifting her focus upward before looking back at her smug friend. "Fine, fine, I won't say anything else. Let's just get this over with."

"I brought a cauldron with some water in case we catch on fire too," Scott added once the two continued on.

Gem's face twisted towards the idea. "Thanks, but let's hope we don't have to use it."

"No kidding," Scott scoffed in agreement while he moved to walk beside the redhead.

Silence fell over the duo as they continued their trek through the burning terrain. Gem's mind wandered for a bit, drifting back to their quick discussion with Grian earlier. She frowned when a new thought came to her mind.

"Do you think Grian is the fourth champion?"

Her question made Scott dart his focus back to her again. The redhead met his gaze for a moment, showing the serious look in her eyes, before the two returned their attention to their surroundings. "What makes you think that?"

"I don't know. I suspected it might have been him for a while now just cause there seemed to be something off about him even at the start of the game, and now with the conversation we just had with him, it only furthered my guess," Gem explained. Guilt then flashed across her face. "It would make more sense then him possibly working for the Watchers." A part of her was still suspicious of that look the avian gave her when she received her task. She knew Grian was a troublemaker, but he was also a friend. Just like Scott said, she couldn't immediately claim sinister intent without real evidence, no matter how much she currently wanted to chuck her task in the bird man's face.

Scott fell quiet for a moment, dwelling on the thought. "He could be... But him and Scar didn't really have any allies besides me and Jimmy, and we both died well before most of the others."

"Him and Scar?"

"Yeah, in the first game, there was this thing where Grian accidentally blew up Scar with a Creeper, so he pledged his loyalty to him until he lost his first life. Then the two took over the whole desert biome. It was a whole thing," Scott explained, shaking his head with a small smile.

"Wow, really?" Gem asked with a raised brow. She then copied the elf, shaking her head with mild amusement. "You guys have some weird stories."

"Ha, that's not even a weird one, but in games like this, you can't really be surprised."

"Oh, trust me, I'm not surprised. Believe it or not, this death game loop is only a half on the crazy scale with the nonsense I've experienced back home," Gem said, making a show with her crossed arms.

Scott's smile slowly crept into a grin over his cheeks. "No way, seriously?" When Gem gave a tired nod in agreement, the elf continued. "I never got to ask. Is there another me back where you're from?"

"Yeah, but I play a different game with you than a lot of the other players here. I switch back and forth between them occasionally. I'm a multi-tasker like that," Gem said with a proud grin.

"What's the game I play with you?"

"We call it Empires, where each player literally creates their own empire and theme. It's like one big fantasy adventure. It's pretty fun," Gem explained, making Scott's smile brighter.

"Really? That sounds amazing."

"Yeah! And yours, you made this super colorful kingdom with so many flowers. It honestly looks more beautiful every time I visit," Gem furthered, grinning as well.

Scott chuckled from the redhead's words while he glanced to his right. "Yeah, that totally sounds like me," he muttered with clear fondness.

Gem mellowed when she watched the elf. Her ears dipped at the sight of his distant expression. "Hey." She turned to stand in front of him, making him look back up at her. "When we get out of here, I'm gonna take you to come visit. My Scott would love to meet you."

The elf grew a small smirk. "And not be totally weirded out by the fact that there will be two of him?" Scott asked while arching a brow.

"Nah, like I said, pretty weird things happen back where I'm from," Gem said with a confident stance.

Scott smiled towards the young woman until his eyes shifted to the left. Panic fell over his face before he forced his attention to the ground. "Gem, keep your head down."

"Wha-" Gem asked as she started to turn where the elf previously looked. Scott then quickly shoved her head down until her whole face was dipped towards her gold boots. Before she could even look, the redhead's expression dulled. "Endermen?"

"Several... There's a Warped Forest up ahead," Scott replied like it was a mundane issue.

"Of course..." Gem sighed. "Thanks."

Scott nodded. "We'll take it slow. You lead the way, and I'll help you find whatever you're looking for."

The redhead grew a smile in agreement. "Sounds like a plan... But I do need to kill some Endermen, completely unrelated to my task by the way. I just want some Ender Pearls," Gem said a little too fast, glancing to the side again with a weak grin.

Scott sighed as well. "Did you at least bring boats to capture them?"

"Of course!" Gem spat, sounding offended. Her tone, though, soon made them both smile.

"Okay, let's get to work."

...

"I'm tempted to do it."

"No."

"I'm gonna do it, Grian!"

"Joel, I swear I will knock you out for the rest of this session if I have to!" Grian exclaimed as he stood a foot away from the 'Re-Roll for Hard' pillar by the Secret Keeper. Joel stood directly behind it with his hand hovering over the button, carrying an intense stare towards his friend. Panic was evident on the avian's face, practically ready to tackle the ogre if need be. "I know Scar's hard-roll during session 1 was a fluke, but believe me, those tasks are next to impossible!"

While Joel still had a hint of humor in his expression, one could see the visible tension seeping into his posture. "Well, mine's ridiculously hard too! And you following me around isn't making things easier."

"Forgive me for not trusting that you won't go jumping off another ledge just to mess with me!" Grian spat.

"Whoa, what's going on over here?" The two men stopped their squabble to find Lizzie walking over to them. She raised a brow, glancing between them with obvious judgement.

Joel let out a sigh and finally turned away from the pillar. "Nothing, just really hating this session right now," he groaned as he walked over to Lizzie, pulling down on his cheeks with both hands.

"Ooo, hard task? I noticed Grian's been following you around this morning too," Lizzie said, looking over at the avian. "What? You got to tag along with him or something? Seems a little creepy, Grian."

The young man made a show of frowning at her words. "I'm not creepy. I just want friends."

"Aw! You don't have an alliance?" Lizzie asked while Joel rolled his eyes. She then smirked, letting out a chuckle. "Ha! You've got no friends!" she hollered playfully.

Grian stifled a laugh of his own and scoffed dramatically, wings puffed up for emphasis. "Hey, what did I ever do to you?!"

"Nothing," Lizzie laughed before shooting a thumb behind her. "That's actually why I came over here. I saw Scar over by your base, and I think he was taking down all your torches."

Grian arched a brow before shifting his attention over to his base in the far distance. He couldn't spot the salesman anywhere, but he was noticing a clear lack of burning sticks. "Why the heck would he do that?"

"You making enemies, Grian? I'm startin' to see why," Joel joked as he started to walk away. "Anyway, I better go work on my incredibly irritating task."

"Hey! Get back here," Grian complained while he followed after the ogre. "You didn't even say goodbye to your wife, Joel."

Lizzie shrugged. "It's fine. He's not usually nice to me anyways," she replied with a smirk.

Joel grew a smile before huffing. He stopped to look back at her. "See ya, Lizzie."

Lizzie gave a small wave as she turned to leave. "See ya, grump!"

Grian chuckled, and Joel shook his head while gaining a smirk. "Right then... I'm headin' over to Scar's. Stay behind me and keep quiet," the ogre said, continuing in the direction he was leaving.

Grian gave a nod while the two took the long way around to end up behind the salesman's courthouse. Joel crouched down, inching his way to the side of the building. Grian copied him. He was close to questioning the man's motives until he overheard the conversation a few feet away.

"So this is a courthouse?" Jimmy asked. He, Scar, and Mumbo all stood in a circle in front of the stone building.

"Yes, and I've decided that whenever there's a guilty verdict, the loser will be beaten with my beating stick," Scar said proudly while pulling out a stick from his satchel.

"I'm sorry... what?" Jimmy looked stunned, but the salesman had already moved on by tucking the stick back in his bag.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask, have either of you seen my camel? She wandered off somewhere, and I'd like to have her back."

"You know, Scar, I don't think you should ride your camel today anyway. You already lost so many hearts in the past when riding it," Mumbo explained with a sigh.

"No, I have not-"

"Walking under a tree and smacking yourself with a branch ring any bells, mate?" Mumbo furthered with crossed arms.

"Right... But still, I want her back," Scar replied. He held his head high. "She's an important member of Trader Scar's."

"Seriously, you don't need the camel."

"What you got against the camel?" Jimmy asked.

"Did you do something to my camel, Mumbo?" Scar asked. There was a clear warning in his tone. Despite his friend's possible threat, the dapper gentleman still chuckled, holding up his hands in surrender.

"No! No, I'm just- I'm pro, Scar. I just don't want you to get hurt, buddy."

"Mumbo, I swear if I find out that you hurt, Cheerio-"

"Scar, no! Put the flint and steel down!"

"Alright, this conversation's going no where," Joel muttered before he turned the corner. "Hey, fellas, we murdering each other today?" he asked the group while Grian soon followed.

"Seriously! Scar's gone mad!" Mumbo exclaimed as he stomped down the singed patch of grass in between him and the salesman.

"Anyone who harms my camel will face fire," Scar replied. He still held the flint and steel in both hands.

"I didn't take your camel, Scar," Mumbo replied. He then wiped his brow with another sigh. "But honestly, you're better off without it."

"Yeah, and actually, I don't think you should go on your camel today, Scar," Joel said.

The salesman's eye began to twitch. "Why is everyone making a fuss about the camel!?" he shouted with his hands up in the air. His overall demeanor caused Jimmy to laugh.

Joel had to stifle his laugh too. "I just want you to be safe. You lost a lot of hearts because of it."

"That's literally what I just said!" Mumbo exclaimed before shaking his head. "But he's so adamant about the camel."

"You can't separate a man and his camel," Scar said with a hand over his heart.

"Oh for goodness sake- Can we please stop talking about the camel?" Grian asked, grabbing everyone's attention. "Look, Scar, I wanted to talk to you about my base-"

"Whoa! Is this some kind of bank or somethin'?" The group turned to the sound of Bdubs, who came barreling in on horseback. The man pulled on the reins of his steed and admired the stone build with a smile. "Who built this? Scar? It's pretty cool. I'm actually gettin' materials now to start adding to my base, and... Where'd he go?" the man asked as he scanned over the group.

Everyone took notice of the sudden player's disappearance. Mumbo's eyes widened once he realized that the salesman next to him had completely vanished. "What the- How could he possibly have moved that fast?"

Grian sighed. "I don't know... but you should probably give him back his camel, Mumbo, if I were you."

"I don't have the camel! Why does everything keep thinking I do?"

"Cause I saw a closed up pen by your base earlier, and I very clearly heard camel noises coming from it," Grian said with a smirk.

Mumbo was baffled by the statement. "What? That's not-I never did..." The dapper gentleman trailed off until a new thought came to him. He and Bdubs looked at eachother with the same answer in mind.

"Pearl..." they both said in unison.

Mumbo exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, Scar's gonna kill me."

"Here, get on my horse. I'll take you back home," Bdubs offered. Mumbo nodded his appreciation before his moss friend pulled him up onto the back of the saddle. Since there wasn't much room for him, Mumbo had to grip onto Bdubs' shoulders to ensure he wouldn't fall off.

"To Pearl's!" Bdubs announced once he flicked the reins.

"Good luck! Don't die!" Jimmy called out as the horse galloped away. Grian chuckled while he watched the duo race off, and the two avians then turned back to look at eachother. "Well, this whole interaction was beyond weird. I'm headin' back to my base... I definitely don't want to get caught in the storm." Jimmy pointed upward.

Grian looked up to notice the dark clouds appearing inside the arena. They were forming so fast that they were already beginning to block out the sunlight, making it almost appear night.
Grian's eyes narrowed at the sight before they glowed a bright purple. The edges of the clouds, he could see now, carried hints of violet, signifying who was responsible for the sudden weather change.

"Hey, Jimmy, wait," Grian said just as the blonde turned to leave. He pulled a torch out from his pouch and handed it Jimmy. "Mobs might start appearing, and I think Scar's been taking down some of the torches."

"What? Why-Ugh, Scar! Okay, thanks..." Jimmy said with a smile while grabbing the torch. He then paused to squint his gaze at the other avian. "What's with you being so nice all of a sudden? Giving me a torch. Warning me about danger. Who are you and what have you done to Grian?" Jimmy asked with a slight smirk.

Grian copied his expression, already ready with an answer. "I mean, I did only give you a single torch, and that's not gonna help you when 20 mobs are chasing ya if you don't head home soon," Grian explained while pointing up towards the slowly darkening sky.

Jimmy's face morphed into panic before he gave his friend a look. "Right, I take it back. See ya!" the blonde called out before he raced off.

Grian laughed as the man dashed away, yet he still watched for a good minute to ensure no literal zombie horde was around the corner on Jimmy's path home.

His joy soon died away, though, when a new thought came to his mind. "Wait, Joel-" The young man stopped. He turned to where he last saw the ogre, and his friend had indeed vanished. Grian groaned rather loudly. "Joel! Come on," he whined before running off to start his search all over again.

...

"Found it!" Gem announced with relief. She and Scott had made their way through the Warped Forest when the redhead spotted a castle-like structure. They reached the edge of a cliff. Between them and the bastion now was an ocean of lava several yards below.

"So you were looking for a bastion afterall?" the elf asked once he reached her side.

"Yeah, kinda... I mean, I don't think this is the one Martyn found since there's not any overworld stuff," Gem rambled before shaking her head. She then pointed to the far corner of the fortress. "I'm more interested in the spawner over there."

Scott squinted his gaze at the cage-like box that sparked bits of flames every so often. "A blaze spawner?"

"Yeah, I'd like to get some blaze rods for you know... potions and stuff."

"Mhm," Scott said with a smirk. His eyes then trailed over the entire bastion. "I'm really starting to regret saying that I'd help you."

"No, kidding..." Gem muttered, practically reading her teammate's mind.

"You've got more gold on you?" The redhead nodded. "Then we should probably go trade with some Piglins and try to get fire resistance potions from them. That way we don't... ya know... burn?"

"Yeah... Yeah! Oh, gosh, that's a great idea, Scott," Gem said with a grin. "Come on, I think I saw a bunch of Piglins over this way-"

The redhead came to a halt. The duo were silenced when a blue screen popped in front of them. It carried a faded picture of Jimmy with a green "X" crossing him out. Below the text it read: Jimmy was impaled by Drowned.

"Oh. Gosh. Jimmy..." Gem muttered, covering her mouth in horror. Her muscles tensed from the words as she tried her best not to imagine the avian being impaled. She turned to look at Scott, whose frown had deepened. They met each other's eyes. Newfound determination suddenly filled them as they narrowed their gazes. They then continued on with their mission, more than prepared to get it done.

...

Scar made a mad dash for cover behind a tree, shielding himself. He quickly placed a torch by his feet to ward off the growing number of mobs all around the arena. The salesman had just finished removing light sources from Joel's base when he was swarmed by zombies, Creepers, and more. It was a miracle that he was able to escape with barely a scrape.

"Man, I shouldn't have ditched Mumbo," Scar muttered to himself, recalling his quick escape from the group by the courthouse earlier, but what was he supposed to do? Grian clearly was going to call him out about the torches. Not only would he be forced to put them back, but he would have been outed to everyone there about his secret task.

Scar winced when he moved his exposed shoulder. He looked over to see the top of his coat and shirt had torn, revealing a cut. A skeleton had just grazed him with an arrow. He frowned at the sight. He knew the injury would disappear soon, but he would still have to stitch up the fabric later. The salesman pouted before removing his monocle to wipe the dust from the glass.

"Not off to a great start..."

"Ugh! This is the worst," a voice complained. Scar turned around to find two figures racing for cover behind a collection of trees a few yards away from the salesman. They placed down several torches to keep the swarming mobs away too.

"Hey, come on, the Drowned was unfortunate, but the diving board was still the perfect getaway from those zombies," Martyn chuckled. He shook his drenched hair wildly like a dog, making the avian beside him grimace at the droplets of water to the face. "Besides, it could be worse. You could be red instead."

"Don't even joke about that, dude. I am so tired of this bad luck streak," Jimmy groaned. There was an intensity in his eyes as he ran a hand through his wet hair. "I can't be the first one out again. Not a fifth time. I just can't."

Martyn frowned from his friend's weary tone. After taking a breath, though, Jimmy sighed and twisted the end of his t-shirt to squeeze out the water. He then puffed up his soaked wings and flapped them swiftly. "I swear, when I find Scar, he's gonna pay for removing torches around our base."

Martyn's frown deepened for a second more before he regained his carefree posture. "Well, nice part is you can get some revenge now." The blonde pointed to a fake badge clipped to his t-shirt. "Yellows can guess greens' tasks and make them fail." Martyn then removed his backpack to pull out another badge from inside it. He tossed it over to his teammate, who caught it right away. "Welcome, to the Task Force."

Jimmy grinned at the badge, immediately hooking it onto his shirt. "Big Dogs' Task Force!" he cheered, and Martyn high-fived him.

"Woof woof!" they both shouted in unison, which made the salesman blink a few times with a complete loss for words.

This day's just getting weirder and weirder...

Scar was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed the area getting brighter. He looked up to find the clouds starting to disappear. The salesman exhaled, letting the wave of sunlight wash over his body in relief. He took one last look towards the two yellows, who seemed equally at peace about the change in weather. The salesman then raced off again in the opposite direction, praying the duo didn't just spot him.

"I gotta finish this task. I gotta finish," he said with growing panic. Too many people were aware of his secret, and he had only completed two out of the five bases required.

"Scar!"

The salesman yelped, speeding up faster and faster. "The torches were just a prank, Jimmy!" he cried.

"Wha-No, Scar! It's me, Mumbo!" the voice called out as it drew closer. Scar slowly came to a stop, panting from his stress. He placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you, Scar-" Mumbo stopped when he took notice of the panting salesman. "You alright, buddy?"

Scar gave a shaky thumbs up, ignoring the stiffness in his legs. After a few deep breaths, he stood up straight to meet his friend's gaze. "Y-Yeah, it's just not my day, Mumbo... Hey, you found, Cheerio!" he said with glee once he noticed what his friend was riding. He moved over to pet the camel's snout.

"Yeah, turns out Pearl had her for some reason," Mumbo said as Scar started to climb onto Cheerio's back.

"Well, perfect timing, I need a quick getaway before those two weird dog men find me-"

"There he is!" Jimmy shouted in the distance.

"Ah! Hurry Mumbo! To Lizzie's!" Scar cried, shaking the dapper man's shoulders.

"Ah! Okayokay!" Mumbo exclaimed as he flicked the reins. The camel trotted forward at a pretty mundane speed. They only managed to make it a few feet before Scar groaned.

"Darn it, I always forget how slow she is. Why the heck did I want this camel back so badly!?" Scar spat while shaking his fist in the air.

"That's what I've been wondering about! There's literally no reason for you to want this camel- Where are you going?!" Mumbo asked once his friend slid off the camel and rushed off once more.

"I can't let them catch me, Mumbo. See ya!" Scar called out while his voice grew more distant.

The well-dressed gentleman's eye began to twitch before he grumbled. "Seriously, how does this man always get into so much trouble?" Mumbo muttered just as Martyn and Jimmy ran past him, heading right for the salesman.

...

Sweat dripped down the side of Gem's face. Between the literal flames surrounding her and the walls of stone boxing her in with the fury-filled Blazes, the redhead was practically baking. Once Gem and Scott gained a few potions from the Piglins, the two returned to the bastion and enclosed the area around the Blaze spawner in stone. This was to ensure the fiery creatures didn't gain any high ground.

The two players slashed their swords at the mobs, blocking the fire balls with their shields as best they could. Any blasts they couldn't catch in time, thankfully, did not affect them due to the fire resistance potions. They sliced through several of the creatures, but Gem still needed more rods for her task. Eventually, their little safety net was removed.

"Oh gosh-AH!" Scott cried when a fireball swerved a little too far to the left. It struck him right in the arm just below his iron shoulder pad. While the fire burned, his whole body flashed red several times.

"Scott!" Gem exclaimed. She saw her teammate fumble back from the hit and fall to one knee. After he patted down the flames, the red flashing stopped, but he was left with a scorched sleeve and charred skin. In the meantime, the redhead moved in front of him and slashed the Blaze before it could land another hit. The creature screeched, dissolving into a cloud of smoke and dropping a golden rod. After collecting it, she rushed back over to Scott and helped him to his feet. They moved to a section of the box that was blocked off mostly by a second stone wall, which acted as cover. The two practically dove behind it when they heard more screeching emerge from the spawner.

"Are you okay?" Gem asked. She scanned over her teammate and winced at his dark and blistered skin. Scott leaned his back against the wall to support his weight. He dropped his sword as he attempted to remove the shield to ease his injury, but even pulling his arm out of the straps was a lot of effort. Gem aided him as best she could, so he wouldn't have to jerk his arm too much. Every slight shift made the elf grit his teeth as he muffled another scream.

"Y-Yeah, it'll go away soon," he muttered once the shield was off. He took deep breaths through the nose to slow the pounding adrenaline. He then frowned when he looked down at his arm. "Ruined my new jacket though..."

Gem couldn't help but choke out a chuckle from his words. She soon shifted her focus back to the screeching just around the corner. "I'm going back out there- I still have some time left with my potion," she said quickly before the elf could protest. "This whole thing was my idea anyway, and I still need a few more Blaze rods."

Reluctantly, Scott nodded, watching as Gem rushed back into the line of fire. The elf then sifted through his pockets with his good arm. "But I'm getting a cauldron out in case you burn up!" he called out.

"Thank you!" Gem said with teasing glee as she sliced through more of the flying mobs. The redhead started to feel the heat rise in the box. The time was ticking for her fire protection. Adrenaline shot through her veins while she slashed faster and faster. Finally, the last rod that she needed dropped against the ground with a clank. The sound made Gem let out a loud groan, letting her tense shoulders drop for just a second. "Finally!" she shouted before moving quickly to retrieve the rod.

Gem, though, made an error. She knew that as soon as she heard the sizzling. She should have broken the spawner first. She shouldn't have left herself vulnerable when she bent down to collect the rod.

"GEM!" Scott shouted in alarm. The redhead whipped around to find yet another Blaze. The creature released a large blast of flaming fury. The attack was too quick, and Gem's potion had most definitely faded by now. Gem's ears dipped low in horror. Her pupils became dots. She attempted to hold up her shield to block the bright wave of fire that flew right towards her.

Everything went red, and Gem screamed.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

Grian grumbled under his breath. He threw down an arrow that had gotten stuck in his leg.

When the dark clouds were still present, Joel had been surrounded by a handful of skeletons, and between the two of them, they lost 2 more hearts of damage.

Grian was ready to scold the man, but he had to tend to his leg first. By the time he yanked out the arrow and checked over the injury, Joel had disappeared once more, which strangely brought back old memories for the avian.

Grian's pace was slow due to his injury not being fully healed yet, so he decided to just take a gradual stroll across the field as he searched for his friend once again.

"I'm so ready for this session to be over with..." he muttered while limping forward.

"Halt! Task Force! Task Force!"

The avian stopped. He turned around only to be bombarded by Martyn racing up to him with a shiny fake badge.

Grian's eyes dulled. "What are you doing?" He was really not in the mood for shenanigans right now.

His attitude, though, only seemed to fuel the blonde as he flashed a devious smirk at him. "It's my job to guess your task, so don't even try anything funny with me, cause I can ruin your day like that," he replied with a snap of his fingers.

Grian held back a smile before crossing his arms. "Right, if you can guess it."

"Oh, I totally can," Martyn replied, but his grin faltered the longer he stared at the man in front of him. His eyes grew a tad colder, which didn't go unnoticed. "And I'll make sure of it."

Grian's body stiffened. The blonde's tone was low, practically a warning. He could feel feathers puffing up slightly before he tucked his wings tighter against his back, out of sight from his friend. That look made the avian second guess himself.

Maybe Martyn is a spy?

Grian then pushed away the thought.

No, it's probably because you brushed him off earlier, Grian. Come on, not everything is a conspiracy.

Yet still, Grian ignored the warning. He wouldn't confirm his friend's suspicions.
The avian returned Martyn's words with a playful smirk. "Like to see you try."

The blonde's frown deepened before it disappeared behind a smirk as well. "Oh, ho ho, you don't know what I'm capable of. I'd say watch your back," he chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure I know what you're capable of, Martyn. We've been friends for a long time," Grian said as he was about to turn to leave.

"You're right... And friends also don't lie to each other."

Grian stopped. He looked to see the serious expression on the blonde's face. It was such a contrast to his usual jokester attitude.

Martyn was reaching out, offering a truce. Grian could see that. He opened his mouth to speak.

They do when they're trying to protect each other.

That's what he was going to say, but the avian instead scoffed. "You're one to talk. How many times have you lied and backstabbed in these games?"

Martyn couldn't help but smile as he scratched the back of his head. "True, very true..." His grin then faltered, dwelling on past games. Grian could see the stiffness in his posture grow before the man shoved the feeling away. "But I hope you'd see the difference between stupid backstabbing in what's supposed to be a fun game versus this moment right here."

Grian stared at his friend. He crossed his arms and gripped the sleeve of his jumper, casting his gaze to the side.

After a minute seemed to stretch on forever, Martyn turned and left. Disappointment was clear on his face, which couldn't help but make Grian's insides squirm. Yet still, his gaze hardened. He pushed down the guilt and turned to leave as well.

...

Scar rushed up the staircase of Cherry Blossom Mountain. His satchel was starting to feel heavy with how many torches cluttered it. He had finished removing all the lights from Lizzie's base, and now he was ripping off the burning sticks from the pink staircase, begging that Gem and the others weren't in their bases right now.

The salesman snapped his head back when he heard a sound behind him. The source was just a pebble that had skipped across the wood. He sighed, growing a weary smirk. He managed to lose Martyn and Jimmy, but he knew that wouldn't last long.

"Just a couple more," he muttered as he continued his ascent. "Oh, man, I'm really hating this task already."

Once Scar reached the top of the mountain, he held back a groan when he spotted Impulse and Etho. The two were chatting away by the former man's base until they spotted the salesman.

"Hey, Scar, what's up?" Impulse asked with a smile.

"Nice monocle," Etho added.

Scar took a quiet breath, contemplating what to say while he made his way over to them. "Why hello, gentlemen," he said with a strained grin. "I was just taking a stroll, clear my head. A lot of crazy things have happened today."

"Oh? Like what?" Impulse furthered.

"Well, Martyn and Jimmy have been running around, trying to guess everybody's task. Pearl took my camel, and I swear Mumbo's this close to killing it," Scar admitted while holding a space between his thumb and finger to emphasize his point. "And Tango and Skizz? They're breaking up! The whole heart group is done."

Etho chuckled. "Wow, really?"

Scar nodded in agreement. "Come here, here," he continued, ushering them towards the edge of the mountain. He placed a hand against the pink fence post while pointing with his other. "You see my courthouse over there?"

"Oh, that's a courthouse? I thought it was a bank to be honest," Etho replied once he and Impulse stood beside the salesman.

Scar shook off the comment with a wave of his hand. "Yeah, well, Tango and Skizz are finalizing their breakup at the courthouse right now. It's a whole mess. You guys wouldn't want to miss it."

"Ooo, drama at the courthouse, you say? I'd like to see that," Impulse said before making his way over to a wooden ledge that stretched past the fence posts. "Come on, we can take the diving board. It's a quicker way down."

"Diving board?" Scar asked while he headed over to the imp. He cautiously stepped onto the wooden platform as if it were a flimsy plank. He glanced down to see a large lake several yards underneath it. "Oh boy, that's a big drop."

"Yeah, but it's safe. I've used it plenty of times already," Impulse explained. Etho took a step onto the diving board, so Scar backed away, afraid all of their combined weight would break the wood.

"I don't know... It's pretty far, and there's a lot of jagged stone by the water." Etho pointed towards the mountain's side right underneath the board.

"You just gotta make sure you jump far enough," Impulse replied. He then turned to look back at Scar. "We jumpin'?"

"Oh, I'll uh-You guys go first. I think I'll feel better if I watch to see how you do it," Scar answered. He rubbed the back of his head with a weary grin.

"Come on, Scar, it's safe. All you gotta do is jump. It's not hard," Impulse said, motioning his friend along. He pulled on Scar's wrist to bring him onto the diving board with them.

"Uh-I-Uh..." Scar mumbled, running out of excuses. He was losing valuable time with this never-ending conversation. He had to get these two witnesses out of here. FAST!

Maybe it was the adrenaline, or possibly spotting Martyn or Jimmy in the distance. Regardless, Scar ended up giving both Etho and Impulse one huge shove once their backs were turned. His two friends yelped from the impact. Their bodies flashed red for a second. They then plummeted over the side with slight panic in their eyes.

"Ah-SCAR!" Impulse cried as he and Etho yelled all the way down.

He heard the rage behind the man's words, which surprisingly made the salesman snicker. When water splashed down below, Scar went to work, picking up torches with quick pace and removing the bonfire by Gem's base.

"Gotta hurry, gotta hurry," he said while his nerves made him laugh even more. "Oh, Impulse is gonna be so mad."

After searching through all three bases and running around the whole mountain top for every light source imaginable, Scar took a seat by the diving board to catch his breath. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he clutched his very heavy satchel. "Man, it's been a stressful day... I think that was five, wasn't it? Do the Scotts and Tots count as one base?" he asked, glancing back at the houses behind him. He then pulled himself to his feet. Scar looked over the arena and scanned for other targets. "Maybe I should do one more before I turn in my task."

His eyes then landed on the small island in the center of a lake. Cherry blossom petals were scattered all around the grass, and Skizz was happily working away with his build, constructing something tall out of the pink wood. Guilt twisted in the pit of Scar's stomach. "Oh, I can't do that to Skizzleman..." he trailed off as he dwelt on the idea.

He shifted his gaze up towards the sky to see the still bright sun shining down over the arena. "But it's not dark right now, so removing the torches won't be too much of a big deal." He then sighed, wishing he was confident in how many bases he completed. Either way, the Heart Foundation was right next to the Secret Keeper anyway, so to Scar, it was the best choice.

I'm sorry, Skizzie, but better be safe than sorry.

...

Gem having to rest was an understatement after her incident with the fire ball. Thankfully, Scott had destroyed the spawner and took care of the last Blaze, so the two sat for a while. The elf tried to attend to his teammate's wounds to minimize the pain as she healed, but all he could really do was give her some water to drink while she laid on the ground, holding back her screams from the scorch marks on her body. Screaming would only make the pain worse.

Scott winced every time she muffled her cries. He broke some of the stone wall, so they could get a bit more circulation of air. The air wasn't much better outside due to the large ocean of lava below, but it was air regardless.

Her arms, her face, all of it burned. She held back tears, not wanting them to irritate her likely charred skin even more. Gem was on the verge of passing out until Scott spoke.

"Gem, Gem! You have to stay awake. You can't sleep in the Nether," Scott said, practically pleading with tears blurring his vision. "Please, keep your eyes open. The burns are almost gone."

If Gem could move, she would have nodded her head. Instead, she let out a grunt due to her dry throat.

"Have you thought about your outfit for the band? You can borrow some of my face paint," Scott said, trying to keep his friend conscious. "Do you want green to match the life you're on, or do you want a different color?"

Gem carried a few heavy breaths. She thought about the question for a minute, pushing past the pain to try and give an honest answer. "G-Green's-s okay," the redhead muttered. The burning sensation on her skin was gradually starting to dissipate, giving her more strength to respond. "G-Gotta brag about still being on green... after this." She grinned, making the elf chuckle.

The two continued their simple conversation about colors until Gem was finally able to sit up. She checked the damage. Her sleeves were torn and burnt, revealing red scars that were almost gone now. She took in a shaky breath while she placed a hand on her cheek, feeling a few left over blisters. She had lost nearly all of her hearts from that fight. It was a miracle she was still on green at all.

More importantly, the pain level of this game was more real than she feared. Gem's been set on fire so many times during games with her friends, and not once had she actually felt any serious pain. Sure, she's been to the Nether when not in game mode, but her visits were always quick and cautious. Most people avoid the place altogether since there was zero need to go when one was just going about their everyday lives.

This, though, was cruel. Forcing people to play, while not in game mode, while altering their minds to not even register what they were doing.

It was all just entertainment for these Watchers, and it made Gem's blood boil.

"You feeling better?" The redhead snapped out of her thoughts to find her teammate's worry-filled gaze.

Gem sighed. "Yeah... just don't want to go through that again," she shivered before pulling herself to her feet slowly. Scott watched her, ensuring she wouldn't fall, before rising as well. "Thanks for all your help."

"I didn't do much. The game doesn't allow us to make any real medical supplies... I felt so useless just watching you lie there," Scott said, casting his gaze to the ground. Gem moved her attention to the elf's arm to find it completely healed now, which added to her relief.

"Still. You came here because of me, you got injured, and then you did everything you could to keep me awake," Gem said while her smile warmed at the thought. "You did so much for me already."

Scott gave his own grin in return. "Of course, what are friends for?"

Gem nodded in agreement before turning to leave. "Come on, let's get out of here. I don't wanna stay in his terrible place a second longer."

"Agreed."

The two left the bastion and made their way across the stone steps that they set up between the structure and the steep ledge they came from. Once they reached the Warped Forest again, they kept their heads down when walking past the several Endermen.

Gem's focus was on her golden boots, watching them crunch the mossy ground below until she heard a screech.

The redhead's body stiffened. It was different from the Blaze's cry, but the noise still made her freeze. She snapped her head back up to find a Ghast floating a little too close to the forest. The tentacle beast narrowed its gaze at the duo before blasting a fireball. Since Scott was in front of her, the wave of heat was heading right for the elf, who still had his focus towards the ground.

"Scott, move!" Gem cried as she shifted in front of him. She held up her shield just in time to block the blast. The scorching flames warmed her skin again, frightening her even more. What she didn't account for, though, was where her eyes landed. She tried to keep her focus on the Ghast and the fire, but she could see Endermen in her peripheral. And of course, one of the lanky creatures looked her way too.

Gem's heart plummeted to her stomach when the Enderman screeched, jaw open with fury. She tried to back away as it raced for her.

Scott rushed to help, slicing at the creature, but he soon was occupied when he accidentally locked eyes with another Enderman. He held up his shield to block the claw swipes when he saw Gem doing the same with her own.

"Oh gosh, oh GOSH!" Gem shouted as the creature kept coming for her. Her body flashed red a couple of times from the scratches. It wouldn't be long before her health ran out.

She slashed her sword, but her movements grew slower due to exhaustion. The young woman didn't hold up her shield in time, and the Enderman used that as its chance to come down hard with its long claws.

Gem froze. Her body felt cold. She could see red coming from her chest.

"Gem!" she heard the scream from Scott, but his voice was distant. The world around her was growing dark. She felt herself falling slowly to the ground.

She didn't want to die. She couldn't die here. She should go back home. She needed to go back home. At least see her friends one last time before she lost consciousness.

Gem's hand moved for her watch. Her fingers slipped when she hit the ground, and everything went dark.

Gem was slain by Enderman.

...

Mumbo sighed, carrying an irritated scowl. He made his way back to the courthouse after doing a sweep of the entire arena for Scar.

"How do I keep losing him?" he muttered as he pulled on the reins of the camel. Cheerio came to a slow stop before the dapper gentleman stepped down. He was about to finish his search by heading into the salesman's builds again when a figure rushed up to him.

"Hey, Mumbo, Top here with you?" Skizz asked once he reached the courthouse.

"Uh, no, I haven't seen him all day," Mumbo replied.

"Really? Scar just told me that he was here. He had some dispute to settle with me-Aaand I just realized that I've been played," Skizz groaned before face palming himself. He then turned back to where he came, zeroing in on the Heart Foundation in the distance. "Whatever you're doing, you better stop right now, face!" Skizz exclaimed as he sprinted off.

Mumbo was about to follow after him, but both men were stopped by a blue screen appearing in front of them. It carried a faded picture of Gem with a green 'X' crossed over it. A bolded sentence was displayed below.

"Taken down by an Enderman? Oh, boy that's not good," Skizz said, but he soon shook his head and tried to run again. His actions, though, were immediately stopped once more when another blue screen popped up in front of him. "What the-"

Mumbo's eyes widened at the new message. It was a faded picture of Lizzie this time with yet another 'X' crossing it out. Below it read: Lizzie was shot by Skeleton.

"What is happening today? Everybody's dying!" Skizz called out while he looked back at his fellow suit-wearing friend.

"Two deaths by mobs? It's not even dark out anymore," Mumbo added while he ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, props to Scar for not dying. I really thought he would have lost a life by now."

"Yeah, and speaking of Scarface... SCAR!" Skizz shouted as he booked it back to his base.

Mumbo was about to join him, but he noticed something over by the Secret Keeper. He spotted someone sneaking around the edge of the rock formation, looking around very obviously before making a beeline for one of the pillars.

Mumbo's eyes dulled once he recognized the salesman, and he soon made his way over to the Secret Keeper as well. Other people, though, raced over to it too once they spotted Scar.

"Ey-ey, Scar! Don't you dare press that button!" Jimmy spat while sprinting towards the salesman.

Scar, though, completely ignored him as he took out his scroll and slammed down the 'success' button. Green energy flooded over the man before items started dropping in front of the Secret Keeper. "Phew! Glad that's over with," he said while collecting his items.

Jimmy groaned once he reached the pillars, and Mumbo stared at the scene with clear exasperation too. "Scar, where on earth have you been? I thought we agreed that I was gonna help you today."

Scar gave a sheepish smile in return. "Ah, sorry, Mumbo, word got out about my task, and I couldn't let the yellows guess it."

"Yeah, well you better share some of those items," Jimmy said, stepping forward and pointing a finger right at the salesman. "I lost a life because of your lil' light source task, so pay up!"

"Whoa, whoa! Jimmy, hey look, I can give you back your torches if you want," Scar answered with a growing smirk. "You'll just have to buy them at Trader Scar's." Mumbo's eyes widened. Jimmy's nostrils and wings both flared up with seething rage.

"Right, that's it," Jimmy said before pulling out a flint and steel from his pocket. "Trader Scar's is gonna burn."

Regardless of his irritation too, Mumbo stepped forward. "Hey, whoa, let's not start burning down bases this soon into the game, guys." He moved to stand in front of Jimmy.

"Alright, alright, I'll give you some items. We don't need to threaten with fire." Scar raised his hands raised in surrender.

"Good," Jimmy sulked. He crossed his arms, narrowed gaze. He stared daggers at the man while waiting for the payment.

"Hey, we talking about Scar giving out items? I'm askin' cause he definitely owes me too," Impulse said as he strolled up to the group. Despite his hands stuffed in his pockets, the player stared down the salesman like a disapproving parent. "Scar... was your task to take a heart of damage from me? Cause you definitely took one when you shoved me earlier."

Scar gave a slightly embarrassed chuckle, clearly avoiding eye-contact. "Sorry about that. I couldn't have you there while I taking torches from your base."

"Alright... can I at least have them back then?" Impulse furthered.

"Well, currently they're for sale at Trader Scar's, but I can-Ah!" Scar jumped when he heard the growl of a zombie from behind him. He whipped around to find the undead mob marching its way towards him, but when it hit the sunlight, it started burn. It wasn't long before the zombie completely cooked and disappeared in a puff of smoke. What really grabbed everyone's attention, though, was the masked man standing behind where the mob spawned.

"Etho!? You gave me a heart attack," Scar complained while he placed a hand to his chest.

"Couldn't resist," Etho said with a snicker. He tucked the remains of the Zombie spawn egg back in his pocket. "Plus it's payback for the diving board earlier."

"Scar, how many people have you managed to irritate today?" Mumbo asked with growing annoyance, yet he couldn't help but smirk at the flabbergasted expression of the salesman. If he had any other task than the one he had today, then he would have found Scar's shenanigans hilarious.

"Ah, come on, I was just trying to complete my task," Scar explained. He then pointed a finger over at the avian. "Besides, this man and Martyn wouldn't stop chasing me, so I had to really rush it."

"Because I died, Scar!" Jimmy exclaimed before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Look, all I want is my torches back. That's all I care about," Impulse said, plainly ignoring Jimmy's complaints.

"Like I said, they're back at Trader Scar's. I can sell them to you for a reasonable price-"

"You better give me back my torches right now, sir!" The group stopped when they spotted Lizzie marching up to them. The new yellow-lifer carried a hardened gaze while her fists clenched tight at her sides. She stared daggers at the salesman with a bitter frown. "Where are they?" she warned while putting her hands on her hips.

There was silence. Scar blinked a few times before sifting through his satchel. He handed the torches to Lizzie, who threw them in her pink handbag. She then snapped her attention back on the man and stepped closer. "Where's the rest?" Lizzie growled. Her temper slowly rising in her tone.

Scar then dove into his satchel again and pulled out a few iron lanterns. Lizzie scooped them up in her arms and stowed them away as well. The woman grew a small smile at the return of her items before shooting another glare at Scar. "Don't do that again," she finished. She then back around and walked away.

The salesman glanced over at a stunned Jimmy and Impulse. They were slightly surprised, but it was more so due to his quick compliance than anything else.

"She's a lot more intimidating than you guys," Scar answered after witnessing their puzzled stares. He then grinned and started walking away himself. "Welp, I'm going off mining."

"Hey! Wait a minute," Jimmy exclaimed as he stormed after him.

"Yeah, wait a second. Scar! Do you seriously have to go mining right now!?" Mumbo asked frantically, following after the two.

Impulse watched them go for a moment. He glanced over at a quiet Etho, who carried a similar look. The two shrugged in response before walking off in their own directions.

...

Color began to swarm all around Gem until she let out a gasp. She sat upright in her bed and panted as if awoken from a nightmare, at least she hoped it was. She checked herself for injuries first, noticing no visible scars or even tears in her clothing anymore. The redhead shut her eyes, breathed, and her shoulders eased. Yet still, the horrible images, the stabbing pain she felt moments before, still haunted her.

Gem moved her trembling hands to her face and inhaled slowly. "Please be a dream."

When the redhead opened her eyes again, she looked around the room to find herself in a small pink house. It was nothing like her lighthouse or any other build she made back home. Gem groaned loudly, letting her face fall into her hands. She knew it was a long shot, but a woman could dream, right?

I should just go home...

Gem pondered the thought while she looked down at her watch. She stood up from her bed, dove into her pockets, and pulled out the notes she rcceived from Doc. She scanned over the text, re-familiarizing herself of each little detail as best she could.

"Gem!" the redhead snapped out of her thoughts from the shout. She turned to find Scott running up the stairs from her basement. He stopped when he spotted his teammate, who gave a weak smile in response. The elf then sighed loudly in relief. "I wasn't... I wasn't sure if you'd respawn since you're not... from... Are you okay?"

Gem hesitated. She gave a small nod. She then shook her head, fiddling with her braid in one hand and clutching the notepad in the other. She felt her body shiver. "No. I-It felt so real. I thought I really... I thought I died."

Scott frowned from her answer before sighing once more. "I'm sorry." Gem raised a brow towards the elf, hearing the tiredness in his tone, before he continued. "Look, Gem, you don't have to stay here. Torturing yourself for all our sakes isn't worth it."

"Scott-"

"Seriously, Gem," Scott spoke in a low tone. He wasn't angry. In fact, there was clear concern in his expression. "Our situation sucks, but at least we're surrounded by friends. You have a whole life you're risking by staying here."

She looked down at her watch one more time. She glanced at the notepad as well. Gem then shook her head and tucked the item away. "No, I do have a way I can get everyone out. It might be risky... It's definitely risky, and complicated, but I'm not leaving until I give it an honest try."

The redhead smiled at her teammate, yet Scott crossed his arms with a quickly forming scowl. The two held a stare off for what felt like hours. Finally, the elf caved. "Okay, then what's the plan?"

"I can't tell you yet-"

"Gem-"

"It has something to do with my task, and I really can't risk breaking the rules today," Gem said while raising her hands up in defense. "But don't worry, I won't do anything crazy... at least for today." She grew a weak grin.

Scott watched her for a moment. He mulled over the decision, considering the risks, before he exhaled. He then gained a smirk. "You're unhinged. You know that?"

"Oh, totally, I am well aware my choices are insane right now," Gem replied with a chuckle.

"Well, I'm gonna go find Grian to see if I can get any answers from him," Scott explained as he headed for the door. He then glanced back with a more serious expression. "Seriously, if you need help, let me know."

Gem nodded, matching the intensity in her teammate's gaze. "I will. Be careful."

Scott was halfway out the door before shooting her a look. "You too." He smirked again and shut the door.

Gem's smile fell away once she was greeted with silence. She walked over towards a small mirror that hung on the wall. Her skin was completely back to normal, but her eyes carried a slight hint of yellow. She grimaced at the color before sighing loudly. "Let's just get this stupid task done with..."

With that, Gem went to work. She took out the items she gathered from the Nether and brought them over to her crafting table. Combining them, she created a few shiny pearls that carried a design in the shape of a diamond pupil: Eye of Ender. It was the key to finding the portal.

Gem stuffed the pearls in her pouch and exited her base. She scanned the area around her as she made her way to the edge of the mountain. With no witnesses in sight, the redhead took out an Eye of Ender. She threw the pearl as far as she could, and the shiny sphere began to float. It drifted from the mountain's side and flew off. Gem's eyes soon widened in panic when she watched the pearl smack against the arena's border before falling onto the grassy field below.

"No, no, no!" Gem muttered with growing intensity. She raced for the stairs, sprinting down the steps and making a sharp turn towards the border. She passed the trees and stopped a few yards in front of the indestructible dome. The redhead swallowed hard before tossing out yet another Eye of Ender. The pearl rose high into the air and bounced off the barely visible wall, landing a foot away from the young woman. Every muscle in Gem's body ached from stress. She narrowed her gaze before pulling out her shovel. "I did not get burned alive and skinned by an Enderman for this. Come ON!" she growled, gripping the iron tool. She marched closer to the border and began pulling up the dirt beneath her.

She shoveled her way down until she hit stone and then switched to her pickaxe. Gem took her frustration out on the chunks of rock, striking it until there was nothing but pebbles. Sweat filled her brow and dirt stained her clothes. She must have been digging for at least an hour. The redhead was deep below the earth to the point only torches lit her path. She created a spiraling narrow staircase where chunks of stone nearly hit her head when she stood up straight.

It has to be here. It has to be. It has to be!

Gem's heart raced faster and faster when she went so far underground that her tight surroundings felt more like a coffin to her. Hot tears stung the corner of her eyes as her grip on the pickaxe started to shake. She then cried out a frustrated scream before slamming down on the stone-

-and a light gust of cold air made Gem freeze. She opened her eyes to see the stone in front of her crumble and fall into an open space below. Hesitant, clearly not wanting to get her hopes up, the redhead knelt down and peeked inside. She gasped when her eyes spotted the large frame of a portal, with each side covered in Eyes of Ender.

"No way-YES!" Gem screamed before jumping down into the room. She glanced around at the dungeon-like interior with stone walls, torches, and cobwebs in the corners. "Take that, stupid Watchers," she laughed while making her way to the unfinished portal. All the slots for the pearls were filled except for one, leaving the center of the portal vacant. A smile filled Gem's cheeks when she took out her last Eye of Ender and carefully placed it in the empty space.

On command, all the eyes lit up in unison as a booming sound of thunder filled the air and shook the earth for miles. Gem held her footing against the tremors and was greeted to a nearly pitch black portal with swirling specs of light that almost resembled stars. Her fists soon pumped the air in victory. "Yes! I did it! I opened the end gateway!" she shouted while doing a little jump.

In her excitement, though, Gem didn't notice right away the glow in the portal's eyes shifting to a dark purple. The hue grew more intense by the second, creating a high pitch buzzing sound that made Gem's ears twitch. She paused long enough to look down at the portal. As her heart sank to her stomach, her instincts pushed her to back away, but she wasn't fast enough.

A sudden wave of energy blasted through the air, shooting through Gem and flinging her body back several feet. She yelped in panic, shielding her face as best she could, but when her head smacked against the stone floor, everything went dark.

...

Grian's feathers ruffled. He came to a complete halt when the booming sound of thunder echoed throughout the arena. He scanned the area around him, feeling the tremors in the dirt. Tension exploded over his muscles while his eyes widened at the sudden realization.

Somebody opened the End Portal.

No player has ever opened the portal in any previous Life Game, and why would they? With such limited lives and resources, no one would want to face the Ender Dragon, the literal guard dog of the End, on the other side. The End was also the home to the Watchers. The place where they took Grian and turned him into one of them years ago. With the added bonus of dozens of Endermen surrounding the ground level, the entire place carried so many cons for players that it was something Grian never had to worry about. But now someone did it. Someone opened the portal.

Grian put aside his search for Joel and raced across the arena. He had to find the portal. He had to stop whoever it was from going through it. They'd never survive the dragon, and worst of all, he'd have no idea what could happen to them if they were that close to the Watchers. Would they hurt them? Turn them into spies? Take them away and turn them into a Watcher too?

The avian shook his head from his spiraling thoughts. He couldn't worry about that. He just had to find the portal. Grian raced through fields, wishing he could use his wings at that moment. He breezed past some of the other players. His friends gave him puzzled looks, trying to question his urgency, but he never stopped long enough to answer. His eyes glowed a bright purple, which allowed his vision to extend several yards in front of him. That's when he spotted a figure emerging from underground. It was Gem.

Grian stiffened at the revelation before picking up the pace, breathing fast from the growing panic. He finally arrived close to the border when he spotted the redhead rising out of the winding staircase she created below.

"Gem, what do you think you're doing?" Grian asked when he came to a stop. He had to catch his breath. He almost dropped to one knee due to his legs already feeling tired. Gem almost walked past him, but she paused long enough to look his way. Anger filtered in through Grian's shock. "Why the heck did you just open the End Portal? Do you know how dangerous that place is in a game like this?"

Gem was silent. She stared at Grian for a moment. It was then that the avian could see one of Gem's eyes glowed a bright yellow while the other remained her natural forest green. Her silence was unnerving. She stood completely still as if she weren't really conscious at all. Grian knitted his brow. He stepped closer, wondering if the figure before him was actually the same Gem he talked to this morning.

The redhead then smiled, snapping Grian out of his thoughts. "What? I figured fighting the Ender Dragon could be fun... for other people. Come on, Grian, lighten up," she teased. The avian stood there frozen, completely baffled by her answer.

Despite all his tension, Grian couldn't help but give a bitter laugh in response, brushing the bangs out of his eyes. "That's rich coming from someone who kept warning me about how dangerous this game is."

Gem snickered. "I was just messing with you. Gosh, Grian, take a joke for once," she said before she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her overalls and strolled away.

Grian watched her go, staring at the back of her head like she just grew a second one. He opened his mouth to say more, to investigate her polarizing attitudes, but his attention then shifted to something in the distance. He spotted a tall narrow tower of stone over by the Secret Keeper. A figure stood at the top and continued to add blocks underneath them, gradually climbing the sky at a dangerous height. When the figure fumbled, likely skidding their knee or something, Grian felt the pain shoot through his leg as his body flashed red for a second.

Growing panic flooded over the avian when he realized who was up there. His eyes widened to an almost comical size. "No, Joel... What the heck are you doing!?" he spat with a mixture of humor, anger, and terror all in his voice. Grian was about to race off, but his head turned back towards the underground staircase. He gritted his teeth before his gaze shifted back to purple. The dirt around the edges of the hole glowed violet like his eyes and instantly crumbled, covering the open space. It now looked like a simple patch of dirt, a quick band-aid on the problem for now.

Grian then sprinted, rushing back to the Secret Keeper. His legs felt like they were about to fall off with how much running he was doing in such a small amount of time. He made a mental note to personally deface the End Portal later. He could also send all kinds of TNT through it just to annoy the Watchers. It would be payback for the clipped wings.

When he finally reached his destination, people were already starting to gather. Lizzie rode up on her skeleton horse with slight panic at the sight of her husband.

"Oh, gosh-Joel! Be careful!" she shouted towards the slowly climbing ogre.

"What the heck is he doing?" Skizz asked as he and Mumbo watched in disbelief.

"Probably a task?" Bdubs guessed before giving a chuckle. "And boy, is it a crazy one."

"The man's gonna get himself killed," Pearl frowned with clear concern in her eyes. Her focus then shifted to Grian as the avian moved closer to the stone tower.

"Joel! What are you doing!?" he shouted up at his shrinking friend.

"I'm sorry, Grian. I had to re-roll!" Joel called out. His voice was barely audible from the altitude. The avian's brow furrowed. He tried to pull from his thoughts all the Hard Tasks he wrote for the game-

-and all the air suddenly left his lungs when one specific task came to mind.

Grian looked back up at the ogre. His chest tightened once he found his answer.

Why the heck did I write that one?!

The soul link string tugged on the avian, pulling him back to old memories. Old memories he did not want to think about. Not now when there were too many things that he needed to focus on. He didn't have time to get thrown back to the past once again.

"Grian, what's going on?" The avian snapped out of his thoughts and looked to find Scott walking up to him. The elf's gaze shifted towards the tower, and the concern on his face only grew. "Oh gosh, Grian-wha-"

"I don't- I don't know what he's doing. I tried to stop him but-"

"Wooo! Go Joel!" Tango chanted. Scott and Grian looked over to find even more people gathering in the center.

"He's insane," Cleo plainly said.

"Lizzie, you should try to guess his task," Bdubs added, and the zombie soon nodded in agreement.

"Ooo yeah, head up there and stop him from getting himself killed."

Lizzie shooed away their suggestions. "No way, I'm not climbing all the way up there." She then shifted her attention back to her husband. She gulped nervously. "Besides, he's got this."

"You've got to stop this, Grian," Scott said. His posture was growing stiff, anxious for the well-being of his friend. "Fly up there and get him down."

Grian glanced up at the tower and tucked his clipped feathers tighter against his back, out of the elf's view. "I-I can't-"

"He could die!" Scott spat with a hardened gaze. Grian took a step back. His mind was frozen, completely at a loss for words.

Before the elf could continue, though, Pearl moved between them, gently shoving Scott back. "Hey, hey, back off, Scott. This isn't Grian's fault-"

Scott's anger switched onto the brunette. "Pearl, this isn't a game-"

"Oh ho ho, you think I don't know that?" Pearl asked, growing closer to the elf with her eyes set ablaze.

Scott narrowed his gaze, and the two held a stare off, carrying a completely silent conversation until more voices interrupted them.

"Whoa, whoa! What is this!?" Martyn exclaimed at the growing tower. He and Jimmy craned their necks to spot Joel up at the top.

"Oh, he's in for it now! We're guessing your task, buddy!" Jimmy called out towards the ogre with beaming yellow eyes. He then took out a bucket from his satchel and started placing water against the side of the tower, creating a spilling waterfall to help him float upward. The water also spilled around the bottom of the tower, making a safety net for anyone that was too high up.

Martyn's expression carried more urgency than his teammate. He glanced over at Scott, who nodded in agreement. The blonde's eyes then met Grian's for a half second to shoot him a glare before he followed after Jimmy.

The two yellows continued their slow ascent as more players arrived to witness the show. The cheers were split between the two sides, Joel vs the Yellows, but most of them were simply laughing with joy.

"Go Joel!" Etho cheered with a chuckle. "He's gonna die."

"Is he trying to do a water bucket clutch or somethin'?" Skizz asked towards the whole group.

"Probably, I don't think he's gonna make it, though. Martyn and Jimmy are almost on him," Bdubs replied while snickering.

Impulse, who walked up next to him, nodded in agreement. "Yeah... he's totally dead either way."

"Hurry, Joel! Don't let them get in ear-shot!" Lizzie screamed. She cupped her hands together to ensure she was heard. Jimmy and Martyn were already halfway to the top.

Scott, Pearl, and Grian all started to back away from the tower, so they could see the tiny specs of their friends high above.

"Grian, seriously, enough with this game. Why can't you just fly up there and stop him?" Scott insisted, keeping his gaze upward.

Grian opened his mouth to speak. He could say that it would be against the rules, but he doubt Scott would care about that right now. Either way, the avian was having a hard time thinking when his own life was currently in jeopardy too. So many voices, decisions, memories. All of it came crashing down on Grian, and he just couldn't think. The man balled his fists with growing frustration. "You don't think I want-" Grian gritted his teeth, biting his tongue from what he was about to say. "I just can't, okay!?"

Scott finally snapped his attention back on Grian. "Why not!?"

"Because he can't fly, mate!"

Both men stopped to look over at Pearl, who stood on the opposite side of Grian. The brunette sent her glare on Scott before she motioned towards the avian's back. "Can you not see that his wings are clipped?"

Scott turned to look, but Grian moved away to make sure he was fully facing the elf. "Look, it doesn't matter-"

"Of course it matters, Grian! Who the heck did that to you!?" Pearl insisted while Scott continued to stare with growing concern.

"No one! I-"

Their conversation was interrupted by several shouts. The trio looked up. Grian's heart stopped when he saw Joel plummeting down with a water bucket in hand. The avain's eyes glowed purple to see the soul link string that connected them. Grian's hearing grew muffled as the horrifying sight struck him. The old memories finally broke through the dam and started gushing, sending the avian spiraling back to the past once more.

"Joel!" Grian screamed just as his friend reached the ground, past the water safety net. A loud crunch echoed through the deafening silence before everything went dark.

~~~~~

"Scar? You awake down there?"

"Yeah... Is it safe?" Scar asked through the dark. His voice was muffled from his hidey-hole in the dirt. It was his quick makeshift protection from the vengeful red lifers in the arena above. "I don't really want to leave my lil' cocoon," the salesman admitted with a weak chuckle. He eventually, though, used his shovel to dig up the dry dirt above his head.

When light broke through, Scar spotted Grian looking at him from above. The avian's hair was sticking up in different ways. His red jumper was wrinkled and torn in some places, and he carried slight bags under his eyes. It could have been due to the terrible night sleep while in the small makeshift base, or rather cave, a few feet away, but there was also the incident last night where practically every player in the game was after them. Scar was beyond exhausted as well. He could imagine how terrible he looked himself.

"You alright?" Grian asked with a smirk, despite his tired appearance. There was a slight violet glint in his eyes that the salesman didn't notice.

Scar sighed as he started pulling himself out of the dirt hole, grabbing hold of the ledge. "Yeah... Could have been better if I'm being honest-AH!" Scar gasped when a sharp pain suddenly struck the top of his head. The impact made him lose his grip and fall back into the hole. His whole body flashed bright red from the pain, and Grian soon copied him.

The avian flashed red as well and clutched the side of his head, wincing from a similar infliction. Grian's smirk then melted into shock. Guilt bled into his face while his eyes now carried their neon green glow again. He gaped down towards the hole. "Oh, Scar! I'm-I'm so sorry."

"What was that!?" Scar spat, huffing from the sudden adrenaline shooting through his veins.

Grian gave an awkward laugh. "I wanted to prank you with a drip stone, but I guess-"

"You put drip stone over my little cocoon!?" Scar shouted in disbelief. A streak of blood trickled down his face, and Grian soon had one as well.

"I didn't think it would do that much damage with only a foot above-" Grian stopped to take a breath from his panic. "Look, Scar, I'm sorry. Here, let me help you out," he finished with a bittersweet smile, leaning down to offer his hand.

Scar scowled up at the avian before accepting the help. He was pulled rather quickly onto the grassy floor, and an uncomfortable silence filled the air. Grian, though, shifted his focus to the blood on his temple. The young man went for his pocket, likely to get something to wipe it off, but Scar's focus was elsewhere. His eyes shifted to his right where he saw a bit of sand and a tall cactus above it.

With a dark thought moving through his mind, Scar stood up rather fast towards the plant. Before Grian could even question him, the avian soon gasped when he felt prickles all over his body. He whipped his head around to find Scar hugging the cactus. Both of their bodies flashed red in slow repetition.

Grian's wings flared up from the sudden ghost prickles stabbing all over his skin. His gaze hardened towards the stubborn man in front of him. "Scar, stop."

Scar, though, grew a sly grin. He stared right at Grian while both of their bodies continued to glow red in warning of impending doom.

The avian growled with boiling frustration. "Scar. STOP!" Grian shouted before shooting up to his feet. He rushed over to grab the back of the man's shirt. He was successful in his prying Scar free, but the two tumbled onto the ground in the process.

Grian landed hard on his wing, making him wince from the extra bit of pain. The red flashing stopped, but their shared health was dangerously low. The avian let out a groan as he sat up slowly to pull his wing out from underneath him. He then turned his attention to the salesman, who was sitting up as well. Both of them were covered in prickles and small cuts. Grian's glare then turned hostile when the two made eye contact.

"Are you crazy!? You almost got us killed!" Grian spat.

"Oh, yeah, cactus prickles are crazy, but dropping a drip stone on my head is fine!" Scar bit back while raising his hands up to emphasize the outrage. He then tried to stand, but he flinched from the prickles sticking out of his skin and clothes. His poor ranger uniform was ruined with all the holes and blots of blood. He was really starting to reconsider his revenge plot.

"I said I was sorry, Scar. Come on, I didn't think it was going to hurt that much," Grian groaned before he started pulling prickles off him. He winced from the sharp needles, but thankfully, the cuts slowly started to heal once they were removed.

Scar rolled his eyes in response as he copied his friend, carefully removing prickles from his pant legs. Movement then came from his satchel. The flap opened, and a grey, white feline peeked its head out. Jellie gave a soft meow up towards her owner, tilting her head as if to question the strange sight she was now witnessing. Scar's frown softened. He scratched behind the cat's ear to help soothe both his troubles and hers.

His eyes then shifted back to Grian. He noticed the avian was focused on one of his wings now. He pulled out a few needles and bent feathers before letting the appendage stretch out to test its sturdiness. Strangely enough, Scar felt as though he had his own set of wings on his back too.

It was likely due to being soul-linked in this game, but because of this, Scar sometimes would leap thinking his phantom wings would catch him. It was probably one of the reasons why he was so willing to jump off Red Velvet Keep last night to save his Jellie Pandas from the red-lifers' flames. Well that... and the fact that his precious pandas were in danger.

But still, it was a strange feeling. Not just the ghost of extra appendages, but also the sudden need to be up in the air and wind rushing through his hair.

Is this how Grian always feels? Why he always wants to fly?

Scar snapped out of his thoughts when Grian let out a bitter sigh.

"You never should have taken the enchanter..." he muttered as if he was just thinking out loud.

Scar's scowl returned, and Jellie took this as her cue to slip out of the bag and run off to go catch some breakfast.

"I just wanted to start up another monopoly... I thought maybe you'd be happy that I took it," Scar said, shoulders dropping while he stared at the ground.

"Why the heck would I be happy about that, Scar? You put a huge target on our backs!" Grian said loudly. He rose to his feet to walk away, letting his legs stretch to get some strength back. He then turned around to face the salesman again. "Our base is gone. We're living in a cave. And everyone's still going to be looking for us now that we're the last greens."

Scar stood up as well to point an accusing finger towards the avian. "First off, it was only Joel and Etho who were really after us because of the enchanter, and they never would have attacked us if somebody didn't fling them up in the air with a fishing rod!"

"Hey, that was Pearl's fault," Grian said with a narrowed gaze, pointing a finger back towards the salesman. "She's the one who hooked onto Etho after I already had Joel."

"It was still your game, GRIAN!" Scar shouted with shaking fists. The avian flinched from his friend's unusually booming tone, but he still stood his ground, crossing his arms in defiance. Scar's trembling hand then went to his temple. Luckily, there was no longer any blood. "And you know how crazy Pearl's been. She- just-just..." Scar trailed off, letting out a breath to calm himself. He then focused back on his friend with a tired gaze. "Why... why do you keep playing that game when you tell me all the time to be careful?" the salesman asked, moving his hands outward to show his exasperation. Grian's glare faltered against the man's wounded tone.

The avian dwelt on his words. A part of him wanted to argue, point out how much more accident prone the salesman is known to be, but he reconsidered. His tense posture eased the longer he thought about it. "Look, Scar, I just-" Grian was cut off when a small pouch was thrown his way. He caught it in his hands and looked back up at his friend, puzzled.

"There's some food... to get your health back up," Scar said in an almost robotic tone, yet there was a hint of guilt in his eyes. It made the gesture almost look like an apology. Scar then dug through his pocket again to grab some more food for himself.

"Oh... thanks," Grian muttered in response while untying the pouch's strap. Awkwardness settled into the air again. When Grian opened the bag, though, he was surprised to find chocolate chip sweets inside. He pulled one out for Scar to see. "Where did you get these cookies?" the avian asked, tilting his head with a curious tone.

The question, though, made the salesman's frown deepen. His hollow stare shifted from the bread, now in his hand, back to Grian. "I made them... They were for your Secret Soulmate." The words were like venom in Scar's mouth.

Grian caught on to the attitude, and his own gaze soon hardened as well. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said matter-a-factly while turning away to chop off a piece of the cookie.

Scar grumbled before he stuffed his own face with the roll of bread. They munched quietly for a minute. Jellie was off running around in the field a few yards away, chasing around a mouse she spotted in the tall grass. When the duo's shared health was restored, though, the bickering continued.

"Why BigB?"

Grian turned his attention back to Scar. His question was barely above a whisper, and the salesman's attention was on his clothes, seeing if there were any left over prickles. The avian almost thought he imagined it, but he still sighed.

"Scar..."

"Seriously, G-"

"Because he's BigB!"

"Yeah, I know he's great! He's my friend too, G, but why... Why do you..." Scar trailed off before releasing a deep breath of his own. His posture sank the more he dwelt on how he could phrase his words. The emotions festered deep in his gut. Grian's expression, though, soon dulled. Sure, maybe any other time he would feel bad for Scar, and it's not like he ever wanted to hurt his feelings in the first place.

But, between the terrible night he had and the near death by cactus incident, the avian just wasn't feeling very sympathetic right now. The feeling of the needles still stabbed at his skin like an itch that wouldn't go away, and it played as a sick reminder to older memories that he rather keep buried as well. All of it made the tired young man reach his limit.

"Scar, just drop it for now, okay? We've got a lot more important things to worry about," Grian huffed. He stowed away his batch of cookies and walked off. While there wasn't much heat behind his words, they still were like a slap to the face for Scar.

The salesman's hands clenched into fists, boiling from anger. He raised his head to watch his friend go before he stormed after him. "I'm not dropping this, G."

"Well, I am," Grian said without even looking back at him.

"Just what is your problem with me, Grian?"

"Nothing."

"Oh ho ho, I beg to differ. I know you hate me as your soulmate. Admit it!" Scar spat, which finally made the avian turn.

Grian's eyes flared with anger now. "What do you want me to say, Scar? You aren't exactly the easiest person to share a life with!" Grian shouted back while his wings puffed up in irritation.

Scar's brow furrowed from the insult. He placed a hand to his chest, ready to defend himself. "I'm trying, G. I've tried to make sure we don't die-"

"Says the man who not only stole the enchanter away from everyone, but also burnt down Tango and Jimmy's ranch," Grian said through gritted teeth, eyes glaring while his wings twitched from his burning emotions.

Scar waved off the second accusation. "Come on, their ranch looked like a shoe. I did them a favor-"

"They literally sent a Warden after us!" Grian shouted. He then shot another finger towards his friend. "Your recklessness is going to get us killed!"

Scar's gaze soon darkened. A part of him almost scoffed at the man's words. "But did we die yet? No! In fact, we're the last greens in the game, and I even did the ultimate water bucket clutch that managed to scare off the reds."

"Scar-"

"And I've listened to your rules, even while you were off getting thrown by fishing rods or giving cookies to BigB."

"Scar, would just listen-"

"I've done everything you've asked of me, Grian, yet none of it seems to be enough for you."

"Scar!"

"And all you seem to do is treat me like some burden!"

"Because you are one!" Grian shouted, eyes set ablaze. His wings shot outward while his fists shook.

Scar's mouth fell open. His pupils shrank in shock as his brow knitted, processing his friend's words, but Grian wasn't done. "You always do these crazy stunts, and you never think about any of the consequences!" The avian screeched while his hands were thrown up into the air. "I practically had a heart attack when you jumped off the tower yesterday, and because of your crazy behavior, I feel like I have to do most of the heavy lifting for this team just to make sure we don't die!" Grian stepped forward to jab a finger into Scar's shoulder. "That's why I rather be partnered with BigB, Scar! That's why, okay!?"

Grian panted a few times, his shoulders rising and falling from his shallow breaths. While his eyes still burned, he noticed his friend's gaze slowly shifting. Instead of disbelief, Scar's expression crumbled like an arrow was shot through his chest. The salesman's mouth formed a thin line, eyes growing misty, before he cast his attention to the ground. The sight caused Grian's rage-filled look to falter. Guilt quickly took over the longer the silence went on, but the avian was left with no more words to say.

"I'm sorry..." Scar muttered when the two made eye contact again. While his words were genuine, the salesman failed to hide the hurt in his gaze, which inevitably twisted the shame festering inside the avian. When the silence dragged on, Scar took that as his cue, and he began to turn. "I'll... I'll just go hide out in a cave with the Jellies... Get out of your way then," the salesman mumbled with a bitter tone before walking away.

He ignored that Grian had stepped forward to stop him. Instead, the salesman stormed down the grassy hill with heavy stride, fists tightening and vision growing blurry. He quickly swiped a few tears as Jellie dashed after him. She managed to jump back into his satchel, likely to take a nap. Scar's mind, though, was buzzing with too many emotions for him to even notice the extra weight.

A hand then suddenly grabbed his arm.

The salesman jumped, thinking it was a red-lifer, but when he looked back, he only saw Grian. The avian's gaze was filled with concern. "Scar, I'm sorry, please don't- I was out of line-"

"It's fine, Grian."

"No, it's not-"

"Grian, just let me go! You can't make me stay," Scar said before yanking his arm free. Irritation edged into his tone as he turned to leave once more.

Grian watched him for a second. He dipped his head towards the ground, fists shaking while new thoughts started consuming his mind. Anger boiled through the man again, but it was directed towards another person. "Scar, I... I-I'm afraid."

Scar stopped. He whipped his head around, wondering if he heard right. His brow knitted with bewilderment while he watched the avian, whose face remained hidden. "What?"

Grian let out a huff. It was like the words were shredding his vocal cords, choking on what to say next. His arms trembled with how white his knuckles grew, fingernails digging into his palms. "You wanna know why I've been so distant?" he finally mustered the strength to say. He watched Scar, narrowing his gaze, before shifting his attention back to the ground. "It's cause I can't watch you die again. I can't be partnered with you again!" Grian shouted while finally lifting up his gaze enough for Scar to see tears stinging the corners of his eyes.

Scar's eyebrows flew up. His mouth opened slightly from the shock, which frustrated his friend even more. Grian gave a bitter groan before he placed a palm against his forehead. "Yeah, I'm frustrated with how you've acted, Scar... but I'm used to- That's not- You're not the problem, okay? I am!"

Scar's face then twisted, morphing into concern once the words finally settled in. He took a step forward. He held a hand up to try and calm his friend. "Grian-"

The avian, though, was on a roll. He kept his eyes on Scar, but his focus still seemed to be elsewhere. "I... I killed you. I can't get the image of blood off my hands," Grian answered while the corners of his mouth turned upward, chuckling with a bit of hysteria. "Every time I see a cactus or some sand, all I can see is your bloody corpse, and I'm back in that desert."

Scar's blood ran cold. He had nearly forgotten about that memory. His expression crumbled while he moved closer towards the avian. "Grian..."

"I'm back in the desert. I-I'm ba-ack in that desert," Grian mumbled, gripping a chunk of his hair. He looked around as if he really was there. His wings stiffened against his back as he gritted his teeth. "Where I'm all alone, and all of y-you are-are... I can't-I can't live through that again, Scar!" Grian shouted. He stepped forward to look right at his friend. His enraged gaze made it seem like he was blaming the salesman again, but Scar could see it. He could hear the plea in the man's tone.

He was desperately searching for a way out.

Scar remained still the longer he stared at his bitterly broken friend. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words could leave.

Finally, Grian shifted his focus to the ground once more. His shoulders fell, and his fists finally opened up. While his arms laid limp at his sides, his vision grew blurry with hot tears. He wanted to blink them away, but he soon grew too tired to even move. "I can't... I just can't stand to feel that isolation again, that regret..." Grian trailed off. He then gave a bitter chuckle. "But I guess I will if I make it to the end of this game, so what's the point really?"

"Grian." The avian stopped when his friend stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Scar's eyes also blurry with tears.

"I'm sorry, G... I-I had no idea," Scar muttered. He squeezed his eyes shut to clear his vision. He took a sharp breath. "You know I don't blame you for... Why didn't you just tell me?"

Grian gave a weary smirk. "It's not something I really wanted to talk about."

"Well, I guessed that, but... the game before this one and now," Scar sighed, dipping his head towards the ground. He then turned his back to Grian, taking a step away, while he tried to form the words. His gaze looked just as tired while he ran a hand through his hair. "I just thought... I thought you hated me."

"What?" Grian's eyes went wide. He processed the words a second more before he walked closer to place a hand on the saleman's shoulder. "No, Scar, no, of course not..." Grian trailed off. His face then twisted, cringing at a new thought. "But I can see how you might think that." The avian took a breath while his brow knitted. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Tears finally started rolling down his cheeks. "Ugh, I'm sorry, Scar... I'm so sorry," he breathed. "I've been a huge jerk."

"A right jerk," Scar added, looking his way. No matter the exhaustion in the salesman's tone, his lips still curled up into a warm smile. "But I forgive you, G."

Grian smiled back. A weak chuckle then left his mouth, choked back by the grief that he was trying to shove away. Relief washed over him. His wings dipped low to the ground and brushed against the blades of grass.

Scar watched him for a moment, witnessing the avian's usual unaffected demeanor crumble. His own expression broke, and he soon gained a frown. Scar then reached over, and the two fell into an embrace. He remained still while the avian's breath shook. Tears began falling down the salesman's cheeks as well from the sound of his friend. He could hear Grian's stifled breaths in his shoulder. The shorter man tried to keep his sobs quiet, but it soon caused Scar to cry too, face pinching from choked breaths. His hands trembled against the back of his friend's red jumper while he cast his face downward.

