Have some wholesome Convex because I got bored of my writing break

I stand in front of the Secret Keeper, holding my cloak close. Pain spreads from my hands, up my scratched arms, through the injuries that aren't healing from killing Pearl. My clothes are torn and stained with blood and dirt. Somewhere in the back of my mind I know I've been here for almost a year. And no one's come for me, no one's rescued me. The Hermits have forgotten me. They don't care about me. I haven't been allowed to die yet. I'm starving, exhausted, completely alone.

This isn't right. Some part of my mind insists, remembering, somewhere deep inside, being free. You escaped.

But I've dreamed of escaping a lot; Season 10 is just another dream. Skizz and Joel aren't hermits, I'm not free. Why would I still be here if I was really free? Why wouldn't I remember more than vague flashes of stuff that would never happen. Why would this world seem so real? The pain, the starvation, the loneliness, each crater and each crumbled building, it's all here. It's all real. There's nothing else.

'No.' I hear a voice, loud in my ears. Watchers. 'You'll never be free. That's not how this works.'

Before I can turn, or move, or do anything, their cold clawed hands are on my shoulders. And a second pair cover my eyes as they laugh and I struggle, trying to scream.

'You are ours, ᒲᒷ∷ᓵ⚍∷II,' hisses the Watcher. 'Forever.' Laughter, cold, malicious laughter, slowly growing shriller, until it's not Watchers but the Vex screeching in my ears.

Our Scar. Our Vexling. Not Watchers. Not their pet. Our Scar. Free Scar. Ours. Get off him. Our Scar! OURS! The hands disappear and I'm left staring at a secret keeper with a huge soulless grin and glowing eyes. Terror flashes through me at the face of the Vex.

And I wake up.

I tear myself out of my blankets, shove down the trapdoor and tumble out of bed. For a moment, I lie there, alone, shaking, trying to remind myself that this is reality. That world was the dream. This is reality.

Or am I possessed there?

Am I dying there?

Is this the dream?

My heart freezes, terror drowning me. What if this isn't real? What if it's a lie and the Watchers are messing with me?

No.

No that's not true.

I shift my arm until I can reach the new bracelet there and press the panic button. My mind struggles to calm myself down, figure out what's real, what's lies, what's a dream. I struggle for breath. My heart hammers in my head. I'm alone. No one's here. No one's nearby. What if this is a dream inside the dream? What if no one's coming? No one's coming. I'm alone. What if I'm alone in this world? What if I killed everyone in this world? Or maybe this isn't Season 10 at all, I fell asleep inside one of the buildings in Secret Life. Maybe this world was never real. Tears run down my face and I'm left hyperventilating and sobbing at the same time, even though I don't have the breath for either. I'm not breathing. Everything hurts. My chest burns. My throat constricts until nothing comes out. I'm alone. And I'm dying. Finally, I'm dying. The Watchers are killing me. Then I'll be alone with nothing. Or not there at all. I don't know. I don't know anymore. I don't know anything.

Fireworks. And then a hand on my shoulder.

'Scar? Scar, it's alright. I'm here,' Cub says. 'I'm right here. You're safe now.' He forces me to look at him. He's here. I'm not alone. I still can't breathe. I just hug him as tight as I can. Now I'm dying in front of Cub. 'Just in, hold, out. In, hold, out, that's it. Deep breaths.' I struggle through a few breaths. Cub keeps holding me, one hand running through my hair. I feel his rise and fall of his chest and manage to copy, eventually breathing normally. I don't let go of Cub. He doesn't let go of me. Instead, he just hugs me tighter as I start sobbing.

'You're safe, Scar. You're safe in Hermitcraft,' repeats Cub. 'And I'm right here.'

'I- I know,' I convince myself he's right. But the dream remains. Being back there. Stuck forever. Undying, forever. Alone forever. The feeling of the Watcher's hands on my shoulders, the Vex laughing. But it was just a dream. I'm safe. 'It- It felt so real, Cub...'

'I know.'

'Why won't they leave me alone, Cub? The watchers?'

'I don't know.'

'Pearl... and Grian and Martyn... why- why not them? Why is it me? Why is it always me, Cub?'

'I don't know.'

I shift position until I'm curled up next to Cub, arms around him. He keeps an arm around my shoulder. I rest my head on his.

'And... and now the Vex have joined in.'

'The Vex?'

'Like... They took over the dream. I don't know if they wanted to help, or make it worse, or maybe just didn't want the Watchers there... They said something about me being theirs... I think they woke me up.'

'Holy smokes...'

'What time is it?' I stare at the stars outside.

'3-ish?'

'I didn't wake you, did I?'

'No,' Cub lies. 'But we should still get some sleep now.'

'Can we sleep together?'

'Of course,' says Cub. 'There's enough room for both of us.' He removes his glasses and climbs up onto my bed, grabbing the blanket. I follow, crawling over to where he's lying. It doesn't take long for us to get comfortable, his arm around my back, my hand running through his hair, our other hands held tight. If anything happens to one of us, the other will be here to help. Always. I stare at him, lying next to me, eyes closed, but not asleep.

'Cub?' I ask. His eyes open slightly.

'Mmm?'

'Do you think the nightmares will ever end?'

'I don't know. But I'm here for you either way.'

'I know.' I cuddle closer to him. 'Goodnight, Cub.'

'Sleep well, Scar.'