First off, sorry for the random bmc references in my previous chapter. I was half asleep after finishing that story and.. all my brain could think of was 'Be more chill'... And I don't even remember typing those references. ō^ō

Take note, don't post in the middle of the night, especially if you're sleepy. XD

This was a story I made for the Angst/Fluff competition, and I decided to bring it here. Because why not?

Everything is well with Wels angst! ;D

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—Wels' POV—

It was day 1 of my return.

I woke from my deep, deep  slumber and laid on my bed staring at the spruce oak ceiling. I stirred ever so slightly to see the view of the bright outside world from my window, the sun beams shone through the glass pane as visible dust particles drifted through the air.

I struggled to get out of my bed but was able to push both my arms from the mattress and sat up straight. Finally pulling myself from the cover my feet hit the cold plank. I stretched both of my arms and legs, and looked back to the helmet laid on top of a chest, shiny as always.

I retrieved the helmet and placed it on my head to cover most of my bed hair. I took wobbly but determined footsteps through the hallways before finally reaching for the door. I opened the door widely to breathe in the fresh forest smell, it left me smiling and laughing.

It's been many months since I built this mansion. While that long little nap left me so refreshed and determined to build, I still felt a little dizzy. I laughed softly at the chaos of the build battle that played out in the village, nothing has changed  one bit.

So I guess I didn't miss that much, I think...

I pressed tab to see if I can greet any active hermits on the server! But unfortunately, no one was online, it was just me on the server. "No matter! I can continue finishing my mansion at peace!" I grinned.

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Is what I would say happily from the beginning. It's been almost a week since my arrival. 6 quiet and inactive days on the server. No chaos, nor banter from one to another, nor the sounds of rockets produced from anyone besides me.

But I kept smiling to myself. I'm alright if the hermits are taking time off from minecraft, I also did for almost half the season. I continued roaming around the mansion busying myself from all the extra interiors I designed around the house. I might as well make this house look presentable when the others come back.

Two weeks passed by. I sat bored in my room staring at the pixelated clouds passing by near the distant hills. I covered my face between my arms near the wooden table. I hummed an unfamiliar tune and my feet tapped to the song I was humming.

"Heh, I guess the hermits are taking an even longer break than I thought," I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. There could have been at least one or two hermits joining the server, but the chat stayed dead.

My mansion was almost completely done but honestly, I no longer had the motivation I had when I first came back. Or there was no one there to motivate me at all..

A month has finally passed and still, no one joined the server. I felt sick just staying inside the house and looking at the same freaking walls and the same freaking floor, and the same interior of the room. I spent a month detailing the house, and the pace was slow, I still wasn't finished.

So instead I left my area and took a break from all the building, I needed it. I entered the area full of fun and games called hermit land. I wasn't at all interested in playing the games, I was interested in looking at all the wacky and fantastic builds the hermits built in the gaming area.

From the biggest of city themed ravager games to the smallest of beheaded hermit heads below the empty skeleton hand, and a missing haunted house.... Now where did that disappear to? There were so many games that I couldn't recall all the games in total, since most of them were unfamiliar to me.

The smile I had on my face as I gazed around the area fell to a small frown. Why hasn't a hermit joined the server? It's already been a month and all this server had were dead quiet districts and a knight, a lonely knight. I... miss them actually..

I stopped dead on my tracks from what stood before me... My eyes widened from the surprise of an unexpected visitor, a man with the chicken head, glaring at me with those pitch black eyes. Then the man spoke, "What do you think you're doing here, kind citizen?"

Alas, Poultry Man stood there, looking at me, talking to me, existing in front of me...
I couldn't mutter a single thing, I just stood there in shock. How long has it been since I heard another voice that wasn't mine? Am I... not alone anymore? I-.... I'm not alone?

"Gee Wels. Aren't you gonna greet the greatest hero, the server ever needed or not?" Poultry Man scoffed. He raised both arms in the air as if he expected a hug from me.

I felt myself smiling like a psycho as I reached my hand for the chicken hero that beamed at me with the same iconic red shirt, same wings, and same chicken head. I felt so.. so desperate to touch him. I felt so desperate to accept his hug even though we both barely even interacted.

But I resisted the temptation.. I lowered my hand, slowly backed away from the hero, broke eye contact then closed my eyes shut. I forced a smile on my face and let out a dry chuckle,

"How can I say hello... to someone who's not even here with me?"

When I opened my eyes again, he wasn't there anymore... Poultry Man disappeared, reduced to atoms or whatever. The point was, there was no one here to begin with, a mere hallucination. If only I'd accepted that hug. I could've at least enjoy the comfort of someone in my presence, even if it was just a hallucination.

I fell on my knees as it hit the dirt block. Hastily I took the helmet off my head, threw it across the grass and covered my face with both hands. I tried holding in the water in my eyes from flooding my emotional reservoir, I kept smiling to myself, a smile to hide my hurt.