~~~~~

Grian blinked his eyes open. Commotion filled his ears while he glanced around. He spotted his friends, the Secret Keeper, and the narrow tower of stone. He was still standing in the same place he was, yet Joel's body, which had laid in front of him seconds before, had now vanished. The avian's eyes flashed purple for a second to see the soul link string had been broken, severed right down the middle before the whole thing dissolved into dust. The severed end of the string, Grian could see, had glowed an orange hue.

Grian couldn't tell if it was his own powers that had somehow done it, or if it was something else entirely. Either way, he was still on his green life.

Several blue screens popped up in front of everyone individually. A faded picture of Joel appeared with a green 'X' crossing him out.

Joel fell from a high place.

Several of the players laughed or winced from the failure, splitting off into their own conversations.

"Oh, Joel," Lizzie sighed. She let her head fall into her hands while Bdubs snickered next to her.

"Darn it! We almost had him," Jimmy said once he descended back down the waterfall, shaking off the water from his clothes and wings. Martyn followed after him, but his expression remained grim, fists clenching with frustration. He glanced over at Scott, who drew closer to him.

The elf patted his shoulder. "You did what you could. Don't blame yourself."

"I don't..." Martyn muttered before he shifted his cold stare onto Grian.

The avian's expression, though, dulled. He was too tired right now to put in the effort to care.

Once Joel respawned a few feet away from the Secret Keeper, the large group started to gather around the ogre. He grumbled loudly, running a hand through his hair.

"Stupid water bucket-Ugh!" Joel groaned.

"Hey, you tried your best, buddy," Skizz said with a smile.

Lizzie dismounted from her skeleton horse and walked over to her husband. "Yeah, we were all rooting for you."

"I was rooting for me as well..." Joel mumbled weakly as he dipped his head towards the ground. Commotion started back up again with everyone either furthering their comments or splitting back off into other topics.

Grian then sighed once he stepped forward. "Honestly, out of the two options, that was the best," he jabbed at Joel. He came to a stop in front of the ogre, and he crossed his arms in disapproval. "Next time, don't take a hard task WHEN I TELL YOU NOT TO!"

Joel's head shot up to glare back at the bird. "Well it's not like my previous task was any easier, Grian! Especially with you tryin' to stay glued to me all day."

Grian exhaled while rubbing his tired eyelids. "Right, which reminds me, I gotta press fail," he said loud enough to get everyone's attention. The voices quieted down as the man made his way towards the stone pillars.

"Wait what? Why do you have to press fail?" Jimmy asked, and Martyn looked mildly interested as well.

"I was supposed to keep Joel from dying this session," Grian said in almost a monotone type voice. He then spun around and pressed the 'fail' button. The symbol on the Secret Keeper glowed red, creating a thunder sound that didn't even make the man flinch.

"Oooh, that's why you were following him around all day," Lizzie said. "Well, that was an unfortunate pair of tasks."

"Which is why Joel shouldn't have re-rolled!"

"I'm doing my best over here, Grian!" Joel continued with his arms out in defense.

His words, though, caught the avian off guard, reminding him of the memory that was just thrown at him. He reassessed his approach and took a breath. "Yeah, I know... It would have been sick though if you got it," Grian finished with a smile.

Joel's anger subsided as he smiled back. "Yeah, it would have been real sick."

"Totally! You were so close, dude, and that was a difficult jump either way," Bdubs said as he strolled over to the ogre.

"Yeah, how many blocks high were you?" Etho added, making his way to the group too.

Lizzie headed closer as well. "That tower was insanely high. Seriously, don't do that again," she warned while pointing a finger at Joel, which made her husband snicker.

The conversation continued as Joel tried to answer all of their comments. Grian, though, took that as his cue to leave.

"Grian."

The avian held back the urge to sigh again. He glanced to his left to find Scott walking over to him, arms crossed. A few feet behind him, Martyn was busy distracting Jimmy and, especially, Pearl. The brunette was looking his way every now and then, clearly having questions for him. Grian then turned his attention back to Scott. His eyes dulled even more. His carefree mask was cracking the longer he stared. "I don't want to talk right now, Scott."

Surprisingly, Scott nodded. "Okay... Can we at least take a walk then?"

"That still implies talking."

"That's my compromise, Grian. Either you deal with me, or you'll have Martyn and Pearl on you in a matter of seconds."

Grian shifted his attention between the elf and the others before accepting defeat. "Alright..."

Drifting off from the rest of the group, the elf followed alongside Grian. The two walked side-by-side as silence trickled into the air, and the voices clamoring in the background faded. Scott glanced over at Grian, studying him. He could see the tired look in his eyes that he couldn't even hide anymore. Scott's attention then shifted over to his friend's back. He finally could acknowledge what Pearl was talking about. The avian's wings had indeed been clipped.

Scott frowned at the sight. The culprits had to have been the Watchers, but why now? Grian was flying around just this morning, yet the young man acted like his small wings were nothing new. Had they done that to him in the past?

Scott tried to pull from his memories of times when Grian had problems with his wings. He recalled moments when the avian died from falling or not always catching himself when he leaped from places, so had his wings been clipped then? If so, how had he never noticed, especially being a past champion for as long as he had. The elf's frown deepened. The Watchers really were messing with his mind more so than he ever thought.

While searching through his memories still, Scott's thoughts then suddenly lingered way back towards a moment in Third Life.

Was that why Grian was having trouble flying back then too? And why he asked Jimmy to teach him to-

Scott froze. His feet were glued to the dirt. He suddenly recalled an image of Jimmy flying around over their flower fields with a wide grin over his cheeks. The elf's breath fell short while the image struck him to his core.

Jimmy didn't have larger wings back then... did he? He couldn't fly.  He can't fly. He...

"Hey, why'd you stop?"

Scott blinked, finding himself back in the arena. He looked over to see Grian had stopped a few feet in front of him. His tired gaze flickered with concern.

Finally, the elf cleared his throat. "Sorry, just thinking about something..." Scott shook off the unease and continued following his friend. He held back the urge to question Grian about the memory. With how the avian's been acting today, Scott knew he needed to be careful with his words. "Are you heading somewhere specific?"

Grian glanced to the side, clearly contemplating his answer. Finally, his expression grew bitter. "Yeah, I have to try and close the End Portal that your teammate just opened."

Scott paused, eyebrows shooting up from the revelation. "Wait-Gem?" His mind then thought back to all the items he helped get for the redhead. "Oh... that makes a lot of sense actually."

"Yeah, well now I gotta close it before someone decides they want to be stupid and take on the Ender Dragon," Grian replied while he started to pick up the pace a bit, but Scott kept up with him.

"You know she probably opened it for her task."

"I never wrote any task like that, last time I checked."

"Then someone else did," Scott said once the two came to a stop near the barrier.

Grian took out a shovel, but he paused long enough to stare at the elf. His brow knitted, surprised by his answer, before slipping back into a frown. He started digging up the dirt patch by his feet. "Why are you defending her so much? You barely know her, Scott."

Scott raised a brow, copying the avian's expression. "I don't think you have any room to judge here, Grian, when you've clearly been hiding stuff from us."

Grian paused again. He cast his gaze to the ground, looking almost ashamed. "Look, I just... It's better if you don't know." He looked his friend in the eye.

Scott was going to argue back, but he stopped long enough to take in the broken expression on Grian's face. It was such a drastic difference from the avian's usual demeanor. For someone like him, who relishes in sticking it to any kind of authorities and refuses to surrender more often than not, to appear so defeated before him? It really took Scott off guard for a second.

The elf was then pulled from his thoughts when Grian finished digging up the dirt. He put away the shovel and started heading down a narrow staircase. Scott followed after him. "You say that, but we're all in this situation. We should be working together."

"So we can do what, Scott?" Grian asked with his hands raised, despite the tight space. "So we can all lose our minds together?" He let out a bitter laugh that made the elf frown.

"It's better than going on like everything's fine," Scott snapped back.

Grian stole a glance behind him, hearing the irritation in his friend's voice. He breathed heavily once the two made it to the bottom of the steps. "Not always..."

Scott stepped down into the small room, but he looked to the ground when he heard a crack. He frowned once he saw bits of broken glass and small blots of blood. He then looked over at Grian to see he had his back to him. The avian's hands were over one of the Eye of Enders, likely trying to pull it out. "Where's Gem? Did she get hurt trying to open the portal?"

"Last time I saw her, she looked completely fine to me," Grian replied, pulling on the pearl with all his might. His eyes glowed briefly, out of Scott's  view, so he could use his powers as an extra boost. "Even said I was overreacting about the portal."

Scott narrowed his gaze. "That doesn't sound like her."

"I don't know what to tell you, Scott. That's what she said to me," Grian said, grumbling at his failed attempts to remove the pearl. "Hey, could you help me with this?"

"Oh, now you want my help?" Scott said with a dull gaze. Yet still, he came over anyway, not wanting someone to go through the portal either. The two men pulled on different pearls, but neither of them were budging. The longer Grian stared at the portal, though, the more his mind began to wonder. His eyes swirled a dark violet hue when his focus drifted to Scott.

Push him in. It would be hilarious!

Grian was almost tempted, but he soon shook his head. The light in his eyes faded, and he refocused on the task at hand.

At the same time, Scott paused long enough to look over at his friend. He was about to speak, but his gaze soon shifted to the avian's clipped wings. His frown deepened once he recalled Pearl's words again. He then tried a different approach. "Grian... I know about the Watchers."

Grian stopped. His eyes grew wide. The world around him seemed to freeze as he stared blankly at the portal in front of him. Without thinking, the avian snapped his attention towards Scott. His wings were raised high in alert. "How do you know that word?"

Scott's expression soon became grim. The man's reaction was all the confirmation he needed. "I heard it a lot in between games."

"But-How-"

"I won Last Life, Grian. When you win a game... you find out that it really isn't one."

Grian stared at Scott. Horrified. This was the connection. Why he, Martyn, Pearl- all of them were more aware than the rest. But Grian? What really twisted his insides right now was the fear of what else his friends were close to figuring out.

"You won a past game too, right? Third Life?" Scott asked, and Grian's whole body tensed from his words. His wings shuddered. He clenched his teeth, hating himself for being so obvious. Scott then stepped forward. "Look, you don't have to tell me about it, but if you know about the Watchers too, then you know how serious our situation is. We gotta work together to find a way out."

Grian turned away, gripping the edge of the portal to hold himself up. He held his breath as he tried to ground himself from the spinning room.

Get a hold of yourself. He doesn't know! Just Third Life. You can talk about that. You can handle that! You can-

"Whatever is going on, Grian, you can tell me," Scott spoke in a gentler tone. "Have the Watchers been making you create these games?" The avian flinched when Scott used that word again. It felt so foreign in the elf's mouth.

"Are they forcing you to do all this? Is that why your wings are clipped? As some awful punishment?" Grian's grip on the portal tightened while his quiet breaths quickened. His whole body was buzzing, ears feeling clogged. "Grian?"

"Scott..." the avian warned, yet his voice was only a whisper. His heart was racing faster, pounding in his ears till it was all he could hear. He moved further away to stare at the stone wall to try and keep his heart from exploding.

Scott paused long enough to hear the nearly silent panting of his friend. His heart broke at the sound. He stepped back for a second to give the man space. It hurt Scott. It was so unlike the avian to act that shaken. It made his blood boil. The Watchers broke Grian, broke his friend, to the point he could barely speak.

"I'm... I'm so sorry, Grian."

The avian's spiraling thoughts paused long enough for him to turn back towards Scott. It was a miracle he even heard him. Grian swallowed down his terror and grew puzzled by the elf's words. He then noticed the anger in the Scott's eyes.

"I promise you," Scott said with a narrowed gaze. "We're going to find a way to stop those monsters."

Grian's pupils became dots. He stepped back with shaky breath. Scott's words rang through his mind faster and faster.

Stop those monsters.

Those monsters...

You're a monster.

"Grian? Grian! Hey! What's wrong?" Scott asked with clear panic, seeing how pale his friend looked. Grian turned away again. His breathing picked back up, practically choking on air as he tried to calm himself down.

He was being hysterical. He knew that. He chose to believe that. He chose to believe his fear wasn't warranted, and his friends wouldn't be disgusted that he was one of them.

"Grian, seriously! What's the matter?" Scott asked. He gripped the man's shoulders to keep him from falling over.

Grian squeezed his eyes shut. His body was frozen, vibrating with terror. He bit down on his tongue until he tasted blood. Too many thoughts were piling on his mind for him to notice the glowing purple hue that was coming from the portal.

Scott noticed it, though. He saw how all the Eyes of Ender were starting to shift to violet, glowing brighter and brighter. He faced Grian again, but he soon gasped when he saw the man's wings starting to change too. All his feathers matched the portal's new color exactly.

Scott's body froze at the sight. He then shifted his attention back to the avian's face. "Grian-"

"Just STOP!" Grian screamed. He opened his eyes again, but they carried no pupils and were consumed by the same violet color. Not only that, but a second pair of glowing eyes appeared underneath his own. The avian's voice was low. It boomed through the air. Scott didn't have much time to react before he was flung back by a wave of energy.

The elf's body flashed red once he landed in the dirt. He then went completely limp, laying still on his side. Grian's eyes widened in horror. The purple hue in his eyes and wings faded, and the second pair of eyes disappeared. He rushed over to Scott with growing panic.

"Scott-Scott!" Grian asked as he fell to his knees and started shaking his friend. He checked him over for any injuries, but he couldn't find anything wrong, besides the elf being unconscious of course. He felt his throat close up while guilt bled through his features. "Scott, please, I'm-I'm so sorry. I didn't- Please wake up!" the man cried out. The portal behind Grian returned back to normal, but all his focus was on his friend. He didn't know what to do. He'd have to get help, but how was he going to explain all this? Would Scott even wake-

In that moment, Grian's attention snapped back to the elf when he noticed him stir. Scott sat up slowly, rubbing his head from the impact. The avian let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, blinking away any tears that had started to form. "Scott, are-are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... Just hit my head a bit," Scott muttered.

Grian's insides twisted into knots. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I-I got upset and-"

"What are you talking about?" Scott asked, turning to look at the bird. Grian could see the smile his friend now carried, along with the green tint in his eyes glowing brighter. "I just fell when walking down here to check out the End Portal, remember?"

Dread quickly flooded over Grian, processing the elf's words with such severity. "Scott... N-No, you don't remember what we were..."

There was a pause. Scott simply stared at Grian, raising a brow at his words. "We were what?"

Grian held his breath when he hesitated. He felt sick for doing so, but he couldn't find the strength to muster the words out of his throat. "It's... It's nothing, Scott, but I... I wouldn't recommend going through that portal," Grian said after he stood up, ignoring the weakness in his knees. He held his hand out and helped the elf to his feet.

Scott chuckled. "Oh, I'm not that crazy. I just wanted to see it for myself." He then turned to head back towards the staircase above. "Good luck to anyone who wants to risk it, though." He took a few steps before looking back at the avian. "You coming, Grian?"

Grian had to swallow a lump in his throat before nodding. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm comin'," he muttered while following Scott.

It was at that moment that Grian felt more like a Watcher than he ever had before.

...

"You got any more white wool?"

"White wool? We're making a globe, Bdubs."

"Well I gotta put some clouds over some areas to make it look realistic," Bdubs argued as he sifted through his wooden chest. He and Mumbo were on top of the shorter man's upside down base, so they could build a large globe. They had already placed the bottom half of the structure, which was several pieces of blue wool all stitched together with wooden blocks to support it. Bdubs pulled out a few more handfuls of blue wool and grinned. "Plus, I think it'll look nice."

Mumbo smiled at his friend's enthusiasm. "It would look nice, you're right. Let me check my pouch." He pulled off the small leather bag from his belt. He rummaged through the items inside until he heard a voice in the distance.

"Why hello, gentlemen!" Mumbo paused. He glanced over the side to find Scar making his way over to them. The salesman gave a small wave, but the gesture only irritated the dapper gentleman. Mumbo's eyes dulled as he watched Scar climb up the ladder inside Bdubs' base to join them. "I heard you've been working on building a globe? I wanted to check it out."

"Hey, Scar, where you've been? You missed Joel's whole water bucket fail," Bdubs explained. He started placing more blocks of blue wool down, standing on the very edge of the structure, but the build wasn't too high yet for it to be considered dangerous if he fell.

"Oh, I was just doing some mining. Actually ran into Joel for a bit, and we managed to escape before we got surrounded by any more mobs."

Mumbo's eyes twitched from the nonchalant attitude of the salesman. He took a quiet breath before speaking. "So in terms of hearts today, how you think you did, Scar? Cause I know I gave you my free one earlier but..."

Scar exhaled, pondering the question as he glanced up at the sky. "Well you know my memory's not been the greatest, getting old and decrepit these days, Mumbo. It's hard to tell-"

"It is hard to tell when you lose as many hearts as you do," Mumbo said, eyes dulling even further.

Scar ignored the comment. "Four and a half, I guess?"

Mumbo inhaled, letting out a deeply tired sigh as his shoulders sagged. "Right, well, I failed my task then."

"Uh oh," Bdubs said. He pouted towards his teammate.

"Oh, what? Come on, that can't be true," Scar said as he stepped closer to the mustached man.

Mumbo grumbled. He took out his scroll from his pouch, which he clipped back onto his belt. "Yeah, well I'm pretty sure it is."

The salesman then crept even closer to Mumbo with a smile. He leaned forward and spoke in a hush tone. "Here, Mumbo, just whisper in my ear what it is you need me to do."

"Be. Better. AT THE GAME, SCAR!" Mumbo exclaimed, making the salesman jump away. Even Bdubs was startled from the outburst, not expecting it from his usually rational teammate. The mustached man then groaned at the sight of Scar's puzzled face before he squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. He let out an irritated laugh. "That would be preferable, but it might be too late now."

"Wha-What are you saying?" Scar asked, trying to hide his weary tone with a chuckle of his own.

Mumbo looked at Scar and placed both his hands on the salesman's shoulders. "Get. Good. Just get good, Scar." He then backed away to run a hand through his hair. "Especially if you're gonna run off on your own after saying you'd let me help you."

"Too many people knew my task, Mumbo. I had to be quick!"

"They only knew because you were being too obvious, Scar! Seriously, you've gotta get better at this, or you're gonna be the first one out," Mumbo sighed. He crossed his arms while still gripping his scroll in one hand.

Scar's shoulders fell. His eyes were cast to the side as he dwelt on his friend's words. He tried to come up with an answer, but Bdubs got to it first.

"You sure you failed? Maybe there's still something we could do to help," Bdubs suggested. He was clearly trying to break the tension that had settled between the two.

Scar's face then brightened. "Yeah! Maybe you could re-roll for a hard task instead."

"Grian said that was a one time thing, Scar-"

"Well, yeah, but maybe with the wording on the task, you didn't technically fail and can still re-roll," Scar rambled on. Mumbo raised a brow, but the salesman ignored the judgmental stare and ushered him along. "Come on, we can talk to Grian about- ah! Perfect timing." Just as Scar spoke, he spotted the avian in the distance, trailing behind Scott. Scar rushed over to the edge of the build and waved over his friend. "Grian! Hey! We've got ourselves a situation over here."

The avian snapped his head towards Scar's direction, a bit startled like he was yanked out of his thoughts. Scott smiled at the salesman and continued on with his stroll.

Scar headed for the ladder. "Bdubs, you comin'?"

"Nah, you guys go. I wanna finish building the globe before the session ends." Bdubs waved off the request. "Good luck though."

Mumbo looked between the two. His brow knitted.  "Scar, I don't think-"

"Come on, it wouldn't hurt to try. Let me help. We can even take it to the courthouse," Scar explained with a growing smile as he headed down. Mumbo unrolled his task and scanned over it once more. He then finally sighed in defeat.

The dapper gentleman followed after his friend while Scar raced towards the avian, who was slowly making his way to them.

"Scar, what are you-"

"Grian, we have a secret task issue we need to take to the courthouse, come on." Scar grabbed a hold of his friend's wrist and pulled him along.

"What situation?" Grian asked with slight severity. He glanced over at Mumbo, who didn't seem the slightest bit concerned.

"Just had a question about what the rules were for re-"

"Ah, no, I built the courthouse for disputes, and we're gonna use it, gosh darn it," Scar said as the trio came to a stop again, and the salesman released the avian.

"If it's just a simple question, then just ask. I really just wanna head home and-" Grian cut himself off when he glanced to his right. He took notice of Martyn walking up to Scott in the distance. The two talked for a little bit, and it wasn't long for horror to fall over the blonde's face, making Grian's muscles tense. "You know, the courthouse sounds great. Let's head there now."

"Great!" Scar grinned before the three continued towards his base.

The salesman led the way with newfound energy while Grian brought up the rear. He couldn't help glancing back to where he last saw Martyn and Scott. He then shoved away the festering concern in his stomach, and he turned his focus ahead.

That's definitely gonna come back to haunt me.

"Grian, everything alright? You've seemed pretty stressed today." Grian turned to witness Mumbo's worried gaze.

The avian gave a weak smile in return. "Yeah, just pretty tired... And this game isn't exactly a vacation, Mumbo."

"Ugh, tell me about it." The dapper gentleman groaned, shifting his focus back to Scar.

The salesman had heard their words, but he kept up with his energy. He was going to make it up to Mumbo. He had to at least try. As much as Scar loved to haggle and commit the occasional trickery, he couldn't stand knowing that his own failings had cost one of his dearest friends to fail a task, but maybe his persistence was an attempt to save his own wounded pride as well.

Scar finally spun around and motioned his hand towards the building behind him. "Welcome to the courthouse, gentlemen. We'll settle this right here."

Mumbo couldn't help but smirk at the man's theatrics as he and Grian made their way up the steps. Scar then continued with his speech. "Each of us will stand in a corner and plead our case. And then the loser will-"

"Scar, just ask the question," Grian said, hands on his hips already.

The salesman sighed. "Alright fine... Mumbo?"

The three stood around in a circle in the center of the stone room. Mumbo scratched the back of his head, pondering his next words. "I was just wondering, what were the rules we decided on for re-rolls?"

"Cause Mumbo might have failed his task," Scar added.

"If you failed, then you can't- Wait, wait, there's a difference between failed and haven't done yet," Grian answered.

Mumbo nodded towards the avian. "No, but I have firmly failed it."

"Then you cannot re-roll."

Thunder struck from inside both Scar and Mumbo's heads. They jumped when they saw a flash of an image consume them. The tired expression on their friend's face was replaced with lop-sided grin and swirling purple eyes. Grian showed off a pair of fangs while his wings turned a dark violet. His eyes were wide, sneering at the two like prey.

Both men had seen that version of Grian before, in a past game actually, but they never acknowledged it back then. Now though...

Within seconds, the frightening version of their friend was gone, and Grian was normal again. In fact, he was looking between them with a puzzled expression. "What did I say?" he asked with a knitted brow. He paused a moment more and then frowned. "Look, I'm sorry, but I told everyone that Scar's re-roll was a one time-"

"No, no, I get it. We just..." Mumbo held his hands up to reassure his friend. He trailed off to glance over at Scar. They carried a silent conversation with bewildered concern, but the longer the seconds ticked by, the more they seemed to forget what they were so scared about.

Staring blankly at each other now, Scar looked away from Mumbo and cleared his throat. He grinned back at the avian. "You just really laid down the law there, Grian," he chuckled, completely forgetting the fright already. He scratched his cheek as he tried to remember what their conversation was even about. "So no re-rolls, huh?"

Grian sighed. He shifted his attention to the dapper gentleman. "Sorry, Mumbo."

Mumbo waved off the apology. "It's fine. My task was impossible anyway."

Scar placed his hands together like a plea. "I'm so sorry, Mumbo, really."

"What was your task?" Grian asked as the trio walked back out of the courthouse and headed towards the Secret Keeper.

"Keep Scar from taking more than three hearts of damage this session."

"Oh. Boy. If I were you, I would have just gone straight for a hard task."

Mumbo laughed. "I know! I should have. I don't know why I didn't."

Scar, who had fallen behind a bit, rolled his eyes at the claims. The group was almost to the pillars when Mumbo glanced back at the salesman.

"And you know what's hilarious? The first thing you said to me when I met up with you was: Oh! I'm losing hearts all over the place." Grian burst out laughing, and the comment even made Scar giggle too.

Once Mumbo pressed the fail button, though, Grian's laughter fell short when he spotted Scott walking up to them. Not far behind him too were Martyn and Pearl.

A sinking feeling fell over the avian as he turned to leave. "I better go. See ya, guys."

"Hey, what's the rush-"

"Grian!" Martyn shouted, and the bird started sprinting.

"Bye!" Grian called out as he disappeared around the Secret Keeper.

Puzzled gazes fell over Scar and Mumbo. They then watched as Martyn and Pearl raced past them. They headed towards the direction Grian went while Scott came to a leisurely halt by the pillars.

"What's going on?" Mumbo asked the elf.

Scott gave a shrug. "Don't know. They've been stressed about something," he answered while pressing the 'success' button. "Grian probably played some prank on them."

Mumbo took a glance at where he last saw his friend run off to. He had a weird feeling in his gut, but he chose to brush it aside. "Yeah... you're probably right."

...

When Gem opened her eyes, she was greeted by darkness. At least, she assumed it was since she couldn't distinguish anything around her besides herself. Yet, her hand in front of her face was clear as day. She scanned over her body, checking for any injuries. She recalled hitting her head thanks to a sudden blast from the portal.

Panic soon settled in when she gathered her thoughts. Gem scanned her surroundings once more, taking a few steps forward into the black void around her. "Hello?"

Her voice did not echo, despite the wide empty space. Tension seeped into her muscles while she spun around for any sign of life. "Hello! Is anybody there?"

The redhead frowned when she did not receive any answer. Was she even still in the game anymore? Was she in some new alternate reality? Gem went to check her watch, but when she attempted to activate it, she was greeted with silence.

Her heart stopped for a moment. She tapped the screen again. She pressed the button on the side. "Come on, what now?" She lifted the top part off to check the interior, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "Ugh, seriously? You've got to be-"

"What are you doing?"

Gem spun around from the sudden voice. Her eyes widened. Out of all the possibilities, she wasn't expecting to see... another Gem.

The figure before her wore the exact same outfit, same hairstyle too, but she had pointed elf ears and no antlers. It took a minute for Gem to piece together the clues. The empty void. A second Gem. It all then came crashing down on the young woman like a cement block.

"You're... You're the Gem of this world!" Gem gasped as she stepped forward. The second Gem took a step back. "Oh, gosh, I'm-I'm in the void the players get sent to in-between games. Are you okay? I know this all seems weird, but is Ren here too? The others have been worried about you guys and-"

"They're worried about Ren, not me."

Gem stopped. She watched her alternate self. The elf's blank stare turned sour the longer the silence dragged on. "Of course they're worried about you, Gem. It's just the Watchers-They seem to make them forget about friends outside of the games-"

"No, they forgot about me because you took my place."

Gem paused again. She took notice of her copy's eyes. They carried a neon yellow hue instead of their regular forest green. Gem could sense the hostility in the elf's words, so she took a breath. "I'm sorry... I wasn't trying to replace you. I just joined to try out this game. I didn't know you all were going through so much pain."

"So you just joined on a whim?" The elf's eyes gained a hint of a purple glow, making Gem tense. Her copy took a step forward with clenched fists. "Do you know how long I've been trapped in here? How long I've missed my friends? I finally got the chance to see them again, and you took that away from me."

"I'm not trying to take anything away from you. I'm trying to help all of you get out of these horrible death games!"

The elf launched forward and gripped Gem's arm. "We didn't ask for your help. We don't need your help. Leave!"

Gem finally yanked her arm free and took a step back. "No! I'm not leaving them." Her body stiffened when her copy's stare boiled with growing hatred. Her eyes were now consumed with violet.

The elf then smirked. "Then I'm joining the game too."

Before Gem could even respond, she was rendered speechless by the several violet eyes that appeared around her copy, glowing brighter in unison. Within seconds, Gem was blinded by a flash of light. Her body soon felt weightless. Her mind grew heavy. Her thoughts became muffled as she still tried to utter a response. She felt like she was falling forever until she heard a voice in the distance.

Gem, wake up... Gem, please, you can't be... GEM!

Gem gasped, eyes shooting open. Color and light consumed her vision again. Martyn stood in front of her while shaking her shoulders. Pearl stood next to him, and she appeared puzzled by the whole scene. Gem scanned her surroundings. She was standing outside her base. She blinked a few times, processing her settings slowly. "Wha... Why am I... What happened?"

Martyn, whose panic finally subsided, released Gem and took a step back. "Oh, thank gosh, I thought your brain was scrambled too."

"I still have no idea what that means. Was she a past winner too?" Pearl guessed with a raised brow. She looked over at Martyn. "Like what you were saying before?" Gem grew confused by that statement. She finally acknowledged that the brunette was there too.

Martyn shook his head. "No, she's from an alternate reality. Our Gem is stuck in some void and-"

"Martyn, what happened? Last thing I remember was getting blasted by the End Portal, and-" Gem looked up at the sky, and her mouth fell open when she noticed the sun had nearly set. "What the-How long have I been asleep!?"

Pearl and Martyn looked at each other before they shifted their focus back to the redhead with growing concern. "Uh, Gem, you weren't asleep. You've been walking around, doing stuff," Pearl explained with a weary gaze. "You talked to Lizzie, let her leave her camel here, and just other random stuff." She motioned to her right. Gem turned towards Impulse's base to find the camel in question resting on the ground by the door.

Gem's eyes widened at that fact. "Wha-" Her mind then thought back to the incident she just had with her copy, and a sinking feeling settled into her gut. The redhead rushed past Martyn and headed over to the pond. She leaned down to check her reflection, and that's when she saw it. Everything was normal about her appearance except one eye was completely yellow while another was her forest green.

Then I'm joining the game too.

Gem felt sick to her stomach.

"Gem, what is it?"

"I-I-I don't-"

"Wait, Gem, you're-Is that blood?" Pearl asked while she walked over beside her.

The redhead looked over to Pearl. She slowly followed her gaze to notice red staining the bottom of her sleeve. Gem rolled up the fabric, and a few silent gasps filled the air when she spotted small glass shards sticking into her forearm. That's not was horrified Gem, though.

It was her watch. The screen had shattered and bits of dark purple ooze, the portal energy, was seeping out of the vile inside. The device looked like it had been sizzling for a while because there were remains of a burn mark on her wrist.

"No. No- Nononon-Gah!" Gem unhooked the clasp of the watch and opened the practically useless cover. The wires were burnt. The computer chip was fried. All of it was ruined. "NO!" Gem screamed, collapsing to her knees as tears filled her eyes.

"Gem! Hey, talk to us. What is it?" Pearl tried, kneeling down to her level. Her gaze turned to Martyn, who came to the other side of Gem to see the watch. His eyes widened in shock too. His expression fell, and with nothing to say, he placed a hand on her shoulder while the redhead's body trembled.

Pearl looked between the two, growing more confused by the second. She hadn't been able to catch up with Martyn long, so she wasn't sure about the importance of this watch. Yet, her silent crying made Pearl push the question back to a later date. Her attention then moved to Gem's arm, noticing the glass still stuck in her skin. She scooted closer to the woman. "Gem, I'm sorry, but your arm's not gonna heal if the glass stays in there."

Pearl held her hand out. She waited as Gem finally looked her way. The redhead's cheeks were wet with tears. She blinked, staring at the brunette with her tired eyes. Despite her drooping eyelids and foggy brain, Gem seemed to have processed the request because she slowly stretched out her arm.

While Pearl examined the injuries, Martyn moved to kneel next to the brunette. He looked over the glass as well. "I don't think I have anything for you to pull them out."

"I'll just have to do it. Luckily the shards aren't too small," Pearl answered. She then quietly went to work, pulling out the shards with her fingers. She gave an apologetic look every time a piece was pulled out. Gem barely flinched. Her mind was already preoccupied. Too much was happening in such a short amount of time. It made her feel numb. She clutched the broken watch in her hand.

She had the notes from Doc. She could fix it. She could still have a chance to get back home.

"I shoulda went home..." Gem muttered under her breath, eyes cast to the ground with a hollow stare.

Pearl and Martyn looked at her before they shifted their concern towards each other. They carried a silent conversation for a second before Pearl turned back towards her task.

Martyn watched her work. He noticed that the cuts that no longer had glass were now starting to heal. His expression, though, remained grim as he clutched his fist. "We need to find, Grian. We can't let him slip away again."

"You need to catch me up on what's happenin' before we go chasin' down anyone again," Pearl scolded, but both of their words were hushed due to not wanting to stress the redhead any further.

Martyn looked over Gem. He noticed her slacked posture. Her clothes were also covered in dirt for some reason. His frown deepened before he pulled off his backpack and started searching for some food to give her. "I'll explain everything later."

~~~~~

Chapter Text

The sky was shrouded in storm clouds, making the whole arena a grim scene, which was fitting for there being so many Red-Lifers.

Scar woke up that day with his wizard hut in shambles. His chests were looted, the roof was practically missing, and there was so much uneven dirt due to traps and scuffles on top of Magical Mountain. Normally, the area was rather quiet, but today, the salesman was greeted by several other Reds.

The many voices warmed Scar's slow beating heart, despite his friends being rather intimidating at the moment. He hardly even recognized BigB with his pitch black skin and red glowing streaks that matched his eyes. Tango was mostly the same, except his tone was louder and much more aggressive. He was clearly ready for some blood and carnage. Joel's dark robes and bright red crown was something Scar was already used to since his fellow wizard turned Red so early into the game. Joel was also more mischievous with his red antics this season than anything truly threatening, so Scar wasn't too weary of him.

Grian, on the other hand, was most definitely different. Yes, a lot of his antics could be seen as innocent fun like Joel's, but there was a strange coldness in his demeanor, like he did not care if his actions caused any harm. The avian would talk to everyone, laugh and joke when the situation demanded it, but his focus seemed elsewhere. He was distant, closed off. When you were alone with him, one could feel the hairs standing up on the back of the neck. Grian would absently watch, staring into your soul, yet he would barely say a word to you, like you were a mere husk of meat.

Conversations were worse too. It was if anything other than destruction was a bore to him if you tried talking with him one-on-one. He had been that way through the whole game, but he seemed even more disconnected lately. Scar could only assume that it had something to do with the fact that Mumbo was among those that had died in the last session. The dapper gentleman was one of the very few players that could get a genuine reaction out of him.

Scar's frown deepened. The salesman was asleep when those first few deaths occurred, and he hated it. Not only for the loss of friends, but he was unnerved to think that so much could happen without him even being present. It added more to the isolation he felt on his little mountain. It honestly scared Scar to death.

"Whoa-Scar! You've been hoarding!" Grian's shouts awoke the wizard from his thoughts as he rushed over to his secret stash in the dirt. The avian was crouched down by a hole he had just dug out with his talons. The avian had been using those much more frequently than in the first game. His dull expression soon gained an excited grin at precious items within the chest he found. He started nabbing as much as he could while his red eyes glowed.

"Hey, hey! No, come on, get out of there," Scar whined while he tried to push his friend away from the hidden chest. He snatched the back of the shorter man's collar and pulled him up to his feet. Grian, though, already had pouches full of gunpowder in his clutches. He turned and waved the items in front of the dark-clothed wizard. He still carried a big grin, which showed off his fangs.

"Scar, we're turning this into TNT, buddy. We're on our red lives," Grian said while his eyes beamed with newfound energy. Yet still, his tone sounded empty, which furthered his growing eerie demeanor. "It's all or nothing."

The salesman pouted from the avian's words before the other Reds rushed in to dig through the chest as well. All of them talked among themselves with growing gasps, clearly admiring the haul their friend had collected. Scar then let out a tired sigh. His bird pal did make a good point, but he couldn't stop looking bitter the longer he watched the group tear through the previously hidden chest.

It had been like this the whole game. The only way Scar could get any of his friends' attention was if they directly wanted something from him: enchantments, items, or even one of his lives. The salesman was fine with that, of course. The whole point of his business was to make deals, but what really hurt Scar was that none of them ever stuck around. They just sought him out for items, exchanged a few words, and then went on their merry way back to their teammates. Even his only real ally, Joel, had been off doing his own thing most of the game since he was Red for so long.

Granted, there were a couple of people who tried to reach out to Scar, tried to make peace and have an alliance with him, but Scar shrugged it off. He wasn't sure why exactly. Maybe because he was already hurt by some of his other friends, so he pushed people like Scott and Pearl away. Maybe it was a pride thing where he didn't want to seem too available towards the other players. Maybe he just didn't want to give up his wizard on the mountain gimmick to join the others below.

Either way, Scar knew he made mistakes. He knew some of his actions lead to this isolation on the mountain, but by the time he realized it, Scar was already too deep in this deadly situation, too late to regain friendships. It was too late to talk to his friends, who most were now too Red crazy to think straight. There was nothing he could do. He was on his last life, and while he knew this was supposed to be just a game, he couldn't help but grow a sick feeling at the thought of dying. He wasn't nearly this fearful in the last game, at least not towards the end...

...But maybe it was because he knew he wasn't alone back then.

Scar snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the farewell calls of the other Reds. The salesman panicked when their voices grew distant. He was barely paying attention to what they were saying.

"Wait, you guys are just gonna take my stuff and then leave!?" Scar spat. He watched Tango and BigB walk off in one direction while the usual Joel and Grian duo raced down the mountain in another.

"Yup! See ya, Scar!" Tango called back with a laugh until even his voice fell from ear shot.

Normally, Scar would rant out his complaints towards the disappearing figures, but right now, the quiet ringing in his ears swarmed him. He reached out towards where his friends disappeared. He still could see Joel and Grian descending the mountain when he looked down. "W-Wait..." he muttered, but the words were caught in his throat. He didn't want to call out to Grian, not when the avian made it clear that they weren't going to be allies this time, but Joel was still his friend, still his ally. Or at least, Scar thought he still was.

Scar's breath quickened the longer the silence settled around him. His chest grew tight with panic as he clutched the front of his robes. "P-Please-" His eyes then glowed violet, reminding him that all of this already happened, and he did not want to live through it again. Scar gripped the sides of his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "S-Stop! I-I don't want to think about this anymore. Just STOP!"

He then let out a gasp. He felt the force of an arrow strike his back. It was the same way he died in that session long ago. Scar took a glance behind him as his body fell over the edge of the cliff. He caught the sight of Ren's grim expression. He still held the bow like he was prepared to fire again. Cleo and Etho were right behind him with weapons raised as well, ready to back him up. The werewolf with glowing purple eyes behind his shades simply watched as Scar plummeted off the mountain. The world around him melted away into darkness the further he fell, and the man didn't even have the strength to scream.
...

Scar shot up from his bed, yelping with fright. He panted a few times to try and calm his nerves while he scanned around the stone cave he was in. He had thrown together a bed down in the tunnels under Trader Scar's. He was so busy gathering items the day before that he just collapsed in his bed and passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Scar inhaled slowly, regaining his whereabouts. He wiped his brow from sweat, despite the cave being rather cold. "Oh man... what a nightmare," he joked half-heartedly. In that moment, though, Scar couldn't actually recall his dream. He just knew that it made his body tremble with fear. The salesman gave a haggard breath, falling into a deep sigh, before shooting up from his bed. He suddenly felt the urge to get out of the eerie tunnels and be on the surface with people.

He made a beeline for the ladder when he was interrupted by gold and green light bursting in front of him. A scroll appeared in the air, and Scar's mouth fell open with shock. "Wha- Secret Task already? Oh, gosh, how long did I sleep in!?" he exclaimed while running a hand through his hair. Scar snatched the parchment and broke the seal.

Do the opposite of what people tell you to do.

"Huh..." Scar muttered, reading over the sentence a few times before growing a smirk. "Okay, well, nobody's gonna guess that because basically that's what I do my entire life," he chuckled. He shrugged off his previous emotions and grinned at the thought of another session. "You've got this, Scar. Time to make some friends, gain some alliances. Which reminds me, I gotta take a stop by Lizzie's and let her know the enchanter's ready," the salesman rambled to himself as he went for the ladder.

Scar then paused when he felt a stiffness in his legs. He stopped. He glanced down, shifting his leg a bit, before he knelt down and rolled up his pant leg. He examined the leg brace that was placed from his thigh to his shin. He then rose back to his feet, took pressure off the leg, and moved it slowly. There was a slight creaking sound from the metal, making him grumble.

"Darn it, I have to fix that... Must have done too much running yesterday, and I don't have nearly enough levels to make enchanted braces yet," Scar mumbled while his attention shifted to his right. His satchel rested on the ground, so he picked up the bag and placed it over his shoulders. "Well, I'll just have to take it easy today. Should be fine with a task like this," Scar chuckled as he made his slow ascent up the ladder, ignoring the further creaking in his leg braces.

...

Gem had remained in her base for a rather good length of time. Impulse tried to check in on her every now and then during the days in between sessions, but the redhead insisted she was fine. The growing bags under her eyes, though, clearly told a different story.

So much was thrown in her face near the end of last session. It was hard for her to process it all. At the same time, Gem was overly cautious to leave her base for the fear of something triggering her to lose control of her mind.

Yes, her alternate self, Tay she decided to call her, was now currently in the game too, and they were sharing a body. Gem wasn't sure how it worked. It was like the two were switching places. The only reason Gem suspected this was because she could hear the elf's voice in the back of her mind every so often.

The session's already started. We should get to our task.

"No," Gem told Tay in a firm tone.

Come on, the task looks fun!

"You know we're in a death loop game, right? And you're concerned about having fun?" the hybrid snapped, ears pinned back.

The elf scoffed in response. You're so dramatic...

Gem held back an eye roll. She was too preoccupied with a much more important task. The redhead held a pair of tweezers as she carefully inserted a wire that she managed to salvage in her watch. The broken device rested on top of a small table, and she herself sat on a wooden chair in front of it. That was what she had been working on for the past few days, attempting to repair her only way home.

Gem left her base only a couple times to find materials for new parts, which was extremely difficult due to the limited amount of items in the arena. Her notepad filled with Doc's notes laid beside the watch. She recalled Doc warning her of consequences if her watch were to break while she was still possessing a counterpart's body. Something about the consciousnesses joining together and becoming one, which rightly scared her to death. Gem, though, was currently in her own body, not Tay's, so would the consequences still apply?

She was hearing Tay's voice, and she'd sometimes take over, but was it just some trickery of the Watchers? Did it have no permanent damage to her? Regardless, Gem had tried to read up on the topic in her notes, but she later found out that the whole section was ripped and scorched in many places from the explosion of the portal, which was the cherry on top of Gem's stress.

Her eye twitched, and her hand wavered, bending the wire too far and ripping its already worn rubber covering. "GAH!" Gem screamed. She threw down the tweezers and pushed herself away from the table.

Done with your tantrum?

"Shut up! I can't stand you in my head."

Well, I told you to leave.

"It's not like I can with my watch like this."

Right... You said that you need bits of an End Portal, right? We can get that.

"It would need to be from the portal that appears after defeating the Ender Dragon."

Okay, let's go defeat the-

"You don't get it, do you?" Gem snapped again. She then took a deep breath. Stress and exhaustion were furthering her attitude, and it made her feel guilty. She knew Tay's mind was likely affected by the Watchers like the others, so the elf wouldn't understand the severity of the situation. "This isn't a game..."

There was a long pause on Tay's end. Gem almost thought that she had disappeared completely for a second. Then, Just gather up an army, less chance of someone losing a life.

Gem pondered the suggestion. She didn't like the idea of anyone risking their lives against such a beast, but she remembered that the task didn't have to be just for her benefit. If the Ender Dragon could be defeated, then she could safely gather enough of the End Portal to maybe create a larger device, which would allow everyone to escape to another alternate universe.

Gem then winced at the 'maybe' in the equation. She would still need certain materials to create such a device. Materials that she could not find in this arena, and she wasn't sure if she could find something to substitute them. She could barely find stuff to restore her watch, let alone a larger one. Gem glanced back at the device on the table.

Despite all the odds, hope filtered through her gaze, rubbing off some of the fuzziness from her tired brain. The hardest component to replace would be the fried computer chip. Doc's notes, though, explained that the chip could be replaced with a rather complicated redstone contraption. Granted, Gem was nowhere near an expert in that field, but this universe did have a Tango and Mumbo. If they were anything like her friends back home, she could ask one of them. It would be easier to build the redstone contraption on a large device rather than in her watch anyway.

Gem rubbed her temple with a sigh, wanting to face palm herself. Making a larger device would have been the more practical thing for her to be focusing on the past few days. The loss of her watch had really done a number on her brain. And of course, there was the problem that she had a literal copy of herself stuck in her head, so who knew how much her brain was fairing at the moment. On top of all that, there also was quite literally a possibility of herbecomingonewithTay, but-

Gem's breath fell short before she forced herself to suck in more air. "One thing at a time. First I need to find a way out of this nuthouse," she breathed quietly, letting her shoulders slump. She just had to hope that making this device would fix her situation too. The redhead bit her lip at the thought, letting her face fall into her hands. "Gosh, why did that part of the notes have to be the spot that got burnt."

After dry-washing her face, Gem let out a sigh. Before she could even think of building, the Ender Dragon would need to be taken care of. She would need a team of fighters. Only those on their green lives, of course. Green lives who had good pvp skills and/or were great with a bow.

Tay's words then popped back into her mind. Remember your task, though. You can't say anything truthful.

Gem squirmed, remembering her alternate self was there. "Are you able to hear my thoughts?"

No, you were just so quiet after my suggestion, just thought I'd say something.

Gem let out a sigh. That added a little less awkwardness to their current situation. "Forget about my task. I can't afford to waste time worrying about that."

You really think that's a good idea after what you told me the Watchers did to you last session?

Gem stopped. Her brow furrowed. "Wait, so you acknowledge that the Watchers are controlling this whole game?"

Honestly? No, most of what you say sounds like nonsense, but you were so concerned about them before, I thought I'd mention it to you.

Gem paused, processing Tay's words. Her eyes then dulled when she took notice of the elf's tone. "You're just trying to get me to do the task, aren't you?"

There was a longer pause before Tay snickered. Yeah... I can't help it! I'm bored! I wanna do the task.

"Ugh, fine!" Gem growled. She decided to go along with her other self's demands, simply for the fear of Tay possibly getting fed up enough that she'd take control again. There was also the possibility of the Watchers getting angry if Gem didn't play along with the game, as Tay pointed out. She couldn't afford to take that chance. Despite everything, Gem reluctantly took out her scroll and read over the words again.

Nothing you say to another player can be true for the whole session.

Gem groaned, tucking the parchment away. "This is gonna be a looong session." The redhead then went for the door and was blinded by the sunlight. "Gah!" she whined, holding her hands up to shield her vision. "Wow, that's bright... Been really playing into my hermit side these past few days."

"Gem!" The redhead stopped to see Scott calling out to her. She did her best to hide her fallen expression while walking towards him. Martyn had told her that Scott lost his memories, making him just like all the other players. Apparently Grian had been behind it, which Gem found hard to believe. How could he even have done that?

Regardless, even if Scott warned her about this happening since the start of the game, it still made her heart hurt. She knew how much he hated being influenced by the Watchers. "There's gotta be a way to restore his memories," she muttered to herself.

Scott made his way over to her in rather cheerful strides. "Hey, how's it going? We were afraid you weren't going to leave your base today."

"I'm... good, sorry, just slept in too long," Gem said, giving her best smile in return.

That was the worst attempt at a lie that I've ever seen. Come on, you gotta do better than that if you wanna succeed this task.

Gem pushed away Tay's criticisms. Scott, though, nodded at the response while his eyes trailed down to her clothes. His expression brightened suddenly, showing off the neon green glow in his pupils. "Ooo, I like the new outfit. Going with the band theme too?"

Gem glanced down at her clothes. To keep herself busy, she also managed to change up her outfit like she had wanted a while back. Her green sweater was replaced with a yellow and black long-sleeve shirt. A yellow heart was patched onto the front pocket of her overalls, and she cut a couple holes in the pant legs to give off the rocker look.

The young woman's smile grew genuine this time. "Ye-Nope!" Gem cringed, catching Scott off guard. She then glanced to the right. "We're in no way officially Gem and the Scotts right now," she said, holding back the strain in her voice.

Scott paused, glancing to the side as well. "Uh, okay... Anyway, a bit off topic, but do you have an extra iron ingot I could have?"

"No... No, I don't." Gem then dove for her pouch. She then handed the man an iron ingot.

Scott looked down at the item before he snickered. "Okay, thank you," he said after a quick laugh. Despite the confusion, he still carried a bright grin. Gem couldn't help but snicker at the man's joy. She wasn't sure she had ever seen this alternate version of Scott this happy before. Still, it left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Hey, so I got good news and a bit of bad news."

Gem snapped out of her thoughts to refocus on the conversation. She couldn't think of a response that would fit her task, so she closed her mouth shut.

"Impulse and I managed to create a Creeper farm, but Pearl ended up finding it, and now she knows too."

Gem raised a brow. She was about to ask what exactly was wrong, but it then hit her. Pearl technically was from another alliance. The whole premise of the game was nearly lost to Gem for a second there. "Oh, well, that's not good."

"Yeah, but I think we came to an agreement with her not telling anyone as long as she can use it too," Scott explained until his eyes caught something from his peripheral. "Speaking of Pearl..."

"Hey-Gem! How are you feeling? Any better?" Impulse asked as he and Pearl strolled over to them.

Gem hesitated again. "No... Maybe? It's hard to say at this point." Scott chuckled once more.

"Well, how goes it with your project?" Pearl asked, obviously hinting about the redhead's watch. Martyn had brought her up to speed on most of what was going on, but Gem could tell the brunette was a bit weary of her. It was likely because she was from an alternate reality, which was a hard enough pill to swallow on its own. Still, though, Gem admired the woman's calm and kind demeanor with her regardless. She was definitely a lot like her Pearl back home.

"It's going great!" Gem said way too cheerfully. She then moved past the brunette. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd come with me, so I can brag about how well it's going."

"Wha-" Pearl stopped when she noticed the redhead ushering her along. She glanced back at Impulse and Scott, who carried similar looks of confusion. Finally, the brunette shrugged and followed after Gem.

The two went to the far edge of the mountain till they were right up against the border and secluded by some trees. Gem took out her notepad from Doc and flipped to an unused page. She pulled out a pencil and scribbled some words while Pearl watched her curiously.

"Uh, Gem, what's-" Pearl stopped again when Gem handed her the notepad.

I'll have to communicate like this with you. Don't ask why.

"Oh, okay?" Pearl raised a brow. She then shrugged off the strange behavior, assuming it was a task. "Gem, look, Martyn explained everything to me, and honestly it's been kinda hard to wrap my head around-" Pearl then shook her head. "Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about losin' your way home while you were trying to help us."

Gem smiled. A part of her wanted to smack herself for not bringing in Pearl sooner. The others kept pressing about how unhinged she could get if she was reminded of the past, but the brunette was acting just like her normal self. The self she recognized in her friend back home. She nodded towards Pearl and took back the notepad to write another message.

There's another way I could get back home, and I'd be able to take you all with me.

"Wait, seriously? How?" Pearl pressed. She couldn't help but grin at the idea.

It'll take a lot of work, and we'll have to defeat the Ender Dragon.

Pearl took a quick breath, scanning over the words with growing unease. "Oh... That's gonna be tricky."

It'll be easier if we gather up some fighters. Only green lives though.

"But you're-"

I know, but I'm not letting you guys fight alone when it's my plan. I was thinking you, and maybe Impulse and Scott if I can convince them.

Pearl gave a nod. "Well, I'm sure I can get Impulse onboard, but we'd have to hold off on the Ender Dragon till later. I... I promised Impulse I'd help him with a few things, and he's pretty adamant about getting them done."

That's fine. I still need to gather supplies and tell Martyn what's going on.

"Alright, I'll try to see if any other greens want to join too," Pearl said with a smile, and Gem returned it. The redhead went to write something else down, but-

"Hey there!"

Both women jumped back when a horse galloped up from behind Gem. Bdubs was riding the steed, and he carried a large grin.

"Bdubs, what the heck are you doing here?" Gem spat, calming herself from the scare.

"Sorry, sorry, I just came to talk to you about the End Portal. Word's got around that you opened it last session?" he asked. He leaned against the neck of his horse with a wide smirk like he was making a deal.

Gem's eyes dulled at the man before she sighed. Pearl, though, couldn't help but chuckle at her teammate's confidence. "Yeah, we were thinkin' about defeating the Ender Dragon actually-"

"Pearl!"

"What? You said you wanted to build up an army," Pearl defended herself while motioning to Bdubs. "He's green and he's interested." She then looked back over at her teammate. "You're interested, right?"

"Oh, hoho, definitely," Bdubs said after wiping away his initial surprise. He then grinned with even more excitement. "If we're forming a group, then I'll go ask Mumbo and Joel if they want to-"

"Wait, not-" Gem shut her mouth, reassessing her words.

Pearl noticed her struggle and took a guess. "No yellow lives, Bdubs. We don't want any red names this early into the game."

The short man nodded. "Right, right, don't want anyone going feral this early, got it... But wait, is Gem not going then?"

"I'm totally not going..." Gem glanced to her right. Pearl couldn't help but smirk from the woman's tone while Bdubs chuckled.

"Alright, well, I'll see what I can do. When we going?" Bdubs asked, pulling the reins of his horse to steer it back the way he came.

"Not till later. I gotta help Impulse with a few things first," Pearl answered.

"Alright, got it. See ya then!" Bdubs called out. He galloped away back towards the pink staircase that descended down the mountain.

When he finally left, Gem let out a deep sigh, having her head fall forward. "Thanks," she muttered.

"No problem. Now you go get what you need. I better go find Impulse," Pearl said as she walked away. Gem watched her go for a moment. A warm smile filled her face while her shoulders eased. Her eyes then soon narrowed, gaining back her confidence with a new goal in mind.

"I can do this. We can do this," she muttered, biting down the nerves that were worming their way through her body.

You're sooo gonna die to that dragon.

"Shut it, you," Gem muttered to Tay before heading back towards her base.

...

Grian had a rather difficult morning, and saying he had trouble sleeping was putting it mildly. The guilt from what he did to Scott, even if accidental, still haunted him.

That was one of the reasons why Grian chose to be down deep in the mines. He hadn't even bothered to read his task yet since he was so focused on reaching bedrock. Sweat caked his skin. Dirt and dust stained his jumper and jeans. He brushed the hair out of his face before swinging his pickaxe once more.

This was his chance to find a possible escape route for him and his friends. After nearly digging straight down for a few hours, fighting against mobs and avoiding lava, Grian finally hit the impenetrable stone. The avian stood over the rock, heaving a few quiet breaths through the nose, and stared at his target. The dark bedrock stared back, challenging him to dare try and break it.

That's when Grian's eyes glowed a dark violet. He held up his pickaxe, which soon glowed a similar hue to his gaze, before he struck the stone. It took many strong hits, but eventually, chunks of rock began to crumble. The avian continued this until he had to back away with the gaping hole of an empty black void beneath him. He panted a few deep breaths, staring down at his progress. The glow from his pickaxe vanished as he tucked it away. He then knelt down to examine the void further, but his hand was stopped by a nearly invisible barrier, just like the rest of the arena.

Grian groaned. He dipped his head low, gripping chunks of his hair with both hands. He gritted his teeth before pounding his fists against the border. His eyes then turned violet again. His hands relaxed against the barrier, so a wave of energy could flow from them. "Come on... Come on..."

The border wavered ever so slightly, but Grian had to stop from feeling lightheaded. A shooting pain fell over his temple, and he moved a hand towards it. The light from his eyes faded. His breaths grew shallow as he slowly raised his other hand and finally noticed its shakiness. He had over used his powers with removing the bedrock. Not to mention, he hadn't been able to sleep properly for who knows how long now, and-

Grian winced when he heard his stomach growl in a loud warning. The avian let out a sigh. He pulled himself to his feet and pointed at the barrier. "I'll be back to finish you off," he muttered before turning to leave.

He scanned over the cave's terrain only for panic to start settling in. The avian had lost track of where he was, let alone an escape route. His stomach growled louder, practically echoing through the silence. Grian went for the pouch on his belt. "There's gotta be... Come on, seriously!?"

All he managed to pull out were more tools or stone. Grian's gut twisted into knots, making him lean forward. In normal circumstances, it would take someone a much longer time to die of starvation, of course, but in these games, if you haven't eaten for some time, then it starts eating away at your hearts until you... well.

Stress started settling into the avian's muscles as he rushed for the nearest wall. His mind was growing too foggy to think of a better solution, so he simply started hacking away at the stone, creating a gradual staircase to the surface. The mining was slow and tedious, but he didn't want to exert himself any further by moving faster. Otherwise, he would definitely start losing health.

By the time sunlight finally peeked through the dirt above, Grian had to pull himself up and crawl onto the grassy floor. He layed sprawled out on the ground for a few seconds. He inhaled a large whiff of fresh air and allowed the sun to warm his skin.

Grian then sat up, so he could continue his journey back home. The avian only managed to pull his feet out from the dirt hole, though, before a sword was pointed right by his cheek. Grian jumped, startled as he twisted himself to stare at his sudden attacker.

Martyn kept the blade steady, eyeing Grian with a wild gaze like he had been on a hunt for hours, which he probably had been. The blonde's body was still, despite the quick breaths from exertion. "Finally found you. Been hiding out in the mines, have you?"

Grian swallowed hard. His look of fear betrayed his composure. Yet still, he did his best to keep his voice leveled. "Martyn, please-"

"Oh, don't try and act all innocent. I know you had Scott's mind scrambled somehow, and you also led Gem to a trap by having the End Portal be her task."

Grian paused. His brow creased. He tilted his head to the side as he tried to process his friend's words. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb! Gem's been shut in her house for days now all because you ruined her only way home."

Grian grew more puzzled by the second. "Wha-I- Martyn, you're not making any sense!"

"Doesn't matter. Point is you did something to Scott, and you made Gem open the End Portal, right?"

Grian's gaze then hardened. "I never made Gem do anything, and you seriously think I'd want that portal open? I've been trying to close it."

The two men held their stares. Neither of them wavered. Martyn's eyes squinted. He gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, refusing to lower it even an inch. "I don't believe you."

Grian's gaze suddenly grew clouded as he shifted his focus to the ground. "I wouldn't believe me either honestly."

There was another pause as silence settled in. An unnerving question lingered between them as they both focused on the blade.

"Are you gonna kill me?" Grian asked.

Martyn's posture stiffened slightly. His gaze then darkened. "You can't be in this game anymore. You clearly have an agenda."

"And what if that agenda is for your benefit?"

"Oh ho ho, I highly doubt that."

"What's your plan here, Martyn? I'm on my green life with likely more hearts than you. Even if you manage to kill me, I'll just respawn," Grian said with a dull expression, but he still didn't move away from the sword.

A smirk then fell over the blonde, surprising Grian. "You don't think I laid a trap for you by your bed?" The avian's muscles tensed from that claim. "And you're not looking too great yourself, if I'm being honest." Martyn motioned towards the dark rings under Grian's eyes and his wings that were covered in dirt. "I reckon that I could kill you pretty easily right now, and with the trap I laid out, you'll be waltzen around on your Red Life before the session's halfway over."

A grim expression fell over the avian. He narrowed his gaze up at Martyn. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you tell the whole truth. No more tricks. No more games," Martyn spoke in a low tone. He then moved the sword, so it could rest by the bird's neck instead. Grian shifted, uncomfortable from the cool iron touching his skin. He sneered while Martyn's eyes were clouded even more. "It's taking everything in me to not strike you down right now," he added as if he wasn't talking to the avian at all. "But I need answers, and I can't stand seeing Scott actin' the way he is now."

Guilt twisted inside Grian's gut, but most of all, the pain of hunger was growing further throughout his body, making his muscles feel heavy and his head start to throb. Martyn continued on, disgust dripping from his tone. "I can't tell if you're one of them, or if you're just a sell out, but no friend of mine would ever side with the Watchers."

Grian paused. Martyn's last word sank into his skin and rang through his brain. His body shook, fear and unease taking over his form. With a teary gaze, he soon burst out laughing. He blamed it on his mind currently feeling like brick, pounding against his skull. Martyn watched in bewilderment as the avian lifted his head up, ignoring the blade, and cackled up at the sky. His tone grew watery and bitter as his laughter boomed.

"What is happening right now?" Martyn asked while his brow creased with slight concern.

Grian continued his fit until he could catch his breath, clutching his stomach from the giggles. "Oh... Oh, man..." he said while brushing his bangs out of his eyes and blinking away the tears. He took a shaky breath to calm his trembling form. He then looked back over at the blonde, studying him. A tired smirk pulled at his cheeks when a new thought occurred to him. "Well, at least I know you aren't working for the Watchers."

"Wait, what?" Martyn asked before he lowered his weapon completely.

Grian paused, mulling over on what to say next, but the words started pouring out before he could truly think it over. "Well, mostly, I thought it was Gem, cause you know, she's not the real Gem-" Grian then bit his tongue. That was way too much information to share.

"Hold on, hold on," Martyn held up a hand to stop the man anyway. "You honestly expect me to believe that you thought we were working with the Watchers? You, master of the game and all that?"

The amusement from Grian's face fell away as he stared at the blonde. His expression grew heavy. "The last thing I want is for any of us to be in these games."

Martyn's own expression then twisted into rage. "Then why all the secrecy!? You knew we wanted to find a way out too, yet you kept lying to us, and what about Scott? What the heck did you do to him?"

"Like you said, I'm the master of this game. It's my responsibility to protect all of you, not yours," Grian said, eyes softening towards his friend. He then glanced to his right. "Besides, I wasn't sure if I could trust Gem..." he trailed off, biting the inside of his cheek before continuing. "...The Watchers... They love to play all sorts of mind games, so I figured I'd keep my cards close... and Scott..." Grian hesitated again, which didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. "I don't know exactly what happened to him, and I'm afraid to try anything in case I make things worse."

"What could be worse than being forced to act like all of this is just a game?"

"Trust me... things could always get worse." Grian's tone grew heavy as he stared the blonde down with a tired gaze. Martyn watched him. He processed his friend's words and studied his features. The avian's tone, though, sounded genuine enough that Martyn eased back, putting away his weapon. Grian took that as his chance to stand, but he nearly stumbled. He grew lightheaded as his knees buckled.

"Whoa! You alright there?" Martyn caught him by his arm. He helped his friend slowly sit back down on the ground.

Grian gave a tired sigh. "Not really... got any food on you?"

After a beat, Martyn dug around in his backpack. He removed it from his shoulders as he sat down next Grian. He then pulled out a few pieces of steak and handed it to the avian.

Grian gave his thanks while grabbing the food. He tried to hide it as best he could, but Martyn could see the swift bites from the bird as the meat was torn with his talons and dwindled to crumbs in mere seconds. It was then that Martyn pulled out a bucket of water and moved it towards his friend. Grian's gaze shifted from the bucket to the blonde before he took it in his hands. He gulped down nearly all the water.

In that moment, Martyn took the chance to examine the avian properly. His wings were indeed clipped, which he still wasn't sure by who, and it was obvious now that Grian was growing a bit pale, likely from the lack of sleep with the dark circles as indicators.

Honestly, Martyn felt a bit bad that he even raised a sword with the state Grian was in. He then shoved away those feelings of pity when he remembered who the man was. The kind of tricks and traps he'd done in past games. The blonde knew better than to underestimate him.

"What the heck happened to you?" Is all Martyn could ask once Grian handed him back the bucket.

Grian gave a shrug. "Been busy... hard to relax when you're in a death loop game." He smiled towards the man.

Martyn couldn't help but chuckle. When silence settled between them for a good long minute, though, his frown returned. "I still don't trust you."

"That's good. I don't trust you much right now either."

"Do you actually have a plan with getting us out of here?" Martyn asked, looking over at the avian.

Grian hesitated again. "I'm working on one."

"Care to tell me what it is then?"

"Not unless you want to tell me what this new Gem is doing here in these games?"

Martyn leaned back to glance up at the sky. "Not my story to tell, dude. Ask her yourself."

"You sound like Scott."

"That the reason you had the Watchers brainwash him?"

"I didn't-" Grian bit his tongue. He shot his gaze back to the blonde. The two shared a glare before the avian sighed again. He cast his attention towards the ground. "The last thing I want to do is have any of you get hurt."

"Then change Scott back."

"I don't know how."

"Grian-"

"Seriously, Martyn!" Grian snapped while he rose to his feet. The blonde copied him, watching the avian's wings puff up with frustration. Grian ran a hand through his hair to keep himself calm. He then turned to meet Martyn's gaze again. "Everything about this sucks, but you have to know that I'm doing what I can to get us out of here."

"And how's that working out for ya?" Martyn crossed his arms, making his friend frown. "This is game number five, and it's clear that we can forget everything in an instant, so forgive me for not wantin' to just sit back while you drag yourself around half-dead, working on an escape route with clearly very little success," he said while motioning towards the man's whole appearance.

Grian's gaze dulled at the gesture before glancing to the side. "Rude..." he muttered with a pout.

"Can't be rude if it's true." Martyn smirked. He then gained back his serious demeanor and pointed a finger at him. "I'm gonna check in on Gem, and when she's ready, all three of us are gonna have a chat."

Grian raised a brow. "What about Pearl? Doesn't she know about all this too?" he asked, recalling the brunette chasing him down last session as well.

Martyn paused, but he soon shook his head. "No, she doesn't know about all this. She was just worried about you last session cause of the wings," he explained while he pointed over to the man's back. "Which, by the way, you need to explain too cause what the heck?"

Grian exhaled, signifying as his answer.

"Seriously, don't make me chase you down again, or else you will be out of this game," Martyn warned. He shot the avian one last glare.

"If you can catch me." Grian couldn't help but smirk.

"I've done it in the past."

"Yeah, but who won the war-" Grian stopped, eyes wide. The words slipped out. He glanced back at Martyn, who's expression hardened.

Then, the blonde's face twisted with a new thought. His brow knitted. "You don't... You don't know where Ren is, do you?"

Grian's heart sank from the mention of the werewolf. He crossed his arms, but his gaze on Martyn had softened. "I can't get to him... but I know he's safe."

That answer didn't seem to please the blonde, but his posture became less tense. He nodded towards Grian before turning to leave. "Right... Explain it to me when we have our talk."

Grian's face fell as he watched his friend leave. Silence enveloped the avian's ears, and he hated it. It reminded him too much of The End, likely one reason why he had trouble sleeping. That, and his reoccurring nightmares lately as well.

He glanced back towards the direction of his egg hut, reminding himself to defuse any traps later. Grian grumbled at the sight of his little base. The solitude from all the other players. He really needed to find allies. The avian chose to focus on that for now and not on the inevitable talk he'd have with Gem-poster and Matryn.

I'll just have to choose my words carefully.

Their conversation wouldn't really matter anyways. He still had his plan with the barrier underneath the bedrock. It was weaker than the border on the top soil because no player could normally get to it, at least not with tools that were available inside the arena.

Right now, though, Grian's energy was spent, so he decided to waste his time playing the game while he tried regaining some strength. The young man made his way towards the egg hut while finally pulling out his secret task. He broke the seal and read over the text.

Bait a yellow into believing your task is "Singing everything you say."

"Sing everything... Oh come on!" Grian groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. He inhaled for a second before looking back down at the words. "Right... I can make this work."

Meanwhile, Martyn was making his way to Cherry Blossom Mountain when a voice called out to him.

"Martyn! Hey!" The blonde turned and spotted Gem racing over to him.

"Gem! Hey, you're outta of your base," Martyn replied with a grin. His expression fell, though, once he noticed the woman's tired complexion. "How goes it with the watch?"

Gem took out her notepad. Martyn raised a brow. He watched her flip to a page. She lifted up the paper for him to read.

I'll have to communicate like this with you. Don't ask why.

"Alright?" Martyn said with a chuckle. Gem then flipped to the next page.

There's another way I can get back home, and I'd be able to take you all with me.

"Seriously?" Martyn asked with slight surprise. "How?" Gem shifted to the next sheet of paper, and Martyn's eyes widened. "The Ender Dragon? Gem, are you crazy?"

Gem moved to a blank spot on the page, took out a pencil, and she scribbled down a new message. She then handed the notepad to Martyn.

These notes I have can help me create a large enough portal for all of us, but I need material from the portal that appears after defeating the dragon.

Martyn frowned at the words. "Well, that's annoyingly specific." The blonde then took a quick inhale before handing back the notepad to Gem. "Alright, you need my help fighting it then?"

Gem shook her head and flipped to another page. She scribbled down a new message.

No, only green lives. We can't afford the possibility of the players remaining hostile forever if we take them to another world.

Martyn raised a brow again. "But what about you? You're-"

Gem went to a previous page and circled another message.

I know, but I'm not letting you guys fight alone when it's my plan.

Martyn grew puzzled by the wording, but a new thought occurred to him. "I reckon you talked to Pearl?" Gem nodded. "Right, well, I'm not gonna argue missing out on fighting a giant dragon in The End. Good luck to ya," he said with a laugh, making Gem's gaze dull. "Oh, and you should know, I finally found Grian. He agreed to have a talk about everything that's going on."

Gem's eyes widened with surprise. "He's actually willing to talk to us?"

"Well, I doubt he'll tell us everything, but he seemed willing after I basically threatened to get him out of the game." Martyn smirked. "Either way, do you want to go talk with him now?"

Gem pondered the thought. She glanced past the blonde to see the egg hut in the distance. The redhead then wrote down a new message on her notepad.

No, not yet. I have to create enough armor and weapons for everyone that's helping me with the dragon, and I don't have time for any back and forth arguments with Grian right now. Keep an eye on him for me, though, will ya?

"Roger that," Martyn said while giving a small salute. He then turned to leave before looking back at the redhead. He carried a warm smile. "Seriously, though... don't die."

Gem returned the smile and gave a firm nod. She ignored the anxiousness in her gut, tucked away her notepad, and turned to head back home as well.

...

Scar took slow steps across the grass. He had taken out his cane from his satchel and used it to keep some of the weight off his legs. His braces continued to creak quietly, but it was still doable. He could easily craft new ones. He would just need more iron. While on his way to the mines, though, he decided to make a stop by Lizzie's.

The salesman's face brightened when he spotted pink hair in the distance. The young woman had her back to him while tending to the crops in front of her pumpkin-themed house.

"Why hello, hello, Lizzie!" Scar called out. Lizzie stood up from the call, wiping the dirt from her hands to face Scar.

She then narrowed her gaze, hands on her hips. "Scar, can I help you?"

"Why what's with the frown-" The salesman stopped when he recalled his last interaction with her. "Oh, right, well, don't you worry, Lizzie. Ole' Scar is here to make it up to ya." Lizzie arched a brow as Scar finally arrived to stand a few feet in front of her. "You remember our enchanting table deal from the first session?"

"Yes." Lizzie's expression softened as she watched the man move to her left.

"Well, it's almost ready. I just need a bit more leather," Scar explained while he threw a thumb behind him. A large pen of cows rested a few yards away from them. "Mind if I kill a few..."

Lizzie smiled. "Yeah, sure, just as long as you'll let me know when the enchanter's ready," she answered.

The salesman made his way towards the pen. The large group of cows grunted as they moseyed along their selected patch of grass. "Of course, we're in an alliance after all," Scar said with a charming grin.

Lizzie's whole demeanor softened. She watched her friend enter the pen and took out a sword with his free hand. Scar swiped at a few cows. They quickly fell to the ground, and their bodies disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving behind pieces of meat and leather. The rest of the herd just lazily looked at Scar, despite their fallen friends, and the salesman continued on. Lizzie's expression fell slightly when a new thought occurred. "You're gonna leave some cows, right?"

Scar grinned, ready to answer, but he then paused. His brain finally recalled the words on his scroll, and his muscles suddenly tensed. His sword was raised in mid-air, frozen by his shock, but he still glanced back to flash his friend a smile. "Of course, of course."

"Very good, very good," Lizzie said proudly with a warm smile. She then turned to head towards her base. "And just remember to let me know about the enchanter."

Scar winced from the woman's words, panic soon settling in, while his eyes slowly trailed to the rest of the cows in the pen. He lowered his sword and swallowed hard. "R-Right, will do!" he called out right before Lizzie shut the door behind her.

Scar gripped his cane until his knuckles turned white. His blood pressure was skyrocketing as he glanced back towards the pumpkin base again. "Oh no... No, no no, what do I do?! I gotta kill all the..." he trailed off, staring down the remaining livestock. He gulped once more. His throat went dry. He then raised his sword with a tense grip. "Okay-okay, just gotta be quick. Gotta get outta here," he muttered to himself as he slashed at more cows.

The livestock grunted and cried louder due to the growing attacks, and since they were becoming so frequent, it alerted Lizzie. The young woman moved towards the window, squinting out towards Scar. "What is he..." she muttered before heading for the door. She walked back outside. "Hey, whoa, what are you doing? Are you gonna leave any-"

Lizzie gasped. She watched as the salesman struck the last cow, witnessing it fall to the ground into a cloud of dust. Scar snapped his attention back to her with wide guilty eyes. Sweat dripped from his brow. The man stuttered. "I uh-I didn't- Gotta go!" Scar stepped over the fence, put his sword away, and made a mad dash out of there.

"Ex-cuse ME!" Lizzie roared, fists clenching, before she chased after him. Scar sprinted faster with the sound of growing footsteps from behind. He then managed to leap over the river beside her house, but he ended up falling to his knees with a painful grunt. He winced, muffling a cry. He then used his cane to force himself back up, ignoring both the soreness of his legs and the louder creaking of his braces. Lizzie stood at the edge of the river and shook her fist angrily. "Why you- You wronged me again! I'll remember this when I'm on my red life, Scar!" she cried.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Scar called out before he disappeared behind a hill.

Once silence enveloped the air around him, the salesman slowed down. The adrenaline started to wear off, and his ears were clogged with his fast heart beat. He was only able to make it a couple more feet before he finally collapsed onto the ground to catch his breath. He panted, gasping for breath, while he clutched the front of his shirt. As the seconds ticked by, allowing him to regain his hearing, the moment finally sank in for Scar. He gritted his teeth. Anger bubbled to the surface. "Darn it. Darn it!" he spat. He dropped his cane and let his face fall into his hands. "I ruined an ally... I ruined an ally because of my stupid task."

The salesman groaned deeply before he turned his attention towards the sky. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, letting his nerves eventually settle. His attention then moved to his legs. He frowned at the itching stiffness of the metal and the aching pain in his knees. He rolled up a pant leg, and he sighed once he found the new cracks in the braces. "Darn it, I gotta go get some iron fast."

The man then slowly rose back to his feet. He leaned most of his weight on his cane as he grunted, clearly wanting to just sit back down already. The salesman let out another heavy sigh. "Alright, alright, no more distractions... Gotta fix these up..." He took a few steps forward, supporting himself with his cane while on this gradual trek. He then gave a weary chuckle towards a new thought. "And I better apologize to Lizzie when the session's over."

...

Grian took a breath as he made his way towards Trader Scar's. He had managed to remove all the TNT from underneath the egg while also finally collapsing into his bed to savor any little sleep he could get. Feeling a bit more refreshed, he then took the time to grab a new change of clothes and clean out all the dirt from his wings. He ignored the sluggishness of his body while his brain cooked up a plan for how to succeed his task.

If I wanna trick a yellow, then I'm gonna need to trick some greens first.

A small smirk grew over his cheeks, the first one in the last few days. He couldn't help but get swept up with cultivating a win. Despite the severity of these games, a part of him selfishly loved the parts where he could actually have some fun with his friends.

Grian walked inside the shop, scanning the room for the salesman. He then entered the backroom and noticed Scar sitting down on the floor. Without processing anything else, Grian stepped forward with a wave of his hand.

"Hell-o, Scar!" he sang out as best he could. Scar jumped from the sudden call and looked up at the avian.

"Oh! Well, hello, Grian." Scar smiled. Grian's grin, though, faltered when he noticed the man was slipping on a new brace over one of his legs. The furnace next to him glowed with fire, smelting something from the smell of burning coal. In games like this, it obviously wasn't the first time Grian's seen the salesman replace his leg braces, but it was his friend's defeated posture and clouded gaze that concerned him.

Grian's whole plan fell apart as he stared at the man. "Scar, you alright?"

Scar, though, waved off the concern. "Oh, this? It's nothing. I just had to replace my braces. Did a little too much running around is all." The man then rose to his feet while using his cane and moved his legs around with ease. They no longer made any creaking sound. "See? Good as new," Scar said, but Grian could hear the heaviness in his tone. It was obvious something else was troubling him.

The avian's frown deepened. "Scar, is everything-"

"Oh, everything's fine, G. I'm just a bit tired," Scar said as he moved to start slowly pushing the avian out of the back room. "Now, Imma just scoot you outta here. This is a private area."

Grian allowed himself to get pushed back towards the front of the store. His focus was on the salesman when he turned, noticing he was putting extra items in the barrels above. "Scar, seriously, I can tell something's bothering you."

Scar stopped for a moment before glancing back at the man. His smile was softer now, much less forced than before. "I just had a couple set backs this morning, but really, G, it's nothing to fret over. I'll get back on my feet, literally," Scar said while motioning towards his new leg braces that were hidden underneath his pants.

Grian studied the man's face, searching his gaze. They seemed less clouded now, so with a breath, the avian nodded.

"Now." Scar cleared his throat. "Would you like to view our selection? See anything that catches your eye?"

Grian looked up at the barrels. He scanned the items to find stacks of copper and potions with a few discs propped up on the edges too. He shook his head, but a smirk soon appeared when he gained an idea. "Oh, this is all junk," he sang out in a low tone.

The salesman gaped at his friend, clearly looking peeved. "Wha-This is not junk!"

Grian chuckled. He then continued with his singing. "Yes it is. Yes it is."

Scar crossed his arms and sulked, but it was clear he was holding back a smile. "No, it is not."

Grian snickered when he heard the salesman start to sing too. The avian countered it with a musical tune again. "How does any of this help, in this game?"

"All of these things will help you in a time of need," Scar replied, matching the tune. He even waved his finger around as if he were a conductor, making Grian laugh.

Grian then spun around. He flexed his small wings to emphasize his drama. "I think, I will pass," he sang quietly. He gave a small wave and walked out of the shack like it was the end of a performance.

Scar cracked a grin as he waved a farewell in return. "It's been a pleasure, Good-bah-ah-ah!" he matched the man's tune once more before Grian completely disappeared. Scar then paused for a moment as he glanced to the side. "That was the weirdest thing-" The salesman was cut off by the sound of laughter outside. He looked through the window to see the giggling avian look at him before he waved an actual goodbye. "Oh, that-that pesky bird and his weird shenanigans," Scar huffed as he watched his friend leave. A small smile, though, soon appeared on his face as he headed to his back room. "Well, I'll just have to add more items for sale. That'll show em'."

At the same time, Grian let out a breath. He was still snickering from his interaction, but he soon buried his face in his hands, slipping into a groan. "Can't believe I just did all that singing," he muttered. He felt his face heat up with embarrassment. Inhaling to calm his nerves, he then lifted his head back up and scanned over the arena, taking notice of Cleo and Mumbo in the distance. He grew a weary smile.

Well, better keep this up if I wanna get this annoying task over with.

As Grian headed towards more green lives, Scar finally finished placing all the new items up for sale in his barrels. He grinned at the selection. "There we go! Got cactus, TNT, and a few other essentials that people will just love when they're on their red life. No way they'll pass up this stuff."

"Scar? Hey, you home?" The sound of Impulse's voice turned the salesman towards the front of his base.

"Yes, yes, come in!" Scar called out. He smiled to see several people entering his shop. Impulse led the way with Pearl and Skizz trailing behind him.

"Hey, Scar, how's the shop going?" Impulse asked after everyone filed in.

"Oh, It's going great. Would you like to make a purchase? We've got a wide selection to help prepare you for your red-"

"Aw, look at this sign." Scar stopped to turn to his left. Pearl had moved towards the end of the counter to admire a wooden sign that hung on the back wall beside the salesman. It was the sign that he altered back in session two due to his task, so it read: We are big Fans of Pearl here at Trader Scars. Pearl grinned at the message. "I love this sign."

"Oh, yup, we're big fans of you here," Scar said while he moved back to the main conversation. His task then jabbed him in the back of the head. He glanced back at Pearl. "But not anymore."

"What!?" Pearl whined, making the salesman wince.

Scar then gave an awkward laugh and focused back on Impulse. "So, anything I can help you with?" he asked while ignoring the brunette's pout.

"Well, you see, last session my task was a real dirty deed, and it left poor Skizzle here losing a lot of health because of me," Impulse said as he placed a hand over his chest. Skizz stood off to the corner with his head hanging low to emphasize his best friend's speech. "He lost twenty hearts."

"Ooo..." Scar cringed, which made Skizz sigh in agreement.

"Yeah, and I've felt terrible ever since, so we are on a mission to see if we can recover some free hearts based off the generosity of all our friends here in this arena," Impulse said while leaning an arm against the counter.

His words, though, made the salesman freeze. He glanced over at Skizz to see the man looking at him with a smile. He placed his hands together and stared at Scar with a plea in his eyes, making the salesman's gut twist into knots. "So you... So you want me to give Skizz a heart?" Scar asked.

"Yeah, you haven't given your free heart today?" Pearl added. When Scar shook his head, Pearl smiled. "Great, so you would help poor Skizzly, right?"

Scar could feel himself starting to sweat as he took quiet breaths through the nose to calm his pounding heart. He glanced down at the cane still clutched in his hand. He tightened his grip around the handle before he moved from behind the counter. "So... so, you need me to give you a heart, huh?" he asked Skizz again carefully as he stopped in front of him.

The taller gentleman carried a kind smile while staring at Scar. He still kept his fingers intertwined like a child begging for a toy. "Please, buddy? I'm so low on hearts, man. I don't wanna be yellow this early."

Scar's throat tightened from the man's words. He looked back down at his cane, feeling his hand start to slip from sweat.

"Yeah, I mean we've seen in the past that Skizz has had some rough beats, especially in the last game. I think we could all do him a little favor," Impulse added while scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "It would just mean a lot if you could give him a heart, Scar. He lost twenty."

Scar let out a choked sigh, hands starting to shake. He wanted to back down. He wanted to just give Skizz the free heart so bad, but his task... The game. He needed to keep up with his own hearts. Lord knows he needed every single one that he could gain from succeeding his task.

Seriously, you've gotta get better at this, or you're gonna be the first one out.

Mumbo's words rang through Scar's mind, making his grip on the cane tighten. Scar cast his attention to the ground and dwelt on his thoughts.

It's just a game. Skizz'll get over it. Come on, Scar, come on...

"Yeah, I mean look at this man. Look at him. He's barely got any armor on him," Pearl chuckled as she scanned Skizz up and down, pointing out that he only had on diamond boots.

"So you want me... to gift you... My free heart," Scar breathed. He felt like he was going to puke. His eyes darted back up to Skizz. The taller gentleman nodded, keeping his wide grin. While the salesman's mind buzzed with several emotions, the front door was thrown open.

Everyone's attention turned to find Jimmy. His neon yellow eyes scanned the group. "I heard you guys were going around demanding hearts."

Scar groaned at the new addition to the stress. He barely gave his attention to the avian as he glanced to his right. "Get out of here, lap dog," he jabbed at the man's alliance name.

Jimmy, though, stepped forward and pointed a finger at the salesman. "I need that heart, Scar. You got me killed last session. You owe me this," Jimmy warned with a narrowed gaze.

"Hey, come on, Jimmy-"

"Don't come on me. You guys are all greens. I need it more," Jimmy snapped back, wings rising with his tone.

The group soon fell into a rather loud argument. The four players went back and forth with their bickering, placing more and more pressure on the salesman. Scar squeezed his eyes shut. He dipped his face again, head vibrating and throbbing with pain. His body trembled while he felt his mind tearing in several different directions on what decision to make. Out of all his thoughts, though, one phrase managed to ring louder than the rest.

GET GOOD!

It was all a blur after that. Scar raised his cane and swung it down on Skizz's head. There was a loud crack! Skizz tumbled to the floor, body flashing red. He cried out from the attack while blood trickled down his face.

"Whoa, WHOA!"

"Oh my-Oh my gosh! SCAR!"

An uproar of shock fell over the shop, drowning out the salesman's apologies. Scar ignored all the heated protests as he shoved past the avian and sprinted out the door.

"Scar, hey! SCAR!" Impulse snapped while Jimmy and Pearl rushed to their fallen friend's side.

Skizz sat up with a grunt. He wiped some of the blood from his cheek. "That went so poorly!" he whined while Pearl examined his head. Thankfully, the wound was already starting to heal, but she could see the man wince whenever he moved too quickly.

"What the heck was all that about?" Impulse asked once Pearl and Jimmy helped Skizz to his feet.

Skizz gritted his teeth, wiping more blood from his brow. "I don't know, but I am SO done!" He moved towards the barrels on the high shelf and started grabbing a few items. "I don't know what Scar's deal is lately, but I'm taking these," he grumbled, stowing the TNT in his pouch. He then turned to march out the door. Pearl watched him go, yet her attention was pulled to the counter as Jimmy rushed to stand behind it.

"Oh man, Skizz, hey! Wait, wait," Jimmy called out, halting his suit-wearing friend. "I feel like I messed up that whole exchange. Let me give you my heart," he said while he ushered the man back inside. Reluctantly, Skizz dragged himself back into the shop with a huff.

Impulse smiled at the avian. "Well, thanks, Jimmy. That's really-"

Jimmy then smirked. "All you've gotta do-" He pulled a couple eggs out from his satchel. "Is defeat these zombies." He threw down the blue and green eggs, causing a small horde to spawn right in the middle of the store.

The group all shouted in alarm as they sprinted out of the shop.

"Jimmy, seriously!?" Pearl spat. She took out her sword to slash at the oncoming threat that followed the players. Impulse joined her, and the zombies soon started to burn from the sunlight.

"Wait, Skizz! I was really gonna give you the heart! Honest!" Jimmy zipped past the zombies to call out towards the disappearing player.

Skizz jumped onto his skeleton horse and rode off, refusing to look back at the group. "Nope! I'm done! I hate everyone in this game!" He cried.

Pearl's frown deepened after finishing off the last zombie. She and Impulse shared a look while turning their glare onto the avian.

Jimmy gave a weak chuckle once all eyes fell onto him. "That didn't go as planned..."

"Oh, did it now?" Pearl asked with hands on her hips.

"Low blow, Jimmy," Impulse said, crossing his arms.

"Hey, I was just wanting to play a mini game with you guys. At least I didn't start whacking Skizz for no reason," Jimmy sighed before walking off. Pearl watched as he ran a hand through his hair. His head hung low, and his wings were drooping with guilt.

The brunette sighed as well. She couldn't stay mad at her friends. He doesn't know, Pearl. He doesn't know this is more than just a game, she told herself internally. "These tasks really have been making everyone go crazy," she said out loud instead. She looked back at Impulse, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... Come on, we'll give Skizz some time to cool down and check on him later."

"Right, right..." Pearl's face then brightened when a new thought came to mind. "Oh, hey, by the way, Gem's buildin' up a team to go fight the Ender Dragon later. Wanna come join us?"

"Defeat the Ender Dragon?" Impulse asked, glancing at the ground with a frown. "I don't know. We've got such limited hearts already."

Pearl bit her lip. She'd hate to pressure him, but they really needed more fighters. "Yeah, but think of all the XP you'll get after defeating it. You'll be able to create better enchantments with your armor."

Impulse's neon green eyes twinkled. "Right, right! Yeah, that's true." He hummed while pondering the idea. He then shook his head, holding back a laugh. "Screw it, let's do it."

"Yeah!" Pearl said while giving the imp a high-five. Guilt then festered into the woman's gut, but she shoved it away.

Just please, Gem, let this plan work.

...

Scar continued to sprint until he reached a river. He let himself fall down into the grass when he realized no one was after him. He heaved a few deep breaths, trying desperately to catch some air in his lungs. He then twisted his body and leaned forward on his hip to reach the water. He dipped his hands in the river to splash his face. Water droplets rolled down his cheeks. The cool liquid refreshed his senses, bringing him back to the present. Scrubbing his face with more water, his eyes slowly trailed over to the abandoned cane beside him. His frown deepened when he noticed the bit of blood that now stained it.

"Oh, Skizz, I'm so sorry," he uttered quietly. He picked up the cane and placed it into the water to remove the red. "I'm gonna have a lot of apologies to give out by the end of this."

He then grimaced when he dwelt on his words. Why was he feeling so guilty? His actions lately, whether intentional or not, have all aligned with the whole point of the game. Scar had plenty of ease in past games swindling and scamming these same friends, while also inevitably killing them too. Why was this any different?

"Because I wanna make friends... I'm tired of being alone," Scar muttered, answering the irritated voice in his head. "I wanna be a good guy this season, but this terrible task is making me act like... like..."

Like everything the others just expect of me, a complete nuisance.

The salesman sighed after taking his cane out of the water. He then rested the stick on his lap after he crossed his legs. He studied the blades of grass beneath him before he shoved away the feeling of unease resting in his gut. "No, no, what am I saying? We've all done plenty of terrible stuff to each other. I'm just playing the game like everyone else!" he defended himself. He placed a thumb to his chest and narrowed his gaze towards the guilt that tried to seep into his brain. He shook his head before rising to his feet. "Why should I feel bad for succeeding!"

Because I'm just the villain. Proving that I deserve to be alone.

Scar froze. His shoulders gradually fell. He turned to look around the arena, spotting the clusters of builds to signify alliances. Nearly everyone else was already part of a team besides him. It was a painful reminder of a past game that Scar always chose to ignore.

The salesman's gaze hardened. "I'm gonna succeed this task, and I will find an alliance..." His determination then faltered as he gave a weary chuckle. "If I don't lose all my friends by the end of this." Stowing away his cane, he then pulled out some diamond armor from his satchel. The shiny new metal of his recent craftsmanship made the man grin as he placed some on his shoulders. "Better get geared up in case an angry mob comes for me."

Scar took out a diamond helmet next and placed it on his head, smiling proudly. He then looked around, pondering on what to do next.

"Hey, Scar?"

The salesman jumped from a sudden voice. He spun around, preparing for an attack, but his arms slacked when he noticed who it was. "Oh, oh, it's just you, Joel."

"Hiding from someone?" Joel asked with a smirk.

"Wha-No, no, I'm not hiding from anyone," Scar said with his hands up. His voice was way too high-pitched.

The ogre crossed his arms. "You wouldn't be lying to a yellow, would ya?"

Scar blinked for a second, glancing to the right. "Uh, is that a trick question? Aren't I supposed to..."

Joel looked away while scratching his cheek. "Yeah, I don't know why I said that. Made no sense at all." He then sighed, letting his ears dip low. "Ugh, nothing's been working out for me this session. Grian tricked me into succeeding his lousy task, and I just-Wait, Scar, why you wearin' a helmet?"

Scar raised a brow. He glanced up at the shiny metal. His eyes then went wide in horror.

Wearing a helmet was against the rules of the game.

"NOOO!" he screamed. He held his hands up in agony for the loss of materials, for creating the expensive head-wear. "I completely forgot about that rule, no!"

Joel laughed, clutching his stomach. He watched as the salesman dipped his head low to the ground, slowly walking away in shame. The ogre followed while wiping a tear of joy from his eye. "Oh, come on, Scar, don't tell me you actually wasted diamonds on that thing."

"N-No..." Scar sniffed. He was still shuffling away.

"Well that's unfortunate... But alright, you know what to do," Joel said with a grin. He walked beside his friend before taking out a flint and steel from his pockets. He stopped the salesman by his shoulder and handed him the item. "Dooo it. Dooo it. Dooo it!" he chanted happily.

Scar looked down at the items. Tension now ate at his muscles. He handed the flint and steel back to Joel and gave a weak smile. "Thanks, but I've got a flint and steel back in my shop, and I'm in a rush, so I better get back and-"

"Scar... Where are you going? Scar!" Joel spat as he watched the man step away with quicker and quicker pace.

"I promise I'll take it off!" Scar called out while walking backwards to still face the ogre.

"Then take it off right now!" Joel snapped back.

"Sorry! Too much in a rush!"

The ogre's face twisted in disbelief when his friend turned and soon shifted into a full on sprint. "Wha-SCAR! Get that bloody helmet off!" Joel shouted before chasing after the salesman.

