This is my big secret project! Not a fanfiction, but a COMIC! You might notice that the writing is a bit different than my normal style. Conversations, characters, even the length of chapters, it might seem a bit off in comparison to my other works. This is because this has been written in collaboration with d0not_disturb (the o in do is a zero, idk why it looks like a regular o) on Tumblr! If you head over to their tumblr, you'll find a comic version of this fic! The comic is to provide visuals, while the fic is to provide greater details! Please go and support them, it really helps out the project! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

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It was dark and cold. Those were the first things Grian noticed when he woke up.

The place he was in, it wasn't normal. The air felt heavy and thick, like it was weighing him down with every breath he took. And the cold...it was a familiar sensation. One that Grian remembered faintly, but couldn't quite place. He looked around at the emptiness, nothing but a void of light surrounding him.

Grian shuddered a little, feeling uneasy on his feet. There was something in the air, something in the cold. Something that Grian remembered. Magic. It was very faint. Hard to sense, but he knew it was there. And with that magic, something else would follow.

"Nonono," Grian's eyes widened in realization as he took a step back. "Not this again." Memories were starting to flow back now. Unfortunate memories. Memories he chose not to remember.

He turned to try and run, hoping that maybe he could flee before things got even worse. But Grian froze up before he had the chance to take another step. In front of him stood a man, tall and slim, wearing a dark suit and red tie, a finely trimmed mustache covering his lips. "Mumbo?" Grian's eyes widened as he recognized the redstoner.

His expression was hidden away by the shadows of his place, making his emotions hard to read. "What are you doing here, Mumbo?" Grian took a step forward, his eyes filled with worry.

Claws grasped Mumbo's shoulders, a figure stepping out of the darkness. Grian could feel the pit of his stomach twist and ache at the sight, a deep feeling of dread washing over him. "Don't worry," the figure spoke, a twisted smile playing along their lips. "He's safe..."

Grian knew them. Just based on that voice, he knew them. But they shouldn't be here. They were gone, weren't they? It had been years, how—?

"Did you really think you could run away, fledgling?" Their voice was oozing with fake sweetness, as though they were mocking him. As if they had just let him escape. On purpose. As if they had been watching him this entire time...

A glowing sword came out of the darkness, radiating with purple magic as the blade was brought to Mumbo's neck. Grian froze up in shock, tears breaking through the corners of his eyes. "Oh Grian..." Mumbo held his head low, his facial expression hidden away by the darkness. He slowly glanced up from the ground, his eyes fully glowing purple. "Why didn't you stop them?"

His voice sounded betrayed, empty, devoid of anything Grian could recognize. Glowing purple oozed down his face, almost like tears that leaked from his eyes. His head tilted to the side, he looked like some kind of lifeless puppet. Grian could feel his chest tighten and constrict, his breaths becoming shorter and more shallow. Tears started to spill from the corners of his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." He managed, his words barely leaving his lips. "I-I'll help you! I thought they were gone! I didn't—"

A blast of magic caught Grian off guard, knocking him off his feet and causing his face to slam into the ground. "Oh please," Another voice spat, harsh and rough as he spoke. "Save the excuses."

Corvus. He was always rather cold. One of the Watchers that taught the fledgling. Columba wouldn't be too far behind either, she never strayed too far from her other half. And obviously the third of their little trio was already here, with their filthy claws sinking into Mumbo's shoulders.

Grian tried to get up, though he was met by the pointed tip of a sickle. Corvus stood on the other end of the weapon, his expression covered by his mask. He was a tall man, suited in armor that made the Watcher appear to be a knight. He had horns coming out of the side of his head, with long black hair that fell past his shoulders. He had tail feathers as well, and talons for feet, like a bird hybrid of sorts.

Columba stepped out of the darkness next, her sword radiating with purple magic. She was also dressed in silver armor, her white hair puffy and short. She had a pair of smaller wings on either side of her head, with feathers that not only matched her hair color, but also the same purple color that radiated through her blade. A veil mask covered her mouth, along with a vibrant purple panache that came from her headpiece.

