Chapter Text
The Pale Oak biome was quiet in a way that didn’t feel natural
Not peaceful, just… still
The pale leaves above barely shifted even when the wind passed through, their desaturated color muting the world into something distant, like a memory that hadn’t quite decided whether it wanted to stay or fade completely
The ground was layered in soft, white toned wood and fallen leaves, broken only by carefully placed clusters of flowers that didn’t belong there, yet existed anyway, arranged with a level of attention that felt almost excessive for something so small, so fragile
Wemmbu liked it that way
It was easier to think when things were quiet
Easier to pretend nothing had followed him here
He crouched near the edge of a shallow pond, fingers brushing lightly over a patch of flowers as he picked through them with quiet focus, selecting only the ones that hadn’t wilted yet, the ones that still held color
There was no real purpose behind it, no strategy, no advantage, but the act itself grounded him in a way fighting never could, something steady and predictable in a world that refused to stay that way
Mining, building, collecting simple things
Things that didn’t betray you
Things that didn’t look back
A small pile of petals rested beside him, sorted by color with absent precision, and for a moment he just stared at them, expression unreadable beneath the faint shimmer of invisibility
The distortion was subtle, barely noticeable unless someone was looking directly for it, the blue veil over his face shifting slightly with each breath, it was unnecessary, redundant even, but still there
Another layer,another barrier, another reminder that no one needed to see him clearly anymore
He hadn’t taken the armor off in days
Maybe longer
It was easier that way
No one questioned a presence they couldn’t fully see. No one tried to understand something that clearly didn’t want to be understood
Behind him, the Pale Oak forest stretched endlessly, pale trunks rising unevenly into a sky that felt too wide for something so quiet
His base sat deeper within it, hidden not just by distance but by intention, built low, reinforced, surrounded by traps and misdirection layered carefully enough that anyone approaching would be noticed long before they got close
He had chosen this place carefully
Not because it was safe
But because it felt empty
And empty was good
Empty didn’t remind him of anything
———————~*~———————
The trip to the cherry blossom biome hadn’t been planned
It had just… happened
One moment he had been sorting through materials, trying to keep his thoughts limited to something manageable, something small
The next he had found himself moving again, slipping through terrain with restless energy that never really left him no matter how far he ran
The flowers there had been brighter, too bright, too alive but he focused on collecting them anyway, forcing his attention onto something harmless
And then
Him
Wemmbu refused to think of it as anything meaningful. Not a reunion nor an accident. Not something that mattered
The Immortal Demon had stood across the pond like something out of place in a world that had no right to hold him, and for just a moment, one brief dangerous moment, Wemmbu had stopped moving entirely, petals slipping from his hand as something old tried to surface
Recognition
Familiarity
Something dangerously close to relief
He crushed it instantly
The Immortal Demon
Not Flame nor Flamefrags
Not anymore
He didn’t approach, didn’t speak first, didn’t give him anything, not even acknowledgment beyond the bare minimum
When The Immortal Demon noticed him, when he turned, when he spoke, Wemmbu responded like he would to anyone else
A stranger
Because that was easier
Because anything else meant admitting something still existed
So he left
Just like that
No hesitation
No second glance
The flowers mattered more
———————~*~———————
By the time he returned to the Pale Oak biome, the quiet felt… wrong
Subtly
But enough
Wemmbu slowed as he moved through the trees, steps nearly silent as his focus shifted, not to sound, not to movement, but to something deeper, something instinctive that most people wouldn’t even notice
Emotion
It lingered faintly in the air, unfamiliar but present, threading through the stillness he had built so carefully around himself. The emotions was… not what he expected, neither aggressive nor afraid
Just… there
Waiting
Wemmbu didn’t stop. If anything, he continued forward like nothing had changed, his posture loose but ready, one hand drifting just slightly closer to his weapon as his senses sharpened
The presence wasn’t careless, it wasn’t loud or obvious, it existed and that alone was enough to make it a problem
Then
“Wemmbu”
The name landed clean
Too clean
It cut through the quiet like something deliberate, something placed with intent, and for a split second the world felt wrong again, like this place, his place, had been broken open by something that shouldn’t have been able to find him
He stilled then slowly turned “…How did you…”
He stopped himself
It didn’t matter
Whatever method, whatever path, whatever connection had led this person here, it all came down to one thing
They knew
And that made them dangerous
Wemmbu let the flowers fall from his hand without looking at them, gaze sharpening as his posture shifted, something colder settling into place as he took in the figure standing just beyond the clearing
Caracal hybrid with saturated red like wine furs, lean build… not a fighter
Which made this worse
Wemmbu eyes narrowed slightly as his attention shifted again over the armor, netherite, clean and well maintained, trimmed with gold that reflected faintly in the pale forest light
Not flashy, not excessive, but intentional. The shield on his arm carried a white field with a golden sun at its center, the same symbol echoed subtly in the trims of his armor
“…Wow,” Wemmbu muttered, tone turning almost amused, though there was no humor behind it “So you’re one of those annoying people trying to hunt me?”
