Chapter 28:/gamemode c

Let's go back. Further back. Back when the world was devoid of sentient life. Back when the only things the eye could see was a flat grassy field that seemingly stretched into infinity, alongside a blue sky that was just as expansive. The world was many things at that stage. Calm. Serene. Peaceful. On the flipside, it was also empty. Lifeless. Hollow. Where's the fun in that?

There was demand for creation and wonder. That's why the two forces that made up the world, those being the sky and the earth, took the corporeal forms that suited them most. Together, block by block, they shaped their home into something better, adding to its beauty. No longer was the world just a silent, even expanse.

The manifestation of the earth, with her strong arms, bent the terrain to her will, raising mountains and carving out canyons on the surface, and digging out caves underground. With fertile land, it would be possible for life to persist. The manifestation of the sky, with his free spirit, created life that would inhabit and interact with the earth and appreciate its wonders. He molded animals of every kind, and let plants sprout under his watchful gaze. Among those plants was the oak tree, which he modeled after his partner.

Soon enough, the world became that much livelier. Forests, mountains, rivers, lakes and oceans were there to accompany the fields, and animals like pigs, sheep, cows, foxes, wolves and bees (among others) were free to dwell on them. Satisfied with their teamwork, the sky and the earth took a step back, and dubbed this world 'the Overworld'. After all that hard work, they decided that a little break was justified.

In the meantime, minor manifestations that reflected the new aspects of the world were beginning to take form. One of them represented the newly constructed savannah biome, another represented obsidian, so on and so forth. These beings of creation, as they called themselves, were free to build together. Not just structures, to be clear, but even a new dimension, dubbed 'the Underworld', or most commonly, 'the Nether', that was meant to serve as an antithesis to the Overworld. As the name would suggest, the Nether was built below the Overworld. Instead of water and trees, the Nether was home to lava and fungi, along other kinds of lifeforms. Blood, fire, and gunpowder were prevalent, too.

A special barrier separated the two dimensions. It was less of a physical structure, and more of a...place, perhaps? The beings simply called it 'the Void'. Time and space didn't appear to function properly in the Void, and only someone immortal could survive down there.

In any case, once the Nether was over and done with, there was one final project these beings had in mind. A final realm. A tranquil one. One that would be reminiscent of how the world originally was, without many extravagant biomes and lifeforms to occupy it. They would build it way above the clouds, higher up than any mortal could fathomably reach. Like the Nether, this realm too, would have two names. The first one was 'Sky dimension' which would be more pragmatic, while the second one was 'the Aether', which just sounded cooler. 'The Aether'. Yeah...

It would be a heavenly dimension, composed of a multitude of floating islands, all of which would surround a central one. There weren't going to be any biomes on these islands, and their terrain would be even. However, the beings didn't get the time needed to found this home of theirs, for the world – no, their very existence was jeopardized.

Among all those beings which represented parts of the world, was one that went against the principles of creation and life. Where there is life, death is never too far away. This entity, which had a deep seeded animosity for the living, had one simple vision; anything that has sentience, should be able to die. That was their 'natural order', as they'd call it.

'Just what, or who, was this creature?' one may wonder. It had a couple nicknames, such as 'the Beginning', and 'the god of death', but in reality, it would refer to itself as 'the Wither.' With its three heads, it waged war on the beings of creation, in an attempt to neutralize them, and restore the world to its former, perfect oblivion.

The war was a long and grueling one. The Wither, with its Wither skeletons to serve as its personal soldiers, would suck out the soul of any being unfortunate enough to get caught by its ferocious ranged skull attacks, and send it down to the Nether, encased in a special block called 'Soul sand', inside of which they were condemned to scream for eternity. By the time the war ended, an entire desert of soul sand blocks took a part of the Nether's landscape...

Soul sand bared some resemblance to sand, only it was a dark brown color and had a coarse feel to it. 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. Those who had been damned to eternal confinement would latch onto anyone who would step on them, in an attempt to drag them down...

In the end, the beings of creation managed to seal away the Wither's consciousness in the Void, and scatter its body across every single Wither skeleton, and every single block of soul sand in existence, just to ensure that it would never be able to piece itself back together. And just like that, the onslaught was over.

The beings of creation, relieved and overjoyed, could finally returned their focus to what they liked, instead of worrying about whether they'd live to see another day. Together, they finally built the Sky dimension, just like they originally planned to. The Overworld may have held a special place in their hearts, but this new plane was meant to serve as their home. A place without death or suffering.

Besides a single exception, no structures were housed in the Sky dimension. The only things that set it apart from the Overworld, besides its lack of biomes and different geography, were the blue roses, along with the trees that bared golden apples, both of which would naturally sprout along the floating islands' surface.

That one exception mentioned, was a platform built out of bedrock, which stood at the center of the main island. On top of that platform, the beings of creation placed a large, black egg that was meant to be a symbol of life and death, both to honor the ones that had perished, as well as give hope to the ones who were still around.

So, then.

What's a race of immortals meant to do, once their world, their magnum opus, is finally complete? Why, appreciate the little things, of course! That's exactly what the incarnations of the earth and the sky did, anyway.

Perhaps now is as good a time as any to properly introduce the two of them.

