For a couple days, it's just me and Scar down in the safe room. We talk, I handle Scar's injuries. While clearly worried about the Watchers, he remains in good spirits. Particularly after Joe's visit. And Tango and Skizz's. And then, over a week, most of the server's. We enjoy the company, Scar's admits when he needs time alone and the hermits are always happy to oblige.

The Watchers bide their time.

It's a couple weeks after the earthquake when me and Scar decide he's recovered enough to look around his base. He's able to walk well enough, and I'll be with him the whole time. Even if he wasn't hurt, I would be. The journey up, out of the Safe Room is too fast and too slow. Neither of us talk. I hold Scar's hand, bracing myself for whatever damage is ahead.

We reach the surface.

Scar freezes.

'Oh notch...' Scar's grip tightens as he stares at the damage. 'That's...' His gaze pauses on the Secret Keeper. Even from behind, it's enough to send a prickle down my back and a flicker of Vex magic at my fingers. Scar's focus doesn't shift.

'Scar?' I frown. He blinks away, taking a deep breath.

'We need to get closer.' A second of hesitation, but Scar starts walking towards the Secret Keeper. I join him. With every step closer, he grows tenser and tenser. I feel the overpowering Watcher magic growing and force my own fear down. 

When we stop, Scar's shaking and pale, his grip uncomfortably tight. The Secret Keeper towers over us, 3 buttons on blocks in front.

Succeed

Reroll for hard task

Fail

'That's what they said there too,' Scar mumbles. 'That's where I slept. In front of the Succeed button.' He kicks the ground with his foot, scuffing the grass. The damage reverses the moment he stops. 'I couldn't break anything. I could only regenerate hearts by pressing those buttons. It gave me the same task every time.' Scar's voice is moments from breaking at the memory. 'Win Secret Life.'

A flash of purple.

 I yell in surprise as a scroll appears in front of me. For a second, it hangs in the air, before the glow fades and it drops.

Scar's gaze follows mine down. The scroll lies, deceptively harmless, on the ground. 

'Pick it up,' Scar suggests. It's the only thing I can do. I reach down, with shaking hands, and take it. Nothing happens. I search the paper and seal for any signs of magic. All I see is the Watcher symbol. Scar hugs close to me, trying to read over my shoulder as I open it. I shift it out of his sight.

'What does it say?'

Sacrifice Mercury.

I don't speak. The Vex's power rises at the Watchers' audacity. Blue spreads from my hands, Vex wings appear behind me. I hiss.

'Cub, what does it say? What's going on?' Scar's eyes widen, trying to find an answer in my expression. I step past him, staring fearless up at the Secret Keeper.

And tear the task into pieces.

'No.' I spit, burning the remains with Vex fire. My voice is little more than a snarl. 'Don't you fucking dare.'

'Cub? What did it say?' Scar grabs my hand, forcing me to face him. He's desperate for answers. Desperate enough for my anger to fade. I lay a hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes.

'You don't need to know.' He doesn't. I'm not letting the Watchers scare Scar anymore. 'All you need to know is that I refuse to do it.' My focus shifts to the second button.

Reroll for hard task.

Scar's grip tightens, free hand grabbing my arm in an attempt to stop me moving.

'Don't.'

'I'm not doing this task, Scar.'

'Cub, please. The hard tasks are terrifying. The Watchers will hurt you if you fail. A lot.' His claws dig into my arm. 'Tell me what task they gave you.'

'Scar, you don't need to know.'

'That button will give you something even worse. And you'll be forced to do it.'

'There is nothing worse.'

I break from Scar's grip, pushing him far enough away to give me time. He stumbles, then runs after. I reach the button. Blue fire burns at my fingers. The Vex screech in my mind.

'And if those blind, flightless so-called gods think their little statue will scare me into hurting my best friend, then they know nothing.'

I press the button.

The world shakes.

The rage disappears.

Scar clings to me, pulling me away, swearing over and over. I hug him back, breathing too fast, heartbeat too fast.

A flare of purple fire.

A creature appears.

Scar screams. 

4 arms, 6 wings, long robes and cloak, masked face.

A Watcher.

I swear, pulling Scar behind me and summon a Vex dagger.

'If I say run, run,' I demand. Scar's sobbing with terror.

'You think you can protect him, ᓵᔑ↸⚍ᓵᒷ⚍ᓭ?'

'Go away!' My hands shake, heart races, my mind screams to RUN.

'Give us Mercury. Or end Hermitcraft forever and never meet up again.'

I shake my head.

'Then we take both by force.'

Before I can even move, Scar glitches in the grip of the Watcher, petrified, eyes wide, a bedrock knife against his neck. Panic drowns me. I sprint over. The Watcher raises a free hand and I'm dragged forwards too fast, crashing against one of the pedestals. Pain explodes through my skull at the impact. I don't have time to recover before cold vines start to cover me, pinning me there.

Sculk.

'CUB NO!' The Watcher's hand covers Scar's mouth, another points a second knife dangerously close to his eye, threatening to gouge it out. Scar fights, and kicks, his screams of protest muffled. The first knife digs closer to his neck.

'You have 3 days to complete your task. Do you understand?'

I bite back sobs of terror, shaking my head. I can't reply.

'Do. You. Understand?' The Watcher repeats. I'm going to die. We're both going to die.

'ANSWER ME.'

'YES, YES, WE UNDERSTAND. PLEASE. LET US GO!' I sob as sculk drags my hands up onto the pedestal in front of me, tightening with every struggle. A sword appears in midair before it's driven through my hands into the button below.

I scream.

Searing, unending agony burns through me. Scar struggles harder. The Watcher holds him tighter, laughing. Mocking us for ever thinking we could win.

The last thing I see before I fall unconscious is the knife slashing Scar's throat.

:)