AN: Want to hear me talk about personal stuff? Me neither. Let's get right to the Chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Sleeping Bags.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

Chapter 64

Nitebane (Part 1)

After Floyd managed to get some rest, the Silver Intent trio were up once more. But before leaving their cover, Cara took stock of their remaining potions.

"So, Floyd has three Fire Resistances, one Swiftness II, and one Water Breathing. I've got three Invisibility potions—splash ones—and three Night Visions. And, Soul… you only have one splash potion of Harming left? What happened to the other two?"

"Nothing. I didn't accidentally drop them on Cobb while he was sleeping."

"…What?"

"What?"

Cara gave the axe-wielder a stern look before ultimately giving up. She'd force him to apologize to Cobb once they returned to Ringwood. "Well, the Night Vision and Invisibility are all we'll really need in Nitebane."

Floyd accepted his brews back, but kept his eyes on their leader. "I can't help but notice how Brett gave you all the important potions for this mission."

"Only because I called dibs on them." Cara returned her potions to her backpack. "Not to mention how quickly you two burned through your potions…" She mumbled spitefully.

"What was that?"

"Er… I said, let's play a game while we walk!" Cara hastily diverted. "You know, to pass the time."

"Considering how we're sneaking past Griefers, I wouldn't mind playing the Silent Ga—" Floyd's eyes widened at his slip-up and he quickly shut his mouth, hoping Soul wasn't paying attention.

It had his attention alright. The axe-wielder walked while hunched over, a complicated expression on his face. Ultimately, he chose to ignore the comment, opting instead to scowl towards the side.

"I Spy!" Cara snapped her fingers in realization. "That's a fun game on the road. Here, I'll even go first. Ahem. I spy with my aqua-marine eye…" Cara glanced around, turning her head left and right as she tried to find a good object. "Somethiiiiiing… grey."

"The landscape." Soul muttered bleakly.

"Very good, Soul!" Cara smiled and gave a little cheer. She was really making an effort to play up I Spy. "Your turn."

"…Can I pass?"

"No, you can't." She replied instantly with that same smile. "So play the damn game."

Soul groaned, his eyes barely taking in the landscape before he thought of something. "I spy with my crimson eye, something… pointless."

Soul's voice sounded kinder on that last word. It was different from his usual gruff voice and it caught Floyd's attention.

Floyd thought for a bit before answering. "Something pointless… like this game?"

"Ding ding." Soul smirked, even as Cara upended another bottle of water onto him. "Gah! That's cold!"

Floyd couldn't keep the laugh from escaping as he watched the scene unfold. For the group to find happiness in such a mindless way.

The edges of Soul's mouth were tilting upward as he dried his face against the side of Cara's jeans, much to the leader's annoyance. Though even Cara's fuming seemed like light-hearted fun. Her eyes shone with mirth as she tried and failed to push Soul off of her.

Team stuff.

"Alright, Floyd." Cara chuckled haughtily. "Get your turn over with so the I Spy master can show you boys how it's done."

"You fancy yourself a master now?"

"Maybe at burning stuff to the ground…" Soul joked.

"I dabble in both." She smirked, happy to see the two old friends talking. "Just go already. Or are your eyes too tired to play?"

"Alright, alright, give me a minute to stump you." Floyd laughed before looking around the rocky expanse. "I Spy… with my tired purple eyes, something…" The blue-nette's eyes suddenly widened at something over the horizon. "Tall."

"Oh, pfft. Too easy." Cara snorted confidently. "The stone juts."

"No… Taller than them."

"Oh… um… no, don't tell me!" Cara screwed her face in concentration as her eyes peeled back the surroundings. "Um… um… could you give me a hint?"

Soul's crimson orbs widened, catching what Floyd had seen between the stone juts. "Shit, what is that?"

Cara glanced back questioningly before angling her head to get a better view between the stone juts. Only then did she realize what Floyd had spotted.

Over the horizon stood hundreds of grey structures that climbed into the air, only to contrast sharply with the crystal blue sky. They towered higher than the clouds, reaching up like countless spindly fingers.

"Nitebane."

"That's Nitebane?" The blue-nette narrowed his eyes to get a better look. "Those can't be… buildings?"

