Chapter Text
The wind raced around him, whipping his purple hair, which was currently tied back into a long ponytail (his usual style of choice when out and about). The strands hit his face like a small whip, while sprinkles of water started falling from the dark clouds above, signaling the impending storm that he honestly should’ve seen coming since the first set of clouds rolled in.
The area itself was dark, not in the usual nighttime darkness way, but in the way that shadows cast over plains in the thick of a storm. It was still about midday when he reached this set of unexplored rolling hills, ones that were naturally generated by the weird terrain of Unstable. Which had yet to be fully explored by the players of the server.
After the war, the server had calmed down into its usual casual chaos. Wemmbu had gotten bored with his everyday life and had actively started seeking out adventure. So he went to Eggchan to quell his boredom, and the scholar had directed him to the barely explored hills biome a couple of thousand blocks out. It was just what he needed, something new that didn’t involve killing a bunch of people.
Eggchan had turned down his request to join him, stating that he wanted to return to the end for a time to catch up with MinuteTech and to sort through some old books he had forgotten. Wemmbu had given in and went out alone; this way, Egg could go through his books in peace, and Wemmbu was able to quench his need for adventure.
So here he was out in the middle of unexplained terrain alone and about to be swept up in an impending raging storm. The weather in this area of Unstable was unusual. In the time since he had started exploring, there had been a blazing heat that had made him stop in search of water, a small snowstorm that he managed to push through, and now a swirling storm with the looming threat of it being much graver than it currently is.
The wind howled, and the light raindrops splashed on his skin like tiny needles, leaving the exposed skin on his face raw. It was hard to see already, but as more clouds started to push their way in, it was becoming nearly impossible to continue. As Wemmbu continued to push on, this time to find shelter, the rain picked up. The size of the drops became larger, and the before wind-blown sprinkle rattled up into a roar. Golf ball-sized globs of water rushed down from the sky, pelting him. Soaking his clothes and having them cling to his body in heavy rags.
He hadn’t thought about bringing more than what was already on his back, besides more PvP gear, of course, because Unstable’s weather was usually pretty predictable. He also assumed that if any of the weather did get harsh, then it would’ve been decently manageable, but assumptions always led him down the more opposing road.
Unlike the last random dumps of weather, for example, the snowstorm, the rain wasn’t letting up. This caused him to continue to march, with a new goal of shelter in mind, while the rain only seemed to be getting stronger. And at this rate would swallow him whole or at least blow him away.
It was hard to see, and he was in a biome of rolling hills. Or at least when he was able to see, it was a vast, almost endless display of beautiful green hills that looked like mossy waves over a storming ocean. So he was basically walking up and down random hills blindly, and as the weather became more unpredictable, it made it harder to settle down.
Wemmbu was used to settling down in harsh weather. Living basically homeless on Unstable made it easy for him to adapt to near impossible circumstances. Whether it was sleeping a night in a tree or finding a random cave to hide in for a bit as people hunted him down, everything was still manageable by means of survival.
He hadn’t had to do that since freeing Egg from the End, but the instinct never really left. Eggchan would find him blocks from the base, rolled up into himself under a tree, at times when he thought no one was after him, which became more embarrassing the more Egg lectured him about it.
All that being said, he was having a hard time finding somewhere safe enough to settle down in. So he kept pushing. There was no use turning back, and it was too dangerous to just stop. So, blind walking through a raging storm, maybe not the best idea he could come up with, but definitely the only one that seemed reasonable enough.
It was getting darker out, this time from the night coming in, which made it feel almost freezing, but with the wind as strong as it was, Wemmbu struggled to reach around him to better cover himself with his cloak, or at least his wings. But every movement sent his balance off and threatened to topple him over.
Each minute that passed was another minute that the weather plummeted. Even in the snowstorm, the temperature didn’t drop this much. It stayed relatively warm, actually, and was easily explained away by this area's unnatural weather. And the more it crossed Wemmbu’s mind, the more that shift from day to night became unclear.
