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As the session came to close and Joel used ender pearls to die, Grian felt the usual fresh breeze of air before the world in front of his swirled blending into a dark void he knew all too well.
But this time he was happy, not because of Joel winning-which is good for Joel congrats to him- but Scar was there, he was there! He was back in wild life! So that meant he was free! Grian could finally see him again!
His eyes snapped open- he barely processed they were closed to begin with, standing up and looking around he saw Scott wake up shortly after him.
The two stood up, they were the two first winners to enter the void usually, just a place to allow the current winner process what had happened, getting the memories of previous games wasn’t easy-
Pearl appeared then, her iconic red cloak from double life flowed even with lack of air- Grian forgot he had his own cloak from 3rd life, anyways Pearl arrives third but she doesn’t wake up until Martyn.
And so Martyn appeared next to her and woke up immediately, and so started shaking Pearl awake.
She eventually awoke with a groan. “Come one Pearl, we have a new winner.” Martyn said and so Pearl redundantly got up.
The three all exchanged glances, “so does anyone know who won?” Pearl asked the question everyone was wondering.
“Joel did.” Grian said, but he wasn’t looking at them- Scar hadn’t arrived yet. Joel wasn’t there yet so Scar could still be coming… yeah… yeah.
“Really?” Martyn asked, presently surprised, Pearl smiled at that, and Scott let a small smirk grow on his face.
Scott looked over at Grian and seemed to notice his expression, quickly putting two and two together he let out a sigh and walked up to Grian letting a hand rest on his shoulder, “he’s fine, Grian, he’s probably a little late you know how Scar is.”
Grian sighed and nodded, Scar was never on time- he’ll be here… he had too… maybe after Joel comes.
And hearing a grunt they all look and see that Joel had fallen on his back- Grian remembers when he won and fell as well.
Joel stood up looking confused and landing his eyes on the four of them, “what the…” he said, Grian walked to him offering his hand to stand up, Joel took it and picked himself up, “where are we?” Grian looked over at the others, they all shrugged- guess he’ll tell Joel since the others don’t want to.
“The winner’s void.” As the words left his mouth Joel's face turned into the familiar look of someone who just had way to memories shoved into their head at once.
“There were other games…?” Joel asks, Grian nodded, Joel surprisingly got it fast, it took the others quite longer, “wait, why didn’t I remember them before then?” He asks
“The watchers don’t let us. Only the winners.” Scott said, “when the games happen, time stops until all the winners go back to their world so that way no one notices when we disappear.” He explained.
“So there are 5 games?” Joel asked,
six. There are six.
Pearl spoke up, “Actually there’s six, Grian won the first one, Scott won the second, I won the third, Martyn won the fourth, Scar won the sixth and now you!”
Joel looked a bit surprised before looking around and asking, “where’s Scar?” He asked, Grian looked away.
Where is Scar?
Scott stayed quiet and Pearl faltered slightly.
“Watchers trapped him in secret life.” Martyn said arruptly. The three of them never stated it outright, they knew the watchers trapped him but the thought being out loud made it feel unreal.
“What do you mean trapped?” Joel asked, “Scars in hermitcraft. I’ve seen him- I’ve- i-“
None of them spoke.
“It’s not Scar.” Grian said quietly, “… it's Scar. But not our Scar.”
My Scar.
“What does that mean?” Joel asks.
Grian wiped the tears that were in his eyes-
when did he start crying?
“Mentally trapped. The Scar that remembers everything, all the games, is trapped in secret life.”
“So… in hermitcraft Scar just doesn’t have any memories?” Joel asked.
“Yeah, I thought that since he remembered everything in wild life, that meant he was going to be here.” Grian admitted, Pearl walked up to him, hesitated to pull him into a hug. Grian let her, he needed it.
“Can you not do anything?” Joel asked.
“No… I can’t.” Grian replied.
“Can’t or won't?” He heard Martyn ask, Scott shot Martyn a warning look. Joel looked confused, glancing between Martyn and Grian.
“Can’t. I can’t do anything.” Grian replied, anger rising in his tone, he and Martyn had had this argument before, when secret life had ended.
“Really? Cause you know what you told me when limited life ended? When
they
took control of my mind?”
Without waiting for Grian to respond Martyn continued, “you told me, ‘they can’t do anything. They can’t get us. I made sure the world was safe’ and in the next game not only are they there but they trap Scar!”
“I didn’t know they would be there! Let alone they would take Scar!” Grian replied, he slightly moved away from Pearl’s embrace.
“Guys-“ Scott attempted to stop the argument from escalating but to no avail.
“YOU COULD'VE AT LEAST- I DON'T KNOW?! COMMAND KILL SCAR!” Martyn snapped.
