I am so sorry this took so long-

I just had no motivation or time, and- ugh, I just couldn't words.

But this will probably be the only upload for a while, and I am so damn sorry about that.

ALSO.

ANY KERSUMA IN THIS CHAPTER IS PLATONIC.

THERE ARE NO ROMANTIC INTENTIONS, AND ANYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE ROMANCE IS MERELY KERALIS'S PERSONALITY.

DO NOT INTERPRET IT AS SHIPPING, DO NOT ASSUME THEY'RE CRUSHING BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, XISUMA IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SHIPPING AND THAT'S THAT. YOU ARE TARGET PRACTICE IF YOU REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT.

Anyways-

On that note, let's get into the chapter!

WC: ~800

Enjoy!

Xisuma, as far as he could remember, had never had a worse moment in his life.

The Admin paced around the Town Hall, waiting for everyone to arrive. Worried sick, the only thing he could do was try not to cry, throw up, or break down while waiting.

The first person to dash in was Scar.

"What happened??" he cried. Xisuma bit his lip, heart pounding in his ears.

"I'll tell ya when everyone else gets here," he muttered. Scar nodded, and more Hermits slowly started piling in.

Xay was the last one to get there, glancing worriedly at Xisuma, who was forced to sit down by Keralis, who was rubbing the Admin's back reassuringly, trying and failing to calm him down.

"Everyone's here," Scar offered. "What happened?" Xisuma swallowed thickly before mumbling,

"Permadeath has been turned on."

The room went silent for a second, then practically exploded.

Gasps and screams and cries of dialogue, not to mention sudden and impulsive movements, all of it accompanied by blaring thoughts in Xisuma's mind.

Failed.

Failed.

Failed.

I failed them.

Permadeath is on.

Something- or someone- managed to get permadeath on.

And it's my fault.

"Shh, Shashwammy, breathe,"

Wh-

Keralis?

"Can you try and match my breathing, sweet face?"

Xisuma cracked an eye open, not even realizing until then that his eyes were closed. Keralis was there, a small, kind smile on his face.

Xisuma swallowed thickly, slowing down his breathing, not breaking eye contact with Keralis. The Admin started to calm down from his panic high, giving Keralis a grateful smile.

"Sorry," Xisuma mumbled, addressing the rest of the Hermits.

"Only you would apologize after a panic attack," Xay snorted. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Xisuma sighed, rubbing his head.

"How about this," Xay suggested. "We can all go around and ask a question or say something one by one, that way it'll be more manageable."

That's only around twenty questions. Like the game. Think of it as a game.

Xisuma nodded, then turned to Keralis.

"How about you start?" he offered.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Keralis asked. Xisuma raised an eyebrow.

"That's your question?" he confirmed. Keralis nodded, and gratitude ran through Xisuma's veins.

I'm lucky to have a friend like him.

"Okay, well yes, I'm fine," Xisuma assured him. "Moving on."

The Hermits went one by one, a couple of questions and ideas in particular struck more intriguing than others.

"Do you know how it happened?" was Scar's question.

"No," Xisuma admitted. "One day it was normal, the next it wasn't."

"Can we help?" was Impulse's.

"By staying safe, yes," Xisuma replied.

And finally, "Unrelated, but I have something I need to show you. All of you." was Mumbo's.

Xisuma tilted his head at this, then slowly nodded for the redstoner to continue.

From his inventory, Mumbo pulled out a book. It was vaguely familiar, and Xisuma guessed that it was the same book that he accidentally brought over.

Using a quill that was left on a side table, Mambo wrote something in the book.

And it started to glow.

"Wh-" Iskall, who was standing closest to Mumbo, sputtered.

"I... I don't know how it happened," Mumbo mumbled. "But... I can communicate with Grian with this book."

Shocked silence.

"Mumbo..." Xisuma started, his voice soft and slow. "Grian died. I know-"

"No, look," Mumbo persisted, handing Xisuma the book.

In the black letters of the ink, Xisuma read, 'Grian, I'm showing this book to the rest of the Hermits. Anything you say can be read by all of them.'

And in violet text was a 'Okay!'.

"I... what?" was all Xisuma could say. Mumbo silently passed him a quill, and Xisuma wrote,

'This is Xisuma. I'm confused, what's happening?'

And the book wrote back.

'Hello Xisuma! Wow, the handwriting changes depending on who's writing in the book. Mumbo's is more scribbly and loopy, while yours is neat enough to literally look printed.'

Xisuma stared at the book in shock, slowly comprehending.

'Oh, you said you were confused,' Grian continued. 'Sorry. Uh... well, actually, I'm also confused. I would recommend reading the first page of the book, but that's like just going back and reading someone else's texts. So don't do that.'

'I don't know how to interpret that,' Xisuma wrote back. 'Passing the book to Iskall, he wants to talk to you.'

In reality, Iskall never said anything, but Xisuma knew him well enough to know that he needed to talk to Grian.

A long time of passing the book around and each taking a couple of minutes to write to Grian, shooting him questions and wishes and promises, and the book made it back to Xisuma.

'I'm sure you've heard this,' Xisuma scribbled in. 'But I will do everything in my power to get you back.'

Xisuma looked around the room.

Some faces tearstained, others hopeful, some excited and others determined.

'Grian, on my honor as Admin, I will do anything to get you home.'

Xisuma is such a dedicated Admin and we love him.

-Storm