She brought her blade to Mumbo's neck, as if to threaten Grian. And unfortunately, it was working. Grian couldn't risk Mumbo's life, and knowing the Watchers, they wouldn't hesitate to hurt the redstoner if they wanted to punish the fledgling.

"You knew we wouldn't be gone," Based on his tone, it was easy to tell that Corvus was smirking behind his mask. "Besides..." The Watcher snatched Grian's wrist, the sickle still pressed firmly against his skin. "Phoenix just wants a word."

"Indeed I do." The tallest of the three Watchers stepped forward, pushing Mumbo to the side for Columba to hold hostage.

Phoenix was the leader of the other two Watchers, a powerful god with unmatched abilities. They had flowing hair that almost seemed to glow, along with a ring of eyes around their head, almost arranged like a crown of sorts. They had the same bird-like talons the other two Watchers had as well, though they also had a massive pair of wings resting on their back.

Phoenix raised their hand, an orange glow of magic surrounding their palm. Glowing restraints wrapped around Grian's arms and chest, like ropes that seemed to tighten with any kind of movement. The fledgling looked down at his glowing restraints, a bit puzzled. "Huh." His head tilted a bit to the side, "Okay, what's up with that?"

"It's called a precaution, Grian." Phoenix looked a bit fed up with the fledgling, but they didn't seem mad. At least, not yet.

"I feel like Grian is a little slow." Columba tilted her head as she looked at Corvus.

"I can agree with you there." Corvus shrugged, pushing the tip of his sickle a bit further against Grian's skin.

"Shut up! Both of you." Phoenix scolded the two, "We are getting off task."

"Okay, but first—" Columba lowered her blade, though she snapped her fingers together. Purple strings came out of the darkness, wrapping around Mumbo's limbs, as if he were some kind of puppet. "I'm just gonna get Mumbo out of here. He's only a distraction."

He was lifted up by the strings, his body hanging loosely off the strands of glowing magic that bound his limbs. He looked lifeless and empty, the redstoner's eyes still filled with purple magic. It was almost unsettling looking.

"Hey, wait!" Grian tried to protest, "Where are you taking him?!"

"I dunno, somewhere." Columba snapped her fingers again, and Mumbo was pulled out of the dark void, disappearing without a trace. "You won't need him, anyway."

Her voice taunted him, her tone laced with malice. She had no remorse, none whatsoever. It's not like the other Watchers had remorse, either. The three of them had always been like this, lacking empathy in their behavior, their actions; they acted purely according to their own whims.

"You know what?" Grian shut his eyes, his arms fighting against the glowing restraints. He spread out his wings, breaking the magical binds that kept him imprisoned. "I'm out of here."

Grian flapped his wings, flying off into the darkness of the void. The other Watchers looked up at him as he flew off, Columba looking towards Phoenix and Corvus for support. "So is anyone going to stop him?" She sounded annoyed, her voice dripping with disdain.

Phoenix lifted an arm, their palm pointed toward Grian with an orange glow surrounding their hand. "I'm on it." They said, their hand closing into a fist.

A shackle made up of orange magic formed around Grian's neck, along with a long chain that kept him leashed. The other end of the chain sat in Phoenix's hand. The head Watcher glanced over at their subordinates, Columba and Corvus standing off to the side of Phoenix. "You two can go. I don't need you here."

Corvus and Columba smiled behind their masks. "Perfect!" They said in unison, disappearing within the blink of an eye.

Phoenix began to pull against the chain, tugging Grian closer towards them. "You know, it's funny." They sounded calm, yet their grip on the chain tightened slightly. "How you think you can run from your problems."

"Well, here's a newsflash for you, fledgling.." Grian could feel the chain around his neck heat up, as if the shackle was about to burst into flames. "You can't."

"Try as you might..."

"But we..."

"Will always be a part of you."

"And we"

"Will always"

"Find You."