Free the End

66 [City at the End of the Game]

I gritted my teeth and gripped the blade with my left hand. As soon as I moved my right hand it started hurting, but I didn't stop. I pushed on the sword harder and felt the edges digging into my hand as I dug it out of my shoulder, screaming. My other hand finally slid out and I dislodged the sword, leaving a deep cut.
Then my skin caught fire.

I scrambled back in shock. I didn't know what lit it but the flames spread simultaneously down my arm and over to my neck. Suddenly I was gripped with the fear it would catch everything on fire and trap me in an inferno. I was shaking and trying to stop it as it crept up my face and went out.
"What... the fuck," I panted.

I took a few deep breaths, looking at the red lines the blade cut on my hand and quickly pressing it over my right shoulder. Then I looked at what my white fingers were curled around. What is this?
I'd pulled it out of the pile without even realizing. I pried my fingers off and opened it, trying not to mark the pages with bloodstained fingertips.

Hello, if you're reading this, it means you died. I'm sorry about that. But everything will be ok.

"What?" I said out loud. I can't be dead. This makes no sense.

I looked around again. There was still no one and nothing around me. Just an empty field and the sun, which was a little higher now. I climbed carefully up the pile and stopped in a more comfortable spot.
Then I resumed reading.

\\\|||///

Next we're going to enchant everything but right now everyone else is brewing and collecting food and diamonds. I don't know if I'll have time to write after that, or what's going to happen at all.
But make sure-

I looked up from the book again. Enchant... That's what these are.. enchanted.
I put a hand on the strong chestplate that shimmered lavender waves.
"B̶A̶D̶!!! WHAT IN THE HELL!! WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!! It is SO GOOD to see you!! Oh my god you just popped up out of NOWHERE- HOW DO YOU HAVE ENCHANTED ARMOR-"

Whose voice was that? It was so happy. And there was... hugging. Yeah, three of us? No, more.
Wait a second- wait a second-
I flipped back a few pages.

George, Sapnap, and I are going to the Nether. I left a book for Skeppy just in case, but I'm keeping this one with me because-

George.
No wonder the name felt so familiar.
"I'm a person in the story," I realized. "Holy shit!"
Shit. Fuck. What am I supposed to do now? Keep reading I guess, and figure out how I got here. Maybe I can skip ahead. Does this book have my whole life in it? No, that's dumb. But it could, right?
Wait wait- I'm going too fast.
OK. I don't remember because I died, like a6d. But why did they come back on a bed, and I'm-
on whatever all this is. Is there a bed at the bottom?
I didn't really feel like digging down there. Maybe later.

Hold on-
I looked up again and winced. The side of my neck and face hurt. I ran my fingers over it: sensitive. Burns covered my right arm too. At least my left is dominant.
I shuffled until I could see the sword pointing upwards, still marked with dried blood. It was blue, made of diamond, but rippling with gold.
I'd planned on never touching it again, but if one of us used it, maybe I'd be ok as long as I didn't cut myself.
I slid down the pile a few meters away from it and carefully gave it a poke. When nothing caught fire, I gingerly pulled it out of the heap and held the hilt.
My gaze caught something engraved on the shining surface: Fire Aspect II.
Holy shit, that's powerful. It felt powerful.

My stomach rumbled. I put the book under my arm and held the sword in one hand to search through my loot; I know I saw food earlier. After pushing empty glass bottles and water buckets to the side, I finally found a few loaves of bread and felt much better.