His tone was almost bored, but there was a sharp edge beneath it
“I’ve had a few of you already” he continued, eyes flicking briefly over the gold detailing “Though usually it’s diamond armor, not netherite”
His gaze flicked back up “They finally decided to send an elite player, huh?”
Another slow look over
“…Though judging by your build…” he added, tilting his head slightly, “…you aren’t quite a fighter”
“…Whatever” he muttered, voice flattening as his grip shifted “You’re dead meat to me”
There was no hesitation in it, no exaggeration, just fact
The stranger didn’t move
Didn’t flinch
Didn’t reach for a weapon
That alone made Wemmbu’s eyes narrow
Most people reacted to threats with tension, with fear, with instinct but this one simply stood there, calm in a way that bordered on irritating, like he had expected this outcome from the moment he arrive
“…Yeah” the stranger said after a moment, almost thoughtfully “That sounds about right”
Wemmbu frowned slightly
That wasn’t the reaction he wanted
Or expected
The stranger exhaled quietly before straightening just enough to signal something different, not readiness to fight, but readiness to speak
“My name is LettuceK” he said, voice even, controlled “I’m the leader of a faction called the Law”
Great, a fury whose name apparently is Lettuce, whatever, name meant something
But leader of the Law?
Ah
So that’s what this was
“That explains the branding” he muttered, glancing briefly at the sun insignia before looking back at him “So what, you’re here to arrest me? Lecture me? Give a speech about justice?” His tone turned flat “Get it over with”
But Wemmbu didn’t attack, as if he was waiting something
So LettuceK continued “I didn’t come here to fight you”
That almost earned a laugh
“Then you’re either stupidly confident” Wemmbu replied flatly “Or suicidal”
“Neither” LettuceK said calmly “Just practical, like I say, I didn’t come here for a fight”
That word lingered longer than it should have
Wemmbu tilted his head slightly, gaze sharpening “…You tracked me all the way out here, walked right into my territory alone and expect me to believe that?”
“I didn’t say I’m not starting something” LettuceK replied evenly “I said I’m not here to fight you”
A subtle difference
And they both knew it
Silence stretched, tension threading through it not snapping, but not easing either
Then
“You’re hiding”
The words landed quieter than the name had
But heavier
Wemmbu didn’t react outwardly, but the shift was there, small, controlled, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it
LettuceK didn’t look away “New armor style, voice changer, veil over invisibility” he continued, gaze flicking briefly to the scattered flowers before returning “Living out here instead of anywhere populated”
A pause
“You built a new identity”
Another
“The Invisible Knight”
Wemmbu stood still “…Wow you did some research” his voice become quieter “why- the fuck you just call me?”