Upon the last time he was able to see, it was still clearly midday, and it’s only been a couple of hours since the first signs of the storm had shown, thus he must’ve been misled somewhere. He wasn’t the smartest person on the server, but he could tell when it was supposed to be day and night. Which left everything feeling uncoordinated, and if he cared more, it might have even been fascinating to a certain degree.
When he gets the chance, he’ll definitely bring Egg back here. With the weird landscape, weather, and time, the seraphine would have a blast with his studies here. Wemmbu would just make sure that they were much more prepared than his unprompted adventure.
With his mind wandering and darkness encompassing his capability to see what was in front of him, he had led himself straight into an ice-cold, rock-covered structure. His chest and head hit first, causing the wind to get knocked out of his lungs and leave him a bit disoriented, and if he hadn’t trained himself to lock in as fast as he could, he would have probably hit the ground. However, he managed to grip onto the structure in front of him and see that his blind journey had come to a relatively convenient halt. Relief was the immediate feeling, then determination washed over him. He placed his stiff, pruned-up palms on the rocky base and started feeling around while looking up to try to make out what was in front of him.
He was at the base of tall mountain, or so he guessed he was at the base of a tall mountain. Grey rock covered most of his view and cascaded as far as his eyes could make out. He felt around the mountain's base, feeling the sharp jutting rocks through the otherwise steep surface. Simply with how the mountain had formed, there was no way to climb up the mountain, nor was he willing to risk flying up.
So, clawing through his inventory, he pulled out his pickaxe and broke through the face of the mountain. He dug a straight tunnel from his man-made opening until he couldn’t feel the harsh, icy wind from the weather anymore. Not really bothering to block the entrance in hopes that it’ll help him get out later.
Exhaustion started to creep its way through his bones, the journey itself was treorous, but when it got down to the storm, adrenaline started to take over, but now, in the warmer walls of the mountain, it simmered down to a low pulse.
When far enough away, he started to carve out a small cave for himself, digging out enough room to make a small fire and to rest as the weather changed. He dug through the stone, and a soft, glowing light began to pour in through the cracks. It was subtle at first, just a strange blue glow that barely lit up the far corner of his makeshift base. But that was enough to spark curiosity. So he followed the light and dug through it. More of the blue glow opened up to the base and revealed the inner workings of a cave system deep within the base of the mountain.
“Huh,” Wemmbu spoke aloud. It seemed like it was the first time in hours that his mind wasn’t solely set for survival.
The blue glow came from an unknown block that Wemmbu couldn’t recognize, which lined the ceiling of the cave system. It was the shade of lapiz but looked more like crying obsidian and glowed like a sea lantern. It was as beautiful as it was strange.
He reached out and let a long, clawed finger trace the veins of blue, following it from one block to the other. There was a strange coolness to it, like touching the top of a shallow pond. As his finger passed across the surface, the stone began to glow a smidge brighter. His mind zeroed in on the confusing stone; he’d have to take some back for Egg to study when he was done in the End.
The blue stone stretched as far as the cave did, lighting a path in the system. Wemmbu had never seen anything quite like it before. The uniqueness of the glowing stone only fueled his curiosity; the exhaustion from earlier measly forgotten about in favor of a new adventure. This time away from the horrific storms that nearly made him go flying without the use of his wings.
“Hmmm,” Wemmbu started to investigate further. It was completely new to him, and in all honesty, it was hard to find things amusing with Eggchan gone. Smartness and studying weren’t his thing; he was more a think with your sword first kind of person than someone who took the time to actually sit and ponder. Egg would be proud that he’s actually taking his time to think for once.
Wemmbu studied where he was at before continuing, not wanting to end up dead by simply running into unknown territory. He was at a crossroads, landing in an already established part of the cave system. Two directions on display. The left is going up towards where he had possibly carved into, and the right sloping down further into the mountain. Not wanting to end up back at the face of the mountain, he turned down the right path.
The cave tunnel itself wasn’t strange, besides the weird glowing block, just a simple rock formation with the occasional dripstone overhead. However, it gave off an animous feeling.