Cara nodded. "Skyscrapers to be precise. And boy do they earn that name."

The group edged their way forward, closing the distance between themselves and the skyscrapers until they nestled themselves between two stone juts. This gave them an excellent position to survey for Griefers and examine Nitebane while still undercover.

"Are we just waiting for them to pass?" Floyd asked as he gestured to the pack of thirty Griefers riding across on horseback.

"No, we're resting here until nighttime." Cara explained as she withdrew a pickaxe and dug deeper into the stone. She managed to form a little nest where they could comfortably lay three beds and stay hidden. "Being so close to Nitebane, there'll be constant Griefer patrols coming and going. Our best bet is to use the cover of night to sneak in."

She rummaged in her backpack and pulled out an old map before laying it out before the group. "This map is a bit dated, but it shows the general position of all the buildings in Nitebane." She pointed to a round building in the center of the map. "The Center of Planar Trade is here and so is the Endward Cult Banner we intend to rip down and replace."

Soul gave a silent cheer, but otherwise listened intently.

Floyd took a closer look of the map, memorizing Nitebane's geography. The map depicted a pristine white city surrounded by smaller, red-bricked houses on the outskirts. The east of the Kingdom faced the ocean, though there appeared to be a landmass that protruded out. A large ornate structure sat atop that protrusion.

Cara saw the blue-nette's interest and traced her finger over the ornate structure. "That's Lunar Castle, where the previous Kings of Nitebane lived and ruled."

"Previous." Floyd repeated, remembering how Nitebane was now overrun with Griefers. Perhaps at one time, the Kingdom was something like Ringwood. The map certainly made it seem whole. But according to Cara…

Floyd wanted to see more, but Cara was already rolling the map back up. "As soon as it gets dark, we'll head out. But before I forget…"

She turned to look her fellow Silver Intent members in the eye. Her expression was dead serious, commanding their utmost attention.

"I've only been to Nitebane once, to visit a Silver Intent outpost. I don't know everything about the Kingdom, but I've seen enough to know that you two better follow everything I say to the letter.

"The people of this 'Kingdom' are sick, twisted Griefers whose pleasure is another's pain. They will lie to you, they will deceive you, and they will do anything in their power to kill you."

She pointed towards the distant skyscrapers. "What we're walking into right now is the hornet's nest. But so long as you listen to me and stay close, I guarantee that all of us will make it out alive. Am I clear?"

Floyd was at a loss for words with how much authority Cara had spoken with. Her words brought forth a combination of excitement, trepidation, confidence, and a strong sense of unity all at once.

Soul whistled appreciatively. "Now that's the way a leader should sound!"

Cara smiled at the praise, her confidence lifting. "Tonight, we'll enter Nitebane and head to the Silver Intent outpost. From there, we'll restock on supplies and make a plan to grab the banner. Any questions?"

Soul and Floyd shook the heads.

"I said, are there any questions?" Cara repeated with a more authoritative tone.

"No ma'am!" They replied in unison.

Cara gave a satisfied nod. "Then get some rest. You'll need it."

"Cobb… I… I'm so sorry…"

"How… How could this…"

"Floyd he… I did everything I could, you have to believe me! Please!"

"How could you have let this happen! You said you could handle this! I TRUSTED YOU!"

"I… I…"

"You're no leader! You're NOTHING like Wynn! She would have gotten everyone back here… or would have died trying! SO WHERE'S MY FRIEND!?"

It wasn't long before the sun began to dip below the horizon, signaling the Silver Intent group to move. The beds were broken, stomachs were filled, and almost everyone was well-rested.

Floyd furiously rubbed the sleep from his eyes as Cara beckoned them over. She passed out Potions of Night Vision, making sure everyone had one. Even though the time on them was limited, she reasoned it would be better to see the terrain rather than not seeing anything at all.

"Stay close, and watch my hands for signals at all times." Cara explained urgently. "If I do this," she bent her arm upwards, forming a fist, "then that means you should strip off all your armor and stay silent. Don't question me." She added before Floyd could voice his concern.

The blue-nette simply shrugged and drank his potion. He was already quite familiar with the effects, having tasted one before. Soul, however, didn't seem to care for the taste.