~~~~~

Chapter Text

Scar rushed down a stone staircase and pressed his body against the wall. Despite his deep breaths, he hushed himself long enough to hear the footsteps of Joel race by.

When the air grew silent around him, the salesman sighed with relief. He placed a hand to his chest. His body shook from adrenaline while his heart pounded in his ears. He peeled himself away from the wall to peek out towards the surface.

"Scar?"

"Ah!" Scar jumped from the sudden voice. He spun around and sighed loudly at the player behind him. "BigB! Gosh, you gave me a heart attack there. I didn't even hear you."

BigB chuckled. "Yeah, I've been doing that a lot with everybody lately. Goes with my whole mysterious theme this game, heh." His lips then pressed together as he smiled. "What are you up to?"

Scar's shoulders relaxed while he grinned at the cookie man. "Well, I was just trying to avoid, Joel. The man's been chasin' me around forever."

"Oh, you can hide out down here then. Wanna come see the cobblerooms I made?" BigB shot a thumb behind him.

"Cobble rooms?" Scar asked. His mood lightened from the interesting name. "Sure, sure, what's that?"

"Come with me," BigB said while he ushered the salesman further down the winding staircase.

As his friend went down the steps, Scar paused to process his words. His eyes widened once he recalled his task. He then immediately spun around in the opposite direction and raced back up the steps as quietly as he could.

"Hey-Hey!" BigB called out once he noticed the salesman's disappearing form. He hustled back towards the surface.

"Ah-Sorry!" Scar shouted as he ran away. He raced across the field and disappeared behind some trees. What he didn't see, though, was the deep frown the cookie man grew. BigB's eyes glowed a bright purple while they narrowed towards Scar with slight irritation.

Meanwhile, Scar ended up back at his shop. He let out a sigh as he placed his hands on his knees. He bit his lip, looking back the way he came. "Darn it, I really wanted to see the cobble rooms," he whined.

With tired breath, Scar pushed open his door. He looked up at the barrels and frowned. "Oh, this is just great. Making enemies with everyone, and now I've got people stealing items." The man groaned while he pulled down his cheeks. "Well... at least it can't get any wor-"

"Hey, Scar-"

"Ahohoho!" Scar screamed before zipping behind the counter. A laugh bounced off the walls while the salesman peeked out. He spotted a player by his open door. "Gosh, Joel! Where did you even come from!?"

"Jeez, didn't mean to scare ya that bad," Joel explained before snickering. "But it's what you get after making me chase ya for like 20 minutes."

"Well you didn't have to chase me!" Scar spat once he stood up straight. "I told you I would take off the helmet."

Joel stepped inside the shop and crossed his arms. "Alright, then take it off."

Scar glanced anywhere but at the ogre. He then moved towards his back room. "Sure, I just gotta get my flint and steel."

Joel raised a brow and was about to follow the salesman until a voice spoke behind him.

"Hey, what's goin' on in here?" Martyn asked curiously while he stepped inside the shop too.

"Scar's wearin' a bloody helmet that he refuses to take off," Joel grumbled.

"Wha? Really?" Martyn asked with a small chuckle. "Is it his task or somethin'?"

"I guessed that, but apparently it's not. He's just breaking the rules for no reason." Joel threw his arms up to further his point.

"Where is he?" After the ogre motioned with his thumb, he and Martyn started making their way to the back room.

"He said he was just getting a flint and steel, but I doubt-AAAnd, I was right." Joel's gaze dulled when he noticed the giant hole in the wall, leading outside. The ogre growled, long ears dipping low. "Bloody hell, Scar!"

Martyn jumped through the opening in the wall first and looked to find Scar sneaking behind the courthouse, clearly still wearing a diamond helmet. "Scar! What are you doing?"

Scar glanced back at the blonde. "Uh, nothing important. Goodbye, Martyn!" he waved before sprinting off.

Martyn chuckled again while Joel stepped outside behind him. "Come on, Scar, we're taking you to the courthouse! You're violating the rules!" he shouted as the two raced for the salesman.

"Nope! Courthouse is closed for the day!"

"How can it be closed? There are no doors!" Martyn laughed. He and Joel picked up the pace and sprinted after their friend.

Scar then made a sharp turn behind one of the Mounders' bases. His pursuers followed closely behind, but when they rounded the corner, they had to dive out of the way from an oncoming steed. Martyn and Joel fell to the ground while the horse sprinted off with Scar riding it.

"Hey! That's my-Give me back my horse!" Martyn looked to find Bdubs was the one shouting. He stepped out of his base and started shaking his fist towards Scar. He then pulled something from his moss-covered backpack.

The blonde's eyebrows flew up once he noticed it was a bow and arrow. The moss man took aim, and Martyn leaped to his feet. "Hold on, hold on! You don't gotta do that-"

Bdubs released the string before Martyn could reach him. The arrow soared high into the air and landed a foot in front of the horse's path. The steed neighed, raising its front half from the shock. It jumped too high, though, and caused Scar to lose his grip on the reins, falling off the saddle. He landed on the ground with a loud thud!

Martyn winced from Scar's yelp, his body flashing red from the impact. Bdubs, on the other hand, simply placed his hands on his hips while carrying a frown. "Clocker or not, nobody steals my horse!"

Joel laughed once he rose to his feet. He cheered for his teammate. "Nice one, Bdubs!"

Martyn sighed, relieved that the arrow didn't actually hit the salesman, which surprised him. Under normal circumstances, he'd be laughing right along with them. This role of protector that Martyn was now playing, it felt very off to him. He hadn't done something like that in a long time, least of all for this many people. The blonde scratched the back of his head while giving a quiet scoff.

Man, without the Watchers, I'm actin' like a real softy, aren't I?

Martyn smiled at the thought before he glanced back at Scar. He figured the man was punished enough for the time being, so he went to join the still celebrating Mounders to hopefully distract them from furthering their pursuit.

Scar, on the other hand, continued to lay on the ground. He allowed the horse to gallop back towards its home. The salesman simply stared up at the sky, breathing deeply. His chest heaved up and down. He was finally able to catch some air. His muscles ached from tension, the back of his head throbbed from the impact, and his mind felt like cement, weighted by his worsening circumstances. "H-How? How is today going so bad? I d-don't understand-" Scar choked on his words. His voice wavered. "Gosh, why the heck did I make this stupid helmet?" He gave a bitter chuckle while brushing the sweat off his forehead.

Scar's mumbling, though, ceased when Jimmy came over to him. He looked down at the salesman with a raised brow.

"Scar?" he asked curiously. The avian's eyes, though, soon narrowed when he spotted the diamond helmet. Scar followed his gaze before his own eyes dulled. Jimmy then crossed his arms. "Well, don't you look shiny."

"Oh, don't you even start," Scar spoke with clear exasperation.

"You look really shiny," Jimmy furthered, squinting his gaze.

Scar sighed as he rose to his feet. "Look, I can explain-" The salesman's eyes then widened when spotted an approaching figure. "Oh come on, he's back for crying out-"

"Get that helmet off, Scar!" Joel shouted as he sprinted after Scar again with a concerned Martyn close behind him. "Why you still got that helmet on!?"

Scar internally screamed before he ran off once again, brushing past the avian. Jimmy then joined the pursuit too. "Yeah, Scar! Take it off, come on."

Scar ignored their calls and raced past more people. He nearly crashed into Mumbo and Tango, who were on the back of their steeds. Several more people in the center of the arena noticed the chase, and confused murmurs fell over them all.

"What's going on?"

"Scar's cheating! He's wearin' a helmet!"

"Scar to the courthouse, come on!"

"No, no, I don't think I will!" Scar said through his fake laugh. He heard the sound of galloping hooves behind him.

"Ooo, Scar you better listen!" Tango warned while snickering.

"Yep, come on, Scar, you're breaking the rules!" Mumbo called out, now chasing after the salesman on horseback.

"Yeah, get him!" Skizz cheered in the background while Cleo laughed at the chaotic scene.

The chase ended up steering the frantic salesman back to his base. Scar took notice of Etho, who was already on the steps of the courthouse. He ushered his friend forward. "Scar, come on, we gotta settle this."

"Etho, you're not even yellow!" Scar whined, making more of the players laugh. He raced past the masked man and continued his escape. His legs felt like they were about to fall off, and he could already tell his braces were loosening, bending from strain. His panting grew heavier the further he ran, and his face was soaked in sweat.

"Scar!" several voices shouted, which made the slowing salesman pick up the pace. Eventually, though, he could hear their clamoring calls grow distant. It wasn't until he was met with silence that Scar finally collapsed to the ground. He found himself by another river yet again, so Scar crawled his way over to it. He sat up enough to cup his hands in the chilly liquid and drink some for his parched throat, letting droplets roll down his skin. After a beat, he then leaned forward and dunk his face into the water. He belted out a gurgled scream, which scared away any possible fish within several yards. Finally, lifting his head back up, he gasped for air, brushing strains of wet hair out of his eyes. Once he sat up fully, he attempted to breathe through his nose to calm his trembling form down until his body went slack.

The numbing buzz of silence enveloped him, welcomed him. The gentle summer breeze that rustled leaves filled the man's ears and eased his tense muscles. "I never thought I'd ever enjoy the quiet so much again," he muttered with a deep sigh. He shut his eyes to allow nature to wash over him.

"Hey, Scar, you alright?"

The salesman's smile dropped. He opened his eyes and turned to find Scott beside him. Scar gave a strained grin in response. "I'm... I'm doing great, Scott. Just-Just great."

Scott gained a smirk. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Nope, not really," Scar continued with his overly chipper tone.

"Okay... Well, I saw everyone chasing you a second ago, and you're... helmet? Why you wearing that?" Scott asked while tilting his head to the side."I don't care as much as the rest do. I just know that you tend to not break the rules, at least not so deliberately."

Scar gained a genuine smile just then. His heart warmed at the elf's words. His shoulders eased as he turned to face the river again. "It's just been crazy, Scott. So many people are after me, and I'm so beyond tired of running."

"Well if you're needin' to lay low, you can hide out on Cherry Blossom Mountain with my team. Unless you've upset one of them too?" Scott asked with another smirk.

Scar snickered, but his humor soon faded when he processed the elf's words. He soon slipped into a frown.

Darn it, now I can't go with him...

Scar sighed before rising to his feet. "Thanks, but I'm alright. I'll figure something out."

"Alright, if you're sure."

"Y-Yup!" Scar squeaked with a shaky thumbs up.

Scott's gaze then trailed to his right. "Well, just so you know, I think Lizzie's looking for you now."

"Of course she is..." Scar slumped forward, dragging his feet away. "Why not? Just another person!" he spat dramatically with his hands raised.

Scott snickered a bit before he walked away. "Good luck, Scar."

"Thank you!" Scar called out. He then spun around and smiled back at the elf. "So glad we're not allies, Scott. So glad!"

Scott raised a brow. "Okay... Bye, Scar," he finished with another chuckle.

When Scar turned back around, he went for another round of running once he spotted Lizzie in the distance. The pink-haired woman was clearly searching for someone, so the salesman immediately booked it in the opposite direction.

Scar scanned the area with growing panic. "Gotta hide. Gotta hide..." he trailed off once he spotted the egg hut on top of the hill. The man grinned and made a beeline for the wooden staircase leading up to it. "I'll just hide out in the egg until everyone's calmed down."

Scar hurried up the steps. He checked his surroundings to ensure no one was around before stepping inside the small hut. Immediately, Scar found quite a few white feathers scattered on the floor, but he barely acknowledged them. He had teamed up with Grian plenty of times in the past to be used to finding stray feathers everywhere. The avian was usually good with keeping them at least on his side of their bases, but Scar would still randomly find some stuck to the bottom of his shoes or inside his wooden chests, if his bird pal was snooping.

Scar scanned the rather small base. His head nearly hit the top of the door frame. All there seemed to be was the standard items a player would need: bed, furnace, and chests.

The build looked so rushed and half-baked, so different from the creative building Scar's known his friend to do. He guessed Grian was just too preoccupied with something else to really put in any effort. He hadn't even seen the avian for most of the session.

"What the heck have you been up to, Grian?" Scar asked. He looked around once more before finding an empty spot in the corner. The salesman pushed Grian's bed aside, so he could have space to plop down on the floor and stretch his legs.

After a quick breath of relief, Scar could feel his stomach rumble. He dove into his satchel and pulled out a piece of steak. Munching on his meal in silence, Scar rolled up his pant legs to examine his braces. The metal was bent in a few places from overuse, but there were no visible cracks yet.

Scar sighed once more. "It's a good thing I stocked up on that iron," he said before slipping into a poker face. "Hopefully, it's not all gone when I get back to my shop."

After finishing off his food, Scar unrolled his pant legs again only to get some feathers caught on the cuffs. The man huffed. He started to pick them off and toss them to the side. "Man, these things get everywhere," Scar chuckled. He then leaned his head against the back wall and shut his eyes for a brief moment.

...

Grian grumbled under his breath as he climbed his way back up to the surface. After succeeding his task, the avian was left with not much else to do but attempt to break his way through the barrier beneath the bedrock. Unsurprisingly, he barely made a dent just like earlier.

His powers were still drained. He was exhausted, but of course, he would never admit to that. There was too much at stake. He was so close to actually getting somewhere with an escape route. He didn't have time to relax anymore, and Lord knows that his mind wouldn't let him sleep properly because of it.

Grian's wings ruffled from his irritation once he stepped out of the opening he made from the underground cave. He walked onto the grass and covered the hole with patches of dirt. Once he was in the sunlight, he could see the scratch marks and scrapes on his skin that were finally almost healed. They were evidence of his narrow escape from mobs down below.

"Stupid zombies..." he mumbled. His head was pounding, legs fatigued, and his hunger was low once more. With haggard breaths, the man dragged himself back to his egg base. "Can this day just be over with?" he muttered, glancing up at the sky. He pulled himself up the steps, arms hanging at his sides. "Literally crawling back from the caves... I just want this session to be-What are you doing in my house!?"

Grian's mouth hung open when he spotted a sleeping Scar in the corner of his hut. The salesman snapped his eyes open, sitting up with a jolt. "Scar, what are you doing?" Scar locked eyes with him before shooting up to his feet.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean-Gotta go!" The salesman rushed past his friend.

"Scar-" Grian spun around, but the man was hurrying down the steps. The avian raised a brow, watching as the panicked figure dashed off. He chuckled slightly when he saw Scar pause to look around in all directions like a frantic chicken.

"What on earth is he doing?" Grian asked himself. He then shrugged at the incident before going to his chest. He pulled out some berries, shut the lid, and popped the snack into his mouth. When he bit down, the juice inside them burst, sending their sweet flavor against his dry tongue. His shoulders eased at the sensation, and his stomach finally stopped growling.

Grian continued to munch on the berries greedily, but once he turned to face the entrance of his base again, he was surprised to find the salesman dragging his feet back up the steps. His brow creased with confusion. "Scar, what-"

The salesman's face was downcast while he fiddled with the bottom of his jacket. "I couldn't really think of anywhere else to go..."

Grian snickered after hearing the embarrassment in his friend's tone. With his bitter attitude melting away, the avian smiled at Scar. "You doing okay, buddy?"

Scar raised his head to meet the other man's gaze. Clear exasperation filled his features. "It's been absolutely... good," he said, pausing for a moment with his answer. He pondered the question while his answer puzzled Grian even more. "I mean bad, or neutral? Yeah, yeah, neutral. I'm neutral."

Grian smirked. He crossed his arms as he processed the strange answer. "You're neutral?"

Scar waved off the claim, shaking his head. "No, I'm good! I'm feeling powerful, strong even," he said while lifting his arms up to flex his biceps proudly. Grian, though, took notice of his strained smile. His overly chipper tone was also an indicator of the salesman's false words. The avian studied his friend for a second, squinting his eyes with suspicion. Scar avoided his gaze while he moved towards the egg hut. "So is this your base? Why did you make it egg-shaped? Is it some kinda irony or-"

"Scar, don't jump."

The salesman froze. His back was to Grian, but his eyes widened from the sudden command. Scar tried to play it cool and move closer to the base. "I mean, really, it's cozy, but why make it so small?" Scar did his best to do a small skip up the steps as he reached the inside of the hut. His face immediately heated up from his not so subtle movement and Grian's snickering.

"Scar, did you just..." Grian trailed off when he locked eyes with the salesman again. Scar then gave a small groan in response. He walked over to the wall and leaned his forehead against the wood in shame. The avian stifled a laugh from his friend's overly defeated posture. He walked up the steps to stand beside him. "Is it an opposite day thing?"

Scar stood up straight and dove into his satchel. He then spun around and handed his bird pal a diamond. Grian looked back up to see the man's narrowed gaze. "Say nothing..."

Despite the serious glare of the salesman, Grian cackled, letting his wings rise up with his joy. Eventually, Scar joined in, and the two fell into a fit of giggles. Their laughter, though, sounded more so out of pure exhaustion than anything actually funny.

"Seriously, this task has been the worst! I made enemies with everyone, Grian," Scar said once their laughter died down. The salesman moved to look out into the arena with slight panic. "People been chasing me all over the place. I can't get a moment of rest. I'm well past my insanity limit, and I am so unbelievably sweaty, G, you wouldn't believe it." He placed his hands on the man's shoulders and shook him a bit with a crazed look in his eye.

Grian was taken aback by the frantic behavior, but still, he smiled and moved to head back out of the base. "Well, what about BigB? I've been meaning to talk to him for a while, so why don't you come with me."

"I already talked to him, and he's mad at me too!" Scar exclaimed as he followed after him while running a hand through his own hair.

"Oh no," Grian chuckled, stopping halfway down the staircase to look back at Scar. The salesman let out a tired breath. He moved back up and plopped down on the edge of the cliff, letting his feet dangle. Grian headed over to him and took a seat on the cliff too.

"Today's just been the worst," Scar muttered.

"I feel that..." Grian unconsciously moved one of his wings onto his lap. It was a bit more difficult due to them being much smaller, but he managed. The man grimaced at the clumps of dirt stuck to the feathers. He plucked the dirt out silently while Scar glanced over, watching him work.

"What have you been up to? I haven't seen you around since this morning," Scar asked.

"Just been mining. Trying to get plenty of items."

"Is that why you're pale as a ghost and have a serious case of eye bags? You've been sleeping at all lately?"

Grian paused. He let a few loose feathers fall from his grasp when he seemed to be slapped with dejavu. He remembered the salesman asking him similar questions all the way back in the first game. Times when the avian was so busy prepping their defenses in the desert that he forgot to sleep some nights.

Grian avoided eye contact as if he were a child that had been caught. "I'm getting sleep... just been busy."

Scar scoffed. "Heard that excuse before."

Grian rolled his eyes, but his focus shifted when he heard a sound. He glanced down. There was a soft creaking from the salesman's dangling legs. "You been overusing your braces? Didn't you just change them this morning?"

Scar's mouth fell open in shock. "Hey, it's not my fault! I told you, everyone's been chasing me around because of this dumb task."

"Or is it because you're very obviously breaking the rules?" Grian pointed up to the Scar's shiny helmet. "Who the heck told you not to put on a diamond helmet?"

Scar groaned, dipping his face towards the trench below their feet. "Okay, so that was an error. I forgot about the no helmet rule, and then Joel... Wait, should I be telling you all this? Wouldn't that make me fail my task?" he asked with a knitted brow after meeting his friend's gaze again.

Grian smirked. "Ah, he's finally learning." Scar shot the man a look, but the avian brushed it off. "But I wouldn't count it a fail since you haven't technically told me it yet. I just guessed it, and I'm not a yellow, so... It's a bit of a grey area, but I'll allow it." Grian shrugged before switching to his other wing to remove any dirt.

Scar sighed with relief. "Well, good. This task has been tough enough as it is."

"Well, why don't you take that helmet off."

Scar turned his attention back to Grian. The avian was still busy removing loose feathers, but he eventually glanced towards the salesman with a warm smile.

Scar matched the look as he quietly removed the headgear. He tucked the helmet back into his satchel before pulling out two pieces of steak. He handed one to Grian. "Want some?"

"Yes, please, those berries barely filled me up," the avian replied while grabbing the meat.

The two munched on the food in silence, staring out at the whole arena. They watched their friends in the distance laughing and talking among themselves, but their banter could barely be heard due to the distance.

Grian's eyes trailed over all the players, seeing the alliances and teams bonding together. His mind was still so clouded with trying to escape the games that he kept forgetting that he was still all alone, and it was already session four.

If Grian was going to find an escape route for him and his friends, he needed to last as long as possible in this game. He didn't want anyone else to get killed off and sent back to the void, but with how lucky he's been to not have his mind scrambled for this long, he couldn't waste the opportunity. Who knew how he'd be in the next game. He couldn't miss his chance, so if he was going to make it far, then he would need to be part of some kind of alliance.

After finishing his food, Grian glanced over at Scar. A frown soon appeared on the avian's face at the thought.

Not Scar. Not again. I'll be too busy trying to keep this man alive than have any free time looking for a way out of this-

Grian glanced back over the arena, seeing everyone already in their teams. The avian's shoulders dropped before he sighed.

Well... slim pickings, I guess.

"Scar." The salesman snapped out of his thoughts. He finished his food a while ago and was now just enjoying the silence. He snapped his attention back on his friend. Grian glanced away for a second, showing clear hesitation, before he focused back on the salesman. "Scar, would you wanna team up?"

Scar blinked a few times. "What?"

"You know, team up. I've been meaning to find some allies, and I know you've been struggling too. Would you wanna team up again?" Grian couldn't help but wince with his reference to the past.

Scar didn't seem to notice, though. He grinned at the avian's words. "Sure! I mean, no. Maybe?" The salesman cringed once he recalled his task again. Grian's own expression twisted from his words before a new thought dawned on him.

"Right, your task... You don't have to answer now." Grian smiled.

Scar returned the gesture. He opened his mouth to speak, but he paused. His mind suddenly flashed back to the first session.

Wasn't G helpin' ya most of those times?

Scar's smile faltered. His gaze fell away. He hated letting Skizz's comment get to him, but he couldn't help it. It made his stomach sink, made his skin crawl. Shame suddenly weighed him down to the point he wanted to just disappear. His mind was split on the decision, but the real issue that stabbed at the back of his skull, along with everyone else's little jabs the past few sessions, was-

-if he was just a burden.

Scar's gaze hardened. He sat up straight and flashed the avian his signature grin. "Appreciate it, G... " The salesman glanced over towards his base, noticing its vacancy. "Well, I better head back over to Trader Scar's. Go see if those hooligans stole more of my merchandise," Scar finished as he rose to his feet.

"Hey, I think I'll join you. I've been meaning to ask you if I could use your enchanter, but I figured you wouldn't give me a straight answer right now," Grian explained while he followed Scar down the steps.

Scar's eyebrows flew up. The two stopped by a collection of trees right between their two bases, and the salesman turned to look at his friend. His mouth hung open with shock. "How the-how the heck do you know about my enchanter? I literally just finished it this morning!"

"It's a small arena, dude. Plus, I overheard Lizzie complaining about it to Joel." Grian smirked, making the man scowl.

"Of course..." Scar muttered before turning back towards the direction of his shop. "Well, sure, you can use-"

The salesman stopped when he heard snickering. He looked back around to see Grian's focus had shifted to one of the trees. Scar followed his gaze, and he was surprised to find Martyn not so subtly hiding behind it, watching them carefully.

The quiet yellow couldn't help but snicker too when he and Scar made eye contact. "I am one with the wood," Martyn muttered in a low tone before sprinting off. "Sorry, boys! Just gathering some intel!"

Grian cracked up from the man's words, but his joy soon died when he locked eyes with Scar. The salesman was still stunned by the interaction. His gaze then suddenly grew tired while he sent a scowl towards the avian. "You betrayed me..."

"What- Scar, no, I didn't plan that. Martyn was just-"

"It's fine. It's fine, I get it. I'm easy pickings. Let's all take a crack at gullible ole' Scar here," Scar spat as he marched back towards his base with his hands raised in outrage.

Grian blinked for a second, stunned. He then quickly followed after him. "Scar, what are you talking about? Come on, like I'd team up with Martyn to get you to fail. You know how much he's put me through in this session alone?" The avian slowed his pace when his friend didn't respond. The man simply walked into his shop with quiet strides, but Grian wouldn't give up. "Scar, what is going on with you?"

Scar finally stopped behind his counter and took a deep breath. He cast his gaze to the scratched wood with his hands resting over it. "I just... If I fail this task after all the effort I've put in... I'm-I'm gonna be furious, man," Scar gave a weak chuckle, staring at Grian with a crazed look in his eye.

Grian's gaze softened. He noticed the man's shaky form, but he couldn't tell whether it was out of fear or anger. His brow knitted with concern while he smiled at the salesman. "Well, should be easier now with the helmet off at least."

"Right... Right, yeah, jeez, sorry, I-" Scar sighed, scolding himself with his tone. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took in another deep breath. "Gosh, I've been paranoid today."

"The game will do that to ya, but I'd say you're smart for being suspicious," Grian said as he glanced to the side. Scar frowned at his friend's sudden heavy posture and the dip in his tone at the end. He dwelt on the advice for a second before the avian continued. "Anyway, your enchanter. Can I not use it?" Grian smirked.

Scar's focus turned to the counter again. He then met the avian with a tired expression. "Actually, I left it with Etho, so you'll have to talk to him."

Grian paused. He grew puzzled. "Oh, really? Why would you give it to Etho?"

"He's a trustworthy man, Grian."

"Uh-huh..." The avian studied Scar's face. For once, the not-so-subtle man was unreadable. Grian then turned to leave. "Well, I'll go check with Etho then. Take it easy, Scar, okay?"

"A bit hard in a game like this, Grian, but thanks anyway," Scar dismissed with his hand before turning away to head to his back room. Grian frowned before exiting the shop.

The salesman, on the other hand, had a stony expression as he rifled through his chests, seeing what was left of his stock. Finally, though, Scar's face melted with guilt. He glanced back towards the front of the store. "I'm sorry, G... but I need to do this on my own."

Scar nodded at his words while he continued searching through his items. He'll form his own alliances. He'll play the game right and show them all that he's more than capable of staying alive.

Show them that he's not some burden.

...

Gem internally scolded herself after dismounting from her skeleton horse.

She wasted nearly a half hour just riding her horse in circles around the arena with Mumbo, Bdubs, and Tango like they were some parade. Pearl and Impulse even joined in while using Scar's camel as transportation.

Yes, Gem technically had free time since she finished gathering all the items she needed for The End, but she had wasted precious session time when they should have already been fighting the dragon by then.

Gem couldn't even blame her distraction on Tay, despite her counterpart absolutely celebrating the little parade of players in her head. She even dared Gem to try and guess Mumbo's task, who was the organizer of their little trip, yet she still failed at. Despite it all, the redhead did enjoy herself, and that might have been why she agreed to go along with the shenanigans. She was distracting herself from the inevitable, and quite deadly, fight she was in no way looking forward to.

Still, though, it had to be done. Despite her nerves being completely shot, the redhead dragged herself up the steps of the Secret Keeper. It was her final detour before heading to The End. After gladly pressing the 'fail' button, Gem ignored the ominous red glow of the statue and made her way towards the Mounders' bases. She inhaled slowly in a failed attempt to calm her shaky breath.

After taking that ride around the arena, Gem had concluded that her army now consisted of Impulse, Pearl, Bdubs, and herself. Good Lord, she hoped that would be enough.

You barely tried with that task.

Gem groaned. Tay was still pretty adamant about their secret task, completely ignoring the looming threat they were about to face.

"It said that I couldn't say anything truthful to another player for the whole session. I'm pretty sure I already failed that, so there's use to-"

But you cheated! You just kept writing messages instead of talking. Come on, what's the point of playing this game then if you're just gonna-

"This isn't a game, so get over it!" the redhead snapped. Her ears flattened with irritation.

Tay went deathly quiet. The venom behind Gem's words were harsh while her tone was ice cold. She poured all her frustration and fear out with that one statement to the point even the air around her seemed to freeze.

Dwelling on the silence, Gem eventually squashed the feelings of guilt and continued on. She spotted Pearl and Impulse riding in on the camel towards Bdubs' base. Once they were right beside the giant globe, the two dismounted and smiled when they locked eyes with Gem.

"Hey, are you guys ready?" Gem asked once she arrived as well.

"Yeah, Skizz doesn't really want our help anymore, so I've got nothing else planned," Impulse explained while scratching the back of his head. There was a noticeable dip in his tone. Gem's brow knitted. Before she could respond, though, her teammate waved it off. "Story for another time. Point is, I'm ready. I just need some-"

"Arrows?" Gem offered before diving into her pockets and pulling up a bundle of gold arrows.

"Whoa-oh-ho! You got spectral arrows, sweet!" Impulse said with glee. Gem nodded happily, handing out the extra arrows to both players.

"Hey, did I miss something out here?" Gem turned to find Bdubs riding up on his horse. He practically threw himself off the saddle and led his steed back to its pen on the side of his base.

"Nope, just handing out arrows for the fight with the Ender Dragon. You ready to go?" Gem asked. She tossed the man his share of arrows once he returned to the group.

"Absolutely!" Bdubs beamed.

"I've also got golden apples and some pumpkins, so we don't have to worry about the Endermen," Gem explained as she dove into her pouch and pulled out the assorted items. She then frowned at the jack-o-lanterns in her hands. It dawned on her that she could have used the pumpkins when she was in the Nether with Scott.

Speaking of Scott, Gem had tried to encourage the elf to join her in fighting the dragon, but he declined. She didn't want to press him any further either. She couldn't force him to go, especially when he wasn't in the right state of mind. A part of her still felt guilty for even bringing Impulse and Bdubs along, who were smiling like they were about to head to some sort of party.

"Whoa! That's so nice, thanks!" Bdubs beamed as both he and Impulse took their portions, which snapped Gem out of her thoughts.

Pearl accepted her half too, but she was looking expectantly at the redhead. It was clear the stress was evident in both of their faces. Gem, though, gave a reassuring smile to her in return. "Anything for my army."

Bdubs promptly threw the pumpkin over his head and raised his fist into the air. "To The End!"

Impulse cheered along with a laugh before he pointed to his left. "The portal's this way, right?"

After receiving a nod from Gem, the two men raced off. Gem and Pearl strolled behind them, taking much slower steps.

"So, what is it that you need from the dragon?" Pearl asked. Her tone was a tad too perky, but the redhead appreciated the attempt of a possible distraction.

"Actually, it's the portal I need." Pearl arched a brow. "The portal after you defeat the dragon. I enchanted a few glass bottles, which should be powerful enough to extract some of that portal goop." Gem reached inside her pouch and pulled out a couple of shimmering bottles. She handed them to Pearl. "Here, take some in case I die and don't make it back in time."

"You're not gonna die, Gem."

"Gosh, I hope not-"

"No, I mean, I'm not letting that happen," Pearl said. Gem looked towards the brunette once she heard the severity in her tone. Her gaze was unwavering, keeping all her focus on the redhead. "The rest of us are green, Gem. This might be your plan, but you gotta let us carry the fight, okay?" Pearl then smiled. "We don't need any reds this early."

Gem returned the smile, but it couldn't reach her eyes. She looked ahead while they walked closer and closer towards the edge of the arena, feeling more like she was approaching her grave instead. Her last death was frightening enough, but this time... if she died again... there would be a likely possibility that she would turn hostile. If that happened and she made it back home, would she forever be stuck that way? Hurting the people around her and only seeking destruction?

Gem forced herself to take a breath. Her gaze hardened while she clenched her fists. She shoved down the nerves currently trembling through her body to the point it made her feel sick. She couldn't die. She wasn't going to die, and she for sure was not going to let her army go down either.

"Hey, I think we better pick up the pace, or else Impulse and Bdubs will head through the portal without us," Pearl said, pulling the redhead out of her thoughts. When she focused ahead to notice the absence of the two men, Gem immediately started sprinting. Pearl followed after her quickly. They descended down the stone steps. Gem chose to ignore the uncomfortable tight space of the stairs and finally reached the dungeon below.

Impulse and Bdubs hovered over the portal. Both of them were wearing their pumpkins. They stared down at the dark goop with the white dots that made it resemble the night sky. They lifted their heads once the other half of the army arrived.

"We ready?" Impulse asked while Bdubs teetered on his heels, inching closer to the edge.

Pearl and Gem ascended the platform and stepped onto the Eyes of Ender. They gave one last reassuring look to eachother before facing the whole group. "We're ready," Gem said with a smile.

"Let's GOOO!" Bdubs shouted, practically cannon-balling through the freezing goop. Impulse laughed and let gravity drop him through as well.

Pearl was about to copy the imp, but she stopped when she noticed the redhead taking a step back. "Gem? Wha-AH!"

Time seemed to slow down. Pearl tried to turn herself away from the portal while keeping her balance, but her body was already tipping towards the dark vortex thanks to an unexpected shove from Gem. All Pearl could do as she went head first into the portal was to briefly lock eyes with the hybrid. Pearl's pupils soon became dots when she noticed the mischievous grin plastered over Gem's cheeks. Her singular yellow eye glowed brighter while she waved towards the brunette.

"Have fun," Gem said in an airy tone that Pearl was not used to hearing from her mouth.

"GEM-" Pearl's outrage was cut off when she crashed through the portal, and her vision went dark for a split second.

The brunette then gasped when her eyes opened again. She looked up to find herself surrounded by the same pitch black sky with little white dots, which didn't glow like real stars. She looked down, and her knees grew weak once she noticed the only thing separating her and the dark, endless void below was an obsidian platform that floated in the air.

"Hey, where's Gem? Is she not coming?" Bdubs asked from behind. Pearl spun around to find him and Impulse standing on the platform with her.

A flash of anger soon filled Pearl's features after her initial shock settled. She didn't understand the redhead's intent. Granted, she barely knew Gem, but her attitude seconds before did not match at all with the genuine concern and unease she felt from the woman all day. Something wasn't adding up. Something was very very wrong. "No, she's-"

Pearl's words were lost when a deep rumbling roar shook the ground beneath them. The brunette's body stilled when she turned her focus upward. Several feet higher was a much larger rocky space with obsidian pillars and clusters of Endermen, reminding Pearl of the need to put on her pumpkin head.

A bright violet light emerged from the area, and it was followed by enormous black wings as dark as the sky above. Another screech shot through the air, practically bursting Pearl's eardrums. She and the others winced at the sound. They covered their ears from underneath their pumpkins. Every muscle in Pearl's body stiffened when she stared up at the towering beast she had not seen in a rather long time. A time she couldn't quite remember at that moment because-

-The Ender Dragon was awake.

...

Scar let out a shaky breath of relief. His nerves were shot after having panic pump through his veins for most of the session. Finally, he didn't have to worry about Lizzie chasing him anymore since she already attempted, and failed, to guess his task. His ease-filled stroll, though, didn't last long, of course.

He was only a few yards past his courthouse when Martyn and Jimmy walked up to him. Scar's green gaze immediately locked eyes with the two sets of yellows before jerking his body around and making quick steps back towards his base.

"Ah-AH! Not so fast there, Scar. We've got two guesses," Jimmy protested once he rushed over and latched onto the salesman's shoulder.

Scar fought back the urge to groan. He could run, try to escape them, but he could feel the ache in his legs growing now that the adrenaline finally wore off. And really, the man was tired of running. Reluctantly, Scar spun back around to stare at the two yellows with a completely ticked off expression.

The look went unnoticed as Jimmy focused on Martyn. "You wanna guess first?"

"Nah, you go. I think I still need a few more clues."

"Right, okay, we got two guesses." Jimmy clapped his hands together and inhaled. "Scar... Your task... is to be the baddest guy in the arena."

The guess was so far out of left field, so unexpected, that it startled the salesman. He scoffed for a second before it melted into a laugh. His deep, booming laughter, though, was poisoned by the level of exhaustion and annoyance currently weighing on his mind that it soon turned into a cackle. The salesman's lips curled into almost a sinister grin as he eyed the avian. His body shook from the gesture before he finally registered his actions and cleared his throat. "Ehm, sorry, I-"

"Pretty evil laugh for someone who's not supposed to be a bad guy," Martyn answered with a smirk.

"Right, well, gosh, you were so close. So close there," Scar said with his more natural, whimsical grin.

"No, NO! Don't say that, come on," Jimmy whined, lifting his head up to groan at the sky.

Scar patted his back, minding the man's wings. He then turned and strolled off. "So close, guys, see ya!"

"No, wait, Scar, we've still got one more guess!" Jimmy called out. The salesman paused, like he was about to turn around, but instead, he thought better and continued to walk off while snickering to himself.

Martyn simply watched the exchange. He studied how Scar left, and he took notice of the man's lack of headwear. A small smile then grew over his face. "I think I have an idea, but you gotta let me follow him solo."

Jimmy snapped his attention back onto his teammate."Wait, what? Why?"

"Cause you told him to come back and-" Martyn stopped when the avian grew even more puzzled. "Look, if I'm right, then I'll explain later. Just trust me, mate."

Finally, Jimmy shrugged. "Alright, fine..." He turned to leave before gaining a smirk. "Take him down for me, dude. Crush 'em!"

"I'm guessing a task, not assassinating someone, calm down!" Martyn complained with a chuckle.

"You know what I mean!" Jimmy snapped before melting into a laugh as well.

Martyn snickered before following the salesman back to his base. He reached the wooden porch of the shop when he heard commotion by the garden to his right.

"What is going-You've been seriously weird, Mumbo," Grian said with crossed arms.

"What do you mean!? This is only like the second interaction we've had all day," Mumbo whined from on top of his zombie horse.

"You and Tango seem to be acting like twins today, despite him just disappearing all of a sudden," Grian grumbled as he looked around to spot the fire elemental. "And then you kept running away from me until Scar showed up." The avian threw a thumb towards Scar, who stood between the two with mild amusement.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, buddy. I'm standing right here conversing with you now, aren't I?" Mumbo asked with a grin. The avian's feathers puff up with growing irritation, causing a few to fall to the ground.

"After I chased you through half the arena!" Grian squawked, making even more feathers fly away.

"Grian, you're molting. You've been getting any sleep?" Mumbo asked, finally acknowledging his friend's pale complexion. His lighthearted tone dipped a little with the question.

"That's a big fat NOPE!" Scar answered, popping the 'p'.

Grian squinted his gaze. He shot a finger towards the salesman. "You stay out of this." Despite the glare, though, there was hardly much bite in the avian's tone. A quiet yawn soon followed, which Grian tried to cover up with his hand.

As expected, the two men then watched as the avian rubbed his eye lids with his thumb and finger, clearly more than just out of irritation. He soon faced his dapper friend again. "Seriously, you're worse than BigB and his cobble rooms. I couldn't even find him down there today, but it's looking creepier than the last time I was there."

"BigB and his... what?" Mumbo asked with a knitted brow.

Scar's gaze then trailed over to the eavesdropping Martyn. His expression dulled. "Oh for the love of-"

"Hey, don't mind me, just gettin' more for my guess," Martyn chuckled as he emerged from around the corner. He waltzed past Grian and stood on the edge of the crops.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Scar whined, shoulders slumping a bit.

"No, not really. Just been waitin' for Gem to get back from doing her thing," Martyn explained with a shrug.

Grian snapped his attention on the blonde. "Get back from what?" He was suddenly way more alert than he was a moment ago.

Martyn smirked. "Just taking an adventure in the Nether, nothing big. Didn't feel like going since... you know."

"Cause you died," Scar added.

"Yeah, thanks, man. Appreciate it," Martyn said, shooting the salesman a look while Mumbo snorted. "Still, you better be ready for that talk later, Grian," he muttered to the avian, who simply glanced away. The blonde then turned all his focus on the man in the middle. "Anyway, Scar..."

Scar's gaze dulled even further. "What?"

"Stand still for me."

That seemed to jolt the life back into the salesman because he moved his head around to look anywhere but at Martyn. "Okay, weird request. Anyone seen Cleo?"

"Uh, no?"

"You looking for Cleo?" Martyn asked as he stepped closer. He took notice that the salesman still remained in the same spot.

Scar then jumped when he landed his eyes back on the blonde. He finally stepped away. "Uh, just have to... have to keep away from someone," he muttered under his breath, but it was clear enough for the others to hear.

"Huh, Scar is your task to- Oh, jeez I'm already saying it," Martyn cringed, face-palming himself.

"Oh, is this an official call out?" Mumbo asked with a grin. He quickly led his horse towards the duo.

"Well, I have to now. I've already started," Martyn sighed. "Scar, is your task to stay away from Cleo?"

Scar let out a chuckle. "No, no, I was just tricking you with that."

"Darn it! Ugh, I suspected that, but I second guessed-ugh," Martyn groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Grian slowly made his way over to Scar while the blonde looked back in their direction. "I thought your task was to do the opposite of what people tell you or something."

Scar tensed at the words. He ignored the back and forth glances Grian was making between him and Martyn, trying his best not to smile.

"Right, well, I'll wave my white flag. Good game, Scar." Martyn smiled before he turned to leave. The sound of his flip flops flooded the silence as the trio watched him go.

At that time, Grian inched closer towards the salesman. "If that's your task, Scar, then you know you failed when he told you to stand still."

Scar's eyes widened before he snapped his attention to the avian. "But I moved my head-"

Grian gave his friend a sympathetic look. "Sorry, I don't think I can count that."

Scar held back a groan as he dipped his head low. He dug his hands into his scalp before shooting his head back up. "Oh-COME. ON!" he screamed, making the quiet Mumbo next to him jump.

...

Pearl let out a haggard breath. The last five minutes felt like an eternity, and she was just ever so thankful that she had a freaking pumpkin on her head.

Once she and the others reached the top of the rocky cliff, the trio swiftly raced past the dozens of Endermen waltzing around and focused their attacks on the obsidian pillars. Pearl raised her bow and took aim for the nearest End Crystal, shooting from underneath the cage that protected it. 9 crystals.

There was an explosion from above, Pearl looked to find Impulse had placed a tower of stone blocks all the way up against another pillar. Bdubs covered him from the swift blow of the shadow above. Pearl's entire body trembled when she heard the blood-curling screech from the dragon with scales that blended with the sky. Impulse shot an arrow. 8 crystals.

Pearl had heard that screech in the past. She had killed this dragon before. She assumed it was in a past game, but she couldn't quite place it. It definitely wasn't in one of the Life Games, so it had to be earlier than that. Why couldn't she recall anything before Last Life?

Pearl fired her arrows at the beast that swooped down, claws raised, towards the imp that was working his way back down his own tower. The dragon's glowing violet gaze then zeroed in on Pearl.

Its cold stare seemed to hold more awareness than she expected it to be, blazing with such hatred. The mother dragon bared its fangs and switched targets. Pearl's heart pounded in her ears as she sprinted. There was a booming sound behind her. The brunette gasped when she endured the sting of what felt like a poison potion shooting from her foot up to her spine. After her body flashed red, Pearl stumbled, barely making it out of the violet cloud of deadly particles that was shot by the beast. She looked up once she regained her footing to spot Bdubs simultaneously shooting down two more crystals. 6 crystals.

Pearl dove for cover behind a pillar as the dragon flew by. It roared again, furious from missing its prey. The brunette panted, chest heaving up and down. She had definitely fought this dragon before, but back then, there were much less stakes... at least she thought there were.

What she didn't notice at the moment was the faint glow of orange that slowly flooded her irises the more she dwelt on old fuzzy memories.

Pearl then froze. She looked down at her sleeves. Her jacket had changed from its navy blue to a familiar grey and black. It was her old jacket. A jacket she used to wear all the time back in-

Another explosion went off in the distance. Pearl snapped her attention to the right to find Impulse landing another hit with Bdubs as his distraction. 5 crystals.

Pearl took one last look at her jacket's sudden color change, but the navy blue had returned. Pushing away the strange incident, she lifted her shaky hands and pulled back her bow string. Her arrow shot through the air, past the rampaging dragon's deadly blasts, and landed on its target. 4 crystals.

Pearl looked up and noticed the pillar behind her still carried a crystal. She turned back towards her teammates, who rushed away from the wave of violet particles. "Hey!" she shouted. Bdubs was the closest. "Cover me!"

The moss man came to a stop and nodded. He shifted his focus back on the dragon, bow raised. The beast howled when the arrows made contact with her scales, and Pearl went to work. She placed one dirt block after another with faster and faster speed. Her palms were slick from sweat. Her ears rang with her quiet breaths, and her body was vibrating from the adrenaline, which practically made her veins pop right underneath her skin. When she finally reached the top, the brunette placed a couple more blocks to give herself some distance from the live explosive in front of her. Licking her lips, Pearl raised her bow and released the tension from the string.

There was a deafening boom.

A white light consumed her vision. Pearl screamed when her body jerked back, flashing red from the blows to her skin, like bits of burning iron striking flesh. Pieces of her tower crumbled as the young woman fell onto her stomach, smacking her head against dirt. Everything went dark. 3 crystals.

After hitting her head, that's when Pearl saw it. An orange glow danced over her blurry vision before a grassy field formed around her. Several unique, yet clearly old-fashioned, builds stretched as far as her eye could see. A figure then grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. The stranger's grip wasn't strong, she could easily pull away if she wanted to, but the kind and gleeful smile on their face kept Pearl at ease.

The stranger wore a green tunic with a matching green hat that bobbed up and down as the two ran. Their light brown hair peeking out was a wild mess, but Pearl's focus was just on their face. The further they ran together, the more details she could spot. The crooked smirk. The joyful expression. The bright yet dark eyes that yearned for mischief.

Pearl knew this person. She knew him. She had seen him countless times, but it took her so long to register his face due to both its youthfulness and the fact that he did not have his usual feathery ears and white wings fluttering against his back.

Pearl's eyes widened. She sucked in a breath. Grian.

"Come on, Pearl! We're gonna show those Watchers a thing or two," he said a tad too proudly, making Pearl want to shake her head. Yet instead, she could only gape at the very human version of her friend. Her practical family. He wasn't an avian, and he was here right in front of her, not vanishing after her fight with the Ender-

Pearl gasped when a sudden strike of pain shot through her skull, making her release Grian's hand to clutch the sides of her head. A dark violet glow suddenly flooded the world around her.

That memory is NO. LONGER. YOURS!

Pearl screamed. Her eyes shot open. She was back in The End. She lifted her throbbing head, feeling something thicker than sweat dripping down her temple. She was still on the top of her dirt tower. Bdubs was shouting her name while Impulse attempted to distract the dragon again with more arrows. Nothing, though, could distract the beast this time. It locked eyes with Pearl instantly. It seemed even more fury-filled somehow, sneering at the player before firing another blast.

Pearl lifted up her shield as a futile attempt. The cloud of particles didn't make contact, but the force of the blow against her tower had thrown her back. The brunette was flung several yards up into the air, leaving no breath in her lungs from the gut punching force. Pearl was paralyzed. Her body was weightless in the air for a total of three seconds. She then let out a throat-ripping scream as she plummeted towards the ground.

...

Grian dragged his feet up the steps to Etho and Cleo's base. He held back a yawn before stretching his arms over his head. His wings copied him before he shook himself awake.

"Okay, Mumbo distraction over. Time to get enchanted," he said while patting down his diamond shoulder pads. "All those hours mining finally paid off."

Grian waltzed past the noisy sheep pen and the large batch of crops before ascending the final steps by the cherry blossom tree. The first person he spotted was Etho. The masked man was busy placing stone down by the slowly forming base.

The man turned and locked eyes with his new guest. "Hey, Grian."

"Hey," Grian waved. "Base coming along okay?"

Etho shrugged before turning back to what seemed to be a large cave entrance with its mixture of stone and dirt. "Eh, I haven't had much time to build. Been busy getting materials and setting up crops."

Grian followed his friend inside to find a singular spacious room. All four walls were also made of stone with only a plain wooden floor to give any real indication of it being a base. Tucked in the corner, though, were several large chests behind a small indoor waterfall. A wooden frame surrounded it to keep the water from spilling into the room, which definitely impressed the avian. Aside from that, and a few sleeping dogs next to a crafting table and furnace, there rest of the room was empty.

Cleo was over on the right, constructing a diamond sword from the crafting table. She lifted her gaze and smiled at the newcomer. "Hi, Grian, what brings you here?"

"Scar said there was an enchanting table I could use?" Grian asked. Etho came to a stop. He made a show of glancing over at Cleo, who equally grew silent.

Etho finally focused back on the player with an arched brow. "Well, we have an enchanting table, but I don't know if you can use it."

It was Grian's turn to look puzzled. "But Scar said he was keeping it here. How would I know you had it if he didn't tell me?"

Cleo couldn't help but chuckle. "Why is Scar in charge of our enchanter?" she asked as she stowed away her weapon and headed over to join them. Despite her humor, Grian could hear the genuine confusion in her tone.

Grian's face fell at the realization, wanting to kick himself for not noticing sooner. "Wait, so it's not Scar's enchanting table?"

"No!" Cleo and Etho both said in unison.

Grian groaned, dry-washing his face with both hands. "I can't believe- Well, no, I absolutely can believe- Scar said he was keeping his enchanter here."

Cleo smirked. "No, he definitely isn't."

Etho chuckled. "Why would he? Scar's just been running away from everyone all day."

"Ugh, right, I should have known. I thought it was weird when he told me you had it," Grian grumbled. He stared off as he dwelt on his festering irritation from getting so easily tricked. "I asked him if he wanted to team up too, and he was really strange about it."

Cleo nodded in agreement while Etho glanced her way. "What have you been teaching our kids, Cleo? Bdubs keeps switching sides, and Scar's weirder than ever."

Cleo laughed while shooting a look to Etho. "It was the best I could do when you were away all the time with your T.I.E.S. buddies and- No, Nope! Not getting into all that nonsense again," She groaned, but she also did her best to hide a grin. "We're not playing the divorce bickering this time."

"Right, right, back to being civil." Etho's eyes crinkled from a grin before they focused back on Grian. "Well, I could let you use our enchanter. For a heart."

Grian's face brightened. "I'll take that deal."

When Etho looked over at his teammate to see her nodding in agreement, he smirked. "But you've got to give it to Cleo."

Cleo grew startled by the request. She quickly shook her head while throwing a thumb towards the masked man. "No, I've got plenty of hearts already. Give it to Etho."

"Come on, I insist!" Etho said happily. The zombie gained an exasperated expression when she looked his way.

"When I said stop the bickering, I didn't mean jump all the way to gift giv-" Cleo groaned again. Her gaze soon dulled. "Ugh, never mind! I'll take it."

Grian merely shrugged from the exchange before holding a hand out in front of his chest. A green heart started to glow over his palm before the beam of light shot out and struck the zombie. Cleo's whole body swirled with a bright green hue as she felt the rush of adrenaline shoot through her.

The redhead smiled, giving her thanks, and Etho placed down the enchanter.

"Thanks, I've been really needing this," Grian said while removing his armor and taking out some lapis from his pouch. His shoulders eased at the sparkling sight of the obsidian block and book.

"You've been doing okay, Grian? Making any friends?" Etho asked casually.

Grian smirked, keeping his attention on the book in front of him. The question, though, seemed to snap something in the avian's already tired brain because his eyes dimmed, and he answered truthfully. "I haven't made a single friend today," he said before giving a strained laugh. "It's been so lonely in that egg."

Cleo snickered as she watched the sulking bird flip through the book. Her friend's tone was light, but her joy soon faltered when she noticed the dark circles under Grian's eyes and a few too many feathers falling to the ground.

"Well, we're neighbors, so if you need anything," Etho explained with a gentler tone.

Grian smiled from the suggestion once he finished making the shoulder pads and boots shine even more. When he placed his armor back on, he stepped forward towards the duo again, seemingly gaining back his usual demeanor. "Well, if you need a friend who lives in an egg. I'm your guy."

"Do you happen to have any chickens? Cause I feel like you would with a base like that," Etho asked.

Grian's smile fell. He pondered the question for a second. "I uh... know of chickens... and where to get some." When Etho hummed his response, the group fell silent for a moment. The quiet ticking of the room quickly became deafening to the avian. It felt like an eternity that jabbed against his skull. Grian gave another weary chuckle as his eyes darted between the two. "Look, what is it gonna take to be friends? Teammates?" His words still held a bit of humor, but he grew a bit panicked, desperate. He then barely waited for a response before he blurted out. "I hate living in that egg. It's absolutely terrible!"

Cleo couldn't help but cackle from the man's pleading tone. Etho joined in while Grian snickered. The avian then rubbed his eye lids while his wings seemed to droop. "This session's been terrible..."

"Of course you can join us, Grian," Cleo said once the laughter melted away. She gave the avian a warm smile when the two made eye contact again.

"Yeah, we have more space than we know what to do with," Etho explained while motioning to the rather large, vacant room. "Especially since Bdubs keeps switching teams."

"I'm pretty sure he's with the Mounders now anyway," Cleo sighed.

Etho shook his head slowly. "Children grow up too fast." Cleo shot him a look, but she soon melted into a smirk. Etho chuckled in response, but a new thought soon dawned on him. He then shot a thumb towards Grian. "Wait, are we switching sons now?"

"No, no, I'm not getting into that whole weird family dynamic thing you guys got going on." Grian dismissed the idea with his hands. "I was already your estranged cousin or something in the last game."

"Yeah, no, not a new son. We can just be roommates," Cleo said with a grin. "I doubt Bdubs would like that anyway."

"Probably not," Etho said. He focused back on Grian. "But we definitely need a builder. We've been thinking about making a second floor for all our rooms and a place to put all the book shelves down for the enchanter."

Grian beamed. "Oh, I can do that."

"Then I guess we've got ourselves a team here," Cleo said while placing her hands on her hips.

"Yes, please, I will gladly burn down the egg in a ceremonious symbol of friendship," Grian added as he pulled out a flint and steel from his pouch.

"Ooo, I'd love to see that," Cleo said a little too excitedly.

Etho gave a weary chuckle this time. "Okay, but you can't burn our base down, alright? I know you two get a little crazy with fire, but I'd really like a roof over my head."

"I'll take that rule into consideration," Grian said as he made his way out the door, flint and steel raised. "Let's burn the egg!" he cheered. Etho and Cleo followed after him.

"Cleo, I think you and Grian are gonna get along real well. Love for burning things and all that," Etho said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Oh, I can totally see us bonding over that," Cleo replied with a growing smile over her face.

...

Martyn let out a breath. He glanced up at the sky, noticing the sun was well past its highest point. Gem had mentioned to him that she and the others were heading to The End, but that had to be quite a few hours ago.

Were they having trouble? He knew their fight would be far from easy, and he assumed they were taking things slow. But what if they needed help?

Martyn sighed before tightening the back of his bandana. "Can't get anything done without me." He turned to head towards the direction of the portal. He waltzed past a few players along the way, but he was stopped when a voice called out to him.

"Hey, Martyn! Are you heading to The End?" The blonde looked to find Lizzie and Scott heading over.

"Uh, Yeah? Why you ask?"

"We were thinking about heading there ourselves to get the last hit on the dragon," Lizzie grinned.

Martyn froze. "Wait, wha?"

"Gem asked me earlier about joining them to fight the dragon," Scott explained. He gave a shrug. "I didn't feel like it, but I know her army's been in there a while, so we figured we could steal the kill at the last second to get all the experience points," Scott added, resting a hand on his hip. His tone and posture were all so casual that it sounded as though he was agreeing to do a simple prank.