Wemmbu had always trusted his gut, with his instincts being what had kept him alive up to this point. Well, that and his mostly unmatched PvP skills. With that, he knew the difference between a bad feeling telling him to run and others that told him where to turn. But the feeling was unlike the ones he felt before. It didn’t make his scales stand on end or his ears to pin back; it was simply a feeling.
It was hard to describe. It was familiar but foreign, something akin to deja vu. Like the feeling you have been somewhere before, even though you know you haven’t. But it wasn’t entirely like that. It was strange. Something instinctual was trying to tell him something, like a memory on the tip of your tongue. So close that you feel it in your head, but no matter how hard you think, you just can’t remember.
Shelving it away in the back of his mind for later, he continued walking further into the mountain, but the feeling just became stronger. It seemed to vibrate under his skin, and he could swear that it was messing with him. The glowing blocks seemed to get brighter the further he went, but when he would turn around back towards where he came from, the system was as evenly lit as like when he first happened upon it.
“This is actually weird, bro.” He mumbles to himself. Okay, the blue glowing blocks are definitely getting to him if he’s resorting to talking to himself in the absence of people. The annoying part of all this was that the feeling didn’t let up. If anything, it was creeping to an almost unsettling degree.
It pulled him along, not exactly telling him to continue, but more so directing him where to go. It almost felt like someone was beside him, walking with him, following their steps. Each breath they shared, each sound they made together, each step was taken together. It was like a trance. And no matter how hard he tried to explain it to himself, he couldn’t quite get the words right in his head.
If Egg were here, he would probably know, or at least have a guess as to what’s happening. And surely wouldn’t be as stupid to continue down the creepy, glowing cave. But Eggchan was here, and nothing told Wemmby to turn back. So he kept walking, guided by the blue stone and the strange feeling that seemed to engulf every part of him.
He had autonomy. He wasn’t Eggchan, but he also wasn’t stupid—completely. He would check to be sure that he was still in control of himself. He would stop randomly when his mind seemed to wander off a little too far, or he would step closer to the wall and drag his hand along the side of it.
It was weird, not exactly creepy; there was no thought of turning around, just simply weird. The cave didn’t call to him like in horror movies, nor did anything actually speak or possess him. He just didn’t have the will to turn around. Curiosity and sheer stubbornness were the only things keeping him going, because dammit, he had been walking for a long time now, and it would be pointless to turn around now.
So he kept walking, trying to admire the cave because Egg said that it would be good to actually take the time to appreciate things. Minute had a mantra similar to it, and it wasn’t like Wemmbu didn’t appreciate the weird but beautiful things unstable had to offer; he was just, most of the time, fighting for his life… or Egg’s. But he was trying this whole ‘be a better person’ thing, and listening to his friends' advice was probably the first step. And well, if Minute told him to do it, then he really probably should.
But as he kept walking further along the path, he was starting to get bored, and that curiosity from before was slowly fading. If it were anywhere else, in any other situation, he would have probably just turned around by now. And in all honesty, he doesn’t know why he won’t just turn around and find a place to sleep for a bit.
Stubbornness aside, if it weren’t for the strange feeling actively directing him further down the cave, he would’ve been back where we started, next to a nice cozy fire, drying off and trying to take a nap.
But no. He was tired, wet, and had been walking in a straight line for who knows how long.
But he didn’t turn back, and honestly, he’s glad he didn’t because as he went deeper into the cave, more of the bluish stone began to appear. The environment was shifting. Starting from just the lining of the ceiling to taking up more room on the walls of the cave. It was a subtle start, and if he wasn’t actively trying to ‘admire’ it, he would have most likely missed the way the stone seemed to slowly take up more space in the cave.
The further he went, the more room the stone took up, and the slow-growing became more rampant. Going from a twenty-minute walk of him watching it slowly inch its way down the wall to more and more coverage. By the time it covered the entire top half of the cave, Wemmbu realized that it was shining more brightly than before.
Taking a step closer to inspect it again. Wemmbu watched as small particles danced off the veins where the blue light glowed in the stone. And like before, he allowed a clawed finger to touch; this time, the stone not only glowed brighter where his finger was, but the particles seemed to chase him.
