18 years ago...

A young boy, no older than six, jumped up and down on his bed, ruffling up the off-white sheets and knocking over his stuffed pig. He had somewhat pale skin and a small mop dark hair which flopped up and down as he hopped. The boy was wearing black and white pajamas that lazily mimicked a suit with a small, poorly dyed tie-like shape.

The boy's room was neatly organized, unlike most of his peers. Although the room held nothing more than a few handmade toys, some basic furniture, and clothes, everything was placed in an almost sophisticated manner.

Outside the room's window, the sky was dark and sprinkled with stars. Some houses in the village could be seen, their lights glowing soft gold in the night. Content with everything the boy laughed and played without a care in the world.

Noticing his fallen buddy, the boy paused his jumping to pick up the pig from the floor. He hugged it, burying his face in its soft pink fur in apology.

The door to his room creaked open, and his father poked his head in.

"Mumbo? Get ready for bed, you've still got school tomorrow."

The boy, Mumbo, looked up and scrunched up his face slightly.

"Do I have to? School's boring," he complained.

His father sighed. "I know you don't like school or going to bed, but you still need to. I'll tell read you the story about the Phantoms and Wardens if you get ready for bed."

"Okay!" Mumbo jumped to his feet, dashing to the bathroom, leaving the pig behind. He was fond of stories, especially ones without a clear answer. Mumbo loved figuring things out, so much to the point where he didn't really care too much about subjects that didn't involve logic, such as crafts or building. Instead, he found an interest in the wondrous red dust, "redstone", that seemed to be able to do anything.

The legend of the Phantoms and the Wardens was one of those stories. It made sense, sure, but much of it was missing. Mumbo loved speculating about what actually happened.

After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he ran back into his room and dove under the sheets. His father had already pulled a chair up to Mumbo's bed, the book on his lap. Mumbo snuggled into the blankets with his stuffed pig in a tight hug, listening as his father read the story he had heard so many times.

"Long ago, our world was ruled by two forces, the Watchers and the Listeners. Both were tyrannical rulers, their iron fists controlling the people of this world and our servers. They were rumored to hold mystical powers, one being able to create entire cities in seconds, the other being able to modify the rules of the world itself.

"They terrorized the normal players for centuries, until the Admins came. The Admins were stronger than Watchers and Listeners, but there were less of them. However, the Admins were still able to overthrow and banish the tyrants.

"As a punishment for their terrible deeds, the Watchers and Listeners were cursed to turn into their old forms, becoming the phantoms and wardens. While they were still able to wreak havoc in these forms, they could be defeated by normal players. The former Watchers were forced to flee into the night sky, while the former Listeners were forced to flee to the bottom of the world.

"The Watchers and Listeners still wish revenge on the Admins and other players, so we must slay phantoms and wardens if we ever come across them." Mumbo's father looked up from the book and to his son, who was snoozing peacefully. He smiled and quietly put the book back on the shelf where it belonged. With one last glance at his son, Mumbo's father clicked off the lights in the room and left, closing the door behind him.