Hero's Bane

Chapter 75: Harbored Hatred

Steve felt himself shudder and shake, not only did he have to watch his beloved brother and father suffer and die with their souls severed, but he also just struck Herobrine with Hero's Bane; a sword that he named when he found out that would prevent Herobrine from healing. Because it was a part of the ancient demi-god; his body cannot detect the wound which will allow him to bleed out as if he wasn't cut at all, Herobrine's blood was his own bane. Watching the white-eyed monster fall to onto a knee made him feel just as sick as he did in the nightmare Herobrine gave him, the heavy smell and sight of the crimson following down the man's side and arm made him want to puke. He amazingly held what little stomach contents he had in.

The miner took a step back and shook his head in disbelief as his world come crashing down on him, there was just too much to swallow and he couldn't even get the concept of the nightmare being the truth into his mouth. He didn't want to believe that what Herobrine did in that realistic horrifying dream really happened, he couldn't simply bring himself to accept it but he had to. Denial kept his mind in a frenzy but a part of him knew that it was the truth, this made his heart feel heavy and over stressed.

The beating organ strained painfully as he come to accept what Herobrine had done, he trusted him even though he felt growing hate. Stray tears flowed down his face and he couldn't get them to stop, no matter how many times he wiped them away. Herobrine had kept a painful truth from him and then used it so cruelly... for what reason again? The miner couldn't even remember why. If he would have never said anything or showed it then there wouldn't have been any pain to feel; ignorance would have been blissful, even for the rest of his life if he didn't ever know.

His breath hitched as he spoke. "I begged you to stop... and you didn't." Steve's fist clenched tightly.

"I heard your pleas but I had no intention fulfilling any of them, I carried out every bit of my actions back then as I did in the forced memory of mine. You needed to know the truth, to need a debt repaid. In killing me you'll avenge them and all of the times I battered and beaten you for these past few weeks, even for the time I nearly claimed your life. You will also prevent me from killing you because you know that once I forget everything that has to do with you or any mortal; even Lionel, that I will not have a second thought while cutting you down. We don't need to go over this again Steve; I know that it hurt you to watch them die, now pick up the blade and finish it. I get the punishment that I deserve, I will not allow any other mortal to have this opportunity. Not even Ender; my debt to him has been paid somewhat, even though he demands more. Now it is your turn to get the debt repaid."

Steve squeezed his blue orbs shut tightly and swung his head back and forth from inner conflict. It was hard to believe that 'Herobrine'; a living terror and destroyer of men was allowing himself to fall to one, he was once a being of great pride. Where was that pride? Wasn't one of the reasons he collected souls was so that he wouldn't face Ender's wrath in the first place? The miner took a deep breath and dared to look in the being's direction, he felt a strong sadness when he saw those eyes. "I can't do that... I don't think I- no, I just can't."

"Why not? You know how they died, how much they suffered and how close I was to head to your house and kill you and the rest of your family. I still remember how much- how much joy I had taking them." The white-eyed man looked away from the miner and stared at the empty space in front of them, a strange elated feeling was surfacing. "How ... how badly I craved to see them take their last breath." Herobrine said with a maniacal grin starting to form on his face, his eyes started to glow at the thought of them and the heavy smell of his own blood was making the memory of killing them more savory. "How they begged." He darkly chuckled.

Steve stared in horror with that face of bloodlust, Herobrine was reverting back to his old self again somehow. "Herobrine stop!"

"The boy was so eager for my sword, I still feel the energy pulsing in my arms that I got from taking his soul." The grin grew as the brightness in his eyes intensified. "The man begged and cried, oh how much fun he was to play with till his end? I took him too soon. ... I should have taken more."