Not a Dream
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Location: ↸̶͉̺̜͋͂̍̽̓̊̒̌͒̓ᔑ̵͉̯̮̫̎̄͂ͅ∷̵̢̥̺̗̟͎̝̻̹̫́ꖌ̵̖͎̒̒͋̊͒́́̕͠ ̷̛̼̘̖̓̿̽̐͗̾̚ᒷ̵̥͚̩͉͙̾̒̍̌͘リ̵̙͖̰̳̩̪̐̑̒̓̀̄̔̍͆͗͐͠↸̵̡͎̜͐̀̏̇

POV: Grian

"ℸ ̣ ⍑╎ᓭ ╎ᓭ ╎ℸ ̣ !? ∴ᒷ'⍊ᒷ ʖᒷᒷリ ᓭᓵ𝙹⚍ℸ ̣ ╎リ⊣ ⎓𝙹∷ ᒲ𝙹リℸ ̣ ⍑ᓭ リ𝙹∴! ᓭ⚍∷ᒷꖎ|| ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷ᒷ'ᓭ ᒲ𝙹∷ᒷ!." A voice hissed in a hushed tone.

"∴ᒷ'∷ᒷ ⎓╎リ↸╎リ⊣ ⎓ᒷ∴ᒷ∷ ᔑリ↸ ⎓ᒷ∴ᒷ∷. ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ|| ꖌリ𝙹∴ ∴⍑𝙹 ∴ᒷ'∷ᒷ ꖎ𝙹𝙹ꖌ╎リ⊣ ⎓𝙹∷ ᔑリ↸ ᔑ∷ᒷ ⍑╎↸╎リ⊣ ᔑꖎꖎ ℸ ̣ ∷ᔑᓵᒷᓭ. ||𝙹⚍ ᓭ⍑𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ ʖᒷ ⊣ꖎᔑ↸ ∴ᒷ ⊣𝙹ℸ ̣ ℸ ̣ ⍑╎ᓭ ᒲᔑリ||." A slightly deeper voice replied sternly.

"ᓭℸ ̣ ╎ꖎꖎ, ⍑╎ᓭ ⍑╎⊣⍑リᒷᓭᓭ ∴𝙹リ'ℸ ̣ ʖᒷ ⍑ᔑ!¡!¡||, ᔑリ↸ ╎ ᓭ⚍∷ᒷꖎ|| ↸𝙹リ'ℸ ̣ ∴ᔑリℸ ̣ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ʖᒷ !¡⚍リ╎ᓭ⍑ᒷ↸ ⎓𝙹∷ ℸ ̣ ⍑╎ᓭ." The First voice says.

The sound of a huff came from the second watcher and a shuffle of clothing like one of them was walking closer to me. It's at this moment I realize where I am, which happens to be on the ground. I slowly sit up and rub my head as I look around at my surroundings. The floor beneath me was cold endstone. It had a creamy yellowish color. The walls were made of it as well, with details of a light purple block, I believed to be called purpur. There were also tall windows, spaced out along either sides of the room.

The area was about the size of a basketball court, with large arched doorways on either side. One of the other walls had a raised platform, like a stage almost, with long silk curtains on both sides. There were letters on them, I could tell, but I couldn't quite make out what they said. The whole room had a faint musty smell, probably from the slight fog. There was also a deep unsettling feeling in the air. That's when it clicked. Endstone, purpur, I was in the End. And then it all came rushing back.

The prank from Pearl, Timmy, and Martyn. The fires. The watchers. My chest tightens with the memory of Taurtis' cries. All of them, my friends, my family, alone at EVO, with no one to protect them. They can't get to the Main Hub without a portal, and only a magic user can summon one of those. Tears spring to my eyes, the watchers wanted me, they won't hurt them now that I'm here.

Suddenly, I'm shoved to the hard ground, knocking me from my thoughts.

"Hey! I've been talking to you! Are you deaf or something!?" A watcher yells at me, which I recognize from back on EVO. He was the one who gave me a shove, and was now directly in front of me.