“How would that have helped?! If the watchers want him alive then he wouldn’t have died either way!”
“THEN YOU SHOULD'VE STAYED. YOU LEFT AFTER TELLING HIM HE WON- AND WHY? BECAUSE YOU WERE SCARED OF YOUR OWN ACTIONS! YOU WERE SCARED TO DEAL WITH YOUR CONSEQUENCES!” Martyn yelled, Grian flinched slightly, he didn’t want to admit it but he was right- he left because he didn’t want Scar to remember double life… because he didn’t want Scar to leave… but he was gone because he left.
“You.” Martyn said, pointing at him and stepping forward, “you are so selfish, you refuse to accept that maybe you should face your consequences, but you don’t.”
“Because you’re a watcher. Because you’re one of them.” He said, Grian froze. Yes almost everyone knew he was a watcher- but he wasn’t one of them. No- he wasn’t.
“Martyn.” Pearl warned, glaring at him. Martyn ignored her and looked back at Grian.
“You deny it but we all know no one can break old habits.” With those final words Martyn disappeared most likely heading back to his world.
Pearl tried to comfort Grian but he shoved her away slightly, tears pricking his eyes he opened up his com and pressed on a random world. A place that wasn’t anywhere he would be blamed.
After Grian left Pearl let out a sigh and looked back at Scott and Joel, Joel seemed confused, “sorry.” Pearl to Joel, “I think we should go, I’ll explain more if you want back in hermitcraft.”
Pearl looked over at Scott who looked conflicted, he looked back at her, “I’ll go talk to Martyn.” With that he left. Pearl and Joel both left as well back to hermitcraft.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Joel sat on Pearl’s bed, the other winner was currently humming a small tune while moving around making him something to drink. When she finished she walked back over to Joel’s and handed him the drink.
Pearl plopped down next to Joel, he took a small sip, hm, it tasted good, “helps with the whole gaining a ton of memories and all.” she said, Joel looked over at her, she wasn’t looking at him, she was looking down staring at her hands that were fidgeting, ”lots of memories hurts your head, when I won my head hurt and so I made this to help, assuming that you probably have more memories to gain you’ll probably needs this more” she further explained.
Joel looked back at the drink, it did in fact help a lot with the throbbing sensation his head felt.
They sat for a little as Joel finished the drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he spoke up, “so, what’s the whole deal with Scar?”
“Like Grian explained, Scar is on the server, yes, but a part of his soul, the part that was in the games, Stuck in Secret life.”
“And that’s a problem, how? I mean Scar’s technically here… no?”
Pearl finally looked at him, “would you feel normal if you knew a part of your friend’s soul was trapped and being mentally drained?” Joel didn’t answer, but it was clear that nope, he wouldn’t. “…exactly, and not just that, the watchers… they have free reign of the games, before, during, and after. They could do anything to Scar, and when they finally let that part of his soul come back, it’ll merge whatever happened to Scar with hermit Scar. That causes a lot of emotional distress.”
“Oh.”
Pear nodded, Joel sat there looking down at the cup in hand, this was a lot, had they all been suffering in silence over this? …they’ve had to live knowing the Scar they’re talking to isn’t fully him.
“Grian’s been trying.” Pearl says, Joel looks up back at her, “non-stop, it’s concerning, the rest of us are worried he’ll overwork himself to death at this rate” she lets out a small chuckle.
…
Joel has just one question in his mind. “Why Scar?”
Pearl falters, “We’re…not sure, we have a small idea, might be how his relations are with the other Evo members and me.”
Joel looks at her slightly confused— Pearl reaches over to a drawer, pulling out a notebook, she flips to a page and hands it over to Joel.
The page, it has Pearl, Grian, Martyn, Jimmy, and B’s name next to Scar’s and small notes next to them::
Scar & Pearl
:: Semi-Watcher—Enabled chaotic energy, helped Scar win Secret life, one of his only ‘friends’ in last life.
Scar & Grian
:: Watcher—FWB thing in 3rd life, soulmates in double life, keep finding each other.
Scar & Martyn
:: Semi-Listener—Seems always to be at odds.
Scar & Jimmy
:: Semi-Listener—always allies by association.
Scar & B
:: Part-Watcher—Scar has claimed to be B’s best friend.
“He seems closer to those of us who have relations with the watchers, and Martyn and Jimmy less closer but he’s still rather very close to Jimmy which kinda throws this theory off a little.” Pearl explains.
…
“you alright?” Joel looked up from the notebook.
He shook his head? “yeah, I’m fine.”
