Chapter 28 1.3: /gamemode c

In the midst of the vast, clear sky, two entities were zooming by. They traveled at great speed, making sounds akin to that of a firework soaring through the air. They were flying over sparkling oceans, lush fields, dense forests, and golden deserts.

These sights were something the two figures were acquainted with, so they didn't pay them much attention. Instead, their focus was on a wide plateau, which marked the end of their race. With a pull-up maneuver, the two landed seconds apart.

"How do you keep winning?" one of them asked in irritation, and took off the wings she had equipped on her back – which were called "Elytra". Her name was Alex.

"Must be my luck, right?" the other replied, throwing the excuse Alex would occasionally make when she'd lose a race. His name was Steve. He was wearing a different outfit to what he usually wore. A cyan t-shirt and blue jeans, instead of the light blue tunic and brown pants.

"Why do I keep challenging you...? Maybe I'm just not cut out for flying with these things..."

Steve unequipped his own Elytra, before walking up to Alex to place a hand on her shoulder. He was well accustomed to his partner's occasional stubbornness, so he knew that some words of encouragement would cheer her up.

"Well, if it's any consolation, you are getting better; your lift-off has improved. You just need to work on landing a little, and you'll be as good as I am in no time!"

"You really think so?" she asked with a small smile.

"I'm sure of it," he affirmed with a smile. Alex wasn't too keen on the idea of going through the effort to master the elytra at first, but her partner's enthusiasm and encouragement wasn't easy to ignore. Besides, she saw the appeal after the first few trial flights, and even initiated some races so that she'd improve.

From the spot they were now standing, they could see other beings like themselves building some houses and other structures from wood and cobblestone near the foot of a mountain. This village was one of the first projects their kind started to work on after the end of the war, and it was coming along nicely.

As for the two, their own project was in a cave near the village. They decided to cover the rest of the distance on foot, to better enjoy the environment.

"So, what type of fence do you think we should use?" Alex asked.

"Hmm, I was thinking either oak or spruce. What about you?"

"I really wanted to use birch because it's my favorite, but when I thought about it more, I don't think it fits with the aesthetic, you know?"

Steve rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Yeah, birch is too dull for a stone cave. Hey, since the others are building the village using oak, maybe we should do the same? It will match better that way, I believe."

"Ah, that's a good idea. Besides, if we decide to build additional sections, we can use spruce there, so that every section will have its own type of wood," Alex suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds great! Man, I'm so happy we're building things together again! I really feel like we're on the same wavelength."

"Ha ha, likewise."

The two walked through the man-made cave they had spent their previous building session carving out and decorating, and were led to a long corridor, which would serve as a building site for their mineshaft. Steve had taken it upon himself to extend the corridor and place down rails, whereas Alex handled the placement of support beams and torches.

Their long-term plan was to build a mineshaft system that would serve as an underground railway of varying elevations. It would span entire biomes, effectively serving as a highway. For now, they'd have to settle for something small, but both of them were feeling optimistic.

Optimism was a feeling that had been present for a long time. The world was feeling a little brighter. But it wasn't always like this, however. After a long-fought battle, these beings of creation had triumphed over the god of death and they weren't without their losses.

The god of death was an atrocious creature, filled with lust for destruction. It was a massive black cluster of blocks, that resembled a ribcage which supported three massive skulls, each with its own personality and voice. This devastating entity was also known as the Wither.

It could unleash powerful ranged attacks, as well as summon undead creatures that would serve as its army. Those creatures were the wither skeletons, who were standing on the thin line between life and death, not really belonging in either territory.

In the aftermath of the war, the Nether was left corrupted beyond recognition. Many areas had been reduced to barren wastelands, with barely any signs of life. Even if a creature were to be spawned or transported to these forsaken locations, it wouldn't survive for long. It would take a while for the dimension to heal.

As if that weren't enough, the Nether was a constant reminder to every resident of the Aether and the Overworld of their losses in more ways than one. A new desert biome was created in the dimension during the war, that was made up of newly discovered blocks.

These blocks bared some resemblance to sand, only they were a dark brown color and had a coarse feel to them. And yet, should one walk on these blocks, they'd find themselves feeling more sluggish, almost as if they were sinking. That's no coincidence.