“Does it matter? Just an obnoxious some people give to their favorite knight” LettuceK exhaled softly “And, I know why you choose to become this”
That-
hit
Not loud
Not obvious
But deep enough to matter
Wemmbu wings shifted once behind him before going still again
“You needed distance” LettuceK said
Silence
“You needed control”
Another pause
“You needed to stop being-“
He didn’t say the name
He didn’t have to
Wemmbu jaw tightened “…Don’t,” he said, low
But LettuceK continued anyway “-someone who could be hurt like that again”
That was the line that cracked something, not open, not fully, but enough to let the pressure through
Wemmbu looked away for just a moment, like the forest suddenly mattered more than the conversation, like ignoring it might make it disappear
It didn’t
“…You don’t know anything” he said, but there was less bite in it now, something strained threading through the words
“I know enough” LettuceK replied quietly “Enough to know why you’re doing this”
The silence that followed wasn’t empty
It was full of things Wemmbu refused to say out loud
And for the first time since the conversation started, he didn’t argue
The silence around them didn’t break, it shifted
Not lighter, not easier, just… different, like something had settled into place between them that neither of them could ignore anymore
Wemmbu remained where he stood, arms crossing loosely across his chest, but the tension behind it had changed, less defensive and more… contained, like he was holding something back rather than pushing something away, his gaze no longer entirely focused on LettuceK but not fully distant either, caught somewhere in between
LettuceK noticed
Of course he did
Wemmbu exhaled slowly through his nose, adjusting his stance slightly, not aggressive, not defensive, just… ready.
“…Alright” he repeated, tone dropping the last of its humor “You’ve got my attention”
A pause
“Now explain why you’re still standing here and why i shouldn’t just end your life right now”
LettuceK met his gaze evenly “I’m not here to expose you”
Another pause
“…I’m here to make you an offer” LettuceK inclined his head slightly “You are important to my plans, whether I choose to acknowledge that or not”
Wemmbu snorted “That sounds like a you problem”
“It becomes a you problem if I decide to treat you as an obstacle instead”
That wasn’t a threat
Not quite
But it wasn’t harmless either
The tension in the clearing shifted again, the pale forest suddenly feeling a little less quiet, a little more aware
“I don’t like you” he said plainly, the bluntness deliberate, cutting through whatever fragile balance had formed
That snapped Wemmbu attention back immediately
“…Wow” he muttered dryly, though the reaction came a fraction slower than it would have earlier “You really know how to make a deal sound appealing”
“I’m not trying to make it appealing,” LettuceK replied, just as steady “I’m making it honest”
There was no arrogance in it, no attempt to soften the words or dress them up as something better than they were, it also meant everything he said next would carry that same weight, that simply lack illusion
“You’re reckless” LettuceK continued, voice even but sharper now, more precise “You leave destruction behind you and call it necessary, people don’t follow you, they follow the aftermath of what you’ve done, trying to figure out whether you’re a threat or something worse”
Wemmbu expression hardened slightly at that, something defensive flickering back into place, but he didn’t interrupt, didn’t snap back like he normally would have, and that alone told LettuceK enough to keep going
“I don’t trust you” he finished
Silence followed, heavy and immediate, the kind that pressed rather than lingered
“…But” LettuceK added, quieter now, but no less firm, “You’re the only one who can do what I need”
That shifted something
Wemmbu gaze flicked back to him, sharper this time, suspicion threading through it again but no longer dismissive, no longer uninterested, like part of him had already started listening before he gave himself permission to “…Which is?” he asked
LettuceK didn’t hesitate “Taking down Flamefrags”
The name landed differently now
Not just a spark but something deeper, something that caught on something already there, already fragile
Wemmbu didn’t move, didn’t react immediately. But the stillness wasn’t empty, it was none but controlled carefully
Like he was choosing very deliberately what not to feel
“…The Immortal Demon” he corrected automatically, the words slipping out quieter than before, less like a correction and more like a habit he refused to break
LettuceK noticed that too
He noticed everything
“…Right” he said simply, not pushing the difference, letting it sit there instead, unchallenged but acknowledged “And I need someone who knows how he fights”
A pause
“Someone who can keep up with him”
Another
“Someone he won’t expect”
He didn’t say it
Didn’t say the part that mattered most
Didn’t say someone he used to trust
Because he didn’t have to
Wemmbu looked away again, this time longer, his gaze drifting toward the pale trees like he could anchor himself there, like the quiet of the biome could drown out the direction the conversation was going in
His thoughts weren’t impossible to read, not fully, not clearly, but enough to see the edges of them, the hesitation creeping in where certainty used to be