Watching closely, he saw the particles touch his skin; they sat on top for a mere second before fusing with him. The way the particles absorbed into his skin reminded him of the way snowflakes melt in the palm of your hand. It was soft and warm, which definitely contrasted with the cool touch of the stone’s surface. He pulled away quickly— curious, not stupid— not knowing the effects a weird glowing rock could have on him.
He took a step away from the wall, getting more towards the center of the cave tunnel. Staring in amazement at the way the particle continued to follow him. He should probably turn around about now, but something told him that he was closer to the end of the cave, and he really doesn’t want to walk another couple of hours with no reward. Because if he turns around now, he won’t have anything to brag about when he gets home.
So he walks on. Ignoring the way the particles follow him and the abundance of more particles joining the previous ones.
The parcels acted like dropped experience, following the player to a certain point until the player is out of reach, before simply going back to floating peacefully next to the glowing stone. The weirdness of the stone didn’t deter him from continuing, but it definitely made him quicken his pace. Which would’ve been fine, but he was still absorbing the particles, and the glowing stone continued to infest the walls of the cave. Now taking up most of the walls and still creeping down as Wemmbu pushed on.
He should definitely turn around. Whatever was at the end of this tunnel was not worth whatever he is absorbing at the moment. Especially because the feeling hadn’t gone away, and it still stuck to him.
The feeling stuck to him with even more intensity as he slowly, now slightly faster, was reaching his destination. If his instincts weren’t screaming at him before, they definitely are now. And maybe he is being possessed by the damn cave because he ignores himself and follows along the invisible rope that keeps pulling him forward.
“It's fine,” He reasons with himself, still walking at a slightly fast pace. “This is for like Eggchan’s research or something.”
He simply tried to reason with himself, but it was hard to trust himself when he kept going further into the cave that was probably trying to kill him, because who would do that?
Wemmbu apparently, and that thought made him chuckle to himself. Because all this couldn’t be for nothing. He could stumble upon a new ore that could be better than netherite. Or he could stumble across some random player’s lost treasure. There are a thousand good possibilities out there, but the one thing Wemmbu knew for certain at this very moment was that he was never going adventuring alone again.
The cave began to pivot. He was on a steady downhill climb for a while, following the path, no turns or anything. Which,h for a while, made him wonder how big the mountain he was in actually was, but like everything in the cave so far, he learned to accept what was in front of him as simply part of the weird biome generation. But now they were changing directions; it was subtle but noticeable. And with the blue stone now encasing pretty much all the cave, he probably wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t walking in a strict straight line for the entirety of his descent.
The turn led him further down, this time steeper than before, where he had to do that awkward downhill walk that always made him feel like he was going to slip. Since the cave was turning, the end of the tunnel wasn’t as clear to see. Whereas before, it was just the endless glowing lights of the brightening rock.
He managed to stumble down the steep part of the cave, at times using his wings to gain balance. At the bottom, the cave steered off to a sharp left,t making Wemmbu hesitate. Something was there. This time, he could hear it.
Throughout his entire time walking through the cave, the sounds were nothing of note. Just generic Unstable cave sounds. Stuff like the rhythmic drops of water from the occasional dripstone, the eerie quietness of the darkness, even the gentle hum of the glowing stone, wasn’t much of note.
But the sound around the corner was something foreign, much like the rest of the cave. It was a soft whistle like a chime, similar to the clinking of jewelry on iron armer.
He approached where he was only a corner away from the sounds. The feeling now at its peak. Someone was there with him, but not physically. He could feel how familiar they were, not so much a person he had met but someone he knew deeply. He couldn’t place it.
The feeling burned. He was with someone. Someone who was doing everything he was doing, but at the same time not exactly. Their thought process was different. Their motivation was different. Everything screamed different while it all whispered the same.
Wemmbu turned the corner with his breath held.
Coming into a hollowed-out part of the cave with nowhere else to go. The dead end reached up tall, but was simply just a room, not very wide nor very deep, just tall. The blue stone was at its brightest and fully encompassed the entirety of the cave now, except for a single pillar of rock. It stretched to the ceiling but was only around three blocks wide.