The blonde's eyes widened. He looked back and forth between the two. Lizzie carried a wide smile. Her neon yellow gaze beamed with excitement. Scott looked equally interested, gaining a wide smirk underneath his glowing green gaze. Martyn racked his brain on how to respond. He couldn't let them go, especially with Lizzie on her yellow-

"Martyn, ey, Martyn! How'd it go with Scar?" Jimmy's voice called out. Martyn cursed underneath his breath when the avian strolled up to them. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Wanna go to The End with us, Jimmy?" Scott asked.

"Wha-The End?" Jimmy looked over the group with a puzzled gaze.

Lizzie beamed. "Yeah! Gem and the others should be close to finishing off the dragon by now. We can waltz in for the last hit and get all the XP points."

Martyn cringed when a smile slowly crept over Jimmy's cheeks. "Oh, I like that idea. Yeah, let's do it!"

"Wait, hold on. Hold it." Martyn held his hands up before the group raced off. "Are you three forgettin' we don't have re-gen? Not to mention most of us are on our yellow lives."

"Yeah, but that's why we're going now when the dragon's likely almost dead," Lizzie explained. She then placed her hands on her hips while eyeing the blonde. "Plus, didn't you just say you were heading to The End yourself?"

Martyn wanted to curse again as he glanced away. "I mean, yeah, but-"

"You just wanna snipe that dragon kill by yourself, don't you?" Scott smiled while he crossed his arms.

Before Martyn could even answer, Jimmy lightly elbowed his arm. "Nice try, dude. Come on, let's hurry up!" the avian announced before sprinting.

"Wait, guys, GUYS!" Martyn shouted once Lizzie and Scott sped past him as well. The blonde's gaze dulled with growing irritation. "Oh for the love of-" He groaned before racing after them. His heels then dug into the dirt when his eyes locked onto another passing figure. "Gem?" he asked.

The redhead in question took a simple stroll along the dirt trail, hands in the pockets of her overalls. She looked over and smiled. "Oh, hey, Martyn."

"Gem, wha- Did you guys already defeat the Ender Dragon?" Martyn asked while making a quick turn to jog up to her.

Gem shrugged. "Nah, I left that up to my army, but they should be almost done by now."

Martyn's mouth fell open. "You... You didn't go with them?" He suddenly had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Gem waved off the concern. "I didn't feel like wasting the hearts."

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "But it's alright if the others do?" Martyn sputtered through a bitter chuckle.

"They're fine. No one's died yet, Martyn, relax." Gem rolled her eyes, which ticked off the young man even further. Horror then took over his thoughts when he recalled Scott's current predicament.

Did the Watchers scramble her brain too?

"Seriously, you sound just like that other me."

Martyn stopped. He focused back on the redhead. Her words rang through his mind. He studied her face, and he tensed once he noticed her two different colored eyes. He recalled her mentioning between sessions about a strange interaction with the other Gem. His Gem, his friend. Something about her possibly joining the games in some way, but the redhead was very vague with describing it, like she didn't even want to think about the situation.

Martyn's voice went deathly quiet as he stared at the young woman with newfound disbelief. "Gem?"

The redhead snapped her gaze back to him. There was a sudden stiffness in her posture before she smirked. "It's about time someone noticed the difference. Just had to downright tell you," she said a little too bitterly, sending a sharp glare towards the blonde. There was a tiny hue of purple that began to dye her yellow eye. "But then again, I can't really blame you, Martyn. We didn't really know each other before these games, unlike most of the others here," she muttered the last part with a dark expression. The words came out like venom. She gave a crooked smile while taking a step towards the other player. "Which is why you're currently not on my kill list."

Martyn's pupils became dots. "W-Wha-You... You..." For once, he was speechless. Too many questions rattled in his brain, especially with the mention of before.

He couldn't remember further than Third Life, yet he felt himself freeze up. His whole body shook, and he was as pale as a ghost. He tried to muster a sound through his throat, but it went dry. It felt like he was suffocating, but he couldn't even muster the strength to breathe. He heard whispers, voices that felt both familiar and foreign. There were more people, family, he was forgetting. He used to play a game with them before the Life Series. A game that ended in loss, tragedy. Loved ones screaming as they were ripped out of his grasp. Tears stung the corners of his eyes. He finally forced his lips to move, desperate to know more, until he felt a sharp pain through his mind. He gasped as he moved a hand to his temple.

"Martyn. Martyn!" The man blinked, a purple glow fading from his eyes, before snapping his attention to the right. Jimmy was waving him down. "Come on! Lizzie and Scott are almost at the portal!"

Silence weighed on Martyn. His faint breaths seemed to pound in his ears. The throbbing pain against his skull ceased, and he forgot what had terrified him so much. He turned back towards Gem, but the redhead was already walking away. He took a step towards her, holding his hand out like he wanted to stop her. He just couldn't fathom the reason why.

The End. My friends.

Martyn's body shot back into high gear. He spun around and raced towards Jimmy. He passed the avian quickly and headed for the edge of the barrier. He ignored the excited comments from his friend and practically threw himself down the narrow staircase. He smacked his head a few times against the stone above, gritting his teeth from both the pain and loss of hearts. By the time he finally skidded to the bottom, he caught the faintest glimpses of both Lizzie and Scott jumping through the portal.

"Oh no you don't!" Martyn grumbled before climbing up to stand on the Eyes of Ender. He let his feet fall into the cool liquid, and his vision went dark. When it returned, though, Martyn took a few quick steps forward-

-and that's when he felt the weight of his feet give out.

"Martyn!" a voice called out, but he wasn't sure who it was. Regardless, Martyn's whole body went stiff when he stepped off the obsidian platform and began to plummet down the endless dark void below. The blonde belted out a scream before he even registered what was happening. He turned in a failed attempt to reach out for his friends, but he was already too far below. Yet still, Martyn kept his hand out towards the slowly shrinking platform.

That's when he felt the air leave his lungs, making him gasp. He reached for his throat as if something was choking him. "N-No, p-please!" he rasped.

Then, he heard an all too familiar whisper in his ear.

The path you must take,

Red through your veins.

You pay for their mistakes.

Now you play the bane.

Martyn's eyes widened. He gritted his teeth, desperately reaching for the disappearing platform. "N-No! I-I won-" Martyn gasped. He tried to take in any possible air left, but all he could do was gag. His body shook, flashing red rapidly now.

Remove the other hand,

The one who was never meant to be.

Take up your sword and stand.

Your vengeance is guaranteed.

Then, images of other players: Gem, Scott, and Grian. All of them materialized like shadows and swirled around the young man with a violet glow. The ones who caused all this, the voices whispered to him. Their plans and mistakes are what caused him pain, and now they were laughing at him. Laughing like he was a mere puppet on strings, especially Grian.

The other hand. The avian's shadow grew more than the other two while his laughter turned into a cackle, booming like a terrifying beast. The mocking joy echoed in Martyn's ears as his body continued to flash red. He tried to stay conscious, but his lungs ached for air. They burned with such pain that he couldn't think of anything but the growing laughter all around him. He wanted to cry out, but his mind grew too fuzzy. His muscles ceased up. His skin turned ghostly white. A faint purple began to consume his vision as his body went limp. One simple thought drifted through Martyn before his vision went dark.

They all need to pay.

...

Pearl gasped when she crashed into a large pool of water. After the dragon flung her, she managed to water bucket clutch on top one of the pillars. The water flooded over the sides as Pearl fell to her knees, resting on the edge of the obsidian to catch her breath. Her nerves were completely shot, body still trembling, but her focus shifted to her teammates. She watched Impulse shoot down the last End Crystal, making the dragon cry out in anger. It flew higher into the sky when her team focused their weapons back onto it.

Pearl used her height advantage to take aim for the beast, but her gaze shifted. She noticed brightly colored players emerge onto the platform. The brunette flinched when she spotted Scott, Lizzie, and Martyn, and-

"Martyn!" Pearl cried out when the blonde took one too many steps forward and fell over the edge. Scott and Lizzie held their hands out in the last ditch attempt, but their friend was already gone with a belated scream.

A bright red screen then popped up in front of Pearl. An image of Martyn was crossed out with a black 'X'. Below the picture, there was a single sentence: Martyn fell out of the world.

Pearl stared at the words for what felt like an eternity, muscles growing tense from the shock. She was then finally pulled back into the present with another roar. The brunette gripped her bow tight. She let the overflow of water float her down the pillar once her eyes spotted the dragon swooping down towards the newcomers.

She screamed out to get its attention. She then fired her arrows as she ran, pulse spiking from the hungry gaze of the dragon. She could hear the dashing footsteps of Impulse and Bdubs behind her while they all took aim again to protect their friends. Pearl then gasped, stopping briefly, when their attempts of distraction failed, and the beast blasted a fire ball down on the platform. She heard a scream. Was that Jimmy?

A new red screen obstructed Pearl's vision for a second. "Jimmy!" Pearl cried through gritted teeth. An image of the avian appeared and was crossed out with another black 'X'. Below it were chilling words: Jimmy was doomed to fall by Ender Dragon.

Pearl narrowed her gaze. Filled with newfound rage, she raised her bow. Finally being close enough, she shot an arrow right in the dragon's leg. It screeched before spinning back around onto the brunette and the others, rediscovering its old prey. Bdubs and Impulse shot too, but the dragon still flew forward. The trio scattered. Pearl made it only a few yards, though, before her body glowed red. The wind was knocked out of her when the beast slapped its tail against her back. She then went crashing face first into the obsidian pillar she previously left before falling into a pool of water, which had flooded the base of the pillar.

Thankfully, her pumpkin head protected her face from the harsher part of the blow, but the obsidian caused the pumkin to crack and crumble off her head, revealing Pearl's bloody nose and now swollen cheek as she laid now soaked in the water. The brunette grunted. She raised her head ever so slightly to spit out blood, which stained her teeth. Her clothes were drenched. Droplets dripped down her face, mixing in with the sweat and drops of red runny down her nose. She tried to pull herself out of the water, but she bit down a cry when a shooting pain stabbed her back, making her collapse into the large puddle again. The young woman panted a few haggard breaths as she moved her hand to her spine to try to, somehow, ease the pain.

"Yup... definitely broken," she groaned, barely able to move from her curled up position.

"Pearl, hey! Are you alright?" Lizzie's voice called out from her left. Pearl managed to crane her neck to find her and Scott heading over. They both looked down at the brunette with mild concern, clearly not acknowledging the severity of her injuries. Their innocent looks only made her gaze dull.

Another roar from the dragon shook the ground before Pearl answered. "Yeah, yeah, just enjoying the water," she bit back bitterly while coughing. She then shook off the attitude with a sigh. "W-What are you guys doing here?" she rasped. Her shoulders then started to ease when she felt the crack in her spine slowly shift back into place. She could feel her swollen cheek start to disappear too.

Scott bent his knees to be eye level with her. A mild smirk fell over him, ticking the brunette off even more. "We were trying to snipe the dragon kill from you. Didn't think Martyn and Jimmy would die that fast, though."

Pearl frowned with the humor in his tone. She stared at the elf with clear irritation as she wiped the blood from her lips and nose. She knew he wasn't himself right now. She KNEW he was just being controlled by the Watchers like everyone else, yet a part of her just wanted to scream at him.

How can he not see all the blood and pain right in front of-

Pearl then felt as if she was slapped with dejavu. A time in the past when blood splattered all over the brunette, and Scott would stare at her grinning face with such frustration, such disgust. It always used to puzzle her. What was so different in that game that made him so angry? So bitter, especially towards her? A part of her still wondered, but, at this moment, Pearl started to understand some of that anger.

Pearl was finally able to stand when the pain faded from her back. She pushed away the remains of her pumpkin head that laid floating in the water. "You guys need to stay low. You don't even have pumpkins to keep the Endermen-" Pearl clenched her jaw. Her words were interrupted by the screeching dragon once more. She turned around only to shove her friends down a second later as razor sharp claws came swinging just above their heads.

"Come on, Pearl! We almost got'em!" Bdubs called out while he and Impulse raced past them. Pearl grumbled under her breath. She let go of Scott and Lizzie, so they could all rise back to their feet.

"Whoa, that was a close one," Lizzie said, sounding a bit out of breath from the shock.

"Just stay back, okay? We don't need anyone else dying," Pearl said, frowning when Scott already brought out his bow.

"We're already here, Pearl. Just let us help," Scott insisted before taking aim towards the sky.

Pearl fought back the urge to retort as Lizzie took out her iron sword. The brunette ignored the irritation twisting inside her and simply spun around. She turned all her focus, all her frustration, back on the dragon, who she was all too ready to tear in half.

...

Grian grinned wildly when the egg hut burned before his eyes. A tiny hint of purple filled his gaze, but he relished in the sight regardless. "Yes, finally! The stupid egg is gone," he announced while his brand new teammates laughed from behind him. The birch wood turned black before falling to the ground in piles of dust. He already removed his items and bed from inside, so nothing but chunks of woods and ash remained.

"Whoa! Grian! What are you doing!?" Mumbo cried out as his horse galloped up the steps.

"I have friends now, Mumbo!" Grian cheered. He raised his hands in victory, and his wings fluttered happily. Cleo celebrated along with him with a fist raised while Etho clapped in approval.

Mumbo gave a weak chuckle as he stared at the dying flames. A half burnt feather flew through the air, which the dapper gentlemen couldn't help but watch it float away. "Still, did you have to burn the egg?"

"It's a symbol of friendship," Grian smirked from his friend's baffled look.

"Well, that's uh... That's a frightening symbol."

Before anyone could respond to him, though, a red screen popped up in front of each player. A crossed out picture of Martyn appeared with a death message below. The words, though, ripped the smile from Grian. There was only one place where that specific death could take place. The avian then recalled Martyn's words earlier.

Been waiting for Gem to get back from doing her thing.

"They wouldn't... They wouldn't-"

A few gasps flooded the air around Grian. "Oh, the first red," Etho said in an overly dramatic tone.

"Are they seriously trying to fight the dragon in a game like this?" Cleo asked with a sigh.

Grian didn't hear any of their words. His body just moved on its own. "Mumbo, I need to borrow your horse!"

"Wha-Whoa-Grian!" Mumbo cried out when the avian practically yanked the man down by the coat of his suit. The taller gentleman tumbled off. His feet barely caught him as he stood up straight. Grian then jumped on the saddle, and the zombie horse sprinted down the steps.

"Grian! Where are you going?!" Mumbo spat, clearly annoyed by his loss of a steed. Grian, though, was already too far away to explain. His heart pumped faster and faster, wings raised instinctively as if they could make him go faster.

"Those fools. Those absolute IDIOTS!" Grian screamed. He ignored the looks he received from the players he rushed past, and it wasn't long before he arrived at the stone staircase. He tucked his wings away against his back, jumped off the saddle, and stormed down the steps. He reached the room below and spotted the all too familiar glowing portal. He climbed over to stand on its edge-

-but he stopped. His legs went stiff. His eyes locked onto the dark ooze of the portal, and all the air left Grian's lungs. No, it wasn't any Watcher's fault this time. He just couldn't get his lousy body to stop trembling.

"Come on. Come ON, m-move. Move!" Grian muttered to himself. He tried to let his body lean forward, but the sight of all the Eyes of Ender, seemingly staring through his soul, only made the avian pale. He quickly leaned the other way until he fell down onto the stone floor. There was a faint ringing in the man's ears as his chest heaved. He could never take in enough air. He breathed faster and faster as memories of his past, images of The End flashed through his mind. Grian squeezed his eyes shut as he placed his hands towards his head. "You're not there anymore. T-They won't... They c-can't take you back there. You're fine. You're fine. You're fine!"

When Grian's eyes opened again, they darted towards another red screen that appeared. It was a picture of Jimmy, killed by the Ender Dragon. The avian shuddered. He turned ghostly white from the words. His wings made an attempt to shield him as he curled in on himself, trying desperately to slow his breathing and ease the pounding in his chest.

Move. You need to move. Move. MOVE!

"Grian? Hey, Grian!" The avian peeked out from behind his wing to find Etho staring back at him. The ringing in his ears finally ceased long enough for him to hear his friend. The masked man's brow creased with concern. "Why didn't you go through the portal? You wanted to fight the Ender Dragon, right?"

Grian tried to answer, but he had to put all his effort into just breathing. He held a hand to his chest. He gripped his jumper as a weak attempt to keep his heart from bursting. Silence settled between the two while Grian just looked away. He drifted back to his thoughts, so he could focus on easing his panic. When Etho didn't receive an answer, he simply took a seat beside his new teammate. He sat there patiently, placing a hand on Grian's shoulder, as the avian sucked in more air. A few minutes passed by until the room finally stopped spinning for Grian. He then acknowledged the other man's presence and looked his way. "Thanks..."

"No problem," Etho said before lowering his hand.

Grian glanced back over towards the glowing portal. His fists clenched before shutting his eyes. With shaky hands, he tried to push himself back up to his feet. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself forward.

A loud popping sound then flooded their ears and shook the entire arena. It was soon followed by the loud cry of a creature.

Grian let out a loud sigh, dropping back down to the floor. His legs were jelly. He took in a few more deep breaths while sweat dripped down his brow.

"Aww, they already killed it," Etho said, but it was clear the man didn't sound too upset. Grian leaned back, sitting on his legs now.

The avian couldn't help but smile, giving a tired laugh in response.

...

With all their arrows impaling them, the dragon's wings finally gave out. It plummeted towards the ground. The whole group of players raced towards the fallen beast. Bdubs was the closest as he pulled out his sword. He raised his weapon right as the dragon lifted her head. Before it could give one final attack, Bdubs swung his sword down on the dragon's skull.

A bright light flooded over the giant mob. A loud popping sound filled the air while the dragon started to cry, dissolving into dust. Pearl stared at the sight while she tried to catch her breath. Everyone then screamed in victory.

They raised their weapons in celebration while praising their friend, who took the final blow. The group then rushed forward when the pieces of the dragon formed into green and gold dots. They collected the experience points. The dots absorbed into the players, raising their levels to gain better enchantments.

"We did it!" Impulse cheered before high-fiving Bdubs.

"That was crazy. I'm surprised none of you died," Lizzie said while putting away her sword. Scott nodded in agreement after tucking his bow back in his handbag.

"Well, I almost did... That dragon had a vendetta against me or somethin'," Pearl blurted out. She stared at the ground, wondering how much truth was really behind that sentence.

"Pearl, you should have the egg," Bdubs said while pointing towards where the dragon was slain. Pearl followed his gaze and noticed the large dark egg that rested on a small obsidian pillar. Just below it, another portal opened with its edges made out of bedrock. Pearl ignored Bdubs' words to dive into her pockets. She pulled out an enchanted bottle, but she hesitated. She mulled over her decision for a moment before looking back over at her friend.

"Thanks, Bdubs," Pearl said, stowing the bottle back in her pocket and taking out blocks of stone instead. She set down the stone to create a stair case up to the egg. She then reached out to grab the item, expecting it to teleport somewhere else, but for some strange reason, it stayed still. The brunette was able to pick it up with ease, holding the heavy object in her arms. The dark egg was warm to the touch and gave out a low humming noise, which concerned the young woman.

"Pearl-Pearl, hey!" Impulse shouted, snapping the brunette out of her thoughts. "Let's head out. Go rub our victory in everyone's faces," the man grinned while he shot a thumb towards the new portal.

With a quick nod, Pearl waited as all her friends, one by one, jumped into the dark ooze, disappearing a second later. She walked back down the stone blocks in silence. She glanced down at the egg once more before setting it on the ground next to her. Pearl then pulled back out one of the enchanted bottles and uncorked the top. "This better have all been worth it, Gem," Pearl said bitterly before dunking the bottle into the ooze. Her eyebrows then flew up in surprise when she noticed the bottle actually collecting the ooze inside.

What she wasn't able to see, though, was the slow formation of shadowy hands, carrying a purple tint, that emerged from the egg. They crept along the ground and edged themselves closer to the player.

"Well, would you look at that," Pearl said to herself with a slight smile. She corked the first bottle and stowed it away. "Learn somethin' new in these games after all." She then pulled out the second bottle and opened it up. Before she could collect more ooze, though, something latched onto her leg. The brunette yelped. She spun around to find shadow-like hands now attached to her. Her eyes widened at the strange sight. "What the heck!" she cried out, dropping her empty bottle. The bottle shattered against rock while the brunette tried to shake off the hands' hold. She quickly realized, though, that she couldn't even touch them, like they weren't even there in the first place.

The entire ground rumbled, making the young woman grow stiff. Her heart skipped a beat when a gush of cold air blew through her, chilling her to the bone. A throbbing pain then jabbed at her skull, causing her to cry out.

You will not leave!

You tainted Selene,

Your mind must be cleaved.

Restored to your proper gleam.

Pearl fought through the migraine to crack open an eye. She gasped when she noticed one of the clawed hands rising from the ground and was inching towards her face. Pearl grabbed the sword from her belt and slashed at the shadow. The weapon simply went through the hand, taking no damage. No matter how many swipes she made, it was like slicing at air. "Gah! Come on, get off!" she shouted through clenched teeth, biting back the feeling of her brain being squeezed into mush.

Her breath quickened at the slowly approaching hand. She tried to pull away, but the other hand had a death grip on her leg. She glanced back towards the portal, only a foot away. If she could just get a little closer.

Pearl's eyebrows flew up when she then spotted an orange glow suddenly appearing around the portal's edges. The light gathered together, shifted and shaped itself into a hand. The new glowing fist then reached out and grabbed the hood of her jacket. The young woman yelped by the sudden force of its pull. "What is even happenin-AH!" Pearl screamed when the clawed shadow in front of her slammed down. It had missed her face due to her body being jerked, so instead, its claws clipped her stomach.

Pearl cried from the sharp nails slashing her skin. She clenched her jaw, feeling the burning sensation. Tears blurred her vision while she muffled another frustrated scream. The new injury, mixed in with the still shooting pain in her head, was so severe that she was beginning to lose consciousness. Her eyelids grew heavy. Her face was caked in sweat while her body went limp.

At the same time, the tug of the hand on her hood carried a stronger grip, pulling her back more and more towards freedom. The shadow claw on her leg was beginning to slip, so the second hand that scratched her stomach was now going for her pockets. The force of the orange fist, though, wouldn't let up. More glowing hands from the edge of the portal then emerged. They each latched on to aid their side and gave one hard tug against both shadowy claws. Finally, after one final yank, a weak Pearl fell through the portal. One of the shadows, though, managed to grip onto the bottle of ooze that was in the brunette's pocket.

An orange light consumed Pearl's fading vision. All she could hear left was the wild screeching anger from the wind that had whispered that rhyme into her ear before everything went silent.

...

Once Grian got the feeling back in his legs, he and Etho headed back to the surface. The sun was starting to set. The session was reaching close to the end. Grian's gaze shifted towards the center of the arena. He noticed Bdubs and Impulse had gathered a crowd. Most of the players were chatting among themselves, talking about the recent victory. Grian smiled as he headed over towards them.

"That was crazy. How the heck did you guys not die?" Joel asked while he ran a hand through his hair.

"That's what I said. Honestly, I thought I was gonna be next after what happened to Martyn and Jimmy," Lizzie said, wrapping her arms around herself.

Joel then smirked when he spotted something from his peripheral. "Speaking of, check out the Big Red Dog."

The group fell into a mixture of laughter and concern. Some of them gave consulting words as Jimmy walked up. He reached the edge of the Secret Keeper with his shoulders slumping with a heavy weight of defeat. Grian frowned once he noticed the young man's glowing red eyes and slightly ripped clothing. His tanned skin had dulled, contrasting against his bright blue clothing.

"Woof woof," the canary muttered bitterly, keeping his focus on the ground. Mumbo and Skizz walked over to pat their friend on the back-

-Until the high pitch sound of grinding metal silenced the whole group. Grian snapped his attention to the right. Players stepped back when Martyn waltzed forward. He held his sword low, letting the tip drag against stone. Grian's eyes widened. Despite his better judgement, he stepped forward to getting a better look at the new red-lifer.

The blonde possessed similarities from his fellow red: blood stained pupils, dulled skin, and torn clothing. Yet, Martyn's hair was much longer, wild and unkept. There was also, what Grian could only guess, splintered bones attached to string around his neck. The man walked with an unnatural lean and carried a crooked grin that made his expression all the more deranged.

"Well, hello, everybody. Big Red Dogs in the house, huh?" Martyn asked while he raised his blade to hang it over his shoulder.

"Oh. My. Gosh," Scott muttered with clear amusement.

Jimmy looked equally shocked as the rest before he beamed. "Dude, when'd you make that necklace? It looks sick!"

Martyn shrugged. "Just thought I'd keep it to our theme. Plan on changin' the whole wardrobe since we gotta start taking lives." The blonde grinned while fiddling with his new jewelry.

Skizz gave a weak chuckle in response. "Right away with the threats, buddy?"

Etho snickered. "Stay away from the Big Dogs."

Grian, though, couldn't help but stare. Eventually, the avian shook off the shock, stepping closer with concern. "Martyn, wha... What happened?"

Martyn's head snapped towards Grian way too fast. The two locked eyes, like the blonde was finally acknowledging that the other man was present. Martyn's expression grew tense. Something seemed to snap inside him.

"Oh, would you look at that? The Bringer of Chaos!" Martyn announced with his hands raised. Grian's muscles tensed when he noticed the blonde's eyes glowing brighter. Worse, a touch of violet swirled and blended with the red. "The man who just loves to see us all chase our tails."

An unsettling silence flooded the group. Everyone looked between themselves with growing puzzlement. Jimmy glanced from his teammate to Grian. Confusion consumed his features before he looked back at Martyn. "Did you... Did you just make a dog pun?"

"Martyn, let's not do this right now," Grian said with his hands raised, glancing at the crowd around them. He took a cautious step back while Martyn took a big step forward. "The session's almost over, and reds in this game need a task before they can-"

"Well, well, well, it's a good thing I already have a task then." Martyn's grin somehow grew wider while his eye began to twitch. His gaze was now consumed in purple. "So I better get on with it and complete it."

Grian gulped. His gaze hardened, helping hide his panic. He continued to step back carefully as if quick movements would set the blonde off. He refused to take his eyes off Martyn even as he grabbed for his shield. His gaze flickered to the man's iron sword that now rested back at his side, ready for an attack. "You don't have a task. The session's over. Let's just-"

"Just what? Roll over and watch you fail to save us over and over again?" Martyn asked, making Grian flinch. The blonde's words were layered with such anger, but his voice was slightly distorted, sounding less and less like Martyn by the second. The blonde's violet eyes were set ablaze as he marched forward. He gripped his sword tight until his knuckles turned white. "Nah, I think I'm gonna do things my way now."

"Martyn-Martyn! STOP!" Grian shouted while he threw up his shield just as the blonde's sword came swinging down. Iron struck wood, chipping it. Grian then raised his own sword once Martyn shifted to the right. The blonde plunged his weapon forward, nearly stabbing the avian in the side. Grain managed to dodge, feeling a slight tingle of a scrape. With his body glowing red for a split second, Grian swung again to keep his attacker back.

"Ah! Martyn, stop!" Mumbo shouted as he sprinted to aid his best friend.

"Whoa-Whoa! Martyn! Cool it, dude!" Skizz cried out once he grabbed onto the blonde's arm.

"Ey! Ey! You guys can't all gain up on him! Stop it!" Jimmy pressed with panic, racing towards the commotion as well.

"Tell him to quit it then! He's not playin' the game right," Skizz snapped, desperately clutching Martyn's arms with Mumbo's help. The blonde thrashed against their hold like a caged animal, spouting all kinds of shouts and grunts. Despite having two people holding him back, he was still managing to break their hold as his feet crawled forward. Skizz soon gritted his teeth. "Darn it, since when is Martyn this strong!? Mumbo, pull harder!"

"I'm trying-ah! I'm trying!" Mumbo cried through clenched teeth. He clung on to the back of Martyn's shirt with sweat dripping from his brow.

"You heard him! He said he had a task," Jimmy snapped, yet he still tried to grab his teammate's shoulder. "Martyn-Martyn! What are you doing!? You can't win this-Martyn!" he spat at the man, who was practically foaming at the mouth. Martyn ignored him, though. He ignored all of them like he was merely pulling himself free from inanimate objects. With one strong yank, he finally managed to rip himself from all their grip and rushed for another strike at Grian.

More commotion fell over the entire group. Several just simply stared at the scene in disbelief while others tried to call out for a cease fire.

"Guys, guys! Stop it! Session's over!" Lizzie cried, despite that not being the case.

"Yeah, chill, Martyn!" Joel spat with a bewildered gaze.

With all the chaos around him, Grian turned to run, but he tumbled and fell to one knee. He whipped his head back around to see the glint of a sword now raised over his head. Martyn's gaze still swirled with violet, making the avian's blood run cold. The blonde stared down at the bird with unblinking, bloodthirsty eyes. The expression haunted Grian. He scrambled to raise his own sword in a last ditch attempt to defend himself.

Before the man could strike, though, Etho rushed in and slammed his arm against Martyn's side.

The blonde was shoved back. He fumbled, but he soon regained his footing, despite his sandals nearly breaking from the force. His chest heaved. He panted like a wild beast. With his eyes still carrying that crazed look, he gripped his sword tight. He stared daggers at Etho, who now stood in front of the avian with his own sword. The blonde's focus shifted between the two with growing blind rage.

Grian rose back to his feet. His own eyes then glowed violet, so he could properly examine his corrupted friend. It was then he could see the purple fog that was wrapping itself around the player, suffocating Martyn like a vortex of smog. Whispers flooded the blonde's senses, commanding him to keep attacking. The avian recoiled at the sight. Disgust filled his features. His gaze then narrowed as he raised his hand-

-But he hesitated. The muscles in Grian's arm grew stiff. He never purposefully used his powers on another being before, on another player. The avian's gaze then suddenly shifted in the direction of Scott, who was still watching the whole scene with the others in the background. Old guilt squirmed inside him, but he soon snapped out of his thoughts when Martyn lunged forward once more. Etho raised his diamond sword while Grian lifted up his hand again with his glowing gaze.

There was a loud clank! Everyone blinked. Martyn's iron sword clashed with another weapon, but it was not with diamond. It was not with Etho's at all, not even Grian's either. It was with a netherite sword instead.

"Hey, what's going on over here?" The three men stopped. They all looked to their right to find the source of the new sword, and Grian couldn't help but stare in bewilderment.

"Pearl?" he asked with a raised brow. The woman before them definitely resembled Pearl, but she was now wearing a white and grayish-green uniform. A brown messenger bag rested over her shoulders, and a white cap was on her head with a gold badge adorning the front. The word Postmaster was engraved on it. What really puzzled the avian, though, was the fact that her eyes were their normal blue instead of a neon green, or any of the game's three colors.

Pearl looked over the trio with equal puzzlement, but still, she threw Martyn's sword back and kept her own steady in preparation for another attack. "I'm not sure who you are, mate, but you better cool it with that sword."

Grian looked between Pearl and Martyn after he stepped out from behind Etho. He wasn't sure who was the stranger phenomenon. His shoulders soon eased, though, when he noticed the purple in Martyn's vision dissolving the longer he stared at the brunette.

The blonde looked at her completely baffled. As he blinked a few times, allowing the purple in his vision to finally fade, he slumped his shoulders in a more relaxed position. "Wha... What on Earth are you wearin', Pearl?" Martyn asked with just his red eyes staring at her now. His face contorted, twisted with further disbelief. "And how the heck did you get a netherite sword!?"

"I'm a Postmaster," Pearl said proudly. "And I made the sword, duh!" She swung her blade around playfully with a smile. Her eyes then narrowed, expression growing harsher. "But nevermind that, I asked you a question first, sir."

"Pearl?" Grian asked again, finally making the brunette look in his direction.

The postmaster's face instantly brightened. "Grian, hey!" Pearl beamed, but her joy faltered the longer she scanned the man over. "Hey, what happened to your feathers? Why are they white? And... Did... Did someone clip them!?" she gasped while she rushed towards the man's back to examine the small appendages. Her eyes were wide with panic as she placed a hand on his feathers to check them over.

Grian jumped from the sudden touch and stepped away. "Hey-hey!" He squawked while turning to face the brunette, keeping his back away from her. He then grumbled at his friend. "Enough about my wings. What the heck is- Just what is going on!?"

Pearl frowned. Her brow creased while she stared at the avian. Her concern was soon replaced with confusion once more as she began to look around. "Hey, I've been wonderin' the same thing. Why is the barrier so small? Are we even still playing Hermitcraft anymore?" She scanned the barrier above, pouting at how close it seemed.

Grian froze. He didn't think the Watchers' were influencing her, but at this point, he wasn't sure what to think. The young woman's words were so out of left field, so unexpectedly strange, that the avian was speechless.

Something was definitely wrong here.

...

Pearl gasped when her eyes shot open once again. She lifted her head, peeling her cheek off the wooden planks of the floor. Once her vision became clear, she squinted at her slowly forming surroundings. Sunlight peeked out from the windows, warming her skin. Shelves rested to her left with tools and enchanted weapons hanging above them. There were faint sounds of parrot squawks and other animal noises she couldn't identify. She then heard a meow?

"A cat?" Pearl muttered before the grey feline in question trotted towards Pearl's line of sight. Its little collar jingled as it moved to curiously sniff the brunette. She focused her gaze on its gold name tag. "Olive?" she read.

The cat meowed, eyeing Pearl with slight distrust before scurrying away. The brunette finally managed to get enough strength to push herself up. She then winced once she felt a shooting pain still on her stomach. She looked down to see her navy jacket carried a dark stain. With a shaky hand, Pearl peeled back the fabric. She shuddered at the sight of dark violet claw marks, making tears in her shirt and skin that stretched from her stomach to her side. Red flowed from the wound and dripped onto the floor.

"That's not good..." she muttered. Her head felt foggy, and her body was growing heavier by the minute. "Why... Why isn't it healing?"

Pearl then heard the high pitch whistle of what sounded like a firework. There was a thud by the front door followed by a knock. "Pearl? You home? We were supposed to meet by the Shopping District a half hour ago, and you're not answering my texts," a woman spoke through the door.

Pearl didn't recognize the voice. She opened her mouth to speak, but she muffled a cry instead when she jerked her body. She pressed her jacket against her stomach, a weak attempt to stop the bleeding. Her body tensed, though, by the unfamiliar visitor. She was still alert to possible danger. She scanned the room again, locking eyes with the weapons. With a grunt, she tried to rise to her feet, but she only slumped further to the ground. The doorknob twisted before another shot of a firework went off.

"Oh, hey, Cub," the woman said once another set of footsteps walked onto the wooden porch. "How's the search been going?" Her tone dipped with the question.

The newcomer sighed. "Not great. Still no sign of Gem. We even have the players from Empires searching their area too now."

"Is Suma sure she didn't just go through the barrier without telling anyone?"

"Maybe, but we would have gotten a notification that she left the game." The newcomer stopped for a beat. "Regardless, the good news is Doc may have an idea of where she could be, but he asked me if you had any more-"

Pearl grunted. Louder this time. Tears stung her eyes. She bit back another scream from the wound that was throbbing every time her heart beat. She looked down again to notice her hand pressing down on the wound was now stained with red. "H-Help," she finally called out.

The front door swung open, and Pearl was greeted by two strangers, who stared at her in horror.

"Oh my-PEARL!" the blonde woman shouted, dashing over to her. The man beside her had dark hair and a lab coat over his dress shirt. The two rushed to Pearl's side. The blonde's gloved hands tried to turn her over, and she let out a gasp at the sight of blood. "Wha-How-Cub, how is she bleeding?!"

The question puzzled Pearl, but she didn't really have the strength to say anything.

"I don't-That shouldn't be possible," Cub stated as he knelt down. His eyes were frantic at the sight of all the red. "Pearl, what happened?" he asked while lifting up her jacket. His pupils became dots once he saw the claw marks. Pearl watched his reaction for a moment, trying to muster the words, but her eyelids were growing heavy. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but she noticed a faint blue glow appear in his gaze. Cub pushed up his glasses while he scanned over her wound. A grim expression fell over his face.

"We've got to stop the bleeding. Tell Doc to get here ASAP with his first aid," the blonde said quickly as she dug into her pockets and pulled out some white wool and a bottle, which carried pink liquid. After uncorking it, the woman placed a hand behind Pearl's head to raise it. "Pearl, Pearl! Stay with me, come on. Drink this," she said with a stern tone, but there was clear panic in her gaze.

Pearl turned her head away from it. A last ditch attempt to have a say in whatever was going on. The woman tensed at the brunette's refusal. "Pearl, come on, it's a healing potion. You need to drink it."

Pearl glanced up at the blonde. She could see the concern in her knitted brow and pained expression. Despite her better judgement, Pearl eventually listened to the stranger and parted her lips for the potion, wincing when the bitter taste hit her tongue.

"She has some intense magic intertwined within her," Cub muttered while taking out a device and typing away on its keypad.

"What kind of magic?" the blonde asked. She refused to take her eyes off Pearl until the bottle was finished. The brunette let out a breath of relief when a numbness fell over her body. The stranger then peeled back the bottom of Pearl's jacket and shirt. She took the white wool and began to carefully wrap it around her torso with quick and careful movements. When she was met with silence, the blonde finally snapped her attention back onto Cub. "What kind of magic?"

"I-I don't think I'm at liberty to say, False-"

"Cub, I swear, you better answer me right now!"

There was another pause. Their voices grew distant while Pearl's eyes began to flutter shut. Finally, though, the man with the lab coat answered. "It's a long story, but I already notified Doc, and I asked Suma to come... along with Grian. They should help explain what's going on."

...

Gem let out a loud gasp. She clutched the nearest thing in front of her, which so happened to be stone, to keep herself from falling forward. The redhead heaved a few deep breaths as she looked down. She frowned once she noticed that she was now on top of a dark stone tower. She looked to her right to see she was a few yards away from her base. Her eyes then trailed over to the edge of the mountain to find a cobblestone wall constructed with pink wood on the top to match their bases. A sick feeling filled her stomach. She had the faint recollection of building all of it with the help of Scott, or she faintly recalled Tay building all of it. Her body tensed when she turned her focus back towards the arena.

Shoving Pearl. The Ender Dragon.

Gem's eyes widened once she noticed the setting sun and so many players clustered near the center of the arena. "No, NO!" She panicked before making a dash for the ladder. The redhead practically jumped down it, not caring for any loss of health. She sprinted down the staircase with her heart beating against her eardrums.

Did anyone die? Did they lose the fight? It was all her fault! All her-

Gem came to a stop. She panted quietly, catching her breath as she stared at the scene in front of her. She noticed the dull skin and red eyes of Martyn. She saw the unease falling over many faces, and Pearl-

The Postmaster turned her focus away from Grian, and she looked equally stunned by the sight of Gem. Silence enveloped the air. Doubt filtered through the redhead's gaze, wondering if the person in front of her was some cruel illusion.

Tears then blurred her vision when the Postmaster gained the brightest smile of recognition. "Gem!" she gasped in shock.

"Pearl!" Gem screamed before racing over to her. The two women met in the middle and crashed into a tight embrace. The contact finally broke Gem, and she crumbled in her friend's arms, choking out a sob. "Y-You're here! You're-You're actually-Pearl!"

"Hey, hey, I'm here. It's alright," Pearl said while she patted the young woman's back with her own eyes growing misty. She was so relieved that she ignored the irritating pain of her own hair getting tangled in her friend's antlers. "Gem, where on Earth have you been? We've been looking everywhere for you."

"I-It's a long story," Gem muttered, chuckling through her soaked cheeks.

"Uh, hey, is everything okay over here?"

The two women separated to find Scott was the one who spoke. He carried a worried gaze at the sight of Gem's tears. The redhead then looked past him to see practically all the players gathering a few yards away. The watched the reunion with clear confusion. Gem's gaze then trailed over to Martyn. Her brow knitted, and her mouth hung open, horrified by his rough appearance and bright red eyes. Before she could even step forward, the blonde narrowed his gaze at her and turned to leave.

