Turn Back Time

i. SPAWNING IN

 Everybody spawned in different places of the world. Ten spawned on an icy glacier filled with riches and untamable flames of large torches. During further exploration, they found a small cave that was home to a black withered rose and a map under. Luke spawned in a flower field forest decorated with lanterns, unusual blocks, and a path that lead to the same withered rose and map. Emeri spawns in a jungle forest with a path, leading to a stuffed bear and a map. Marco spawns in a plains biome, in front of a mysterious contraption with confusing words, ominous messages, and a mysterious map. Eiyan spawns in a village, lively and prosperous with other villagers and animals.

The group had started out individually, but Ten was the first to reach where the map led. Once they had found their destination, Ten had begun a small base. After a day of getting accustomed to their surroundings, another person, Luke, had arrived nearby while Ten was grabbing wood. When Ten had found Luke wandering around, their first reaction was to call out to him.

"Hey!" They called out to the other.

Hearing the voice, Luke's head quickly turned to where the voice came from. "Huh?" That was all Luke could reply with.

"What are you doin' out here? Are you lost or something?" Ten rested the ax on their shoulder and put their free hand on their hip. "Need any help?"

"Oh, no," Luke began. "I don't think so, at least. This map brought me here.

Ten looked back at their base in the distance. They had made it too big for a mere person, so they suddenly had an idea. "Oh, sweet! Maybe we could hang out together and share the land. I've got way too much space for just myself anyway." They gave Luke a small grin and pointed back to the base in the back.

"Sure! Sounds like a plan," Luke slightly smiles back and starts to follow Ten back to the base. "By the way, I'm Luke. And you are?"

"I'm Ten! Let's be friends. I'll give you some supplies."

After the two had been given a few days to get to know each other, they had more company as the days go by. Emeri was the next one to come across their land and was greeted the same way as before. Same with Marco, who came next, and Eiyan, the last to arrive. The base was now unable to hold all five of them, so the group had branched out into their own little home and dubbed the building the community house. They all spent time in their own homes by themselves or together in the community house equally. They were happy and it was home.

Expanding their village would have been impossible for one person. It would take lots of dedication and mind work to make a lovely and large sanctuary for one person. It'd probably be too big for a mere one person too! Having a few extra sets of hands really made teamwork make the dream work, and the group had farms of crops and animals, completed separate homes for all five of them, and many other buildings serving many other purposes done within two weeks.

"Good work for today," Ten declared as the five of them sat on the couch in the main room of the community house. They were celebrating the accomplishment of yet another building: the library. With drinks and food and celebration, it was a very good night. After the dinner party, the five went to the bonfire outside to have a chat before they left to bed.

"So you're saying we all came here the same way?" Marco asked after everyone had explained how they came across this place and who came first.

"Yeah. Super weird, y'know?" Ten exclaimed, still interested in the topic.

"It's almost too convenient..." Luke suggested, showing a skeptical face.

"Well, it doesn't matter. It blessed us with meeting each other, so it should have been worth it, right?" Emeri explained positively.

"Yeah," Eiyan grinned. "We're really lucky to have each other these days."

After more chatting, everybody had gotten out their remaining energy and decided that it was time to hit the hay. However, Ten sat down on the porch of the community house, thinking as they looked up into the stars. Little did they know, Luke was behind them, unlike the rest.

"Hey," Luke chimed in, interrupting Ten's thoughts and also making them jump a little too.

Ten snapped their head behind them to see Luke. "Oh, it's just you..."

"What's up?"

"Nothing, I'm just... thinking, I guess."

"About what?" Luke leaned forward to get a better look at Ten's glum-looking face.

"About us," they began. "It's all so weird, dude. We were all led here the same way and after Eiyan came, it's like nobody else has existed after that. Coincidence my fucking ass, I just can't get all this off my mind..."

"Yeah, I get you," Luke said in an attempt to comfort them. After a few moments of silence, Luke spoke again. "Maybe there's a reason why we're all here?"

"Probably, but why?" Questions and conspiracies were all that were on Ten's mind it was like they'd stay up all night trying to make sense of why they're all here.

Luke looked up to the moon and sighed. "Well, it's getting late. You should think about it later and get some sleep right now, okay? It's almost sunrise too."

"You don't have to tell me," Ten huffed. They haven't looked at Luke at all during their little conversation. "Night, Luke."

"Good night, Ten. Sleep well!" Luke waved a goodbye a disappeared into his house. The lights had flicked on and then off after a few minutes. It was silent and dark in their village now with only the moon's light to softly illuminate their buildings. Ten stayed up for a few more minutes, but when they felt their eyes heavy of sleep deprivation, they called it a day―or night, for that matter. They left to their house, briefly turning on the lights before they were flicked back off like all the others.