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Nufuli stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the void hole below.
He wasn’t scared, he had done this before, ironically with Evpark back when Ep had just gotten the restrictor. He stared deeply into the depths of the void, thinking about what had started this in the first place.
“Is this what it is?” Loonac asked, peering over the ledge across from Nufuli. He almost flinched at the sight of the void, not wanting to relive those memories. The void was a cold place.
“Yeah, this-this is it. We uh- jump down and tick down to half a heart and then it transports us to the infinites” Nufuli replied, refraining himself from looking at Loonac. He felt like shit, everything he’s done. Everything seemed to be going wrong since he was revived. Loonac…He never meant for Evpark to come, hell he knew the risks of going to Loonac yet he still let himself follow Doopter.
Loonac stepped back.
The void was cold.
“That’s where it led?” Loonac groaned, his eyes darting between Doopter and Nuf. He scoffed, “Ye-yeah yeah no I’m, not doing that. I am not going in there.”
Nufuli kept his eyes fixed on the chasm, stones crumbling off the edge.
“Well you know how crazy this server is–”
“Oh no, I believe you. I believe that,” Loonac blurted, walking over towards Nuf and peering over the edge once more. His head spun the more he let himself drown his eyesight in that place. Loonac pulled his scarf over his nose, blocking Nufuli from seeing his even paler face.
Doopter stood across from the duo, his hand trembling but his smile still as bright as ever. He…didn’t mean things to go so bad. He didn’t expect, didn’t want to believe that EvPark would have followed them. He got so carried away with trying to boost Nufuli’s morale, that he briefly forgot about reality. The reality that seemed to be crumbling before his very eyes.
He shakily floated around the edge of the hole, listening in on Nuf and Loonac’s conversation.
“Im not going in there with you,” Loonac scanned Nufuli’s being. He looked scared, tired, and lifeless. Loonac knew, if he went in there with Nufuli, he wouldn't come back. Somehow he would end up dying for someone else’s mess, Nufuli’s mess. The glowing red hearts on Nuf’s neck pulsed, two of them. Nufuli had mentioned that he was revived, he now knows how it feels.
How cold it is.
Doopter stopped wandering around the chasm, stepping on a blue tulip. Loonac? Why would Loonac stay? Yeah he understands why Loonac doesn’t particularly like Nufuli but, the world was literally dying!
Nufuli blinked in confusion, Loonac had come all this way after everything, only to abandon him? Nufuli’s stomach condensed as Loonac stared up at him, his blue eyes resembling more of a lark grey.
“That’s what the infinites are? Yeah, no way. I’ve been entertaining this thought for a while but uh-I’m not coming with you,” Loonac continued to step back, playfully waving his sword at the death trap. He placed down an echest and sat on it, unmoving.
Nufuli wilted at the reply. Anger–no, a harmony of fear and sorrow doused his body. “You’re not coming with us? O-or you’re just not coming with us to the infinites? I-mean that’s fine if you don’t want to come I understand but it would really help–”
“NO Nufuli i’m not coming with you, not just to the infinites. I’m done. I'm done with you,” Loonac snapped back, inspecting his own sword.
“But we’re saving the world–” Doopter spouted, his voice breaking. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. Loonac wasn’t supposed to do this, he was supposed to help Nufuli not….this….
Loonac thrusted his sword into the ground, shifting to face Doopter. He lifted himself off the echest, “Screw the world! The world needs saving and it’s not going to be me. If you end up saving it, congratulations, you’re the hero of the server again. But, I am not following you there.” Loonac would rather die by the server imploding, or whatever it does, then follow Nufuli and his play hero act. He’s done this before, he knows how this dance goes. He’s not stupid, he knows that if he went down there then he would just end up dead like all the times before.
Nufuli forced a smile, his eyes glossing over. Shit why was he being so emotional?
“I-I-I understand why you’re angry with me and why you don't want to but, don’t you think you’re going a little over the top?” Nufuli replied, keeping his fragile composure.
Doopted faded away from Loonac, he had guessed wrong thinking that this interaction would help Nufuli’s well-being. He fidgeted with his hands, his light blue skin turning almost emerald in the sun’s golden rays. He didn’t know what to say, he didnt…know what to say…
Loonac whipped his head around, locking onto Nufuli.
“Over the top…fuck you Nufuli,” Loonac scoffed, puching Nufuli back. “Yeah, yeah put my life in danger again! Lets go jump into the mysterious void hole and see what happens, Nufuli! Yay! Let’s see what happens! Let’s see what fucking happens!” Loonac shouted, pushing Nuf back harder and harder with each line.
Nufuli just stared. He couldn’t push back, he didn’t want to push back. He didn’t want to make things worse by resisting. He…just wanted to go home, wherever that was…
“Okay.” Nufuli choked out, swallowing his tears and standing firm once again.
Doopter stood silent, not knowing what to say. He couldn't help but to blame this on himself, he should have listened to Nufuli and never brought him to Loonac.
Through deep breaths Loonac shouted one last time,
“You–you’re just gonna die again! Eventually you’re going to become so obsessed with whatever the hell you’re trying to do, you’re going to end up freezing up and dying again! And it’s none of my business!"
Loonac turned away, grabbing his sword from the earth and picking up his echest with grit teeth,
“Goodbye I guess,” Nufuli mumbled, not daring to look at his old….aquaintance.
Loonac paused, crushing an orchid beneath his feet. “Bye,” he responded soullessly, not giving Nuf the pleasure of seeing his face again.
Nufuli stared at the crushed orchid as the stranger took flight, disappearing into the crimson skies.
Out of impulse Doopter said, “That was sudden…”
“Yeah,” Nuf responded.
The sounds of the wind rustling through the long grass veiled the island in an uncanny sense of serenity.
After what felt like hours Nuf asked, “Ready to go?” He turned towards the hole.
“Yeah let’s uh, let's go,”
“Damn, I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t work,” Loonac mumbled, putting away his spyglass and taking to the skies once more.