Gem's attention then shifted to Grian. The avian was studying the two with pure bewilderment. The redhead frowned, wiping away her tears, before she marched over to him. She crossed her arms and stared the man down. "Grian, we're talking. Right now."

~~~~~~

Chapter Text

The session ended a little earlier than usual due to the rather strange events at the Secret Keeper. That strange event had been Red Martyn going crazy and trying to kill Grian, which Gem just learned. Still, as was routine, everyone gathered in a half circle around the three pillars, ready to turn in any last minute tasks.

Gem was half listening to the other players explaining what their tasks were, and she completely ignored the fun chanting whenever someone headed towards the 'fail' button. She had sensed a heavy tension within the group practically five minutes ago, but now, they were all back to laughing without a care in the world. Gem frowned at the continued giggles around her, especially coming from Scott a few feet away. She scowled at the elf while hurt mixed into her exhausted gaze. No matter how much she understood the context, the oblivious attitudes of the other players just unnerved her at this point. Too much stress was weighing on her, and their joy almost felt like mockery.

Her attention, though, soon switched from Scott to Pearl. Her Pearl. The Postmaster stood next to her with a warm expression, watching the players laugh and giggle. The sight of her close friend put the redhead's mind at ease, if only just a little. Yet, her insides still squirmed to the point she felt nauses.

She feared the thought of Pearl being harmed. Was she stuck here permanently? And what had happened to the other Pearl? The Postmaster seemed to have no clue of how she arrived at this place. Only that she was blinded by an orange light and ended up in, what Gem assumed by her description, the other Pearl's base.

"I'm so sorry, Pearl," Scar said, pulling Gem from her thoughts. The salesman's head hung low as he stood in front of the Postmaster. Pearl glanced towards the redhead; brow knitted with confusion.

Gem shrugged. She was clueless as well. She did hear Scar go on some kind of apology tour due to his task, causing many of the players to fondly laugh at the miscommunications, but still, she had no idea what he was referring to. The redhead then gently motioned towards the disheartened salesman, moving Pearl's attention back to him. The Postmaster stared at his defeated posture and raised her hands to wave off the concern. "Aw, Scar, it's alright. You, uh... Just don't worry about it."

Scar nodded before he continued on. Laughter kicked up again from his explanations. Arguments were settled, and despite Scar's smile appearing a bit too wide, it seemed peace had been restored between the players. Gem watched as Scar laughed along with everyone, but his gaze had dulled when he sent his extra heart towards Skizz, who brightened at the gesture.

"Aww! Thanks, buddy," he said while the green glow washed over his body. Scar nodded with a tired grin. The salesman looked hollow all of a sudden.

Before Gem could question the scene, her attention quickly switched to Grian once the final player turned in their task.

Grian stood on the part of the Secret Keeper that played as one of its arms. The avian was quiet, staring down at the group with unease. His small wings twitched against his back, likely being forced to stay close and not flare up. His hands were stuffed into his pockets to display a nonchalant behavior, but his eyes betrayed the look with how intense they darted between each player. He wasn't looking directly at them, though. It was if he was looking just past them and dwelling on something else entirely.

He and Gem both acknowledged the absence of Martyn. When the session ended, the missing player had concluded to everyone that he already turned in his task, and he quickly departed after that. Unsatisfied, the other players tried to playfully bully it out of him, especially after the chaos they suffered through earlier. Despite all the curious poking, though, Martyn uncharacteristically didn't respond to their antics and just headed back to his base to retire for the night.

Something's seriously wrong with Martyn, Gem concluded. She originally assumed the attack on Grian earlier was just due to the man being a fresh red-lifer, but she suspected something else was going on. The worst part, though, was that she had no idea what really happened for a good chunk of the session, and it was all thanks to her counterpart.

It frightened the redhead because this time, when the two seemed to switch places, Gem could periodically see what Tay was doing. It was like she was getting a blurry image. An image one would witness when they first woke up from a deep sleep before they were put right back under again, and that was definitely not a good sign.

With growing fear edging into her muscles, Gem guessed that she and her counterpart were one step closer to merging into one. It was like a ticking clock pressing against the back of her mind. It teased her of the limited time she had until she simply didn't exist anymore. It made her stomach twist into knots. It made her blood boil. Gem narrowed her gaze, forcing her shaking fists to dig into her palms, so she could shift her fear into rage. She was not going to let that happen to her, and she sure as hell was not going to let people like Tay or Grian stand in her way.

"Gem, are you alright?" The redhead snapped out of her thoughts once more to look at Pearl. The Postmaster stared at her with slight concern over her reassuring smile.

Gem gave a nod, but she soon realized the Postmaster was studying her face. "Wait, what happened to your eye? You've got one bright yellow one now."

"It's a..." Gem paused. She contemplated her thoughts before answering. "It's just a feature of the game. The color signifies what life I'm on."

Pearl watched her for a second more before answering. "Ah, okay..." Her focus then shifted towards the crowd. "Makes sense why everyone's sharing glowing eye colors."

"Yeah, honestly, that's the least of our problems," Gem whispered back before sighing. "There's just a lot going on."

"You're tellin' me. Woke up here with 30 hearts and had to stop some rampaging guy from taking Grian's head off," Pearl sighed. "I'm seriously at a loss of what we're even doing by this weird statue thing too."

"It's pretty hard to explain... You ever hear Doc talk about alternate realities?"

Pearl mulled over the thought before shrugging. "Sorta. Honestly, the goat-man's got so many crazy projects and ideas. It's hard to keep track of them all."

"Right, well, he actually gave me this watch that can take me to alternate universes with different versions of ourselves, and... we're in one of those right now," Gem breathed quietly, ensuring her voice didn't reach the other players.

Pearl stared at Gem. She blinked a few times as if the redhead just spoke gibberish. Finally, it all came crashing down on the Postmaster when she looked back over at the others. "Oh my gosh..."

"Alright, session over. Get on outta here," Grian announced before stepping down from the rock. Gem noticed that he made a fast drop, nearly losing a half of heart from how steep it was, but he kept his balance and caught it at the very last second. Still, his little wings had shot up in an instinctive attempt to cushion the fall and glide him down.

The large group dispersed with their host's permission, talking among themselves as they left. The avian was stopped briefly by Etho again, but he signaled to his teammate that he still had something to take care of. After the masked man walked away, Grian finally turned to lock eyes with Gem. The avian frowned, wings drooping with distaste.

Gem ignored the look and marched over to him with Pearl right behind her. "Alright, you got to conclude your session. Now, we're talking."

"Sorry that I had to do damage control," Grian said, clearly sounding annoyed. "You expect me to just leave everyone standing there wondering what's going on?"

Gem crossed her arms. "Hey, don't blame me for being impatient when you've been everything but cooperative with talking about these games."

"Well, forgive me for not trusting someone who's clearly up to something," Grian shot back, wings rising. "And I tried to talk to you after you opened the End Portal, but you just brushed me off."

Gem raised a brow. "What are you..." Her eyes went wide. "That wasn't-I wasn't-" She could see the judgemental scowl over the avian's face. It made her groan.

"Look, what I want to know is why you were given that task."

"I don't know, Grian! They're your tasks!"

"I never wrote anything that had to do with the End Portal!"

Gem paused. "You didn't-" Her expression then darkened. She cast her gaze to the side. "Then they really did plan the whole thing just to get me stranded..."

Grian frowned. "Wha-What are you talking about?"

Gem's attention flickered to Pearl, who watched the two go back and forth with clear confusion written all over her face. The redhead then focused back on Grian. "Look, let's just go somewhere to talk. I'm not saying anything else until you explain what it is you've been hiding."

Grian's expression grew bitter. "It's gonna be hard for me to open up when I have no idea who you are or what you're up to. You could be working to hurt my friends for all I know."

"Grian! I-UGH!" Gem groaned once more, pulling down on her cheeks. Her eyes flared with anger when she looked back at him. "I've tried to talk to you, Grian. All three of us did, but you played it off." Gem gritted her teeth when the memories started piling up. "Between the End Portal, Scott losing his memories, and now Martyn, I have half a mind to think you had something to do with all of it. Everything went downhill right after we tried to talk to you," the redhead growled. Her ears folded back with growing frustration. She massaged her tired eyelids with her thumb and finger. "Gosh, I should have listened to Martyn."

Grian watched her. His gaze hardened, and his frown deepened. It was hard to tell if the man was hurt or ticked-off, but he crossed his arms and spat back with venom. "Well, he listened to you, and look where that got him."

Gem's eyes snapped open. She stared at the avian, nostrils flaring. Her face morphed into rage against the bird, who was staring daggers right back at her. "YOU-"

"Ey! Ey! Enough," Pearl hushed sharply. She glanced over her shoulder to notice some of the lingering players looking their way. Her gaze then moved towards a figure, who was walking over to her.

"Hey, Pearl, everythin' alright?" Bdubs asked.

The Postmaster looked down to see concern over the man's face, and her own face fell once she saw his noticeable black eye. She then shrugged off the emotions before smiling. "Everything's fine, Bdubs. Just havin' a lil' disagreement with Grian and Gem. We're um... We're doing some tradin'."

Bdubs' face brightened. He showed off his missing tooth when he smiled back. "Oh, alright, I'll leave ya to it then. Hope you're not trading off that Ender Dragon Egg, though. We just got it," he teased.

"Uh, wouldn't dream of it, mate," Pearl spoke while her tight grin grew.

Bdubs nodded. "See you guys later!" he called out to the trio before racing off back towards his base with Mumbo watching from a distance.

Pearl then turned back to face the others. "Why don't we do what you suggested, Gem, and talk somewhere else. I'm guessin' you guys don't want the others to hear all this."

There was a chilling silence in the air. Gem and Grian continued to have their stare off for what felt like hours. Finally, though, they both settled, looking away to avoid each other. "Yeah... We can head up to my base. Less chance of someone snooping," Gem started as she ushered the two of them along.

"Okay, good, because someone's gotta tell me what the heck happened to poor Bdubs' face," Pearl whined before the three walked off. The Postmaster stood between them.

Grian remained silent. He glanced towards the tall brunette. He scanned her up and down with a slight tint of violet in his gaze. "You're not the same Pearl, are you?"

Pearl shook her head. "Sorry, mate, I don't think so."

Grian's expression turned cold. "So where is the real Pearl?"

Gem paused for a moment. Her anger subsided. She pondered the bird's question. "Well, she would have to still be here in the arena if everyone still remembers her. That, or she would at least not be in the void, since that seems to make them forget missing players," she muttered, thinking out loud at that point.

Grian's attention shot to the redhead. "How do you know all that?"

"A few context clues. No one acknowledges that Ren isn't in this game," Gem said as she glanced towards the ground.

And the Watchers also made the other Gem join the games, so now she shares a body with me. Gem wanted to say that too, but she bit her lip. Martyn's warnings went to the front of her mind. It wouldn't be wise to tell Grian everything she knew just yet. While she still doubted the avian held evil intentions, too many things had been going wrong for her to blindly trust, especially with something as vulnerable as admitting she was slowly losing her mind. And besides...

Gem glanced over at Pearl. Guilt filtered into her features before she looked away.

I don't want to worry Pearl with that yet. There's enough things going on without dumping that out too.

Grian's eyebrows flew up when the redhead mentioned Ren. "How do you know about-"

"It doesn't matter," Gem said as she turned to face them, making the whole group stop. She let out another tired sigh. "Look, my point is, I don't know where the other Pearl is. Last time I saw her, she..." Her face soon fell, morphing into horror. She recalled the moment clearly. "The End Portal... The End."

Tension seeped into the air and suffocated Gem. It mixed in with the guilt inside that now crushed her like a brick. She finally remembered. She remembered what Tay had done. Gem stood there stunned for a second, processing the new memory, and she only snapped out of it when the avian started running.

Without another word, Grian sprinted off, surprising the redhead. She and Pearl watched him head right towards the edge of the arena, puzzling the Postmaster even further. "Where's he going?"

Gem had a good guess in mind, so she latched onto her friend's wrist and pulled her forward. "Come on, we gotta check to see if the other you's still in The End."

"Okay, but for the record, I've only understood half of what you've both been saying this whole time," Pearl complained before the duo raced after the avian.

Grian rushed down the narrow staircase once again. He forced his legs to move faster, despite them beginning to feel like jelly. When he locked eyes with the portal again, though, he slowed to simply place his hands on the edge. He grew stiff as a statue. His feet appeared glued to the ground once again, making him groan. "Come on, I-I have to... P-Pearl..." A faint ring flooded his feathery ears, making them twitch. A voice then whispered.

Come home, Xelqua.

Grian paled. All the air in his lungs evaporated. He stared wide-eyed at all the Eyes of Ender, which were now glaring back at him.

"Grian-Grian! Hey," Pearl rushed to his side first. She yanked him away from the portal to make him turn towards her. She held a firm grip on both of his arms, studying his pale face. "Are you alright?"

Grian's gaze focused on her face long enough for him to blink out of his panic. He realized that his nostrils had been flaring due to his quick breaths. "I-I'm fine," he choked out before clearing his throat.

"You're pale as a ghost," Gem said with very little emotion, but her creased brow showed the slightest bit of concern.

"Y-Yeah, I just-" Grian shook his head before turning back towards the portal. "Let's-" Grian's legs buckled, and he fell to one knee, surprising the two behind him.

"Whoa! Alright, you're not going anywhere," Gem stated firmly. She knelt down and placed a hand on the avian's shoulder. Her face twisted. She grew puzzled by his shaky form.

"No!" Grian spat, turning his anger onto the redhead. "I'm not staying back. Pearl needs my help."

"Grian, you can barely stand," Gem said while her gaze hardened. She looked close to snapping herself. "For once, would you stop being so stubborn and just listen! We don't have time for all this!"

Grian brushed her hand off his shoulder. "You don't understand what they're capable of!" he shouted, making Gem scowl. She knew exactly who he was talking about.

"Because you refuse to tell us!" she shouted back.

"Ey! Stop! Both of you again just-gosh," Pearl sighed. "Why don't I just check? If the dragon's already dead, then it shouldn't take long to-"

"No, you can't." Gem shook her head as she stood up. She focused on her friend's blue gaze. "We have no idea if you're even connected to this game or not."

"But I have thirty hearts, wouldn't that mean that I am?"

"Yeah, but your eyes don't have any color to show which life you're on. You might not have more than one life... " Gem's throat went dry. Her narrowed gaze grew heavy. "Which could mean you'd die for real."

Pearl's expression turned grim. Strangely, though, she didn't seem as shocked by this as she could have been. She just gave a nod in response. "Okay... understood." Pearl fell quiet. She stared at her friend, taking in her exhausted features. The Postmaster then looked over both players. She acknowledged their clear fatigue, sharing eye bags, and stiff postures. Her brow creased. "There's something else you guys aren't tellin' me," she spoke with a pause. "Just what kind of situation have you all been dealing with? You two look like you've been knocked around for days and haven't slept for even longer than that."

"Understatement of the week..." Grian muttered while he shifted his gaze to the floor.

Gem snorted in agreement. She then rubbed the back of her neck. "It's a long story... I'll catch you up after this." The redhead climbed up until she stood on the edge of the portal. "You two meet me in my base." She glanced back at Pearl, who nodded once more. Grian, though, refused to meet her gaze, sinking his head lower to the ground. Gem frowned at the sight. She turned to face the dark void-like space again.

"Hey." Gem looked back. Grian finally locked eyes with her. His expression was stern, but she could still see that he was gripping his fists tight, forcing them to stop shaking. "Don't die," he said with such severity that it couldn't be taken as a joke.

"I'll try," was all the redhead said before she fell through the portal.

A cold shiver flooded Gem's senses until she blinked her eyes open. She was greeted by an eerie silence as she looked around the obsidian platform. She walked across the narrow cobblestone bridge that carried her to the rock formation. "Pearl?" Gem called out once she reached the top. She kept her head down once she spotted the dozens of Endermen. The sight of them made her skin crawl. "Pearl!" she shouted again while walking around a large pool of water. Her muscles tensed when she spotted the blots of blood on the ground. She raised her head slightly and took a quick scan over the terrain. "PEARL!"

Gem's gaze then locked onto something in the center. She dipped her head back down and rushed towards the portal. Her eyes then widened once she noticed the abandoned Ender Dragon Egg and some broken bottles with a black ooze puddle surrounding them. She recalled Bdubs' comment earlier. Their prized egg was still here. Her stomach sank when she took in the sight of a blood trail, which dragged itself towards the portal.

Pearl... What happened to you?

With a bitter taste in her mouth, Gem took out her extra enchanted bottle and knelt down. While collecting the dark ooze from the portal, she jumped once she spotted something from her peripheral. The young woman yelped, backing away from a pair of shadow-like claws reaching out from the egg. "What the heck-" she gasped, but she paused when one hand simply fazed through her arm. Gem blinked. She watched the limb fall back to the ground like a limp noodle. The redhead frowned, raising a brow.

Before she could question it, though, the other hand managed to grab a hold of the bottle and gave one hard yank. "What the-HEY! Cut it out!" Gem panicked, pulling against the shadow hand's strangely strong grip. A faint whisper filled her ears. It felt like a chilling wind, but she couldn't distinguish what it was saying. She got to her feet and played tug-a-war with it before taking out her sword. Her swings, though, just fazed through the arm. The redhead gritted her teeth and gave one last yank, which finally pulled the bottle free. Gem then stepped back. She raised her sword against the now fast approaching claws. She didn't waste another second and took a quick step to the right, letting herself fall through the portal.

"Gem!" The redhead opened her eyes to find Pearl and Grian staring back at her. Gem looked down to witness herself sitting in bed with her sword still raised.

She blinked a few times. She slowly set the sword aside before looking down at the bottle in her other hand. "Well, that was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen."

Grian took a step forward. "Did you find Pearl?"

Gem met his gaze, seeing the clear intensity with his gaze. Her shoulders dropped. "No, I couldn't find her, but-"

"I'm going to look," Grian said. He spun around to leave.

"Wha-Hey! At least let me finish," Gem spat as she rose to her feet.

"If you didn't find her, then I'm checking. The End is huge. You probably just didn't-"

"Grian, for the love of- She doesn't have an elytra! She couldn't have gotten far in The End without making some sort of path that I would have seen," Gem puffed out a frustrated breath, causing the avian to look back in her direction. She then sighed. "Plus, it seemed like she might have gone through the portal from what I saw next to it."

"What did ya see?" Pearl asked.

Gem glanced back down at the bottle, frowning at the slight fracture in the glass. "The dragon egg. These shadow hands came out of it, and it sounded like they were trying to say something to me." She looked back up, noticing the contrasting looks from the two other players in the room. Pearl's face twisted with bewilderment, but Grian... Gem could see his whole body freeze up. "It couldn't touch me, but it could grab onto the potion bottle. It was trying really hard to not let me have it."

"Okay... weird... What's that potion anyway?" Pearl furthered, eyeballing the sloshing ooze.

"It's a bit of The End Portal. I collected some, so I can make a portal with Doc's notes," Gem said before she focused back on Grian. "So we can all escape these games."

"Wait, what?" Grian couldn't help but be taken aback by her words. His brow creased. He finally turned away from the door and returned to the duo. "How could you possibly do that with a portal?"

"Oh, so now you wanna listen to what I have to say?" Gem asked with a hand on her hip.

Grian made a show of rolling his eyes while Pearl looked at him with a smile. "Ya know, for being from another universe, Gem seems to have pretty much the same relationship with you as our Grian."

The avian smirked, which showed Gem that her friend must have caught the bird up on a few things while she was in The End. "It's good to hear the other me has some common sense."

"Oh just shut it," Gem snapped. She took a breath. "Look, I'll only tell you my plan if you tell us what you know about these games, and you can't leave anything out."

Grian paused, looking between the two. There was a long moment of silence. He considered the deal.

Honestly, a part of him still wanted to go and search for Pearl himself, for the chance Gem-poster was lying, but if his repeated failures today were any hint, he knew he wasn't going to get far with that plan. Besides, after hearing this Pearl's explanation of alternate universes, it was clear to him that he had been wrong about this Gem, at least from an origin standpoint. He was in the dark about a lot of things, and if he was going to help his Pearl and the rest of his friends, then he needed to suck it up and just talk to the annoying deer currently staring daggers at him. Grian let out a tired sigh. It wasn't like his bedrock escape plan was ideal anyway. The avian caved. "Fine."

...

A dark void seemed to surround Pearl. Her body felt numb, and her eyelids were too heavy to even open. Slowly, though, she felt herself begin to stir. She let out a groan with a soreness coming from her stomach. Finally, the brunette opened her eyes to be greeted by silence. Pearl looked around, blinking away the fuzziness from her vision. She was surrounded by walls that carried rustic red coloring with light brown bricks at the base. Sunlight peeked around the corner with crates piled near it, cluttering the already small bedroom... bedroom.

Pearl blinked a few more times. Wait... This isn't my Mounder base.

A soft meow filled the space. Pearl watched as a white and orange spotted cat jumped onto her rusty-colored covers. "Oh, hey there," she muttered warmly towards the feline, who walked over to promptly sniff her hair. "Yeah... I'm not sure why I'm here either."

Slowly, Pearl tried to sit up, but she muffled a grunt when a sharp pain came from her stomach and shot through her side. She managed to get on her elbows, noticing that she was missing her jacket. She pushed back the covers to find herself wearing a fresh new t-shirt that resembled her old one. She then lifted up the bottom hem to discover white bandages wrapped around her torso. "Okay... I'm injured, but not healing." Her mind then recalled the incident in The End, making her grumble under her breath. "What did that freaky egg do to me?"

Pearl then stopped when she heard voices. They were faint due to the doors to the bedroom being closed, but she could tell there were quite a few people speaking. Curious, but cautious, the brunette went into attack mode, searching through her pockets for any kind of weapon. It was then that she realized her pouch, which held all her items, was missing from her belt.

"Dang it," she muttered. Clenching her jaw, Pearl swung her legs to the side of the bed. She muffled a cry while she attempted another sitting position. With little success, the brunette decided to shove herself off the bed quickly, making as much effort as possible to not lean too far forward.

With another grunt, Pearl ended up on her feet, but she ended up smacking herself against the wall with a, thankfully, soft thud. Still, she whimpered from the impact, feeling her injury jerk again. It was a miracle she stayed standing. She backed away from the wall with slow movements now, widening her stance to ensure she didn't fall over.

"O-Kay, h-halfway there," the brunette muttered with clear sarcasm while she used the wall to keep herself steady. Gently, Pearl inched closer to the door, but the cat in the room meowed at her in protest. The player glanced back, holding a finger to her lips. "I know, I look pathetic right now, but you gotta keep quiet, kitty."

With no other response, the feline stretched before curling up on top of the thrown bed cover. Pearl then turned back and finally reached the doors. She twisted the knob and cracked one open to listen.

"Okay, I can understand why you asked Grian to come, but why are Mumbo and Scar also here?" a woman's voice spoke. It sounded like the blonde from before, aka False.

Pearl's face grew surprised once she remembered the two strangers who acted as though they knew her. "Right... Made me drink a healing potion before I passed out," she muttered to herself. Pearl glanced back down at her bandages. The sight made her shoulders ease just a bit.

Well, they don't seem to want me dead. At least, not yet anyway.

"They were with me when I got Cub's message," a voice that was without a doubt Grian's answered, puzzling Pearl even further.

Why's Grian here talking with these guys?

"You can't expect us to not come with the news that poor Pearlie's injured," Scar piped in, sounding offended.

"Yeah, hold on, what you got against us being here?" Mumbo furthered.

Pearl's face scrunched up from the bizarre situation. Just how many of her friends were downstairs?

"Nothing, it's just that there's already so many of us in this tiny base-"

Pearl jerked at the word tiny. She took a survey of the build around her as the conversation continued downstairs. Granted, she didn't consider the place a mansion by any means, but it felt like a five-star resort to her with the beautiful architecture alone.

"I just don't want to overwhelm her. Cub said there's something that's infecting her body and making the regen not work," Pearl heard False say once she tuned back into the discussion.

"I will say, I haven't had to stitch up a wound that bad in a while," A more gruff voice interjected. "Did you notice the violet coloring on it too, Cub?"

"Yeah, and it's definitely not from any bruising." The man, Pearl recognized as Cub, sighed. "There's no denying it. A Watcher has a hold over her mind."

Pearl's body froze. The group downstairs must have had a similar reaction because it was dead silent for a couple of seconds.

"A-A Watcher?" Mumbo asked. There was a sudden nervousness in his tone. "Are you sure?"

"It better not be. Monsters, the lot of them," False muttered with such venom.

"False..." a brand new voice warned gently. It sounded as though the person spoke through a radio.

"Don't False me. Suma, come on, they're the reason you can't breathe overworld air properly," she replied. There was a pause, a hesitation in her breath, before she continued. "And you know they threw me in one of their twisted death games. What do you expect me to call them?"

"Look, there's a lot we need to discuss, but frankly, I didn't want to bring anything up without your guys' permission," Cub continued.

"Permission on what?" False asked, sounding suspicious.

There was another pause that fell over the group. The man known as Suma then answered. "We'll get to that, but first, I wanted to let all of you know that there's something wrong with Pearl's ID tag."

"Whada mean?"

"Earlier, it said that Pearl left the game, but there was an error when it said she rejoined."

"Well, you said that a Watcher seems to have a hold over her. Do you think it had something to do with that?"

"Maybe, but looking through the code, I noticed that her ID is not the exact same as when she left," Suma continued. "It's nearly identical, but there are a few differences, which I think is why the game almost didn't let her rejoin."

Pearl didn't hear any reply to that response before there was another meow from behind. The feline jumped down from the bed and squeezed through the crack in the door, making it open more with a loud creak.

The voices stopped. Pearl tensed. She dragged herself as fast as she could to the corner of the room. The brunette then spotted the crates. Instantly, she tore open the lids and proceeded to sift through the items inside. She spotted blankets, sheets, and extra pillows. All the soft material were dumped and piled onto the floor, which made her grumble. "Not even a wooden sword? Are you-"

"Pearl? Hey, whatcha doin'?"

The young woman froze when she heard Grian behind her. She cursed underneath her breath, hating that she foolishly turned her back to the door. "I was just uh... looking for some better pillows, heh." She chuckled, yet she still kept her attention towards the open crate. A part of her hoped that a weapon would appear if she stared at it long enough.

There was a beat. "Uh-huh."

Pearl felt a hand on her shoulder. She snapped her attention to the left to find the blonde woman again, False. "Hey, you shouldn't be moving. Doc was barely able to stitch you up."

Pearl finally turned to see many more figures piled into the room. She scanned over the group, only recognizing a few. Her brow creased until her gaze landed on Grian. Her eyebrows flew up once she noticed the red, yellow, and blue feathers that covered his ears and wings. She stared at the beautiful sight for a second. It made her friend look so much more vibrant and alive.

"Pearl?" Grian asked, looking uncomfortable about her fixated gaze on him.

Pearl soon pushed away the thought. Her brain was back on high alert. She took a few slow steps away from the group while she seemed to shrink further into the corner. The brunette snatched a pillow off the floor and treated it like a shield. She gave a weary chuckle at the amount of people staring at her. "L-Look, I'm not sure what's going on, but if this is some kinda weird ambush, you should just tell me. A woman's gotta right to know if she's about to be killed."

Puzzled expressions fell over the entire group before they soon melted into concern. "Killed? Whada mean, Pearl?" Scar asked. Pearl took this moment to notice the man was wearing a tan uniform that resembled an animal wrangler. He wore a wide-brimmed hat that he adjusted while staring at the brunette innocently. "We're just worried about you." His response, though, only made her neon green eyes dull.

"Right... sure," she said towards the conman with clear deadpan. Pearl continued to process the new faces in the room, which furthered her unease. She looked at Grian again. "Gri, did you add new players to the game? Or, are we playing a new one?" Pearl then shook her head at the thought. "No, we couldn't be. We were only on session four. I mean, unless I died? Did I lose all my lives already?"

False visibly jerked from her words. She noticed the blonde's tense posture.

"Pearl, what are you talking about?" Grian asked, taking a step forward.

Pearl sighed. Exasperation filtered through her body while her grip on the pillow loosened. "Look, all I remember was that I was in The End with Bdubs and Impulse." She placed a hand to her temple, yet she still held the pillow up. She tried to sift through her foggy brain slowly. "We defeated the Ender Dragon, despite Scott and the others trying to come in and snatch the kill from us." Pearl then frowned when a scream filled her ears. "Poor Martyn and Jimmy are gonna be on their red lives now."

A sudden shift fell over Grian's features. He stared at her, wide-eyed. His face paled like he had just seen a ghost. "Hold on, wait... Did you say Martyn?"

Pearl paused, hearing the disbelief in the avian's tone. His wings were now pinned against his back. Mumbo moved from the doorway to place a hand on his shoulder.

"What's going on?" Pearl asked as she arched an eyebrow. She looked over all the different players in the room. "And, again, who are all of you?"

False's brow knitted. Disbelief consumed her features as she scanned over Pearl's face, searching for something. Her frown then deepened when her search ended up fruitless. "You don't know who we are?"

Guilt filled the brunette's gut from the hurt in her tone. Pearl racked her brain once more as she finally lowered the pillow. She then gave a slow shake of her head. "N-No, I mean, I know Scar and Mumbo, but..."

A tall figure then stepped forward, startling Pearl a bit. He was the most unique one of them all. Green fur covered his whole body with a pair of goat horns sticking out from his brown hair. He possessed a robotic arm and eye and only wore a tattered lab coat and pants. "I would like to ask, does anything about your surroundings look familiar to you?" the Goat-Creeper hybrid asked. His voice was gruff but quiet.

Pearl took a quick glance around before shaking her head. "Uh, no... B-But don't get me wrong, it's very beautiful and cozy, and I adore the cats." Pearl then chuckled. "And I realize now that the room is a little small, but you can't really complain about a nicely made home when you're in these death games, yeah?" Pearl laughed at her words. A few seconds into the giggles, though, she noticed that it was met with expressions of horror, causing her mouth to close shut.

"In a what?!" False snapped.

"Right..." The goat man frowned, scratching his chin as he pondered. "By any chance, was there a deer hybrid in this game with you? She goes by the name of Gem?"

Pearl nodded quickly. "Yeah, that's why I was in The End. She needed bits of the End Portal, so she could build something to get us all out of..." Pearl trailed off.

She recalled Gem's story. Her plans to return home. Her mentions of being friends with different versions of all the players. The realization smacked Pearl as soon as she locked eyes with the goat-man again. She scanned over the group once more before it all came crashing down. "Oh my- Am I in an alternate universe!?"

...

"So you are the fourth champion!" Gem said with slight intensity. She was sitting on top of her bed with her back resting against the wall behind her. She then leaned forward after making her statement.

"Yeah... I won Third Life," Grian answered with a lot less enthusiasm, shifting his gaze to the floor. He sat down on an extra bed that was facing Gem's a couple feet away. His face then twisted before he looked back up at the redhead. "Wait, who're the others?"

"Scott, Pearl, and Martyn."

Grian ran a hand through his hair. "Right, figured as much."

"You didn't know?" Gem asked.

"Hard to when you die way before the end," Grian grumbled.

"Right... Then what about-" Gem paused only briefly once a new thought emerged. She gained a more somber expression as she looked straight at Grian. "What about the Watchers? What do you know about them?"

She could see that her question made the man grow stiff. He avoided her gaze once more, looking to his right. Gem also noticed Pearl shift uncomfortably from her spot next to her. The unusually quiet Postmaster had placed her hat on top of the chest next to the bed. She had only been listening to the conversation for the most part to catch up on everything, but each new discussion seemed to weigh Pearl down more and more. Her blue eyes were clouded with something, something Gem couldn't distinguish.

Was it sadness for them? No, it was definitely something more than that. Pearl lifted her tired gaze up to frown towards the uneasy avian, forcing Gem to turn back to him as well. The focus was now all on Grian again.

Gem pushed away her concern. The redhead refused to back out of her question. She was tired of the back and forth. She was tired of the setbacks. She needed answers, and she needed them now. Her eyes narrowed. Her tone grew harsher. "Grian."

"The Watchers are the ones who create these games," Grian said, making the other two pause.

Gem blinked a few times, looking stunned. "Wait, they're the ones creating them?" She studied the avian's expression, searching for any falsehood. "But then, what about you? I mean, it makes sense. I just... I assumed the Watchers took over your games and added the whole death loop to it... or something like that."

Grian's gaze grew dark. "Yeah, no. I'm more of a glorified figurehead," he said with clear sharpness, but for once, it wasn't aimed at Gem. Grian leaned back to rest his hands on his bed. "There are some things they let me have control of. Like the Secret Tasks, but even then, they're the ones that decide everything." There was a noticeable twitch in the avian's wings. He unconsciously stretched them a bit, causing a few feathers to fall. Once he realized this, though, he tucked them away once more, grumbling something under his breath.

Pearl took notice of the feathers while her eyes trailed to his now pinned wings. Gem acknowledged her stare too, causing a new thought to cross her mind. "Grian... did the Watchers clip your wings?"

The words were out before she could think twice, yet surprisingly, the avian seemed prepared for that question. He didn't even flinch that time. He just merely glanced away as he sighed, sounding exhausted all of a sudden. "Yeah, they clip them occasionally whenever they feel I have too much of an advantage over other players." Or just feel like messing with me, Grian thought, but he didn't want to add that.

"Grian..." Pearl's tone was heavy, broken by his words.

"It's fine, Pearl. They come back-"

"But it's not okay!" Pearl snapped, making Grian whip his attention right back to her. "Grian, you shouldn't play it off as no big deal."

"Well, what else am I supposed to do? I can't exactly stop it," Grian said with a dull gaze. He leaned down to rest his chin against his palm, but his indifferent attitude soon cracked when he saw the young woman's troubled demeanor. The Postmaster looked so much like his Pearl. Her features, her knitted brow. He knew the person sitting in front of him wasn't actually his friend, his sister, but the uncanny similarities made him pause long enough to rethink. Finally, he straightened his posture as he stared at Pearl with concern. "Sorry, I just-"

Pearl shook her head. "No, it's not... I'm upset for you, of course, but..." She then sighed, casting her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry. I was pushing you about it because of my experience with... with my own experience with the Watchers."

This stopped Gem in her tracks, jerking her head towards the Postmaster. "Hold on, what? Pearl, what are you talking about? There aren't any Watchers back in our..." The words seemed to die in Gem's throat when the two women locked eyes. She studied her friend. Her unusually calm, sober expression made the redhead's blood run cold. Time seemed to stop for Gem while her pupils turned to dots. Her throat closed up, and her mind spun with several thoughts. She could only muster enough strength to whisper. "When?"

Pearl fiddled with one of her hair strands, avoiding Gem's gaze. "It was before Hermitcraft. I don't know for how long. I'm still trying to piece it together... but I was stuck in some place with a bunch of people." The Postmaster then raised her legs up onto the bed, so she could wrap her arms around them. "We... It was like a warzone. We were forced to fight each other, but it was like we weren't in game mode. There was blood... so much blood." Pearl's body trembled before she took a breath. "But we had multiple lives, so we kept coming back and replaying it over and over."

Gem's eyes widened. "That's... That's just like here."

Pearl gave a small nod in agreement. Her expression then darkened. "Which is why I'm horrified that you got thrown into something like this... That you willingly stayed."

Gem's heart sank. She looked away. "I just..." Gem glanced over towards Grian. "I just couldn't go right back home after finding out other versions of my friends were suffering like this." Grian's expression faltered. He studied the redhead. His brow knitted with a puzzled look. Gem focused her attention back on the Postmaster. "They're on game five of this, Pearl. They're losing their minds. I had to do something-"

"Yeah, but now your watch is broken, and you've got limited resources here to even fix it, let alone help all of them with a big portal or whatever else," Pearl snapped. She let her feet fall back to the ground. She stared her friend down with a bitter look. "Gem, seriously, what were you thinking?"

The redhead said nothing. She just stared at Pearl for a long time. Her ears dipped low. Her eyes grew misty, but she blinked quickly before looking down at the floor. "I was trying to play the big, dumb hero, I guess," Gem muttered with a weak chuckle. She gripped her pant legs, holding back the urge to cry with her strained breaths.

Pearl took in Gem's exhausted demeanor again. She then glanced back over at Grian. The equally tired avian seemed to carry newfound remorse as he stared at Gem. Guilt festered in the Postmaster's stomach before she sighed. "I'm sorry, I just... I'm really worried about you."

Gem gave a small smile. She looked back at her friend and gave a slow nod. "Yeah... Yeah, I know." A quietness settled into the room for a moment before Gem spoke again. "Do you know how you might have gotten out of your game?"

Pearl mulled over the question. She scratched the back of her head as she thought. "Sorta. All I remember was seeing an orange light, and then I woke up in a city hub, miles away from any game that was taking place. I only had my name and fragments of memory from those death matches," She explained while shaking her head at the thought. "That's where Suma eventually found me and invited me to Hermitcraft and..." Pearl's face then suddenly brightened. "Well, the research I learned from Suma and Doc may be able to help. They've been studying this whole Watcher thing for a while now."

"Wait, seriously? They've been... studying Watchers?" Gem's face scrunched up at this fact. Her stomach grew queasy. "Why would they not... Why would Doc not..."

Pearl held her hands up in defense. "It's nothing personal, Gem. You know how secretive Xisuma and Doc are. They like to keep all this Watcher stuff under wraps to not freak out the other Hermits," Pearl said while twiddling her thumbs.

Gem's face soon twisted in pain towards her friend. "But Pearl... Why... Why did you never tell me all this either?"

Pearl's somber expression worsened as her shoulders fell. "I'm sorry, I just... It's not something I really like to talk about, and there was nothing to talk about for a while due to my lil' case of amnesia that I'm still dealing with," she explained while tapping the side of her head. "I barely remember my life before getting dragged into those death games, along with the death games themselves. Only bits and pieces." The Postmaster then ran a hand through her hair as she dwelled on her thoughts. "And I only know about the Watchers because of Doc and Suma's research and False's own personal experience too."

"Wait, wait, False was in those games too!?" Gem spat.

Pearl's gaze shifted back to the floor with a tight grin. "Uh... Sorry, I don't think that I was supposed to share that."

Gem groaned. She let her head drop into her hands and scratched at her scalp. She then took a glance at Grian, who seemed to be at a loss for most of what the Postmaster was saying. The redhead frowned before looking back up at Pearl. "So do they have any clue about escaping the death games?"

Pearl pondered the question. "Well, remember I mentioned that orange light that seemed to save me? Suma and Doc were able to identify that as the work of the Listeners."

"Listeners?" Grian beat Gem to the question as he raised a brow. "What the heck is that?"

...

"So you and several others are trapped in this death game loop, and our Gem has been trying to get you out?" The man Pearl learned was Xisuma explained through the radio in his helmet.

The brunette nodded from her spot on the bed. Doc had settled Pearl back underneath the blankets and propped her up with some pillows. Despite his intimidating presence, he examined her bandages with great care as the group talked. His shoulders eased once he found that the stitches did not reopen.

"And the three lives thing. Is that why your eyes are glowing green?" Pearl turned towards Scar, who was sitting on top of the crates in the corner. She took notice that the couple felines in the room practically gathered around him. The orange cat from before jumped onto his lap, which he happily began petting. His warm demeanor and curious questions reminded her a lot of her Scar. Overall, the only difference Pearl could see between the two was that this Scar had pointed ears and a faint blue glow in his eyes, which she'd catch every now and then.

Pearl frowned. "Oh, I... I didn't notice they were still that color, but yeah, you're right."

"But the arena you're in is very small, so it would be difficult to grab the materials Gem would need to create a portal?" Doc reiterated once he stepped away to stand next to Cub. He scratched his cheek as he pondered. "And the watch I gave her is ruined, so she's now stuck there too..."

"Right, that's why I was in The End fighting the dragon, to get the End Portal ingredient, but then the dragon egg grew these pairs of shadow claws, whispered some strange rhyme, and attacked me," Pearl explained. She raised her arms up to mimic the motion of an animal clawing at something. "I probably would have been worse off if these orange hands hadn't appeared and dragged me through the portal, sending me here."

"Do you remember what the rhyme was?"

Pearl folded her arms back over her lap. She glanced up at the ceiling as she replayed the memory. She soon paused. Her body went still once she recalled the chilling whisper. She then shook her head and focused back on the group. "Something about restoring my mind to its proper gleam."

There was a tense silence that settled for a moment before someone else spoke.

"Well, you said that everyone who didn't win a past game isn't even aware they're in a death loop," Cub pointed out. Pearl realized that he too had pointed ears and a blue tint in his eyes like Scar, but this man's gaze glowed a brighter hue. He pushed up his glasses as he thought. "It would make sense that the Watchers would try and scramble your mind again like the others, especially if you were making plans for an escape route."

"But why do all the winners know more in the first place?" False asked. She was leaning against the back wall with Mumbo standing beside her. The dapper gentleman fiddled with his hands and awkwardly glanced over at Grian on occasion. The quiet avian sat a foot away from him on the floor, seeming lost in thought. Mumbo's attention then snapped back to False when she continued. "Why would the Watchers risk that loss of control every time someone wins?"

"I don't think they're the ones doing it," Xisuma stated, turning to look back at False. "Remember what she said? There were also orange hands that came out of the portal and seemed to be helping her. You recalled seeing an orange glow when you escaped the death games too, right?"

False nodded, but it was Pearl who spoke up. "Yeah, it was like two sides were playin' tug-a-war with me. Do you know what that was about?"

All eyes fell to Doc when he cleared his throat. "The orange glow, as far as we know, belongs to a species called the Listeners."

...

"Listeners are basically the original Watchers... in a way," Pearl trailed off, noticing the two players staring at her with complete bewilderment. The Postmaster held up her hands in defense. "Hey, I'm just tellin' ya what I know from Doc and Suma."

Grian picked at the feathers on his ears as he dwelt on the news. He looked like a fish out of water. "Yeah, but I've never even heard of... Who are-"

"Like I said, they came before the Watchers," Pearl replied. She crossed her legs onto the bed to get herself more comfortable for the story. "They were given their powers from a higher being in order to spread good to other players. The more good they spread, the stronger their powers get." Her tone soon dipped. "But then, a few of the Listeners started seeing themselves as above normal players. And after one of them found some kinda power source from The End, these Listeners started gaining strength from the chaos between players instead." Pearl gained a more serious expression as she dwelt on the story. She shifted her attention from the floor to the others in the room. "Those guys became the first Watchers."

Silence filled the air between them. Gem and Grian looked at each other. They then focused their attention back on the Postmaster like she grew a second head. The avian looked the most stunned, eye-twitching as if his brain snapped in half.

Gem soon cleared her throat. She brushed her braid off her shoulder to collect herself. "Alright, so we know the origin of these guys. Do we know how to stop them?"

Pearl glanced to the right. "That's the tricky part... Doc said that Listeners are stronger than Watchers, but those creeps make up for it with their stealth and mind tricks."

"Whada mean?"

"Well..." Pearl trailed off while she glanced around the room. She seemed to bounce back  to the conversation when a new thought occurred. "Think about the arena." She looked back and forth between the two players. "I'm guessin' you guys can't get past the border, right?"

"I've tried, but the border's solid as a rock," Gem admitted with a sigh.

"Yeah, and even if you do get past the border, it just eats away at your hearts if you get far enough from the arena," Grian answered while he picked up one of his fallen feathers and twirled it.

The redhead' eyes widened from his answer. "How did you-"

"You can do it if you place a boat down on the edge of the border," Grian mentioned. He smiled at the new thought. "A lot of us had done it during past games. Just a bunch of us being idiots, not even realizing how huge the discovery was," he finished while his tone dipped at the end. He then brushed off the feeling, shaking his head. "But anyway, the trick doesn't matter. You still technically are inside the game since you can only walk so far."

Gem's shoulders fell from his words, but her eyebrows then flew up. She turned her attention back to Pearl when something dawned on her. "Wait, if your eyes are their regular color, maybe you're able to get through the bord-" The hope in her expression dimmed from a new thought. "No, wait, but you have 30 hearts."

"I can still try. Maybe I won't lose health," Pearl offered.

Gem shook her head quickly. "No, it's too risky. You could get trapped on the other side." She crossed her arms while she stared down at her floorboards. "I'm worried those 30 hearts are all that you have..."

The air grew heavy. Silence settled between the three players again before Pearl cleared her throat. "Right, well, I think we got off track here." She tapped her chin. "What were we talkin' about again?"

"You asked us about not being able to go through the barrier?" Grian asked with a raised brow.

Pearl nodded. "Right! What I was saying was that there's a reason for all that. More so than just to keep players inside."

...

"From my experience and our Pearl's, Watchers always like to keep their arenas small," False explained as she crossed her arms. "They don't do it just to keep players close. It's also to make their games more difficult to find, for Listeners."

Xisuma nodded. He looked back over to Pearl with an unreadable expression. "It's because they know they face a disadvantage with the Listeners, so they buy themselves more time to build strength by hiding away and gathering as much concentrated chaos in their games as possible, to the point even the Listeners would have trouble breaking the barrier."

Pearl's throat went dry. Her body suddenly felt heavy. "So, you're saying that the more games that happen inside their arena..."

Doc's expression grew grim. "Essentially, the stronger both the Watchers and the barrier will get, making it less and less possible for the Listeners to break through and free all of you."

Pearl's eyes widened at the news. Her attention shifted down to her blankets. She gripped a fistful while Doc's words seemed to echo in her mind. Her gaze then hardened before looking back up at the group. "But there's gotta be a way to stop them. If the Listeners brought me here, then that means they know where we are, and they can at least find a way through the barrier to influence some things. They brought me here after all. Maybe they can send my friends to this world too."

"Even if we or the Listeners manage to bring you all here, you still have a connection with the Watchers," Cub said with a knitted brow. "You all are marked. The Watchers still have a hold over your mind, which is why your eyes are green even while outside of the game," he continued, causing Pearl to unconsciously blink a few times. "The purple coloring on your stomach too is an even stronger mark, making it easier for them to find you even in another universe." Cub's expression grew heavy from his own words, which made Pearl frown too.

The brunette let out a tired sigh. She scowled down at her blankets. Of course... Sounds about right with my luck.

Cub then shook off the defeated look and returned to his neutral gaze. "Anyway, those claw hands were an example of the Watchers' hold on your mind. To you they might seem real, but they were really just a type of illusion."

Pearl's frown deepened as she began to sulk. "Felt pretty real to me, mate."

Cub nodded, gaining a small smirk. "I bet it did, but it's because you're connected to the games. I bet no one outside of the games would have been able to see those clawed hands," he explained while tapping the side of his head. "A Watcher's core power comes from mind manipulation. They aren't really effective against other living beings if they don't latch onto their mind first, which they managed to do for all of you."

"Can you remove it?" Pearl asked.

Cub and Doc looked at each other before focusing back on the brunette. Cub adjusted his glasses once more while he spoke. "We can try. Despite all this knowledge, we haven't found much to completely remove a Watcher's influence ourselves, especially one from another universe."

Pearl's face fell from the news, but Doc soon gave her a reassuring smile, flashing his sharp canines. "But we will do all that we can, I assure you. I have a couple ideas in mind, but they're a little out there," The goat man explained with a slight chuckle.

Cub gave a nod, smiling as well, before he continued. "So we'll take a skin sample from ya to help us find maybe some safer options." A bit of hope returned to Pearl's eyes. While doubt festered in the back of her mind, she nodded and forced herself to smile back.

Doc, though, suddenly grew somber once more. "My main concern right now, though, is that Gem, and now possibly our Pearl is stuck in those Watchers' game."

...

"So wait, you said earlier that you saw an orange light before coming here. Was that the Listeners?" Gem asked.

Pearl dwelt on the question. "I guess so, but I never thought the Listeners would ever send anyone into a death game." The Postmaster then looked over at Gem and grew a small grin. "But maybe they did, so I could help you."

Gem's heart warmed at the thought, but her joy soon faltered. "Yeah, but you're still stuck in this game until we find a way out."

Pearl's expression fell too while her attention shifted to the floor. She pondered for a moment, twirling a piece of her hair. "Well, if the Listeners brought me here, that means they know where you guys are... so really the only problem left would be the border." Pearl looked out the window, into the night sky, staring at the barrier in the distance. "I don't remember all of Doc's points, but I know it'll be tough for the Listeners to tear it down and free everyone if there's been a lot of misfortune circling inside it for a while." Pearl then looked back at the players. "How many games have you guys played again?"

"This is the fifth one," Grian answered.

Pearl's brow knitted. She winced at the answer. "That's... not great..." After a moment, though, she shook her head. She shoved away her defeated demeanor by sitting up straight again. "But there's still hope. If you guys are aware of all this, then that means you can find ways to weaken the barrier yourselves."

"How the heck can we do that?" Grian asked.

Pearl looked at the avian. Her eyes narrowed while she gained a determined smirk. "By not givin' those lousy Watchers what they want."

Grian then scoffed. "Like we have a choice. We have to follow the rules or else they'll just kill us or find some way to make us with their mind tricks."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you still can't find ways to minimize the chaos," Pearl countered. "Like how you treat the others. No more backstabbing or revenge. You know, act honorably or whatever."

Gem's eyes widened. She recalled Scott's words at the beginning of the game.

And even when we try to be honorable... Even when we try to refuse to play and end the cycle, those monsters find a way to either punish or trick us into doing it anyway.

Pearl's gaze then mellowed. She stared at the avian with a tired smile. "Believe me, I'm not sayin' it'll be easy, but from pieces of memory I still have from my own games, the Watchers seemed to hate it whenever players stuck by each other or refused to kill," she explained, shifting her focus from Grian to Gem. "You guys are what's feeding the Watchers. They can't keep the games going if enough of you refuse to play it."

Gem's face brightened at the idea. "That could work..." she muttered before her frown soon returned. She dwelt on Scott's words again. Her tone didn't sound very convincing. "But it would be pretty hard since the others aren't even aware that this isn't a game."

"More like next to impossible." Grian's words grew bitter. "Trust me, it doesn't work," he added while his wings twitched from the feeling of cactus needles. A new thought filtered through his mind. Besides, it wouldn't even matter for me. They can't feed off my emotions anyway.

Pearl's expression softened towards the duo, keeping her warm smile. "I'm just sayin' it as an alternative. With the limited stuff available in this arena, I wanted to make sure you two knew all your options."

Grian stared at the Postmaster for a few seconds. He studied her face while his own scrunched up in deep thought. Finally, he let out a slow breath before turning to Gem."You said you were looking into building a portal or something?"

Gem snapped out of her planning mode and looked to the avian. She glanced over at Pearl before she gave a nod. "Yeah, it'll basically be like a bigger version of my watch," she explained while pulling out said device from her pocket. The avian scanned over the broken wristwatch with bewilderment. "It's what brought me here, but the Watchers used the End Portal as a trap for me in order to destroy it." Her tone grew harsh at the end.

Grian's attention moved to the floor when he dipped his head. He opened his mouth as if to express remorse, but he kept quiet. Instead he said, "Then what do you need to make it?"

"I got the hardest piece already," Gem explained as she pulled back out the bottle filled with portal goop. "I may have to substitute a few other pieces, and if all goes well despite that, then I'd need help with making a redstone contraption to power it," she explained before tucking away both items again. "I was thinking Mumbo or Tango could help me with-Pearl? Are you okay?"

The two players shifted their attention back to the Postmaster. Pearl's eyes were squeezed shut as she leaned forward to rub her temple. "Yeah, yeah... Sorry, head's hurtin' just a lit-!" She fell quiet. Pearl's eyes then shot back open while her pupils darted all over the room.

"Pearl?" Gem asked while her friend leaned forward and shut her eyes once more. Gem and Grian drew closer to her side."What's wrong?"

"I don't know. My head's hurting, and I-I keep seeing the other hermits."

Gem's eyes widened. "What? You do?" She leaned closer to the Postmaster with growing anticipation. "Are they saying anything? What's happening?"

Pearl grimaced as she let her head lean into her palm. "A lot of them are gathered in my room. They-They seemed worried. About me? Cause I-I'm..." Pearl groaned. She clutched both sides of her head while her face twisted with pain. "S-Something's happening. Something's wrong."

"Whada mean? Are they-" The redhead stopped. She soon paled once a voice started ringing in her mind. It was growing louder by the second like someone was turning up the volume. Her eyes glowed a bright violet before she snapped them shut. Her whole body shook from the intensity of the call while she flinched.

Bring her back! Bring back Pearl! Bring her BACK!

Tay's voice was shouting, screaming with such venom. It sounded distorted, deep. Gem would dare say even monstrous. She cringed from the deafening echo of her counterpart's demands. She covered both her ears as if it could conceal the voice. She cracked an eye open, looking over at Pearl. Grian's attention was on the Postmaster as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He scanned over her now curled up form with such clear panic. He locked eyes with Gem again, and he tensed. His eyebrows flew up from witnessing the redhead's pained expression too.

"I-I think, I think your Pearl's in Hermitcraft," Pearl mustered the strength to say. The redhead then winced after Tay let out another scream. The hybrid feared she might go deaf.

As Gem tried to shake off the call, Grian looked between the two players with growing concern. Thankfully, though, the visions Pearl was having began to subside. It allowed her shoulders to ease and finally take in a deep breath, but Gem continued to cover her ears from the intense voice blasting in her head.

The Postmaster noticed this and put all her focus on the redhead too. "Gem? Gem, what's wrong?"

Soon enough, an orange glow appeared on the inside of Gem's eyelids, which removed the screaming in her head. She finally exhaled with relief, letting her body go slack. The silence soothed her nearly damaged eardrums while she peeled her eyes open. The redhead's stomach, though, then twisted into knots once she realized the bewildered expressions from the other two players.

How was she going to explain this?

...

"Whatever the reason our Pearl was sent there isn't really the issue," Cub admitted as he scratched the back of his head. "The main problem is locating your universe and finding a way inside the game to pull both our friends and everybody else out."

Pearl raised a brow. She turned away from Cub to look over at Doc. "But you made that watch for Gem, right? She was able to World Jump into our universe pretty easily from what I could guess."

"World Jump, yes. Meaning she had the ability to teleport herself into the game. But opening an actual gateway between worlds and creating an exit inside a Watcher infested arena from the outside is a completely different story," Doc explained with a sigh. "Plus, it won't matter much in helping you and your friends if we don't find a way to remove the Watchers' hold over all of you."

"Then... What do we do?" Pearl's voice grew quiet. She scanned over the large group in the tight-spaced room. She took notice of Grian again. The macaw was strangely silent through the whole discussion as he continued to just sit on the floor against the back wall. He would occasionally mutter a few things to Mumbo, who now rested on the floor beside him. In that moment, though, he finally locked eyes with Pearl. He carried a fallen expression while he seemed to almost look past her. He opened his mouth to speak, but he soon closed it and shifted his attention down towards his lap.

"Well, right now, you need your rest." Pearl turned to acknowledge Doc again. He gave her a warm grin. "You've been through plenty already. Plenty for a while, if I were to guess. All you should do right now is rest."

Cub gave a nod. "Right, you should rest. We'll work on a solution in removing the Watchers' mark."

Pearl gave a slight pout. She glanced away. She didn't want to rest, and the concerned tone in their voices made the brunette feel guilty. These hermits didn't know her. They treated her like a simple victim. They had no idea the kinds of things she had done in the games, and she was a bit scared to admit any of it to them. Pearl curled her lips, locking them tight. She refused to let any of it slip out. Feeling guilty was better than seeing that usual judgemental looks appear in their eyes, staring at her like a wild animal.

"And I will get started on creating a universal portal. It shouldn't take me too long," Doc added, which snapped Pearl out of her spiral. She noticed how his gaze suddenly grew heavy with a new thought. "But back on the topic of Gem... there's another problem that we should address."

"Something to do with her watch?" Scar guessed, shifting in his spot on the crates to get more comfortable.

"Yes, something like that," Doc muttered with crossed arms.

"Doc..." Xisuma warned.

The Creeper hybrid sighed. His breath nearly came out like a hiss. "With Gem's watch, I had it so she would embody her counterpart in every universe so as not to cause any chaos or confusion with two versions of the same person present. To do this, though, I also added a form of protection to the device to ensure that the two minds didn't... combine."

"What the heck does that mean?" False asked.

"Well, having two alternate versions of the same person in one body can create a sort of paradox over their minds if there isn't anything physically separating them," Doc elaborated while stuffing his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. "Without that protection barrier from her watch, eventually, their similar atoms would naturally combine their brains until... they are the same person."

False stepped away from the wall. "You mean the Gem we know will... will cease to exist?!" she spat, causing a loud uproar of disbelief and fear across the room.

"No way."

"That's terrible!"

"Why are we just now knowing about this!?"

"We have to get her out. NOW!"

"Enough-Enough!" Xisuma called out with a steady firmness. Pearl, though, could see the stress eating away at his gaze, even through the tinted visor. The admin then turned towards Doc. "How long does she have?"

Doc's frown deepened. "It's hard to say. If the two minds are at odds with each other, fighting for control, then the process would take much longer. Knowing our Gem, she wouldn't put up with anything without a fight," the scientist explained while his gaze narrowed. "And if her watch is broken and the two are already merging, then the only way to help her now is to bring her back hom-"

"Argh!" Doc froze when Pearl yelled. His words became muffled to the brunette when a shooting pain throbbed against her skull. She doubled over, squeezed her eyes shut, and dug her hands into her scalp. She felt the goat man's panic as the hermit rushed over to her, but when Pearl opened her eyes again, her breath hitched to notice a purple glow flashing over her entire body. "W-What's ha-appening!?"

Doc tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but his touch fazed right through, making him tense. Cub's gaze glowed a pale blue. Scar's eyes carried a similar hue as well. The zookeeper dropped down from the crates with clear concern in his knitted brow. "It's growing stronger," he muttered in shock.

"It's the Watchers' mark," Cub added as he moved quickly towards the brunette's crumbling form. "They're summoning her. They're trying to bring her back."

Pearl gritted her teeth, wrapping her arms around herself. It felt as if she was being torn like tissue paper, needles stabbing all over her body from the inside out. Everything was burning while her injury felt as though it was being clawed all over again. "M-Make it stop!" she pleaded over the clamoring voices in the room before she squeezed her eyes shut.

A vision then started flashing through her mind. She could see familiar shapes, colors, and faces. Gem and Grian? They were in a small room with pink walls. Gem was covering her ears while Grian, her Grian, carried a panicked gaze.

Pearl's train of thought was then interrupted when she felt a shift on the bed. A player sat in front of her. "Pearl, breathe for me." Pearl knew the voice. Its usually playful tone, though, was replaced with such severity to the point she thought the player was being sarcastic with their request.

"H-Hard to do that, G-Grian," she groaned through clenched teeth towards the macaw. A few seconds passed by after that, and Pearl did what she was told. She focused on breathing in through her nostrils and out through her mouth.

Eventually, by some miracle, the brunette felt the pain subside. Her body went slack. A deep sigh of relief escaped her while she started breathing normal again. She blinked away the tears blurring her vision. She then pulled her head up. The purple glow throughout her body had vanished, but she practically jumped out of her skin when she noticed the new sight in front of her.

Grian was there, but his feathers were a deep violet with black dyed at the tips. His fingernails shifted into talons, and his hands grew dark to the point they resembled the night sky. His palms glowed a neon purple and hovered beside her head. What really frightened the woman, though, was the two pairs of glowing eyes on his face staring right into her soul. Strangely enough, though, the glowing gaze did not match the colors of his new feathers or hands. Instead, a bright orange filled the white of his four eyes. It made them give off a pure sunset glow.

In a beat, all the light faded. Grian's wings returned to normal, and the second pair of eyes vanished as he lowered his hands. The avian then fell back onto his elbows. He let out a few haggard breaths, chest falling up and down. His skin grew a tad pale while he leaned his head back with a groan. "T-That took more out of me than I thought..." Grian trailed off once he locked eyes with Pearl again. "You... You should be stable for now," he muttered. His expression grew somber the longer Pearl stared at him.

There was a pause that fell over the room. Cub, who still remained beside Pearl, appeared unfazed, but pure bewilderment was evident on False's face.

"What... What was that?" False asked as she drew closer. "Grian, why did your wings..." She then took notice of the flickers of purple that still lingered on the man's hands before Grian sat up straight again to hide them in his lap. Her pupils became dots, voice falling deathly quiet. "You're... You're one of them?"

Pearl's eyebrows shot up from the realization. She paled. Her breath fell short. She could feel bits of anger and betrayal boiling in the bottom of her stomach, but it felt wrong. This wasn't her Grian. Her Grian wasn't a-

-Pearl then recalled a strange vision she had back in The End. How completely different her friend looked in the past. When the memory flung back to the front of her mind, it almost made the brunette gasp. No, it still didn't make sense. It still didn't mean that her Grian was a... a...

Grian dipped his head towards the bed, refusing to turn back to look at False. Instead, his wings started surrounding him. He did not deny the blonde's accusation. It was then Pearl snapped out of her thoughts long enough to witness the man was folding in on himself. A part of her wanted to reach out, but her mind was buzzing with too many questions, too many emotions, for her to even move.

"It's... It's a really long story," Grian muttered. He then finally snapped his head back to look at her. "But I can explain-"

False merely dropped her arms to her side, mouth hanging open. Her shock made the avian pause, causing him to look down in shame once more. False was rendered speechless while her body grew stiff. She then looked back over at the others, noticing no one else was sharing in her shock. Pearl saw that no one else even moved a muscle. "Was I the only one who didn't know about this?"

Cub looked away as he scratched the back of his head. "Conveniently, everyone who knows about this is already in the room."

"But how-When?"

"Right before he joined Hermitcraft," Xisuma explained while turning to face the blonde. "It was a rather... sudden entrance."

"He tried to kill, X," Scar added casually.

Grian spun his head around to shoot the man a look. "Did not. I was trying to grab his communicator."

"Well, you definitely went attack mode on me. It felt like you were trying to claw my eyes out!" Scar complained, suppressing a snicker.

Grian rolled his eyes. "Because you shot an arrow in my wing!" he squawked.

"Because you were attacking X and Doc!" Scar furthered with a dramatic sigh. He ran a hand through his scalp, almost knocking his hat off in the process. "Then you chased me through the woods, for who knows how long, until Mumbo managed to calm you down."

Mumbo shook his head slowly, but he grew a small smile from the conversation. "Just barely. He looked ready to end me too."

Grian grumbled, but his posture no longer seemed as heavy as before. "Well, sorry that they wiped my memories. I was just doing what they told me to."

"Did they tell you to claw my eyes out?" Scar dared, pointing at his face as if there was evidence.

Grian smirked. "They should have."

Scar looked overly offended while he placed a hand to his chest. False, though, stepped between them before the bickering continued. "Just hold it-Hold it!" The room fell silent. The blonde hermit took a breath. Her eyes then fell back to Grian. The avian's humor evaporated when he noticed the mixed emotions bleeding through her features. False studied him, scanning him up and down. It made Grian start to squirm, like he was put under a microscope. False then looked away. "Are you... Why did you come here?"

"False..." Xisuma gently spoke as he walked over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't we talk about this outside."

False looked towards him. A scowl soon formed over her face before she stepped away. "No. I just- I can't believe you would hide this from the rest of us. For YEARS, X. That we- we've been... been harboring a Watcher!"

"False! Please, let's just-"

"I'm not one of them." False turned her attention back onto the avian. Grian shifted in his position on the bed, so he fully faced her now. His wings were pinned to his back. He looked up at the blonde with newfound tiredness in his gaze. "I've never wanted to be like them."

The two held a stare off. Silence ticked away for what felt like a century. False then brushed the bangs out of her eyes, gripping her hair with a shuddering breath. "It's all making sense now... the portal to Empires, the Demise games. It's all been you."

Grian's eyes widened. He leaned forward with hands raised as if to quickly ease her. "The Demise game this season isn't affected by my powers. It's just... the other hermits-They wanted it to make a comeback, and I-"

"But it was before, wasn't it?" False snapped, tone growing dark. Grian flinched from her glare. The blonde's eyes then grew twice the size with a sudden realization before it morphed into rage. "Back in season 6, was that why everyone who played Demise, who died, they respawned as twisted versions of themselves?"

Grian's muscles tensed. "I didn't mean- I was just- I didn't know how to control my powers back then!" he blurted out, but that had made the blonde shrink back. She stepped away, looking at him with pure disgust. Grian's face twisted. He squirmed under her stare again. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, but he blinked them away. He tried to keep his voice even while he leaned forward as if to follow his friend. "False, I'm sorry, I'm really bad at explaining all this, just please-"

"No! I heard enough, Grian. Just stay away from me," she snapped back, balling her fists. She stood tall to look further down at the macaw. It seemed to take all her willpower not to charge at him. "I just... I can't believe you-You-You're a-"

"False, that's enough," Xisuma said as he stepped between them. He shielded Grian from the blonde's view and vice versa. He held a firm stare against False's fury. Despite the hatred, though, the admin knew she carried pain in her gaze too. False's shoulders scrunched up, forcing herself to inhale. She took one last look at the avian before she grunt out a breath. She then spun around to leave.

"False-" Mumbo tried. He stood up to block her path, but the blonde brushed past the dapper gentleman and marched out of the room.

Grian stared at the door. His mind grew muffled while his eyes couldn't tear themselves away from the absence of False. Pearl could see his body shake. The avian dipped his head, gripping his pant leg until his knuckles turned white.

"I better go check on her," Xisuma said. He took a glance in Grian's direction. His brow knitted with concern before he looked at the others in the room. He nodded towards them and then followed after False.

Mumbo made his way over to the bed to sit on the end beside the macaw. "She just needs time. She doesn't know the full story."

"I know..." Grian mumbled, wings drooping ever so slightly.

Doc walked over to pat the avian's shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Grian."

"Sure feels like I do," Grian muttered, shifting his focus back to the orange blankets beneath him. "I'm the reason the Watchers set up that entire illusion with the moon back in season 8."

"We don't know that for sure," Doc corrected, yet Grian scoffed.

"Either way, we all made it out unscathed. I call that a victory," Scar said while he plopped himself onto the floor. He rested his arms on the bed side opposite to the others.

"But I'm still their prime target, and with my powers, I'm dangerous-"

"We have a wide variety of species in this big family of ours, Grian, with a plethora of powers and troubling pasts. You're hardly the most dangerous hermit," Cub said with a twinkle of blue in his eyes.

Grian couldn't help but smirk from the man's words. His attention then turned back to Pearl, who still seemed to be frozen in place. "You okay, Pearl?"

All eyes fell on the quiet young woman. Pearl blinked a few times. She wasn't sure how she felt. There were too many thoughts that fell short on her tongue.

Finally, she returned back to her original question. She thought back to the strange images she saw of a very different looking version of her own Grian. It began to haunt her, making her insides crawl with how little she knew. With the new information she just learned too, the question started echoing louder inside her mind until she finally mustered the strength to speak. "I just... I'm wonderin' if my Grian... If he's a Watcher too."

...

"Gem? Are you okay?" Pearl asked again.

Gem's eyes darted from Pearl to Grian. She turned her focus to the floor. "Yeah, I just..." The words were piling in her mouth. She blamed her exhaustion for how easily she wanted to spill her guts out at that moment. With a sigh, the redhead lifted her gaze back up. "I've been getting really bad headaches the last couple of days. I'm pretty sure it's just from lack of sleep and stress."

Gem's attention fell away as the others simply stared at her. The way she had her hands positioned over her ears was suspicious, but it could still pass as believable evidence. Pearl, though, looked especially unconvinced while she raised a brow at her friend. She parted her lips to speak.

"You said that you saw the real Pearl in your world?" Grian asked, snapping the Postmaster's focus back to him.

Pearl gave a frown. "Okay, first off, rude... Secondly, yeah, I'm not sure why I was able to see all that, but I guess it makes sense if I'm here in her place."

"Well, at least we know she's okay then," Gem replied. She grew a small smile at the thought.

Grian continued to stare at Pearl as he leaned forward. "But is she safe? You only told me a bit about your world. Is this Hermitcraft game an okay place for her to be?"

"Trust me, I know my word might not mean much to you, but she's safe there. Our friends will take care of her," Gem replied with her hands raised to try and ease the avian. Her gaze then shifted to the side. "It's a lot safer than anywhere in here at least," she muttered with a frown. Grian watched the redhead. He studied her expression. His brow creased while his eyes squinted. He seemed unconvinced, but still, he nodded.

Gem's expression fell once she pondered a new thought. "I'm not sure what happened, but the Watchers are probably aware that you're not their Pearl anymore." Gem looked at the Postmaster with a knitted brow. Dread suddenly filled the pit of her stomach. "They could try something dangerous next session to get you out of the games."

"Pfft, they can try," Pearl said with a roll of her eyes.

Gem gritted her teeth. "This is serious, Pearl! You need to stay low until we find a way out." Her tone grew firm, refusing to negotiate.

Pearl's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, right, like I'm gonna just let you guys do all the work while I hide away." She placed a hand to her chest while she defended herself. "This isn't my first game, Gem. I know full well the risks, and either way, I'm not hiding from those jerks."

"Yeah, but this is your first game with only one life," Gem snapped.

Pearl's nose twitched. "We don't know for sure that's true-"

"Pearl!"

"Okay! Okay, you've got a point," Pearl whined while she raised her hands up in surrender. She let out a sigh once the room fell quiet again. Pearl stared hard at the ground. Determination soon replaced her defeated posture and filled her gaze as she rose to her feet. "Well, if I'm hiding away, then the least I can do is help you with buildin' that portal," she said as she grabbed her hat off the top of the wooden chest, setting it back on her head.

"What?" Gem asked, sounding startled.

"You said that I need to stay low. Want me to just sit in a corner?" Pearl shot back with a huff. She then looked over at Grian. "How long do we have until the next session?"

"There's three days in-between each," the avian explained.

"Good, then we should all get to work right away. Then, when the session starts, I can keep working on it while you guys are doing whatever you need to do," Pearl said while placing her hands on her hips.

Unease settled into Gem's stomach again. Her frown grew heavy, but she soon forced herself to stand up too. "Alright, that sounds like a good plan actually." And the sooner it's built, the sooner I can get home and not share a brain with Tay.

"I want to help too," Grian said after he stood up as well. Gem's eyebrows flew up from that statement, which made the avian's gaze dull. "Come on, don't look so surprised." He sighed while he crossed his arms. "Look, I still don't trust you completely, but I'm running low on options here, so I'll see where your plan goes with this portal."

Gem watched him for a moment, processing the genuine nature of his tone. She then grew a smirk. "Okay, let's build a portal."

"Actually, maybe we should rest first tonight," Pearl muttered while she scanned over both players. "You two seriously look half dead."

"Pearl, our lives are at stake here. I'm not gonna be able to rest until we get this stupid thing built already," Gem said with a hardened gaze. The deer hybrid's ears were pinned back while her fists tightened. She looked ready to punch something.

Pearl glanced over at Grian, who equally carried an immovable stance. Neither hybrid seemed to want to back down. Finally, the Postmaster sighed as she tilted her face up towards the ceiling. "Fine, but don't blame me if either of you collapse."

"Deal," they both said in unison.

"I was being sarcastic!" Pearl whined.

...

It didn't take long for the room to file out. Since Pearl was clearly on a ticking clock, everyone got to work on finding solutions to help. Cub took a skin sample from Pearl's injury to study while Doc flew off back to his base to start working on a portal. Mumbo and Scar left to go ease any concerned hermits since Xisuma was still busy talking with False, so all that was left was Grian. He was required to stay near the brunette in case the Watchers attempted to pull her back into the games again. Doc had left him with clear instructions on how to properly change Pearl's bandages and to message if there were any issues.

The macaw set up a second bed on the opposite side of the room. His back was to Pearl as he pulled out blankets and pillows from the crates in the corner. The brunette watched a red feather float down from his wings and onto the floor as he worked. One of the felines beneath his feet noticed the feather and began playing with it. Pearl admired the cat, gaining a small smile.

"Just so you know." Pearl snapped her attention away from the cat, focusing on Grian's words. His back was still to her as he finished setting up his bed. "I..." He took a breath. His gaze shifted as he contemplated something before continuing. "I definitely am a Watcher, not a Listener."

"What?" Pearl asked with a raised brow.

Grian's wings ruffled before he pulled his attention back onto his bed. "The orange glow you saw over my eyes?"

The memory dawned on Pearl, and both her eyebrows flew up this time. She recalled the violet wings, purple glowing palms. The orange gaze did not match at all with the rest of the purple magic. "Ah, right..."

"Yeah, that orange glow only happens whenever I use my powers to directly help others, instead of... hurt them," Grian muttered. "Just figured you should know in case you had questions about it."

"Okay, good to know..." Pearl trailed off. She glanced at the side of the bed. "Honestly, I didn't even really notice that before," she said out loud.

Grian gave a strained chuckle before finally looking back at her. "Right, yeah, the four eyes in general probably didn't help with that." There was no malice that Pearl could hear, but her gaze softened once she noticed the avian's tense shoulders. He avoided her gaze after that.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"No, it's fine, I'm the one who's actin-"

"Yeah, but I still have-"

"But you still have more questions you want to ask me?" Grian asked. The avian dropped the last pillow onto his bed and turned to meet Pearl's gaze. She could hear a slight tiredness in his tone.

Pearl nodded. "A bit, yeah... If you're willin' to tell. I've been finding out about a lot today, and I would like some answers to a few things." She shifted in her spot on the bed, and she turned to adjust the pillows behind her back. The brunette winced from trying to twist her body, causing Grian to walk over. He had her sit up carefully while he moved the pillows for her. "Thanks," she smiled. The avian returned it, but it barely met his eyes. This caused Pearl to pause, contemplating what to say next. "Look, you don't have to tell me anything personal. I know from experience about not wanting to bring up the past."

"No, it's just-" Grian sighed. He brushed the bangs out of his eyes and took a seat at the end of the bed again. "I never told my Pearl any of this. About what I am now..." Grian glanced towards the brunette before he hung his head low. "Ever since she got pulled out of her own death game, she's had little memory about the past. I didn't want to drag her through that whole mess again, let alone tell her I became one of the monsters that took her in the first place."

Pearl's face fell. Her shoulders sagged. "I can understand that..." Her gaze then flickered back to the avian, taking in his defeated posture once again. "But, you're not a monster. You never asked for this. And if my Grian went through something terrible. If he was hurt like how you say you were? I'd want to know about it."

Grian met her gaze once more. She gained a gentle smile again. The macaw returned it fully this time before he took another breath. "Well, I don't know how it was for your Grian, but I wasn't always an avian."

"It's the same for him... At least, that's what I was shown today, from the Listeners I guess. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he used to be human," Pearl spoke as she scratched the back of her head. She grew sick from the thought, and her gaze turned dark. "Those bloody Watchers took so much..." Pearl trailed off. She then inhaled slowly and refocused herself. "We used to play a game called Evo, right?"

Grian's body stiffened. He gave a nod. "Yeah, but I... I don't want to get too much into that right now." He then let his wings flutter out while he breathed. Pearl watched him carefully. Concern quickly took over as she leaned in."But it was where the Watchers took me. After I defeated the Ender Dragon, they took me away and told me how much of an honor it was to be chosen... to train and become one of them. They completely changed my species, warped my thinking to the point I barely registered what I was doing. Became a tool to take down admins and kidnap more players for their deranged games." Grian's tone grew bitter as he stared daggers into the floorboards. "Bunch of psycho birds..."

Silence fell over the avian while he dwelt on his own words, but he soon snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the faint sound of sniffles. Grian raised his head back up and snapped his attention to Pearl. His eyes widened once he saw the brunette's green glowing eyes big, round, and blurry with tears. The young man's brow knitted. "Pearl-"

"Y-You, Grian-" Rage then quickly took over her features as she gritted her teeth and tightened her fists, letting her nails dig into her palms. "Those-Gah! I'm gonna kill those Watchers!" she shouted, pulling herself off the pillows.

"Pearl- Ey, ey! Lay back down. It's alright," Grian said as he rushed to her side and gently pushed both her shoulders.

Pearl, though, shot her anger onto the avian. "Oh, don't you tell me it's alright when you and my Grian been kidnapped and turned into Watcher birds!"

"It was a long time ago, Pearl, and we don't even know for sure if your Grian even-"

"Oh, I know! I saw it, remember? He was a human too! And I-" Pearl's anger broke. Tears started falling down her cheeks. She stared at the man with such sadness. Her lip quivered, breaking the macaw's heart. Her breath hitched once she inhaled. She swiped her hands over her cheeks to dry them while her face fell towards her lap. The brunette finally leaned back against the pillows again. "I...I wasn't there. I forgot about all of it."

"It's not your fault. The Watchers-"

"I still hurt him!" Pearl shouted. Her eyes widened from the outburst before she winced at the memories. She was trying to avoid this conversation, but the truth was slipping out. The truth about who she really was began pouring from her lips like a dam that she could not clog back up again.

She was hunched over now, and her eyes kept their attention on her orange blanket to avoid the macaw's. A few drops of tears fell onto the fabric. "I was never there for him... I hurt so many of my friends, all because I got so angry and lonely and-" She cringed from her words before burying her face in her hands. "I thought we were all suffering before, but our situation is so much worse. It's so messed up! And now I learn that my Grian is probably dealing with all this stuff by himself. For so long..." Pearl pushed her hair away from her face while her brow knitted. Her eyes grew tense, shaking with pent up guilt. "And all I ever did was spill blood, laugh at their deaths, just bring out the worst in everyone around me." Pearl began whispering as if she were the only one in the room. She wrapped her arms around herself and gave a bitter chuckle. Memories from her game came flooding back, whispers of old insults and accusations rang in her ear. "They were right... I am just a witch."

Silence ticked away in the air. All that could be heard were the soft patter of cat paws and continued sniffling.

"Hey." Pearl looked over to find Grian kneeling down to ensure they were eye to eye. "If I'm not allowed to call myself a monster, then you can't call yourself a witch," he said with a warm smile.

Pearl stared at him. She took in his kind expression. He didn't look horrified. There was no malice in his tone. While he didn't know the details, the macaw clearly knew enough about what she had done, yet he still smiled at her. The relief was so intense that the brunette's body completely went slack. She gave a choked laugh as she lifted up her head and wiped her face once more from tears. The orange and white cat from before jumped back onto the bed and strolled over to her. It scanned the young woman up and down as if she were broken. Pearl smiled and began to pet the feline. "I'm sorry. I don't know why the heck I just dumped all that onto a stranger."

"Well, it doesn't help that neither of us have the faces of strangers," Grian replied once he stood back up and crossed his arms over his jumper. His face then scrunched up. "Which sounds really weird when I say it out loud."

Pearl's smile grew bigger while she nodded in agreement. Her eyes, though, then trailed over to the avian's feathers, causing a new thought to come to her. "Hey, do you mind if I ask you one more question?"

"Sure."

"Why macaw wings?"

"Excuse me?"

Pearl glanced away. She scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Well, I mean, I was just curious why you ended up becoming a scarlet macaw avian. Maybe it's an alternate universe thing, but my Grian's feathers have always been white."

Grian stopped in his tracks. He uncrossed his arms and stared at the brunette with wide eyes. "Wait, wait, hold on, did you say white?"

Pearl looked back at the avian with a raised brow. "Yeah?"

"And there aren't any other colors on his feathers. Just pure white?"

Pearl frowned. "Yes, that's what I said. I like to think he's got dove wings or something, or maybe he's a swan, but I've heard him make a bunch of different bird calls in the past, so I'm not sure anymore." Her frown then grew when she noticed the look of alarm across Grian's face. "Okay, seriously, what is it? You're freaking me out here."

Grian then shook his head, removing his awe struck expression, before he sat back down on the bed. "Sorry, sorry, it's just- That shouldn't-That's not great."

"What's not great? Come on, what's the problem here?" Pearl asked with a narrowed gaze.

Grian looked over at Pearl before taking a breath. "Remember what I said about Watchers turning me into one of them?"

Pearl's gaze dulled slightly, yet there was still urgency in her tone. "Yes, obviously."

"Right, right," Grian apologized. He shifted, pulling one leg up onto the bed, so that he was now facing the brunette. "Well, the process isn't as straightforward as that. There's training you have to go through where the other Watchers teach you how to harness your new powers, learn to fly, and other stuff."

Pearl nodded. "Makes sense."

"Right, but the most important part of the process is that the Watchers adjust your thinking, so your player-self and Watcher-self can merge and become one. With such a drastic change inside you, your mind needs time to adjust."

Pearl frowned at the new information. "Okay... but what does that have to do with my Grian?"

The macaw's face fell while he threw a thumb towards his wings. "When a new Watcher completes their training, they earn their masks and get to choose which type of avian species they wish to become. That means all unfinished Watchers start off with white wings."

The information finally clicked, making Pearl's eyes grow wide. "So, you're saying my Grian is an unfinished Watcher?"

Grian gave a nod. "He must have somehow fled the Watchers before his training ended, which isn't a terrible thing." The avian's face then turned somber. "But the problem is that he likely didn't have enough time to learn about his new body and powers. Without proper guidance, he can be unstable, especially in something insane like those death games." Grian's tone grew heavy.

"What do you mean unstable? Is he going to be okay?" Pearl furthered.

Grian's attention shifted to the side. "The main issue here is whether all of you are going to be okay. Your friend's mind right now is split in two. He likely doesn't have full control of his Watcher side, so it'll act on instinct, seeking destruction and chaos wherever it can. Not having the proper training would be difficult enough as it is on him to resist those instincts, but if he were to become emotionally unstable..."

Pearl's brow knitted with concern. Her eyes fell back down to the cat, who now curled up onto her lap to sleep. She scratched the top of its head, making it purr. "Is there anything we can do to help him?"

Grian's eyes narrowed with new found severity. "Honestly, the best thing for him, and everyone else, is to just get you all out of those death games. As soon as possible."

...

Martyn sat on the edge of his bed, deep in thought. His right leg bounced up and down with the shot of adrenaline still running through him. His eyes glowed red, but he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself seated. "I'm not your puppet. I don't have to listen to you," Martyn muttered as he narrowed his gaze down towards the floor. The air inside his base was suffocating. Whispers bounced off the walls and rang through his ears.

Play the bane.

Cleave the bonds.

Shoot the hind.

Cloud the sky.

Cut the other hand.

Specs of purple began to bleed through the man's vision. His hand shook, trembled as it reached for the sword on his belt. He bit down on his cheek again until he tasted blood. Martyn then shot up. He raised his sword. Then, in one swift motion, he pointed the blade to his neck. Instantly, the room fell quiet. The chanting stopped as if everything was staring at the blonde in pure bewilderment. His breath was heavy. His body vibrated with such hatred while he kept the sword in place. "I told you... I'm. No. Puppet. I will end this all right here."

There was a pause. The silence ticked away, unnerving Martyn even further. His body was abnormally cold. His red eyes burned. His mind raced with the desire for carnage. All were symptoms of being a Red Life. He was used to these effects, but this was the first time he willingly fought against them. It took every fiber in him to keep the sword to his throat, fighting against the red instincts for survival and revenge.

"I'm not... I'm not hurting any of them!" Martyn choked out as he panted. Despite his body running cold, his brow sweat from the stress. He held his ground. He waited for an answer, pushing away the red glow in his vision. Finally, the whispers spoke again.

Death will come,

Blood-stained fields.

A shrieker's call.

A wither's cry.

Protect the canary,

Before all will die.

Martyn's body stiffened. The words were on loop in his brain. It could be a trap. It definitely was a trap, but...

The red-lifer slowly lowered his weapon. His fist tightened against its hilt. He gritted his teeth. The words were a threat. Something big was coming. Something terrible was going to happen to the other players with or without his presence. He couldn't end his game right then, not if the Watchers were planning to put his friends through even worse challenges, and if those challenges were what he could guess from the obvious hints, then he would have to stick around. Do all that he could to prevent it.

There was a quiet creak of the front door. "Martyn?" The blonde snapped out of his thoughts and turned to find Jimmy entering their base. The canary's brow creased as he stared at his teammate. "What on earth are you doing?"

Martyn glanced down to notice that he still held his sword. He quickly secured it back onto his belt. "Sorry, I was... I was just thinkin'."

Jimmy frowned before closing the door behind him. "Right, just like earlier when you attacked Grian?" he snapped, making his teammate cringe at the memory. "You wanna tell me what the heck all that was about?"

Martyn fell quiet. He glanced away while he rubbed the back of his neck. His brain still buzzed, still itching for destruction. A part of him was more than willing to go back and finish that fight with the avian. "Me and Grian have a bit of a rivalry going on. I... I was pretty furious with him for a few things, and I got ahead of myself a bit there," he explained, which was true for the most part. Martyn then looked back up to meet his friend's red eyes. "I'm sorry, mate. I took it too far back there."

The two players fell silent. Jimmy continued to stare at his teammate with crossed arms. His golden wings twitched slightly before he sighed. "Look, I'm all for you takin' revenge on the others, but at least give me a heads up next time, alright? We're the Big Dogs, remember?"

Martyn grew a smirk. He gave a soft chuckle before pushing back his long, wild hair. When had it gotten so long? He walked over and held his hand out towards the canary. "Yeah, Big Dogs till the end?"

Jimmy grinned. He let his small wings flutter before he gripped his teammate's hand. He then raised his fists in the air. "Whoo! Big Red Dogs goin' hunting next session!" he cheered.

Martyn's red gaze glowed at the thought before he shoved the feeling away. Instead, he just smiled at the avian's words. "Yeah... We'll get 'em good next session."

Jimmy then let out a yawn while he stretched his arms. "Welp, I'm headin' to bed. Tomorrow we better start gathering some TNT and any other stuff we wanna throw at 'em," he said while heading over to his bed in the corner.

Martyn simply nodded agreement. He bit back the excitement he felt about the idea of explosives. He shook his head and rubbed his temple. He turned to drag his feet back to his bed on the opposite side of the room. His eyes narrowed before he glanced back at the canary. Jimmy had his back to him, seemingly chipper despite his lack of lives. Martyn's brow creased with concern before his gaze hardened once again.

I'm gonna protect him. I'm gonna protect them all.

~~~~~~

Chapter Text

It was early in the morning, and the fifth session was about to start. Scar woke up an hour prior and had finally managed to drag himself out of bed, climb up the ladder, and enter the back room of his shop. He rubbed his eyes, looking drained once he reached the top. He felt a certain slothfulness when he woke up that morning. Every muscle in his body ached while a dark cloud seemed to hang over his head. His entire being desperately wished for him to return to the warm blankets of his bed again.

Scar squinted when the sunlight from the windows reached his face. He gave a muffled groan as he rose to his feet, boots thudding against the wooden floor. The salesman stared at the closed door in front of him. His slow moving hand reached for the doorknob, but it stopped. He didn't move for several seconds. He was frozen, and his feet appeared glued to the floorboards.

He took a breath. "Next session..." he muttered as if to give himself a pep talk. Scar's hand moved back down, adjusted the strap of his satchel, and went to reach for the door knob again. Before he could even turn it, though, his hand started to shake. He looked down. His grip on the door was tight, knuckles white. His muscles seized up, refusing him from continuing any further. Scar's bewildered eyes narrowed. "C-Come on, it's not that bad... Just a game, S-Scar," he spoke softly, choking slightly on his words. He was supposed to head over to Lizzie's before the session started. He could repair their alliance and gain back a friend.

Most of the players had pretty much forgiven him for his previous actions anyway, after his little apology speech by the Secret Keeper, so what was the issue? Why did he have such a hard time getting out of bed this morning? Why was simply opening a door so much of a struggle? What was he so scared of?

The others. The answer rang in Scar's mind. It was a ridiculous fear, he knew that, yet he still clutched the front of his shirt as if he was being suffocated. Scar's breaths grew shorter. His heart began to pound in his ears while his hand continued to tremble against the door handle. His thoughts spiraled. After a purple glow filtered through his gaze, the voices of his friends started echoing throughout his mind. They shouted his name with such anger and boomed louder with each second.

He needs to do better.

He needs to gain friends,

But he also has to win the game.

He can't swindle, he'll be a jerk-

-But you need to swindle in order to get ahead,

And everyone thinks he's weak, expects him to lose,

So he has to win.

To win, he needs to do his tasks,

But he loses friends when he does.

They tell him to win.

They tell him to stop.

He doesn't understand what they want.

He doesn't know what he's supposed to- He just doesn't want to be the villain!

Pain spiked over Scar's skull, brain throbbing with each tight breath. It felt like his mind was being split in two. His shaky hands went up to the sides of his head. His arms shielded his face from the world around him as an attempt to ground himself. Scar tried to stay positive, tried to think of anything else as he shoved down the weight of dread laying on his chest. He was being ridiculous! He didn't need to fear his friends. He just needed to breathe. He tried to breathe. He tried to breathe. He tried to breathe, but he just... couldn't.

Scar froze again. His thoughts were interrupted by a flash of green and gold light. His eyes widened at the sight of a parchment hovering right in front of his face. The paper sparkled and danced, begging Scar to take it. The salesman forced himself to swallow. Nausea sank down to the bottom of his stomach. Slowly, with still shaky hands, Scar reached up and grabbed the parchment. Waiting a few seconds, he broke the seal and scanned over the message inside:

Starting with grass seeds, trade your way up to a golden apple. Minimum of 4 trades.

Scar stared at the words. He blinked a few times. His eyes then grew watery. He gave a soft chuckle before his legs gave out. He fell to his knees, ignoring the pain from the sudden drop. The salesman clutched the parchment close to his chest. He let the paper cool his fevered skin as he finally took in a deep breath. "Oh, man..." he whispered with a tired laugh.

This task was easy. It was simple. At the very least, it didn't indicate any conflict, anything to make him out to be an absolute jerk. Scar breathed again. He sat there for a few minutes more, letting his slow breaths ease his tense shoulders, before he rose to his feet. He rolled back up the scroll and tucked it away. He stared at the door with some newfound determination. "You've got this, Scar. You've got this..." he sighed before exiting the tiny room.

...

"It's looking good," Pearl said with a slight smile.

"Lying doesn't do us any good here, Pearl Two," Grian said without even looking at the Postmaster.

"I'm not lying! And would you cut that out with the nickname? Pearl's just fine," she complained. "I think we did great."

"If by great you mean we made a complete hodgepodge of scrap, then yeah, it's great," Gem sighed while she stared at the makeshift portal in front of them. The trio stood in a barely lit cave and stared at, what appeared to be, a strangely metallic Nether portal. Most of it was made out of pieces of iron that were held together by rope instead of screws, leaving openings to reveal the makeshift gears inside. "It's a miracle this thing is even standing by itself," the redhead muttered. She glanced up at the glass bottles of End Portal goop attached to the top of the machine.

"Okay, it looks terrible, but it doesn't need to look nice. It just needs to work," Pearl added. She lifted her hat to wipe her brow. "And we just need someone to make a red stone contraption to power it, right?"

"Yeah, I was thinking of asking Mumbo or Tango," Gem replied once she turned to leave.

"What about Etho?" Grian suggested while he and Pearl followed the redhead out.

Gem made a face, scrunching up her features, before giving a weak chuckle. "I would, but... Etho's... a bit washed up," she said before rubbing the back of her head. "At least our Etho is." She then held up her hands in defense once the avian raised a brow. "Look, I love the guy. I just don't want to take any chances with this."

Grian responded with a shrug after brushing past some tall shrubs. "Alright, suit yourself." The avian's gaze then squinted once the three players reached outside and into the early morning sun. They stood by the base of Cherry Blossom Mountain. A large patch of forest resided in front of them, and it sheltered their little cave from those passing by on the dirt path. He glanced back to see Gem already covering up the cave's entrance with blocks of stone and dirt for good measure.

"Maybe I can ask Mumbo then, since we're on the same team," Pearl suggested. She readjusted her satchel and brushed any lingering dust off her uniform. "Team Mountain and all that."

"Mounders," Gem corrected.

"Right, right, but the point still stands," Pearl said while she followed Grian past the treeline. Gem wasn't far behind.

"You can try. I'll be sure to ask Tango too," the redhead added once they reached the dirt path that stretched between the Heart Foundation by the water and the staircase leading up to Gem's base.

"I doubt either of them would agree to do it without getting suspicious. It'll have to be one heck of a cover story," Grian said while his wings fluttered slightly to shake off dust from the cave as well.

"Right, leave that to me. It's under my base after all," Gem offered. She then gained a frown once her eyes scanned over the dirt stains on her outfit. She slowed her pace to look at the others, noticing they carried similar spots on their clothing too. "We should probably get cleaned up before the session officially starts."

Pearl crossed her arms. She carried a small smirk. "Hey, that's my line. I'm still waitin' for you both to take a long needed nap."

"Dirt nap probably..." Grian muttered. He glanced over to notice Pearl's scowling expression. "What? It was supposed to be a pun!" he exclaimed while motioning towards his stained clothes.

Gem shook her head while Pearl sighed. The Postmaster then pointed a finger at both players. "Look, we have most of what we need accomplished already. All I'm askin' is that the two of you just take it easy on yourselves, as much as you can at least."

"Kind of hard when we have two red lives in the arena now," Grian spoke dully, yet it made Gem tense.

"Like I said, as much as you can, Double G."

"Double G?" Grian asked while he arched his brow.

Pearl's smirk tugged at her cheeks. "It's what you get for callin' me Pearl Two all the time." Her expression soon softened after that as she raised her hands as if to calm the discussion. "All I'm sayin' is that you both are gonna lose more hearts if you're fumbling around from exhaustion."

"Speaking of hearts, you remember the plan for what you're doing today?" Gem asked, clearly redirecting. The group fell into a small circle right in front of the pink staircase while the deer pointed a finger at her bestie.

Pearl's smile fell. Her eyes dulled. "Yup, I'll be stayin' in my base and away from the nasty reds."

"And your task?"

"If it's dangerous, then I'll just press fail," Pearl replied as if she were reading a script. She gave another sigh. Her blue gaze stared at Gem with a somber tint before her smile reappeared. "Don't worry, I'll be careful. I'm well aware how dangerous a place like this can get." She then looked between the two players. "You both be careful too, alright?"

Gem gave a firm nod, and Grian's hard stare eased. His shoulders fell. A slight bit of guilt filtered through his eyes before he nodded as well.

Green and gold light blinded their vision soon after. Parchments floated in the air, but what caught everyone off guard was the fact that there were only two.

Gem and Grian grabbed their respective scrolls, but they looked over at Pearl, whose hands remained empty. She stared at the papers. Her brow creased with growing puzzlement. "Do Secret Tasks come at different times or somethin'?"

Gem's frown deepened. "No..."

Grian sighed. "So I guess this pretty much confirms that you're not really a part of the game." He glanced away. That or the Watchers really just don't want you here, the avian thought with a growing frown.

"Well, at least I don't have to do some crazy task. What do the two of you have to do?" Pearl asked. She leaned in with growing interest. The two players looked at each other before focusing back on the puppy-eyed woman standing in front of them.

"We can't say it out loud, Pearl. If we tell another player, then we automatically fail it," Gem explained before she tucked her scroll away to read later.

"Really? Then why don't you two just say it and fail it now?" Pearl suggested while standing up straight again. "From what you told me, these tasks have been either a nuisance or seriously dangerous. Why keep up with the charade?"

"We don't have re-gen in this game, remember? And we can get more hearts when we complete them," Gem said.

"Yeah, and if we start completely forfeiting the games' mechanics, then the Watchers will start to retaliate," Grian added, which made Gem nod in agreement.

"Right..." Pearl said before letting out a sigh. She looked over at both hybrids. Her lips pressed into a thin line. Her shoulders tensed as she crossed her arms. "Just, be careful today, alright? If you need help, then you know where I'll be."

"We will," Gem smiled while Grian gave a thumbs up.

The avian's gaze then trailed past the Postmaster to notice other players walking around in the distance. "We better split up now, so we don't look like some secret alliance to the others."

"Aren't we though?" Pearl asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but if the others think that, then they'll be less likely to trust us, and we need them to eventually go through our portal. That's not gonna happen if they think we're trying to backstab them or something," Gem said.

"Yeah, true, true. You've got a point there." Pearl turned to leave. "See ya later then. I'll talk to Mumbo about makin' that redstone," she added while waving goodbye.

Grian took a step towards her, wings rising a bit. "Let me know when you do. I'm pretty sure I can convince him to do it," he added quickly.

Pearl gave a thumbs-up before walking off. Gem hesitantly watched the Postmaster waltz back towards the Mounders' area with casual strides.

"She'll be fine."

Gem snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Grian after he spoke. The redhead's eyes dulled. "It's kinda hard not to worry when she clearly doesn't have any other lives on top of no re-gen of hearts. We don't even know if any injuries she might get will heal like the rest of us since she's not connected to the game and-"

"If she's anything like my Pearl, then you don't have anything to worry about. She can handle herself," Grian said while he watched the Postmaster stroll away. She started sending a wave towards Mumbo in the distance. The avian's eyes squinted at the armor on the woman's shoulders and the sword attached to her belt. "Besides, she's decked out in netherite. It's gonna take a lot to get through that stuff."

"Right..." Gem trailed off as she watched her friend a second more. She let out a heavy breath, curling her hands into fists to ease her nerves. "Let's just get this portal working before anything else happens."

...

After a few days of being bedridden, Pearl took her first steps outside onto a stone path. Grian walked next to her, holding his hands up in case she tumbled. Despite the macaw's concern, the brunette insisted that she try to walk on her own today. Grian continued to chaperon her for the likelihood of the Watchers trying again with pulling her back into the games, which had happened more and more as time went on. With the avian needing to be glued to her side and Pearl herself being in a much more stable condition, it allowed Doc only needing to check up on her once a day, so he could spend the rest of his time working on the portal.

After the routine check-in, Doc had permitted that Pearl was well enough to go outside today, but of course, the goat man and everyone else agreed not to let Pearl go farther than just the front yard. While Xisuma tried his best to ensure she was attached to respawn, there was no certainty with so many variables at play. No one wanted to risk her getting killed by a mob and ending up permanently dead.

Therefore, a full tour of Hermitcraft had to be put on hold. Pearl, though, was more than fine with just getting to witness at least a glimpse of the bizarre paradise that was this alternate universe.

"Oh..." Pearl trailed off once she came to a stop. Her eyes grew wide. She brushed aside the large front lawn filled with cherry blossoms, gardens, decoratively placed trees, and trimmed bushes to gawk at the several giant buildings and other structures in the distance. The brunette's neon green eyes scanned over the scenery, standing as still as she could to take it all in. "W-What in the world is all that? Is that-is that a bloody pyramid with a giant beacon on top?"

Grian let out a weak chuckle. "Yeah, that's Skizz's base. Pretty nice build, huh?"

"I-It's gorgeous! All of it," Pearl stuttered as she combed a hand through her scalp to emphasize her frazzled state. Her gaze trailed towards the blimps flying over what appeared to be a large city several miles away. She could tell how ginormous the skyscrapers were with how high they reached into the sky and how they stood much taller than the cherry blossom filled mountain that rested further back in the distance. Each of the towers carried bright neon signs that advertised for all kinds of shops and restaurants below, and from the corner of her sight she spotted large front gates with the word "Zoo" right on the arch. There was so much scenery as far as her eyes could see and beyond even that. Pearl blinked finally once she felt the strain of her eyes from staring too long. Was there even a barrier for this game?

"You got cities here, and..." A train whistle blew through Pearl's ears, making the brunette swivel her head and crane her neck to find the source. "Did I seriously just hear a train go by?!" Pearl gasped as she rushed down the stone steps and went further towards the magnificent structures.

"Pearl-Pearl, hey! Slow down!" Grian squawked with slight panic. The macaw unfurled his wings and took off into the air to catch up with her. The brunette kept a quick pace for only a few seconds before wincing. She stopped abruptly and clutched her stomach. Grian landed and began scanning over Pearl with a knitted brow. "You alright? Did the stitches reopen?"

Pearl held her hand up and waved off the response. "No-no, I'm good... Just can't walk that fast yet." She continued to hold her stomach, though, while her breath fell short.

Grian frowned. He placed a hand on her shoulder as his eyes trailed over to the right. "Hey, why don't we take a seat on that bench? Give you a second to rest."

Pearl wanted to argue, but she could feel the strain on her side. A mild throb itched over her skin, making her grit her teeth. While she didn't believe her stitches reopened, she definitely pushed her luck with those swift movements. Eventually, the brunette gave in to the request and sighed. "Alright, sounds good..." She muttered, dragging her feet as Grian guided her towards the bench by some tall shrubs.

Once the two sat down, silence enveloped the air around them. The warm breeze blew through Pearl. It tickled her skin like a soft welcome while the trees rustled. Her smile returned as she tilted her head upward and shut her eyes to take in the sun's rays. Pearl knew that a barrier around this game had to exist, yet a part of her continued to doubt that fact because she could not fathom how much these hermits had access to. There was so much land, so many resources, such vast space for this group of people to simply go about their lives and build. They could leave the game whenever they wanted, build whatever they wished. On top of that, they had infinite respawns with very minimal pain with most injuries. That was something she truly could not wrap her head around.

What do you mean you don't bleed when you get struck by a sword? Pearl had asked that question to this Grian a day prior. It was so bizarre. It made her heart heavy. Pearl would be absolutely envious towards her alternate self right now if she wasn't so calm for just simply being in the present moment. Pearl took a breath. A deep breath. She felt the weight of pent up stress ease out with the air that left her lungs.

"This... This is the most peace I've felt in... gosh, I don't even know how long," Pearl spoke softly as she dipped her head back down. Tears stung the corners of her eyes. She felt Grian's stare on her. The macaw shifted. It looked like he wanted to respond, but he instead turned his attention forward like Pearl. Parrots flew from tree to tree. A few barking dogs played along the front lawn, each wearing different colored collars. They likely belonged to her counterpart with how they raced around the wide area with such routine ease. A few soft meows then filled the front entrance to the base Pearl just left. She turned to see that the door was still open, leaving a few felines to waltz outside and curl up in the grass to sunbathe. Pearl gave a slight smirk. No one back in the Life Games would dare to leave their door so lazily opened. Not when someone could steal items or set up a trap. The brunette's mind then drifted. She turned her focus back to the games while she continued to soak up the gentle scenery before her.

Pearl thought of her friends. They would be starting session five today. She wondered how her alternate self would be doing. She hoped the other Pearl would be protecting her Mounders from the slowly growing number of reds. Jimmy wouldn't be much trouble, but Martyn...

Granted, the blonde was aware of their terrible situation, so she doubted he would deliberately try to hurt anyone. Red lives, though, always do something strange to players. It always turned them more hostile and prone to violence. On top of that, Pearl had no idea if the Watchers hadn't already altered Martyn's mind like they had done with Scott. That just left Gem and her counterpart alone with their efforts to escape the games. Pearl gave another sigh. As much as it killed her to think of leaving the paradise she just dropped into, she had to go back. She couldn't allow her friends to suffer through any more games.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Grian spoke up. Pearl turned towards the macaw. He gave a slight smirk. "You looked like you were coming up with a strategy for war or something."

Pearl gave a small smile. "Just thinkin' about my friends... Jimmy and Martyn are the only ones on red right now, but a handful of others are on yellow, so that number could easily go up after today's session."

Grian's smirk fell away. Pearl had informed him already of the Life Game rules and what it meant to be a red-lifer. "Right, another session is starting today..."

Pearl nodded. The two fell silent once again while the air around them suddenly grew heavy. A new thought then entered Pearl's mind, allowing her to push away the dread. She glanced back over at the macaw with a bit more energy. "Hey, I'm curious to ask, but are all of my friends' alternate selves live here with you?"

Grian mulled over the thought. "Well, from who you've talked about, I think so. Skizz and Joel just recently joined us this season. Scott, Jimmy, and Lizzie, though, all play a different game called Empires that's practically on the other side of the world, but I... we gained a portal last season that connects our two games, so we can travel quickly between them and visit whenever we want."

Pearl's eyebrows flew up. "Wait, so you guys have a whole other game you can explore too? Just as big as this one!?"

Grian smiled. "Yup, it's pretty neat. Now we can visit even more of our friends without having to worry about leaving the safety of respawn when going past our barrier, and of course, it cuts costs of traveling halfway across the world too."

"Wow... That's amazing..." Pearl trailed off, taking in the information with growing disbelief. She refocused her attention soon after by looking back at the macaw. "And what about the others? I know Scar and Mumbo are here, and you mentioned Cleo and Etho before. What about Bdubs? Impulse? Tango?"

Grian gave a nod. "Yup they're all here." His expression then suddenly fell. Pearl noticed the avian's wings shift uncomfortably as he dipped his head. "I think all the versions of your friends are here... except for Martyn and BigB."

Pearl's brow creased. "Are they in a different game or..."

"I..." Grian gulped. His mouth grew dry. "I have no idea, honestly..." Grian's body stiffened, making the brunette's frown deepened. He shifted his gaze from the ground to Pearl before taking a breath. "After Evo, all the players on there went missing once I was taken. From what I could guess after hearing both my Pearl and Jimmy's experiences, though... Martyn, BigB, Netty, and the others..." The avian's focus remained on his feet. He gripped one of his pant legs until his hand trembled. "They're all probably still in their own death game loops."

Pearl's eyes grew twice the size. Her breath fell short. She then dipped her head and folded her arms over her lap. Guilt started gnawing inside her. Here she was thinking these counterparts faced no issues or any real problems. "I'm... I'm so sorry... Have you gotten any clues on how you could find them?"

Grian shook his head. "Jimmy and Pearl's memories are still hazy, but Doc, and I have tried surveying the areas they were found in. We spent weeks combing every inch for any sign of Watchers or secret barriers, but nothing."

Pearl's attention shifted to her hands. Her fingers twitched. Her gaze hardened the longer she dwelt on the macaw's words. Those bloody Watchers are gonna pay. She wanted to say that, but instead she inhaled through her nostrils. Pearl processed the new information for a minute, and eventually, she spoke once the somber air became too much for either of them. "Well... If alternate me and Jimmy were able to get out, then I'm sure the others will find their way out too."

"Yeah... Hopefully..." Grian muttered.

"Hey, more than hopefully!" Pearl announced with a much more determined grin. She forced the enthusiasm out to replace her anger. She gripped her fists while irritated itched underneath her skin. She used that feeling to redirect her thoughts and place a hand to her chest for emphasis. "I managed to pop up here of all places, and I had pretty much given up hope on ever getting out of those games," she said while her eyebrows flew up, surprising even herself with how positive she was acting. Still, her smile turned bittersweet while she shifted her attention to the side. "And after I won my game... I didn't think I ever deserved to escape them, to be honest." Grian brow knitted, but the brunette shook off the thought and focused back on the macaw. "If I'm able to get out of that awful place, even for just these few days, then I'm sure the rest of your friends will find a way out too."

Grian stared at the brunette. His brow creased as he studied her face and processed her words. Then, slowly, his expression melted into a warm smile. "You're right. Anything's possible, I guess."

The sounds of hissing rockets made the duo turn away from their conversation. They spotted a figure gliding down towards them. Pearl's glowing eyes sparkled at the sight of the beautiful green elytra the player possessed on their back. She made a mental note of trying one if she ever returned to Hermitcraft. Grian's posture, though, stiffened once he realized the player was False. The blonde landed near the front door of the base before turning to head in their direction. She carried a frown, but her features didn't appear as harsh as before.

She locked eyes with the macaw before turning to Pearl. "Hey, how you feelin'?" False asked with a soft smile towards the brunette.

"Doin' better. Nice to finally get some fresh air," Pearl smiled back, trying her best not to fidget with the growing awkwardness in the air. "What brings you by?"

