Chapter 24: Left to Bloom

*chop-chop*

One by one, the blocks that constituted the trunk of the dark oak, broke. Unlike any other type of tree I was familiar with, dark oaks' trunks were 2x2 blocks thick, instead of 1x1. In addition, they were considerably taller than a normal oak. As a result, cutting down even one of them, was rather time consuming.

All the better.

I had left the mansion early that morning, before the sun had a chance to rise, and walked deeper into the forest. Spiders were fairly frequent, but I proceeded anyway. The purpose of this trip was twofold. I wanted more materials, as well as time to think. The former was addressed well enough. As for the latter...

*chop-chop*

Last night, the evoker spent more time failing to convince me that we knew each other. The things she claimed came off as incredibly farfetched to me, going so far as to bring up some other dimension. The tone of her voice, as well as some suspiciously specific details she brought up made me feel torn, though.

It's true that I didn't know almost anything about my past, but I couldn't tell whether Eva was trustworthy or not. For all I knew, she could've been lying to me. She did give me a fake name after all, regardless of which of the two was the real one. She even tried to justify it by saying that she didn't want me to associate her real name with her actions as the leader of a bandit clan, but I didn't buy it. Even so, there wasn't anything I could do or say that would debunk her claims...

And so, there I was, chopping.

*chop-chop*

Once I cleared the tree, however, I moved on to the one next to it. There were no tasks I had to complete, no duty I had to fulfill, nothing of the sort. So, what now?

My lamenting was cut short thanks to the sudden sound of ringing, along with my name being called. Turning around, I directed my gaze to the ground, and saw the allay flying toward me. It wasn't alone, though; Eva was following closely behind.

~ring-ring~

"Steve, I'm going on- what are you doing?"

Because some of these trees were just shorter than the mansion's second floor, I had to artificially raise my altitude by placing blocks to chop it down fully. As a result, I could imagine that the sight of a man standing on a dirt pillar as tall as a dark oak's canopy was a little jarring...

"...Chopping..." I eventually replied. A barely noticeable look of incredulity aside, the illager leader didn't seem phased.

"Right... As I was saying, I was about to go on a mining trip. Would you like to come with me? Maybe we can sort things out better that way?" There was a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

I thought about her proposal. Despite the reluctance that was itching me, I had to come to terms with the fact that if I kept dodging the subject, I wouldn't get any answers to this conundrum. Besides, I needed more materials anyway; a trip to a cave would be ideal.

"Okay, I'll come. Just, let me finish up this tree first."

"Alright. Meet me at the entrance when you're done," her words trailed as she headed back to her base. Her ghostly companion followed her, but not before giving me a wave. It didn't take me long to gather the remaining log blocks, which I'd probably use in the upcoming expedition.

...

Traversing through the courtyard, I ended up in the entrance, where I saw Eva and Matilda chatting. The former's expression was neutral, whereas the latter seemed content. The allay was hovering near the courtyard's fountain, playing in the water. As I drew closer to the pair, their conversation came to a close, with the witch wishing us good luck.

After answering with a nod of gratitude, Eva turned to me. I then noticed that this time around, while she was still wearing that black cloak of hers, it was unbuttoned. As such, it was hanging loosely off her shoulders, revealing the clothes she was wearing underneath. In a fleeting glance, I saw a pair of gray boots, brown pants, and a wooly green t-shirt that had a thin, dark green stripe running along the height of her waist. That combination of brown and green made me think of an oak tree.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked in a neutral manner, to which I responded affirmatively. We got a move on, toward southwest.

The sun indicated that it was still morning. We continued to navigate through the dense sea of oaks and dark oaks, whose canopies were blocking a good portion of the sun's light. The allay's ghastly sounds amplified the ambience, giving it a more eerie vibe than it would otherwise have.

Speaking of which, Eva gave it a poppy, to which the spry creature responded by zooming off to a seemingly random direction, weaving through the trees. I gave the evoker an inquisitive look.

"Allays are always eager to pay back your kindness; if you give one a gift, it will try to reciprocate the best way it can."

"Interesting."

That brief exchange did not manage to bloom into a conversation.

...

The number of evergreen trees was beginning to thin a little, and we crossed paths with a lone chicken. When its cluck reached my ears, I realized that neither of us had said anything in a while. Sneaking a few peeks at Eva, I noted she appeared a little downcast. It was up to me to break the silence.