“…Why me?” he asked eventually, quieter now, the question less defensive and more… tired
“Because you’re already doing it once” LettuceK answered
That made Wemmbu frown slightly
“Even when i said, i don’t trust you” LettuceK continued, his tone shifting, not softer, but more precise, more deliberate “Your already building something new, already separating yourself from everything that came before, someone who helped instead of causing destruction”
A pause
“…And… I’m just giving it direction”
That was where the manipulation settled in
Not forced
Not obvious
Just… placed
Wemmbu knew it
He knew exactly what this was, knew the words were chosen carefully, knew the reasoning was structured to lead him somewhere specific, and yet
“…Then, in return?” he asked anyway
Because knowing didn’t stop it from working
LettuceK didn’t smile
But there was something faintly satisfied in the way his posture eased, like this was the part he had been waiting for
“I keep your identity safe” he said “No one connects the Invisible Knight to you”
The words landed clean
Too clean
Because that was the one thing Wemmbu couldn’t fully guarantee on his own
“My faction has resources” LettuceK continued, voice steady “Information networks, territory, influence. I can make sure no one traces you back, no one exposes you, no one finds you unless you want them to”
That, that one hit deeper than the rest
Wemmbu gaze flickered slightly, something small but real, because no matter how careful he had been, no matter how far he had gone to build this identity, there was a risk that someone finding the connection, someone pulling the thread, someone turning the Invisible Knight back into something he didn’t want to be anymore
And LettuceK was offering to remove that risk
Not completely
But enough
“…What if I say no?” Wemmbu asked, the question quieter now, more grounded, like he was forcing himself to consider both sides instead of just rejecting it outright
LettuceK shrugged lightly “Then I leave”
Simple
“I don’t expose you” he added “I don’t chase you”
A pause.
“But someone else will”
There it was again
Not a threat
Not directly
Just truth
“…And they won’t be as reasonable as me”
Wemmbu exhaled slowly, looking away for a moment toward the pale trees, thoughts shifting, calculating, weighing something far more complicated than just a fight.
“…You tracked me down alone to say all this…” he muttered “No backup, no guarantees”
LettuceK shrugged slightly “You’re less likely to listen if I bring an army”
“…Or more likely to kill you” Wemmbu pointed out
“That too”
The silence that followed stretched longer than before, heavier, pressing into the space between them until it felt like even the forest was holding still, waiting for something to break
Wemmbu exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through his hair as he turned away slightly, pacing once before stopping again, like he was trying to move the weight out of his system and failing completely
His thoughts weren’t steady anymore, they kept circling back, not just to the deal, not just to the offer, but to something else entirely, something he had spent too long trying not to think about
Flamefrags
The Immortal Demon
The name didn’t sit the same anymore
Didn’t feel the same
Didn’t…
“…I need time” he said finally
The words came quieter than anything else he had said so far
Less defensive
More real
LettuceK nodded immediately, like he had expected nothing else “I expected that”
He reached into his inventory, pulling out a small compass marked faintly with the same sun insignia, the gold threads catching the pale light just enough to stand out against the muted world around them
He held it out, not stepping closer, not forcing the space, just offering it “My coordinates are tied to this” he explained “When you decide, use it”
Wemmbu didn’t take it right away
He just looked at it
Then at LettuceK
Then away again
The hesitation was clear now, not hidden, not buried, just there, sitting between them like something neither of them could ignore anymore
“…I didn’t say I’d agree” he muttered
“I know” LettuceK replied calmly
Another pause
“…But you’re considering it”
Wemmbu didn’t deny
Because he couldn’t
After a moment, he stepped forward, the movement slower than anything he had done so far, like every step mattered more than it should, and took the compass from LettuceK hand
The weight of it settled into his palm, small but significant, something that represented a choice he hadn’t made yet but couldn’t ignore anymore
Not commitment
Not acceptance
But not rejection either
LettuceK nodded once
Then turned
“…Don’t take too long” he said over his shoulder, voice quieter now but no less certain “The world doesn’t wait”
And just like that, he left
The Pale Oak forest swallowed him whole, the quiet closing back in around the space he had occupied until it was like he had never been there at all, like the entire interaction had been something imagined, something unreal
Except, the cord was still in Wemmbu hand
The flowers were still scattered at his feet
And the silence felt heavier than it had before
For a long moment, he didn’t move
Didn’t think
Didn’t breathe any differently
Just stood there, caught between something he had already decided and something he wasn’t ready to face.
“…The Immortal Demon” he muttered under his breath, the name unfamiliar in a way that felt wrong, distant in a way that felt intentional
Not Flame
Not anymore