When Past Meets the Present

III

Why did I write more chapters for this one story when my other story gets updated like once a week? IDK. I like this one more. I'm genuinely having fun writing this.

A few days go by and sure enough, the Watcher's symbol follows me everywhere I go.

I woke up one day with a Watcher symbol branded on my neck. Low enough that I can hide it with my turtleneck, but high enough that if I fly around too much, my collar will fall and it becomes plainly obvious that it's not natural. It is an ugly blackish-purply colour that glows with magic when it gets dark. Luckily, it only shows its glow to people with magic so only a few of the Hermits could see it.

I was having an Architech meeting with Mumbo and Iskall when suddenly I heard pistons going off and we all dropped into my infinity room. Except on the maps, there is now a purple Watcher symbol, right in the middle of them. Mumbo and Iskall started asking questions about the symbol and why we were dropped in the infinity room even though none of us had triggered it. In the end, they concluded that some of the redstone from the warehouse must have triggered it. As for the symbol, well I just said not to worry about it and the symbol was just a prank that someone had played on me. I don't know if they bought it but they didn't ask any more questions.

Scar and the Architechs were all working on a project together (Why? Plot convenience) when he asked me out of the blue;

"Grian, what is with that symbol on the back of your neck? It just oozes magic but I only noticed it a couple of days ago."

"I've noticed it too. Not the glowing bit, but there is a mark there," added Iskall.

"What mark? I've never seen a mark." Said Mumbo, being the spoon he is.

I tugged nervously at my collar, making the mark clear and visible to them all.

"It's nothing. Just an old mistake, I guess forgot to hide it properly one day. It's extremely obvious once you know it's there." I answered, not wanting to say more.

"How did you get it? It was clearly done by magic, who gave it to you? Are they on Hermitcraft? Did they hurt you? It looks like it was burnt, was it burnt on to you?" Questioned Scar.

I instantly began guarding my expression, letting too much emotion show now could ruin everything.

"It's a branding, it doesn't matter anymore, they can't get into Hermitcraft anyway." I monotoned, my face becoming an emotionless mask, just like the one I kept in my pocket.

"Alright, I won't ask any questions. It's clear you don't want to talk about it," said Scar.

"Right then, let's get back to work if we are no longer talking about my old mistakes."

Time Skip

Tomorrow would be one week since the symbol had shown up and the symbol had indeed keep popping up everywhere. Since they still can't get through the barrier I was afraid to go to sleep out of fear they would invade my dreams. The easiest solution would be to pull an all-nighter and just not sleep, but I couldn't go without sleep forever and they would just wait until I went to sleep and invade then and probably be really mad and then my 'gift' would just be worse. No, I will have to sleep tonight. I would have to place some magic around my base so no one could come in and see me while it was happening.

Yeah, that'll work.

I fly around my base with my elytra, muttering spells in Galactic as I went.

With no hermits around to witness anything Watcher related if it came up like the symbol on my ceiling. I put away all my items and collapsed into my bed.

Dream

"Come back to us Xelqua. Come home to us." Just a normal Watcher dream so far.

"My dearest Xelqua," I turn around and there's she is. Alova, towering over me as I just stand there, waiting. "I see you still haven't put on your mask. So you ready for more?"

"Just leave me and the Hermits alone Alova."

"And miss out on seeing you every night? I don't think so Xelqua. Not until you come home."

"I already told you, I am home. Hermitcraft is my home. My home is with my friends."

"You already abandoned your 'friends'. You remember Zuhiknau, don't you?"

"Zucky?" I hadn't spoken to him since I had run away. I told him everything and they knew that, how could I have been so stupid. He had probably been tortured because they thought I told him what I knew. "What did you do to him?"

She laughed "Oh my dear Xelqua, why don't you ask him yourself? He's right here after all." She spread her hands and void particles began forming into the vague form of a human. Then, all of a sudden, Zuhiknau was standing next to her, with a Watcher mask on, the bottom half of his face was just as emotionless. The mask glowed silver glowed where the eyeholes should've been.

"Hey, Xelqua. Miss me?" He sneered. Then what I could see of his face morphed into a pleading look and the glowing eyeholes died down. "Please come back to me! Please Grian, come back! They'll kill me and the Hermits if you don't!"

Then he collapsed where he stood. It took me a second to realise that one, he'd spoken in English, not Galatic. And two, he called me Grian. We only talked in English and called each other by our preferred names when we were alone. Grian for me and Zucky for him.

I ran to his side. "Zucky? What's wrong with you? Are you ok?" I asked in English. 'The mask.' I thought 'The mask controls them.' I tried to pry the mask from his face but as soon as my hand connected to his face it rippled and the room around us dissolved.

Now I was in a dungeon. Zucky was chained to a wall, looking weaker and skinnier than I'd ever seen him.

"Zucky!" I shout at him. He looks up at me and smiled slightly.

"Greeon?" I flinched when he said that. Zucky knew why I hated that name and he would never do it on purpose, but with his voice was so shaky and breathless, it was more likely that he was just too pained to get it right.

"Don't worry. I'll get you out of here, just give me a second." He grabbed my hand, stopping me from doing anything.

"They are... going... to... put... the... mask... on... me... They'll... make... me... go... after... you..." Every breath sounded like he was running out of oxygen in the dungeon, that was possible since he was most likely in the End.

Suddenly the doors burst open and Alova walked in with three other mask-wearing Watchers flanking her from behind.

"Restrain him." She ordered, pointing at me. One of the Watchers grabbed me and held me down while another held my head, forcing me to look up at Alova. "So Xelqua, why don't we send your old 'friend' over for some fun?" She turned to the third Watcher. "Mask him. Now!" This time she pointed at Zuck.

The Watcher who was holding my head forced me to look at Zucky while the one with the mask walked over to him. He was too frail to fight back so the Watcher had no trouble getting it on. He thrashed for a couple of seconds, enough time for me to get my hopes up that he could throw it off. Then he stopped and raised his head. It was the same as my vision before.

"Nonononono!" I pleaded. "Snap out of it Zuck! Please!" He looked down at me, then he turned to Alova.

"Begin phase two." She commanded. He nodded and summoned his sword. The last thing I saw of him was him grinning as he decapitated my dream self.

Dream Over

WC:1375

Thank you for reading this.

Cheers,

Isabelle