And much like everything else he has discovered thus far, it was unlike anything he has ever seen. The stone seemed to be absorbing the particles like he was, but also had a slight glow as well. It was near white with a surface like stained glass.
Wemmbu stepped further inside the cave. The second his feet entered, the feeling that had been pestering him came to an immediate halt. The sudden loss left him a bit stunned, like he could breathe a little more clearly. The feeling dispersing also made him a bit more aware of his surroundings, the chill in the cave, the warmth of the particles, and even the smooth surface of the glowing floor.
He no longer felt strange; he felt aware and ready.
Another couple of steps brought him to the face of the singular stone in the center, and as his gaze fell upon it, he saw himself.
But not exactly.
The reflection was wrong. It wasn’t him. Not exactly, anyway.
They weren’t wearing the same clothes. His reflection also didn’t have wings or the same lizard-like tail. His tail was shorter and much thinner with a singular spade-shaped spike on the end. The reflection’s horns were also shorter and further up his head. He had fewer sharp teeth, only two resting K9’s that glinted when his reflection smiled at him. His clothing was sharper, more militaristic, and dry. His hair was intracly braid and rounded into a bun. He appeared taller, harsher.
Everything about the Wemmbu in front of him screamed different.
They didn’t move in unison. The other blinked at him while he only stared. The person in front of him smirked in a way that sparked unease, while his own mouth hung slightly open.
Wemmbu, the real Wemmbu, took a step away, confusion and pure shock filled every pore in his body. He couldn’t grasp what was in front of him. It wasn’t him. Couldn’t be him.
Then the Wemmbu that was in the rock brought a hand up to the pale surface. The print of his palm was pressed up against the rock like Wemmbu was peering at the backside of glass.
The guy on the other side of the rock leaned in closer to where his hand had made contact. The interaction was intimate as if it were only the other guy and the rock. He peered through it like Wemmbu seemed to be just a point to get to. There was a moment that Wemmbu observed as his reflection pressed harder against his side of the rock. A wicked smile stretched across the other’s lips, and then the other hand followed. The other guy pushed against his side of the glass again, his smile stretching a little wider.
Wemmbu took another step backwards, and his footing slipped, too shocked to catch himself. He hits the ground hard, but his head was not on the distant pain. It was focused on everything else.
The particles around him seemed to ignite, dancing around him like blades of fire. They licked at him faster, like they were trying to consume him. The chimes from before became deafening, and the warmth of the room became uncomfortable.
His reflection brought his hands back from the rock, and with his head thrown back in a similar way that Wemmbu does when he’s laughing, the reflection balled up his fists and hammered them down into the rock's smooth surface.
The rock shattered immediately. Thousands of tiny shards of fine white crystal flew around the cave. The glowing stone blew white, and dust scattered, making it impossible to see in the room. But Wemmbu heard it. A distant huff and the sound of a heel clinking on broken glass.
Then an all too familiar laugh.
The dust settled around him, clearing the view enough for Wemmbu to make out the figure before him. The player who was in the pale stone, not even a minute ago, towered over him. He appeared exactly like he did moments before; taller, harsher, and a dark aura surrounded him like a ghost.
The blue particles floated between the two of them, being absorbed through each of their bodies. The light that was being admitted bounced off the settling dust and reflected from the broken shards of crystal, making blue light illuminate the entirety of the room. The blinding white from before settled down to a brighter thrum from the glowing stone.
The room seemed less angry, or at the very least, just as confused as he was.
Wemmbu was still on the ground, emobile be shear confusion and shock, his heart rate picked up, and his breathing began to quicken. Not like panic, this wasn’t fear, but more similar to the anticipation of a fight. The reflection stood above him, investigating the room. He raked the room, black eyes slowly tracing the corners of the blue stone.
Wemmbu watched him. He studied the way his reflection’s gaze made way to what was left of the tall rock that was centered in the room. It stopped for a moment and made a slight noncommittal sound.
