Abolish Herobrine

Reprieve

Steve's stomach heaved in dry retching, causing sharp pain to pierce along his ribs and stab into the injured point. All he wanted was to curl up in a ball and don't move, allowing his mind to slip away into unconsciousness to find relief. The pain wouldn't let him.

Steel grip of Herobrine's hand kept him up, not letting him collapse to the ground. Steve didn't even remember when Herobrine caught him.

"Steve?" Herobrine's voice held so much concern that Steve opened his eyes and blinked, the world around him blurry.

Bleary blue eyes found his twin's face and found worry in the other's white eyes, studying Steve's face. Herobrine's lips pinched into a flat line even while Steve's eyes filled with tears in gratitude at the unexpected compassion. He had almost come to believe that his twin could care less about what happened to him.

"Steve, stay here and don't move. You will be safe, I promise." Herobrine reassured, weary but also insistent with confidence.

Steve tried to nod, making a shaky smile. Still frowning at him, Herobrine winced as he gently let him down to sit with his back against some sort of wall. It was cool and stony to the touch, rough under Steve's palm.

Glancing past his twin, he blinked at the same pale, yellow color that reminded Steve of something. Those strange blocks that Herobrine's endermen brought to create the gate to another world.

He was sitting in a protected niche, beyond which he could see more of the flat yellow stone. Occasional protrusions rose from the ground, upon which strange, scraggly narrow forms stretched like malformed, leafless trees to the black, void sky – chorus plants.

Steve should have felt fascination at the sight. Until that moment he had only read about this world in library books and seen details in pictures that he hungrily studied. He never thought that he would see such a place with his own eyes. Now he was here and... all he wished was for him to wake up back home, safe and in his bed.

Steve's eyes began to close once more against his volition.

"Steve, it's almost over. Hold on. Just a little longer... Please." Herobrine's quiet voice seemed almost kind and Steve found himself obediently nodding, warmth trying to lift his heart. He was not wrong about him. Herobrine did care about what happened to him. Steve was not just a ploy of some sort, which Herobrine intended to use for his own means. He cared about him.

Steve felt his twin's hand lift away. He didn't hear any footsteps but felt his twin's absence. Surrendering to whatever would happen, Steve rested his head against the warm, rough surface, unable to find the strength to open his eyes and search for where his twin had gone.

And then.

A cold, mocking laugh sounded in the distance, making Steve's body shrink and breath catch in his chest as his heart stumbled into a faster rhythm once more.

No, no, no. Not again! They... They followed them here, too?

Steve's heart fell as a hopeless feeling settled over him.

"You've got nowhere to run, bot! Just give up and die, blip you!" Hateful, young voice spat out some distance away. Steve hoped they couldn't see him, hiding here behind the rocks. He barely dared to breathe, fearing to draw their attention.

And Herobrine? He was going to die, wasn't he? He could do nothing to protect him. He should try to stop them, talk to them! Steve couldn't find the strength to move. His hands shaking, he hid his grimacing face, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

"Look around you, Player." Herobrine's amused tone held no fear.

Silence followed. Steve could almost imagine the two heroes looking around, uncertainty slowing their movements.