"Ugh. Carrots…" He grimaced, wiping his tongue on his sleeve before his eyes suddenly widened. As medium blue particles danced across his body, he no longer needed to strain his eyes. Even though it was night, everything was as clear as day. The stone juts, the creeper craters in the ground, and, more importantly, the Griefers below.

After waiting for them to pass, Cara rushed forth. She didn't bother slowing down, trusting the other two to follow her and her orders without question.

Things got particularly dangerous when a large group of horse-riding Griefers galloped straight towards the three sneaking Crafters. Cara raised her hand up, signaling them all to stop.

With his heart thumping loudly in his chest, Floyd, too afraid to move, watched as the Griefers galloped right past them. One horse even jumped over Soul, mistaking him for a rock. Floyd had no trouble seeing this, but the Griefers had no idea. It was just too dark to make out any shapes.

When the Griefers passed, Cara motioned for the group to continue. Slowly they crept forth, weaving between another set of stone juts.

Further and further they traveled. At times they sprinted for that window of opportunity between two Griefer patrols, while at other times they were forced to creep forward, low and covered by darkness.

The skyscrapers got closer and closer, until finally they appeared to tower directly overhead. Floyd took a moment to marvel at them through his night vision. They seemed to be made of a combination of iron, stone, and some marble-like material—at least the structure was. There were glass windows of course, but there were a few things that struck him as odd.

First off, the skyscraper looked war-torn. There were large holes in the sides, looking as if something blasted them apart with tremendous force. In fact, with all the holes riddled through the multi-story buildings, they resembled towers of Swiss cheese.

Or, more appropriately, like a beehive.

Cara's warning about 'walking right into the hornet's nest' immediately came to Floyd's mind as he reviewed the buildings. But that wasn't the only thing.

He noticed that the building itself… almost defied gravity.

Yeah. Starting at the base, the skyscraper climbed up high, riddled with holes. But then at a certain spot, the building ended and the gap began. Five or six floors worth of space were missing, leaving a giant gap separating the skyscrapers into an upper and lower half. The upper half had holes too, but not as many as the lower half. Almost like the lower half sustained the brunt of the damage.

And it wasn't just that one skyscraper. Not all, but Floyd could see several of them matching that same description. A bottom half looking like Swiss cheese. A gap where it looked like a giant eraser had simply swept across. And then the upper half of the skyscraper that, although left unsupported, just hovered in the air, continuing to climb up into the sky.

From an architectural standpoint, it made no damn sense. If Minecraftia followed the laws of gravity, those buildings would have been scraping the ground instead of the sky. Nothing was keeping them up.

And yet…

At some point in his marveling, Floyd failed to notice how Cara turned sharply to the left, Soul following right with her. So of course, the blue-nette continued creeping forward until his foot failed to make contact with the ground.

Not expecting the sudden lack of ground, Floyd stumbled forward. He hastily threw out his hand to grip the edge of whatever pit he had unwittingly fallen into. Hearing the commotion, Cara and Soul quickly turned around and helped the poor Crafter out of his predicament.

"Ugh… sorry. My bad." Floyd whispered sheepishly while massaging his leg.

Soul looked annoyed, but Cara simply waved it off. "It's fine. I should have warned you about the pits." She gestured to the massive crevice, not unlike Daymonte's, that seemed to stretch across the rocky terrain. It sloped steeply into the bowels of the earth. There were several land bridges that crossed the crevice, one of which was a little ways away, as well as some large buildings with smokestacks poking out from them.

Floyd couldn't help but feel embarrassed at how he almost fell into a pit that noticeable. Especially when he could see in the dark.

"What's with these pits anyway?" Soul questioned as he broke off a chunk of rock and idly tossed it down. "Were they naturally made or…"

"Crafter-made." Cara answered as she beckoned the two to follow along the edge. "According to Void—Void's an agent here at the Nitebane outpost—these pits were conceived in the early days of Nitebane. But not for defense. No, instead they were used for the Kingdom's famous EXP Factories."

Soul perked up at that. "They actually had factories… for EXP?"

"You heard right." Cara nodded. "See, Nitebane's geography forms a steady incline the closer you get to the ocean. Where we're at, the pits, is the lowest point in the Kingdom. The land gradually rises the further east you travel, ending with the jagged cliffs and... Guardian infested waters beyond said cliffs.

