Taurtis was used to being alone.

Well, alone emotionally, that is. Sam would never leave him alone literally, physically. He'd always be at Taurtis's side, and as bad and abusive as he was, sometimes he was a decent person, and could sense when Taurtis was feeling down, giving him a hug in an attempt to cheer him up. Of course, Sam couldn't have known Taurtis hates being touched, at least when he's not initiating it, but it was the thought that counts.

But emotionally? The only people who were ever at his side when it came to that were Salex and Grian, but Salex was dead and Grian had so many of his own problems to deal with.

So when the Watchers took him back after sending him to Wynncraft, he didn't break under the lack of contact. He didn't really like being around people, and being left alone with his thoughts wasn't anything new to him.

What he was worried about was Grian.

Grian gets attached. Which is normal and healthy, but getting attached meant feeling terrible whenever you lose what you're attached to.

Neither Grian nor Taurtis had wanted him to leave Wynncraft, the first safe place they'd shared together since Sam. But the Watchers had willed it, and they couldn't refuse.

So now Taurtis was sitting here in his room, too lavished in riches and beauty to properly be his, watching over Grian, or Xelqua, as he was known in this server of magic. Xelqua was a mightily fancy name, but Grian didn't really like it. Reminds him of the Watchers, he says.

Then one day, Grian decided to take a break from Wynncraft. He asks the Watchers for another world to live in, and to Taurtis's immense surprise, they agreed, on the condition of the Watchers being able to check in and occasionally help out.

They called the world Evo, and allowed a few other players to join, but kept Grian admin, of course. Taurtis still watched over Grian, and was flabbergasted by how... happy his friend was.

He was finally able to see the real Grian, the one Sam tried so hard to suppress, to contain, to destroy.

And he was ecstatic when the Watchers finally let him join Evo as well.

There he found that sure, he may be okay with being alone.

But being alone with people to talk to was by far the better option.