False glanced to the side for a second before her frown returned. "I was actually wondering if I could talk to Grian for a sec? Privately if ya don't mind."

Grian blinked a few times. Unease settled through his muscles, which made his wings pin against his back. Eventually, though, the man nodded. He rose to his feet. "We can talk, but I gotta keep in eyesight of Pearl in case... in case it happens again," Grian replied with a sudden heaviness in his tone.

"Right, of course..." False answered, clearly not needing the avian to elaborate. She threw her thumb to her right. She pointed towards the other side of the lawn. With a quick nod, Grian followed her until they were quite a few yards away.

While some trees obstructed the view, Pearl could still clearly see the two players converse with each other. Their words were inaudible to her, but she still turned her attention away to give them privacy.

Her mind then drifted towards the thought of her Grian.

He's a Watcher...

Likely at least, since she couldn't confirm it completely, but it all made perfect sense the more she thought about it. The past memory from Evo. The fact that he wasn't any specific type of classified avian with his wings. And speaking of wings, they were randomly clipped last time she saw him without any explanation. Pearl's frown deepened. If everything she learned from the macaw was true, then her Grian had suffered so much without anyone noticing... and it made her insides burn.

I've gotta talk to him when I get back.

Pearl dwelt on the thought for a moment more before her attention was pulled back over to Grian and False. The macaw held his hand out towards the other player for a handshake, clearly offering a friendly gesture. False, though, didn't accept the hand. Instead, she yanked the shorter man by his shoulder and enveloped him in a hug. Grian seemed stunned for a second, eyes wide. His body was frozen in place as if the gesture was the last thing he was expecting. His hands, though, eventually wrapped themselves around the blonde's torso while his wings began to curl around both of them.

"Aww," Pearl muttered to herself with a bright smile. She took a second to admire the sight, but she soon stopped. She was interrupted when flecks of purple filtered through the corners of her vision. Her breath hitched. "Not again..."

She looked down at her hands. Her entire body started to flash a dark violet. A throbbing pain began to creep its way back into Pearl's brain and down to her injury, making her flinch.

Return to us, you misguided Selene.

We cannot be without our Scarlet Queen.

A shiver ran down Pearl's spine. Goosebumps enveloped her arms. Her face then paled when a new voice consumed her mind. Her voice. Her own words that she spoke a long time ago were repeating in her head. Words that still haunted her to this day: Something wicked this way comes. Something wicked this way comes. Something wicked this way comes.

"No!" Pearl croaked as she leaned forward and clutched the sides of her head.

"Pearl!" she heard Grian shout, but it sounded distant. He spoke more words that fell on deaf ears because Pearl's entire body soon started to feel like it was burning. She clawed at her scalp while her head continued to ache. Her haunting words remained on loop in her mind as she struggled to breathe. All of it dragged on and on for what felt like an eternity until all of it abruptly stopped.

Pearl gasped, shooting her eyes open. Sweat dripped from her brow as she stared at the ground. She swallowed deep breaths. Relief washed over her body for only a few seconds before she heard a thud.

"Gri-Grian!" False shouted. Pearl raised her head up. Her eyes widened to find the macaw had collapsed right in front of her. False was beside him, kneeling down in the grass to scan over her fallen friend.

Grian, though, soon sat up again. He pulled himself to a sitting position with the palms of his hands. His skin appeared clammy while he blinked his tired eyes open. He attempted to hide his shaking arms by using one of his hands to massage his temple. "I-I'm okay, I'm okay," he breathed.

"No you're not," Pearl rasped before False could. The two players turned their attention to the scowling brunette before she took one more deep inhale. Her neon green gaze turned somber. "You can't keep using your powers to keep me here. You've gotta just let me go back."

"N-No! You-You shouldn't have to go back there," Grian snapped in between breaths. His own gaze hardened as well, despite his shaky form. "We just need to wait for Cub and Doc. There can still be a way to save your friends without letting the Watchers take you."

False nodded before she took out her communicator. She started typing away on the keypad. "I'll call them over and try to get a hold of X to see if they've got any updates."

Reluctantly, Pearl gave a nod as well. She hoped there was a way. Gosh, she prayed to the Lord above and hoped to the moon and back that there was another way. She wanted more than anything for her friends to be safe and to remain here forever, but the brunette could feel the dread in her gut.

Her time here on Hermitcraft was drawing to a close.

...

Grian was making his way across the arena, back towards Etho and Cleo's, and now his, base. He smiled at the thought. So much had been happening the last few days that he hadn't really stopped much to appreciate the fact that he finally found a team, an alliance.

He wasn't alone anymore in his dumb, tiny egg hut. He could finally have people to greet on the regular and rely on them... If he was at his base enough lately to enjoy it.

The avian gave a tired sigh. His insides currently felt as though they were being twisted into knots, which was something he should be used to at this point with how much guilt he has been feeling lately, but he brushed it aside. He brushed it aside because he considered what he had done was reasonable, an extra precaution if one were to think about it.

It would be reasonable to put TNT right above Gem's makeshift portal in the case of her possible betrayal...

"I feel I'm not quite sure what's reasonable anymore," Grian mumbled to himself out loud before shaking his head.

He had his reasons. Of course, he believed Gem-poster's story of Hermitcraft and World Jumping to an extent. Honestly, though, a lot of it would have felt pretty farfetched if he himself didn't completely change species overnight and became a being that thrived on literal chaos.

But! One thing he learned from both these games and his time back in EVO was that he couldn't trust someone based on just what they told him. He trusted the Watchers long ago and look where that got him.

Gem-poster and Pearl Two seemed to be earnest for the most part, but Grian still had to consider the likely possibility of them tricking him and his friends into some form of trap, something maybe even worse than the death games.

He just couldn't risk completely trusting them, not with so many of his friends' lives at stake, so he set up a trap. He set up several TNT blocks right above the portal, covered by at least two layers thick of stone, to ensure the others wouldn't accidentally stumble upon it. He also ensured that it was above the portal and not beneath it in case someone placed down a lever or redstone, which would likely happen if they wanted Mumbo or Tango to make a contraption.

If it finally came to it and Grian set off the trap, then some lives might be lost, but even on red, he knew his friends would just come back in the next game.

Besides all that, even if Gem-poster was telling the complete truth and they manage to escape, Ren would still be trapped in the void. They would still be leaving someone behind. Grian could try to use his powers to somehow fish him out, but he didn't bother wasting the energy in case the whole plan turned sideways.

Grian had rationalized his reasoning for the betrayal over and over again in his head, so that was not what was bothering him, not really anyway. No, what bothered him the most was the growing likelihood of Pearl Two possibly not having more than one life. If his trap went off, and she was in the crossfire, then she could die and... never come back.

Grian shook his head at the thought. He couldn't go back on his plan now. Besides, the Postmaster had the toughest armor in the arena. If anyone could survive the explosion, it would be her. He'll just have to be there when Mumbo or Tango work on the redstone just as a precaution. Gosh, he prayed that it would be Mumbo that agreed, so there would be a much less suspicious reason for him being there.

The avian soon snapped out of his thoughts once he found his way towards the hidden staircase. The staircase that led to the hole with the removed bedrock. It had been a while since he checked on it, and he figured having another try at breaking through the barrier couldn't hurt.

Grian took out his shovel and dug up the dirt hiding the spot before he made his way down the narrow staircase. He tucked his wings tighter against his back and closed the top back up to ensure other players didn't stumble upon it. He then pulled out a torch to light his path.

Further and further he went down into the deepest parts of the cave system below the entire arena. There were a few mobs he had to avoid, but otherwise, there wasn't much trouble for the avian to reach the uprooted bedrock.

When he walked towards the room with the hole, though, Grian stopped. His wings ruffled. His muscles tensed while his eyes seemed to grow twice in size.

The hole was recovered, by bedrock, but the blocks he broke weren't just replaced. There was twice as much bedrock. Practically a small hills worth covered the entire area where he mined.

One of Grian's eyes began to twitch. His body shook. He dropped his torch as his hands curled up into fists, yet...

He laughed. It was another tired and bitter one, but he continued to cackle nonetheless. His green eyes soon gained a violet hue while his hands began pulling chunks of his hair back, so his sharp nails clawed at his scalp. "Oh... Oh you pieces of absolute trash. This is a whole new level of petty for you," Grian spoke through gritted teeth before his hands flopped back to his sides.

He should have expected this. He should have expected it would be covered up if he waited around too long. Grian shouldn't even get upset.

Yet, the avian's knees buckled. He let himself fall back onto his butt to give one long exasperated groan. His shouts then grew. They slowly turned, sounding more like bird screeches, as they echoed against the walls of the cave.

After his cries settled, he fell onto his back. He paused long enough to feel the weight of exhaustion consume him until his limbs became numb, but he refused to surrender to sleep, not yet at least. He had too much to do. He had to be ready for when Pearl Two talked to Mumbo or if Gem-poster somehow rallied Tango into their plans.

Grian let out a deep sigh. He stared up at the cave's ceiling with half open eyelids, uncaring if a Creeper waltzed in while he wasn't looking. Eventually, he pulled himself to his feet. He picked up his torch and turned back towards the staircase.

Grian didn't grumble. He didn't complain. He didn't even make a single joke to settle the frustration growing deep in his bones. It just sat there in his chest and festered while his lips formed a snarl. The violet glow in his eyes grew, and his fangs formed the tighter he clenched his jaw. He stormed off back up the stairs in silent strides.

What he didn't notice, though, was that someone was watching him.

A figure in the shadows of the cave, hidden just out of Grian's view. The player had watched the scene unfold with a stony expression. A slight smirk soon grew over their lips once they saw the simmering avian's eyes glow purple.

Seeing the avian near his breaking point, it delighted him. It was exactly what he was told to do. The mysterious player stepped out of the shadows, revealing a blue sweater. BigB, the cookie man, wore an uncharacteristically sinister smile while his eyes glowed a bright violet.

...

It was mid-morning when Xisuma reached Doc's base, far out past most of the other hermits' builds. He had spent the last few days working on respawn for alternate universe Pearl, checking in on her condition, and keeping most of the others unaware of the serious circumstances. He was more than thankful that everything had flown under the radar for the most part. Of course, though, there was the lingering guilt of lying whenever a hermit asked him questions about what he and the others were doing so much around Pearl's base.

He couldn't explain the situation to the rest of the hermits, not yet at least. Everyone, including the players from Empires, was already concerned about Gem's recent disappearance. He couldn't add to their stress by not only admitting the deer hybrid was in a very dangerous situation, but now one of their other friends was stuck there too.

He also needed to ensure that this alternate universe Pearl had privacy to rest and recover. While he doubted any of the hermits or emperors would be cruel to her, he didn't want their concern or anger to be misplaced onto her either. She could easily be seen as a guilty stranger that replaced their friend and doomed her to a Watcher infested death game.

Xisuma let out a breath as he glided down towards one of many platforms over Doc's base. His elytra folded against his back before he scanned the area. The goat-creeper hybrid had a very unique base compared to most. His towers were made mostly out of redstone contraptions and other mechanisms that each connected and accomplished different tasks. Some were made to literally tear the fabric of space and time while others were created to simply pour a cup of coffee. The main area which Xisuma landed, though, was where the build carried actual walls and rooms like a small house that was embedded inside one of the many towers. The admin walked across the platform towards the front entrance. He gave a soft knock on the wooden door before entering.

"Doc?" Xisuma called out through the radio in his helmet. His tinted visor protected his purple-shaded eyes from the rising sun's rays, which peeked through the windows of the base. He walked across the wood panel flooring, passed the main entryway that was a joint kitchen and dining area, and turned down a hallway. He opened the furthest door, which he knew led to the basement. His footsteps echoed against the stone steps. The lights were on in the basement, so Xisuma quickened his pace down the staircase. "Doc?"

When he reached the bottom, he found himself in a laboratory of sorts. While the white walls gave off the traditional lab aesthetic, the bottom stone trim and grey brick flooring added a bit more color into the room. There were counters filled with test tubes, stacks of books, and small contraptions powered by redstone. What pulled Xisuma's attention, though, was the enormous glowing portal on the opposite side of the lab. It looked just like a Nether portal in shape and side, but instead of obsidian, it was consumed by metal. The glow itself too was a darker shade, looking like a portal to The End almost. The strange contraption hummed and vibrated as the admin stepped closer. His brow creased, but before he could inspect it any further, two figures emerged from the peculiar portal.

"Oh, X, you're already here. Good," Doc said with a small smile. Cub stood next to him with his hands resting in the pockets of his lab coat.

Xisuma smiled in return. "Sorry for barging in, I wanted to check in on your progress, both of you actually. I wasn't expecting you to already be here, though, Cub," the admin said while he focused on the vex strolling up to him.

"I wanted to get some air and check in on Doc..." Cub's casual look dimmed while his face fell. "Been running into some dead ends with the antidote for the Watchers' mark." He rubbed the back of his head with a sigh.

Xisuma nodded with a fallen expression as well. He grew quiet for a couple seconds before he drifted his attention back onto Doc. "Is this the portal? Were you able to find the alternate universe?"

"Yes, but we seemed to have run into an issue that we were afraid of," Doc explained as he threw a thumb back towards the portal.

"What kind of issue?"

Doc and Cub shared a similar frown before the goat-man ushered their admin along. The two men made their way back towards the portal, so Xisuma followed. He watched his hermits disappear through the dark goop, and he cautiously stepped through as well. He was thankful for wearing his suited armor because it kept the likely chill of World Jumping off his skin. Yet still, the admin's muscles tensed when he reached the other side. From the details the other Pearl described regarding her situation, he was prepared for any type of danger that could emerge once he entered it.

What the admin was not expecting, though, was the shining sun above and the sound of birds chirping in the distance. Xisuma stopped. His tightened fists eased. He blinked a few times, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of, what he assumed, was now an alternate dimension. When his focus shifted just to the left, though, his eyes widened at what could only be a blue, see-through barrier. A border to a game. Doc and Cub were standing next to it, but the admin's focus was on what he noticed within the barrier.

Xisuma drew closer. He was rendered speechless when he saw players. Hermits. His hermits. Well, their counterparts to be exact. They were all walking around and going on about, what looked like, a daily routine in their rather small, closed-off area. He spotted a pink build in the shape of a heart in the distance, and there was a large globe that connected to an upside down house nearby. He spotted Bdubs close to the globe. The short man placed his horse inside a makeshift pen with gentle care. He flashed a proud grin, which sadly revealed he had a missing tooth. Mumbo and Joel were a few feet away. While the dapper gentleman fiddled with his tie like it was a nervous tick, the ogre next to him had his hands stuffed into his pockets with a relaxed smile. The admin wanted to chuckle. These were definitely his hermits.

"Is this..." Xisuma trailed off. He continued to scan over the arena to spot more players.

"It's the game alright," Doc sighed with a growing frown. He combed a hand through his hair before stepping  closer next to X. "Creating a portal to this world was the easy part, I'm afraid. We have yet to find a way through the barrier."

"And there's no way to access the game's code?" Xisuma asked while he placed a hand against the border. It was like pressing against a cement wall. With his own personal knowledge about Watchers, X knew the answer to his question already, but he still wanted to be optimistic at least.

"Not with all the Watcher magic swirling inside it," Cub said once he joined them. Xisuma noticed the Vex's eyes glowing a brighter blue as they surveyed the arena. His blue gaze then shifted towards the top of the barrier. "There are remains of Listener magic all over the outside of the border, but they still haven't been able to break through it yet."

Xisuma's frown deepened. He looked back over at the players inside. He spotted Skizz climbing up the ladder of the heart-shaped base. He stopped to wave goodbye to Tango, who rode away on his horse and sped past a strolling Etho. "Yet it still looks so peaceful in there."

"It's like the other Pearl said. It probably has to do with them not knowing it's more than just a game," Cub answered while a frown tugged against his cheeks as well. "And also the fact that there are not many of those red lifes yet in the game."

The admin's brow creased at the thought. When other Pearl explained what a red life did to a player, it made his insides boil. The admin tightened his fist with the hand that wasn't resting on the border. His gaze hardened the longer he stared at the arena. He didn't think there was anything else that could make him hate the Watchers more than he already did, but this whole situation proved him wrong.

Eventually, Xisuma let the anger slip by for now. He took a breath, his shoulders fell, and he let both hands rest at his side. His attention then moved towards a figure emerging from underground. His eyebrows flew up when he spotted Grian. This alternate version, the supposed admin/host of the game, possessed pure white feathers just like the other Pearl described. Xisuma's brow knitted with concern when he noticed Grian's head hanging low. The avian practically dragged himself out of the cave underneath with his feathers ruffling. When Etho spotted him, though, the masked man waved to him. The greeting made Grian stop. His feathers smoothed out. He returned the gesture and grew a small smile towards Etho. X relaxed at the sight as well. His expression grew warm for the avian. "Can they see us?" Xisuma asked finally after watching the scene unfold.

"As far as we know, no, they can't. I don't think they can hear us either, especially after Doc's atom splitting device exploded," Cub explained with a shrug.

Xisuma turned his head to look at the other hermits. "His what?"

Cub threw a thumb behind him, and the admin followed the direction to find a large machine, which was in the shape of a drill, a few yards further down the barrier. The end of the drill was completely twisted and chipped while black smoke leaked from parts of the busted device.

Xisuma turned his focus to the goat-man, who gave a sheepish grin. "I thought if I could slowly tear the barrier apart atom by atom, then it would create a hole to pass through," Doc explained while scratching his cheek.

The admin's brow creased. "And even that didn't work?"

Doc's smile fell away. He let out a deep sigh. "No... I'm afraid the only way through really is by using Listener magic."

"But if it were that easy, then the Listeners would have already broken the barrier. The concentrated chaos inside needs to be weakened first," Xisuma said as he pondered the thought.

"And that would be up to the players... who currently can't tell this is more than just a game," Cub spoke with a dull gaze. The three men fell silent, dwelling on the complicated situation.

Doc then hummed. "Those circumstances might not be so bad actually," he muttered to mostly himself.

"How do you mean?"

Doc glanced over to see both Cub and X looking right at him. The Creeper took a step back away from the barrier before he continued. "What I mean is that if the level of chaos is weakened through the player's kind actions and if Listener magic is strengthened by helping players, then I believe all we would need to do is find ourselves a sample of the Listener's power. Then, we create a device that can both contain Listener magic and strengthen that magic by assisting players little by little inside the arena, which in turn will both strengthen the other Listeners and weaken the barrier at the same time."

Xisuma raised a brow at the goat-man's ramblings. He fully turned away from the barrier and just watched his friend with a hard stare. "Doc... You... You might have lost me there for a sec."

Cub smirked, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "Basically, he's saying we should use a robot that's both devoted to serving players and powerful enough to contain a sample of Listener magic, so that magic can have a constant source for steady growth inside the game."

Xisuma processed the vex's words, humming in approval. He then focused back on Doc. "Could you build something like that?" X asked, but he soon cringed at the possible insult he just gave towards the mad-scientist.

Doc, though, smiled wide, showing off his sharp cannines in the process. "I don't have to. I believe such a robot already exists... or has existed. I would have to borrow the blueprints from Mumbo or Grian."

"What are you-Oh... Oh," Xisuma muttered while his eyes grew wide at the realization.

Cub's smirk somehow stretched even further, tugging at his cheek. His eyes gained a tint of blue again as he pushed up his glasses. "Gentlemen, we're building ourselves a Grumbot."

Before Xisuma could respond to the plan, his communicator began to buzz. He raised up his forearm, pressed a button, and the panel projected a digital screen. He scanned the new message before a heaviness sank to the pit of his stomach. He looked back over towards his friends with a troubled gaze beneath his visor. "Well, whatever we're doing, we need to do it now. Other Pearl's running out of time."

...

As the morning sun continued to rise, Gem made her way up the steps of Cherry Blossom Mountain. She did her best to hold back a yawn while she practically dragged her feet up the pink stairs. She rolled her shoulders with a slight groan. Her muscles ached from the intense mining and building the last few days, but still, she shook it off and pushed herself forward. There was still a lot to be done. Gem couldn't stop now.

So what if her eyelids felt heavy, and her thoughts grew muffled. She could just be hungry.

Hey, we should check our task. We'll have to start on it right away, Tay said.

Gem almost didn't hear her, but she soon nodded in agreement. "Right... I'll check it... in a minute. Gotta clean up and eat," the hybrid replied with another yawn in between. She stretched her arms over her head once she reached the mountain top. She passed the new stone entryway with a wooden gate for a door and turned to the right.

"Gem?" The redhead stopped. It was Scott who spoke. The elf was over by the team's shared crafting table, putting together a diamond sword. He looked up, and his brow knitted with concern once he stepped closer.

Gem, on the other hand, was oblivious to it, so she smiled. "Hey, Scott. You found some extra diamonds from the mines?"

Scott's frown deepened once he noticed how pale the hybrid appeared up close. "Uh, yeah, I'm all geared up now, but um... are you alright? You look-"

"Hey! Gem!" Impulse called out with a wave. The man rushed from the gardens, stuffing his pockets with extra food, while he made his way over to his team. "You were out mining or something? You left your base so early this morning, we had no idea where..." Impulse trailed off. He slowed his pace and lost his words once he scanned over the redhead's appearance. "Gem? What the heck happened to you?"

"What? What's wrong?" Gem asked while her ears drooped. Her response came out more of a whine than she intended. The redhead looked down at herself, taking in her dirt-stained overalls once more, before she focused back on her teammates. Her gaze dulled. "Yeah, I went a bit overboard with the uh... mining. It's just some dirt, I'll clean it."

"Not just that. You're really pale, and you have dark circles under your eyes," Impulse said with his tone sounding worried. Scott nodded in agreement. "When's the last time you slept?"

Gem let out a sigh. She placed a hand on her hip while she used her other hand to rub the back of her neck. Irritation was evident in her stance, but she tried to sound casual. "I know, I know, I don't look great. I'll get some rest later. I just have a lot to do today, and I can't afford to-"

"Nope, nu-uh, no way," Impulse demanded with a wave of his arms.

Gem's eyebrows flew up. "Wait, what?"

Impulse crossed his arms, sending the deer a firm stare. "You're not stepping off this mountain, missy, until you get some rest," he demanded.

Gem's eyes grew wide. She blinked a few times, rendered speechless. She was taken aback at how much the man sounded just like her own Impulse back home. "Wha- Guys, I'm fine. I just really should start on my task and-"

"No way, you'll lose hearts way faster with the way you're dragging now," Scott pointed out with a frown.

Gem winced from that statement, recalling Pearl saying almost the exact same thing. Do they share a brain or something!?  "But-"

Scott shook his head. "No, Impulse's right, you should get some rest." The elf then smiled. "We'll protect you while you're in your base, and if you end up failing your task because you slept too long, then we'll owe you for it later."

Gem's frown deepened. She didn't want any compensation. She didn't care in the slightest for whatever task she had. All Gem was focused on was getting the portal active, getting home as fast as possible before-

Gem blinked once more. Her head suddenly grew very heavy while the world around her began to spin. She blinked again, feeling her eyes beginning to burn. She squeezed them shut and rubbed her eyelids. It then took all her strength to peel them off her gaze before the exhaustion finally hit her full force. She felt dizzy. She felt sick. Was she even standing on solid ground anymore because she seemed to be on a rocking boat instead.

When Gem eventually looked back up at her teammates again, her ears drooped even further, suppressing one more yawn. "Alright... maybe... maybe just a lil' nap."

Her two teammates grinned while the elf pulled something from his new powder blue messenger bag that rested over his shoulder. He had switched it from his handbag to free up his hands since they were getting further into the game. "Here, take some steak if you're hungry."

Gem gained a warm smile as she accepted the food. "Thanks... You guys are the best," she said before heading towards her base.

"We know," Impulse chimed with a chuckle. "Take care, Gem."

"Love youuuu," Scott called out once the redhead made it to her door.

Gem gave a weak chuckle as she grabbed the doorknob. She glanced back. "Love you too!" She shouted before disappearing inside.

Gem then gave a deep sigh after shutting herself in. Her small base was dark aside from the light leaking out from the windows and the torches that illuminated the basement below. She let all the air escape her lungs while leaning her back against the door. She used the heels of her feet to hold herself up.

Hey, come on, we gotta start on our task! We don't have time for naps.

"Just let it go, Tay," Gem groaned before taking a bite of her steak. There was little attitude in her tone. She no longer had any energy left to care. The redhead's tired eyes glazed over the room as she chewed slowly. She soon found enough strength to push herself off the door and walked forward. She kicked off her shoes and licked her fingers clean of the steak before collapsing onto her bed, uncaring if she dirtied up her blankets with her current outfit. As soon as Gem's head hit the pillow, a deep sigh escaped her. "Just a little nap..." Her words slurred before her eyelids became glued shut.

...

After Grian met up with Etho, the two made their way back to base. The avian felt himself winding down a bit since he reunited with his teammate. His friend's rather relaxed demeanor helped Grian's tension ease for just a bit. He finally took a deep enough breath to calm his boiling anger and push aside the consuming guilt in the pit of his stomach.

Once they arrived at the Roomies base, Grian went to work with building. He figured he would help his teammates a little before checking in on Pearl Two and Gem-poster about the redstone contraption progress. His plan today was to help Etho place the finishing touches to fortify their home from threats. He first, though, needed to build a bed shrine, a strange request from his teammates, on the top of the hill where their base was constructed.

Honestly, Grian didn't have enough energy to ask about the inside joke with the bed shrine, so the avian bid farewell to Etho, who said he was going to make some soup for everyone.

Grian climbed up the small mountain, using his talons to latch onto chunks of stone when it grew too steep, and once he arrived at the top, he went to work by placing down marble stone. It didn't take long for the shrine to come together, especially for its simple structure, but Grian did notice how he had to brush away lingering feathers, his feathers, from nearly everywhere he worked. His thoughts were too preoccupied, too muffled by his list of plans, though, to really question it.

After suppressing a yawn, Grian finished placing down the last bed to the row he formed before stepping back to admire his work. The shrine was rather small. It mostly resembled a decorative frame to the four beds with a stone roof to act as a canopy. Grian squinted at the build. His face scrunched up while he surveyed his work.

"This looked way better in my head," he mumbled before sighing. Grian then moved closer towards the build again. He took a seat in the grass and leaned his back against the marble base. "Shrine done...  read task, talk to Etho, then go check on Pearl Two," the avian continued, reciting his mental list out loud. He pulled out the scroll from his pocket and broke the seal.

You are a mimic for the whole session. You must join in with whatever bit or joke is being played out at the time, they do not need to ask.

Grian hummed as he read over the words a few times. "Well, at least this one doesn't seem too difficult." Definitely a strange one I wrote, though, he added in his head.

"Grian, Grian! Hey." The avian turned his attention to the sound of Cleo, whose face brightened once the two made eye contact. Grian stowed away his task quickly while the zombie made her way over to him. It was then he noticed his teammate was holding two bowls of soup. "Etho made some soup. Want some?"

Grian smiled. "Sure, I'll take it with me when I head out. I uh... need to do some trading with Pearl, but hey, did Etho tell you about plans for the base-"

"Actually, I was wondering if we could talk for a bit," Cleo said, and Grian paused long enough to hear the shift in her tone. She stared expectantly at the avian. Not angry, no. Otherwise, the snakes inside her hair would be hissing. Instead, the orange scaled reptiles peeked out of her curls with slight warning.

Grian's brow creased. His hands were still held out mid-air, pausing to see if taking the soup was the right choice. Eventually, though, the zombie handed it to him once he agreed to remain seated. "Uh, sure, what's wrong?"

Cleo let out a small breath, which caused the snakes to retreat back into her hair. She sat beside her teammate while looking down at her own food. "Well, the point is that Etho and I are a bit worried for you, Grian."

"What?" Grian's eyebrows flew up. He was left dumbfounded by the unexpected concern. "What do you mean? I'm fine."

Cleo met the avian's gaze with a dull look. "Grian, you look more dead than I do with your pale face, and your wings have been losing feathers non-stop. We're finding them everywhere in our base now."

Grian huffed. "I'm sorry, I've been trying to keep them in my room, I just-"

"We don't care about the feathers, Grian," Cleo said before a bitter chuckle erupted from her gut. "Gosh, you really think that's the problem here?"

"Well then what?" Grian pleaded. His wings raised higher to match his exasperated tone.

"Like I said, we're just worried about you, and if you're gonna be a part of this team, then you have to take care of yourself," Cleo explained before picking up the wooden spoon from her bowl and scooping up some broth to her lips. She elbowed the avian to do the same. "How can we expect you to have our backs in a fight if you already look like you're about to fall over?" She remarked after gulping down some soup.

Grian grumbled under his breath, but his hunger consumed him. He quickly scooped up some spoonfuls to calm his stomach before he continued. "You guys don't need to worry about me. I've just been a bit busy with gathering materials, making sure the game's running smoothly, and-"

"And running off to go hang out with Pearl and Gem."

Grian choked on the broth to the point it almost went back up. He coughed a bit, pounding his chest, before whipping his attention back on the zombie. "I don't-How-"

"You guys haven't exactly been subtle about it, and you've been disappearing so much the last couple of days," Cleo replied while casually eating more of her soup.

"I'm not in an alliance with them!" Grian blurted out. His voice carried such intensity as he leaned forward to stare right at his teammate.

"Oh, I guessed that already," Cleo replied, which bewildered the avian even further. She sighed again. "Grian, I know how much Pearl loves her Mounders, and despite how unhinged she can get, she's also fiercely loyal when she wants to be," Cleo trailed off, glancing to the side. She seemed to fall deep into thought with her words while a conflicted expression filtered through her gaze. She soon snapped out of it, though, and focused back on the avian. "And I know how happy you were about our alliance. You've also helped a lot with building up our base and getting materials. None of that makes sense for someone who's planning on ditching us," Cleo added with a smirk.

Grian's shoulders eased. His wings fell after he finally breathed. He let his back fall onto the marble again and released his death grip on the wooden bowl in his hand. "Okay good... good..."

"You don't have to tell me why you're hanging out with them so much, and you definitely don't have to tell me why you obviously haven't been sleeping, but just... take it easy, okay?" Cleo asked while returning to her soup.

Grian smiled at her words, but he kept his attention towards the sky. He leaned his head back against the base of the shrine. After he gave a slight nod, the avian simply stared at the slow moving clouds near the top of the barrier. The sudden relief after the jumpscare completely numbed him. His body grew slack. He set down the soup to pull his legs up, so he could rest his hands on his knees. Cleo's words continued to ring through his thoughts, mellowing his mind even further. The high level of understanding brought a new feeling of warmth to Grian's chest as it bubbled over, daring to bring tears to his eyes.

The avian swallowed hard while he shut his eyes to enjoy the warm sun's rays on his face. He knew he needed to get up, go check on Pearl-Two, but he also craved this moment of peace. This moment where he could just sit there and soak up his friend's company and replay her words again and again. "Thanks Cleo," he finally said out loud.

"No problem, but I would finish that soup. Etho collected a lot from our crops to make so many bowls," Cleo explained, which sounded like she had scolded the man for the waste in resources, but she didn't press it. Neither did Grian. He enjoyed the soup. It was something different than the same cooked beef or raw carrot over and over again.

Grian raised his head and leaned forward, compelled to listen to his teammate. He made a mental note to open his eyes again and finish his soup, but he felt his thoughts slipping. The world seemed to drift by around him as he craved the warm sun that wrapped around him like a soft blanket. Grian's head bobbed. A part of him grumbled at his slow attempts to open his eyes, to not rest until he finished his soup and checked in on Pearl... but he soon forgot the reasons behind why he should.

He felt dizzy. His body grew too heavy to even hold itself up, so he let gravity pull him down. Grian then felt a pair of hands grab his arms. He heard some panicked, muffled words spoken to him. It was Cleo, probably, but Grian was too far gone. He was too lulled in by sleep that he just let his mind sink deeper until he felt nothing at all.

...

Martyn took a step outside his base with heavy strides. The pouch strapped to his belt, which replaced his signature backpack, felt heavy with items. He carried a conflicted expression at the amount of metal, weapons, and even explosives he knew were bouncing around inside. He let out a deep breath, easing the tension in his shoulders, as he soaked up the early morning air.

"Martyn, hey!" The blonde turned to the sound of the canary standing on the top of a hill by their crops. Jimmy's red eyes stared back at his own, yet his teammate was grinning. His gold wings flapped with excitement while he descended down the hill. "Woof, woof!"

Martyn quickly grew a smile. He forced himself to regain his usual casual demeanor before he drew closer to Jimmy. "Woof, woof, Big Dogs ready for this session?"

"You know it!" Jimmy beamed. He stood tall, allowing Martyn to take in his new wardrobe. While he still wore his black jeans, now torn from his last respawn, he abandoned his usual blue button-up shirt. Instead, he wore a black long-sleeve underneath a thin leather chest plate, which possessed a printed design of a wolf paw. He carried iron shoulder pads for his actual armor, but they were slightly covered by white fur, which spread around his neck. "What'da think? Went for the hunter look you were going for."

Martyn glanced down at his own outfit. He got rid of his torn clothing as well for more muted black and brown long-sleeves and pants. A light brown trench coat draped over him and reached to his knees with black combat boots to allow for more mobility than his beloved sandals. He still had the necklace with chipped bones, and he added a strap over his chest that held a few hunting knives. If he was being honest, he looked awesome.

Despite his circumstances, Martyn decided to keep up with the promise for a new wardrobe. Not just for mobility sake, but he figured that if he looked intimidating enough, the others would stay away from him.

The blonde held back a groan while he started scratching the back of his neck. The Watchers' whispers had been dulled to faint background noise, but the bloodlust, the pounding thoughts for chaos made his skin burn, despite his body temperature still being abnormally low. Jimmy's smile faltered. "Red-life irritating you, dude?"

"Yeah, but it's fine... gotta be used to it by now," Martyn said as he forced his hand back down, not wanting to break the skin. Come on, Martyn. This is game five of the same red-life stuff. Come on, you wimp, get over it!

Granted, this was the first time he was consciously trying to fight the urges, though.

"Yeah, it sneaks up on you every now and then, but at least now we got tasks. We can finally have some fun," Jimmy said, gaining back his grin, before he pulled out his bright red scroll.

Martyn nodded towards him, crossing his arms to keep them restrained. He already knew what his task said:

Create a damaging trap in someone's base. You succeed when it's unintentionally triggered. If it's discovered, you must make a new one. You can make multiple until one is triggered successfully.

He doesn't really plan on accomplishing it, though. Maybe he'll make a few lazy attempts if he absolutely needed to for hearts, but otherwise, his goal was just to stay alive and find any signs of the Watchers taking action. There, he can sabotage it and prevent his friends from any terrible fates.

Martyn grinned back at his teammate. "Right, well, we better get on with it then."

"Right, right," Jimmy said, tucking away his scroll, before he flipped on a hood that was connected to the fur around his neck. It was then that Martyn noticed the hood carried the face of a wolf, fangs and all.

"Whoa, you did a full on wolf pelt. That's sick, dude," Martyn smiled at the sight while the two turned and started walking towards the edge of the mountain. They slowly descended from the wooden steps Jimmy built in to make scaling to their base easier.

"Thanks, it's fake, though. Didn't have the heart to skin a real one," Jimmy added. He took the lead until they reached grassy terrain. "Hey, we can check out Scar's shop to see if he's got any goods to help us."

"Eh, if you want... I think I may go head towards Cherry Blossom Mound, pick on the Scotts and Tots," Martyn replied, trying to appear mischievous with his smile.

As much as he didn't like the risk, with how unstable he has been, Martyn needed to talk to Gem. She was the only person left he trusted with his information regarding the Watchers' warning. That, and he had to check on her progress with building a portal. He needed some sliver of hope, something to prove that all his efforts of fighting back weren't futile.

"Hey, hey guys!" A voice called out. The two Big Dogs stopped in their tracks and scanned the area around them.

Martyn turned, looking back from where they came, and practically jumped out of his skin at the sudden player behind him. "AH! Good gosh- BigB! How the heck did you get behind us? We were literally just there."

The cookie man gave a chuckle. "Just hanging around. Like the new wardrobe you guys got going on," BigB said while pointing a finger towards their attire.

Jimmy's wings rose proudly. He placed his hands on his hips while his smile tugged further on his cheeks. "Big Dogs are out huntin' today. Woof! Woof!"

Martyn smirked at the claim before turning back to the newcomer. "Yeah, but I see you got a new look yourself too."

"Yeah, yeah! Heart Foundation finally going all out, I see," Jimmy said. He walked around BigB to admire the man's pink sweater and dangling heart-shaped earring on one ear. Hot pink and white shades rested on the top of his head where his hair faded to a pale pink at the tips. "B, you look absolutely stunning, my guy. Makes me almost want to join the Heart Foundation." BigB smirked, which made the canary jerk in response. "Almost!" He shot back, causing Martyn to snicker from the exchange.

"Well, anyway, I came over cause there's something important I really need to talk to guys about," BigB said. He started walking towards a spot in the field that resembled a grassy hut. "Follow me to the cobblerooms. We gotta take it there."

"The what?" Jimmy asked before glancing over at Martyn. The two eyed each other. Their red gazes squinted before the canary continued. "What's so important about going to the cobblerooms?"

"Cause I don't want anyone to overhear us."

"Well now that just sounds even more suspicious," Martyn added. He then took a step towards the direction he was previously heading. "As curious as I am, though, I've got somewhere I've gotta be." He tried to walk away, but the cookie man rushed over to block his path.

"I'm serious, this isn't a trick. You guys are the reds, anyway. I should be afraid of you," BigB added. He held his hands up as if to keep the blonde in place. "Please, this really can't wait. I need to talk to you both privately in the cobblerooms right now." He placed his hands together in a pleading motion.

"I don't know... seems fishy to me," Jimmy replied with crossed arms. He then grew a smirk. "Maybe if you gave a big 'Woof! Woof!' we can trust you."

Martyn copied his teammate's expression. "Right, yeah, you could do that."

BigB's gaze dulled while his posture slacked with irritation, so much so that his shades plopped down onto the nose. "Fine... Woof. Woof."

"Not as enthusiastic as I was hoping for, but I can accept that," Jimmy grinned as he walked closer to stand beside the cookie man.

"Good on ya, B," Martyn smiled, yet he still moved to get around the players in front of him. "But I've got somethin' that can't wait either, so I gotta-" The blonde's words were cut short when a hand latched onto his shoulder. He looked back to find the source, but Martyn soon found himself frozen in place from BigB's stare.

He heard the whispers. The whispers in the background grew louder. Voices muttered in Martyn's ears, dulling all his other senses. A violet glow emitted off BigB's eyes and blurred behind his shades. The man's usual warm, friendly demeanor vanished in an instant, and it was replaced with such an intense stare that made Martyn's breath fall short. Finally, among the incoherent whispers, BigB spoke. "You keep insisting on playing hero, ignoring who you truly are, Martyn."

Martyn's body tensed. His friend's voice sounded distorted while his tone was so eerily unlike anything he ever heard from the cookie man. "Wha-BigB, you-" The words were lost in his tightening throat. He felt as though he was being choked. In fact, he found that he couldn't move his body at all.

Nothing could prevent BigB from continuing. "I wanted to do this away from meddlers, prying eavesdroppers, but you forced our hand."

Martyn tried to take in a breath, move his hand, and yank away BigB's crushing grip on his shoulder. He just couldn't do it. Where was Jimmy? Why wasn't he stepping in? Despite not being able to move his head, Martyn was only able to see darkness surrounding him and, what he now assumed, was not BigB at all.

The cookie man's unblinking eyes continued to stare into Martyn's soul, making him shiver to his bone. Then, BigB's other hand rose up into view, except it wasn't his normal hand. It was consumed in a black and violet shadow. Claws sprouted from the finger tips. Martyn's insides screamed when the claws edged closer towards his face. "We cannot lose our favorite puppet. You will play your part, like all the rest."

Martyn's breath grew rapid, chest heaving up and down. His eyes went crazy at the approaching claws creeping towards him. The Watchers, they were going to put him under again. Take control of him like before. They were done with manipulation tactics. Now, they were using brute force. Martyn's body shook. He practically vibrated while his skin turned pale white. Whatever he was about to do... talk to Gem? Warn her? They absolutely did not want that, which made it ever more vital for him to get the hell out of this situation and go DO IT!

"N-No-No!" Martyn croaked through his sore throat. He forced his body to move, pulling harder till he felt his muscles tearing like paper. Yet, the claws just drew closer until they were encasing him. His mind grew foggy, limbs becoming dead weight. His ears began to ring against the eerie silence, snuffing out the sound of his panting breaths and even the whispers. Only the space between the clawed fingers was all that allowed him to still see beyond the dark void that was the Watcher's hand.

That's where Martyn spotted something. He forced his heavy eyelids back open to find an orange glowing outline. It surrounded the dark area around them. The appearance of the glow made BigB and the claws pause. The whispers reappeared in Martyn's ears, hissing with boiling anger.

The cookie man craned his neck. He witnessed the slowly growing light around them. He then faced the blonde again. The violet in his eyes flickered for just a second, causing his narrowed gaze of disgust to soften. It was as if BigB was finally starting to see Martyn for the first time. His lips moved, but his words were inaudible. Martyn could see, though, the pained expression in his friend's eyes.

Before any more words could be exchanged, the two were consumed in orange light to the point Martyn was blinded. He squeezed his eyes shut, standing still for a second more, before he heard a voice.

"See ya later, dude!" Jimmy called out.

Martyn's eyes snapped open. The remains of violet and orange dissolved from his vision while he looked to find himself back in the grassy field. The blonde's breath fell short. Sweat dripped from his brow. He scanned the area. He wasn't sure what was real until his attention latched onto Jimmy in the distance.

The canary waved goodbye with BigB at his side. The cookie man looked back, heart earring swaying with his movements, and gave a gentle smile towards him. The two of them headed in the direction of BigB's base, preparing for some secret discussion in the cobblerooms.

Martyn's brow creased. His thoughts were jumbled. He was asked to join them, but he declined. Why? He was planning on doing something first, something important. Martyn's attention shifted to the shop a few yards away. Scar's shack. The trading post that Jimmy mentioned earlier, possibly filled with goodies to help them with their secret task.

Martyn's brain clicked. He dove a hand through his pouch and pulled out the bright red scroll. His eyes scanned over the words inside. A frown, though, grew over him. Yes, secret tasks were always important, but he felt as though he was still missing something.

Martyn scanned the area around him again. He searched for a clue, something to jog his memory of what was so vital. Nothing seemed out of place. Nothing jumped out at him except-

Grian. Martyn's red eyes glowed at the sight of his egg hut missing in the distance. The missing avian irked him. Old irritation clawed back into his brain like an infection. Grian had disappeared again. He vanished, likely to hide more secrets from him. Untold truths about the Watchers and these death games.

Anger boiled deep inside Martyn. His knuckles tightened around the scroll still in his hand. A task permitted him to finally go a little unhinged. He ignored the part of his mind that currently urged him to calm down and grinned instead. He was consumed in a red haze as he turned and marched towards Scar's shop for more supplies.

Martyn found his reason. The thing that he was forgetting that was so important. If he wanted to protect his friends, then he needed to find Grian. Fish him out of whatever hole he was hiding in and take him out of this hellscape of a game, for good.

...

"Scar, are you sure you're okay?"

The salesman snapped out of his thoughts to turn to Lizzie. The young woman stood on the other side of the counter inside his base. Her brow knitted, watching him with careful eyes.

Scar blinked for a second. His tired gaze was soon covered by his usual smile. "Yeah, I'm good. I'm good."

Lizzie's face fell, forming a frown. After a beat, her attention turned down towards her belt, focusing on her glowing sword. "Well, thanks for letting me use your enchanter."

"It's the least I could do for what happened last session," Scar answered while he forced his grin to widen, making his eyes shut for a second.

"Oh, well, don't worry about that. I got some cows from Joel afterwards, so I say we're even now," Lizzie replied. She fell silent for a moment. The two remained still, avoiding the other's gaze. Lizzie's body tensed from the tension trickling in the air.

Finally, her shoulders dropped while she sighed. She refused to let the awkward air swallow her any longer. "You know, Scar, you can tell me if something's bothering you."

"I'm fine, honestly, Lizzie-"

"Is the problem me?"

Scar paused. His eyebrows flew up, startled by the woman's words. "Wha-What?"

Lizzie's gaze hardened. She leaned forward with continued persistence. She placed a hand on the counter, which still separated them. "Are you mad at me? If so, then just say it. I'm a big girl. I can handle it."

Scar then quickly lifted his hands up in surrender. Panic consumed his features. "Wha-No! No, Lizzie, it's not you-"

"Are you sure? Cause you've been acting really strange lately, task or no." Lizzie crossed her arms, but her tone still carried a hint of concern.

Scar glanced to the side, internally scolding himself for his poor performance. Come on, Scar. Remember why you're doing all this. You wanted to win. You gotta get outta this melonch-melancot-

"Meloncotaly? Melancholy?" he muttered to himself.

"What did you say?" Lizzie asked with a raised brow.

Scar jumped, remembering the other player in the room. He cleared his throat while he sucked in a breath through the nose. He bounced back to a straight posture. "Sorry, sorry, I was just... I don't know, I uh... I think the game's getting a little dull for me is all," he said with a smile before shrugging his shoulders.

Lizzie leaned back and processed the answer. "Oh, that's all?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side. "Well, I don't know how this game can get dull for you. It's been extremely stressful for me, or at least, it really will be when more of us get on red." Her neon yellow eyes then dulled once she meet Scar's green ones. "And maybe because some of us are still on their first life is why this game feels dull."

Scar gave a strained chuckle. He glanced to the side again, avoiding the scowling player's gaze. "Right... well hopefully those enchantments will ease some of that stress, and remember, you can come by any time for more."

"Really?"

"Of course, we're still in our lil' alliance, remember?" Scar replied with his signature smirk.

Lizzie's face soon melted into a smile. "Right, thanks, Scar..." She then sent an accusing finger towards the salesman. "But we can only keep our alliance if you quit making me a target for your tasks, alright? Keep that for the others."

Scar gave a firm nod. "Promise, cross my heart," he said while tracing an 'X' over his chest. He then jumped once a new thought occurred to him, and he dove into his pockets. "Oh, by the way, would you be up for some trading?"

Lizzie raised an eyebrow. She leaned over the counter again to get a closer look. "Whatcha got to trade?"

Scar gave a bright smile before pulling out seeds from his pocket. "I've got some magical seeds you would just love."

"They... just look like regular grass seeds to me," Lizzie replied with confusion filtering through her face. She squinted her eyes and took a closer examination of the seeds in his palm. "There's a bit of pocket lint on them too."

Scar glanced down. He quickly blew off the lint before standing poised once more. He dismissed the comment while wagging his finger in the air. "No, no, they are magical, I swear. These have the power to grow your crops at a very efficient rate."

"That... That just sounds like normal seeds!" Lizzie spat before letting her head fall forward with a groan.

"Don't believe 'im. It's a scam," a voice echoed from just outside the front door. The duo in the store paused before Lizzie fell into a snicker. Scar's body, though, tensed from recognizing the source of the voice. Just then, Martyn came waltzing inside the shop, boots stomping against the wooden floorboards. "Scar, are you really tryin' to scam people this early into the session?"

Scar scowled towards the comment, but he held his tongue at the sight of the glowing red eyes staring back at him.

Lizzie soon broke the staring match as she turned to leave. She smiled towards Scar and sent a wave his way. "I'll pass on the seeds, Scar. Thanks again, good luck with... that," she said quickly towards the towering red beside her and raced out of the store, leaving the front door wide open.

Scar's posture deflated. He let his hands lean against the counter as he slumped forward. "Gee, thanks..." he answered back, but the pink player was already gone. His irritation soon bled into wary once he turned his gaze back onto Martyn.

"So... Scar, got any good deals?" Martyn asked. He kept his attention towards the barrels above, yet his tone filled the air with freezing tension.

Scar took a breath. He pulled himself back up again and raised his hand to show off the items. "Well, sir, we've got quite a variety of dangerous equipment to satisfy your bloodthirsty urges. Anything that catches your eye?"

Martyn hummed to himself until his attention latched onto a few sticks of dynamite. His red eyes glowed like a hungry predator while his skin began to itch at the sight. "Oh, that looks promising. How much for the explosives?"

Scar glanced up at the TNT. A small smirk soon returned to his face before he reached up to grab the item. He held it carefully as he turned back to the blonde, whose gaze remained locked on the explosives. "This, sir, can be yours for a special deal."

"And what deal is that?" Martyn asked with a raised brow. He stuffed his hands into his coat, causing the hilt of his sword to come into view. While the blonde did not purposefully carry a threat with his words, the sight of the weapon made Scar's throat tight.

"L-Leave me alone," the salesman choked out. "... At least for this session."

Martyn pondered the thought. He made a show of it by staring up at the ceiling while humming. He then gave a shrug. "Sure, I already have a target in mind anyway."

Scar huffed out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "Oh, oh, okay, good," he said while handing over the explosives. "Can I ask who's the lucky person?" The salesman then bit his tongue. The question was out before he could rethink it, but his curiosity overtook his survival instincts.

"Sure, if ya don't go warnin' 'em." Martyn grinned as he pocketed the TNT. "Just figured I'd do a lil' bird huntin' today."

Scar's body stiffened. He was busy mining last session when the fresh red-lifer supposedly went for Grian with the intent to kill. According to the others, it was a narrowly avoided bloodbath. He wasn't sure what kind of vendetta Martyn had against the avian, and frankly, he didn't want to know.

The salesman hummed while he scanned the player's new attire. "Well, you... you definitely dressed for the occasion."

Martyn gave a soft chuckle that ended up sounding harsher with his intense grin. "Gotta dress for the part, right?"

Before Scar could respond, a loud clank of metal filled the air, followed by a thud just outside the front entrance. Scar jumped once he witnessed his door fall onto the porch. His eyes went wide at the sight of Gem standing where his open door used to be. She held an axe, examining the broken hinges on the wall for only a second, before she turned to lock eyes with the salesman.

Scar's eyes went wide. "Ah! Wha-Gem! What are you-"

"Sorry, Scar, I'm in a rush. Look, I'll give you a diamond and wood to replace it, but can I have this?" Gem asked while she motioned towards the fallen door with her axe. Her breaths were quick, chest heaving, as if she had been sprinting. Her single yellow eye glowed bright, seemingly looking right through Scar. She might as well have been talking to the wall.

Scar moved from behind his counter and stared at the scene before him. Irritation flashed across his face for a split second, but the mention of diamonds made him pause. "Uh, sure... If you just quit it with the axe swinging!"

Gem gave a wide grin. She dove into her pockets and tossed out blocks of wood and one diamond. Despite Scar only being two feet away, the traded goods were plopped onto the floor like waste. The precious blue jewel made a clanking sound once it hit the floor. The hybrid then put away her axe. She picked up the door with both hands, and the large item shrank once she stowed it in her pocket. "Thanks, see ya!"

Scar blinked a few times, processing the exchange with pure bewilderment. Martyn was leaning over to look outside as well. His attention focused solely on the redhead while she turned to leave. He then brushed past Scar, who whined after being bumped out of the way. The salesman ignored him, though, and bent down to grab his items with a huff.

"Wait, Gem!" Martyn called out.

Scar looked back up to find the hybrid had stopped. She planted her feet in the grass and whipped her head around back towards the shop. One of her ears flicked as her brow creased, revealing some irritation. "Yeah?" Gem asked in warning. She did not seem the least bit fearful of the red eyes watching her.

Scar glanced over at Martyn, and for once, the blonde seemed at a loss for words. The salesman arched an eyebrow as he watched the man simply stand there, staring at Gem like she was a strange phenomenon. It was as if Martyn's brain had completely shut down. His hand was raised in the air, and it didn't even flinch, like someone had hit pause on him. Sweat glistened from his brow while his shoulders went stiff. He continued acting that way until his red eyes glowed brighter. He then finally lowered his hand. "I was uh... I was wonderin' if you've seen Grian around? I noticed his egg was gone."

"Oh, he moved in with Cleo and Etho. They're the Roomies now, I guess," Gem shrugged. Despite her casual words, though, she still held that look of annoyance. Her harsh yellow gaze made the blonde freeze again before she dashed off.

Martyn watched her go. Scar noticed the blonde's brow creased with unease, which puzzled the salesman even further.

"Is... Is a red-lifer actually afraid of a yellow?" Scar asked once he rose back to his feet. He couldn't help but smirk. "You know she can't guess your task, right?"

Martyn, though, just gave a heavy sigh. He finally let his shoulders drop. "Yeah, I know, Scar," he replied, sounding tired and irritable.

Scar fell into a frown, slightly offended. The red's tone sounded as though he were speaking to a naive child. He opened his mouth to retort, but the blonde turned back to face him.

"Well, I better get going. Thanks for the TNT, mate," Martyn said, gaining back something of a casual demeanor, before he rushed off as well.

Scar stood there while the other disappeared. His brow knitted with further puzzlement. He glanced down at the items in his hands. He clutched the wooden blocks and diamond tighter.

He was left out of the loop on something. Again. He never knew what was going on in the arena anymore.

You're always left out of the loop... always forgotten.

Scar flinched. His vision carried hints of violet for a split second before he blinked it away. His grip on his items began to shake. He then let out a breath to calm himself. His voice sounded strained as he sighed. He turned his body back towards his base, dragging his feet.

"No, I'm not... forgotten. Come on, Scar. Quit being weird," he muttered, scolding himself. He then gave a soft chuckle when a new thought struck him. "Definitely won't be forgotten, though, if I...If I win," he breathed. His lips curled into a smile.

Scar stopped again, just in front of his porch. He stowed his items in his satchel and pulled back out his four grass seeds. He stared at them with a heavy gaze. His attention then darted to his right, towards the Mounder bases. He noticed Mumbo was starting to place down stone blocks around the perimeter of their area. A wall.

Scar made a mental note for the idea. He should build a wall too. For safety. For protection. To block the others out before they block him out-

Scar's breath hitched at the thought. Silence rang through his ears before he curled his fingers around the seeds in his palm. He stowed them back in his pocket and made his way over towards the Mounders.

...

Pearl gave a wary smile as she watched Mumbo ascend the growing wall of cobblestone around their bases. She had spent a total of ten minutes inside her counterpart's mound, exploring what items she possessed and food, before she got extremely bored. A part of her questioned if the rules of privacy applied to another version of herself, but she assumed, this being a survival game and all, that it really didn't matter.

With that being said, Pearl decided her next course of action was to convince this world's Mumbo about building a redstone contraption. The only problem, though, was that he was insistent on finishing the wall around their bases before accepting any kind of requests.

"We gotta keep the others out. Red lives are growing, Pearl," Mumbo had told her, and Bdubs nodded with agreement in the background.

She couldn't really argue with that. After seeing one go crazy last session, Pearl agreed it needed to be done. At first, she tried to help the dapper gentleman with the project to make it go faster, but he continued adding to it, comparing it to Gem's wall up on the mountain, to the point Pearl could only stand and watch with continued exasperation. She even prepared a water bucket in case her self-conscious teammate slipped and fell.

"Mumbo, I think it's good, mate," Pearl said. She adjusted her cap while craning her neck to meet the man's gaze.

"Just a little more! I want it to be a lot taller than our bases in case we want to make towers too," Mumbo called out, wiping his brow from sweat. He had wrapped his jacket around his waist, rolled up his sleeves, and loosened his tie. He used a pickaxe to readjust any loose pieces of rock. Despite his smile to indicate his lightheartedness with the idea, the man continued to place down large chunks of stone with growing intensity.

Pearl gave a sigh. Tension edged into her muscles. She hadn't realized how soft Hermitcraft had made her. She might have played it cool towards Gem and Grian, but she nearly forgot how much even a drop from a rather short wall could hurt in a game like this. Heck, she forgot how much even getting pricked by berry bushes hurt. She was reminded of that recently since she discovered several berry bushes in the basement of her counterpart's mound. It was a single prick. She only lost a heart, but it felt like a hornet had dug into her flesh.

Pearl also had to consider the idea that the Watchers of this game could have increased the pain-level even further than what it would be outside the barrier, which made the Postmaster boil with resentment.

"Can't believe Gem found a place like this," Pearl muttered to herself as she watched Mumbo continue to climb. Granted, the concept of universal travel was still new to her, but Pearl could imagine there might be several universes where versions of her friends are stuck in situations like this or worse. Were these 'bad-situation' universes simply created to display worst case scenarios? Would there really be a way to help these counterparts of her friends?

Pearl's throat grew tight at the thought before she tossed it away. Of course, she had hope for them. She didn't believe anyone's bad luck was simply set in stone, and their current plan was going well. She managed to get out of her own death game loop, after all, and while she had obvious sympathy for these players...

Pearl also knew the severity of their circumstances. She knew the likelihood of her and Gem getting out with every single one of these players was slim, and what if one of them lost their last life before they got the portal to work? She doubted Gem would want to leave anyone behind with how determined she had been acting the past few days.

Gem discussed with her about how she promised this world's Scott to take him to see his counterpart. To let him experience acres of flowers and colors without the fear of any Watchers. She also wanted to find a way to make it up to this world's Pearl about all the confusion and discomfort she likely was experiencing being in Hermitcraft. Gem planned to take that crazy Martyn guy and any other red-lifers to Doc in hopes of reversing the effects as well. Lastly, Pearl even heard her friend mutter under her breath that, no matter how irritating he had been, she would drag this world's Grian through the portal, so she could say she told him so and berate him about his secretive, stubborn behavior later on.

Gem had a connection with these players. They weren't just copies of her friends anymore. She had gotten to know them and bonded with them in such a short amount of time, which being in a life-threatening game would do that to people. Yet, this fact made it harder for Pearl to come to the decision now consuming her thoughts: No matter what were to happen to these counterparts, Pearl was not going to let Gem remain stuck here.

Ever since she arrived, Pearl had already seen how these games had been affecting her friend. She couldn't let Gem go through the same insanity and pain she went through in her own games. And, she was not going to lose another friend to the Watchers. Never again.

"Pearl?"

The Postmaster snapped out of her thoughts, eyebrows raised, once she turned to the sound of Bdubs. The man had walked from his base in the corner, originally tending to his horses and camel. "You good? You've been staring off into space and clutchin' that bucket like it owes you money."

Pearl glanced down towards her white-knuckles gripping the handle of the bucket till the water inside trembled. Her gaze then darted back up towards the wall. She scanned around until she locked onto Mumbo once more, who was practically on the other side of their area now. He was still hard at work with the wall, placing down stone with every step. Pearl rushed over to him with Bdubs close behind.

"Yeah, just hate for Mumbo to fall off and lose hearts," She said before a smile replaced her somber demeanor. "You know how clumsy he can get," she added once the two stopped by the wall again.

Mumbo squeaked from above in protest, making Pearl giggle. He leaned over the side to stare daggers at his teammates. "Excuse me!? Since when have I been clumsy? I'm still on green!"

"I'm just messin' with ya, mate, relax," Pearl snickered, which caused Bdubs to grin. Her joy then mellowed as she met the frowning Mumbo's gaze. "But seriously. Don't fall."

Her dapper teammate sighed. "I don't exactly plan on it. Just a little more, and I'll be down." He smiled before going back to work.

"Well, regardless, I definitely feel safer with the wall. You think anyone else will turn red today?" Bdubs asked after he scanned the enclosed area around them.

Pearl followed his gaze, admiring the work. Before she could respond, though, her eyes landed on a wolf. The animal was laying down by her base in the shade. Its chin rested on the ground with drooping ears. Mailbox was his name. She found that out when she first grabbed his collar, but the wolf had kept his distance from her ever since then. Pearl could only assume he belonged to her counterpart, and the companion could tell that she was not his owner.

"Hey, is Mailbox alright? He's been actin' pretty sad the last few days," Bdubs pointed out once he noticed Pearl's attention on the animal.

The Postmaster frowned. She thought about her own pets back home. The fish in her aquarium, the Sniffers in her farm, her pack of dogs, cats, and so much more. A part of her wondered if they could tell the difference from her counterpart too.

"Well, hello-ello, Mounders!" Pearl turned towards one of the gated entrances of their new wall. Scar made his way over to them with a wave.

"Hey, Scar." Pearl smiled. "How's it goin'?" she asked once the salesman reached them.

"Oh, I'm good, just came by to see what you all've been up to," Scar said with his usual smile.

"Just buildin' up a little bit of protection. Mumbo's going a bit overboard with it, though," Pearl replied while smirking.

"Hey, I just wanted it taller than Gem's," Mumbo called out from above. He chipped a piece of loose stone off with his pickaxe.

"Kinda hard when her's is on a mountain, mate!" Pearl shouted to ensure the dapper gentleman heard her.

Mumbo sputtered in offence. "W-Well obviously I don't mean it like that! Just blocks higher and-Ugh, nevermind," he sighed once he noticed his teammates holding back grins.

Bdubs then leaned over to whisper to Scar. "Mumbo's jealous of how cool Gem and her band's bases look on the mountain with the new wall and watchtower."

"Ah, well, that makes sense. Their watchtower is pretty cool," Scar said a bit louder while he looked back to see the tip of the signature pink flag flapping on top of said tower.

Pearl soon noticed Mumbo's mustache twitching. His nostrils flared while he gripped tighter on his pickaxe.

"Gah-Enough about the tower! That's-That's it! I'm building us a watchtower too," Mumbo huffed dramatically. He stowed away the tool in his hand and straightened his tie. Before he stepped off the side, though, he faltered. He stared down at the ground from high above. "Uh, Pearl? Could... Could you please place the water?" Mumbo sheepishly asked, glancing to the side. "I, uh... Ran out of cobblestone." He cleared his throat, and his cheeks grew a tad pink.

Pearl smiled while Bdubs and Scar couldn't hold back their snickers at all. "Sure, Mumbo," she said before dumping the bucket's contents onto the grass until there was a large overflowing puddle.

Once Mumbo jumped down into the water, Pearl heard Scar speak up from behind.

"By the way, I was wondering if any of you would be up for some trading?"

"Sure! Whatcha got?" Bdubs asked as Pearl helped Mumbo out of the large puddle. She turned to face the duo while her dapper teammate shook off the excess water lingering on his shoes.

"Well, I have here some wonderful, absolutely magical seeds," Scar said before he took out exactly four seeds from his pocket. He displayed them to the group on his palm as if they were precious jewels.

Bdubs started to laugh. "Scar, those are just grass seeds. Come on, do you take us for fools?"

Scar's mouth fell open with a rather dramatic flare towards the comment, looking offended. "I certainly do not, sir! I am here to just sell some wonderful seeds and was hoping any of you would be interested in trading for them."

Pearl shook her head slowly while she heard Mumbo sigh from behind, likely towards the conversation too. He walked past the Postmaster. "I'm gonna start working on the watchtower," he said, refusing to even look in Scar's direction.

Pearl watched him go for a moment until her brain recalled her previous mission. She took a step towards him. "Wait, Mumbo, I-"

Before she could even finish, Scar obstructed her path. "How about you, Sunflower? Would you wanna trade for some seeds?"

Pearl staggered a bit, stepping back to give herself space. Her eyebrows flew up in shock. It took a second for her brain to reboot and process the question due to the nickname she just received. "S-Sunflower?" she muttered.

Although she was a Postmaster on Hermitcraft, she also played another role in Empires where sunflowers were her signature symbol. The flower was so connected to her character and theme that the others called her Sunflower every now and then.

Scar's grin faltered. "Oh, sorry, I just passed a small patch of sunflowers on the way over. Guess they stuck around in my head," he soon added with an embarrassed chuckle. He stepped back as well, losing his aggressive salesman stance.

Pearl blinked again, pulling herself from her thoughts. Her shock soon melted back into a smile towards Scar. She took in his appearance as she processed his original question too. "Still, that was pretty sweet of you, Scar... But as for the seeds..." While she thought about the grass seeds, Pearl's attention was still locked onto the man's attire.

His brown jacket was torn in a few spots and patched up with quick black stitches in others. His white shirt, while appearing to have been washed recently, still carried dust from the mines. There were also spots in his pants that were ripped or scorched. One hole was big enough that Pearl could even see the man's leg braces, which were something he had in common with her Scar.

Scar noticed her stare and looked down. "Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to make myself a new outfit. Just been having trouble finding the time." He gave a light laugh and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.

Pearl nodded, but a new thought came to her. She began to walk away and ushered the salesman along. "Well, I think I have somethin' I can trade you for those seeds."

Scar's eyebrows flew up. "Oh! Really?" He asked. He followed after the Postmaster as they strolled over to her counterpart's base.

Pearl hummed in response. She was on a mission. She walked past Mailbox, whose head raised with slight curiosity. She even passed Mumbo, who rushed in the opposite direction with new handfuls of stone and wood. Pearl wasn't sure what came over her with this idea. A lot of these counterparts had rough appearances. Being in a literal death game with limited materials would do that to players. Even if one did manage to scrounge enough materials to create new outfits, they would surely be ruined the further they went into the game, so she shouldn't even bother helping. Yet, she still continued.

Pearl opened the door to the mound and walked across the wooden floorboards towards a chest. Since her messenger bag was pretty full upon arrival, the Postmaster tucked away her overflow of items into a chest she made. She had so many letters from hermits that she was supposed to deliver, but Pearl kept most of those close so as to not cause confusion from any snooping players.

While Scar waited back, stepping inside only a few feet from the open door, Pearl dug through her chest and pulled out some material. She bit her lip. She stared at the gorgeous rolls of cotton and silk fabrics now in her hands. She was supposed to deliver these to Doc for his fashion boutique in the Shopping District, but given the circumstances, she suspected that the goat-man wouldn't mind.

Pearl turned back towards Scar. When he locked onto the fabrics, his wide eyes and open mouth made him appear a lot like her friend Keralis, who was best known for his over the top expressions.

"Wha-How- How did you get such beautiful fabrics!? You found a Wandering Trader or something?" Scar gasped as he walked closer. He fingered the soft silky cream-colored white on the edge of the pile the Postmaster carried. "You must have traded for so long to get this many."

"Uh, yeah, but he sold fabrics for a pretty cheap price, so it wasn't that difficult," Pearl added with a lopsided smile. She walked over to the bed in the corner and set down the several rolls, displaying multiple different colors. "Pick which fabrics you want, and I'll trade them for your seeds."

"W-wait-What?" Scar stuttered, almost jumping from her words. He drew closer towards the bed and examined the fine haul of material. Pearl tried her best not to laugh as she watched the man's continued bewilderment.

Scar then hesitated. He glanced down at the seeds still clutched in his fist. He looked back at the other player with a mixed expression. "Pearl... You-You know these are just grass seeds, right?" Scar asked. His brow creased, examining the Postmaster's face for something.

Pearl's smile only softened. "Yeah, I know, Scar. It's fine. I've... I've got way too many of these anyway."

Granted, a part of her still hesitated since these fabrics were not hers to give away, but she wanted to do this. Maybe it was the salesman's poor attempt to swindle with grass seeds that had done it for her. Maybe it was also his overly charismatic grin to try and push for the trade. It all reminded her of her Scar back home. She was beginning to see why Gem so readily wanted to help these counterparts. They looked and acted so much like her friends. Friends that clearly have had it rough.

Pearl glanced back down at the man's leg brace that still peeked through the hole in his pants. Back home, her Scar was half vex, so he sometimes used magic to help ease the pain in his legs when he walked for long periods of time. Other times, though, the zookeeper also liked to use a wheelchair and simply added his magic to make it float whenever he needed to jump across terrain. By noticing the lack of point with this Scar's ears, though, Pearl guessed that the salesman in front of her was only human.

"Hey, have your leg braces been workin' alright? Do you need iron to make new ones?" Pearl asked before she strolled back over to her chest to grab the ingots.

There was a beat of silence. She had guessed the salesman was considering her question. She heard him clear his throat. "No, no, I'm good on iron. One deal's all I'm looking for."

"Well, it wouldn't be a deal, Scar. I can just give you ingots for free," Pearl said while she knelt down and dug through her chest.

Another pause filled the air. Scar spoke again in a quieter tone. "Why?"

Pearl stopped. She lifted her head back up and turned towards the salesman again. She noticed Scar's knitted brow right above his intense stare. His arms were crossed to keep his fidgeting movements concealed. There was a sense of suspicion, caution mixed into his voice.

Pearl then internally scolded herself, wanting to facepalm at that moment. This wasn't Hermitcraft. In games like this, people wouldn't just give items away unless they were getting something back, especially if the other player wasn't even a teammate. The Postmaster was already pushing it with the expensive fabrics, but now, she was putting Scar on edge.

The situation was laid out in Pearl's mind as she forced herself to come up with an answer. Finally, she stood up and stepped closer to Scar. "Well, cause I'd like to be allies."

She kept her voice leveled in hopes to convince the salesman, and eventually, she must have because his expression eased. In fact, his face seemed to brighten at the idea.

"Oh, allies? Sure, we can be allies," he grinned almost with excitement, which weirdly pained the Postmaster. Scar's response made it seem like he often didn't get offers like that. A second or two later, though, the joy in his eyes dimmed. "Can I ask why you would be so interested in being allies?"

"I just uh... I just want to, Scar. I'd like to be your friend," Pearl said, mulling over the thought. "I'd seen you over there by your lonesome at Trader Scar's, so I figured you'd want some friends," she then added.

Scar glanced at the ground for a moment. He regained his signature grin soon after. "Well that's awfully sweet of you, Pearl. I would love to be allies. Trust me, making friends out of Trader Scar's is a wonderful investment. You will not be disappointed," Scar said while he raised a finger in the air as if to make a declaration.

Pearl gave a slight shake of her head. "Scar, when I mean friends, I just mean you, not necessarily your business."

The Postmaster soon regretted the comment, though, because it seemed to strike Scar in an odd way. He stared at her again, confusion bleeding into his features once more. There was a twinge of hope, joy mixing back in into his eyes, but it was soon replaced with something Pearl was not expecting: hurt.

The two players stared at each other. Minutes seemed to tick by. Concern filtered through Pearl's blue gaze against Scar's neon green. She took a step forward while raising her hand towards his shoulder. "Scar?"

Before she could even try to comfort him, Scar stepped back. He cleared his throat again and went for the fabrics on the bed.

"Well, either way, you won't regret it," he answered a tad too casually. He set down the four seeds on the edge of the bed and picked up three rolls of fabric: one being the cream-colored white from before, another being a light turquoise, and the last being a jet black cotton. "Thanks for the trade, and let me know if there're any items you're looking for. We can make some more trades at my shop," he said with a big grin before turning to leave.

Pearl's brow creased. She was rendered speechless. She tried to follow him. "S-Scar? Wait-" A few words managed to escape her throat, but her pace slowed when the salesman already walked out the door with quick steps.

She blinked for a second. Worry ate away inside her gut and caused her mouth to form a thin line. She replayed Scar's words through her head. Despite this Scar's obvious deflection, though, Pearl could tell the difference between a real Scar smile and a fake one, and while finally thinking about it over, she realized that he had hardly given a single real one the whole time they talked.

A twinge of pain struck Pearl's heart as she gripped the strap of her bag. "Oh, Scar..." she muttered, sympathy filling her tone the longer she dwelt on the matter.

...

Today was rather unproductive so far for Gem. Yes, she took a much needed restful nap, but once she arose, the hybrid finally looked over her task and had a mini heart attack. She immediately jumped out of bed soon after and booked it to start on her task.

Once she stepped out of her base, the height of the sun made Gem realize that quite a few hours had past already. She lost so much time! She knew she needed the sleep, but Gem really should have checked her task before letting her head hit the pillow:

You are in a race with another player in the arena. You must convince other players to give you their front door. The player with five doors first wins. Beware of yellow names...

It was a literal race, and after hearing her teammates regard a certain someone asking for their doors, Gem knew she was losing. Her opponent had to be Cleo, who should have already completed the task with the hours head start, but for whatever reason, Scott and Impulse said that the zombie had just left.

Not questioning her strange bit of luck, Gem asked her teammates for their doors, which they literally just replaced, and raced down the steps of Cherry Blossom Mountain. She then rushed for the nearest base she could find.

For some unknown reason, though, Gem had a nagging sensation in her head that warned her to not go to the Mounders' bases, so she skipped around towards Scar's shop instead.

She was out of breath, drenched in sweat. I really should have grabbed my skeleton horse, she thought with a grumble. Annoyance filling her gut, Gem took out her axe, marched onto the small shop's porch, and swung down on the door's hinges.

Granted, she should have probably asked first, but Gem figured trading a diamond would satisfy the salesman. She just didn't have time for finesse. She had to succeed her task, so she could get more hearts and possibly some good items. This was session five, there were already reds in the arena, and she was on her second life. She needed all the hearts she could get.

After a strange interaction with Martyn, with irritation gnawing inside her the longer the red-lifer silently wasted more of her time, Gem rushed for the next base she could find until-

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" she whined at the sight of Cleo at the Secret Keeper. The zombie displayed her five doors, in a single row, by the pillars and happily smirked once she made eye contact with Gem. The deer hybrid sighed, letting her ears flop down in defeat. She slowly dragged herself over to the grinning player.

"So you were the person I was competing against? You really should have skipped the nap then," Cleo chuckled.

Gem gave a tired groan while pinching the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, I know... I didn't even think to look at my task beforehand." She drywashed her face with both hands to center herself. "Ugh, I was so tired, though, I probably wouldn't have even been able to read it."

Cleo nodded, her smile warming. "Yeah, I figured. That's actually why I was late startin' on my task too. Grian earlier just passed out in the middle of the grass while we were talking."

"Is he okay?" Gem asked with a raised brow. She forced a bit of concern into her tone. Honestly, she hoped the avian somehow lost some hearts in the process, but she had the courtesy to try not to let it show on her face.

