"Doxi asked me not to say." He muttered in Galactic to Pearl, who was sat next to him against the wall. "She didn't want people to worry or to think that she couldn't hold control, nor did she want any rumours to escape to the admins or players. Only Crevia and I knew before this, because now every Watcher will have sensed the transfer. I hope the others won't be annoyed as well."

"We all suspected it." Pearl said. "Tencia, no. Daixr and Taurtis, maybe a little. But I'm sure Tencia will talk them round for you." Grian fiddled with his hands and stared down at them. The hermits had given him some strange looks for the blindfold, but he'd rather that than let the darkness in his eyes kill them. Doxi had warned him how deep the shadows would be and she hadn't been exaggerating. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, before Grian realised that time was ticking. He stood up, and Pearl glanced up at him curiously as he walked over to X.

"I need to say something," he told the admin, "to everyone."

"Okay." Xisuma said, closing the screen and standing up to go to the TV screen, which everyone was crowded around on various beanbags, blankets and the sofa. Impulse paused it and they all looked to him. Xisuma gestured to Grian, who stood next to him, and he saw Pearl wander over to stand behind the sofa.

"I need to say something, and it's not really a good time, but it's the only time, so..." he said, hesitantly. He hated how impersonal it would feel to the hermits with the blindfold; he could make eye contact with no one but Pearl because they didn't know he could see. "Um. It's just, something's come up in my life, and, I really hate it, but... but, I- I need to leave Hermitcraft." As he said the words he felt like his heart had stopped beating and his body felt like a stone statue.

"No no no Grian!" Scar said, moving forwards to hug him. Almost all of the other hermits followed suit, and the ones that didn't stayed silent in shock. "I don't want you to go. I won't allow you to go." Scar said and Grian realised that he seemed to be crying.

"I'm sorry." He replied.

Pearl put her hand on Mumbo's shoulder, who had remained seated. He knew that he himself hadn't been on for a while, but the thought of a hermit being gone permanently was different. He'd always intended to come back and that was what he would do when he was ready (I swear to god this had better not age badly) but... the thought of Grian not being on Hermitcraft was like having a village without houses. It wasn't right. Tears began to run down his cheeks and Pearl climbed over the back of the sofa to sit down next to him and offer him a hug, which he took.

She knew.

He found that fact somewhat comforting; even if Grian didn't know, at least someone did. At least someone could understand. Pearl rubbed his shoulder as the pair sat away from the group that was bombarding her brother.

A rare emotion hung over the hermits that evening, one that they had felt before, but not very often. They sat in silence, apart from the occasional few words. Pearl stayed with Mumbo. Scar and Impulse sat next to Grian, holding his arms, and many others were close by. Grian himself looked slightly hollow, and after half an hour of it, he stood up and went to the balcony, moving the curtain (which ended up being a light green) momentarily out of the way to open the door and go into the nearly fully-dark outside. Pearl was about to move to join him and make sure he was okay, but Mumbo got up first and followed, so she leant back again.

"Hi," the moustached man said, "can I... ?"

"Yeah, 'course." Grian replied, and Mumbo closed the door behind him. Grian was looking out from the hill, stood against the rails, and Mumbo noticed that his blindfold was by his right hand. He joined him to look at the view. It was mostly just dark, though. They stood in silence for a moment, before Grian spoke hesitantly. "You know... you know what Watchers are, don't you?"

"Yes." He replied, glancing over to the blond, who didn't look back. "I do."

"Well, there's a Watcher, her name's Doxi, and she's... well, she's the most powerful Watcher, and she controls... she controls everything. Like, servers, code, the universe... stuff like that." He said, speaking slowly like he was considering every word very carefully. Mumbo listened thoughtfully.

"Wow," he said, "that's a lot." There was a moment of silence.

"Yeah... but, she's, um, dying so that's why there are glitches." Mumbo noticed how quickly he moved on from the word 'dying'. "She's just started transferring the, um, like, responsibilities, I suppose you could call them, to the next Watcher that'll take her place. His name is Xelqua... I don't know why I'm saying this, I just..." Grian looked down.

"No, it's fine... valuable information." Mumbo said, smiling at him, but he was looking away. The redstoner looked down as well. "Grian?"

The hermit finally looked up and their eyes met. Grian internally thanked Notch that his eyes had cooled down enough not to be dangerous, though they would probably still be noticeable if it weren't dark.

"I'll miss you." He said, and Grian looked guilty. The blond opened his arms for a hug and Mumbo took it without a second thought. He felt more tears rolling down his face. "And I'm sorry I haven't been here and I haven't spent time with you recently."

"No, don't be." Grian replied, squeezing him and burying his face into the redstoner's chest. "I'm sorry I'm leaving." Mumbo could now tell that he was crying too. "I don't want to leave you Mumbo, I really don't, but I have to."

They cried in the dark.

Mumbo realised that if he didn't say it now, he would never get the chance to.

"I love you Grian." Mumbo eventually said between sobs. Grian quietened slightly.

"I love you too." He said, and Mumbo tilted his head back as even more tears came.

"No, Grian, I- I mean, I really love you." He sobbed as he forced himself to say it because, otherwise, he would regret it. "I love you." He repeated, his heart turning dark blue inside his chest.

Grian pulled himself from Mumbo's chest, stood up on his toes and pulled Mumbo in so that their lips met.

Mumbo pulled him closer and upwards slightly. He continued to cry, but these tears were quite different. They continued like that for a short while before Grian fell down, nearly completely limp. His responsibilities quite literally tore him away from love.

"Grian?!" Mumbo yelled, catching the hermit... ex-hermit in his arms and holding him up. "Grian?!"

"Sorry..." the blond replied, looking down and bringing his hand to his eyes, why did he keep doing that? He reached for the blindfold that was on the rails with his other hand and brought it to tie around his head.

"Grian what's going on? What's wrong?" Mumbo asked as Grian seemed slightly out of breath and unable to stand.

"'t's Doxi..." he said.

"The Watcher?"

Grian brought his hand to the blindfold and pulled it off; something had burned through it. It was black at the edges of the holes of where his eyes would have been.

"Fucks sake." Grian muttered.

"What...?" Mumbo muttered, backing away slightly as Grian went to lean on the banister instead.

"Xelqua!" Pearl yelled, bursting through the balcony door, Mumbo looked between them with wide eyes. Grian reached his hand down and purple flame seemed to spark up from nothing and a white object materialised.

"What, what, what..." the redstoner said as Grian placed the white material over his eyes. "Grian what's happening?"

Grian slowly stood up straight again and his mask glowed. He looked to Pearl.

"I need to go." He said, before pulling out his communicator and logging off. Mumbo's eyes widened as the silhouette of Grian vanished. Forever. He couldn't breathe.

"Oh for fucks sake Xelqua!" Pearl shouted at the top of her lungs before going back inside.

Did that mean that Grian was Xelqua?

Mumbo followed her in where all the hermits were looking up at them.

"What's going on?" Xisuma asked, standing.

"Fucking bastard doesn't know how to talk and discuss things before acting." Pearl muttered loudly, picking up her communicator and jacket, moving harshly. She turned to the admin. "X, the glitches should start to clear up soon."

Then she also logged off, leaving Mumbo alone in the spotlight.

"Mumbo what happened?" Cleo asked. The man stayed silent for a moment.

"Grian's gone."