WARNING! This chapter is going to have mentions of blood.

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Xisuma stalked behind his next target, blood dripping off his sword. Mumbo was working on a redstone project, too focused on his task to notice X standing a foot away. "Oh, I'm such a spoon."

X felt himself raise the bloody sword. The movement seemed to have caught Mumbo's eye as he turned around.

"Xisuma, what –" Mumbo's question was cut short. X saw his sword tip appear on the other side of Mumbo's body.

Xisuma pulled the sword out and Mumbo collapsed to the ground.

"X, I trusted you." Those were Mumbo's last words before he coughed up some blood, splattering it on his suit and X's boots. The blood was the same shade as Mumbo's tie.

"Good Xisumavoid," a voice called from behind him. Xisuma turned to look at the shadowy figure. "Once all the Hermits die, I will finally be free."

Xisuma tried to turn and run, but a dark hand grabbed him. "You can never escape me. Even when I am dead, you are still my puppet."

He looked around to see all the Hermits staring back at him, bloody and emotionless. "We trusted you and you killed us all. We should have killed you when we got the chance. You can never escape this. This is your fate."

Their voices mixed together; Mumbo, Ren, Python, Joe, Wels, Doc... all of the Hermits telling him how he had failed them.

Xisuma screamed.

His eyes shot open and he looked at his surroundings. A figure ran towards him and he tried to scramble away, but he just managed to get himself tangled in a bunch of blankets.

"It's ok X, you're safe now," Doc's voice called out.

Xisuma stopped moving, but he kept shaking. "Doc?"

Doc sat down right next to him and wrapped his arms around him. "Nightmare?"

X nodded and felt himself relax in the hug, but he couldn't stop shaking. He had never realized that Doc was such a good hugger. Just being in his arms made him feel safer. He buried his face into Doc's hoodie. "I don't want to hurt any of you."

"It's ok, you are not going to hurt any of us. He can never make you do anything ever again," Doc said as he brushed his fingers through Xisuma's hair. It felt strangely calming.

"But he was there. He said he could still control me." X tried to get the images of the dream out of his head. His bloody sword, Mumbo's look of betrayal, the blood splatter, the Hermit's empty faces. Those images felt burned into his mind. Everything had seemed so real.

"It's just a nightmare. Your safe now. He's gone." Doc continued to touch his hair.

"I've relapsed before, what if I do it again?" Xisuma shivered at the thought.

"We can get through this," Doc promised. "We will find a way to keep you safe from him."

"But how can you keep me from hurting you?" X panicked.

Doc froze for a second. "Well, if Cub and Joe could stop you the first time, I'm sure we could stop you if you were to relapse again. It sounded like you were just sleepwalking with no control over yourself. The Log Father could never hurt any of us that way and I don't think you will relapse again. I believe in you."

Xisuma realized he had stopped shaking. Doc did have a good point.

Doc continued to stroke his hair. It felt nice and Xisuma felt himself start to drift off. X let out a huge yawn and Doc noticed. "Are you tired?"

Xisuma nodded. He felt Doc move and started to panic. "Could you stay here," he pleaded.

Doc's face softened. "I won't leave you," he promised.

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Doc looked down at the figure in his arms. He had never realized how small X was. Xisuma had always been a quiet person and he usually kept to himself, but he had always been so strong. He was an amazing admin and he always put his heart into his work. X cared about everyone on the server and that was probably the reason this was affecting him so much. He had such a kind heart and it broke Doc's to see his friend like this.

He knew that if the Log Father was still alive, nothing could have kept Doc from completely and utterly destroying him. He was going to do anything in his power to help Xisuma through this. The Log Father was not going to win this fight. Doc wasn't going to let him. 

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WHOOOO!! This book has more than 100 reads. I never thought that that would ever happen.  I really appreciate each and everyone of you, and I can't wait to write some more for y'all. 

I love you all!

-J