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[THE START OF THE DAY.]
REAL WORLD TIME - 12:00 AM
Avery and Derek stood in an entirely new Minecraft world with their hardcore hearts, the two here for one more day before they lose to The King in Yellow. One more day to have eachother, one more day to come up with something…
The two stood in the middle of a giant grassy biome with a ton of trees, with barely any mobs visible from where they stood. Avery looked up in game, and began to type:
<TheMostMayo> One more day
<d3rlord3> Yep.
<TheMostMayo> Are you mad at me?
<d3rlord3> Never. Just trying to come up with something.
<d3rlord3> I was going to sacrifice myself back there. But now that won't work. So what else?
<TheMostMayo> Maybe we don't have to think about it!
<TheMostMayo> I mean, we have 24 hours.
<TheMostMayo> We could have some fun, explore a bit!
<TheMostMayo> Besides, I have an idea anyways. I'll tell you at sundown irl!
Derek wasn't quite sure how to respond…knowing Avery, he'd just give himself up, wouldn't he? To save him? He was usually so predictable, but the way he was writing gave off…a different tone. Derek sighed as he wrote out:
<d3rlord3> Alright then. What do we want to do first?
<TheMostMayo> Let's get work on building a house for the both of us! You get the wood, I'll get the wool for beds.
<d3rlord3> Alright, meet you in this area soon?
<TheMostMayo> Yep! Cya soon, Derek!
Avery ran off, as Derek began to chop down trees. As time passed on, Derek began to realize there was a sinking pit in his stomach, a feeling he couldn't let go of. He wasn't sure where it came from, but he felt like something was going to go wrong.
After an hour, Avery ran back to Derek, who was staring on the foundation of the house.
<TheMostMayo> Hey, Derek! I got the wool! Got some food alongside it too!
<d3rlord3> Great. Did you do it all without a weapon? That must've taken some time.
<TheMostMayo> Oh not long at all! I just saw something cool and wanted to make sure I remembered where it was. I'll show you when we're done with the house.
<d3rlord3> Alright. Well, let's get that finished then.
And so, the two of them finished up the house. It had no true roof, no glass, and it was rather basic, but this was going to be their home for the rest of the day, and the sun in Minecraft was already starting to set.
After finishing the house and making sure it was all set up, Avery lead Derek out of the house, and brought him to a large lake, the two standing on the stand. The water looked impossible almost, as if it were an endless abyss.
<d3rlord3> Woah.
<TheMostMayo> Isn't it so pretty?
<d3rlord3> You could say that. This can't generate normally, right?
<TheMostMayo> It can't?
<d3rlord3> It…doesn't look natural, atleast. It reminds me of some rumor I heard about a bit back.
<TheMostMayo> Wait, wait, The Leviathan right?! That scared me senseless!
<d3rlord3> Yeah, that's it. Obviously not real, how could it be, but it's interesting how Hastur decided to copy the rumor.
<TheMostMayo> Heh, imagine we find Herobrine here, ooooo~
Derek rolled his eyes at Avery's tease with a slight chuckle, before going back to thinking about the water. Why DID Hastur copy it? Knowing what else he could do, maybe he should just enter the water, see if-
No. What was he thinking? He didn't have anything that'd help him explore, he'd just drown and then…he'd lose his chance to be with Avery again. He looked over at Avery, who was also staring into the water now.
<TheMostMayo> We should go to sleep, right?
<d3rlord3> Real life, or in game?
<TheMostMayo> In game. You can't even look away from your computer, remember?
<d3rdlord3> No, but you can.
There was a pause before Avery sent a response to that:
<TheMostMayo> I was alone all of today. And maybe that's partly my fault but I still want to spend as much time as I can with you.
<TheMostMayo> So let me do that, please?
<d3rlord3> Well, this may be our last day, I guess our health doesn't matter right now.
And so, the two went to their beds, where they slept for the in-game night, and spent a bit of time chatting, getting to know eachother. Their favorite colors, animals, foods, drinks…the two's bond grew.
[THE HUNT.]
REAL WORLD TIME - 2:00 AM
Avery and Derek were realizing their current in-game food rations were running a bit low, and so the two agreed to go out and search for some food, They luckily got atleast stone tools from a mountain nearby, no way they were getting much better then that in a singular day.
Derek and Avery agreed to split up, and the two began their search for more food. Derek took his time, scouting for as much food as possible. Killing animals, trying to get apples from trees, attempting to see if there was a village nearby, but in the end he didn't come out with much luck.