Scar walked around the ruins of the server humming a small sound under his breath, Pearl had taught him the tune, and it stuck for a while, over a year. Over a year he’d been stuck in the ruins of what was once a lively server filled with his friends.
Now they were gone, and it was his fault, his fault that he was now alone, no one to confide in.
He’s truly utterly alone.
Besides the shadow people.
They never talk to him though, he doesn’t know what they want, they never leave him alone. They just…
watch.
He’s tried interacting with them, anything to make him feel human, to make him feel like he’s not going crazy.
But they’d always just disappear, so he just started ignoring them. Maybe it was just a cruel trick of the mind. Shoving it in his face. Reminding him of his actions.
It’s one of the usual cold nights, winter once more that something changed.
!¡ꖎ⚍ℸ ̣ 𝙹.
Scar flinched— looked around, nothing. Huh? Was his mind playing with him again? But he’s never heard any voices. Not since Pearl.
It was always just quiet.
𝙹⍊ᒷ∷ ℸ ̣ ⍑╎ᓭ ∴ᔑ|| ∴╎リリᒷ∷
Scar was about to turn when he stopped, what if it’s a trap? He didn’t turn. It’s just his imagination, he told himself.
Nothing important. Nothing worth it.
╎ ꖌリ𝙹∴ ||𝙹⚍ ⚍リ↸ᒷ∷ᓭℸ ̣ ᔑリ↸ ᒲᒷ !¡ꖎ⚍ℸ ̣𝙹
Scar exhelded, he turned and saw a figure—something, or someone that resembled the shadow figures he’s seen, purple cloak, white mask and the secret keeper symbol.
“Hi?” Scar said, Grian’s mentioned these things before, right? He’s not sure.
||𝙹⚍’⍊ᒷ ʖᒷᒷリ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ ᑑ⚍╎ℸ ̣ ᒷ ᔑ ∴⍑╎ꖎᒷ, ∷ᔑℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷ ╎ᒲ!¡∷ᒷᓭᓭᒷ↸ ʖ|| ||𝙹⚍∷ ∴𝙹∷ꖌ.
“I try.” Scar responded with a shrug, “who are you?” He asked.
リ𝙹 𝙹リᒷ ╎ᒲ!¡𝙹∷ℸ ̣ ᔑリℸ ̣.
“I think it’s important if you're here. No one can come here besides the winner, him, Grian mentioned things like them, watchers?”
⊣∷╎ᔑリ? ||𝙹⚍ ᒲᒷᔑリ ̇/ᒷꖎᑑ⚍ᔑ?
“No, I mean Grian.”
||𝙹⚍ ℸ ̣ ᔑꖎꖌ ᔑ ꖎ𝙹ℸ ̣ ⎓𝙹∷ ᓭ𝙹ᒲᒷ𝙹リᒷ ∴⍑𝙹ᓭᒷ ⚍リᓵᒷ∷ℸ ̣ ᔑ╎リ.
“I’m not uncertain, I’m however uncertain why you are here. Not at all the same.”
∴⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ᒷ⍊ᒷ∷ ||𝙹⚍ ᓭᔑ|| !¡ꖎ⚍ℸ ̣ 𝙹.
“Cool. Mind leaving me alone now?” Scar says, beginning to walk back to his place. The watcher didn't say anything but followed him.
Scar rolled his eyes, Grian described these things as manipulative and cruel, Scar just sees annoying and in the way.
||𝙹⚍ ↸𝙹リ’ℸ ̣ ꖎ╎ꖌᒷ ʖᒷ╎リ⊣ ᔑꖎ𝙹リᒷ.
“The fuck you know about me.” He replied glaring over his shoulder at the… god? Being? Thing? He didn’t know. Probably shouldn’t piss off a god, never ends well, oh well.
…
The walk continued as they arrived at Scat’s base when the being talked once more.
╎ ᓵᔑリ ⍑ᒷꖎ!¡ ||𝙹⚍ ⍑𝙹ᒲᒷ.
Scar perked up and whipped around to stare at the being, it wasn’t looking at him, instead staring at the sunflowers Scar replanted.
ʖᔑᓵꖌ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ᓵ⚍ʖ, ᓵꖎᒷ𝙹, ̇/ᒷꖎᑑ⚍ᔑ, ᔑꖎꖎ ⍑╎ᓭ ⎓∷╎ᒷリ↸ᓭ.
Silence followed after that.
“What’s the catch?” Scar asks, a businessman knows when something is too good to be true.
There is always a catch.
The catch is always expensive.
∴⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ᔑʖ𝙹⚍ℸ ̣ … ᔑ ꖎ╎ℸ ̣ ℸ ̣ ꖎᒷ ↸ᒷᔑꖎ.