The earth was strong, brave, confident and determined, but would sometimes get a little too stubborn and reckless for her own good. In spite of that, and her occasional cockiness, she actually had a soft, and compassionate side to her. That's the kind of woman the earth was. No, perhaps that's not quite right. That's the kind of woman Alexandra – or, as she preferred to be called, Alex was.

The sky was loyal, loving and with a drive to support those in need. He was easy going most of the time, but that isn't to say he didn't know when to take things seriously, however. If push came to shove, he would do anything in his power to protect those dear to him. Those attributes were what made the sky the man he was. His real name was technically Steven, although, he was referred to by others and by himself as Steve.

Fast forward to now. The two of them were soaring through the sky at great speed, above the world they had shaped. They weren't concerned with things like the beauty of its sceneries, or anything like that. Instead, they were both too focused on the hill that marked the end of their race!

With a pull-up maneuver, Steve landed gracefully on the grass, while Alex landed face first on the ground. Had she been able to feel pain, she would have groaned. Getting back on her feet, she took off the wings she had equipped on her back (which were called 'Elytra').

"Ugh, how do you keep winning?"

"Must be my luck, right? Or is it the wind this time?" Steve replied, throwing back the excuses Alex would occasionally make whenever she'd lose one of their bets.

"...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 mannerisms, so he knew that some words of encouragement would cheer her up.

"Nonsense. You are stronger than you know. If it's any consolation, you are getting better; your lift-off has improved. You just need to work on your 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.

"Of course. I know you're capable of doing amazing things," he affirmed with a smile of his own.

That much was true. In actuality, the two had exactly equal potential. There wasn't anything one could do that the other couldn't. The only reason that Steve was better at handling the elytra, was because he had a natural affinity for flight as the embodiment of the sky. That gave him some help in the beginning, but in the long term, the two of them were equals.

From the spot they were now standing, they could see other beings like themselves building some houses and other structures out of wood and cobblestone near the foot of a mountain. This village was one of the first small scale projects their kind started to work on after the finalization of the Aether, 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 have a more relaxed chat.

"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 been a while since the last time we built anything with it, 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 might be too bright for a stone cave. We won't have enough contrast that way. 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 birch or 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, which wasn't a particularly common feeling during the war...

So many allies had perished. So many friends... Of course, the beings of creation felt grateful for the peace. There were just so many uncertainties hanging around... They couldn't be certain if the Wither had truly been rendered powerless, or if it would remain scattered forever. What if...

"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 just too mesmerized by your beauty," he said with glee.

Ordinarily, Alex would feel a little flustered by offhanded compliments, only this time, she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. The embodiment of the sky was many things, but a good liar was usually not one of them.

"What's really going on?"

Steve chuckled before answering.

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

He resumed 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.

"For what?"

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

"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 rested her forehead on his.

"I'm thankful you're here, 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 in their possession. With that in mind, one could say that a transportation system was of no use. But practicality wasn't the motive behind these creations. It was the pleasure of it.

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 in turn allowed a minecart to gain momentum without someone pushing it.

Steve placed a lever on the block next to the powered rail, as Alex rolled the minecart on the rail. With a flip of the lever, 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 believe 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? I mean, 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, you know?"

"I think I see where you're coming from. Let's get to 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, step by step.

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 the Sky dimension, so that they could get an ideal balance between the two.

Upon returning home, something immediately seemed amiss. In the center of the main island, the egg was shaking. With how dormant it had been up to that point, the idea of it actually hatching wasn't something that had been conceived. 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, for some odd reason.

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, and giant obsidian pillars had erected from the ground. A black fog had fallen over the islands, a fog so thick, that the other islands couldn't be seen anymore, nevermind 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 quite 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 made of diamond and enchanted with 'Smite'. They had used those swords to thwart the Wither's army in the past, so it stood to reason they'd be effective here, too. 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 breathed 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 similarity one could find. 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. That is how the first of many Endermen came to be.

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, motivating them to fight, 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 had become mortals. The Ender dragon's mere existence completely violated the laws of nature as they were known to them and rendered them fragile.

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. Alex was the first one to take the plunge. In spite of her struggle, Steve had to both watch and listen, as his partner got swallowed by the abyss below. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for him to follow suit.

And so, both of them had fallen.

...

...

...

Steve's consciousness was gradually returning. He couldn't get up, for his muscles were sore. Since looking around was the only thing left for him to do, it dawned on him that he was in the Void. Right as he made that realization, a silhouette was beginning to take form in front of him.

It was faint and undefined at first, until its features became clearer. A charcoal-black spinal cord and ribcage, supporting three equally black skulls with glowing white eyes was looming over him. There it was. The Beginning itself.

"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 soothe its victims, either to lull them into a false sense of security, or to make their final moments more bearable. In a way, the phrase 'the sweet release of death' was a fitting description. As it spoke in a slow and calming manner - much like how a mother would talk to her child after it had nightmare, 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 taint the egg."

"Ha ha ha! 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! Hahahaha! 'Beings of creation'... What a joke! You sealed your own fates," 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. It goes without saying that it was very good at its job.

"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 quite what happened this time.

"On. Your. KNEES!"

The Wither had launched one of its skull projectiles at the one who had the nerves to defy its words. Predictably enough, the man was knocked right back down.

"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. We will be watching you squirm..."

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?"

...