"So, the founders of Nitebane came up with a brilliant way to utilize the topography. They built a network of sewers that travel through the whole Kingdom, draining out into either the ocean or these pits." She pointed to a series of tunnels on the far side of the pit. There was no water flowing from them, but they must have been the exit points to the sewer network she had described. "Most of the water flowed into the pits, carrying junk that Crafters tossed out… and admittedly waste."

"So… shit." Soul stated bluntly, bringing a frown to Cara's face.

"Yes, I imagine it wasn't the most desirable job, working the EXP Factories."

"So where does the EXP come in?" Floyd asked as they rounded the corner of the pit and began crossing the land bridge towards the network of skyscrapers.

"Ah, well, the sewers were mostly kept in the dark." Cara continued, keeping half of her attention on their surroundings. "And, as we all know, Mobs can't help but spawn in dark, uninhabited places."

Floyd's eyebrows lifted in realization. "So, the sewers also carried Mobs. And they drained out into these pits?"

"Very good." Cara praised with a smile. "Mobs fell into the pits, where hundreds of pistons, arrows, and traps got to work reducing the night creatures into useful resources and EXP. The biggest Mob grinder in all of Minecraftia is right beneath our feet."

Floyd quickly put together that the buildings beside the pits were the EXP Factories. He wasn't quite sure what a Mob grinder was, but the way Cara had described it, it sounded like Nitebane had developed a way to harvest Mobs like vegetables.

How many hundreds… how many thousands of Mobs would have fallen prey to those pits. Crushed or ground into bones, rotten flesh, gunpowder, string, spider eyes, and whatever else Mobs dropped. And the EXP… Floyd could just imagine hundreds of Crafters dutifully collecting those green and yellow orbs that flowed from fallen Mobs. After harvesting Mobs at a scale this large… it was all he could do just to wrap his mind around how many bottles worth of EXP they shipped out.

"Yeah. Considering the practicality of enchanting, and the importance of EXP, Nitebane really bottled lightning with this idea. The grinder was deemed 'the bane of the monsters of the night' which earned the Kingdom's name, Nitebane. But that wasn't all this place offered. Nitebane was a center of learning and knowledge. Schools and colleges sprung up all over to study redstone, enchantments, brewing, and even the mysteries of Normal Sense. It was a bright place of knowledge, Nitebane was." Cara hummed appreciatively before letting out a weary sigh. "Of course, that all ended when the Griefers took over."

All at once, Floyd's imagination ground to a halt. That was right. The bright days of those EXP Factories were a thing of the past. What Crafter would bother worrying about the factories when Griefers were out and about, trying to make their life a living hell. What Crafters would study at colleges and schools when those Griefers forced the priority to be staying alive.

Though, that brought up a new concern from Floyd. "How did Nitebane get invaded in the first place?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean… they certainly had natural barriers on their side." Floyd continued. "With these chasms on one end and the ocean on the other, Mobs and invaders would have a hard time attacking this place. So… how did the Griefers overrun it?"

Cara clenched her fists as she turned away from the group. "…We shouldn't really be talking any more. We're almost among the buildings."

Floyd opened his mouth to protest but Soul beat him to it. "You can't just cut off there. Don't leave us guessing."

Cara frowned, glancing aside to Soul and Floyd.

"Cara, what happened?"

Cara let out another tired sigh. "The Endward Cult happened."

Soul scowled at the mention of the group responsible for the death of Silent_Game and so many countless others. Floyd's face reflected a similar hatred towards the black-capped cultists. The implications behind Cara's simple response was enough for the blue-nette to look upon Nitebane's ruins in a different perspective.

As they walked upon the grid-like pattern of roads that wove between the buildings, he noticed the cracked bricks. The craters. The holes that fell into the wide tunnels and sewers below. The skyscrapers whose foundations looked ripped apart. Water - and even lava - poured down from the gaps in the floors, forming steady streams that pooled across the streets. The light posts were all stripped of redstone and glowstone, replaced with torches set haphazardly around. The signs of fire damage upon the trees lining the sidewalks. Where there may have once been greenery, there was now only charred stumps. Thick vines stretched down the length of several of the buildings, depicting age and ruin.

