Better this way...
"I... I know it's stupid," the boy continued with a quivering voice, head still lowered and now audibly on the brink of tears. "I mean, I know he's not him, he can't be!"
"But my mind," he sniffled desperately, huddling even further and his hands clenching the soft sheets, as if seeking something to hold onto. "just won't be convinced..."
"You don't know how much I hate this!" he burst out unexpectedly a moment later, his face contorted with anger and despair as the first tears began to stain the white sheet before him. "I know that Jason might not be the best person on Earth, but it's not fair to judge him like this!"
He sighed and shock his head.
"How am I supposed to go on like this?" he concluded, wiping his eyes with one hand, while Herobrine observed him with a sorrowful gaze.
Herobrine didn't like asking Nuka this question at all because he knew what it would trigger in him. But, it was the only way to find out how to help him.
Especially since now he understood what Nuka was going through, because he had experienced something similar feelings long ago, shortly after his release from the Nether.
He had attacked a village, like he always did and everything was fine until he suddenly encountered a person who looked surprisingly similiar to Notch.
Of course, it wasn't him, but Herobrine vividly remembered standing there, shocked, staring at the young man as thousands of memories of friendship, trust, betrayal, pain, and more from Notch and Steve surged within him.
Herobrine grimaced and ran a hand over his face as he recalled this moment.
He had fled then, filled with fear of being imprisoned again or facing an even harsher punishment.
Only later did he realize that he wasn't Notch and subsequently, after Null scolded him and threatened him with punishment, he returned and destroyed the rest of the village.
Herobrine sighed deeply as he reminisced.
That wasn't the last time such a thing happened, but he never fled from a village again.
Instead, he had punished those who resembled his brothers even more than others, unleashing his anger on them.
However, it had taken centuries until he was not faced by these doppelgangers anymore and Herobrine doubted that Nuka had the time for that.
Especially since a scolding like Null had given him back then probably wouldn't help since it didn't help him either.
Herobrine snorted quietly, attempting to push aside his anger toward the traitor, before turning his attention back to Nuka.
The young man had lowered his gaze again and still seemed quite despondent.
"I understand..." he murmured softly, before sighing and sitting up a bit straighter, knowing what he had to do now. "But you know... you don't need to face Jason again if you don't want to."
Nuka's head shot up at these words, and he looked at Herobrine with confusion and surprise.
"How?" he asked, sniffling again, wiping his remaing tears away with his hand, and sadly smiling. "Are you planning to kill him?"
"No," Herobrine replied, also with a slightly amused smile before his face turned serious again. "But instead of coming with us, you could just stay here."
Nuka froze, staring at him with wide eyes upon hearing that.
"Stay here?" he repeated incredulously, to which Herobrine simply nodded.
"Yes," he confirmed, feeling his heart grow heavy. "That was actually the reason why I suggested coming here in the first place."
"I know what you think of Skylor," he continued, locking eyes with Nuka, "and how much stress and dark memories a return would bring you. So, I'd like to spare you that.
And you also wouldn't have to see Jason again."
Plus, I don't want to risk you getting killed by Null in the end, he added in his thoughts, turning away and sighing once again as he felt his heart grow even heavier at that thought.
He didn't want to leave Nuka behind but he preferred die with the knowledge that the boy would spend his final moments content and safe in the castle that had become his home, before he himself died due to the world's destruction, instead of, being injured and frightened, or worse, dead in Skylor.
Of course, this was assuming they couldn't succeed and the world was destroyed.
But even if that wasn't the case, Herobrine still wanted Nuka to be here.
Because worse than this scenario was the possibility that he would survive all of this, yet Nuka had died in a fight against Null.
Of course, it was also possible that he survived too, but Herobrine was not willing to take that risk! No, not when it came to his best and only friend!
"Of cause you don't have to stay here alone," he quickly added, turning to Nuka. "If you want, I can command the griefer to stay here and keep you company. At least then he'll have something to do."
His expression darkened at the thought of the guy, but he quickly pushed it aside before casting a brief glance at Nuka, who still looked at him with wide eyes, now noticeably more concerned.
"But what about you?" he finally asked softly, to which Herobrine just shrugged.
"I guess I have to with them," he replied before sighing again, suddenly feeling very helpless. "I still need the potions, and Roxana is the only one who can enchant and make them. And since she still has to take care of Steve, she won't be able to stay here."