Speaking of the rock, it looked to be completely shattered. What seemed to remain were small crystals scattered around the cave’s floor like glass and the plume of smoky dust that had fallen to thick fog floating a couple of inches from the floor. His reflection, or whoever this was, stood in the middle of it all. Exactly where the rock used to be.
The other’s gaze fell onto him, and it scanned him from top to bottom. It looked as if its eyes were ingesting him with the way the smirk from before never seemed to fade. The smile itself was humorless. He knew because it was the same one he’d throw at random players that pissed him off. But the difference was that this guy’s expression held weight.
It was humiliating. This new guy, who looked like a twisted version of him, breaks a rock and stands above him. Never once during his time on Unstable has he had a good experience with someone who looked down upon him.
And the other Wemmbu did just that. With his own face. With his own eyes. It was enough of a threat to get Wemmbu to his feet.
The reflection shifted the room again by taking a step closer to the other. It’s boot crushed the crystal shards down to a powder as he began to make his way towards the other man. The blue particles jumped up with each step he made. Dancing around him like a spotlight on a performer. It was intimidating with a clean precision. It controlled the room with confidence.
Wemmbu, however, wouldn’t allow this stranger the upper hand. He may believe he has control simply by being calmer, but Wemmbu was powerful.
“Mmmmmm.” The reflection clicked his tongue like the guy in front of him was a spectacle. “Who are you?”
The question was abrupt and straight to the point. The reflection stared at him again, although they were now at similar heights. He couldn’t make it out when he was obstructed on the floor, but they were the same height. Their eyes meet each other's to a point. The stranger was less intimidating when he was literally on equal footing.
“Aaaaaww, what’s the fun in that?” Wemmbu didn’t give a straight answer. He straightened up more as he allowed the silence to pass through them. He wasn’t going to allow this guy to dictate to him. Answering would give information, and if being around Egg has taught him literally anything, it is that people crave information.
“I don’t like asking twice.” Its voice came out low and stern. They shared the same face, besides a couple of distinct differences; the stranger had these scars on the bottom of his jaw. The were an off-white that contrasted with its purple skin. That was another thing, its skin wasn’t as vibrant as his own. Having a certain grey cast across it.
The reflection huffed at the lingering silence in the room. Familiar eyes narrowed, and then it slowly started to circle Wemmbu. It seemed as if it was inspecting him, as if he was worth the hassle of a conversation. And that definitely irritated him.
“I guess that’s too bad, bro.” Wemmbu shrugged, following the reflection as he prowled around him. He was going to handle this like he had handled every situation he had before. By making things up as he went. “I’m wondering the same thing.”
“Who are you?” The reflection stopped. The phrase was said more slowly, as if it was losing its patience. They were closer now, almost uncomfortably close. The entrance to the rest of the cave was just behind the reflection, the archway sprinkling warm, glowing particles down on them.
“I thought you weren’t one to ask twice.” Wemmbu laughed. The other leaned in closer, its smirk shaping more into a sneer.
“To be honest, bro. For someone who thinks they look so intimidating… You don’t really pay attention much.” Wemmbu whipped his stab shot in the direction of the reflection.
An immediate blast struck through the mountain, creating a crater from the top of the mountain down to bedrock. Revealing that they were only about tenish blocks from the bottom of the world. A lot lower down than initially anticipated.
The lucky guy managed to jump back, not completely unfazed as its eyes blew wide and a huffed sound sprang from its lips. It had ended up falling back into the tunnel of the cave system, right at the entrance of the opening. It used its sharp nails to gain purchase on the wall. Digging them deep into the glowing wall to stop it from making contact with the floor.
Wemmbu took that momentary time to splash his potions. Using the shock from the blast to prepare himself before spreading his wings and shooting up to the tall part of the cave. His mace in hand weighting for the stranger to step into view. “C’mon, men buddy. Where’s all that confidence now?”
The reflection jumped over the mouth of the crater, holding onto a shield and sword. A wicked grin up to his eyes on his face. It laughed loudly and boisterously, staring up at Wemmbu, who bulleted down with his mace. He made contact with the shield,d and the momentum sent him back up into the air. The reflection stumbled back, eyes going wide, but the smile only seemed to stretch wider.