"He's fine. Etho and I have been watchin' him. He's just wiped out from not sleeping much the last few days, at least that's what I assume from the way he's looked." Cleo shrugged. Her eyes then squinted. She shifted carefully over the redhead, scanning her face for something. She shot a finger towards Gem soon after. "Look, you're new, so I'm gonna give you a proper warning. Don't go telling the reds about Grian, alright?" She held back a smirk once she noticed the smile appearing on Gem's face. "I know it's tempting, and usually, I'd respect the trolling, but Grian's really not doing great, and he's my teammate, so..."

"So?" Gem asked while she leaned forward. Her yellow eye glowed brighter. Her ear twitched with excitement, daring the zombie to continue.

Cleo crossed her arms. "So, I'll never forgive you, and I'll be sure to burn your base to the ground in revenge." She still carried her smirk, but the glint in her neon green eyes indicated she was nowhere near joking.

Gem leaned back, giving a nod. "Right..." She mulled over the threat for a second while she glanced up at the sky for a moment. She weighed the pros and cons in her head before continuing. "Well, then you should know that Martyn's currently looking for Grian right now, so I'd be on the lookout for him."

Cleo's eyebrows shot up. She unfolded her arms. "Are you serious-Ugh, alright, I better go then," she sighed before turning towards the Secret Keeper. The zombie pressed the success button, causing a green glow to wash over her. She collected the valuable items that appeared from the base of the statue, took out her axe to remove three out of the five doors, and turned to leave. She waltzed past Gem and started jogging off in the direction of her base. Cleo then looked back as she rushed. "Hey, those last two are your teammates' doors, by the way. See ya!"

Gem sent a small wave in return, watching the zombie disappear in the distance. A frown fell over her cheeks soon after while she turned to face the Secret Keeper herself. Her eyes narrowed while she walked over to the fail button. She pressed it and felt a sudden chill in the air once the statue glowed a bright red.

Whispers filled her ears, accusatory and angry. Gem merely rolled her eyes in response. "Hey, it's not my fault. I didn't wanna deal with Cleo's wrath, and as much as you hate it, those three are definitely a dangerous combo. I can't get on their bad side this early into the game just because your lil' puppet is feeling bloodthirsty."

The whispers continued, growing in volume until their intensity made the redhead flinch. Gem, or rather Tay, staggered when she felt a sharp pain in her head. She clutched onto the stone pillar to keep herself upright. There was a ringing in her ears now, heart pounding in her chest. She took in a few deep breaths until she felt something trickle down from her nose. Tay paused. She lifted two fingers towards her upper lip and looked down.

Blood. Her nose was bleeding. The redhead then checked her heart count, and her eyes widened.

She just lost three hearts.

More whispers filled her ears again, quieter this time, but they carried a hint of clear warning. Tay let out a shaky breath. Fear made her muscles tremble, but she attempted to hide it behind a deep scowl. She soon gave a small nod while still clutching onto the stone pillar. She tried desperately to gain back the feeling in her wobbling knees. "O-Okay, Okay, I won't interfere again... I'll... I'll make sure he falls."

The statue went silent after that, allowing Tay to exhale. She wiped the blood away with her sleeve and turned to walk away from spawn, practically dragging her feet like a defeated child. When her eyes landed on a player in the distance, though, the redhead paused.

Pearl. The Postmaster. She was standing just outside the giant wall surrounding the Mounders' bases while she looked in the direction of Trader Scar's. She watched Scar head back towards his shop, but Tay hardly noticed the salesman.

The brunette in front of her pulled forth memories, memories of laughter, pranks, and more. Memories that included difficult times, shared tears, but also warmth more than anything else. Pearl, her best friend. Pearl, her fellow hermit, who always created such beautiful builds yet still had the time to buy out all the pickles from her shop and tease her relentlessly. Pearl, who-

Gem let out a gasp just as the yellow glow in her one eye faded. Her gaze darted around the arena while her body twisted to scan her surroundings. Fragments of memory then filled her mind, making her breath fall short. She recalled waking up, grabbing doors, talking to Cleo, and then- nothing.

Gem let out a deep groan to ease the panic ache in her chest. She clutched the front of her shirt to ground herself. "I didn't even... Tay... she took over and...Gah!" she shouted to the heavens.

Was it really Tay the whole time? Or, was Gem just not remembering her circumstances? Her life outside of the game? Did she even know who she was anymore?

Gem shook her head violently to push away the questions before rushing over to the Mounders. She-No, Tay already wasted time with the dumb task, but at least, it was over now. Her counterpart would no longer press her about completing it for this session. That small relief, though, did little to relax the tension in her muscles. Her breath grew faster as she ran. She chose to focus on sprinting towards her friend rather than the implications that she was no longer recognizing when she was even in control of herself anymore. "Pearl!"

The Postmaster jumped, turning away from Trader Scar's to lock eyes with Gem. "Oh, Gem, hey."

When Gem finally reached her bestie's side, she rested her hands on her knees to catch a few deep breaths. "Have you... asked Mumbo?" she gasped, finally standing up straight again to place a hand to her chest. She tried to calm her pounding heart.

"I was just about to actually, but I got a little distracted with Scar, and-" Pearl shook her head. "Nevermind, I'll ask him now..." Her eyes trailed over the deer. "Are you alright? You're lookin' a bit white in the face."

"Yeah! I was just... just had to race around for my task. I actually took a nap like you've been telling me, so you can stop scolding me about it." Gem gave a half chuckle once her breaths finally eased. She let her hand drop to her side again and avoided the Postmaster's careful gaze.

Pearl's eyebrows furrowed. Concern edged into her gaze, which made Gem internally squirm. She practically read the hybrid like a book. "Gem, what's wrong? You seem-"

"Hey! Gem!" The two women turned to the sound of Mumbo, who raced over from Pearl's base. The dapper gentleman slowed his pace once he reached the gate. He looked between the two with hesitation. "Oh, is... is this a bad time?"

"No! No, what's up, Mumbo?" Gem asked. The words practically flew out of her mouth as she walked closer to him.

Mumbo gave one more glance towards Pearl before clearing his throat. "Well, I was uh, just wondering what you thought of our wall? We've been working on it all morning to fortify our bases and... all that," he said while he fiddled with the end of his tie. He glanced away once he finished.

Gem raised a brow. She looked up at the stone walls. "They're... They're good... definitely tall."

"Taller than yours I would add, but that's just my observation," Mumbo chuckled awkwardly, bewildering the redhead even more.

Gem's gaze then latched onto a structure. On top of Pearl's base carried four stone pillars, which slowly started to connect into a familiar looking shape of a... tower.

"Mumbo, are... are you trying to copy my designs?" Gem asked. The corner of her mouth tugged into a smirk when the dapper gentleman froze. He snatched the end of his tie.

Mumbo's hands then shot up. He waved them around with panic. "No! No, no, I didn't- I would never want to steal your designs." He then flinched, turning red in the face. "N-Not that your designs are terrible or anything. I was just trying to make a better version to compete with-" His already flushed cheeks suddenly grew brighter. He let his face fall into his hands with a deep groan. "Ugh, I'm such a spoon."

Gem couldn't help herself. She fell into a fit of giggles. His fumbling reminded her of the dapper hermit back home, causing her stiff shoulders to relax. She gave a warm smile towards the Mounder. "It's fine, Mumbo."

"No, it's not," Mumbo sighed once he lifted his head back up. "I didn't even realize how bad my jealousy had gotten until now, jeez. I just... I wanted a cool wall and a watchtower for my team too," he muttered while looking over at Cherry Blossom Mountain.

A pause filled the air, letting Gem follow his gaze to admire the structures on the mountain as well. Her insides, though, began to squirm the longer she stared at the wall and watchtower. Tay had been the one who built those. Yes, she might had subconsciously helped with the creation, recalling slight fragments of memory, but it honestly just made her heart feel like it was being squeezed.

"Well, you know, there's only one way to settle this," Pearl said once she strolled over to the duo, pulling Gem out of her thoughts. She turned to face the Postmaster to witness the growing smile on her face.

Gem gained a skeptical look in return, raising an eyebrow. "How?"

"You two have a building contest."

Mumbo flinched at the offer. "W-What!? No, Pearl, you know my building skills. I can't compete against Gem."

"Don't fret, mate. I'll help ya," Pearl added with a grin.

"Doesn't that kinda defeat the whole purpose?" Gem asked dully before the Postmaster elbowed her.

"Whoever wins will owe the other a favor. How's that sound?" Pearl asked, looking between the two other players.

Gem's face softened. She finally connected the dots in her brain. The redstone contraption. If she won and asked Mumbo to do it, it would throw off a lot of suspicion. With Pearl helping too, she would make sure Mumbo didn't win, not that Gem needed the extra help.

Gem looked over at the dapper gentleman, gaining her own smile. "Yeah, let's do it, Mumbo. Some healthy competition may help, ya know?"

Mumbo frowned, yet he still hummed as he considered the offer. After a few silent beats, he let out a breath and nodded. "You know what, why not, let's do it!" He announced, raising his fists with growing energy.

"Yes!" Pearl cheered before looking back towards her counterpart's base. "We'll remove what you have now and start over."

Gem threw a thumb back towards the direction of her own base. "I'll grab materials and start around the same height." She turned to look at the mountain. "Maybe near the base of the stairs?"

"Sounds great. We'll compete for the tallest and best looking," Mumbo added, which made the other two players nod in agreement.

Gem then grew a smile. She carried a knowing glint in her eyes when she met Pearl's gaze. "Let the best builder win."

...

Pearl let out a sigh as False and Grian helped her back inside. After the Watchers tried to summon her back, the mark on her stomach started to hurt again. The throbbing pain, though, only added to her frustration. It jabbed at her skin, mocking her for how useless she was. She hated feeling useless. She hated that she needed to be cared for and couldn't help more against the Watchers.

Why can't these jerks just leave us alone?

Pearl grumbled at the thought before the others laid her down on the couch in the living room. False headed to the kitchen to grab a cup of water while Grian sat by her feet. His feathers brushed against her ankles, helping keep the brunette out of her spiraling thoughts.

Grian seemed to be in a similar boat. When she looked over at the macaw, his attention was cast down to the floor, staring at the scratched wood. The soft patting of cat paws entered the room. One feline made its way over to the couch to sniff Pearl's hair, which dangled over the side.

"X said that they should be over soon," Grian said while not taking his eyes off the floor. "They just have to finish up something first."

"Knowing him and Doc, they probably already figured out a way to help. They're great at handling a crisis. Cub too," False added once she came into the room again. Pearl pulled herself to a sitting position. She cringed only slightly from her injury before accepting the glass of water. False then gave a strained smirk when a new thought occurred. "Especially if they've been studying Watchers for this long."

Pearl nodded, but she glanced away. Besides her taking a sip from the glass, no other sound left the three players as a thick silence enveloped the air.

"I should know more... I should..." Pearl's gaze lifted back towards Grian. The macaw's dark pupils burrowed into the floorboards. His eyes narrowed with such intensity, but the brunette could feel his wings shiver against his back. "I should be stronger. If I can't even help one of you..." Grian's attention shifted to finally meet Pearl's neon green gaze. "What kind of a lousy Watcher am I?"

Pearl's gaze hardened. She opened her mouth to retort, but False cut them both off with a scoff.

"Sure, a single Watcher against who knows how many, who all are gaining more strength by the second with their twisted games," False said after she claimed a cushioned chair on the opposite side of the living room. The blonde tugged on her gloves while she shook her head. "Seriously, G, I thought you were more realistic than that."

Grian's gaze dulled towards her. Irritation filtered through his posture, but Pearl noticed that his wings stopped trembling. "You know that's not what I mean."

False fell quiet. She cast her gaze to the side while leaning back in her chair. When the felines in the room trotted off to the next room in search for a place to nap, she continued. "Well, then you know there's a way you can strengthen your powers."

Pearl felt the avian's whole body physically flinch. Her own eyebrows shot up as well in disbelief.

"F-False, you can't be serious," Grian said. His words were choked behind a bitter chuckle. His brow knitted with pure disbelief while he scanned his friend's face for some kind of sign.

When Pearl's gaze met the blonde's unwavering, stern demeanor, anger burned inside her. "You really have the nerve to suggest that after you yelled at Grian for doing it with those... those... games?"

"Demise," False answered.

Pearl's face twisted. Her nostrils flared from the assistance, but she still accepted. "Yeah! That!"

"I'm not asking you to use your powers on the other hermits, G," False said, moving her gaze back onto the macaw. Her expression remained stony, but Pearl could see the slightest bit of gentleness in her eyes. The blonde's eyebrows then dipped, portraying a somber attitude. "Just me. You can use your powers on me and absorb my negative emotions for strength."

A pause filled the room once more. It was as if all the air had been removed, causing no one to speak.

"Absolutely not," Grian shot down the idea soon after. He gave a tired sigh in response, casting his gaze to the floor again. "Feeding off one's negative emotions is bad enough, but purposefully affecting your mind to create those emotions is... it's just wrong," he added with a bitter taste in his mouth. His hands curled into fists in his lap before he turned his attention back to the other hermit. There was a desperate plea in his eyes. "I understand the offer, but I... I can't, False. Not on purpose like that."

There was a beat. False watched the avian, taking in his broken expression, before she gave a nod. "I know..." She sighed as well, and Pearl noticed some tension leaving the blonde's shoulders. "I just meant that if it came down to it... I wouldn't mind," she added before growing a small smile. "I trust you, G."

"I wouldn't want you to do that anyway," Pearl said after she set down her empty glass on the floor. All eyes fell to her. A serious expression appeared over the brunette. Her mouth became a thin line as she looked back and forth between both players. "Not for me... There's gotta be another way."

The group fell quiet after that. With no answer to give, they all sat in silence, aside from a comment here or there. As time stretched on, Pearl watched the two hermits occasionally take out their communicators. They would type something out and grumble about the several minutes that ticked by, awkward tension reaching to a suffocating level.

About 2 hours past before the sound of rockets could be heard outside. The trio turned their attention to the door. When it swung open, Xisuma was on the other side.

"Sorry for taking so long. We had to make a stop by Mumbo's, and then Doc had to prepare something before we came over," Xisuma explained. The crinkle of his eyes showed that he was attempting a smile underneath his helmet. When he locked eyes with Pearl, though, the smile dropped. He walked over towards the couch while Doc and Cub entered soon after him. "How are you feeling, Pearl?"

"I'm doin' alright. As much as I can be," Pearl replied. Her expression warmed towards the concern in the admin's tone.

"Were you guys able to find any way to help?" False asked after rising from her chair.

"We believe so, but the plan is a bit complicated," Cub said while glancing over to Doc.

After shutting the door behind him, the Creeper hybrid took charge. He stood among the group, hands behind his back and feet resting on a small rug in the middle of the room, like he prepared a presentation. He looked to the avian. "Grian, do you recall the soul eating mishap with Mumbo back in season 8?"

"I'm sorry, the what?" Pearl blurted out.

Grian gave a weak laugh as he looked between Pearl and Doc. His wings twitched against Pearl's legs. He gave the brunette a sympathetic look. "It's a long story." He focused back on the goat man. "Yeah, of course I remember. How could I forget Mumbo gaining little wings and squawking every time he got jumpscared?" Grian giggled.

"But he also possessed a bit of your Watcher powers, yes?" Doc continued.

Grian fell quiet. His smiling face sobered, and he nodded. He glanced back over at the still perplexed Pearl. "Yeah... It was... Pretty stressful trying to hide the Watcher part from the others." The macaw let out a breath before he sat up straight. "But what's that got to do with anything, Doc?"

Doc dove a hand into his pocket before pulling out a small metal box. He tapped a code over its surface, causing a low beeping noise to echo from it. Within seconds, the box opened, expanded, and twisted. Pearl spotted a wheel appearing and two tube-like arms with pincers at the ends. An antenna bobbed on top of a digital square screen, but what caught her attention the most was the sight of feathers sprouting from the object's back.

After the morphing settled, the device jumped down off of Doc's hand and wheeled around the group in an excited circle. It then spun over towards Grian, and that's when its screen lit up with life. A pair of glowing white eyes blinked up at the macaw with utter delight. An outline of a hair fringe rested just above the eyes with another outline in the shape of a familiar mustache appeared just below it. It was a robot. A robot with organic Scarlet Macaw wings on its back.

Grian stared wide-eyed at the little creation practically bouncing with joy on its single wheel.

"Is that..." False started.

"Yep, it's Grumbot," Cub answered with a smirk. "Which version, I have no clue at this point. You guys have created so many."

Pearl studied the strange robot, edging closer to examine its face. "Wait... Grumbot? So... A combination of Mumbo and Grian?"

"Yup, it's an AI robot the two made together a while back, but now, we're using it to help us," Cub explained.

Pearl looked over at Grian. The macaw was still speechless, continuing to stare silently at the robot. The corner of his mouth soon twitched. He held back a smile. "I'm not sure whether to be happy or horrified at this," he muttered with a choked laugh. He leaned down and reached over to gently thumb one of the robot's little wings. "How did you even... Did you build this in the 2 hours we waited?"

Doc gave a small smile. "Well, I borrowed the blueprints from Mumbo, and I used some of your feathers to produce the organic material, but... yeah, I came up with this idea pretty recently."

"Does he have..." Grian trailed off, looking right at the goat man. He let go of Grumbot's wing, which caused it to flap a few times.

Doc nodded. "Yes, he has your powers, or at least, a fraction of them like the case with Mumbo."

"Okay, well, as cute as this little guy is," False started while she motioned towards the machine. Grumbot turned to beep happily at her, and she replied with a smile. "How exactly is a mini Watcher robot going to help us?"

"He is going to infiltrate the arena and help weaken the Watcher magic lingering inside," Doc explained.

False fell quiet, reading the goat man's expression. "You made a portal already. You found the games."

Pearl's attention snapped to Doc. Her eyebrows flew up in surprise. "You found them? My universe?"

Doc nodded. "Yes, but as we feared, we were only able to enter just outside of the game's border, and the border itself is too strong to get through ourselves." He then moved his hand in the direction of Grumbot. "But him, combined with Grian's power and a few others, he should be able to pass through with enough Listener magic to assist him."

"But, he's not-I'm not a Listener, Doc," Grian said with a knitted brow.

Doc regained his smile. "Watchers and Listeners are cut from the same cloth, Grian. It's only where they draw their strength from that makes them different from each other."

"And we suspect that's why you sometimes have an orange glow from your eyes," Cub added while tapping a finger against the edge of his glasses.

Grian blinked a few times, rendered speechless once again. He glanced down at his hands. "I mean, I kind of guessed that already, but... I never really thought of myself as a Listener before." He fingered the end of his jumper the longer he processed the thought.

"Technically, you are one. All Watchers are in a way," Doc said before mulling over the thought. "But again, your magic still derives from the Watchers' power source in The End, so yours alone wouldn't be enough to complete our plan." He met the macaw's eyes and spotted the confusion bleeding into his features. The goat man cleared his throat. "Anyway, to summarize, we will still need a sample of a full-fledged Listener that Grumbot can use," Doc explained while watching Grumbot do circles around the hermits, who were standing.

"And where are we gonna find a sample of that?" Pearl asked with a raised brow.

"We already have," Cub said before taking out an air tight plastic bag from his pockets. Inside the clear package, Pearl recognized a familiar dark blue cloth with one end stained in red.

"My jacket?" Pearl asked.

"Yup," Cub said with a grin. His eyes glowed a light blue while he tapped the bag with his finger. "I noticed that the hood of your jacket had residue of Listener magic, so I took a sample to try and create an antidote for the Watcher Mark... but I need a larger sample to complete it." Cub's expression dimmed at the news before continuing. "But regardless, we at least are able to use this sample for Grumbot." Cub turned the clear bag over for Pearl to see the hood of the jacket had been removed. "Sorry, we had to cut most of it off."

Pearl shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. It's just a jacket, mate."

"But you really think that sample will be enough? To get through the border? For your... plan, whatever it is?" Grian asked.

"Yes, combined with your help and the help of the other Listeners right outside the border," Doc said.

"Wait, you've actually seen them?" False asked.

Cub gave a nod, blue eyes still glowing. "I've seen several of them surrounding the barrier, or the remains of their magic at least. None of the remains were physical enough for me to collect, but I can tell they've been attacking the border like a swarm of bees."

A frown formed over the brunette. She dropped her gaze while she processed Cub's words. Her shoulders fell when he mentioned the lack of more magic samples, but her frown deepened towards something else. "So... you're saying we would need their help for this plan to work," Pearl reiterated.

Doc didn't seem to notice her attitude, so he answered right away. "Grian's current power won't be enough to push Grumbot through the barrier, even with Cub assisting with his own magic." The goat-man shot a mechanical thumb towards the vex next to him. "We would need the Listeners' help get Grumbot through and their continued help after that as well."

Pearl's face twisted. Her eyes soon darkened, lifting her gaze enough to meet the others. "And what if they don't decide to help us?"

Doc paused. Cub studied her expression. Neither of them appeared surprised by her question, but Xisuma was the one to answer. "After all the effort they put into getting you here?" he asked while taking a step forward. There was no judgement in the admin's tone. Instead, he sounded almost like a comforting parent. "To not only save you from the Watchers' control, but to also inform us of what's going on?" The admin's violet gaze brightened, growing warmer with each second passing by. Pearl, though, could see it. She could see the tiredness in his features when the two locked eyes, yet still, his attention on her never wavered. "I understand your concern, Pearl... Really I do, but I'm certain they will help."

"And it's really the only way forward," Cub added with a shrug, but his gaze was soft too when Pearl glanced his way.

Hearing the confidence in their words made the brunette ease up. Her face relaxed from tension, and she gave a nod while wrapping an arm around her stomach. Pearl's insides, though, still squirmed, which made her feel sick. She tried her best to hide it, holding a neutral expression with the group, but she couldn't shake the bad feeling no matter how much she wanted to. For the longest time, her brain tended to slip into the worst case scenario, even if it didn't seem possible. It was a habit she had picked up from the games... ever since her game she should say.

Pearl took a deep breath before Grian continued the conversation. "So if we get Grumbot in there, how exactly is he going to help?"

"By doing what he's always been programmed to do: help others," Cub explained while he knelt down just as the robot rolled up to him. He patted the top of its screen, making Grumbot beep in approval. "From our studies of the Listeners, we think it might be hard for them to keep a steady source of their energy inside the games to truly damage it, especially with all the chaos happening within."

"But with Grumbot acting as a beacon of sorts with his sample of Listener magic, we believe the Listeners can latch on to him. There, they can slowly start storing their power more and more inside him until they have enough built up to break the barrier," Doc explained once Cub rose back to his feet.

"So he's like... a lightning rod? Potentially?" False asked, glancing over to Xisuma.

The admin nodded. "That or more like a dam, I guess. Honestly, this plan has been a bit hard to wrap my head around too," he said with a chuckle.

"Like we said, it's a bit complicated," Doc said while he scratched the back of his neck.

"Very complicated..." False muttered.

"But we calculated that the more times Grumbot and the Listeners help the players, the more their magic will build up inside him," Cub added while pointing to the little robot's antenna. "And when he's at max capacity, the top of his antenna will glow red, and it will send a signal back to Doc's computer."

"And from there, Grumbot will be programmed to blast all the built up Listener magic right towards the barrier, and break it," Doc said before scratching his chin. "Or severely damage it at the very least."

"Either way, it will give us enough time to sneak in, grab players, and teleport them back to our dimension," Cub finished.

Pearl gripped the bottom of her shirt, biting her lip. "But what if players have already lost their last life and are trapped in the void?" she asked.

"Then I can find them," Grian said. Pearl turned towards the macaw, and she noticed the determined look that now filled his features. He gave a warm smile, appearing more confident than he did mere minutes ago. "When I enter the arena, I'll be able to use my powers to find any missing players, and with Cub's added help, I should be able to pull them out."

"And with the broken barrier, the Watchers will be too distracted trying to fix it to even notice Grian," Xisuma replied.

Doc then suddenly gained a wide grin. "And if they still try to stop him, I also have a few devices stored away that will most definitely cause an even bigger distraction." A glint filled the goat-man's organic eye, almost appearing murderous. If the intensity wasn't aimed towards the Watchers, Pearl might have shivered from the hybrid's terrifying look.

Pearl's gaze then fell. She rubbed her arm while she processed the thought. The unease in her stomach twisted and refused to let up. "Okay, but... How can we be sure the Watchers won't just break Grumbot like what they did with Gem's watch?"

"That's where Grumbot's Watcher side comes in." Doc replied, dropping his frightening demeanor from seconds before. Both his eyes now seemed to sparkle like an excited puppy. "The magic intertwined within his system will make it much more difficult for the Watchers to break." Grumbot wheeled over to the Creeper. The two met the other's gaze as Doc nodded.

Grumbot smiled before the little creation completely disappeared out of thin air. Pearl's eyes grew wide, blinking at where the robot used to be, but all she saw was the vacant floorboards. "And an added cloaking feature should help with detection as well."

Pearl turned to notice Grian. The macaw's eyes glowed purple. His pupils darted around the room. He soon jumped when the robot appeared a few inches from his face, standing on the armrest of the couch. Grumbot raised his pincer-like hands in the air and beeped happily, letting his wings flutter with the same excitement. Grian smiled. "Wow, I was barely able to detect him until the very last second." The macaw reached over to pat the top of the robot's screen.

"Exactly, this will make him much harder to catch, at least until he gathers enough power to break the barrier," Doc grinned again, showing off his sharp canines.

Pearl's nerves relaxed the slightest bit, allowing her to let out a quiet sigh. She breathed back through her nostrils, pulled her legs out from behind Grian, and gradually swung them over to the edge of the couch to sit up. She admired the delighted robot, taking in Grian's giggles from the continued beeping sounds, until a new thought stabbed her brain. Her frown returned while her arm around her stomach tightened. "But I still have to go back, don't I?"

The room fell silent. Every eye fell back on her. A cold chill filled the air while the realization began to settle into each player.

"Pearl-"

"You said it yourself, Cub, you couldn't complete an antidote with the sample you got from my jacket, and Grian can't keep me here forever with his powers."

"Pearl, we're not going to let them take you back," Grian pressed, narrowing his gaze towards the brunette.

Pearl, though, merely gained a small smile. She waved off the concern with a snort. "It's fine, G. I figured already that I was going back." Her eyes shifted to the ground, dwelling on the situation. "Besides, they'll need you outside the border anyway to deliver Grumbot, and I doubt I'd be able to make the trip to get to Doc's portal thing, or whatever." Pearl gave another chuckle, but there was little humor behind it as she kept her attention on the floor. She fell silent for a few seconds until she finally looked back up at the macaw. Her neon eyes somehow appeared dim and hollow, despite the smile still on her face. "It's alright, really."

Grian's face crumbled, shoulders falling. He stared in utter disbelief after hearing the young woman's numb tone. "Pearl, I-"

"There is a chance we can gain a larger sample." Everyone turned their attention towards Cub, cutting off the conversation entirely.

Pearl's brow creased. "But how-"

"Our Pearl," Cub explained. "She was brought into the games by the Listeners, so she must have a sample of their magic somewhere on her too."

It was Xisuma's turn to send the vex a puzzled look. "But I thought you said the players inside the games couldn't see or hear us."

"They can't, but our Pearl isn't part of the game. This Pearl is." Cub locked onto Pearl's neon green gaze. "While we were examining the border, we hadn't spotted our Pearl yet, so I'd wager that if we can find her, she'll be able to see us."

"That's a pretty big if," False said before Pearl could beat her to it.

"And how would you be able to get the Listener sample from her?" Pearl asked instead.

Cub adjusted his glasses. One of his pointed ears twitched as he glanced away for a moment. "That's the more theoretical part of it," he said with a slight chuckle. "I assume that if we loosen the barrier with the Listener's help, then it should be enough to let someone leave the game while Grumbot goes in." Cub then tapped a finger against his chin while he looked down at the floor. He walked away a bit from the group as if to pace. "It might make it harder, though, to transport Grumbot, but maybe we can get our Gem through the barrier too since she needs to leave the game ASAP," he muttered under his breath, pondering the thought.

Pearl shook her head. She shot her hands up to halt the vex's rambling. "Stop, stop, all of this is just superficial guessing at this point. I'm sorry, but... I'm not putting my faith in any of that."

"It's a long shot, I will admit," Cub said after turning back to face the group.

"But it's a chance, Pearl," Grian said. He leaned over to elbow the brunette. "Weren't you the one telling me to focus on the positive earlier?"

"Do as I say, mate, not as I do," Pearl grumbled. Her shoulders sank after letting out a deep sigh.

"Point is, we're not giving up on you, Pearl," False added. Pearl looked up to see a comforting smile appear over the blonde's cheeks.

"Indeed, and we're plenty resourceful. We won't just leave you here while we head for that barrier," Xisuma said as he walked closer to place a hand on Pearl's shoulder. The gesture and words tugged at the young woman's heart, making her flinch.

"Yeah, I'll carry you the whole flight to Doc's portal if I have to," Grian said with a familiar stubbornness in his words. He stretched out a wing and placed it over Pearl's back, wrapping around her like a blanket.

The warmth of the feathers enveloped Pearl to the point her whole body shivered. Pearl cast her face towards the ground. Both her arms now wrapped around her stomach. Their words echoed in her brain and shoved away the spiraling ones that ate away at her soul. Her quivering lips soon curled into a smile while her eyes began to water. "G-Gosh, you Hermits are crazy," she breathed before tears started falling. She kept her attention to the ground to hide her wet cheeks. "We literally just met three days ago. W-Why are you putting this much effort into helpin' me?" she mumbled, hating how weak her tone became. Her hand quickly wiped away her tears. She inhaled a shaky breath to calm herself.

I don't deserve their kindness, her brain wanted to add, but she threw that thought away, clearly not wanting to unpack the layers behind it.

Xisuma knelt down, so his violet gaze could meet Pearl's. Despite the helmet, she could see the gentle expression the man carried. He squeezed her shoulder with reassurance. "It's what we do. Every Hermit has survived terrible situations, pasts they'd rather forget, but we promised that we would always have each other's backs to ensure those pasts don't come to drag us back down," Xisuma said, eyes crinkling. "Even honorary members such as yourself."

Pearl paused. All words evaporated from her throat. Her eyes grew big with sloppy tears. She swiped her cheeks again as she choked, inhaling with another uneven breath. Grian's wing pressed further against her back, hugging the young woman while she silently tried to calm herself, but she couldn't hold back anymore. The built up stress from not just the past few days but the years of torment, it all came crashing down on the brunette until she began to sob.

The group fell silent. Xisuma and Grian kept their comforting hand and wing on her. The macaw inched closer to place another hand on her shoulder, and Pearl gratefully accepted. Even if he wasn't her Grian, the familiar presence was enough for the time being. She leaned forward and groaned, letting her tears fall to the floor.

When her sobs started to settle, she heard the sound of a tire rolling against the floor. A soft beep filled her right ear. Pearl lifted her head to find Grumbot. The little robot's eyes bent with sympathy while he held up a tissue box in his hands. The brunette stifled a laugh. She accepted a tissue. After drying her eyes, Pearl then moved her attention back up towards the group. She witnessed all their warm gazes; their calm patience for her. It was a reassurance that Pearl had nearly forgotten about, and it was a rarity that she refused to waste.

"Okay," Pearl breathed. She looked down to smile at Grumbot. "Let's send this lil' guy into the game."

...

Silence is what enveloped Grian's senses. Not the cold silence of the void, where a low humming always filled his ears. Instead, he felt warm. He felt calm. Best of all, he didn't feel like he needed to lug several pounds of responsibility and regret on his shoulders. That combination had been a rarity for Grian for as long as he could remember. The nice, soft fabric he clutched in his fingers also added a nice touch to his peaceful-

-Wait a minute.

Grian's body jolted awake, forcing his lazy eyelids to open. He was greeted by a stone wall. His brow creased at the sight until he looked down, noticing that his hand was clutching a blanket. He sat up and twisted his body from its side to look around.

It was a small stone room with a chest and crafting table. His shoes rested by the closed door a few feet away from the only bed, which Grian rested on. There were no windows. Torches were the light source. It was his room. The one of a few he and his team built in their base.

When did I...

Grian sat up in bed, sitting on his legs now. He pushed his bangs out of his eyes as he thought. His shoulders soon relaxed once he recalled his interaction with Cleo.

She must have put me here.

"I don't even remember falling asleep," Grian muttered. His attention then snapped to his back once he felt feathers brushing against the bottoms of his socks. He looked to find his clipped wings. They were left completely unfolded and hung loose on his back. They still were so short that the longest feathers only reached the bottoms of his feet. With how they hung, though, one would assume that they were broken. Grian gave a slight pout before he commanded the wings to fold against his back like normal. "Guess I really was out of it. I haven't had that problem in a while..."

Being turned into a whole new species had its obvious drawbacks. One of those drawbacks had been Grian having to learn how to work whole new appendages. Having his wings lay completely unfolded was a quirk he thought he abandoned after the first game, but here he was doing it again in his sleep.

Grian sighed after dry-washing his face. He blinked the sleepiness from his eyes. "At least they no longer hurt," he muttered about his neon green gaze while the ends of his mouth twitched with relief. He pulled himself out of bed. He stretched his arms over his head while his wings copied the same movement. "Welp, better see if the arena exploded or something." He gave a weak chuckle as he walked over to throw on his shoes. Exiting his room right after, Grian strolled down the mined stone hallway and down the wooden staircase. That's where he was finally greeted by sunlight peeking through the main entrance.

Grian smiled when the warm sun enveloped him and removed the chill from the cool upstairs. His eyes then landed on Etho. The masked man had his back to him. He was making tools from the top of the shared crafting table in the main room. The team had added more to the previously bland base of their fortress. They added a Nether Portal underneath the staircase. They placed a few extra beds in the corner to act as couches, so they can rest for a brief moment before jumping back into action. They even added a bit of carpet on the floor for Cleo's slowly growing dog army to lounge around.

A few of the wolves currently rested on the carpet, and their heads shot up at the sound of Grian's quiet footsteps. Etho turned at that moment too. He carried both a pickaxe and a pleasant look at the sight of the avian. "Oh, hey, Grian, you're awake."

"Yeah, I didn't even realize that I passed out like that. How long was I asleep?" Grian asked with a smile once he reached his teammate. When the wolves recognized him, they settled back into their pile and continued with their nap.

"Only a few hours. Honestly, we thought you would sleep for longer with how tired you look, so Cleo and I started taking shifts to watch your back," Etho explained after he placed his new pickaxe onto his belt.

Grian cringed from the man's words. "You guys didn't have to do that."

"We're teammates, Grian. We weren't gonna let you just get blown up by a red or something, especially after Martyn's weird behavior last session," Etho explained while he rubbed the back of his neck.

Grian's smile grew. The sunlight to his right warmed him up even more. He walked over to stand by the main entrance, so he could take a look outside. "Did I miss anything while I was asleep?"

Etho pondered the question, moving when Grian no longer faced him. "Well, I spotted Martyn above our base a while ago. He tried to set up a trap by the bed shrine. Probably figured it was our actual beds." The masked man then shrugged once he made his way over to their chests in the corner. Grian looked back to watch him press a button, which blended with the stone wall, and the waterfall in front of their storage stopped.

Grian's joy soon dropped from the mention of the blonde. Last session, Martyn had been under the Watchers' control, and it was obvious that they were using his anger towards the avian for their own purposes. What those purposes were, Grian wasn't sure. It could have been a strategic move for a larger plan, or it could have simply been because they were bored. The Watchers' flippant personalities were the main reason why it made it difficult for the avian to guess what they would do next inside the games.

"Grian!" Grian looked up to find Cleo calling out to him. The zombie raced up the steps to the main grounds of their base, but she paused long enough to survey the area, the dirt and stone under her feet to be exact.

Grian stepped forward to meet her. He followed her gaze. His brow creased with concern when he reached the doorway, but it soon dawned on him what exactly she was-

Grian felt the pull of string against his foot. His body tensed. His pupils became dots. He couldn't stop his weight from falling forward. He heard the hiss of explosives from his right. He locked eyes with Cleo long enough to witness the horror consuming her features before he dove a hand into his pouch.