But as ugly as the Kingdom looked, it made the ugly feeling inside Floyd feel all the worse… knowing what it once was.

He could almost picture the streets as they once could have been. Clean, pristine, and whole. No signs of damage and bustling with Crafters making their way to school or work or home. Trees full of life, providing shade to the passersby. Buildings filled with…

…

"What did they do in these buildings?"

Cara shrugged. "Work, maybe? They could have been stacked with anything. Some could have even been apartments."

"I bet the penthouse would get a killer view." Soul commented as he gazed straight up the nearest one.

Nitebane was just another Kingdom, like any other. Or at least it was… until the Endward Cult interfered.

"So—if you don't mind me asking—what exactly did the Endward Cult do?" Floyd asked Cara.

But before she could answer, the sound of galloping horses caught their attention. There were also loud shouts and whoops, signaling an enthusiastic crowd of Griefers.

Even though it was still night, the surrounding torches offered no darkness to hide under.

"Hide." Cara hissed, throwing herself behind a burned newsbook stand.

Floyd jerked his head left and right, searching for suitable cover. He grew more frantic when he saw Soul abandon the idea of hiding in favor of readying his axe. "Come get some, Griefers." His smirk was challenging as he prepared to meet them.

It twisted into a snarl when Floyd grabbed him by the collar and dragged him behind a burnt tree. He struggled, of course, but was concealed by the blue-nette before the Griefers could pass.

"What's the big idea?" Soul complained with narrowed eyes. "I could have taken—"

"What happened to following Cara's orders?" Floyd shot back, silencing the axe-wielder.

As the Griefers passed, Floyd kept still. Glancing towards the newsbook stand, he could tell that Cara was doing the same. They would simply wait until the Griefers left before—

"Hold up."

Floyd's blood froze as one of the Griefers, a pony-tailed man riding horseback, dismounted. His comrades stopped as commanded, bunching up in the center of the street and separating Floyd and Soul from Cara.

"What's up, Espen sir?" One of the Griefers questioned.

The pony-tailed man, Espen, said nothing. Though his eyes, each one having a dark line stretched over them, seemed fixated on the side of the street Floyd and Soul were hiding.

Espen cleared his throat. "You might as well show yourselves. Both of you aren't fooling anyone with your hiding spot."

Floyd cursed in his mind while Soul simply readjusted the grip on his axe. He, at least, was prepared to fight.

Immediately, the Griefers behind Espen got off their horses and readied their weapons, looking eager for a fresh kill.

Espen, however, remained unarmed. He simply closed his eyes, took a deep, steadying breath… and let it go as wisps of dark smoke encompassed his being.

Floyd's eyes widened at the sight of that dark smoke. It was the same smoke that enveloped his arm in his dream. And the same smoke that came from the apparition of Silent_Game. It even came off of Espen in the same way as it had Silent.

When Espen opened his eyes again, his sclerae was no longer white, but black. And that same mysterious smoke continued to seep from him, surrounding his body like an aura.

"Well then, if you won't come out," Espen crouched low, his muscles ready to spring forth, "then I'll come to you."

The next instant, Espen surged forward, surprising Floyd and Soul by jumping higher than thought possible. The dark smoke trailed behind him as he launched himself towards them.

Though, they weren't his targets.

"RUN, MARGE!" A male Crafter bellowed from within the building on Soul and Floyd's side. The blue-nette followed the sound to see two Crafters, a man and a woman, frantically running out from their cover on one of the building's ruined floors.

Espen, however, was undaunted. His trajectory was carrying him to smack straight into the building…

Only for him to phase through it.

Soul was at a loss for words at how the pony-tailed man simply passed through the wall as if it were never there. The couple within the building were at a loss for words too, especially with how Espen had grabbed them by the necks, pinning them to a wall.

"Now see." Espen spoke to the choking couple. "Isn't this so much worse than just showing yourselves?"

"G-gak!" The male Crafter tried to speak, but he couldn't get enough air into him. The female Crafter had already passed out.

With an exasperated sigh, Espen twisted on his foot, tossing the two Crafters into the street. The male Crafter had three seconds to regain his breath before the Griefers were upon him. They held him and the woman down, even though she was unconscious.