“How enticing.” It commented like it was admiring him. Or his weapons.
Wemmbu didn’t allow it to keep thinking, ranging for another attack, he flew around to get in position. He used a rocket to slam another hit into its shield, but the angle of the shield shifted. It was still an impactful hit, but when the momentum came rushing back through, what would have usually sent him back into the air had him flailing back into the cave’s wall. Blue particles are spraying out like a fountain, encompassing Wemmbu in its warm light.
He pushed off the wall with his foot, pitching his wings back, and tried to strike the guy with his sword. Using the speed to try to catch it by surprise. The reflection caught on and pivoted on the heel of its boot, turning enough to only let the sword bounce off its armer.
Wemmbu planted his feet and changed direction. He brought his sword, threw a slashing motion, only to be quickly parried by a downward stroke from the stranger. It took a step forward, taking charge of the fight, twisting its wrist, and another swivel of its sword tried to make contact with his arm. Wemmbu parried quickly and pushed off the ground back into the air. This time, not wasting time, he plummeted back onto the stranger with his mace.
Sounds of metal on metal filled and echoed across the cave. Sparks of netherite on netherite only add to the obedience of light flickering around. The blue particles started to pick up with the fight. Floating around in a flurry with the rapid tension of the fight. The earlier resting fog from the ground bounced up as boots ignited it.
The cave was filled with lights and dust, but it didn’t distract the two bodies fighting. Adrenaline was pumping through both of them, and Wemmbu could feel it. Feel how similar they were.
Whoever was in front of him seemed to know him in only one way of thinking. It couldn’t predict what he was going to do next, not exactly, but it was almost like the stranger knew his thought process. Like the pending time between strikes was just its calculation.
Wemmbu was powerful, but the space left little to his weapons, and the stranger caught him because he directed the fight into the tunnel system. Wemmbu would shoot up and plummet down towards the shield to have only hit the ground as the stranger would step out of the way and immediately swamp him with fast-hitting sword attacks.
Upon a very miscalculated mace, the stranger had managed to push him into the tunnel system of the cave. This limited what he was able to do. Stab shots were risking his own life, and the ceiling was way too low for any type of aerial attack. If he couldn’t get back into the rock room, he’d probably lose.
“I think I’m starting to understand.” A sword came down fast, hitting him on the right shoulder. To make up for the hit, the Wemmbu swung hard, landing a slash to the other's chestplate. It was getting harder to keep up. Without being in the air, there was really no way for Wemmbu to regain lost energy.
They’ve been dancing around each other. Both are taking and dealing hits to the other. If a stranger were to observe the two, it would’ve been a beautiful sight. Soft particles flaring around in a beautiful display of light, dust clouding the entire cave system, and sparks flying from netherrite. Truly entrancing.
“No need to be so cryptic, man.” Wemmbu managed to block a pretty heavy axe hit with his shield, but the stranger didn’t let up. It switched to its sword and swiped at Wemmbu’s legs. Managing a quick parry, he flew back. “Why don’t you share with the class?”
The stranger laughed, throwing its head back as it took another swing, this time to his chestplate. Wemmbu jumped back to dodge; however, in the heat of the moment, he misjudged his distance, and his wings brushed against the wall of the cave.
“I would’ve figured if I had solved the puzzle, you would’ve too.” The stranger advanced in a single world of particles, fast and calculated.
“Whatever, bro.” Wemmbu took a step forward as well, trying to separate himself from the wall. The moment of lapsed judgement caused the other to land his already bruised shoulder, causing a grunt of pain.
The stranger swiped again, but it was parried. They held that position, both putting force down on the other’s sword, causing a sort of stalemate. Sweat beaded down Wemmbu’s brow, falling onto his opened lips as he panted deeply.
They were so close. Black eyes staring at black eyes. The same face staring at him. Oh.
A kick landed on his stomach, causing Wemmbu to hit the wall hard. The air in his lungs immediately collapsed, and his head spun upon impact. Particles burst around him, swallowing him whole. It was bright and violent. They swirled with a new fury before settling on him.