It took him a few hours before he threw in the towel and returned to the spot he and Avery split up at…where Avery was already standing. Almost as if he never left, but Derek SAW him leave, so…
<TheMostMayo> You done?
<d3rlord3> Yeah. You have as bad of luck as me?
<TheMostMayo> No, actually. I got a lot of my inventory filled!
…Interesting. It's not impossible for the way Avery went to have more mobs, but he still didn't see that may around them.
<d3rlord3> Really? Where did you find them?
<TheMostMayo> Oh, I went FAR out, I may have eaten some of the stuff I got because I was running so much, lol.
<d3rlord3> That's alright, so long you don't die. We should go back to our base.
<TheMostMayo> Wait, can we go to the lake first?
<d3lord3> I mean, sure. It's a pretty sight.
Quickly, Avery ran over in the direction of the lake, Derek quickly catching up as the two of them approached the lake again, standing in the same spots as last time. The two of them stared into the water as Derek's thoughts began to wander yet again. He got curious, and so checked their current coordinates. Sure enough, the lake was rather close to the 20,000 ~ 20,000 mark.
<d3rlord3> We're actually quite close to 20,000 ~ 20,000.
…Silence. Avery was simply standing there, staring into the water. Derek punched him playfully, which got his attention back.
<d3rlord3> You alive, Avery?
<TheMostMayo> Yeah, sorry, I zoned out is all. We are quite close to the mark, aren't we?
<d3rlord3> Yep. He got the story down quite accurately.
As soon as Derek sent that, a message popped up from Avery that make Derek think.
<TheMostMayo> Do you think it's possible Hastur didn't make this?
Derek paused…he supposed it wasn't IMPOSSIBLE but how else would this be here. This can't happen naturally, someone had to of made it.
<d3rlord3> Who else could have made it?
<TheMostMayo> I don't know. It's just something I thought of.
<d3rlord3> It doesn't feel impossible, but I just can't get that concept. If it wasn't Hastur, someone else would of had to make it. And this world didn't exist before that.
There was a pause, before the two silently decided to go back to their bases for the in game night. As the screen faded to black, Derek began to think about what Avery had said. He couldn't wrap his head around the concept, and yet something inside him knew Avery had some point behind what he said. Derek was thinking so hard that he didn't realize that the screen…stayed black. He quickly woke up in game to see that Avery wasn't in bed unlike he thought he was.
REAL WORLD TIME - 4:00 AM
Derek went out searching for Avery, despite the fact he couldn't see anything in the dark of the night. He walked in the grassy biome for a while before spotting Avery in the distance, and ran towards him. He approached him as he noticed Avery was…hunting again. Avery picked up the feather and food the chicken had left behind, before turning around and noticing Derek.
<TheMostMayo> Oh, hey Derek!
<TheMostMayo> I realized we were still a bit low on food.
<d3rlord3> We could have just waited for the morning.
<d3rlord3> We don't know what mobs spawn at night.
<TheMostMayo> Right, I'm sorry for confusing you. We can go back to the base now.
Avery began walking back to the base, his sword in hand, jumping as he walked while Derek simply walked behind him. Derek began to think, he KNEW how much food there was in that chest, it was almost full! There was some other reason Avery was killing more mobs, and he needed to find out before the day ended. The two went to sleep, and as the screen faded to black, Derek sighed. He knew that something was wrong, but he couldn't wrap around what.
[THE VILLAGE.]
REAL WORLD TIME - 4:50 AM
The two of them spent most of the third day searching for a village, making sure to keep track of the path to their base. It took a bit, but after 50 whole minutes, they sure found one. Destroyed, but better then nothing.
<TheMostMayo> Wow. You think Hastur did all of this?
<d3rlord3> That'd make the most sense.
<TheMostMayo> When has this whole thing had sense?
<d3rlord3> Yeah, true. Let's see if there's anything in the houses.
The two yet again split up, looking around in the village chests. That was until Derek heard the noise of a villager being killed in a nearby house. He ran over in time to find Avery walk out of it.
<d3rlord3> What was that?
<TheMostMayo> A useless villager is all, lol.
<d3rlord3> Bad trades?
<TheMostMayo> Exactly. I found a bit of gold in a chest though! We can probably upgrade atleast our swords.
<d3rlord3> Alright, cool. Let's keep looking.
The two continued searching in separate houses, Derek ignoring any noises of villagers dying…until it got almost constant. How many villagers was Avery finding? They all had bad trades? No. He was wanting to hurt something. In chat, Derek decided to check up on him.
<d3rlord3> Dude, you know if you're angry you can say it right?
<d3rlord3> You're killing way too much to just be bad trades.
<TheMostMayo> I'm not angry. Keep searching.