"Besides," he continued, and with these words, he felt the anger surge within him. "I still have a score to settle with that traitor and I have every intention to do that, you can be sure of that! So, I have no choice."
With these words, he turned his gaze back to Nuka and smiled at him, hoping to lift his spirits. However, the boy retained his sorrowful look.
"But what about the others?" he finally asked, skeptical of Herobrine. "Won't they wonder why I'm not coming with you?"
"So what?" Herobrine responded, unperturbed by Nuka's question. "Let them wonder. They don't need to know everything."
He hoped that this would settle the matter, and Nuka would decide to stay here, but the boy still didn't seem convinced.
"But I... I can't leave you alone with the others..." he finally managed to say, prompting Herobrine to smile.
"Oh, don't worry about me," he replied confidently, giving Nuka a reassuring smile. "I can handle it on my own. I always did."
"Are you sure?" Nuka asked, expressing concern.
"Yes, I am," he responded gently.
But instead of nodding and being relieved that he didn't have to go to Skylor, as Nuka would normally be, the boy just lowered his gaze sadly.
"But I'm your friend," he murmured softly, pulling his head between his shoulders and clenching the bedsheets in front of him with his fists again"All the books I've read say that if I'm friends with someone, I have to stand by them through thick and thin, no matter what happens. So how...how can I be okay with abandoning you?"
Herobrine looked at him in disbelief at what he had just heard.
"Nuka, are you insane?" he asked indignantly, grabbing the boy's shoulders and shaking him. "You wouldn't be abandoning me if you stay here! You would only abandon me if you stayed here when I wanted you to come with me. But I don't want that! It's actually the exact opposite!"
"But the books..." Nuka tried to protest, but Herobrine vigorously shook his head.
"Forget the books!" he replied sharply. "Those are just stories, Nuka! But this is real, so please don't feel bad if you accept this offer!"
"Please," he continued, and he could hear his voice becoming desperate, while Nuka still looked at him uncertainly. "If you really want to be a good friend to me, then stay here. Its better that way...Okay?"
"Okay..."
Nuka's voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper, but in this quiet room, it echoed as loudly as thunder. "If you really... have no problem with it... I will stay here."
He didn't sound overly happy about it, but a stone lifted from Herobrine's heart when he heard those words.
"Good," he replied relieved, casting a brief glance at Nuka before sighing "Then I guess I go to the others and take them to the armory so that they can get at least something to defend themselves against Null."
His mood significantly lowered as he thought about it, but he didn't want to show that to the boy.
Otherwise, he might change his mind again.
"I'll come back and say goodbye to you when we leave, okay?" he asked, turning to Nuka, who only nodded.
It was a small, shy nod, clearly indicating that he wasn't entirely in agreement, but it was consent, and that was all Herobrine needed.
He stood up and was about to leave the room when something else occurred to him.
"Should I send Einshine to you?" he asked Nuka, to which the boy's face brightened for the first time, and he nodded again, but this time with much more joy.
"Yes, that would be nice."
A few minutes later, Herobrine found himself back in front of the kitchen door, behind which loud voices were already audible.
Irritated and annoyed by what caused the noise, he opened the door and was surprised by the sight that greeted him.
At the back wall on the other side of the room, directly across from him, stood Jason and Einshine, both confronting each other and looking quite angry. Actually, it seemed like only Einshine was genuinely angry, as he had clenched his fists and was shaking all over as if struggling to control himself, while Jason merely had his arms crossed in front of his chest, appearing more calculated and cold, seemingly not impressed by the Griefer's anger.
"Oh, thank Notch you're here!" Roxana exclaimed in that moment, approaching him with a worried look, gesturing toward the two. "Einshine and Jason were just about to fight!"
"Fight?" Jason asked, surprised. "Why? I just asked him a few questions."
With these words, he turned back to Einshine, who snorted contemptuously.
"Oh, really?!" he hissed, his voice trembling with anger. "Well, I think...!"
"I don't care what you think or what you two have going on!" Herobrine interrupted in annoyance as he continued to step into the room, leaning tiredly on the table. "We have more important things to do. As Roxana might have told you, Nuka is alive and well, which means we can finally get some weapons for the fight against Null."
"Wait, where's Nuka?" Roxana asked in that moment, looking around confused. "Isn't he coming with us?"
"I'll tell you guys later," Herobrine muttered softly before turning his gaze to Einshine. "You! Go to Nuka. He wants to see you. The rest will come with me."