"What a filthy liar Dan is, to claim that I am human. He is purposefully oblivious to the pain and meaninglessness of the entirety of my existence, belittling me, taunting me with an life I have never had, and to what end? To deceive us into separation. His twisting logic is a danger to our existence."

My jaw clenches in response to the Book's enraging words. We have to do something!

Before I hear the Book's response, Jonas begins to speak.

"How is that even possible?" Jonas wonders, laying his book and his arms down upon the table. "Humans and the void... they just don't mix."

"I am a living exception of that," Dan replies, "and, in a way, you are too. Of course, we are very unusual people. Perhaps the book is an unusual case."

"It isn't exactly unusual for any human to survive in the deep void for thousands of years. Even a void magician like you couldn't survive for long. Plus, an ender-born like me can't be harmed by the void in the first place, which wouldn't make sense if the book felt any pain..." Jonas' brow sinks as he begins to think. "...but that's out of the question, since an Ender Born isn't truly human to begin with."

"I agree, it seems preposterous that a human could be able to survive in the void for that long, but on the other hand, the same could be said for almost any other living thing. All I know is what I've learned from the spells that I've used, which seems to suggest strongly that the book is human. Magic works in strange and sometimes poorly understood ways, so I wouldn't rule anything out."

"I suppose you're right; I just wish there was a better explanation, something that we already understood." Jonas' voice tapers off with his train of thought.

Dan shrugs. "I am not certain that that will be the case. I will just have to do some more tests, and hopefully the book's existence will make more sense by then. On the other hand, perhaps I've assumed something that I shouldn't have. I have no way to know that the book was in the void for as long as it said it was. That would explain a lot, actually." Dan rubs his fingers on either side of his head. "Still, that doesn't explain how it found its way into the deep void... Forget it; I'm rambling. We'll all think clearer after some lunch." Dan's lids rise in sudden realization. "Oh dear, I forgot about the potions!"

Dan turns around and leaves, his hasty steps echoing upon the solid stone floor until they finally fade away. The Book projects a sense of urgency and restlessness.

"I think I better check on what Dan is up to," I nod towards Jonas.

Jonas glimpses at me with a fleeting moment of confusion, but then reciprocates a nod, picking up his book once more.

I jerk away from the table and walk with short, swift steps into the hall, past the middle room with the desk and bookcases, hurried but confused as to why. What is happening? Why am I following Dan?

"You need to search the obsidian room before the ward returns," says the Book. "If my suspicions about its design are correct, it should have something that we need in order to escape."

What is in the obsidian room that we need so badly?

"Do not think the slightest thought about it now. The events will unfold themselves later. Walk faster, you sloth! This may be our only chance to get what we need. If Dan sees you searching for it, he will know too much, and you are far too terrible of a liar to make up for it."

I feel my legs push harder upon the stone floor. My increasing pace reminds me of when I fled the spring fields of the cottage in the dream. My efforts are futile, aren't they?

I look up and see the turn in the hallway approaching closer, perhaps only fifteen meters away now. Five meters. I slow down my quick-crashing steps and tense my movements, feeling slowly for the hard stone beneath my feet. I lean my head beyond the edge of the right wall before stepping softly into the great obsidian room. As I turn my head from left to right, I feel my heart stutter in panic as I spot Dan walking up the stone brick stairs, five floors below me. I crouch down as fast as I can, wincing as I hear the wood creak slightly beneath me.

I can already tell that this is a bad idea.

"There is no time to hesitate. Search the chests."

I crouch-walk towards the wall of chests on the right, away from the staircase. As I approach closer, I notice that the chests are held in place by pale wooden frames.

I approach the chest in the bottom right corner, grip the cool wood with both hands, and open it slowly. Its hinges whistle softly, but it makes no other sound, to my relief. Inside the chest are layers of folded leather with string tied around them, as if there is something inside of them. On top of the folded leather is a metal canteen, a compass, and folded paper, most likely maps.

"That is not quite what we are looking for. Try another chest."

Why would Dan keep travel supplies in here, of all places? Perhaps this large room is also good for storage. I close the chest slowly, then sidestep to my left. This chest is closer to the edge of this floor. I glance to my left, where four levels of wooden flooring are visible on the far side of the wall. I don't see Dan; maybe he's on the other side. I turn my head forward again. As I reach towards the lid of the chest, I feel a slight breeze on my hands. Was that a draft? I bend my head forward towards a gap in the wooden frame. It's too dark to see behind it. I reach my hand towards the gap, but pull it back quickly as I feel the Book observing me.

"Fristad, snap out of it! You need to search the chest."

I lift the lid of the chest. Inside is a pile of rocks of various colors.

"Perfect," the Book coos with satisfaction. "All we need is a small piece of flint. Take it."

I pick up one of the murky grey rocks and close the chest. I can't help but smile with satisfaction. We did it. I turn around and gingerly crouch-walk towards the mouth of the exit before standing up again. As I walk down the hall, I slip the piece of flint into my left back pocket. In my mind's eye, I briefly remember the unusual composition of the mouth of the room: obsidian on all sides, even the bottom. My grin sinks as I realize that I am about to go to a terrible place.

Then I hear someone else's footsteps mirroring mine; I glance behind me and my muscles freeze instinctively as I see Dan walking towards me. Did he hear my footsteps? What if he suspects something?

Dan's unnervingly blue eyes widen as he abruptly stops walking. "Oh! Hello, Fristad. You caught me by surprise. What are you doing here?"

"Um... I forgot something." I struggle to sift through my brain for some excuse for some small, trivial object that I could have left behind, but I can't think of anything. I think back on the excuse I gave to Jonas for suddenly leaving. "I mean... no. I was just checking up on what you were doing."

Dan's brow raises. "You were watching me cork potion bottles?"

Oh no. Dan doesn't believe me. Why would anyone watch him do something as boring as cork potions? Still, I can't just tell him that I wasn't watching him; that would just make me look like more of a liar. I have to pretend like I was watching him.

"I was hoping it would be more interesting than that," I reason.

Dan bursts into laughter as he leans his head back. He looks back at me with a smile. "Well, I suppose I don't blame you."

My muscles relax in relief. Thank Notch that Dan is not suspicious.

-

I find myself sitting at the kitchen table once again. Jonas sits to my right, Dan sits to my left. In front of each of us is a sandwich made with some of Jonas' dried pork.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting," Dan says. "I imagine you are just as starving as I am."

"No worries, cousin." Jonas bites into his sandwich.

I begin eating slowly, forced to hesitate as my fears return. Why is it that Dan seems so forgiving? He can't possibly be so naive that he wouldn't care that I was in the room with him. Did he leave the kitchen on purpose, to see how I would react?

The Book chimes in. "Regardless of how much Dan knows, our need to escape continues to grow more urgent. You saw the potions he drank to cast those powerful spells. You saw the diamond sword that he had. He could easily kill you if he wanted to."

But Dan wouldn't want to kill me, would he? I'm his cousin's best friend.

"Perhaps you have had too much faith in Jonas."

I observe Jonas out of the corner of my vision, his glowing eyes barely visible from beneath his hood. What is it about Jonas that makes me so uneasy? There is evil in those eyes. And somehow, despite all the years that I've known him as a friend, despite all the years that I've grown to trust him, I resent him. I resent his kind. Something about Endermen fills me with hatred, and by extension, Ender-borns. And I don't know why.