These blocks were dubbed 'Soul Sand', because they contained the souls of the beings of creation who had been defeated in the battle against the god of death. In other words, Steve and Alex's friends had been damned to eternal confinement within a block, condemned to scream for eternity.

That sinking feeling one feels whenever they walk on soul sand, is the souls dragging them down, asking for help. After the end of the war, which ended in the Aether's victory, the Nether was left largely abandoned for a while, until a solution could be found.

This is essentially how the on-going battle between the beings of creation and the god of death played out. Both sides were immortal, but that didn't mean they were eternal. Both could become mortal and trapped.

In the end, the residents of the Aether had managed to eliminate their adversary by turning its own attacks against it, reducing it to a severely smaller and weaker form. As a safety precaution, this form's consciousness was eventually sealed within multiple soul sand blocks, and even inside the skulls of its wither skeletons, to make it as difficult as possible for it to put itself back together. And so, the war ended.

It had been a long while since that had happened. The beings of creation felt grateful for the peace. They were finally able to bask in their freedom, and create the things they wanted, all over the infinite world. Of course, they couldn't be certain if the beast had truly been rendered powerless, or if it would remain scattered forever. But for the time being, most felt content just enjoying the end.

"Steve, you're spacing out again."

The man stopped mining the wall after finally coming to, and faced his partner.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. I was too enamored by your beauty," he said with glee.

Alex felt a little flustered, but wasn't convinced by the off-handed compliment.

"What are you thinking?"

Steve chuckled, before answering.

"You know me so well, Alex. I can't hide anything from you."

He got back to extending the corridor.

"I was just thinking how thankful I am," he stated finally.

Alex finished building the second wooden arch, as she thought of the answer she got.

"Of what?"

Steve stopped mining again, but this time, he walked back so he could have a proper talk with Alex.

"Of the fact that...we're here. I'm here, standing in front of you, and we're building this mineshaft together. I guess what I'm trying to say is that...I'm grateful for you, too. I don't know what I would've done if you...weren't with us...with me."

Alex was caught a little off-guard by the sudden display of gratefulness by her partner, but quickly snapped out of it. He would get a little sentimental sometimes, so this wasn't something totally foreign to her. She threw her arms around Steve's neck, and placed her forehead on his.

"I'm thankful for you, too," she reciprocated.

They stayed in silence for a few moments, simply enjoying the moment. Eventually, they broke the embrace, but not before sharing a short, yet sweet kiss. With no further prompt, they resumed the building process.

They extended the corridor by a good distance, before preparing to build the first turn. The railway would now take a left turn, and go slightly deeper into the earth. They decided now would be a good time to test a powered rail mechanism.

On one end, they placed down a minecart with a chest, inside of which, Alex had placed various minerals, a diamond being among them, to serve as an example of how this system could be used. It was funny, in a way. These beings had every single material, item and tool in existence under their possession. They could even spawn various animals in an instant, should they choose to do so.

With that in mind, one could say that a transportation system was of no use. But practicality wasn't the motive behind these creations. Just the pleasure of it. Regardless, giving to or being given an item by these beings held a special meaning, especially if that item was personalized in some way.

Back on topic, Alex replaced a regular rail with a powered one. Powered rails were created out of gold and redstone, instead of iron and sticks, which allowed a minecart to gain momentum without someone pushing it.

Steve placed a button on the block next to the powered rail, as Alex rolled the minecart on the rail. With a press of the button, the powered rail lit up, and the minecart was boosted all the way to the end of the railway, its contents along with it. It crashed against the wall with a bang.

"Looks like a good start, right?" Steve commented.

"I'd say so," Alex agreed. "Oh, maybe we should add some ores so that the mine will look more natural?"

"Isn't now the most natural this place can ever look? It's exactly the way we found it."

"Well, yeah, true. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it wouldn't really look like an actual mine if it didn't have any ores."

"I guess I can see your point... We shouldn't overdo it though. It won't look very convincing, then."

"You got it."

After some more brief coordination, the couple started to place short veins of coal and iron, and even one vein of lapis lazuli. Their creation was finally starting to feel a little more notable, block by block.

When the night fell in the overworld, Steve and Alex chose to go back home. As they were leaving, they briefly spoke to their peers who were building the village, and learned that their group would continue their work well into the night.