"Are-", I started.

"This-", she said at the same time.

She chuckled a little, before saying, "Go first."

Clearing my throat, I asked, "Are you okay?"

Her visage, which had softened slightly from that last exchange, darkened again. She ran a hand through her ponytail, trying to straighten it.

"Thank you for your concern... This is something I've been anticipating for a while, and yet, it's not exactly like what I was hoping."

"What exactly are you referring to?" I asked, although I had a decent idea of what the answer was going to be. Once a moment of hesitation passed, she elaborated.

"Being with you again. Walking side-by-side and exploring together is something I've missed. I'm happy for this, but without your memories, it feels as though you're not really there... I don't fully recall how I got my memories back, either, so..."

"You had amnesia, too?"

"I did...I still haven't fully recovered, but I remember enough."

"So, then. Tell me more about the things we used to do together. Maybe I'll remember something that way?" I suggested, going along. Her gaze trailed upwards in recollection, and her expression took the shape of a smile.

"I remember how we used to build various structures with our peers. We had no reason to do so; we already had everything we could possibly need. And yet, we still banded together to build, solely because we wanted to. Because we wanted to create. I remember how one time, we constructed an entire mine somewhere underground."

'A...mine...? Could it be...?'

~ring-ring~

Before I could get a chance to muse on my alarming thoughts, the allay returned, happily holding three poppies in its hands. Eva stretched out her hands, accepting the flowers with her right hand, and petting the ghostly being with her left.

I observed the scene that had unfolded next to me, and a question was formed in my mind.

"Does it have a name?"

"I named her 'Sunbeam' soon after we met. It felt fitting, and she seemed to like it," Eva replied, her eyes not straying from the allay.

"She?"

"Right... Allays don't have sexes. It just felt natural to me that way. She doesn't mind, in any case. It's strange, however, how similar your hairstyles are..." she commented, somewhat amused. Upon closer inspection, she wasn't wrong, either, at least as far as length was concerned.

"Right..."

Once some more moments of idle walking passed, my attention was driven to our surroundings. At an opportune moment, too. Just ahead of us was a wide ravine, that was tearing the ground asunder.

"We're here."

I snuck near the precipice, so that I could better estimate the depth, but upon peering over, I immediately stumbled back. Taking a second to get my thoughts in order, I addressed Eva, who was staring at me stoically.

"This...is where you go to mine?"

"It is. Are you impressed?"

"Impressed!? How are we even supposed to get down there?"

She placed a hand on her chin, and stared off into the distance, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

"Now I'm curious...How would you go about it?"

I looked down below again.

"I suppose mining my way down?"

She appeared to mentally scrutinize my answer, before responding dismissively.

"It could work, but it's too risky. What if there's a lava lake under us? Here's my advice to you: Never dig straight down. Use blocks to your advantage; don't submit to them. Watch."

A water bucket materialized in her right hand, which she proceeded to place the contents of, near the drop. Like a waterfall, the water flowed down from its cube source, and eventually reached the bottom of the ravine.

"Follow my lead," she instructed.

Next thing I knew, she jumped off the edge.

"Eva!"

As though possessed, I reached out my hand to catch her, something that surprised even me. I was too slow, however. I saw her outline rapidly shrink, a sight that scared me more than I would admit, for some reason. Even Sunbeam couldn't keep up with the speed at which she approached the ground.

...

Until she landed on the stream of water that had cascaded below, safe and sound.

"...What the-?"

"What are you waiting for?" Her voice resonated from below. She had cupped her hands around her mouth. I was still feeling reluctant for some reason... She probably realized this, because she began waving her hands.

'So, my suggestion is too risky, but this isn't?'

Looking back at the blocky water source that was still flowing off the edge...I steeled my nerves and took the plunge.

...

*Splash*

...

Eva was probably asking me something, but my ears were still ringing. I pressed my palms against them, and the high-pitched noise slowly subsided.

"Wh-what did you say?"

Her gaze softened a bit.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

I craned my head upwards. That must've been at least a 30-block drop. I had landed rear-first on a stream that was barely a block deep without dying, breaking anything, or even getting hurt at all, for that matter.

