I don't have my plan to see if this breaks everything but I need this chapter.

And I don't care that it's a study session in school rn, I need to start writing immediately

Ok, I have checked chapter order now

This chapter DOES ruin everything, and also reveals several huge problems in my plan

Yayyyyyyyyyyyy

But it is fixed now.

And even angstier than before

...and 3 chapters longer bringing the total up to 35

Cub collapses.

I catch him, lowering him down as carefully as I can... he fell unconscious last time too, right? I didn't- no, no I stopped as soon as the skulk disappeared.

But he's not moving.

'Cub...' I mutter. 'Cub wake up...' 

My hands shake as I search for a pulse, breath, anything. Tears blur my vision, hands stinging, but pain, exhaustion and emotion comes second terror to seeing if Cub survived, if he's alright... I force down the thoughts that I killed him. Jevin backed away ages ago, leaving the necklace hanging, still broken around his neck. That- it must've. It's turned back to blue. I don't know what colour it would turn if he was dead... no he's not dead he's not death he's-

A breath.

He's alive.

I let out a choked sob. Joy and relief flood me equally as I hug him. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. I hear his heartbeat now. But it's slow. And he's freezing cold. Other hermits are talking. I don't care. Cub's ALIVE. He survived. I saved him.

I saved Cub.

'Scar...? Is he...?' Jevin puts a hand on my shoulder.

'He's alright.' I mumble back, returning to the world.  'But we need to get him inside... he's still really cold. And his heartbeat is slow...'

EX approaches ready to assist. I shake my head, hugging him closer.

'I'll do it.'

Cub's lighter than I remember as I lift him - almost worryingly so - carrying him into the building and upstairs. As I gently lay him on the nearest bed, throwing a blanket over him, I notice.

His arms.

'Bandages. Now.' I demand. Jevin runs off as I crouch down, pulling up his labcoat sleeves and taking in the scars cutting into his arms, all the way from his wrists to his shoulders. And then at my own arms, bleeding, covered in nearly identical marks, but skulk-black. Jevin returns, freezing.

'S***...'

'Bandages?' I repeat. He hands them over, insisting I need to cover my own arms as well.

'Cub first.' I demand, wrapping his bleeding arms up with the bandages. Just as I finish, Jevin grabs whatever material is left, forcing me to stay still and let him bind my arms up too. The truth still hasn't set in.

'He's safe.' I murmur to myself. 'Cub's...' A glance at where he's lying on the bed, eyes closed, peaceful. His screams from just minutes before rise in my mind. I saved him.

I saved Cub.

'You did well. It was utterly terrifying... your eyes were glowing and your hands were on fire. And the screaming... but you did well.'

'The Skulk wasn't going hurt him anymore.' I stare down at my bandaged arms again. 'I wouldn't let it. Whatever the cost.'

'Does it hurt?'

'Yeah.' I don't explain further. The dull throb of pain hasn't died down properly, the fact I'll be stuck with this for a while, if not forever. But it was worth it. I don't even need to consider to know it was worth it. I saved Cub. Silence for a moment. 

'You should get some sleep,' figures Jevin. 'I don't know a lot about magic but using that much has to be tiring.'

'I need to stay with Cub. So he has someone with him when he wakes up.'

'Alright, man.' Jevin crosses the room, grabbing a whole lot of bed stuff and throwing it next to me. 'You can sleep next to Cub. Or at least have a nap. Ok?'

'Ok...' I relent, knowing he's right. I'm exhausted. Silence, but the door doesn't move. I glance over from getting properly snuggly in the blankets to see Jevin pause, just staring over at Cub for a moment. 

'Jev? Are you alright?' 

He looks back at me for a moment, then at Cub again.

'Still getting over the fact he's... back to normal.'

'Yeah... yeah I get that.' I try to laugh, but it's too serious. The skulk's scream returns again. Cub's scream. The pain... the pure terror between him collapsing and me finding his heartbeat... 

'We'll get back the others too. Grian, Tango, Xisuma. We'll save them. And we'll rescue Impulse too.'

I have to nod. 

'Yeah. We'll beat the skulk. And it'll never come back to Hermitcraft again.'

'Exactly.... Well, I'll leave you to sleep, man. See you whenever you're ready. And when you're rested... bye!'

'Bye, Jevin.'

He leaves, closing the door and leaving me alone with Cub. I watch him for a moment, unable to look away. My best friend, back again. Safe. Despite his bandaged arms and the knowledge of what he faced, he looks completely at peace. Peace he's deserved after so long. I shuffle closer, taking his hand. 

'You're safe now Cub.' I murmur, moving until I'm leaning on the edge of the bed. 'And the skulk won't hurt you again. We'll just fix your necklace with a good old bit of vexling magic and everything will be ok. Forever.' There's still some small strands of skulk tangled in his hair. I carefully pull them out, conscious of waking him while knowing it would instantly remind him if he saw... I take the chance to sort out the tangles while I'm at it until he could just be sleeping. A spark of vex fire and the skulk is gone. 

Memories crowd my mind of earlier at even that little magic. The screaming. The pain. Even Badtimes's insults got to me, as stupid and immature as they were and how used to them I've become over the last few weeks. But it's over. Cub's safe. 

'Wake me up if you do.' I whisper as I shuffle to be more comfortable. I don't let go of Cub's hand. Some stupid part of me tells me if I do... he'll be gone again. So I keep holding it until I fall asleep.  

:D Convex!