The words shocked Derek a bit, Avery was never this direct before he pleaded for one more day with him. Cautious, he continued to search the chests until each one was empty.
REAL WORLD TIME - 5:10 AM
Besides apples, carrots, and bread, the chests didn't have much note worthy inside of them besides a few bits of gold. They could certainly upgrade their axes and shovels now too so long they had enough sticks, hell maybe even make a bit of armor.
<TheMostMayo> Are you done?
Another blunt message. Derek exited the house he was in and nodded in game.
<TheMostMayo> Great! What did you get?
<d3rlord3> Some gold and food. Can probably upgrade all our weapons and maybe make armor if we end up with enough.
<TheMostMayo> Oh that's just amazing! Let's get back to the base, I don't wanna be late to seeing the lake.
<d3rlord3> Oh, we're going there again?
<TheMostMayo> Of course we are! It's like a tradition at this point!
The two walked back to the base, upgrading their weaponry and making the both of them a set of helmets before running out of gold. Afterwards, Avery automatically went to the lake…but Derek hesitated. The lake was beginning to feel suspicious, corrupting, tempting. But he couldn't just not go, right? Avery was waiting for him. Slowly, he left the base and went to the lake, where Avery was standing in Derek's spot. Derek simply took the spot Avery usually stood in, and the two stared into the water yet again.
<TheMostMayo> Can I ask a question?
<d3rlord3> What is it?
<TheMostMayo> Do you believe anything can happen if you believe hard enough? That if you just have enough fate, that can be enough power to defy fate?
Derek wasn't sure how to respond. He knew of everything that would happen, the truth of the universe, so much about Avery…but he began to realize he never saw all of this happening. He didn't know Avery would beg, he didn't know they'd get one last they, and he surely didn't know this lake would be here.
<d3rlord3> Maybe. I never knew this all would happen after all.
<TheMostMayo> You didn't?
<d3lord3> Nope, Infinite knowledge my ass.
<TheMostMayo> Lol
…Did Hastur even know this was happening? That Avery was slowly becoming this blunt and stern person, this person that's LOOKING for things to kill in a block game to express…something? Derek only came out of this interaction with questions as Avery continued to stare into the lake.
<TheMostMayo> Another question. Do you believe in monsters?
<d3rlord3> Hard not to after what I've seen.
<TheMostMayo> Lol, fair, fair.
There was silence between the two for a few minutes, just staring into the lake's depths. Avery took a step back in game, before pausing yet again.
<TheMostMayo> I don't think my original plan will work anymore.
<d3rlord3> Of course.
<TheMostMayo> But I have a new plan. Meet me her at the same time I told you earlier. You remember, right?
<d3rlord3> Sundown, in real life. I remember.
<TheMostMayo> Perfect. I promise, I think this could work.
The two of them began returning to their base…but Derek began to wonder, what could Avery's plan be? The day is almost over, and as soon as it was, Hastur would return and take Avery as a vessel, so what could they do to stop him? The two went into their beds, the screen fading to black…and when it went back to normal, Avery was almost instantly out of the base with zero words.
[THE LAKE.]
REAL WORLD TIME - 6:00 AM
Derek decided to stay in the base today, the day was close to ending, what could Avery pull this late into it? Derek's worries only increased as the clock slowly approached 8…
REAL WORLD TIME - 7:00 AM
He had been pacing around the inside and outside of the house, worried. He hadn't seen any chats from Avery that entire time, and he never returned to the base. Derek thought about going to the lake now but…no, it was too early. He decided to simply wait in the base until the time reached…
REAL WORLD TIME - 8:00 AM
The sun in Minecraft never usually lined up with the sun in real life, however as the sunset shined it's light into Derek's room, the sunset in Minecraft stood proud. Derek couldn't sense anything around him besides air, as if he were right there. He approached the lake, where Avery was already there waiting for him.
<TheMostMayo> Heya, Derek.
<d3rlord3> Hey, Avery.
<TheMostMayo> So, you're ready for the plan, right?
<TheMostMayo> Here goes nothing.
<TheMostMayo> Ever since you reminded me about The Leviathan, I've been thinking.
<TheMostMayo> These feelings, the placement, the apperance, it can't be a coincidence, right?
<TheMostMayo> You know what I mean right? You've felt everything I have too, right?
<TheMostMayo> So, I did more research on The Leviathan, and I've come to a conclusion.
<TheMostMayo> People try searching for it, try to forcefully find it, find where it's hidden.
<TheMostMayo> But that's not what you need to find it. I can feel it. To find The Leviathan, you need faith.