While Soul was watching the Griefers, Floyd kept his attention on Espen. The pony-tailed man, seeing the couple in custody of his Griefers, took a deep breath that, all at once, extinguished the smoke from his body. When he re-opened his eyes, Floyd saw that his sclerae were white once more.

The strange man began to stroll out of the building, though this time he ducked out of a low opening instead of phasing through it. And Floyd actually had to bite down on his fist when Espen hopped, landing on top of the burnt tree being used for cover, before hopping again to rejoin his group.

Those jumps of his… and phasing through that wall… Floyd was floored at what was just displayed. His first thought of it being a potion was immediately overruled. More likely, it had something to do with that weird dark smoke, gone as quickly as it had come.

"Please, don't do this!" The captured male Crafter pleaded as the Griefers searched his backpack for gear. By their disappointed grumbles, he didn't have anything good. "You can take me, but let my wife go! Please!"

Espen shook his head. "Sorry—not sorry—but that's like begging a Creeper not to blow up. It has to happen."

The male Crafter struggled, but the Griefers were quick to quell it. Two of them, in particular, grabbed some leads in their backpacks and used them to tie the unconscious woman's arms and legs.

"No, no, NO! I beg of you!" The man shouted, stirring something in Floyd's chest. The blue-nette's hand moved to the sword at his belt. He was ready to help the two Crafters in peril, only for Soul to stop him.

"Now who isn't following orders?" Soul hissed, his eyes fixed on what the Griefers were doing. Slowly, Floyd was forced to let it go. Jumping in to fight those Griefers and Espen, without even knowing who or what he was, was a bad idea.

"Stop!" The male Crafter cried as two Griefers grabbed the leads tied around his wife's arms and legs and hopped up onto their horses. "Somebody help us! Attila! Anyone! HELP!"

Floyd clenched his fist, horrified at how helpless he was. Even as the man's screaming tore him apart.

Even as he watched the two Griefers, with the woman suspended between them by her arms and legs, spur their horses forward.

Even as he watched as the horses gained speed, all the Griefers watching on in excitement.

"NO! MARGE!"

Even as he watched the Griefers come to an intersection and split. One going left, the other going right.

And the woman suspended between them being ripped apart until she burst into a shower of gear.

"Ohohoho! Brutal!" One of the Griefers whooped appreciatively. There was a smattering cheers and applause from the rest. Espen turned his nose up in disgust.

But Floyd could only look on in horror. They had literally torn her apart.

"MARGE! NO! YOU BASTARDS!" The male Crafter pulled himself free with raw strength and punched the nearest Griefer in the face. Even as he hit the ground, the male Crafter leapt upon him, pummeling his face until another Griefer pulled him off.

And just like that, the Griefers converged on the furious man, armed with swords and picks, and bludgeoned him to death. It didn't take long, and the shower of gear was all Floyd needed to confirm he was dead.

"Alright, alright. We've been delayed enough." Espen calmed the excited group down. "To Lunar Castle we go." He was already back on his horse, waiting for the others to do the same.

After spending another minute kicking the fallen Crafters' Heads and spitting on the place their gear fell, the Griefers climbed back onto their horses and followed Espen deeper into Nitebane.

As soon as the band of Griefers were out of earshot, Floyd and Soul showed themselves. Cara was out sooner, rushing over to her fellow Silver Intent members and wrapping them in a surprisingly tight hug.

"Cara! What's up?" Soul asked in shock. "It was just a couple of Griefers."

Cara shook her head frantically, and held on tighter to the two. Floyd, with his head pressed against her chest, could hear how erratic her heartbeat was.

"You… I thought he saw you two…" Cara choked out, her aquamarine eyes quivering in fear.

"You mean that Espen guy?" Floyd asked, remembering the dark smoke that enveloped that pony-tailed man. "Who – or what – was he?"

Cara slowly released the two from her hug and wiped her eyes. Taking some calming breaths, she began to explain.

"That man – Espen – is a Hacker."

"Hacker?" The word should have meant nothing to the blue-nette - being the first time he had heard it - and yet it made him feel a sense of trepidation. Maybe it was the way Cara had spoken it.