Alex admired their dedication, but she and Steve had decided to spend the daytime on the overworld, and the night on their home, the sky dimension, so that they could get a nice balance of the two. Sometimes, the sky dimension would be referred to by its residents as the Aether, because that sounded more epic. The Aether.

No matter how one would want to call it, with how things were, the Aether had become an opposite of sorts to the Nether. Instead of a desolate wasteland, filled with fire, blood, and gunpowder, the Aether was a tranquil realm, where death wasn't an occurrence.

It was similar to the overworld, in a way. Vibrant, grassy valleys, forests filled with flowers, and reflective bodies of water. There were also many differences, too. Instead of being a single, unified land like the other two dimensions, the Aether was comprised of multiple floating islands, of varying shapes and sizes!

In addition, the islands' terrain was more even, lacking the mountain ranges and ravines that were found in the former. In contrary, the dimension was a host to things not native to the other two, like a rose with blue petals, trees that produced enchanted golden apples, and a purple building material known as purpur, a popular choice for builders.

Granted, the Aether didn't have as many builds as the overworld. In fact, the central island was left untouched, due to an agreement every resident had vowed. There was a single structure on the central island, but nobody had built it. As far as everyone was concerned, it was just a part of the natural generation.

The structure was a circular platform, built out of bedrock. In the center of the platform, was a pillar that supported a black egg. The egg was fairly large, but didn't do much of anything. On very rare occurrences, it would teleport off the pillar, and land on the edge of the platform, only to revert back to its original position a few moments later.

The fact of the matter is that the egg wasn't bothering the inhabitants of the sky dimension, and vice versa. Because of that everyone had vowed not to disturb the central island's natural landscape. That said, the sky dimension's many islands held some of the most impressive structures. Imposing towers and giant ships, all made of purpur and stone bricks were the pride and joy of the beings of creation.

So, that was Steve's and Alex's home. To get to such a place, one would have to fly high into the sky, way above the clouds. The overworld isn't even visible from such an altitude. No mortal being could possibly survive such a trip, unless they'd use a portal to warp directly to the main island.

Not having such an obstacle to deal with, the couple safely returned home. And yet, something was amiss. In the center of the main island, the egg was shaking. With how idle it had been, the possibility of it actually hatching came as a big surprise.

Many of the realm's inhabitants had gathered around this bizarre exhibit, wondering what to make of it. Before Steve and Alex could draw closer to the commotion, the egg cracked, with seemingly no stimulation.

Most of the people present felt unease with this new development.

Soon enough, chunks of the egg's shell fell to the ground, and through the gaps, protruded a mystical purple light. In little time, the egg hatched completely, and from it...

Came the ender dragon.

The hatchling was growing right before everyone's eyes, and its shape became more defined.

In the meantime, the bright and colorful dimension, which had served as a safe haven to all who dwelled on it, was swiftly being replaced by a bleak and sterile environment. The grass was wilting. Gone was the bright green vegetation and the vibrant flowers. All that remained was a light-yellow stone, called "end stone". A fitting name, all things considered.

The trees had vanished, as giant obsidian pillars sprouted from the ground. A black fog had fallen over the islands, a fog so thick, that the other islands couldn't be seen anymore, let alone the starry sky.

Once the damage was done, a laugh reverberated through the air. It was deep, and echoey, as if it was coming from multiple people. It had a tone that no man, woman or animal could possibly match, and the beings knew that the Wither was behind it.

The deity in question was nowhere to be seen, however. The dragon was the only hostile entity present. Determined to stop the calamity, every being summoned their swords, which were enchanted and made of diamond. The one that stood the closest to the creature, mustered the courage, and went for the first hit.

The serpent foe noticed the hostility behind the advance, and launched a beam of energy, which engulfed the attacker. Then, something unexpected happened. Screams of pain built up in the being's throat, and erupted with force. Everyone who was watching, did so with fear, as their friend was left helpless.

Once the attack finally receded, the being wasn't the same anymore. It was still humanoid in shape, but that was the only comparison one could make. It wore no clothes, exposing its hairless, obsidian-black skin. It had grown thinner, and taller by one block. Its eyes were just as purple as the dragon's.

They had become an enderman.