The stranger, he, took no time in advancing.
A hand flew to his throat and gripped hard. Wemmbu choked out a pained sound, and the hand only clasped harder. He looked up, meeting his own eyes in the process.
“I see we have come to the same conclusion, huh?” The head in front of him tilted. The grin from earlier melted into something smaller, more controlled. But somehow more intimidating. Wemmbu attempted to hit him with his sword, only to be struck out of his hand by the other’s. “I didn’t think I could be this slow.”
Wemmbu growled at what he now knew was himself. Flashing his sharp teeth at him because with his airway restricted, the way it was made it difficult to utter anything. He couldn’t breathe fully, so he focused on mostly taking in heavy, deep breaths whenever the hand slacked.
His eyes were drifting off; he was losing focus as less oxygen made its way to his brain. The blue stones glowed brighter with a brand new intensity. It’s particles swarming them like a hive of bees, then being sucked and absorbed by their bodies.
“Now, now. You should stay focused.” The other Wemmbu removed his hand from his neck. He took a greedy gulp of air as it all came rushing back to him once. But relief didn’t even have time to settle because the hand returned this time taking purchase on his jaw. Sharp nails, not claws, dug into the skin.
“Isn’t this just fascinating?” The other Wemmbu’s grip tightened, and he rotated the other’s head from side to side. analyzing him. He laughed to himself as Wemmbu began to struggle under him. He brought Wemmbu’s face forward, then slammed him back down against the rocky wall. Not violently, but enough to send the message. “Aren’t you curious as to why I’m here?”
“I’d be more open to answering questions if you let me go.” Wemmbu spat at the other.
“So irritating. However, I can’t be too surprised. You are me after all.” The other brought him closer for another inspection. “Or some version of me.”
“Bro, you’re some version of me!” Wemmbu yelled out, this time trying to kick at the guy holding him, but the nails in his jaw only dug in deeper. “You literally entered my world!”
“As it seems.” The other gave a humorous laugh. Reaching with his other hand to Wemmbu’s hair, grasping a thick strand that had fallen in front of his face, between his thumb and index finger. He twirlled it with his fingers, watching the way it moved.
“Bro, let me go.”
“So strange, isn’t it?” He spoke so softly, knowing that he had complete control. Wemmbu began to struggle more as the other continued to toy with him.
Wemmbu was seriously starting to freak out. Even with the adrenaline running through him, which usually made him not think too hard about what was happening in the current, it was becoming harder not to become concerned.
He was staring at himself. Confirmed that this was himself. So many questions left unanswered simply by the impossibility of holding his face.
He’s never taking Egg’s advice on adventuring again.
A sharp sound pulled him from his thoughts, refocusing on the other Wemmbu in front of him. The guy had taken a step back, not releasing him, but creating space. A look spread across his face as his eyes darted around them.
Curiously, Wemmbu became aware of his surroundings and just how warm he was. Uncomfortably warm. The particles were coming at them with a renewed fury. Fluttering around almost violently while the blue stone shone impossibly bright. There was an intense buzzing as well, which Wemmbu could only assume came from the stone.
“What the fuck?” He gasped out.
The stone wasn’t just bright, but was getting increasingly brighter. More particles flowing from the blue veins and being swallowed by them. The rest of the cave was practically out of sight with how bright the blocks around them were getting.
Wemmbu began to struggle more against the other. He kicked and squirmed with everything he had, and with the distraction of the room, he managed to wiggle himself free. The nails, once embedded in his face, scratched across his jaw. But he was free.
He stumbled for a second but gained balanced on the wall. Looking back at the other Wemmbu, he watched as the other was solely focused on what was going around them. Taking advantage, Wemmbu dove for his fallen sword, gripping it tightly as it made contact with his hand. Then, without thinking, he lunged towards himself.
The other Wemmbu, out of the corner of his eyes, sensed the movement. His focus shifted, and with his own sword swung harshly. The second the blades made contact. The room exploded white. Engulfing both of them in an intense, bright light.