Soulbreak - A MCYT 3rd/Last/Double Life FanFiction

Chapter 23 - He'll Always Leave

The morning sun painted the sky in hues of pink and orange as Pearl and Grian stepped out of Scott and Cleo's house. Cleo had been very clear with Grian the night before that she wanted them out right at the crack of dawn. Grian had a sneaking suspicion that she wanted them gone before Scott could wake up, reasons not quite unclear. Did she still feel like she was competing with Pearl, somehow? After all this?

Pearl skipped ahead, her excitement palpable. "Grian, can you believe it? The flowers are finally blooming! There's lilies of the valley!"

"Your favorite." Grian smiled despite his exhaustion. It had been a long night. Grian hadn't strained his... abilities like that in a very long time. But it was worth it to see how affected Pearl was after just twelve hours. The only downside was that as long as Grian kept a hold on Pearl he couldn't sense much around him. And obviously, he was very tired.

Pearl danced along, picking flowers all the way. "For you." Pearl presented Grian with a little cream-colored bouquet.

Grian chuckled, his eyes reflecting the same thrill. "Why thank you very much."

Their journey into the woods continued on the way it had started. Filled with laughter, a few stories - most of them already heard many a time but entertaining the same, and the occasional bout of singing.

Pearl remembered a shocking number of songs from her childhood. Grian's personal favorite was The Way of The Valley. It was a steady song, about a peaceful, happy life far from tyranny. Another world.

Later in the day, they set up camp under the canopy of ancient trees, the rustling leaves and the distant murmur of a flowing stream providing the perfect soundtrack to their newfound freedom.

Days turned into nights, and Pearl and Grian - well, Grian at least - enjoyed the simplicity of their existence. They fished in the nearby stream, gathered wild berries, and built a cozy shelter from tree wood. Life in the woods was serene, a stark contrast to the shenanigans of the realm.

However, as the initial euphoria began to wane, Pearl couldn't shake the nagging feeling that they were not alone. It was as if unseen eyes were watching them from the shadows. Grian dismissed her concerns - he figured it was probably leftover fragments of Pearl's lapse in sanity.

Of course, he would've felt the same way if he wasn't still focused on keeping Pearl well.

A few days later, while Grian was out exploring, someone appeared at their camp. Tall and blonde, his shirt now sleeveless - probably used for some form of bandages in the past months, the man emerged from the trees with a warm smile.

Grian should've been suspicious, but he was excited to have a visitor. And from the stories Pearl had told him, Martyn had been good to her. Grian didn't like that he had convinced her to go to the Nether in the first place, but a least he'd had the decency to get her out of the fire. Of course, Grian was still suspicious that Martyn had left her to die before Pearl had run off on her own.

"Pearl!" Martyn gasped. "I heard you'd vanished! Where on earth - mind if I join you?"

Pearl hesitated, eyeing Martyn warily. "How did you find us?"

Martyn chuckled. "Is it so hard to believe I was wandering around the forest and stumbled upon this little... thing you have going on? So, what brings you two out here?"

Pearl glanced at their makeshift home in the woods, a pang of uncertainty gnawing at her. "We just wanted to set up a base, you know? Have a little peace and quiet."

Martyn nodded, seemingly understanding. "Well, I'm glad I found you. Mind if I stay a while?"

With a shrug, Grian agreed, his unease lingering in the background.