I grimace and stand up to brush myself off. Now, I take in the 15 other players on the ground. Admins, I realize. Each coming from different servers. I quickly turned to the watcher who stood before me. "I thought it was just me you wanted! Why are all these others here?" I demanded. Anger rose in my chest and the small mark of an Admin on my right hand started to glow. It, like all the other marks of Admins, was in the shape of a hollow rhombus.

"ʖᒷ 𝙹リ ᔑꖎᒷ∷ℸ ̣ ᓭᓵ∷ᒷ ̇/, ⍑ᒷ ╎ᓭ ᓭℸ ̣ ╎ꖎꖎ ℸ ̣ ⍑∷ᒷᔑℸ ." a new voice says, with a warning tone.

The watcher in front of me laughs, and within a second summons a sword to his hands and points the shimmering blade towards my neck. "Don't worry Zayne, he won't do a thing, won't you Admin?"

I bristled at the remark and let my powers go from my action of calling on them, careful not to move so as to not get injured from the sword's tip. I was outnumbered here anyway, 3 to one. Or at least til the others woke up. They seemed to have had a worse journey than I did.

"That's right, calm down, you're under our control now." He smirked, still with the sword towards my throat.

He's right, I realize, I'm not going back home. I've betrayed my friends, and I've betrayed the Admins. That's when a door being opened to my left sounded, and a new figure walked through. Clearly a watcher, wearing clothes fit for royalty. The sword being removed from my neck and placed in a sheath at its owner's side made me turn my head back to the other watchers. All of them were holding their right arm across their chest, with their hand in a fist. I turned back to the new watcher, curiosity getting the best of me.

They looked over at me and the other Admins that were all basically awake now, being guarded by the other two Watchers. "Screx, Zayne, Morden, would one of you like to tell me where the rest are?" he inquired.

The one called Zayne let out a sigh, after waiting for the other two to reply. "There is no more your Highness. This is it."

The silence that followed was deafening. Before the one addressed as "your Highness" clapped his hands together. "Well, I guess we will make do with this. ᒲ𝙹∷↸ᒷリ, ||𝙹⚍ ∴ᒷ∷ᒷ ╎リ ᓵ⍑ᔑ∷⊣ᒷ 𝙹⎓ ᓵ𝙹ꖎꖎᒷᓵℸ ̣ ╎𝙹リ. ||𝙹⚍ ∴╎ꖎꖎ ʖᒷ ╎リ ᒲ|| ᓭℸ ̣ ⚍↸|| ꖎᔑℸ ̣ ᒷ∷ ⎓𝙹∷ ᔑ ℸ ̣ ᔑꖎꖌ, ⚍リ↸ᒷ∷ᓭℸ ̣ 𝙹𝙹↸, ⊣∷ᒷᔑℸ ̣."

Like the conversation earlier with Screx and Morden, and even before that at EVO, the new Watcher spoke in a language I couldn't understand. Though, for some reason, I could swear that I'd heard it before.

He turned to me now, "Go join the others, we have much to discuss about your new lives here." he said, then walked the rest of the room to the small stage. I gathered with the other admins and looked up at the Watcher. My heart started pounding in my chest. This is it, this is where it all begins. I've been taken by the watchers.

"Hello everyone. I'm sure you're all wondering where you are, and why I've brought you here(it's to tell you about your car's extended warranty) To start, you're currently in the darkest parts of the End, off the radar from the Admins, so don't even try contacting for help" he added, noticing one of the Admins fiddling with their communicator.

"Secondly, you will be trained to become watchers. You will be expected to learn galactic as it is our main language. Along with a multitude of other skills. If you break any of the rules, there will be punishments. They will be listed in a book in your new rooms."

"And lastly, I am King Aiden of the Watchers. Disrespect me, or any of my command and you will severely regret it. Now you are dismissed." He finished.

