**二十五 (Chapter twenty-five)
eng: Corroding feelings slowly become more and more aloof.
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Skeleton
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The three of us were brutally hurled into a body of water. The force of our fall sends us underwater, our bodies completely submerged. Don and I immediately swim up for air.
"What in the world just happened, stray?!"
"I'll explain later... Wait, where's Wither?" I scan around for Wither, moments later I spot a cluster of bubbles coming from underwater. I gasp, diving down immediately in search of him.
He was unconscious. I try shaking him awake, yet no prevail. I grab ahold of him from underneath his arms, pulling both of us up for air.
"Wither! Wither, you moron, wake up!" I kept shaking him. He didn't seem to be breathing...
"Don! Please help me carry him to shore!" Don seems hesitant. "Stray, you do know that he's..."
"I know. Do this for me, please? I'll explain everything once we're safely on land." He nods. We both lift Wither by his underarms.
We reach the shore in no time. I drag Wither by his arms onto a soft bed of grass, placing my hand on his chest. No good, he still isn't breathing...
"Wither! Wake the hell up, I swear to Notch!" I slap him across the face. He lets out a loud cough, choking up water. I help him sit up against a rock. He coughs a few more times, leaning back against the rock and quietly snoring.
"Goodness... Even in the state he's in, he still sleeps like a hog." I let out a soft sigh of relief. Wither was breathing, and that's what mattered.
Don clears his throat awkwardly. My cheeks flush a light pink. For a moment there, I thought Wither and I were alone...
"So, stray. Explain to me why the Prince of the Nether decided to help us escape?" Don asks, "And furthermore, I want to know why you seem to trust him."
"Well, uh... Funny story. We're kinda... Roommates."
"...Come again?"
"Look... Initially, our plan was to rescue our friends that unknowingly entered that part of the Nether. To be fair, I had no idea that he was the prince..."
"...He's the same prince that murdered Loki right before my eyes." A hateful glint was obvious in his eyes. "He's merciless. Don't be so easily fooled. He killed Loki without a second thought!"
"Don, he was possessed! The Lord or whatever was controlling him!"
"Did he feed you such lies? That's bullshit. Before his first escape, he murdered dozens of your type. Skeletons and strays alike were all killed by his hand." My heart nearly stops. What?
"I'm sure you're mistaken... W-Wither, he wouldn't do anything like that! He's different!"
"He is a cold-blooded murderer, just like the Lord and his Queen. Don't trust anything that comes from his mouth." I glance back at Wither's resting figure.
"You... You said that he's... K-Killed skeletons?"
"Yes. Before his brother's death, he did all of the Lord's bidding. He would often boast about how many he'd killed. He is a monster." My heart starts to throb the more Don reveals about Wither. As much as I didn't want to believe him, what benefits would he have if he lied? Don and all the other wither skeletons were victims to a heinous monarch, one that had no morality or care for any of his subjects.
Wither... Have you mastered the art of deception? Have you deceived me this whole time into believing that you were an exception? Was our whole relationship a lie from the start?
Don places a hand on my shoulder. "He has evil in his blood. We should dispose of him while we have the chance."
"D-Dispose of him? Are you implying that we kill him?!"
"The only way to truly free ourselves from that realm is to get rid of the Lord's heir. Trust me, stray. Don't wait until it's too late." I felt a lump in my throat. Kill him?
"Ugh... What happened..." Don and I both freeze at the sound of Wither's voice. I turn around, greeting Wither with a false smile to mask the fear in my eyes.
"W-Wither! You're awake..." He stands up, stretching and looking around. "Where the hell are we?"
"No idea..." Don gives me a look. I fidget with my hands uncontrollably.
"I don't think my powers are completely back yet..."
"...I'll journey the rest on my own. Thanks for everything, stray." Don and I both exchange one last look before he departs. Wither and I are now alone together.
"Skeleton?" I look into his eyes, recalling everything Don said about him. Wither has murdered my kind.
...What if... What if he killed my family? My breathing quickens at the thought. Fear and hatred fills my heart. How could I have been so easily fooled by him? How could I let my guard down?
"Skeleton...?" He grabs my hand. "Is everything alright...? You look paler than usual..." On instinct, I slap his hand away from mine. I felt like a traitor to my kind... So quick to trust a wither skeleton like him.
Wither seems shocked by my sudden action, stumbling a few steps back. There was visible hurt in his eyes, but for once I felt no remorse for him.
"Are you well enough to teleport us? I'm sure the others are worried sick about us. Standing around like this is a waste of time."
"Skeleton, is everything alright? You seem angry..."
"Angry? I'm not angry. I'm simply stating the obvious. Are you able to teleport us back or not?!"
"...Yeah, I think I have enough energy...," he replies quietly, almost a whisper. He extends his hand out to me and I glare at him in response. He retracts his hand, mumbling, "Close your eyes..."
I feel the ground shift below me for a few seconds before slowly opening my eyes. We were at the entrance of the school. We were back.
Though... I didn't feel excited to be back. I walk past Wither without a word, entering the building. I could hear chatter coming from the classroom. Taking a deep breath, I push the door open and walk in casually, as if I hadn't been missing for days.
"..."
"S-Skeleton? Wither? You're alive?!" We are bombarded with questions, too many apparently that the author is unwilling to write.
A teleport is heard at the front of the room. "Alright class, open your textbooks to page..."
Herobrine goes silent.
"Teacher, they're alive!" Herobrine walks up to our desks, placing a hand on both Wither and my head. He tightly embraces us both, which causes a loud chorus of gasps.
"You two are alive... Thank goodness...," he whispers. There were tears in his eyes.
"Skeleton!" Slime hops up into my arms, "I've missed you!" A small smile makes its way up my face. "I missed you too, Slime... I'm glad the potion worked..."
The class eventually settles down. "Alright, alright, class. Just because Wither and Skeleton have returned doesn't mean class is over. Turn your textbooks to page two eighty-eight."
Everyone groans.
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"Class dismissed."
"Hey, Skeleton!" Enderman says, "I've been dying to know... How did you and Wither escape? Herobrine was so sure that we'd never see you two again..."
"Well, we-!" I cut Wither off. "It wasn't so bad. We managed to sneak out while the guards weren't looking."
"Was it scary in there? Was it pitch black?"
"...Yeah. It pretty much sums up what hell would look like. I'm glad we're out of there."
"That sounds terrifying...," Ghast mumbles. The others nod in agreement.
"Anyway... It was really nice seeing all of you. It's been a really long past few days and I think I'm going to pass out from exhaustion soon."
"Oh, of course! You two definitely need your rest after an adventure like that," Pigman says.
"Yeah, no problem! We'll see you two on Monday then...?"
I bid farewell to my friends, starting to head back home. Well, not really home. Just the place I live in alongside... Him.
"...S-Skeleton? Can we please talk?" Wither asks after a few moments. I scoff and ignore him, walking upstairs to my room and shutting the door. I let out a breath I've been holding before letting out a quiet sob.
It isn't safe for me to stay around him any longer... After tonight, I'm leaving this place.
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A/n: ...Just when y'all thought there'd be romance. Ouch. Hopefully things will clear up between them...
Completed writing date: 9/23/23
Published on 10/15/23