"Hypno!" Xisuma greeted, "It's been a while. How have you been?"

"I found them," Hypno answered, placing his gold-wrought lantern on the table. Inside, three lights danced, two of them orbiting each other while the third lurked in a corner. "These three were the only ones that... that wanted to come back." Hypno sighed. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's... we both knew his time was coming. He was an old player, in the grand scheme of things." Xisuma sighed, saddened. "I just... I wish Biffa had said goodbye, you know?"

"It always hurts," Hypno nodded. "I may have... strayed from my duties somewhat, with Jess."

"You did?" X asked.

"I'm supposed to respect their decisions, no matter what. Jess... we argued. I couldn't lose him, you know?"

"I'm sorry," X looked away, downcast. "Which three chose to come back?"

"Etho, Beef, and xB."

"That's nice," a faint smile appeared on X's face. "Doc will be happy."

⦼☾◉⚘◉☽⦼

It only took a day or so into the new season to notice that Wels was missing.

"I know you just got back," Xisuma prefaced.

"I was already going," Hypno interrupted X, already knowing what he was going to ask. "Wels will want to come back, I'm sure of it."

And with that, Hypno took a deep breath, and he stepped through the weaving of the world, into that of the realm Beyond, his trusty soul-lantern clipped to a chain hanging from his coat.

If Hypno was being honest with himself, he thought he'd never get used to the sheer beauty of this place. Thousands of lights, each one a soul waiting to pass to the afterlife, danced around him, forming an elegant firework display in the darkness. Hypno stepped forward, the shallow film of water below him rippling under his boots.

"Back so soon?" Zedaph's voice asked. Hypno sighed. He'd thought that they were going to leave the Zedeath schtick behind, now that the real Zed had moved on. Death let out a laugh. "No," they responded, and Hypno knew they were answering his thoughts. "I love this form too much. I think I might be keeping it for a while."

"It's disconcerting," Hypno protested.

"Only to you specifically, lantern-bearer. And there are many like you," Death responded. "Either way, to business. Which soul have you been commanded to seek this time?"

"Welsknight."

"Ah!" Death smiled, summoning forth a light the colour of Wels' eyes, which danced around Hypno, recognising the familiarity in his being. "This one died in a coma a week ago," Death explained.

Hypno frowned. Had they really not noticed Wels permadying in the same world that they'd been in?

"Well?" Death asked, impatiently, "Are you going to ask him to return, or not?"

Right. Hypno had a job to do.

"Welsknight." The orb of light that was Wels's soul drifted tin front of Hypno's face. "You are dead. You died in a coma on Hermitcraft Season 6. However, I, Hypnotizd, the golden lantern-bearer, offer you a chance to return. If you wish to take it," Hypno unclipped his soul-lantern, and held it up. "Enter this lantern."

Wels phased into the lantern almost instantly. Hypno let out the smallest of sighs.

"Eager," Death observed.

"You know I hate the formalities," Hypno huffed in response.

"But they're still important," Death responded. "Have you come for any others?"

"Just this one," Hypno answered.

"Then farewell." And with that, Death dismissed Hypno, banishing him from the Beyond.

⦼☾◉⚘◉☽⦼

Souls as a concept <3333

I've been Entropy, peace out from the present!