'Dude, we should tell horror stories!' I suggest the moment me, Scar, Cub, Grian finish snuggling up inside the blanket fort we made instead of sorting the Permit Office's storage rooms. 'But, like... ACTUAL horror stories. Stuff that's actually happened to us or people we know.'

'I've got a good story,' Cub offers. My attention snaps to him.

'Really?' My heart jumps at the idea. 'Oh man! You always have the best stories. And this is 100% real?'

'Yep.'

'I'm down for a Cub horror story,' Grian burrows deeper into his blanket nest before taking another sip of the hot chocolate Scar made for everyone.

'Scar, Grian, you're gonna figure out what I'm talking about pretty quickly, so don't ruin it for Skizz. And there are details you don't know.'

'Oh, of course! Come on, tell the story, tell the story!' Scar, who's sharing a blanket with Cub (of course he is), cuddles closer to him. Cub dims the lights, holds up a lantern, and I'm already invested.

'Our story begins a little less than 2 years ago, in the world of Empires. We'd gone through the Rift to this completely new world. And a few weeks into this, I was called to Shubble's base.' Scar gasps, clearly knowing Cub's story already. 'Shubble was a witch who lived in this giant mysterious mangrove forest known as the Evermoor. And she told me that something was going on with the Evermoor. People would enter, and then never leave. Any magic she'd tried hadn't worked and she wanted me to see if I could find anything using science. And I agreed.'

'Ohh... bad idea,' I shuffle closer.

'So, armed with only my scientific equipment, and a single lantern Shubble had given me, I entered the Evermoor. For a while, this forest seemed normal. It resembled any other mangrove forest, well-shaded and a little misty. I ran a few simple tests and found nothing. I don't know how long I spent there, walking and searching, but I was getting tired by this point, so I assumed it was night. I gathered my stuff, and started trying to head back. Only problem was?'

'Oh no...'

'I was lost.'

'Oh my goodness...' I barely catch Cub's smile, realising how dark it's gotten in here. Already, we're dependant on Cub's lantern.

'I started trying to find my way back. But the fog was getting thicker, I couldn't see many trees ahead. That was when I first truly felt that something was off. I was getting more and more exhausted with every step. I couldn't summon Vex wings to fly away. Whichever direction I went, the forest was denser, the fog was thicker. Something was very wrong, and I was right in the middle of it. By this point, I could barely see the nearest trees through the fog, stumbling over roots to find a way out, fighting to even stay conscious. I could sense the souls around me. Trapped souls.' A pause. 'And that's when I heard 2 sounds I will never forget. The first sound? A single sculk sensor.'

'And the second?' Grian whispers.

'A voice.' Cub clears his throat before imitating. 'Vexling...'

I'm barely aware of my mouth hanging open in shock, the hot chocolate I've been too focused to drink, waiting for Cub to continue.

'And I am terrified, dude. I start running, through this water, and mud, already feeling on the edge of collapse, just stumbling through the mud until CRASH!' I jump. The lantern extinguishes.

'I trip over. The lantern goes out. I am left in darkness, in the middle of this magical mangrove swamp with choking fog leaving me too weak to even stand up.' The room is left in complete silence as we wait for Cub to continue. My heart races, totally engrossed in the story.

'The last thing I remember before I fall unconscious is something slithering around my wrist.'

'What happened next?' I ask, barely daring to speak, into the darkness. Cub's tone shifts.

'I wake up pinned to the ground. Covered in sculk. It was pitch dark. I couldn't move, and every time I tried it just got tighter. I couldn't scream, as much as I tried. I felt it digging into my skin. ' A pause. Cub takes a deep breath. 'I felt every single agonizing second of the Sculk claiming control of my mind and body, wondering if it would ever end, and even if it did, if I would ever be myself again.'

Silence.

'...what the fuck,' are the only words that come out of my mouth. 'This- this is all real? This actually happened? Are you alright?!'

'It's all real,' Scar confirms.

'How are you- just- how?! Cub? I'm incredibly worried now! Is this why you don't like hugs? And why there's a Sculk emergency word?'

'Yep.'

Grian frowns.

'There's sculk in your base.'

'Yep... Scar, you can stop clinging onto me now.'

'I didn't know you woke up again.' Scar mumbles back.

'I exaggerated a little for the story.'

'Yeah, but...'

'Wait, it's already 10pm, shoot, I promised to meet with Joe... I completely forgot, holy smokes...'

In seconds, Cub's standing, gathering his lantern, relighting the lamp above.

'This was fun though. Keep the blanket fort up, I'd be down to do more horror stories another time. Maybe me and Scar can give some of our best Vex stories... Bye!'

He flies away. Scar's on his feet, panic in his eyes.

'That was really weird,' Grian voices all of our suspicions by saying. 'Something's going on.'

'Obviously!' Scar shoots back. 'I've been worried about the sculk around his base for months... he's always seemed so honest when talking about it, I thought I knew when he was lying...'

'Scar, Scar, hey, it'll be ok. We'll figure this out. Whatever's going on.' Grian's at Scar's side in seconds. It doesn't console him.

'And there's no way he's meeting with Joe. A: Joe told me there was a No Poe meeting tonight, and B: that lie was so blatant I almost feel offended!'

'So... wait... this Sculk thing isn't over?'

'Magical entities don't do 'over'. You're stuck with them forever,' Scar explains. My worry for Cub only grows.

'We're gonna tell Xisuma about this, right?'

'Right, Scar?'

'It'll only make things worse. If we tell Xisuma, Xisuma will confront Cub, he'll get defensive, lie his way to safety, and he'll probably be hurt that I didn't ask him directly, even though that wouldn't do anything either. We see the extent of the damage ourselves, try and find out more, and if Cub's...' Scar takes a deep breath, fighting his emotions. 'If Cub's in trouble and we can't help him, then we tell Xisuma. Ok?'

'Ok,' Grian accepts. I look between the two, still uncomfortable, but have to accept.

'Ok.'