Mumbo's Perspective-

I never thought it was easy.

Ever since they hired me and made me swear that I would never tell Grian the truth about the world, I still found it hard.

Grian's innocent and...happy.

Happy to be trapped in this castle.

It's been getting harder and harder to keep it a secret from him.

I'm sure it's the same for Scar.

I just hate lying.

But of course, the Watcher's don't call it lying.

"It's just...stretching the truth." Grian's father told me.

He then patted my back, "You've always been the best about that Mumbo."

I nodded and smiled weakly.

He nodded back and left.

My smile faded as he walked away.

I had no choice in the matter.

If I told Grian the truth, the Watchers would know immediately, and I would get killed.

As if I didn't have enough weight on my chest already!

Every day, I woke up and spent the day lying to Grian.

Grian's my best friend.

He even made us matching necklaces years ago.

I still have mine, and he still has his.

And yet every day, I still lie to him.

Just to save myself.

I took a deep breath as I knocked on Grian's door.

"Come in!" He answered cheerfully.

I opened it and smiled at him, "How's your daily watching going?"

This was what it was like every day.

Making watching seem as though it was the dream.

As though everyone wanted to be trapped.

But he didn't know that.

He thought he had the best life.

He smiled at me, blush on his face.

"Oh? Why so happy?"

"Scar put on a show for me!" Grian smiled.

"Scar what?"

Grian explained it all to me in great detail.

"I wish I could show it to you, it was so fun!"

Grian then sighed, a smile still on his face.

"I wish I was down there."

I smiled softly, "Well, it's not safe down there."

Yes, it is. It's perfectly safe, you should know: you grew up in there!

Grian smiled back at me.

"You're right," He said, "It's not safe down there."

I nodded, trying my best to keep on my smile.

He then got up and grabbed some paper.

He dipped his quill in the ink and started writing.

"What'cha write?"

"A thank you note to Scar."

I nodded and then looked out the window.

"Do you ever wonder how different your life would be if you were down there?" I asked.

Grian hesitated before nodding.

"Yeah," He said, looking up at me, "I do sometimes think about my life down there."

He got up and looked out his window, "Maybe I'd be...normal. I'd be able to go outside and play with Scar."

"It would be...fun." He said before shaking his head.

"No," He said firmly, "This is how I want my life. Besides, I love mom and dad, they need me."

Love is a stretch.

"And you. I wouldn't want to leave you." Grian said.

"And anyway, the life outside is dangerous."

No, it's not, no it's not, no it's not.

I took a deep breath and started.

"Actually- "

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

I got up to get it and saw a guard.

"The Watchers would like to see you." The guard said.

I nodded and turned to Grian,

"I'll be back in a sec."

He nodded and then continued watching.

I smiled but it faded as I followed the guard up to the Watcher's office.

-

"Mumbo, Mumbo." Grian's father said, walking up to me.

"I just saw what you were about to say." He said, pacing around.

"I thought you had more self-control. But it's getting harder, hm?"

"What is?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You know very well what I mean."

"You almost told him the truth."

"You made my job to lie!" I snapped, "I can't lie to him for much longer!"

Grian's father stopped dead and turned to face me, fury painted on his face.

"You will do as you are told, or you will get killed. Do I make myself clear?"

I stood there, death staring him.

He walked up to me, his hand on his sword.

"I said, do- I- make- my-self- clear."

I looked into his cold gaze and nodded.

"Good." He growled, a sick smile on his face.

I turned to the door to open it.

"And if you say anything," He said, "I'll have your head up on my wall."

I opened and closed the door, walking back up to Grian's room.

I passed by paintings of past Watchers.

Each of them showing how much the Watchers helped people.

It's all a ruse.

I looked up at Grian's family portrait.

I looked at the smile on Grian's face, how happy he is.

And then I saw his parents, stone cold faces.

They knew what their lives were like.

I kept walking up the stairs and saw a blank space.

That was where Grian's family portrait will someday go.

And the portrait of him saving everyone.

I looked at the blank wall, my eyes narrowing.

There was going to one day be Grian's cold expression, his hand on his kid's shoulder.

His kid smiling widely, thinking that he was doing the right thing.

And since that day I vowed to myself that I would stop Grian from having that portrait up on the wall.