"Hackers are denoted by the dark smoke you saw enveloping Espen's body." Cara clarified in a quivering voice. Even though she had taken a moment to calm down, she was still visibly shaken over the close encounter with a Hacker. "They're an enigmatic sort with powers you couldn't believe. They're like Griefers, but with deadly abilities."

"Deadly?" Soul questioned skeptically. "Really? The guy with the pony-tail?"

"This is no laughing matter, Soul." Cara snuffed the axe-wielder's snark instantly. "You saw how easily he caught that couple. If he had seen you… I thought he had seen you… and I-I… this blasted Kingdom is full of Griefers, I should have known it might have Hackers too! I messed up! I-I…"

Soul's eyes suddenly widened as Cara began to break down. "Hey, hey. Don't worry. Really." Soul rushed forward, propping Cara up by her shoulders. "We're fine, okay? He didn't see us. So don't worry about it." Soul wiped a tear from Cara's cheek and looked her confidently in the eye. "You didn't think a Hacker would be here. That doesn't mean you made a mistake. You're still a good leader. Okay?"

Cara took another steadying breath and nodded along, her voice not fully recovered.

While those two comforted each other, Floyd's mind was elsewhere.

He looked down the street the Hacker had gone, replaying Cara's words inside his head.

'Hackers are denoted by the dark smoke you saw enveloping Espen's body. They're an enigmatic sort with powers you couldn't believe. They're like Griefers, but with deadly abilities.'

Espen had jumped higher than any Leaping Potion the blue-nette had seen. Espen had phased right through a solid wall.

And it somehow had to do with that mysterious smoke.

It had swirled around his body. Changed his eyes. And had exuded a menace that had unsettled Floyd.

And even more unsettling…

It was eerily similar to the blue-nette's dream.

The apparition of Silent that haunted Floyd's dreams had the same smoke seeping from him. His eyes had changed in the same way too. And even the markings – the dark lines – that stretched over the eyelids…

Silent had never had those markings while he was alive. But in Floyd's dream, he did.

And Espen had them too.

…And so did Floyd.

Could it just be a coincidence?

'…you're not as strong as you could be…'

No… no! It had to be a coincidence. Hackers were more like Griefers anyway. Cara had said as much.

'You didn't have to be a weakling that day. With a power like yours… you could have murdered those two cultists.'

Floyd was just seeing things. Hearing them too. He must have been more exhausted than he thought.

The markings over his eyes…

They didn't mean a thing!

"Floyd, you coming?" Soul called out, startling the blue-nette from his thoughts. Cara was scouting ahead with her map held before her. "Cara says we should get to the outpost before our potions wear off."

"Y-yeah. I'm right with you." Floyd replied, his fingers idly tracing the mark over his eyes. He took a moment to glance at the fallen couple's remains. Their heads staring unblinkingly into the night sky.

He clenched his fist in frustration, cursing the couple's luck. Whether they could have been saved, he didn't know. And he never would, either.

"I'm right with you." The blue-nette repeated, following Cara and Soul deeper into the frightening Kingdom.

Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword {Weak}, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 37 Oak Wood Planks, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Book {Miner's Warren}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 12 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 2 Arrows, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 12]

AN: You guys want to hear me talk about myself? You're right, I'm boring. Moving on.

Well, if you expected Nitebane to be all peanut buttercups and rainbows, then you haven't picked up on anything the characters have described it as.

When thinking up the Kingdom, I wanted it to be like a post-apocalyptic city. The buildings are ruined, there are holes and water leaking and lava dumped haphazardly. The mood is dark, the people are dangerous, the vending machines all only have celery. Stuff like that.

In my head, Nitebane is a combination of New York, San Francisco, and Boston... if they existed in the same post-apocalyptic future as 'The Last of Us.' Like, remember the Boston safe-zone? There were ruined skyscrapers literally leaning on each other! I mean how cool is that!? Minecraft doesn't have gravity so I couldn't do that here, but I thought something up. Maybe my version of what Nitebane is doesn't match up with how I described it, but whatever.

The Chapter I originally wrote was not supposed to be a two-parter. But there was so much exposition and stuff being thrown at you, that I had to split it up. I didn't want your heads to explode from exposition overload.

Anyway, Fav, Follow, Review, or offer an OC. See you next week.