Never Really Gone

Chapter 41

Nora's POV 

Sometimes things don't work out.

Maybe your best friend was just executed.

Maybe your life is falling to pieces

Maybe you have nowhere to go and nobody to help you

Maybe you just want to give up

Sighing, tears sting at my eyes as I sit down at a lonely bench. How had everything just gone to shit like this?! How had my life just gone from terrible to something even worse?! Now I'm alone with no hope of finding Grian. The only mildly good thing that's happened is that I've escaped the Watchers... for now.

Looking up at the circle of portals, I try think about the Hub instead of... anything I guess. I'd always found it kind of cool how it works. Each portal is initially empty, and has a number pad on the side. When you're entering your server, you just put the IP address into the number pad of an unoccupied portal and you can go through.

If you're leaving, you go through the portal at your world's spawn, and if a portal isn't in use, you go through it into the Hub. Sure, there's a lot of queuing and waiting involved in the system, despite there being 100 portal frames, but it's a clean method that's worked for quite some time now, and I don't think they have any intention of changing it.

A scream suddenly pierces the air, followed by many others and yells of "Get Him!". This wasn't uncommon in the instance of a robbery, but the terrified screams tells me this is no mere thief. People are shoved out of the way by masked figures in cloaks, who I quickly recognise as Watchers.

Then I see who they're chasing. A blonde boy in a torn red sweater, tears streaming out of greyish blue eyes and down soft, rosy cheeks. Beautiful, strong golden wings rest on his back, covered in blood and loose feathers. It can't be anyone else.

"GRIAN!" I scream, my yells drowned out by the shrieks of the crowds I push through. I continue to shout his name, desperately shoving people aside to try get to him.

Then he screams as a man wearing a helmet and green armour grabs him by the wrist. The man turns on his heel, dashing towards the open portal he just left. I'm almost there, less then a metre from Grian. But I'm too late. He's pulled through the portal, which closes behind them.

Despite this happening in the space of 20 seconds, it feels like hours. I pull myself to a stop, not wanting to run out right in front of those Watchers. One speaks in Galactic to the others, and I recognise his voice. He's the bastard who bullied Ezra in First Year.

"Did anyone see the name of the server?"

The others shake their heads, and he growls angrily.

"Clear their minds of this" he snarls, eyes darting toward the crowd. They don't understand him, but I do, using my magic to block their spell from effecting me. They're gone in seconds, the citizens carrying on, clueless of what happened.

I myself saw only the letters H, M, T, A, T and 5 from the name of the server, my vision having been blocked. That won't really help much, unless they still keep listings of all the servers at the Admin HQ. I'd assume they would, seeing as it's a very handy thing to have. He one issue would be me. If my magic is sensed, I'll be kicked out and arrested.

I don't see any visible magic detectors in the area, but, despite the feelings of dread inside me, I take a moment to appreciate its beauty. It's been decorated to represent the Aquatic update, which just arrived a day or two ago. The now Prismarine building is decorated with coral, seashells and seaweed, making it feel like an underwater temple.

The Prime Admin who does this is incredibly talented, able to redecorate an entire building based off a simple thought in her head. Her magic is truly beautiful. I smile slightly as a turtle swims past in an aquarium mounted to the wall. Xisuma must be happy about this update.

I eventually find a huge (and I mean huge) book in the middle of the room, that I'd only heard about before. Apparently it's enchanted to constantly update every time a server is created or destroyed, the only problem being that it's impossible to find anything there.

So I spend easily an hour going through the 'H' section, trying to find something close to what I saw earlier.

"Hypixel... Hardcore Series 2... Hermitcraft?"

The last one sounds close to what I'm looking for, so I investigate further.

Name: Hermitcraft

A well known server famous for its talented Builders and Redstoners. Started in 2012 by Admin GenerikB, it has continued since. The members, known as Hermits, move to a different world every year or so, often at the arrival of a new update. As of 2018, they're on their 5th world, and are close to moving toward their 6th.

Duration: 6 Years

First Admin: GenerikB

Current Admin: Xisuma Void

I stop when I see the name Xisuma Void and everything clicks. That server Grian's in is called Hermitcraft, and Xisuma's the Admin. Someone from that server recognised Grian, and grabbed him. The odds are it was Xisuma himself, Ezra or Joe, most likely X because he had a British accent, and I honestly can't imagine Ezra wearing green.

So, if I'm correct, Grian was being chased by Watchers, and Xisuma happened to be leaving the Hermitcraft server at the exact same time. He saw Grian, grabbed him, and brought him back through the portal before it closed. So, making a risky assumption that it WAS Hermitcraft, my nephew should be safe.

But in case I'm wrong, I'm gonna somehow get my ass into Hermitcraft and make sure he is.