I kept on telling myself, "Wels it's okay. The hermits will come back. Yeah!" I started breathing heavily. "T-They're just busy as all, they didn't leave you, they're busy. Then you c-an show them your house! Show t-them you-r progress!" I kept stuttering my words but I didn't give a care in the world.

"Y-Your fine Wels, stop overreacting. YOUR NOT ALONE AT ALL!! They'll be here soon! They didn't leave you! I- I am fine! I am very much fine! I AM FINE!!" I laughed like a madman, hugging my stomach as I stared at the ground. "HAha, I'm more than dandy, I'm not alone, I'm fine! I'm-"

I then forced myself to shut up, I curled myself on the ground as I gripped the corners of my waist. I felt a lump in my throat and a heavy feeling in my chest. I realized what I was saying to myself, just now. Why am I telling all these lies to myself? Of course you're alone you dimwit, you don't even know where the hermits are.

I stayed on the ground, ignoring the dirt particles sticking on my armor, skin, hair, I didn't care. I wrapped my arms around myself and rubbed my arms gently. I wasn't even cold or anything, I just needed something to touch my skin, to comfort me.

"I-am, not fine.." I finally muttered the truth.

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2 more weeks  passed since that incident at hermit land. I didn't finish the house nor explore the server, I did not trust myself not to go insane like that ever again. Instead, I isolated myself in the very bedroom I first woke up in.

I laid tired on the bed, staring at nothing but the ceiling. During those two weeks I've been seeing other hallucinations, not just poultry man, once I saw Evil Xisuma near the entrance being.. well, evil? At first I thought he was the real thing, yet it still hurts so much to realize that no one was there.. no one.

I finally gave up waiting for them, the hermits.
A month and a half, alone in this server, with nothing but the blue sky, mobs, and access to every building or structure in the server. And still.. no one came back. But why? Where were they? What happened while I was asleep?

If only I didn't burn myself out. Maybe I could have participated in the activities more, or interact with the hermits more, or find out why they just suddenly left... without telling me. I had a headache just thinking about the many questions and possibilities filling up in my brain.

I sighed, burying my face onto the pillow. I tugged the corners of the soft object as I let out a loud groan. I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs! As if someone would here me screaming..But no, instead I let out a sob. A pathetic sob for the pathetic knight, how perfect.

*BZZZZZZZ*

I felt a vibration at the end of my bed. I looked and saw my communicator buzzing near my toes. I was a little late to realize the meaning of the notification, but I felt too miserable to even move.

I lazily got up from my bed and slowly retrieved the stupid object. I turned on the device and read what appeared on screen. When I read the text I felt my heart drop down in the bottom of my stomach. I felt... a tiny bit of hope well up in me.

*<Cubfan135 has joined the game>*

*<Cubfan135: Wels? You there?>*

*<Cubfan135: Can we meet up at the Hub?>*

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I was lost in deep thought as I walked through the tunnels of the nether. I didn't bother taking the boat, I wanted to take my freaking time trying to process what I'm even doing. I had... doubt, that was even the real Cubfan.

I'm debating whether I'm just hallucinating or not, but that message in chat was as clear as day! Either way, I had to accept that it's a hallucination, even if it's just hurting me even more, I had to confirm or it will just taunt me for days.

Once I reached the end of the tunnel, the red mist covering the pitch black walls started loading. I leapt through the big hole on the roof and glided down the big map of hermitcraft 6. When I reached the bottom, I saw a familiar figure pacing near the portal to the shopping district.

A bald man with a weird pharaoh outfit, waited patiently. He took notice of my presence and beamed at me. "Wels, It has been a while. How have you been?" He asked like everything was alright.

I did not respond. I stared cautiously and nervously at the vex. He noticed my strange behavior and just smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry if it took a while, season 7 kept us all busy. I hope you weren't alone here for too long." He scratched his head, chuckling nervously.

I slowly took a few steps forward, watching intently at Cub or hallucination's reaction. He looked confused, but calm at the same time, just like my other hallucinations. But there was this warming presence I felt when I first saw him, a warming presence I haven't felt since... forever.

I caught the hermit by surprise and started running towards him, and gave him a big hug. He stumbled back a bit but managed to catch me in his arms. He stood there confused, but noticed a water stream soaking his coat.

I was crying so hard that it felt good, comforting. I was genuinely smiling, laughing through my tears dangerously forming near my eyes. No words would describe how happy I felt to see someone, a real someone, an actual someone.

Cub soon caught on, and wrapped me tighter in his arms. "I am very sorry Wels- I know it's unforgivable, to just leave a friend behind but we haven't seen you in such a long time- I just..." He paused for a bit, then held a steady grip on my trembling shoulder.

"Thank Scar for the magic crystals or I would've never found you," Cub chuckled softly.

But I didn't care if I knew nothing about season 7, magical crystals produced by Scar, or the egypt costume that Cub was wearing. I just continued sobbing in Cub's arms. I was.. relieved. I am not alone. A hermit really did come back. I am, fine... yeah.

"I-I am fine now."

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