The room was silent. I took the time to actually gather in Aidens appearance. Jet black hair, slightly wavy and brushed back. His mask obscured most of his face, leaving that mystery. He had a black cape trimmed in silver that covered his left shoulder, with slits in the back for his dark purple wings. The rest of his clothing is similar to the others, in different shades of dark purple, deep blue and black, with hints of silver for detail.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand and yanked me back a few steps. I turn to face them, and am instantly interrupted before I can say anything.

"Come with me now, I'll take you to your room." he said as he dragged me along to the exit of the room. I catch a glance of the other Admins getting similar treatment as I'm whisked through the door. Now in a long hallway, I follow the watcher leading me. The hall was lit dimly with small lanterns that had blue flames. The air is off here, perhaps I'm just not used to breathing the End air, but it feels like something bad is about to happen.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Zayne, one of your teachers here." He says, continuing to walk down the hall past many doors.

I remain silent at first, then realize that's pointless and start to introduce myself, before Zayne turns around and faces me. "No need to introduce yourself, I know who you are. Besides, you'll get a new name here." he says quickly.

I pause, confused for a second."New name? Why do I need a new name?"

Zayne sighs and gestures to the room we're standing outside of. "Go in, I'll explain there."

I look at him quizzically then walk into the room. A bed is pushed up against one wall, with a small closet and desk on the other side of the room. A large window allows sight into the endless depth of the End, though I can't help but notice its barred. I turn to face him as he pulls the chair from the desk and sits down.

"New name is to help you move on from your past, your Admin life, gone. Forget it ever happened. Believe me, it will make things easier." He glances at a notepad he pulled out from a pocket in his robe. "Your name is Xelqua"

"X-Xelqua?" Forget about my previous life? My friends? Never. How dare he even suggest that as an idea. Anger rushes through me and my hands light with my Admin powers. "Forget my life?! Are you crazy! Never!" I practically shout at Zayne.

He looks at me sternly, but I notice an emotion he quickly covered. Sympathy was it? It doesn't matter. He rises to his feet and in a quick motion, has my wrist in his grasp. "You will do best to obey, it's for your safety, this isn't up for discussion."

I struggle to pull my hand free, but he keeps it tightly in his grasp. Panic rises as warnings from past lessons in admin training come back to memory. Zayne's hand glows then, with the purple glow of watcher magic. Instantly I cry out as he targets the weak spot every magic user has. Tears form in my eyes as the pain continues, making my vision blurry. Slowly, he cuts off and drops my wrist, letting me fall onto the bed behind me.

"Lesson one, guard your wrists. A lot of veins are there, near which your magic flows. All it takes is for someone else to target that spot with their own, and well, that doesnt mix." He says while reaching into his pocket again, and pulling out a purple crystal with a black cord.

He leans over and ties it around my neck, a small glow emitting, signifying a spell being cast so it can't be removed. I choke and gasp as it feels like my very life is being sucked out of me. I try to scream, to thrash, anything, but it's like I've been paralyzed. All I can do is lay there as the agonizing pain continues. After an eternity, it fades, taking my Admin mark with it.

I groan, clutching my hand to my chest and curling in on myself. I look over to watch him exit the room.

"Oh, the rule book is on your desk, have that read by tomorrow for the test." He turns his head slightly back towards me, half way through the doorway. The expression on his face was unreadable. "The room will begin to fill with the essence of Watcher magic to trigger your own when I leave. The less you fight it, the less painful it will be." And with that he walked out and closed the door with a click.

The room was quiet, my whole body still aching from the pendant restraining my Admin powers. I take in a shaky breath and let it out slowly. Flopping over onto my back, I prepare to rest, what if this whole thing is a dream... Yeah, surely I'm still under the tree back at EVO. My friends, all still safe.

Suddenly, a small click sounded, followed by a hissing noise and a purple mist began to enter the room.

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YEESSSSS! CLIFF HANGERS! I LOVE THEM!

sorry this chapter is late, normally I post Friday. But I was celebrating something over this weekend with family and getting time to write was difficult.

Well, it's out now though! I hope you all enjoyed!

Stay safe, happy and healty!

:)