"GRIAN!"

~~~~~~~

Chapter Text

There was a faint ringing in Grian's ears, making him numb to the bent feathers stained in blood on either side of his head.

Smoke filled his lungs and mixed with the red in his mouth. He felt the heat of the blast, even from behind the wooden shield he managed to pull out at the very last second. His wings instinctively tried to protect him too, but the small appendages could only cover so much, which just left more feathers and skin to burn. A red flash had consumed the avian's vision once his back slammed into stone before everything went dark.

Then, he heard voices shouting his name. They were muffled at first, swirling around him in what could only be described as the void. Slowly, though, they became clear as if the cotton had finally been removed from his ears. 

Grian's eyes shot open again once he gasped. His gaze darted around until he locked onto Cleo, who was kneeling down beside him. The zombie's brow knitted with concern while she scanned the avian over. "Grian, don't move, the burns on your body still need to heal."

Confusion filled Grian's face until it hit him. A choked cry escaped his mouth soon after. Random parts of his body felt like they had been set ablaze; skin severely burned from where his shield could not protect. The faint smell of blood wrapped around his nostrils, suffocating him to the point he gagged. Grian's eyes then shifted to as far right as they could go. He couldn't move his head due to his entire back side feeling like hot needles were stabbing it, twisted up with cuts and bruises from the stone wall he slammed into. Grian was correct regarding that assumption once his eyes landed on the large blots of blood staining the wall. Cleo must have pushed him off his side to assess his injuries, but the stone floor just further irritated the tender skin that was absolutely shredded on his back. The avian's chest heaved and shook with pent up panic and adrenaline. He didn't even want to imagine how messed up his wings were since he couldn't even feel them at all, let alone move them.

I should be dead. I should be-

Grian choked before spitting out blood. He groaned soon after. A part of him wished he had let the explosives finish him off because his current injuries, as temporary as they were, hurt like hell.

"Wow, Martyn must have mined through the mountain to place TNT here." Grian looked to his left. Just past Cleo stood Etho, who was examining the now obliterated wall by their entrance. He scanned the demolished stone to find a long narrow pathway that went further into the mountain. "Good thing he only put it there instead of underneath. He might have thought we'd see him if he tried digging down."

Grian let out a haggard breath. "Yeah, definitely a lucky thing," he spoke with a raspy voice.

Etho then looked back at Grian, eyebrows going up. "Oh, sorry, heh," he said with his hands shooting up in apology.

Cleo, though, smirked at the interaction. Her gaze then turned back to the bloody stains. "Yeah, and I'm sure the stone wall was a great cushion too," she teased.

Grian couldn't fight back the smile. Even while blood had stained his teeth, he grinned from his teammates' banter. He couldn't be bothered to get upset with their nonchalant behavior towards his mangled body. It was how everyone acted in the games, even him most of the time. No matter how much blood they saw, they all thought it was just part of the game. Grian was used to this, so he soaked up their humor as a wonderful distraction.

The avian, though, soon flinched. He squeaked out a chirp, calling out like a pained bluebird, when he felt his bones snapping back into place. Cleo's face fell for a brief moment as she looked over his body once again. She pushed away the remains of his shield, so she could help Grian sit up. Etho stayed where he was but gave a pained look towards the avian's gasps.

"Easy does it," Cleo said while Grian coughed. She took out a piece of sheep wool and handed it to him. The avian nodded with gratitude while he used the wool to wipe his mouth from the lingering blood. He finally looked down at his body to find tears and scorch marks on his clothes. His skin, though, now only carried light pink scars. 

Grian let out a deep breath once he finally felt his wings again. The small bones shifted and bent back into place, allowing him to stretch the appendages, and he gave a sigh of relief. He checked his hearts. He frowned at the 12 he carried compared to the 30 he started with this morning.

His frown twisted, scowling with a bitter taste in his mouth. He shouldn't retaliate... He knew he shouldn't, especially if Martyn was being controlled by the Watchers. But-

Grian was petty. He was selfish. He was angry. One could argue his judgement was blurred from the pain he just endured, but most of all, he was so UTTERLY tired of holding back. Tired of babying his friends simply for them not knowing any better. 

Grian gritted his teeth. "The Big Dog's base is burning tonight," he muttered. While his eyes gained a small hint of purple, Cleo's green gaze glowed brighter.

She grinned towards her teammate. "Sounds amazing. I'll join you, but I've gotta make a quick stop by The End first."

Grian's head snapped towards the zombie, eyebrows suddenly shooting up in surprise. "Wait, what? Why?"

"I wanna farm some Endermen, so we can get some pearls. Wanna join me?" she asked, looking over at their quiet teammate too.

Etho, though, shook his head. "No, I still gotta work on my task, and I think I wanna add a second wall to the entrance, so we don't have this problem again," he sighed towards the still large gap in the wall.

"I-I'll go," Grian blurted out before he thought it through.

Cleo looked back towards the avian. "Are you sure? I mean, I know I asked, but it's alright if you wanna rest for a bit."

Despite his shaking knees, Grian rose to his feet with a scoff. "Nah, I'm good." His insides, though, said otherwise. He pressed his wings tight against his back to keep them from shivering. The image of the eyes in the portal staring at him came back to the front of his mind, but he gulped down the fear. This was more than just fulfilling a task. If Grian wanted to protect his friends from the Watchers so badly, then he had to return to The End at some point.

Cleo didn't seem to notice the avian's nervous behavior because she simply smiled in return. "Okay, great. Let's head out then."

As the two turned to leave, though, Grian's gaze soon landed on the different bases in the distance. A stone wall had caught his eye, along with the players towering up inside it. When Grian locked onto long brown hair, which blew against the high winds above, the avian's brain clicked.

Pearl Two. Redstone. Death trap.

Grian suddenly felt sick to his stomach again. His body grew stiff. He slowed down his pace for only a second before jogging back up with Cleo on their walk. "Hey, is it alright if I make a stop by the Mounders first? I-I wanna chat with Pearl about something."

Cleo gave the avian a look, but she soon mellowed out to give him a smirk instead. "Heh, sure, Grian. I'll meet you by the Portal. Don't keep me waiting though," she teased.

Grian couldn't but chuckle, easing his tension for just a bit. "Hey, I know better than that," he replied before veering off the path towards the direction of the Mounders.

...

Pearl let out a breath, wiping her brow from sweat just underneath her hat. She and Mumbo stood at the top of their slowly forming tower. Instead of any type of stone, though, Pearl purposefully grabbed pink wood and dirt. Since she was supposed to be the advanced builder between the two, she had guessed that was the reason Mumbo did not question her choices. It was a good thing too because Pearl wasn't sure she could come up with a reason for how bizarre her choices were with their tower.

The Postmaster was on her knees when she took a glance down over the edge. Her stomach suddenly did a flip from witnessing the several yards high they were from the ground. She gulped down the queasy feeling and forced her shaky arms to stop by gripping the edge. Pearl and Mumbo agreed to place down water around the bottom of the tower and even have a ladder on the side, which should have been enough for the Postmaster. It wasn't like heights were a new thing for her anyway. She stood on buildings hundreds of feet in the air and had been flung thousands more by her friends as pranks. So, no, heights didn't scare her. It was the memories that surfaced from it.

Memories from her games. Memories of blood and fallen bodies. While that part of her life had thankfully been most of a blank for her where she's unable to remember the faces of the people she was forced to kill, the pain and terror still lingered in the back of her mind, causing blurry images to flash through her thoughts with little to no context. Pearl had been able to forget about that time for the most part, replaced with many good moments with her new family, but this game were stirring up old emotions; ones she believed she had recovered from ever since her first season on Hermitcraft.

Pearl shut her eyes and tore herself away from the edge. She took in a shaky breath. No, no one's gonna fall. We've got water. We're safe.

"Well, I think it's looking decent," Mumbo said with a cheerful tone. Pearl looked to her left to find her teammate on the opposite side of the tower. He was a couple blocks higher than her already. He dusted off his hands and rolled his sleeves up even further. The dapper gentleman then turned his attention ahead, squinting his gaze at something in the distance. "I think ours is taller than Gem's at least," he chuckled.

Pearl followed him, locking eyes with another tall tower from far away. Gem had placed down several different types of materials to construct her tower: wood, cobblestone, deep slate, and much more. As suspected of her bestie, Gem had also taken the time to add windows to each level as well as fenced-in ledges, so someone could step out safely. Despite it being a little bit shorter, it was a much nicer structure. It was actually looking like a proper tower instead of the four-by-four block of pink wood and dirt she and Mumbo were creating. Pearl smirked when she eyes grabbed onto red hair near the top of the tower. "Yeah, we're definitely taller, mate."

"Pearl!" 

Pearl looked down. She spotted Grian at the bottom by her base. The avian was waving at her. She smiled before turning back to her teammate. "Hey, I'm gonna take lil' break. Is that alright?"

Mumbo returned the smile and nodded. "Of course! I still have plenty of wood, so I can add some more levels on my own."

"Thanks, mate. See ya in a bit," Pearl replied before reaching for the ladder. With quick steps, she climbed down till she hit water on the top of her counterpart's base. She would definitely have to collect the water later, so she could get back inside the mound without flooding it. The Postmaster slid down the waterfall to reach the avian. "Hey, Grian, what's-"

Pearl's words died in her throat. When she finally stood in front of Grian, she could see the scorch marks on his sweater and tears in his pants. Her body then tensed once she noticed the lingering pink of fresh skin still on the avian. While the pink had practically faded at that point, the large marks still burned into Pearl's eyes. Her horror soon met Grian's face, who waved off the concern right away.

"It's fine. I'm fine, Pearl-"

"You have burn marks all over your body!"

"It was just a TNT trap. It's all healed now, okay?" Grian said with a twinge of irritation.

"Yeah, but-" Pearl groaned. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She shouldn't care this much. This wasn't her Grian, anyway. This was not the man that was her practical brother. But, still... 

"Just, please be careful... How many hearts did you lose?"

Grian's expression softened. He rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh. "A lot, but not too many at least." He glanced away for a second before meeting the Postmaster's gaze again. "Sorry, I-" he breathed. "I just came by to see about the progress with getting the redstone ready for the portal."

Pearl forced her attention away from the avian's clothes and focused back on his words. "It's going pretty good, actually. Gem agreed to a tower off with Mumbo, and if Gem wins, then he'll have to owe her a favor."

Grian raised an eyebrow. "If she wins? I don't know if there's a Mumbo in your world, but- Look, I love Mumbo, but compared to Gem, he-"

"Yeah, not the world's greatest builder. Don't worry, I agreed to help him, but you can tell how that's going," Pearl chuckled while motioning towards the pink tower.

Grian took one look and soon smirked. "Yeah... You know, I could go help Gem with building too, make the sides an even number at least."

Pearl's smile returned. "That would be great. It would make this competition go a lot faster, actually."

"Great, but I also promised Cleo that I... that I'd help her with something real quick. Will you guys still be building when I get back?"

"Yeah, definitely, I don't think Mumbo's giving up on building any time soon," the Postmaster chuckled again as she glanced up towards her mustachio teammate.

"Perfect." Grian's face brightened. He started walking backwards in the direction of the front gate. "See ya in-"

"Guys! Everyone!" Pearl and Grian jumped at the sound of Lizzie. The pink-haired player came rushing in through the front on horseback, almost trampling the avian while entering. She pulled the reins of her skeleton horse to stop and then waved her hands to get everyone's attention. "Emergency slumber party! At my base, sunset. I've got the beds set up and everything! Be there, please!" she pleaded. Before anyone could respond to her, though, Lizzie and her steed dashed off through the back gated entrance at top speeds.

Pearl blinked a few times, processing the silence that filled the air. A part of her wasn't sure if the sudden newcomer was ever present, or if she just imagined her. "That was... weird."

"Yeeaah, you'll get used to it." Grian shrugged with a smirk before turning to leave.

Pearl let out a breath, shaking her head. She then turned back to the mound. She pulled herself to the top of the base and grabbed a hold of the ladder. After ensuring her hat was on tight, the Postmaster started her climb back up the tower. About halfway, though, she paused. Her eyes latched onto figures in the distance, making her whole body freeze.

It wasn't just that they were past the arena's border, which indeed would have made her stop originally. It was the familiar faces. Faces that she'd recognize anywhere, especially the one that carried bright scarlet macaw wings.

Pearl breathed. Her muscles tensed. She stared at the sight only a second more before she practically flung herself down into the water. Her shoes slammed into the muddy pool and slid down over the side. The fast moments made Mumbo yelp in alarm from above. 

"I'll be back in a sec, Mumbo! I-I need to check somethin'!" she quickly added before her teammate could question her behavior. Pearl didn't look back after that. She leaped over the wooden gate and took a sharp left turn. She then sprinted. She ran faster and faster, not caring if she fell down a trench or ran into a trap. Nothing was going to stop her from reaching that barrier. Nothing was going to stop her from reaching her family and broth-

Pearl jerked to a stop. With panted breath, she stood a couple yards away from the barrier. There they were. The group of hermits slowly, one by one, locked eyes with her too. Shock on each of their faces soon morphed into a mixture of relief and utter joy.

Pearl's eyes began to water when she noticed Grian. The scarlet macaw spoke. She couldn't hear him, but she was able to read his lips. Pearl.

...

The further Grian walked down the stone steps, the more tight the underground stairs felt. He tried to keep his breathing even while his wings were pressed against his back. He kept his attention on his feet to avoid his head from hitting the stone above. He knew what would be at the end of the stairs, and he was doing everything in his power to make sure he didn't freeze up again. He couldn't avoid it anymore. He had to go through the-

"Grian, hey!" The avian shot his head up to find Cleo once he reached the bottom. Her back leaned against the portal, but she stood up straight at the sight of her teammate. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Grian breathed. He forced a casual tone, but it came out like he was winded. "Hope you didn't have to wait long for me."

"Nah, I would've just went on in if that were the case." Cleo smirked before climbing up to the portal's edge. Grian copied her with sloppier movements, fumbling back to his feet. "Ready?"

When Grian finally looked down, staring at the Eyes of Ender, his muscles locked up. His stomach suddenly felt queasy. The black ooze with white dots resembled The End's sky so much that it seemed like he was already falling. Grian gulped. He dug his nails into his palms to keep himself grounded. He looked back over at the zombie. "Give me a push," he muttered as if thinking out loud.

Cleo blinked. She raised a brow at the request. "What?" she choked out with a chuckle.

"Don't wanna chicken out, I guess." Grian gave a nervous smile. He tried not to wince since he knew his answer sounded odd coming from him.

Cleo must have had the same thought because her brow knitted with continued puzzlement. "Everything alright, Gri? You know the dragon's dead, right?" The zombie studied his features, making him want to avoid her gaze.

"Yeah, I know... Just... humor me?" he asked, finally locking eyes with Cleo again. His shoulders scrunched up from the request, and his face felt warm. Embarrassment filled his entire body while his insides were yelling at him to just jump in already. I think I prefer dealing with the Watchers over this awkward situation, at this point.

There was a beat. Cleo gave the avian one last look before shrugging. She reached over to rest a hand on his lower back, just below his wings. "Alright then. On three. One, Two-"

"AH!" Grian gasped when he felt the hand shove him. The sudden momentum sent the squawking hybrid down into the chilling ooze. It suffocated him until his vision went dark.

Then, his eyes snapped back open. He was on his side. He was panting. The air was thin, chilly. Yet...

He was taking in the air as if it were normal. In fact, The End air even seemed to ease his lungs. It wasn't as thick and heavy as OverWorld air, which probably added to his quick fatigue at times. Grian slowly rose to his feet. His legs felt even lighter than usual due to his weight readjusting to the atmosphere. Grian sucked in more air while he bent his knees. His wings then shot out, making him look back at them. The little appendages flapped. They desperately wanted to take to the sky, the sky they were literally built for.

Grian frowned when he noticed the tips of the feathers were beginning to turn a shade of violet. The purple coloring was growing slowly over his wings like a spilled dye. His eyes glowed a purple hue to match, and he stared daggers at the appendages. Instantly, the violet color shrank back. It cowered and returned the white, fluffy feathers to their proper glory. 

The avian huffed out a breath. When he turned back, Cleo blinked into existence a few feet away from him. She scanned the area before noticing her teammate. The zombie smiled while she took out a jack o'lantern from her pocket. She placed it over her head. "Need another push?" teased. She motioned over towards the narrow stone bridge. It stretched from the obsidian platform they stood on to the rock formation.

Grian smirked, breath finally easing. His brow narrowed, though, at how clear his lungs felt. He didn't want to be comfortable living in a place like this. This place would never be home. 

The avian pushed away the thoughts and took out his own pumpkin. He threw it on. "No, I'll pass."

...

"Guys! You-You're here!" Pearl gasped once she rushed over to the barrier. She laughed with joy while she looked around at the group. Grian, False, Cub, Xisuma, and Doc all stood a foot away from her, separated by only a thick layer of magic. She placed a hand on the border, feeling the humming of its power under her fingertips. Grian placed a hand by hers, followed by False. They stared at her with pure relief. Warm smiles filled their faces. Pearl's eyes trailed over to her right to see a metal version of a nether portal, which the hermits had entered from. She grinned at the sight. "Of course you made it here."

Grian spoke first, moving his lips, but no sound could be heard. Pearl's brow furrowed. "I-I can't hear you!" she shouted, motioning to her ears and shaking her head. Grian frowned. False said something else before the two glanced back at Cub, who began to rifle through his pockets. Something then jumped right into Pearl's view of the vex, startling her. She looked down to see a small robot. 

The Postmaster raised an eyebrow. "Grumbot?" she asked, recognizing the familiar digital face. She took notice of the small macaw wings, which flapped around on its back. "What is-"

Pearl stopped. Something else caught her eye. Another figure emerged from the back of the group, coming from where Grumbot was originally. Pearl's words died in her throat. She stared at the newcomer with wide eyes. She almost thought it was merely her reflection if it hadn't been for the different attire and neon green eyes.

This world's Pearl. The one that went missing. She walked closer to stand in front of the group and stared right back at the Postmaster. The two held each other's gazes, taking in the other's presence. It wasn't until a notepad obstructed Pearl's line of sight that the stare off finally ended. The Postmaster looked to her right. Cub held up the notepad against the barrier, and Pearl read the written message: We have a plan. Where is Gem?

"Oh she-I'll go get her," Pearl called out while backing away. She jerked her head behind her and threw her thumbs in the same direction to further elaborate.

"Pearl?" 

The Postmaster turned around towards the sound of a voice. "Gem!" she exclaimed with a hint of giddiness.

The hybrid's ears dipped low, gaze consumed with confusion. Gem walked over to her with slow steps. "Pearl, wha- What's going on? I saw you sprint over her and got worried."

"Gem! The hermits, our friends, they're here!" Pearl shouted. Pure relief was evident in her tone while she motioned towards the barrier. 

Her words were then met with silence. Gem's brow creased. She studied her friend. Her eyes drifted over towards the barrier, but no reaction came. Pearl's smile fell. "You don't see them?" Her voice dipped while the redhead drew closer. Pearl watched as the group of hermits called out, waved their arms, and even pounded their fists against the border towards the hybrid, but Gem still did not carry any hint of acknowledgement.

"No, what'd ya mean? I just see grass," Gem whined with her hands thrown up towards the border. She then turned away from the screaming hermits and looked back at her friend. "Pearl, you're freaking me out a little here."

Pearl's shoulders dropped. Her lips parted, rendered speechless. She stared at her friend's troubled gaze. The Postmaster then locked onto the glowing yellow eye Gem possessed. It seemed to stick out like a sore thumb now that Pearl was noticing it. Her own eyes narrowed. "Cover your yellow eye."

Gem flinched. "What?" she asked, ears dipping lower.

"Trust me, Gem," Pearl said. "Do it and look again."

Gem hesitated. She scanned over the Postmaster's expression before slowly raising one hand. She turned back to the barrier and covered her eye. Pearl watched her, walking over to stand beside her. Gem squinted her regular green eye before it widened with shock. "I-I see them. A little... They're a bit blurry," she muttered. The redhead's frown deepened before she looked back at the other player. "Are you sure it's them? What if... What if it's some trick from the Watchers?"

"Oh, it's them. Would the Watchers create a lil' Grumbot with wings like Grian?" Pearl asked with a smirk.

"Wait... what?" Gem's face twisted with pure puzzlement, making the Postmaster laugh. With her ear twitching in irritation, the hybrid looked back and squinted her eye again. Gem must have finally noticed the robot because she gave a heavy sigh. A smile finally appeared on her face. "Okay, it's definitely them... and Pearl-Other Pearl's with them too."

Pearl's brow creased. She kept her attention on Gem. Her friend's tone was odd, different. It almost sounded like she was half asleep, which made sense with how exhausted she had been lately. She watched the redhead for a second more before continuing. "Yeah, Cub says they have a plan," Pearl explained while she looked over to notice the vex scribbling back down on his notepad again. "He's writing it down cause the barrier's blocking out the sound."

"Of course... Lousy Watchers..." Gem grumbled with crossed arms. Pearl glanced over at her before returning to the new note Cub held up. 

Slowly, page by page, the details of the plan were explained. The notes jumped between Cub, Doc, and even Xisuma's handwriting while they all gave their own added details to better elaborate the plan. Grian even attempted to write something down, but the macaw hesitated. He stared at the page for a second more, crossed out whatever he wrote down, and handed it back to Cub. He and the vex exchanged a few careful words after that. The conversation then switched to Doc and Grian, with False and Xisuma chiming in, and they seemed as though they were all arguing about something. Eventually, Doc huffed an irritated breath, the others backed off, and Cub led the conversation again before the Postmaster could question it.

Aside from that, the explanation went smoothly. Pearl scanned over the words and read them out loud for Gem. Then, Cub's vex gaze glowed while he pointed to Pearl's hat and messenger bag. He held up a note: Listener magic residue on hat and bag.

Pearl scratched the side of her head with slight puzzlement, yet she still smiled. "Okay, well complicated plans aside, here's what I think we gotta do." Pearl looked towards the redhead. "Gem, you and me are gonna push through the part of the barrier that the others are weakening, and once we're through, I can give these samples of Listener magic to help Other Pearl." She held up her bag and pointed to her hat.

Gem glanced her way. Her arms were crossed. She already moved her hand back down to show her yellow eye once more. "Okay... And that little robot's going to enter the games?" Pearl nodded. Gem frowned. "I still don't understand how exactly it's gonna help our counterparts."

"It's a bit complicated, but they said that they found a sample of Watcher and Listener magic to put inside it. Don't know exactly how they did that, but this is Doc we're talkin' about," Pearl chuckled. She then placed her hands on the barrier, looking over at her friend. "Ready?"

Gem looked back at her. A smile reappeared over her face as she copied the Postmaster. "Ready."

Grumbot wheeled over towards the barrier, and Grian proceeded to do the same action as the two women. Cub soon came over to join, blue eyes glowing brighter. Before they could start, though-

Pearl paused. A flash of purple light consumed her counterpart's whole body, making the brunette crumble to the ground and land on her knees. The Postmaster backed her hands away as the group of hermits all turned their focus onto the fallen player, whose face twisted in pain. She wrapped her arms around her stomach. She hunched over and seemed to send out a loud shout if her pinched face was any indication. Pure bewilderment filled the Postmaster's features at the sight of her purple glowing counterpart. "What's-"

Pearl herself then screamed. A cry ripped out of her own throat when she felt a burning pain erupt from her leg. A sudden chill swept through her when the cold steel of iron sliced against her calf. Pearl fumbled, body glowing red from the hit. Her foot gave out from the injury, and she slammed her head onto the barrier. While her face was squished against it, her gaze cracked open long enough to lock eyes with False. She could see the color drain from the blonde's features before she called out to her in a panic. Pearl was then yanked back by her shirt collar and flung away from the border, away from her family.

The wind was knocked out of Pearl when she crashed onto the ground. Bits of dirt filled her teeth while her body flashed red on impact. With shaky arms, the Postmaster lifted herself up, and her eyes finally landed on her attacker. Her eyebrows flew up, stomach sinking. "Gem-Gem! What are you doing? What-"

Blood dripped down from Gem's iron sword, leaving a trail of red as she walked closer to her friend. Her yellow eye grew even brighter against the sunlight while it stared down at the Postmaster as if she were an insect. 

Then, the deer grinned. The corners of her lip twitched upward, and she held back a laugh. "Sorry, but I can't let you leave, not until Pearl comes back. She's gotta join the games again," Gem muttered. Despite her smile, her words sounded desperate and forceful. Her body physically vibrated from her intensity. She stepped onto the Pearl's abandoned hat and crushed it into the dirt.

Pearl's brow creased, eyes narrowed. She slowly rose to her feet. She winced when she put pressure back on her injured leg, feeling the warm blood trickle down her skin. It made her shiver again for a second, but she bit down on her tongue to shove away the feeling. She reached for the sword on her belt while she chose her next words with care. "Gem... it's me, i-it's Pearl. I don't know what happened, what the Watchers are doing to you, but you've gotta snap out of it."

Gem giggled. It was an eerie, strained laugh. It almost sounded like she was about to cry. "I don't wanna hurt you. I don't wanna kill you, but you're not her." The redhead's voice pitched at the end with tears filling her vision. She raised her sword as her yellow eye began to twitch. 

Pearl raised her weapon as well. Despite having the stronger blade, the Postmaster's insides twisted into knots. The crazed look in her opponent's gaze made her seem like a feral animal. Gem tilted her head forward, so her gaze was completely fixed on her opponent, readying herself to pounce. Her smile dropped ever slightly to further reveal the burning anger in her eyes. "You guys can't have her; I don't trust you. I'm not being separated from my friends again. I'm not losing them. I'm not. I'm not- I'm not losing PEARL!" Gem screamed before she charged.

...

Time seemed to stop while in The End. Actually, it was hard to tell time at all with the sky never changing. Grian wasn't sure how long he and Cleo were harvesting Endermen, but it felt too long for the avian's comfort.

As suspected, he felt like they were being watched. Like every fake star in the sky above resembled an eye that stared and gawked right into the player's core. Even with the cover of the stone roof, which his teammate built to escape the claws of the Endermen, wasn't enough to shake off the judging glares. It sent a shiver down Grian's spine, making his wings puff up on high alert. A grumble left his throat while he hacked away at the screaming mobs faster. He scooped up the fallen pearls and stuffed them into his pockets.

Once he believed he grabbed enough, the avian drew further into the shelter. He nearly hit his back against the obsidian pillar that supported their roof. He let out a breath and shut his eyes before reopening them to give off a pure violet glow. His vision reached out past the Endermen and rose high into the air. Like a pair of floating eyes, his vision scanned over the entire rock formation like a spotlight in the sky. After surveying the area, though, he soon spotted several other floating violet eyes directly above him. Each of them locked onto the avian's gaze, onto the power he was currently using. Grian grimaced. The crowd of eyes crinkled as if they were smiling. Hello, Xelqua.

There were multiple voices, but they all spoke as if they shared one mind. The two words rang through Grian's brain, vibrated his eardrums, and shook him to the bone. His breath fell short from the high volume. Panic consumed his features once again, but he gulped it down long enough to glare back. What do you want? Can't you see we're playing your stupid game?

A giggle filled the air. One of the eyes drew closer. The gruff tone emanating off it made the Watcher almost sound animalistic, like a growling wolf. Your bluntness is so humorous. You really act as though you're above us.

Grian grumbled under his breath. He remembered that voice. The Watcher's given name was Celeste if he recalled correctly. She was turned just like Grian, just like several others. She was once a regular player. Unlike him, though, she seemed to relish in the chaos of the games. If you mean above you as in I'm not a psychopath, then yeah... I'd say I'm better than you, Grian shot back with a dull gaze.

Celeste's eye then flew up until it was all Grian could see. It stared at him with such intensity, yet the bottom of it still creased like a grin was underneath it. Oh, I think your actions in these games are evident enough about your mentality, Xelqua. How you cackled when you caused that triple kill with the enchanter, how you grinned when placing down the three wither skulls in one of the player's bases-

Grian's eyes darkened. Alright, you made your-

Oh! Oh! And who could forget the last game when you bounced with giggles after slicing your friend's back with an axe. He wasn't expecting that at all. I was a bit surprised myself, if I'm being honest, but his screams were absolutely delicious-

SHUT IT!Grian screamed. His eyes grew bigger and towered over Celeste's single one.

The other Watcher paused. After a few seconds, though, she merely chuckled. The Elder Watcher was right... Unfinished fledglings are very emotional.

Enough, squabbling. A third voice interjected. Celeste moved away, allowing Grian to see another eye emerge from the crowd. This eye was much larger in both length and width. It stared down at Celeste and Grian like they were children.

Celeste's eye then closed briefly as if she were bowing. My apologies, Secret. I was just-

Hold your tongue. You speak as though you weren't a fledgling yourself not too long ago. The third voice spoke with a hard glare in their gaze.

Grian's eyes widened. He recognized the new voice too. The Watcher's name, or title if he were being more accurate, added to his confirmation. You... You're the one who created this game.

Secret looked back over at the avian. Their single eye was much less readable than Celeste's. Yes, I planned out this map and the rules for this specific game. I would hope you remembered me. I had you write out the tasks.

Grian's eyes dulled once more. Yeah, that was a lot of fun...

Secret didn't seem to catch on to his sarcasm because their reply was neutral. Yes, we had hoped that writing the tasks would convince you.

Grian paused. He was on high alert again. Convince me of what?

To come home and finish your training.

Grian's breath halted. He tried to cover up his choked words with a laugh. If you thought that would convince me to come back, then you really don't know me at all.

We know that you care about these players deeply. Secret's reply was so quick that it unnerved the avian. Secret's eye looked downward. Grian followed to notice Cleo below. The zombie was still swinging her blade at Endermen, seemingly unaware of the motionless husk of Grian's body a few feet behind her. Her movements, though, were slow, like time really was moving at a snail's pace. We know you would do anything and have done everything for their benefit... but would they do the same for you? If they knew the truth about you?

Grian's violet eyes grew wide once more. He processed the words that seemed to echo in his brain before he shook off the question. I don't have to answer to you-

The fact that you refuse to answer tells enough, Xelqua, Secret shot back, making Grian's eyes narrow. And I would refrain from the threats, fledgling. The only reason we have let you get away with your repeated disobedience is because your actions in the games have contributed greatly to the chaos and misfortune.

Grian couldn't help but flinch from those words. His usual wall of defiance and irritation crumbled as his glowing gaze dipped ever so slightly, eyelids drooping the longer he dwelt on Secret's statement. He hated showing any kind of defeat in front of the wicked beings before him. He also knew these beings were manipulators at their core and could very well be lying to add insult to injury, but still, it had struck a chord inside him. He felt his heart grow weary, saddened by the idea that all his efforts and time spent in this hell hole were for... nothing.

Secret's stare then turned cold. The eye somehow grew even larger as power seemed to vibrate from it. But we are done giving you chances. Since you refuse to accept who you are, you will face your punishment. We are ending your little charade with the players.

Grian froze. He couldn't help but show the panic in his glowing eyes as his throat closed up. What are you talking about? What are you-

You will find out soon enough... but for now, I would recommend assisting your teammate before the Endermen grow any closer. Secret finished before looking down once more.

Grian followed their gaze, and his pupils became dots. In normal circumstances, what he was witnessing shouldn't have been possible. Endermen didn't have the strength to rip through stone with their bare claws. These ones, though, Grian could tell a little Watcher magic made the mobs' violet eyes glow brighter, allowing them to slash through the blocks of stone with ease. Cleo backed further up against the obsidian pillar. Once time seemed to speed up again, the Endermen's swipes came quicker. Their screams grew louder. Even when Cleo threw back on her pumpkin head, the mobs still were not soothed.

"Oh my- Grian! Grian, we gotta go!" Cleo gasped before she placed a hand on the motionless avian. Her touch threw him back into his body with a loud gasp. Grian then ducked his head when one of the last stone blocks crumbled and claws nearly tore at his flesh. He and Cleo spun around the obsidian pillar, using it as cover, before they started sprinting. "How are they breaking through the-The pumpkins aren't working!" the zombie spat, throwing away her useless pumpkin. Her tone grew higher at the end when fear bled through her frustration.

"Some glitch! Head for the portal! Head for the portal!" Grian shouted over the screaming Endermen. His heart began beating in his ears when he heard the thumping of several feet just behind him. After a few seconds, Cleo gained enough speed to get ahead of him while the avian was already beginning to pant. Even with the added support of being in The End, the avian still wasn't very fast without his wings to support him. He cursed his new anatomy for his slowness and pushed his legs to go faster. The portal was only a few yards away. Grian then spotted the dragon egg next to it, making him hesitate. He recalled Gem mentioning the egg's strange behavior and how it possessed its own pair of claws. Grian gritted his teeth at the thought, which added to his already peaked stress. "Cleo, don't get close to the-CLEO!" he squawked.

An Enderman. It was an overpowered one. With its corrupted bright gaze, it teleported practically a foot in front of them, right in front of Cleo. The zombie nearly jumped out of her skin. The snakes inside her hair hissed at the threat, yet they would not be able to stop the long razor-like claws that towered over their host. Cleo's body grew stiff. Her eyes were the size of saucers with terror consuming them. The threat arrived so fast that she barely had time to grab for a weapon.

Grian, though, was faster. He wasn't sure what had gotten into him. Maybe it was the eerie familiar purple eyes of the Enderman. Eyes that sought to hurt and wound one of his friends. The avian sprung into action, leaping for the zombie. Adrenaline shot through his veins. His wings were stretched out with a desire to protect, to fly. An orange glow filtered through his vision. The glow then shot through the air. Grian's eyes slammed shut just as his arms wrapped around Cleo, just as the Enderman's claws came down.

The avian was expecting pain next, but instead, he felt the thin air catch underneath his wings and lift him up. And up. And-

Grian let out a gasp, mixing in with Cleo's yelp. The avian's eyes shot open once again. His airborne self dipped back towards the ground briefly from the extra weight of Cleo, and her body jerked from the sudden lift off. When they gained back some altitude, readjusting their hold on the other, the duo still weren't able to reach very high. They just barely missed the swipes of the enraged Endermen, but Grian didn't care.

The avian took a glance towards his back. His wingspan reached far, and several long rows of feathers returned to their rightful place. His wings. His wings were back! Grian let out a giggle, which soon melted into a chirp, and his vocal cords then ripped out an overjoyed screech, sounding more bird than man at that point.

Cleo smiled at the sound of her teammate before glancing up at him. "G, I'm relieved too, but you wanna drop us in the portal?" the zombie asked, clearly oblivious to the change in Grian's wings. Her words snapped the young man out of his daze. He looked down to notice the two had been circling the portal while the crowd of Endermen followed them in a blind frenzy.

"Oh, right," he said. While Grian tightened his grip around the zombie's back, Cleo kept her arms secure just below the base of his wings. The duo then nose-dived right towards the black ooze. They whirled past the angry mobs and looming dragon egg. Grian ignored the feeling of the Watchers' eyes still on the back of his neck and pushed aside their ominous threat for the time being. When his face hit the chilly ooze of the portal, he proudly grinned. No matter the chaos that loomed around him, the feeling of the air under his wings never stopped bringing a smile to his face.

When Grian blinked his eyes open again, he was greeted by four stone walls and his bed. He sat there for a minute on top of his covers. He took in a few slow breaths, readjusting himself to the thicker air. His ears perked at the sound of Cleo's loud sigh from the room next to his, and Grian's smile soon returned. On command, his long feathers stretched out and encircled him in a warm embrace. He placed his hands gently on the large, fluffy appendages and shut his eyes again to sigh. Stress eased from his shoulders while another giggle filled his throat. "I'll never take you for granted again," he mumbled to his wings, stroking them as he let himself sit in bed for a few more minutes.

...

Pearl gritted her teeth. Her calf throbbed with each pump of her heart. She could feel blood trailing down her leg, likely staining her pants and shoe already.

Yet, still, she forced herself to stand firm. She pulled the sword from her belt as she refused to take her eyes off her opponent. Her best friend.

Gem came full force soon after, and her quick attack nearly struck the Postmaster's shoulder. Despite her slowed speed, Pearl was able to maneuver herself out of the way at the very last second.

Two swords then clashed. The netherite already caused the iron to chip, but that didn't stop Gem. She spun back around and went for another strike. Instead of aiming for the Postmaster again, though, she decided to slash at her messenger bag, which cut the strap in two.

The bag landed on the ground with a thud. Pearl pivoted out of the way, waiting for another blow, but nothing came. While the Postmaster staggered back from her injured leg nearly giving out, Gem put her focus to the bag for a few seconds and threw it further away from its owner. Pearl gained a puzzled look, eyebrows creasing, but it all clicked with her soon after. Gem was trying to remove any residue of Listener magic, so there was no way of keeping Other Pearl out of the game.

The Postmaster narrowed her gaze. More questions rattled through her brain as she hobbled back quickly to gain some more distance. She couldn't jump. She couldn't run. She was considerably slower. If she didn't have netherite to defend herself, Pearl would probably be dead already.

Pearl tightened her grip on her sword once she was a few feet away from the hybrid. Her opponent had allowed her the space while she slowly rose back to her full height. Her iron sword was still stained with red, dying the grass the same color with every slight movement. Gem's head was dipped low. She seemed to be staring at where the Postmaster previously was, lost in deep thought.

Silence suffocated the air between them. Pearl wasn't sure what Gem was waiting on, but she took this opportunity to take a peek at the other hermits. Panic was evident in their expressions as their soundless words went back and forth in a hurried conversation. Cub and Grumbot had their hands on the barrier. Blue magic mixed with violet, and an orange hue edged around them both to give almost a rainbow effect on the border. Her eyes flickered to her counterpart. A flashing purple glow still consumed her body. She curled in on herself, holding her stomach. She was still wailing. Pearl could tell with her tightly squeezed eyelids and wide open mouth. She took notice of Grian beside the fallen player. His hands hovered over the sides of her head. She could have sworn she also saw a violet glow from his palms when-

"P-Pearl," Gem squeaked out. Pearl snapped her attention back to her friend. Gem held a hand to her head. She was shaking; body trembling with pale skin. She raised her head slowly to reveal tears blurring her vision. She kept her grip tight on her sword, but her expression froze with open horror once she zeroed in on Pearl's bad leg. Guilt then took over the hybrid's features as her breaths grew quick with panic.

The Postmaster's heart broke. "Gem," Pearl said with such warmth. She wanted nothing more than to wrap the redhead in a hug, protect her from the Watchers, from anything that was making her cry like that. Pearl's own hands started to tremble. She could feel the loss of blood already seeping in. She grew light headed, but she forced her eyes to stay open. "Gem, it's okay. I'm okay, just put the sword down."

"I-I hurt you- Tay, she did-I didn't mean-" Gem choked. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her shoulders tensed to the point she was hunched over. The redhead then shut her eyes, and her face pinched and twisted like she was the one who was injured. She shook her head. The movement grew faster the longer the silence ticked by. "I-Tay-I wouldn't-I-"

Pearl took a cautious step forward. She held back a grunt from her stiff leg. "Who are you talking about? Who's Tay?" she asked gently.

Gem's breath shuddered, keeping her face turned towards the ground. She refused to even look at the fellow hermit. "M-My counterpart..." She muttered like the words caused a bitter taste in her mouth. Gem's face scrunched up at the thought while she bit her lip. "My counterpart. Tay. Sh-She's in my head! I can't- She wants Pearl. She wants us to leave, b-b-but I've been trying." The words came flooding out of the deer faster than either of them could register. Her word vomit continued as more tears began to flow. "I've been trying so hard! I've been trying to leave-to save- I don't-Everyone here-I can't do-I just- Just make it stop! Gah! I can't take this anymore!" she screamed. Both her hands shot to her head, and she started to hyperventilate.

Pearl's eyes widened. She drew closer while processing the news. Pieces of a puzzle were aligning in her brain. Specific moments were finally starting to make sense. "She's in your head? She's controlling you? Gem, why didn't you-" Pearl closed her mouth. She took a breath. She couldn't get mad. She couldn't sound accusatory, not right now, so instead, Pearl lowered her weapon and stood in front of the redhead. "Gem, look at me. I'm fine. Our friends are here, okay? We're getting you out of here. We're going home."

Gem's arms fell to her sides, shoulders slumping. Pearl eyed the sword still in her grip. The hybrid sniffed, holding back the sob lodged in her throat. "I... I can't go. Not yet."

Pearl's gaze hardened. "No, you are going home," she said in a firm tone. "Doc's plan will work. Grumbot will help these guys. He'll take care of them, but we gotta go right now while the border's weakening or else we won't-" 

Pearl's breath fell short. Her eyes landed back on the barrier while she was talking. She had been scanning over the group of hermits. Cub and Grumbot were at a stand-still in breaking through the border, so the vex turned his head and called out towards Grian. The macaw was still kneeling down towards her counterpart with hands hovering over both sides of her head. What caught Pearl's breath, though, was the change in Grian's appearance.

His colorful feathers were different. They had turned to a dark raven color with purple at the edges. His hands and arms were as dark as the night sky to match while a violet glow emanated from his palms. When Cub called out to him, the avian turned, and Pearl saw it. She saw her brother possess four eyes right on his face. They glowed a hint of orange while a pair of fangs poked out of his lips. 

Grian's gaze, which was devoid of pupils, then made eye contact with Pearl. His brow knitted. He looked just as stunned, especially when Pearl's whole body flinched from his stare. Shame then melted over the avian's features while her name left his mouth. Pearl backed away from the call.

She remembered seeing those dark wings. She recognized the multiple eyes, fangs, and void-touched coloring of the skin. She wasn't sure when her gaze fell on a Watcher in the past, but she recalled hints of it in her memory. All of it was thrown to the front of Pearl's mind in that moment and bled together with the sight she was seeing before her.

Her brother... He was a-

"Watcher..." Pearl mumbled.

"Grian?" a weak voice filled the air. Pearl's gaze snapped back to Gem. The redhead's attention shifted towards the barrier too. She held a hand over her yellow eye, likely to see what had frightened her friend so much. Although she had trouble seeing the hermits before, Pearl guessed she could make out enough details because she suddenly grew stunned as well. "What is- He's not..." The idea clicked in her head, making the hybrid's face morph into terror. "No, no, no he's not-he's-"

Gem's pupils became dots. Her body vibrated once again. Her gaze then snapped onto Pearl. Her stare was intense, nostrils flaring. Her face soon twisted with sudden anger. "Did you know about this?"

Pearl's mouth fell open. "What! No! Do I look like I had known about-"

"Get out..."

Pearl flinched. Gem's words were deathly quiet. An eerie layer in her tone returned. The Postmaster backed away again, gripping her sword. "Gem, please, let's-let's just get to the barrier before-"

"All of you. All of you have been keeping secrets from me! What the heck, Pearl!" Gem shouted. She raised her own sword in position to attack. Her yellow eye burned brighter, but Pearl wasn't sure which Gem was talking at that point. Pearl continued to walk backwards, moving in the direction of the border. Gem followed her with silent steps.

Pearl took one last glance behind her to look at the hermits. Her counterpart shouted something at Grian. Despite the young woman's tears and her entire body fading among the purple light, she seemed certain with whatever she said. After a moment of hesitation, the avian obeyed her demand and ripped himself away from her. Xisuma took his place by her side, likely staying there as a comforting presence. Stumbling from weak knees, Grian joined Cub's side and placed his hands against the barrier, making the orange glow around the trio of magic grow brighter. 

Pearl tore her eyes away from her brother's guilt-ridden stare and focused back on Gem. "I'm sorry I never told you about my past," she said. "I just didn't want to dump all that on you, freak you out about the Watchers." She soon gritted her teeth the longer she thought about the matter, and with anger bubbling up from inside her due to everything that just occurred, the Postmaster reached her limit. "How was I supposed to know you'd end up in a Death Game too!"

"Shut up! Just-Get out! Get OUT! I'm done with all of you. I don't need your help!" Gem shouted, storming over to Pearl with quick feet. "It wasn't about that and you know it. You just don't trust me. You don't care about me at all."

"You seriously believe that!" Pearl screamed while she gawked in pure outrage. She then gave a bitter smile once her gaze locked back onto her friend's yellow eye. A choked laugh escaped her throat while her own eyes burned with frustrated tears. "Wow, you really do have a screw loose now-Hey!" Pearl's complaints were short-lived when Gem lunged for her. She prepared for another attack, raising her blade. She paused, though, once she noticed the redhead throwing her iron sword to the side.

Gem abandoned her weapon and instead latched her hands onto Pearl's shoulders. She slammed the Postmaster's body against the barrier, right where the other hermits were weakening it. Pearl winced from the pressure. The barrier's power vibrated in her ears, warming her skin. The hermits' magic, though, soon cooled it, which made the mixture of colors behind her expand even further. With her head so close to the weak spot, Pearl started to hear the faint sound of her friends' voices on the other side, but she hardly noticed because she kept her full attention on Gem.

Gem's eyes were set ablaze, staring daggers into Pearl. She seethed through her teeth like a feral animal and moved her hands down to keep a death grip on her opponent's biceps, but aside from that, she didn't hurt Pearl. She didn't do anything at all. She just grabbed onto the Postmaster and started to push-

Pearl's eyes widened. She abandoned her own sword and grabbed onto Gem. She gripped the deer's shoulders and pulled her closer. Pearl could feel her body phasing through the barrier. A cold chill rushed through her veins, making her shiver.

"They're coming through! They're coming through!" False's words filled her ears.

"Grab onto them!" Doc called out.

Pearl felt hands grab onto her elbows, and her hold on Gem's shoulders tightened. Pearl clenched her jaw. Her eyes blurred with tears. She glared back at Gem while her nails dug into her friend's skin to yank her forward. With the deer finally close enough, Pearl attempted to swing an arm around her neck as if to wrap her up in a rather aggressive hug.

Gem then sent a kick right into her friend's injured leg. Pearl screamed. Her vision grew hazy from the blinding pain. Her grip on Gem loosened, just for a second, but it was enough for the redhead to snake out of her hold and send one last kick into her stomach. It sent the Postmaster reeling and falling right through the barrier.

Pearl landed on the ground with a hard thud. Her upper half, though, was shielded by arms still holding her.

"Pearl!" False's voice boomed through her ringing ears. The blonde moved to kneel down in front of Pearl and scanned her over.

Pearl was panting, heaving a few deep breaths. It took the Postmaster a couple of seconds to register where she was, who was around her, until her eyes landed back on the barrier. Her body tensed once she spotted Gem staring back at them. Staring right at them from the other side.

"NO!" Pearl cried. She jumped back to her feet. She tumbled to the ground from loss of feeling in her injured leg. She practically crawled forward, repositioned herself, and settled on her knees instead. Pearl then raised her fists and pounded them against the barrier. Her nails soon clawed at the magical border. She was prepared to rip apart the layer of magic with her bare hands. In her blind fury, the Postmaster nearly missed Gem looking down at something new. The new addition inside the barrier was Grumbot. He had made it through.

The little bot stared up at the deer with hesitation. Wings were pinned against his back, and his pincers held together with a familiar nervousness. Gem stared at the robot with growing disdain. She specifically zeroed in on the macaw feathers the droid possessed, making her grit her teeth. She picked up Pearl's netherite sword. Less than a second later, she swung the weapon right down on the robot.

Grumbot jumped. His single wheel spun fast out of the way, twisting to Gem's left. When the hybrid went for another strike, the robot zipped off. Its cloaking power activated, allowing its form to vanish from sight. Gem spun around too late and was only greeted by an empty field.

Her ears pinned back against her head; shoulders scrunched up. She clenched her jaw further until her teeth almost cracked. She balled her hands into trembling fists before she belted out a scream. Gem cried out. Her face lifted towards the sky as she continued until her throat grew raw.

Pearl watched the scene for a second longer before she continued slamming her fists against the border. Once her constant strikes started to slow, though, she glanced to her left to see Xisuma drawing closer to place a hand on the barrier himself. The admin was deathly quiet, still as a statute. Mixed emotions filled his knitted brow and pain became evident over his violet gaze, which pinched at the sight of Gem.

False reached her other side. She placed a hand on the Postmaster's shoulder while she was still kneeling on the ground. The blonde's intense stare focused entirely on Gem with her eyes big with disbelief, with growing sorrow.

When Pearl's pounding fists ceased, Gem finally turned to look back at them, at the barrier to be more specific. Her eyes appeared glazed over. Her brow furrowed with still burning rage. The longer she stared, though, the more her expression melted. Her eyebrows flew up like she was struck with shock. The events seconds prior seemed to have piled back onto the redhead ten-fold. Her face paled like she was ill. Her body froze for a second, mouth open slightly. Tears rolled down her cheeks among the silence that now greeted her.

Pearl's face crumbled. Her own brow knitted while tears consumed her gaze as well. "Gem, please... n-no..." she mumbled, lip quivering.

Gem's eyes then fell to the netherite in her hand. The powerful blade shimmered against the sunlight, but the hybrid could only stare at it with a clouded gaze. Gem's ears drooped, shoulders slumped. Her hand holding the sword flopped back to her side, making her appear like a puppet on strings. With a heavy head, she dragged her feet forward. While the tip of her new sword collected dirt, she pulled herself back towards the center of the arena.

Pearl's cheeks were soaked at that point as she continued to cry. She watched her best friend walk away while she leaned her forehead against the border to try to be closer somehow. Her body shook with held back sobs while her hands slid down and wrapped themselves around her torso.

Another hand then touched her shoulder. "Pearl."

Pearl's head shot up. The voice sent her reeling. She twisted her body around and shoved the hand off her shoulder as if it burnt her. "Don't touch me! This- This is all your fault!" Pearl shouted at her brother.

Grian flinched. His appearance was normal again, but the violet look from earlier remained stuck in Pearl's mind. The avain shrank back from the venom she spat. She had never spoken so harshly to him before.

Doc moved to stand behind Grian. The Creeper rested a protective hand on his shoulder. Xisuma drew closer too, and that's when Pearl noticed that the spot where her counterpart resided was now vacant. Only violet dust particles remained in the grass, and it fueled her rage even further.

Pearl tried to stand, resting her hand against the barrier for support. "You-You're a Watcher. A Watcher! And you never-never told... me..." Pearl's words began to slur. Her eyelids grew heavy.

"Pearl!" She heard False cry out. Pearl wasn't sure when she started falling, but she felt a pair of arms catch her. She was staring up at the other hermits soon after.

"We need to get her back home. She lost a lot of blood." Doc's words were distant. Pearl felt someone wrap cloth around her injury. When the cloth was tightened, she squeezed her eyes shut and let out a moan.

She then felt a hand behind her head while something cold touched her lips. "Pearl, hurry, drink this." The voice was growing faint. Maybe Cub?

The Postmaster's tired eyelids peeled open long enough to see pink before a sweet taste hit her tongue. She downed the bottle quickly, and her mind grew even more fuzzy. Her body started feeling warm and tingly inside. Her injury grew numb to her, causing a sigh to leave her mouth.

"Hurry, be careful with her leg," someone instructed while Pearl felt herself get lifted off the ground.

She grunted at the movement. She wanted to stay on the ground with the warm sun. Pearl's lazy eyes shifted over the familiar faces towering over her, holding her gently. Her gaze then landed on Grian. The macaw was standing beside Doc, who was carrying her legs. Grian locked eyes with the paling young woman. A broken expression filled his features, guilt ridden and exhausted. It looked like he was having a hard time moving his limbs too.

Pearl wasn't sure why anymore, but she knew a part of her felt anger towards the avian. Still, she always hated seeing her brother in pain, no matter the circumstances.

"I-It's okay, Gri... It's okay..." she hushed in a low tone. Her words melted into a soft apology.

Her response, though, only seemed to bring the avian to tears. Grian's body tensed. He held back a cry in his throat. "I'm sorry, Pearl. I'm so sorry," he blurted out. It was the last thing she heard before the Postmaster finally let her eyelids shut.

...

When Grian and Cleo left their rooms, they spotted Etho and his much more fortified entrance. A second layer of stone arched over the original one, and stairs resided on the outside of it. The steps curved further up the mountain and onto a third level with a wide platform to look out towards the arena. The third level itself was more open spaced with minimal walls and two feet tall stone pillars resting around the rim to act as a railing. The whole set up made the platform look like the top of a castle tower.

The two players praised their teammate for the new additions, clapping and admiring the well-built structure. Etho promptly waved away the high amount of praise with mild glee. Cleo stayed behind to talk more with him about any further renovations while Grian headed out to fulfill his previous promise.

In fact, Grian decided to take a quick fly over. He spread his wings, let the feathers be tickled by the breeze, and leaped. A soft trill escaped his throat when he felt the wind rush through his hair. Once he started gliding through the sky, the avian took a scan over the arena. Players were scattered among the fields, mingling around and talking outside their bases. Despite there being reds already, not much chaos had started yet.

Before he reached past the Secret Keeper, Grian's attention locked onto a figure strolling just outside the Mounder's base. They had looped around from behind the stone wall, sword over their shoulder. The avian narrowed his gaze at the player before taking a nose-dive right for them. When Grian opened his wings again to protect his landing, he kept them up high to appear bigger against his opponent, who stood three feet in front of him.

"Martyn," Grian said with a hard glare.

Martyn blinked for a second, taking in the bird's sudden entrance. His red eyes trailed over the large wings before landing on the scorch marks still present on Grian's clothes. The blonde smirked. "Enjoyed my little gift?"

Grian gave a bitter chuckle. "Yeah, I especially liked the burning flesh smell. Couldn't get enough of that."

The corners of Martyn's smile twitched. His red eyes glowed for only a second before he blinked it away. He glanced to the side and lowered the sword from his shoulder. "Right, well with that much TNT, I had thought you'd just lose all your hearts in an instant."

Grian's gaze squinted, feathers ruffling. "Yeah? Well, your aim's terrible, dude."

Martyn then shrugged. "Can't really apologize for just being a red, and it's what you get."

"For what? I thought we were fine!" Grian spat.

Martyn gave another chuckle. His demeanor grew darker as he took a step closer to tower over the avian. "You know what. You're hiding something. I know it. You're always hiding something. The Bringer of Chaos," He muttered while the two held a stare off. "Like how is it that your wings magically grew back?"

Grian's wings twitched. His gaze dipped for just a second before he refocused himself. He opened his mouth to answer, but he paused to see Martyn's grin had stretched, turning lopsided. The blonde's wild eyes brightened with red as he scanned his opponent up and down. He seemed to have forgotten his own question in favor of intimidating his prey. The sword itched in the man's fist. "How many hearts you got left? Can't be many now."

Grian scowled. He wasn't swayed by the threat. Despite being shorter, he kept his glare on the red-lifer. He knew he shouldn't bother. It was clear the player standing before him was not in a stable mindset, lacking any kind of reasoning.

Grian gritted his teeth, nonetheless. He was tired of being the reasonable one. Pent up anger boiled over the young man, making him clench his own fists.

Instead of striking, though, he jabbed a finger towards the blonde's face. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to be mad and threaten me, red life or not. I agreed to talk, remember, genius? You were the one who got all red crazy and tried to kill me first."

Martyn paused. He blinked a few times. He processed the response until his whole body flinched as if the avian slapped him. He took a step back. He cast his gaze to the ground. His eyes darted over the grass, sifting through his foggy brain. His face twisted, puzzlement filling his features. He fell silent as he dwelt on the other's words. Grian was right. They did agree to talk, and he attacked first.

Why was he so angry with him anyway? Had the red life bloodlust really gone off the rails without him even realizing it?

His gaze shot back up once he heard a sigh from Grian. The avian seemed to have gotten his answer because his wings fell and folded behind his back. He crossed his arms in a more relaxed posture. He studied Martyn for a moment more before his hostile gaze dulled.

"Look, it doesn't matter anymore. Gem and Pearl are pretty close to finishing their portal thing. Hopefully, it can get us all outta here before we completely lose our sanity," he said with a strained laugh.

Martyn's eyes widened. The portal... The PORTAL!

Martyn dropped his sword, and his hands latched onto Grian's shoulders.

The avian jumped, wings shooting up once again. "Gem's still making the portal!? It's gonna work? We're seriously getting outta here?" The words spilled from Martyn's tongue before even thinking twice.

Grian's brow knitted, studying the player's expression once again. The intensity took him off guard. He never saw Martyn look so... desperate.

"Yeah, hopefully," Grian emphasized after prying the blonde's arms off.

Concern filled his gaze for only a second before he frowned. He took a step back and tucked away his wings once more. "But it needs a redstone source to make it work. Gem is gonna get Mumbo to do it by winning the tower off they have going on," he said while motioning towards his right.

Martyn turned. He craned his neck up the stone wall a few yards away to find a large tower peeking out from the center. In his peripheral, the blonde then spotted a second tower over by Cherry Blossom Mountain. He looked back and forth between the two, taking in both at once.

"Have you seriously not noticed the giant towers up until now?" Grian asked with a raised brow. He crossed his arms again. "What the heck have you been up to this whole time?"

"Uh, I-I was just-" Martyn's words were cut short when a bright red screen appeared in front of him. The same exact screen hovered in front of Grian as well to display a crossed out picture of Lizzie. Beneath the faded picture were bolded words: Lizzie was slain by Jimmy.

"Not doing that!" Martyn quickly added. He pointed to the screen once he noticed Grian's surprised expression morph into irritation. "I had nothin' to do with that."

"Lizzie! I'm so sorry!" The two men turned towards the sound of Jimmy. The canary was a few yards away. He carried a sword that was stained red at the tip. He waved the blade around frantically while he sprinted off towards the direction of the pink player's base. His wolf hood had fallen off to show the clear panic over his face, and his small wings flapped as if to make him go faster. "Lizzie! LIZZIE!"

"Timmy..." Grian muttered as both he and Martyn sighed. The avian then turned to leave. "Look, you can help by distracting Mumbo, so Gem and I can catch up to him," he said while looking over at the redhead's tower.

He squinted, scanning over the structure. It appeared to have remained the same since the last time he saw it, and there was no sign of the architect anywhere. "And I've gotta find Gem," he muttered to himself. Grian's frown then returned once he glanced back at the red-lifer. "Distract Mumbo, don't hurt him, or else I will burn your base to the ground."

Martyn scowled back before letting out a tired breath. "Got it, message clear."

Grian's gaze squinted for a second more before it was concealed by his outstretched wings. He shot up into the sky again, surveying the area below. He flew over the Mounder's base and perched himself perfectly on the very top of the growing tower. "Hey, Mumbo."

The dapper gentleman jumped. He fumbled with the stone in his hands before he turned towards the avian. "Grian! Don-Don't do that! I could have fallen off," Mumbo complained while he gripped the edge of the tower to keep his knees steady.

The avian giggled from the opposite side. "I would have caught you," he said as he gave his wings a flap. Grian then took a scan over the top of the structure. "Hey, I was just wonderin', have you seen Pearl?"

Mumbo's shoulders fell. "Uh, no, actually. She left in a bit of a hurry. She said she would be back soon," he said as he looked down to scan over the terrain below. "But that was a while ago."

Grian frowned. He took another look down at the arena until his attention stopped on a figure. It was Gem.

She emerged from the trees with marching feet. She carried a netherite sword, Pearl Two's sword, on her belt. The avian paused, taking in the redhead's downcast face.

"I'm sure she'll be back soon, Mumbo..." Grian said without even looking back at his friend. "But hey, I better go. Gem had me join her team for the tower off."

Mumbo's eyes widened at the quick words. "Wait, hold on, that's not-"

Grian finally faced the man to send him a smirk before he took off. The air underneath his wings blasted a gust of wind right in Mumbo's face, making his hair stand up. "See ya, Mumbo!"

"Grian!" Mumbo shouted before he let out a groan.

The avian snickered until his attention landed back on his new target. He flew over the stone wall and fell back towards the ground, circling the other hybrid for a second. "Gem!" Grian called out.

Gem stopped. She scanned the area before looking up. Her eyebrows flew up at the sight of the avian before he landed in the grass a few feet in front of her. "Grian," she said, a little stunned.

"What happened? Where's Pearl Two?" Grian asked while his eyes trailed down to her belt. "Why you got her sword?"

Gem glanced down. She was silent for a second while a frown consumed her face. Grian's brow knitted. He watched her eyes carefully, taking in the yellow and green pupils. He never did ask her why she had two different colors.

A mixture of emotions fell over the young woman's features, which made it difficult for Grian to guess what she was feeling. Finally, though, Gem let out a sigh, shutting her gaze for a moment. "Martyn... Martyn laid out a trap for Pearl, and she... She got hurt."

Grian's body tensed. His eyes widened at the news. His throat then went dry when his gaze fell back onto the powerful blade. "Is... Is she okay?"

Gem gave a firm nod, holding her head high. Her expression was tight, clearly trying to mask her true emotions. "Y-Yeah, she's fine. Nothing too serious, but I'm having her stay in a bunker I made to rest until the session's over."

Grian's brow creased. He raised a hand up towards her as if to offer something. Comfort? Condolences? He hesitated, though, not sure what to do. "Okay, but... d-does she need anything? And why do you have her-"

Gem held up a hand to stop the avian. Her movements were stiff. Her face pinched as if Grian had struck her.

Grian's eyes went wide. He shut his mouth and dropped his arm. Gem then continued. "I gave her plenty of food and water. No one's gonna find her, but she insisted I hold onto her sword since she figured I'd make better use of it."

"Ah, right..." Grian trailed off. He still carried a frown while he processed the deer's words.

Despite the evident emotions, her tone felt... odd. She spoke a tad too formally for the avian's taste. His attention then turned back towards Mounders. He spotted Martyn standing by the front gates. The blonde ran a hand through his hair. He shook his head quickly and smacked his cheeks to wake himself up. He then looked up at Mumbo's tower, blinked a few times with an almost dazed look, before he entered.

Grian sighed. His shoulders fell at the sight. He turned back towards the other hybrid. "Well, Pearl told me about your plan with the tower off, so I figured I'd join in," he said while throwing a thumb behind him. "I'm having Martyn distract Mumbo, so we don't have to worry about him for now. I can help you catch up with building the tower. We should be able to win with no problem."

Gem gave a nod. "Right, the tower." Her attention moved towards the sky, acknowledging the sun that was now well past its highest point. "We better finish before the session ends."

Grian nodded as well. He chose to ignore the player's strange tone for the time being while he unfurled his wings "Definitely. Meet you at the top," he said before shooting back into the air. He took off in the direction of Gem's tower, checking his pockets for materials.

He took a careful glance back at the deer. He watched her head into a sprint to follow after him. She appeared almost robotic with her movements. Grian's brow furrowed.

Just how hurt did Pearl Two get? He pondered the question, suspecting it was the cause for the redhead's behavior. He then exhaled through his nostrils and shook off the thought. "Just get this done and check on her after," he muttered to himself once he reached the top of Gem's tower.

...

Whispers filled the air around Pearl. They muttered against the ringing silence in her ears, but her eyelids were glued shut, forcing her to be surrounded by darkness. Her body felt weightless as if she appeared to be floating.

A needle prick pain itched against Pearl's stomach, making her shift uncomfortably. She wanted to reach for the familiar injury, but her limbs were numb. The pain inched further across her skin. It was like a burning rash that refused to leave. Pearl's body jerked. She desperately tried to move her hands to help ease the irritation. When the rash began to throb, though, it forced the player to crack her eyes open.

Her vision was blurry, and she was still surrounded by darkness. An endless void consumed her sight. She couldn't make out any features of land at all. The only source of light she was given were these towering shapes of neon violet. These shapes were the source of the whispers, and with Pearl gaining consciousness, she was finally able to hear their words.

The precious Selene, she still knows far too much. The smaller of the two shapes spoke. Their words were venom with an edge of panic. Those that hear, they kept her still intact!

The second shape, the much taller one, was quiet. They paused, dwelling on the other's concerns. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage...

If you permit me to ask, how so, Secret?

The taller one drew closer. Their features slowly became clearer to Pearl. Her muscles tensed, eyes opening further. The talking purple shape morphed into a figure with violet robes. Their skin was as dark as the void with white specs to further the comparison. A hood and white mask hid most of their face, and the two items combined made the figure resemble the Secret Keeper. The same square symbol rested over the mask, but it was a shade of purple. The figure's enormous face leaned down and stopped only a few feet in front of Pearl. Pearl let out a gasp in shock. Despite their eyes being covered, it was obvious that the figure was studying her. She tried to back away, but it was then she realized that her body was indeed floating. Floating in a literal void of dark nothingness.

The enormous figure's brow creased, staring at Pearl as if she were an insect to be examined. Large violet wings unfurled behind their back, so all the player could see was the intimidating creature before her. Send her back in with her memories. Let her witness Xelqua's punishment. It will cause her to produce very potent emotions for us to feast on.

But... What if she tries to help him before it can be completed? The second voice asked from behind the giant's wings.

Pearl tried to speak, but her throat became dry. Too many questions whirled around in her brain for her to even form words. The giant before her backed away and stood straight again, towering back to their proper height. By the time she realizes, it will be too late. Send her back. Now.

Yes, Secret.

A violet glow suddenly consumed Pearl's vision. Her breath fell short while her eyelids grew heavy. She tried to shake the sleepiness off, but she was greeted by complete darkness before she could even fight it.

When Pearl's eyes reopened, her body jolted to life. She gasped again, shooting up to a sitting position. Her heart beat rapidly, pounding against her rib cage. She sucked in air while her muscles began to shake. Pearl's gaze darted across the room around her. Dirt walls surrounded her while wood planks covered the floor. Her base. The Mounders.

The memories started flooding back to the young woman. Images flashed through like a roll of film, replaying everything. Hermitcraft. Their plan. The barrier. Her mark.

Pearl shifted from her spot in bed. She looked down at herself. Her jacket was still missing, leaving just a white shirt. She lifted the hem and found her bandages still intact. She pressed a cautious hand against the white cloth and.... nothing.

Pearl's brow creased as she slowly started to unravel the bandages. She moved to the edge of the bed and allowed her feet to rest on the floor. With the cloth removed, Pearl noticed the stitches from Doc had completely vanished as well as the open wound. Three violet claw marks, though, still remained. They were imprinted just below the first layer of skin, resembling a tattoo rather than any injury.

Pearl grew a bitter frown. She hardened her gaze once she recalled Cub's earlier explanation. "So, I guess I'm branded now? Just in case I decide to leave again?" she asked out loud to ensure any Watcher could hear. She looked around the room, lowering the hem of her shirt. She rose to her feet and felt no pain in her movements, yet her hands still curled into fists. More memories started to return. They plastered themselves to the front of Pearl's mind. The towering figures from before eventually flashed over her brain, making her freeze.

"Watchers..." Pearl guessed. Their whispers. Their wings. The violet glow that surrounded them. Their words rang through Pearl's ears, causing the player to flinch. Her brow furrowed in concentration while she stared down at the floor. "What were they... Who were they-" Pearl clenched her jaw. She felt so clueless, proving the Watchers' view of her as just some brainless toy.

They said 'him'... They're planning on punishing someone. Someone they call Xelqua? Who the heck would...

Pearl shoulders tensed. Her eyes went wide. She couldn't be certain, but she had a pretty good guess in mind. The brunette then whipped her body around and raced for the door. Once she was outside, though, she was greeted by a blur of grey fur. Pearl's body was pushed back from heavy wolf paws pressing on her stomach. "M-Mailbox? Mailbox!" Pearl gasped happily once she felt the canine's tongue lick her cheek. She smiled for a moment before pushing the wolf's paws back down to the ground. Her companion wagged its tail, barking with pure joy in his eyes. Pearl's heart warmed while she bent down to scratch Mailbox behind the ear. "Missed you too, boy," she said.

"Pearl? Pearl!"

The brunette looked up. She moved away from the door, and her eyes widened at the sight of the large structure that now towered over her base. She squinted her gaze towards the direction of a ladder, spotting a player several feet above her. "Mumbo?"

Her teammate gripped the bars of the ladder to keep himself secure. There was a clear frown over Mumbo's face as he stared down at her. "Pearl, where have you been? You said you'd be back shortly, but that was hours ago!"

Pearl's brow knitted. She stared at the dapper gentleman with clear puzzlement. She tried to form a reply, but the sight of the enormous, bizarre tower just made her speechless. Her eyes darted between the two. "Wha-I-"

Mumbo raised a brow. He grew dumbfounded too now that he witnessed the young woman's shock. "You alright, Pearl? I'm not that mad, just..." The dapper gentleman sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just mad cause I know I lost the tower off. I couldn't compete with Gem and Grian," Mumbo grumbled. He then darted his attention towards some movement that came from his right, and his frown suddenly deepened. "And what didn't help was this man continuously botherin' me and destroying pieces of my tower!"

Pearl followed where her teammate pointed and spotted a figure emerging from behind her base. The player stopped in his tracks at the sight of Pearl, looking just as speechless.

"Pearl? When did you get-Did you change outfits again or..." Martyn muttered while scratching the back of his head. "You look way different from the last time I saw you."

Pearl's brow creased as she took in the man's appearance. She tensed at his glowing red eyes. "I can say the same about you," she said with a slight chuckle while her gaze lingered on her friend's brow coat. She eyed the daggers strapped to his chest. "Are you... Are you tryin' to look like a bounty hunter or somethin'?" Martyn gave a laugh. He prepared to answer, but Pearl shook her head. "No, never mind, forget it. Listen, have either of you seen Grian?"

"Uh, yeah, he's up on top of that tower with Gem," Martyn said while pointing behind Pearl.

The brunette whipped her head around and spotted another large tower in the distance. The enormous build reached high into the clouds, almost touching the barrier. Pearl drew closer. She moved towards the front gates of her teammates' new wall to spot two figures at the very top of the tower. One of them flew around the narrow platform with a pair of white wings while the other with red hair continued to place down blocks to finish the last few levels.

Pearl tensed at the sight of Grian, but her heart plummeted once she spotted Gem. Another memory struck her mind, freezing her veins. She recalled seeing the fight break out between Gem and her counterpart. Despite the violet haze of pain she was in, Pearl still witnessed the swiping of swords and the crazed look in the deer's eyes. 

While she was taking in the scene before her, Pearl sensed another player coming up to stand next to her. "Pearl, what's wrong? What's going on?" Martyn asked carefully. She could feel his gaze hardening, burrowing into her, as she stared at the tower with growing intensity.

She then watched Grian land beside Gem with his wings furled against his back. The Watcher's words from earlier began to echo through Pearl's mind in that moment and strike her to her very core.

Let her witness Xelqua's punishment. It will cause her to produce very potent emotions for us to feast on.

Pearl wasn't fast enough for her brain. She threw open the gates, making the doors smack against the banisters. She shot out into a full sprint and alerted everyone around her.

"Pearl! Where- Hey! Wait up!" Martyn shouted from behind. His heavy boots chased after her.

"H-Hey! Wait a second! Pearl! Ugh, come on," She heard Mumbo groan soon after, but Pearl didn't care. She didn't wait for either of them. Her heart was pumping, gasping. Grass kicked up underneath her heels while her panicked breaths made her lungs burn. She continued running, chasing for the tower right in front of her. It made her feel like she was in one of those dreams where no matter how fast she ran, she could not reach her destination.

The tower was painstakingly drawing closer with each step she took. The brunette leaped over dug up holes and trenches. She brushed past other players in her way, who watched her with obvious confusion. Her eyes completely zeroed in on the tower, onto Grian. 

"Grian!" Pearl raised her voice once her feet reached the dirt path. She stopped briefly once she stood just below the tower to cup her hands over her mouth. "GRIAN!"

"He can't hear you. Not from way up there," Martyn said once he reached her. He took in a couple deep breaths after he spoke. Pearl's attention moved to him briefly. She was too consumed by her thoughts to even shoot the man an annoyed look. Martyn seemed to notice too because his frown deepened. "Pearl, seriously, what is going on?"

"Watchers. I saw- Grian- need help," Pearl spoke while spotting the small hole-in the wall entrance of the tower. She rushed over to it.

But Pearl stopped. A digital screen obstructed hers and Martyn's view. The breath in her lungs evaporated for a moment until her eyes latched onto a photo of Mumbo that was crossed out with a yellow 'X'. A single sentence was written underneath the picture: Mumbo fell from a high place.

The message seemed to snap the brunette out of her thoughts for a few seconds. She shifted her attention back towards her base and scanned over the wall in hopes to find where Mumbo fell. Guilt suddenly twisted into her gut while her face pinched. "Oh, Mumbo..." she muttered. Her fears then overtook her brain once again, and she turned back to her task.

That's when Pearl heard a scream. The sound was faint, but it ripped through the air with clear pain. Pearl's blood ran cold. She locked eyes with Martyn, who grew wide-eyed.

His body tensed from the noise as well. He took a glance up at the tower. Neither of them were able to see the source. The clouds concealed whatever events were unfolding above. "Was that... was that Grian?"

"Hurry!" was all Pearl shouted before she dove inside the tower. Adrenaline shot through veins, pushing her way up. She grabbed each bar with such force. She practically thrust herself upward while kicking away at any bottom bars to gain momentum. One would probably laugh at her movements since she looked more animal than human with how she crawled up. There were times she fumbled, nearly slipping off from her sloppy footwork, but she was making quick progress up the tower nevertheless.

By the time she was halfway up the ladder, though, Pearl heard another scream. It was much louder than the last one. The ear-splitting cry rang through the air. A low rumble then followed it. It caused the narrow walls around her to shake, and if there was glass on the windows, they surely would have cracked. The scream then melted into a screech before the inhuman sound boomed across the arena, shaking even the barrier. When the ladder itself rattled, Pearl lost her grip on the bar. She dropped for a second before snatching another one. She flinched from the quick save, severely pulling a muscle in her arm. She huffed out a muffled groan when she shifted her arm to secure herself.

"What on earth was that?" Pearl heard Martyn from below. She looked down at the blonde to witness the bewildered look the two both shared. Pearl's quiet breaths filled the silence while she then took a peek outside one of the windows. There, she witnessed a wave of purple energy shooting through the sky, resembling a sort of aftershock to whatever just occurred.

Pearl's heart sank once she focused back on the scream. Another one burst through the air soon after, but it was cut off rather quickly. Pearl continued pulling herself up the tower, ignoring the throb of her arms. Determination set her eyes ablaze while the screams above fueled her. As she drew closer, Grian's soft cries were raspy. They were choked back by tears and grunts of a struggle. Pearl raced faster up the ladder, brushing aside the soreness that started to press on her hands. 

She then heard the gurgling, words suppressed by what could only be the crushing of a windpipe. The sound made Pearl physically flinch.

Pearl reached the top and threw open the trap door. Once she pulled herself through, though, all she was able to find was Gem's back to her. From the corner, Pearl could see the deer carrying a horrified expression. Her arms were stretched out. Grian's body slipped through her fingertips and dropped over the side of the tower.

...

Grian wiped his brow from sweat. It had been about an hour since he and Gem started working on her tower together. Grian's wings flapped, flying around the structure to take a peek at the Mounders. Mumbo's speed had severely slowed, and it was apparent the cause was due to Martyn. 

Grian couldn't help but giggle when he spotted his best friend. The dapper gentleman was leaning over the side of his tower, angrily pointing down at something with irritated spats. 

"What're you laughing at?" Gem asked. Grian took a glance behind. The redhead didn't look at him when she spoke. Her focus was entirely on the stone she was placing down. 

Grian's smile faltered. Gem had been acting more than odd the entire time they were building. Granted, he didn't know Gem-poster for that long, but he would assume that if she was anything like his own Gem, she would be up for conversing more. Heck, she was so adamant about talking with the avian days ago, but now, the two had sat in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time. Grian wasn't sure if he could even blame it on Pearl Two's absence anymore. Something was definitely off.

"Nothing... Just Mumbo being Mumbo," Grian sighed after he adjusted his position in the air, so his back was no longer facing the other hybrid. While he watched Gem place down the final piece of stone and pull out wooden fence posts, Grian's attention soon drifted back towards the arena. The sun was starting to set over the horizon. Players were still scattered all throughout, likely scrambling to finish their tasks. He glazed over all the bases, noticing the fortified walls a lot of them now possessed. The avian's gaze, though, soon darted over towards Scar's base. His eyebrows flew up at the sight of the large jagged rocks that encircled the man's little shop and courthouse. Grian blinked a few times as he studied it. "Whoa, Scar's got some major defenses too."

Gem still didn't respond, but Grian ignored it. Instead, he kept his focus on Scar. He spotted the salesman near the entrance of his base, which was now the open space between two giant walls of rock. The man had his back to him, and he was planting sunflowers over the edges of a dirt path. Grian grew a small smile at the sight until a new thought weighed on him. "Hey, do you know if Scar's got any allies?" He pestered Gem-poster again while he turned to look in her direction. 

Gem placed down fence posts around the edges of the stone to act as railings, yet she left space on all four sides, so someone could still step out. She then placed single wooden posts on the four corners of the railings and switched back to stone to start creating a roof. "Not that I know of. I only talked to Scar once today, and that was to trade some black fabric for diamonds."

Grian pouted at the news, pulling his attention back to Scar. His stomach began to twist when he noticed how isolated Trader Scar's seemed from the rest of the players with the new wall. With a sigh, Grian turned away from the salesman and flew back over towards the tower. I'll check on him later, he thought to himself before landing his feet on the stone. He tucked his wings behind his back while Gem placed the last bit of stone for the roof. 

"Finished," she said once Grian stood behind her. She had hands on her hips with a proud smile. Gem then turned her attention towards the Mounders before looking down at her own tower. "I think we definitely have the win."

Grian's expression softened. Gem's tone was casual, carrying way more emotion than she had in the last hour. A snicker then bubbled up the avian's throat from spotting Mumbo's tower again. "Yeah, but we did kinda cheat our way to victory. I feel a lil' bad for Mumbo. There was no way he was gonna win with everything we threw at him."

Gem shook her head slowly, yet a smirk cracked from the corner of her lips. "Yeah, I feel a bit bad too, but it had to be done."

Grian smiled. He remained where he stood, so the deer's back was to him. He stared at her for a moment, but his gaze suddenly felt hazy. A violet tint then consumed the corners of his vision. Push her off. She'd never even see it coming!

The thought made Grian's hand twitch. A small smile crept over his cheeks at the voice in his head. He inched closer. 

"Grian, can I ask you a question?"

The avian stopped. His smile fell, and the violet in his eyes faded. He looked up at the braid of red hair that still faced him. The deer's long ears twitched while she crossed her arms. Grian paused to take in the question before he looked down at himself. Guilt wormed its way inside his stomach before he pulled his outstretched hand back to his side. "Uh, yeah, what's up?"

A pause filled the air between them. The silence stretched on, putting Grian on edge. A part of him wondered if the other player somehow saw what he was about to do. Then, Gem spoke. "Was there something else about the Watchers that you still haven't told me?"

Grian froze. He spaced out for a second. The question entered into the avian's feathery ear and coiled around his brain until it made his whole body flinch. Grian swallowed, throat feeling dry. "No, not that I know of... Why do you ask?" he asked before taking a cautious step forward. He went to stand beside Gem and moved his gaze across the arena. As he waited for her answer, though, his attention soon darted to something down below. 

Pearl. Pearl Two? She was running, sprinting towards them. Urgency was evident in the brunette's speed, and a few feet behind her, catching up fast, was Martyn. 

"P-Pearl!" Grian gasped at the sight. Panic consumed the avian, causing his wings to shoot out. He took a step towards the edge, past the railing, but he felt a hand latch onto his shoulder. 

Grian looked back to find Gem. The deer didn't pay any mind to the chase occurring below. All her focus was on him. "Wait, we're having a conversation," she pressed with a sudden tense stare. 

Grian's face twisted, brow creasing with pure disbelief. "Are you- Did you not hear me? Pearl's down there! And Martyn's chasing her! Hello?" he spat with a narrowed gaze now. He brushed off the hybrid's hand and turned to fly.

A digital screen then blinded his vision, nearly making the avian slip over the side. Grian's eyebrows flew up once his attention grabbed onto the image of an all too familiar mustache. "Mumbo!" he cried. Grian's wide eyes shifted over to the other tower. His wings spread further out. The tips brushed against the roof of the tower while he bent his knees to take off. 

Cold fingers then snatched the back of Grian's collar and gave one hard yank. Grian yelped, breath falling short from the air in his throat being cut off. He was thrown against the railings on the opposite side. The back of his head struck against wood. His wings lay sprawled out as he slipped down to the floor. The avian coughed. He lifted his head to gain back his bearings.

That's when he noticed Gem and the glint of the-

Grian screamed. An inhuman cry ripped through his throat while his eyes bulged from his head. His body scrambled, adrenaline shooting through his veins, but the netherite already pierced through his wing and embedded into the wooden railing, locking him in place. His other wing flapped frantically while his body flashed red. His eyes darted back up towards Gem, who stared him down with a dark expression. "G-Gem! W-W-What the h-heck-"

"You're a Watcher, aren't you?" The question was heavy, loaded with the pure hatred in the deer's tone. 

Grian's veins turned to ice. A cold chill fell over the avian, despite the warm blood he felt trickling down his wings and staining his feathers. His pupils became dots as he watched Gem carefully. His brain tried to scramble for an answer while his heart still thumped in his ears. "I-I don't know what you're talking about-"

"DON'T LIE!" Gem shouted. She bent down to grip the front of his jumper. The jerk made the avian wince, and his body flashed red again. Sweat began to drip from his brow, and his vision gained black dots. It was then, though, that Grian could see the violet glow that consumed one of the deer's eyes, just above her snarl. 

Grian's breath was ragged. He already was struggling to take in air with the taste of metal in his mouth, but the current conversation was also making breathing impossible. He tried not to move. Any slight shift on his wing only caused his body to flash red and cause an eruption of pain to spike up through his shivering body. He knew he didn't have many hearts left. He had to be careful. Still, his head began to throb, and his eyelids were growing heavy. It was getting harder to even see straight, let alone think. "I-I-I'm not... It-It's not what you think."

"Not what I think?" Gem growled. She shook the avian a bit to keep him awake, and the jerk made him squeak out a chirp. Grian clenched his teeth. He bit his tongue to hold back a louder cry with the hot burning sensation from his wing that slowly stretched through his entire body. Anger began sinking into his skin and making his body tremble. "You've been lying to all of us. Again! You really expect me to believe you aren't working against us? How many more things are you hiding, Grian!" she spat, gaze hardening with each word. Her voice grew harsher at the end when the avian sent a death glare right back. 

Grian grabbed a hold of the redhead's arms. His nails switched into talons while he forced his eyes to stay open. "D-Don't act like you know me. You're the one jumping t-to con-conclusions," he mustered the strength to say through his shuddered breath. He pressed his sharp claws against Gem's skin, making her wince. 

Yet, still, she tightened her grip on the player's jumper. "The others don't really know you either."

A dark grin then melted over Gem's lips. Her violet eye seemed to ignite into a blazing glow. "But I can fix that, Xelqua." Her voice was distorted, sounding like multiple people all at once. 

Grian's eyes bulged again. Old familiar fear seeped deep into his bones and twisted his insides until he couldn't breathe anymore. He wasn't quite sure what happened after that. It all felt like a blur.

He recalled squeezing his talons as tight as he could, which caused Gem to cry out. He then felt those same talons swing down towards more skin. He saw more red soon after, so his foot rose to kick it away. There was a grunt. Probably from Gem again. He felt his body move, eyes slowly glazing down towards a purplish blob stuck among his feathers. His wing appeared red for some reason. His hands moved to remove the blob. 

When he did, though, his body erupted with fire, making him scream. His body flashed red once more, and his eyelids grew heavy again. Grian then noticed a second pair of hands grabbing onto the purple blob. With a hard yank, it was finally removed, purple mixing with red at the tip, but the fire soon returned and exploded over Grian's body. He cried out. Tears streamed down his face as he hunched over, gagging from his choked sobs. So much red. 

Shouldn't he be dead? That much red. He knew he didn't have much left in him, so why was he still here? When could it be over? He wanted it so badly to be over.

Despite everything, no matter how much his body craved sleep, Grian tried to move, to stand. Adrenaline still pumped in his heart, alerting him of a danger he couldn't quite remember anymore. 

That's when he felt a pair of hands wrap around his throat. Grian gasped before his windpipe was cut off. He noticed Gem standing in front of him. Her sleeves were stained red while there were claw marks on her cheek, dripping down her skin with blood. She pushed him back, passed the railing and right to the edge of the tower. Her face was engulfed in such hatred as she tightened her grip, fingers crushing against muscle. Grian tried to grasp for her hands, but he felt his body growing sluggish. His limbs became lead while his vision blurred more and more. 

Before darkness greeted him, though, there was a jolt. A fire. It pressed deep into Grian's throat and set his skin ablaze. Grian's eyes shot back open and forced himself awake again. His vision was soon consumed in a violet hue. The skin on his throat felt as though it was melting off his body, but it couldn't have been true because the avian let out a blood-curdling scream. 

His cry bounced through the air and made the earth shake beneath his feet. The arena rumbled while a wave of purple energy shot from Grian and blasted across the sky.

Grian gasped, wanting to scream once again from the pain, but the hands around his neck grew tighter, keeping him quiet. He locked eyes with Gem, who huffed deep breaths like an enraged beast. 

Tears filled Grian's gaze. He grimaced at the sight. "P-Please... ju-ust end it..." he choked out, pleading to the deer. 

Gem flinched. His words made her physically still. Her disgusted gaze studied him. She seemed to be taking in the avian's state finally. The violet glow in Gem's eyes vanished, and her expression quickly morphed into horror. Her hands released Grian's neck, but they weren't fast enough to grab onto him before he fell. 

Grian slipped off the tower head first. His body felt weightless. Air rushed through his ears while his heart sank into his stomach. He felt this before. This long, never-ending plummet to his death. The isolation. The regret. It all came crashing back into Grian's brain, mixing together until he felt himself slip into mourning. He was going to die for sure. He knew he'd come back, but he didn't want that. He wanted to just lay in the void, feeling weightless and empty for the rest of his lifespan. 

Grian's eyes glazed down towards the fast approaching earth, awaiting the impact soon to follow. An orange glow, though, interrupted his view and blinded his vision.

All of a sudden, he felt his wings open up. Despite not being able to feel one of them, the feathery appendages expanded and somehow managed to catch the wind underneath him. The orange light swirled through the avian's sight and appeared to guide his wings. He practically floated past the trees and down into the grass a few feet away from the water. His injured wing then covered him as Grian's head rested against the ground. He took a shallow breath when the orange glow faded around him.

When he was greeted with soft grass against the burning pain that still lingered throughout his body, a deep bitterness filled the pit of his gut. "J-Just end it, ple-ease..." he rasped through his crushed vocal cords.

He pleaded towards the orange specs that dusted the ground. Tears rolled down his face while the specs flew over to him. They landed on the tips of his eyelashes, helping the avian take in a slow breath before darkness finally consumed him.

...

Pearl threw herself at Gem and shoved her towards the railings. A darker part of her wanted to send the deer off the tower too. "What is wrong with you! What did you do?!" Too many questions raged through Pearl's mind. She couldn't express exactly how she felt or what she wanted. All she could see was red.

Gem, though, appeared the complete opposite. Her long ears disappeared behind her curly hair while her eyes were big and wide with pure shell-shock. "I didn't- I wouldn't-"

"You were choking him! I saw you!" Pearl snapped, tone growing harsher. Despite the cruel and even merciless fights Pearl had been a part of, never in all of these death games had she witnessed another player grip the life out of another so intensely. 

Gem shook her head violently, causing a few drops of blood from her chin to fall to the ground. The cuts on her cheek were already beginning to heal, but the flowing blood still hadn't completely dried yet. Tears started to form the longer Pearl's stare burrowed into her. The hybrid lowered her paling face. Her breath grew quick. Both her hands wrapped around the top of her head, just behind her antlers, while she started to shake. "I-I-I didn't-I wouldn't-I-I h-hurt her-him- I-I'm s-sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" she babbled, lips quivering. Her dual colored eyes stared at the floor beneath her, looking for a place to hide.

Pearl flinched. She dropped her intense stare when she saw it. She saw the deer before her not as an unforgivable monster but as herself.

The brunette suddenly witnessed herself cladded in red, stained with even more of it, and she clutched her head in a similar manner to Gem's. The Scarlet Witch's gaze was frantic, teary-eyed. Her whole body trembled while a smile curled over her lips. Yet still, she choked back a sob. Tears poured down her cheeks as well as snot.

No one was around to comfort her back then.

Pearl's fists shook at her sides, gripping her fingers until her knuckles turned white. She wanted to continue. She wanted to rage until her voice gave out, but the sight before her only shattered her broken heart even further.

"Uh, guys? He... he didn't die." Pearl turned around to find Martyn. The quiet Red-Life was giving a grim expression, despite his light tone a second ago. His sad eyes moved to Gem for a split second before looking back at Pearl. He then glanced over the side again, and Pearl followed.

Her body froze once she noticed the body laying by the water. His red jumper was clear over his back while the rest of his form was concealed behind a mountain of feathers. The longer Pearl stared, though, the more she witnessed the white and red wing encasing Grian slowly dye to a dark violet.

The brunette paled at the sight, and she noticed Martyn physically flinch as well.

"What the hell..." he muttered with anger beginning to boil over. His red eyes began to glow.

Pearl turned to send the man a cold glare. "Don't you dare get all red crazy. Not now. I don't care what you see. You'll help calm down Gem while I go check on Grian."

Martyn's face twisted from anger to pure bafflement. "Wha- Hey! I have a right to know what's going on just as much as you," he whined, but Pearl could see the glow in his eyes fading away. His gaze then flickered towards the sound of sniffling behind her. "And you seriously want me to comfort someone? Me?"

Pearl's gaze hardened."Well, right now, you're all I've got. You're the only other person that knows what the heck is going on..." Pearl's gaze glanced back to Gem. Her voice hushed and softened. "And one of the few who'll understand what it feels like to have the Watchers mess with our heads."

Martyn's face fell. His shoulders eased as he looked back at the silent sobbing deer only a foot away. He then took a breath before sending his red eyes back at Pearl. "Fine, but threaten me all you want, I will be down there shortly," he warned.

Pearl gave a nod while glancing back again at Gem. The redhead met her gaze for only a second before shooting her attention right back to the floor. Her hyperventilating continued. She started sinking further down until her face was concealed behind her knees. Her body began to vibrate with growing intensity.

Pearl's frown deepened, but she ripped herself away from the sight. She grimaced at the eerie similarities. She then immediately pulled herself back down the ladder.

...

Grian felt cold. His body shivered, causing every sore muscle to ache. A groan bubbled up to his lips, but it shrank back down from the burning sensation on his throat. The skin there itched, throbbed. It was like a hot ring of metal circled around it and tightened every time the avian tried to swallow or speak. While he felt the familiar weight of his wing around him, the appendage lay motionless. Only the occasional twitch and stinging fire from the injury left hints that it was still attached to his body. 

Grian rasped for breath, choking on the bruised muscle. Every intake of air was a chore, but it was the only indication that he still hadn't died, still hadn't respawned. The avian's eyes stayed glued shut. They were too exhausted to even think about opening. His feathery ear, though, twitched when he heard the sound of a wheel rolling across the grass. 

There were a couple of low, slow beeps. It somehow expressed emotion with its tone, sounding disheartened. Cool metal then rested against Grian's throat, making his whole body flinch. The metal, though, was not sharp, and it gave a gentle touch towards his irritated skin. Another light touch then stretched towards his wing before a bright glow lightened the back of his eyelids. 

Suddenly, Grian could breathe. A cool sensation enveloped his throat, easing his muscles and soothing the fire needles that seemed to encase his skin. The ring around his neck loosened, allowing the avian to wheeze out a sigh of relief. This same cooling remedy fell over his wing next, letting the appendage finally move and stretch. 

With both injuries fading, Grian started to feel a wave of warmth surrounding him, and it gave him the strength to crack open his eyes. His vision still blurry, but he could have sworn he spotted a pair of glowing dots with an all too familiar mustache that was neon blue. The glowing dots blinked before they let out a beep, sounding more hopeful than the last one. There was the sound of flapping wings that were not his own before a few more beeps filled the air to carry a little tune. 

Grian blamed it on himself being mostly out of it for the reason why he responded back with a trill. The call was short, raspy from his still healing throat, but he tried his best to match the tune. The glowing dots bent upward, and the mustache stretched into a smile. More beeps followed while the flapping feathers became more frequent. 

"Grian!" A voice called out. Grian blinked his eyes and opened them even further. As soon as he blinked, though, the glowing dots and mustache had vanished, and all Grian could see was the lake before him. Footsteps grew closer from behind, making the avian tense. When the approaching figure came into view, though, Grian's eyebrows flew up.

"P-Pearl?" he croaked. 

It was Pearl. His Pearl. She wasn't wearing her jacket, but it was her. She was staring at him, seemingly pausing to take in something with slight astonishment. Was there something wrong with his face? 

Her neon green eyes, though, eventually winced from his raspy reply. "Oh... Oh, Gri..." she said with clear pain. She rested on her knees and placed a hand on his arm. She scanned over his body, looking at his stretched out wing. Violet and black feathers splayed out across the grass. 

Violet and black. Feathers. 

Grian blinked. His brow creased. He knew that fact was not a good thing, but his brain was running slow at the moment. He couldn't place the reason for the bad feeling. 

"Can you move?" Pearl asked. 

"Th-Think s-so," Grian said. He was already sounding a bit clearer. With his throat feeling dry, he licked his lips, causing the avian to pause. His tongue had pressed against something sharp in his mouth. It was pointer than any regular canines. Grian's eyes went wide. Fangs. He felt fangs. 

Grian rose to a sitting position, and that's when he acknowledged his hands. His talons were still present, but they were longer than usual. There was also his skin. It was as dark as the void with white specs to act almost as freckles. Grian rolled up one of his sleeves to see the coloring ended about halfway up his forearm before it blended back to his regular tone. 

Pearl followed his gaze. Her brow knitted. "Grian?" she asked carefully. She reached out as if to comfort him, but the avian was too deep in thought. Adrenaline soon started stirring back inside Grian. His eyes grew larger the longer he stared at his hands and violet feathers. His brain finally started to remember, and it made his heart sink into his stomach. 

He moved away from Pearl and crawled his way towards the water. He stared down at his reflection, and he immediately wished he hadn't.

Splotches of the same void-like coloring resided over to the top right of his face, bled down towards two of his eyes, and ended almost to the left side of his jaw. Speaking of eyes, he possessed two pairs of them, and each one was consumed in violet light and devoid of pupils. Grian blinked, and all four obeyed, with the bottom pair being slower than the top. He reached a hand towards his face. He felt the extra eyelids against his fingertips, almost poking one eye out with his long claws. 

His talons then trailed down to his neck, taking in the jagged violet line that stained his skin and wrapped around his throat. Grian's breath hitched. His hand trembled. Any part of his skin that hadn't been affected turned ghostly pale. The entire sight before him made the avian feel nauseous, dizzy. It crushed his lungs, removing any air left in them until he choked out a cough. 

Instantly, as if almost on instinct, he reached for the magic deep inside him. The humming of his power spread through his entire body. He tried to concentrate by staring at his appearance, at the Watcher before him.

He had to remove it. He needed to remove all of it. He tried to will away the extra eyes, remove the coloring on his skin, but when his magic reached his throat, the violet ring began to glow. Every muscle in his body started to convulse from the fire right underneath his skin. Grian cried out, falling onto his hands. He felt the fire chase down his magic and sent it scurrying right back where it came from. 

"Grian!" Pearl gasped from hearing the other's pained groans. She rushed over to place a hand on his back while his hunched over form panted for breath.

Then, he tried once more. And again, and again. It wasn't until he felt his muscles might be ripped to shreds that he finally stopped. The eruption of flames then dissipated. His body relaxed, allowing the avian to breathe. 

Grian, though, kept his whole attention on his reflection. The face of a Watcher stared back at him through the water and copied every move he made. He grew silent, seemingly entranced by the sight. His face then slowly twisted. The Watchers' four eyes grew twice their size in a similar shock. Realization began to sink deep into Grian's muscles, making his whole body tremble. Undeniable fear erupted through him to the point the violet wings on his back began to shiver. 

He was stuck like this.

Watcher Secret's words suddenly echoed through his mind and slammed down on his head like a cinder block. We are ending your little charade with the players.

Grian's blood ran cold. His body vibrated. The violet wings rose high above the Watcher's head. He had to get out of here. 

"Grian-Grian! Hey, look at me. Breathe," Pearl yanked the avian's attention towards her.

The four eyes darted over to the brunette, finally acknowledging her presence. The glowing gaze then glanced down at her hand on him before he flinched away. He backed up, crawling away backwards with his palms.

Pearl, though, didn't stop. No fear or anger was evident on her face, and she drew closer towards the Watcher with slow movements. One hand was held up in surrender while she used the other to help her scoot over to him. "Gri, you need to breathe, please. I can see your cheeks turnin' red."

Her voice was hushed, but Grian could hear the plea in her words. Her brow knitted, face pinched with tension. Her eyes carried clear concern. She... She was worried? For him?

Grian blinked, feeling the four eyelids obey. It made his shoulders scrunch up and his chest grow tight. The approaching player had her arms open wide, not the least bit afraid, and it terrified the avian to his core. "S-Stay back... Stay back!" Grian demanded when air finally found its way back into his lungs. His voice was no longer hoarse, but his words trembled out of his mouth thanks to his shaky form. 

Pearl stopped. Her eyebrows flew up while he hand shrank back. Surprise fell over her features for a split second as her frown deepened.

She listened. The player lowered her herself and sat back down on the ground, resting on her knees. She scanned over the avian. Her attention shifted to his face and stayed there for a long moment. A chill then filled Grian's body from her stares. He felt like an object on display. The thought made him wince, and Pearl blinked.

Her eyes grew wide. She seemed to have had the same thought because guilt immediately took over her features. The avian cast his focus to the ground. "Grian, I'm sorry, I... I'm not mad or hurt. You know that, right?"

Grian's brow creased, pure bewilderment filled his features. He lifted his head back up to eye the player as if she were the strange anomaly now.

His talons then dug into the dirt behind him. His gaze hardened. "Pearl, d-do you not understand what's going on here? Do you not..." The words were lodged in his throat. He had to force it out with a cough. His body trembled further. His feathery ears began to ring, and his vision was starting to blur again. His talons stabbed at the earth with growing intensity. He sent a harsh glare towards the player. "Do you not know what you're looking at!?"

"Of course I do, mister!" Pearl snapped back before her eyes softened once more. She shooed away her irritation and leaned forward towards the Watcher while still remaining in her same spot on the ground. She watched him carefully, but her stares this time were focused solely on keeping his attention. Her own gaze looked exhausted. "I know, Gri. I know, and I don't care."

A joke. It definitely was a joke at best or a trick at worst. Grian studied Pearl for a second more before shaking his head. There was no way she understood. No way she accepted this quickly. The confusion, the whiplash, it caused Grian's brain to snap in two.

He stared at the player before him. Tears started to well-up in the four eyes before a watery laugh escaped his throat. His shoulders shook as he continued to chuckle. "R-Right, I'm not believing that for a s-second."

"Well, believe it, mate," Pearl spoke with a firm tone. She let out a sigh soon after, shifting her gaze to the ground. "I found out while I was outside of the game... I've had my own encounter with the Watchers, and I-"

Her jaw clenched. A flash of anger fell over her face. Grian's heart stopped. His muscles froze while his wings itched to flap away. Pearl's expression soon relaxed again, though, falling back into a somber look. "I know... what they did to you, Grian. What they've been doing to ya," she said while her voice grew tight. Her misty gaze fell over her brother's form. Her eyes landed on his neck, making her fists tightened in her lap. "They marked you just like me."

Before Grian could question her, the player lifted the bottom hem of her shirt to show three violet claw streaks staining her skin. Grian's eyebrows flew up at the sight, taking in the marks. A new form of saddness grew inside him. He suddenly felt sick. 

When the avian didn't respond for several seconds, Pearl lowered her shirt and sat patiently. She couldn't help it, though, as hot tears started rolling down her face. "Please, Gri, please I wanna help you. Don't think for a second that I hate-"

"I knew it..."

Both Grian and Pearl froze. The Watcher quickly darted his panicked gaze to his right to find Martyn.

The red-lifer stood between the two and gawked at the glowing purple eyes staring right back at him. Gem arrived with him too. She stood a foot behind Martyn, arms wrapped tightly around her hunched form, but her once sorrowful eyes soon turned wide with a whole mixture of new emotions.

Martyn's face twisted. Fear bled into outrage while his pupils turned into dots. "Y-You're seriously one of them. You've been hidin' this from us... this whole time?"

Grian didn't move. He remained frozen in place. No one was sure if he was even breathing anymore. All he did was watch with those four giant eyes.

The sight only unnerved Martyn even further. His red gaze glowed brighter before he stomped his foot. "Answer already!"

"Ey! Enough! Back off, Martyn," Pearl said as she shot to her feet. She stood between the two men with her green gaze set ablaze. She stared the red-lifer down. "I told you to wait. You were supposed to be helpin' Gem," Pearl hissed while looking back at the redhead.

The deer's cheeks were still stained with tears while her eyes were clouded and puffy. With how low her head hung, one would suspect she'd fall over at any second. Yet still, Gem kept her gaze glued to Grian.

Martyn turned his harsh glare onto Pearl. "Hey, I did, but she insisted that we come down here," his voice was hushed, despite the heated words. He then shifted his burning gaze back onto the figure behind Pearl. "And I think you're missin' the point here with the fact that that thing over there has been lying to us for years!" Martyn's voice roared at the end as he jabbed a finger towards the paralyzed Watcher.

Both Grian and Gem flinched from the raised voice while Pearl's gaze quickly turned hostile. "Don't you dare call him that. You have no clue about the context here, Martyn," Pearl growled through gritted teeth. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides.

Martyn returned the comment with a bitter smile. One of his red eyes began to twitch. "Oh, I understand it perfectly. That Watcher has been torturing us with these death games over and over again, watching us go insane for his and his other Watcher buddies' enjoyment."

"He didn't have a choice! He never had a-"

"Whoa, whoa, hey, what the heck is going on over here?" 

The two players stopped their argument to look behind them. Scott and Impulse headed over towards the group.

Impulse was the first to speak. His brow knitted with clear puzzlement until his eyes locked onto someone. "Gem?" His and Scott's expression bled into further concern at the deer, who looked ready to hide away. "What's wrong?" Impulse asked as he moved towards his teammate. 

"What the heck is going on?" Scott furthered. He crossed his arms and eyed both Martyn and Pearl. 

Pearl narrowed her gaze from the elf's sharp tone. "Nothin' that concerns you, Scott."

"I think it does when our teammate is in tears over here," Scott shot back while motioning towards Gem. Impulse placed a careful arm around the redhead's shoulders. Gem's eyes shifted to the ground, but she didn't reject the gesture. Scott's gaze then squinted back at the duo. "Pearl, what did you and Martyn do?"

Pearl recoiled. The judgemental stare in the elf's eyes burned inside the brunette's mind. She clenched her jaw, anger boiling over. Despite everything inside telling her to stay calm, old wounds made her snap. "Scott! I swear, if your clueless butt doesn't stop talkin'-"

"You wanna know what's going on?" Martyn asked, marching forward towards the elf. He then waved a hand in the direction of Grian.

The quiet avian finally managed to pull himself to his feet, and he started to back away. His wings splayed out like fans, appearing as a cowering animal being cornered. The sight instantly dissolved any lingering anger Pearl carried and broke her heart in two.

"Do you not see Grian's face?" Martyn continued. He pointed right at the Watcher's multiple eyes, void-like splotches, and fangs that showed any time he opened his mouth.

Scott looked over at Grian. He studied the avian's face for only a second before turning his dull gaze back to the blonde. His frown only deepened even further. "Yeah, and he looks petrified. Have you guys been threatenin' the two of them or something?"

Martyn froze. His words made him come to a complete halt. Pearl needed a second to process as well, but the red-lifer appeared utterly speechless. His shoulders fell, staring at Scott with his brow knitted in disbelief. "Wha- You don't see-"

"Seriously, guys, Grian might be used to the threats, but Gem's new here. You can't expect her to just be alright with your weird pranks or whatever it is you're doing," Scott finished with a shake of his head. 

Impulse gave a disapproving frown as well. "Yeah, whatever you guys did, you took it too far." He looked down at Gem and patted her shoulder. The deer remained motionless. 

Martyn shifted. His back went straight. Pearl watched as his knuckles turned white against his tight grip. His eyes glowed a pure red hue, which quickly darted towards Grian. The blonde's face scrunched up. Nostrils flared. Only one word could describe his look: Rage.

Pearl barely had time to stop Martyn before he sprinted forward and lunged for the bird. Grian squawked. He tried to fly away, but the blonde's quick fist came swinging. It caused the other to dodge and fall backwards onto the ground, landing on his elbows. Pearl and Scott rushed in and grabbed onto Martyn's arms. 

"Martyn! Just stop it! Enough!" Pearl yelled out in warning. "I swear I'm gonna end your game right here!" She dug her heels into the dirt to keep the wild man in place. The red-lifer ignored her threats, though, and thrashed against their hold. His teeth clenched while he seethed like a beast.

"Seriously? Again!? What is going on between you two?" Scott whined, shooting a look from Martyn to Grian. His body then lurched forward before he jerked his arms back. He then readjusted his hold, so the red-lifer didn't slip away. 

Pearl glanced to her left to see other players starting to gather from the commotion. She spotted her own teammates moving in, bewildered expressions consuming each of their faces. Jimmy's gold wings also appeared from the corner of her eye, and he sprinted towards the scene a second after. Practically the whole arena was heading in their direction. The brunette gritted her teeth before looking back at the out of control blonde. "Somebody help us calm him down!" she finally shouted. 

"Again!?" Bdubs shouted. 

"What the heck is going on? We're seriously doing this again?" Joel spat. 

"Martyn-Martyn! Dude, seriously!?" Jimmy shouted once he was in earshot. He raced across the field towards them as fast as his legs could carry him. 

"You liar! You never cared about us! You never wanted us to leave this hellhole!" Martyn spat off, glaring down at the avian with absolute disgust. "We're just your puppets! You're sick! You monster! MONSTER!"

"MARTYN!" Pearl screamed before grabbing the back of his hair and yanking to cut off his words.

Before anymore could be spoken, though, laughter soon filled the air. It cut the tension and forced everyone to still. Eyes trailed back over towards Grian.

His laugh started off soft before it gained more volume, practically booming. His four eyes squeezed shut, he clutched his stomach, and lifted his chin towards the sky. His cackles rang through Pearl's ears, but she could hear something obviously off about it. She could hear the strain, the exhaustion behind it.

"I'm so done..." Grian sighed in between breaths.

"Done with what?" Martyn spit back. He stopped thrashing, so Scott had released him. Pearl, though, kept a firm hand on his shoulder, holding him in place. 

Grian sighed once more before his head dropped and bent unnaturally to the side. All four of his eyes locked back onto the group, and Pearl noticed their glow somehow grew brighter. "You know, done with this whole thing," he said while waving his sharp talons towards the whole arena. When his hand dropped back down, he leaned back against his palms, appearing much more relaxed than mere minutes ago. His wide gaze then narrowed towards the players with a sneering grin. "Done playin' nice, I guess you could say." 

"So you're threatenin' us now, is that it?" Martyn asked, raising a brow. 

A chilled giggle left Grian's mouth, sending a shiver down Pearl's spine. It sounded so off-putting. Something was definitely wrong. She watched as the Watcher rose to his feet while a bigger smile curled over his lips, displaying his fangs.

"Well, I mean, you did attack me." Pearl's gaze shifted down to Grian's hand. She noticed him flexing his talons. Martyn must have spotted it too because he moved a hand to his sword. A dark expression suddenly fell over the avian as he eyed his opponent like prey. "Doesn't matter how many hearts I'm on... I'll enjoy taking you out of this game before the session is over."

Martyn grew a bitter smile in return, grabbing the hilt of his blade. "Like to see you try, freak."

"No no stop, stop!" Pearl shouted. She jumped between the two before either man could charge at the other. She sent the red-lifer a look before turning to Grian. She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to only focus on her. "Gri, stop, just stop. Please, snap outta it," she whispered under her breath with the growing number of onlookers surrounding them. The brunette gave a gentle squeeze to his shoulder. A lump grew in her throat. "You're okay. You don't have to fight anyone."

This made Grian pause. His smile faltered while his brow knitted. He stared at Pearl, perplexed. His attention then drifted to the other players around them. His violet gaze shifted to Cleo. The zombie reached the front of the crowd and watched him carefully. Her face carried obvious concern while her mouth formed a thin line. 

"Grian?" The Watcher glanced over to spot Mumbo. The dapper gentleman moved closer, hand out as if to comfort him. Grian noticed the man's eyes shined a bright yellow now. "You alright, mate? What on earth happened?"

Jimmy walked past Mumbo and headed over to Martyn. The canary tried whispering to his teammate, but Martyn kept his glare solely forward.

Grian then blinked. The glow in his gaze dimmed ever so slightly. His four eyes scanned over the multiple bodies. They all surrounded him. Began to suffocate him.

All their eyes glued to him while whispers were exchanged between one another. The hairs on the back of Grian's neck stood up while a shiver ran through his body. The stares burrowed into him, judging him. It didn't matter if they could understand what he truly was or not, all of them could see it. Them acting like his appearance was normal only made the avian want to throw up. 

Grian's attention flickered back to Pearl and then to Martyn. They appeared to be the only ones looking at him with complete clarity. They knew his biggest secret. Them and- Gem.

The avian's hands balled into fists when he locked eyes with the deer. His gaze hardened, causing Gem to quickly cast her own gaze back down towards the ground. He wanted to scream at her, shout, but his trembling form refused to cooperate. Fear bled into every one of his muscles the longer he felt every eye seemingly touching his skin. 

"Grian?" Mumbo tried again, making the avian take a step back and pull out of Pearl's grasp. He turned his gaze downward while his body grew stiff. He refused to meet Mumbo's eyes. His innocent confusion made his insides twist into knots. 

"Grian, what happened?" Cleo stepped forward too, offering her aid. Grian shut his eyes, squeezing them tight. He tried to come up with a solution. He tried to think of some explanation. Something to get every eye off of him, so they could stop looking at his face!

Pearl seemed to have guessed his thoughts because she drew closer. "Guys, don't crowd him. He and Martyn were just-"

"G?" Grian flinched. He heard a voice right behind him, looming over his shoulder. Scar had managed to sneak up. The salesman's tone carried that same innocence. That same oblivious but sympathetic attitude. It made Grian's skin crawl. "Hey, what's the matter?" The salesman's eyes burrowed into his side while the bodies and stares continued closing in on him, inching further and further. They scrutinized every new little feature Grian carried. He was an abomination. A freak. A monster.

"Session's over..." Grian muttered. He opened his eyes to stare back at the ground. 

He saw Pearl's feet shift. "Grian-"

Grian's wings shot out. His feathers struck a few faces, definitely Scar's with his sudden yelp. He snapped his head back up to face the crowd. "I said, session's over!" he shouted before he took off into the sky.

He heard voices call out to him, but the avian didn't look back. He just kept flying. Between the air blasting right into his eyes from the speed and the panic still suffocating his lungs, Grian wasn't sure which direction he flew to, but he made sure there was no living soul around. He didn't go back to his teammates' base. He didn't fly to the remains of his egg hut. Despite the small arena, Grian managed to disappear.

He just vanished, and no one saw him for the rest of the day... or for the days after. 

Many players tried to find him during that time. They called out his name and searched practically every spot they could think of, but it was no use. For the first time in this game, the players did not have a host when they gathered by the Secret Keeper to conclude their fifth session.

~~~~~~