"I guess...not?"

Eva outstretched her arm and offered me a hand for support. I accepted it, still a little dazed, and was reminded once again of just how strong she was, her grip firm and steady.

"Was that the first time you did a water landing like that?"

I nodded, and her lips subtly curved.

"It must've taken a lot of courage. Good job. Now, let's get going, shall we?"

~ring-ring~

We resumed walking side by side, along the ravine's length. There were a couple of natural waterfalls and streams, flowing from fissures along the stone. There was even lava trickling down the wall, though we weren't heading towards it.

I took note of the low density of ores that were present and concluded that either the underground in this particular area wasn't very fruitful, or any veins there were, had been mined. This was Eva's mining spot, after all.

Whatever the case may have been, in due course, we reached a point where the ravine wasn't exposed. The rest of its length continued underground, deeper and deeper. With no access to sunlight, the primary sources of light were torches which had been placed on the ground and walls. The atmosphere was surprisingly thick and humid, slightly hindering the speed at which we navigated through the cavern.

"So, what kind of resources are we looking for?" I wondered aloud. Echo was very prevalent here, so that threw me for a loop.

"Iron and lapis lazuli are our main goal, but it's important to be on the lookout for diamonds, too," Eva whispered.

"Got it," I whispered back. I was planning to ask if there was a specific goal she had in mind, but before I could get a chance to do so, we turned a sharp left, down a long, dark stone tunnel, which had a downward angle.

"I haven't explored this section yet; let's go this way."

I tagged along, placing down torches on my own accord. The brief scanning of the environment revealed a type of ore I hadn't encountered before. It was a red, dusty material, that was glowing faintly.

"Excuse me," I called out. "Do you know what this is?"

She turned her head to the vein in question and gave a nod of recognition.

"That's redstone. It's used for crafting devices and circuits. You're free to mine it if you have an iron pickaxe with you. Same goes for any other ore you see; you don't need my permission," she pointed out, and kept walking.

I didn't have an iron pickaxe with me, but I was glad I finally came across redstone in its unadulterated form. I kept coming across crafting recipes that had redstone dust as a component, such as compasses and clocks, but had no idea how to get some, so I didn't acknowledge it.

This told me that the cave system we were in, while not as complex as the ones I had been to, contained different types of materials. Whether that was due to the difference in depth, or biome, I couldn't tell. Sunbeam flew back to me, nudging me to keep up with her guardian.

I sped up a little, going deeper into the tunnel, minding my step in the sleek, uneven ground. Catching up to Eva, I saw her standing in front of an opening. A faint light was painting the wall orange. Could it have been a patch of lava?

"So much for an unexplored area..."

I stepped next to her and looked through the opening of the tunnel. The view was surprising, yet also mesmerizing. In front of us was a wide cave that was overgrown with flora. Long vines were hanging from the tall ceiling. These vines bore fruits that were glowing that bright orange light I had seen. The cave's floor, rich with clay, stone, and dirt, was covered in patches of moss and grass. Water had accumulated in the lower elevations of the ground, forming ponds that were populated with fish. On the surface of the water, lily pads and other similar plants were floating in place. There were also other types of plant life, notably bushes with pink flowers, a kind that was completely foreign to me.

"You seem impressed. Not that I blame you; no matter how many times I pass through here, I still find the view beautiful."

"I've never seen a cave like this before..."

"In that case, come, I'll show you around. These bushes are called Azalea, and they..."

We stepped deeper into the lush cavern, and Eva began pointing to specific plants and telling me their names and quirks.

...

A/N: Here's a little story:

So, for the longest time, my favorite in-game song was "Dry Hands". I loved how it starts out as eerie and dissonant but becomes warmer near the end. I still do. It struck a chord with me that not many other Minecraft songs could, despite the fact that Minecraft's OST is great.

Anyhow, you can imagine my surprise when 1.18 introduced a song that would dethrone "Dry Hands" from my No.1 spot. That song is "Left to Bloom", the one this chapter is named after. It's just so...beautiful... Then again, it could be just a case of recency bias. I don't know.

Now, you may think to yourself: "Wow, JustMC! That's amazing, but even with this locator map, I still can't find who asked!" To which I say... :(

Thank you for reading, as always, and feel free to share your favorite track!