Derek sat in silence as Avery turned around in game, and approached Derek. It felt as if Avery were really infront of him.
<TheMostMayo> You need faith it'll come to you, no machines, no potions, no spectator mode. Just blind faith.
<TheMostMayo> And you said it. You didn't know any of this would happen, right?
<TheMostMayo> That must mean it wasn't supposed to! That must mean there's a way out!
<d3rlord3> What are you saying?
<TheMostMayo> I'm saying that you should believe alongside me.
<TheMostMayo> Let's believe in The Leviathan, let it come to us, and let it save us from our fate.
<d3rlord3> Are you saying we should drown ourselves?
<d3rlord3> What if Hastur just brings you back to him when you die?
<TheMostMayo> That won't happen if you believe with me.
<d3rlord3> Believe in some rumor about, what, hidden code in Minecraft that brings itself back?
<d3rlord3> That doesn't make sense, Avery.
<TheMostMayo> NOTHING MAKES SENSE!
<TheMostMayo> NOTHING HAS MADE SENSE SINCE I FOUND THIS COMPUTER!
<TheMostMayo> YOU'VE SEEN CRAZIER, YOU KNOW CRAZIER!
<TheMostMayo> Don't cling onto what you don't know! You need to believe in it. You need to believe in defying fate, and give it your trust!
There was a pause. Derek wanted this to be the way out SO BAD but he knew it couldn't be, right? That'd be insane, Hastur would have made sure that this thing would be gone, right? He simply replied:
<d3rlord3> I can't believe in something like this.
<TheMostMayo> Then believe in someone else.
<TheMostMayo> Believe in ME.
<TheMostMayo> Just say you believe, and let's get out of this stupid world together.
<TheMostMayo> Let's be taken somewhere safe, somewhere neither of us will have to die!
Derek just sat there for a solid few minutes in silence, the wind heavy, a scent of water in the air. He sighed. He trusted Avery so much, and was sure that if Avery had this idea, that he wouldn't risk both of their lives on this, right?
<d3rlord3> Alright. I believe in you.
The two of them entered the water at the same time, Avery infront of Derek. Derek felt his feet go cold…why could he feel what was going on through the screen? Was it part of what Hastur did to him? It couldn't be, right?
<TheMostMayo> Keep saying it.
<d3rlord3> I believe.
The two get further into the water, consuming their legs, as Derek's began to feel cold too. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't help but comment on it.
<d3rlord3> I can feel the water in real life.
<TheMostMayo> Must be part of belief. I can too. Again.
Derek paused…if they could feel the water, what would happen when they got underwater. Or when they started to drown? Derek, with faith in his heart and soul, trusted Avery either way.
<d3rlord3> I believe.
They continued further into the lake, the water now up to their chests, with Derek's body shivering in real life. He could feel the waves move around his body, he could smell the water, feel the wind, his senses being entirely replaced by what was happening on screen. On impulse, he continued.
<d3rlord3> I believe.
The two of them were now underwater, and Avery would not stop, Derek followed behind him, as he could feel himself quickly losing the ability to breathe.
<TheMostMayo> IGNORE THE FEELING. KEEP SAYING IT.
How could he-no, he must keep believing, otherwise they'd just drown in real life too right?
<d3rlord3> I BELIEVE.
They continued forward into the water, the feeling of drowning being intense that Derek almost started trying to swim in real life before remembering he's not actually under the water…before he heard a voice in his head.
"DEREK!!! YOU CAN STILL HEAR ME, RIGHT?! KEEP SAYING IT!"
That voice…he heard it when he-AVERY! It was Avery's voice! Could Avery no longer type?! It was hard for him too, so he simply said it in his head this time as he tried to keep moving forward.
"I BELIEVE!"
"AGAIN! KEEP SAYING IT!!!"
"I BELIEVE!!!"
"DEREKKKKK!!!"
"KEEP SAYING IT!!!!!!!"
"I BELIEVE I BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVE-"
"DEEEEERRRRREEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!"
"I BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVEI BELIEVE!!!"
Derek kept shouting it in his mind as he held down on the W key as long as he could, as he was losing life in Minecraft, he felt his own life start to shred away…but when they both reached half a heart, and his vision began to black out, the feelings all went away. He quickly caught his breath, coughing up nothing, Avery's voice going away. When he shakingly focused himself on the computer screen, he found himself…where WAS he? This wasn't the same world Hastur put them in, but…then where was he? There was a massive bridge, yellow trees, and multiple structures on a floating cliff. To his left…Avery. Standing there. Who had one thing to say.
<TheMostMayo> We made it.