One by one, the residents of the sky dimension were being transformed by the dragon's relentless attacks. They were running and teleporting around frantically, letting out other-worldly grumbles and shrieks.

Steve and Alex, who had been standing far enough away from the catastrophe, looked in fright, a new feeling for both of them. A feeling that none of them were meant to feel. Against the Wither, everyone had a feeling of duty burning inside them, but this was not the same. In all the turbulence, they noticed their new health and hunger indicators.

That's why their peers were screaming in agony. They could go hungry. They could get hurt. They could get scared. They could get killed. No longer was the universe on their fingertips. No longer could they fly. They were bound. They were mortals.

The couple attempted in vain to fend the mob off, but they were completely overwhelmed. The endermen grabbed both of them by their limbs, leaving them completely vulnerable to the dragon's attack.

To both of their surprise, the endermen didn't hold onto them for long. As their turn to be hit by the Ender dragon's beam was approaching, they were thrown off the edge of the island. First, they pushed Alex off, indirectly forcing Steve to watch and listen as his lover was engulfed by the darkness. Fortunately, it didn't take long for him to follow her.

And so, both of them had fallen.

...

...

...

In a white void, Steve could momentarily feel his consciousness return. A silhouette was beginning to form in front of him. It was faint and abstract at first, until its features became clearer. A charcoal-black spinal cord and ribcage, supporting three equally black skulls with glowing white eyes.

"So, we meet again, old friend. We hope the reptilian didn't frighten you too much," the Wither's right skull greeted. It had a feminine voice, and its role was to calm down its victims, either to lull them into a false sense of security, or to make their final moments more bearable. It spoke in a slow and calming manner. The ribcage was expanding and contracting as though the creature had lungs.

"You monster," Steve spat.

"Be not afraid, Steve. We are not going to harm you. We are even now, after all."

Many feelings whirled up inside Steve's mind. Feelings of anger and resentment. There was nothing in the universe he hated more than the deity who was talking to him.

"How...? How!?"

"We suppose we should give you an explanation... We had to use external help... We spared an earthling pawn from meeting a tragic end... It let us borrow its remaining life force, which we used to hatch the dragon."

"Of course, your kind couldn't have possibly foreseen that the ender dragon would mark the end of your immortality! Boy, you really should've destroyed it when you had the chance! Ha ha ha ha!" the left skull jeered. Its voice was masculine, and its role was to torment its victims, sometimes by reminding them of their mistakes, or pointing out their inactions. Its tone was manic and sadistic.

"And so, when all that was said done, we gave the earthling a new life, as a sign of gratitude. It should be wandering around your world now. We wouldn't be surprised if it's destroying it block by block. Earthlings are so creative when it comes to killing. Even we're impressed. In any case, you shouldn't look at us so angrily. You should be glad it's over."

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

"Don't you understand? We won't meet again. We will bother you no longer," the right skull reassured.

"And why should I believe you!?" Steve was slowly beginning to stand up, fueled by anger. Suddenly, the middle skull, the biggest of the three, awakened. Its voice was haunting and ghastly, and its tone was calculated and emotionless. Its job was to deal the finishing blow against its victim, but that's not what happened this time.

"Foolish human. We have won. All of you are now at the mercy of your own mortality. We have nothing more to gain from your kind, other than boredom. Enjoy your slow death, old friend."

As the Wither's laugh echoed in Steve's ears, the man's vision darkened, as he once again lost consciousness. The next thing he felt, was a gentle breeze.

...

...

...

It all happened in flash, but it felt so slow, too.

I was standing with the diamond sword on one moment, and the very next, I felt myself falling toward the hard wooden floor. I barely registered the illager leader's hands grabbing me just in time. I was too preoccupied with the explosion of mental images, sounds and senses that had just gone off inside my head.

It felt as though I had just violated someone's memories. Like I had just delved into somebody's forbidden secrets. But I knew that wasn't true. I knew that those fleeting memories were mine, and mine alone.

*ring-ring*

The fluttering of Sunbeam's wings shook me out of my stupor. Her face was filled with concern. It took me a little while longer to become fully present, but finally, the words that were being launched at me started to go through.

I turned my head slightly to the right, and saw her.

I had seen her before, but this was the first time in a very long time that I actually saw her. It was still hard to believe...

"A-Alex?"

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