I gasp, the Nether's hot air burning in my lungs as I try to get my breath back. Adrenaline still buzzes through my system, the absolutely monstrous Wither Storm still roaring in my ears. I can't believe I just survived that, holy smokes.

"You guys..." Ellegaard takes one more deep breath, and she seems to have already mostly recovered by now! "You guys weren't kidding with that Wither Storm."

"No, no we weren't." My words crackle in the heat, and despite my body begging for more air, I force myself to breathe calmly. "Come on, we gotta head back to the temple and meet up with the others."

The minecarts burn terribly hot as get in them, and Reuben climbs into mine before we zoom off. Part of me wishes he was with Olivia, his body radiates heat as I'm desperately trying to maintain a cooler temperature. But my poor little friend is shaking within my lap, and I end up holding him closer to me.

Needlessly to say, I hated the ride back to the temple. Ghasts didn't show up this time, but bullets of sweat ran endlessly from me. The leftover adrenaline quickly wore off, leaving me with a pounding headache in this hell and my left arm throbbing again. Hurting more than the last time.

That's not even including the tense silence between us as we zoom across the tracks. Not that I even had the ability to care, the looming doom I've been feeling no longer feels every looming. It feels like it's here.

Like I'm standing powerless in front of a flood wave.

The minecarts eventually roll to a stop at the terminal. Reuben jumps out, the area he was up against breathing out in utter relief. Even the Nether's hot, still hard to breathe in, air is cool compared to that area.

No time to actually appreciate that though, as I have to haul myself out of the minecart. My body groaning at me as if I've stayed up way longer past my bedtime. When I haven't and shouldn't adrenaline and fear be giving me more energy than this?

It's still silent as we climb up the steps and to the portal, my left arm always throbbing. Never letting me forget that it's there and it hurts. I suppose it could be worse, much worse, so I shouldn't complain about it. After all, it only feels like an intense bruise for the moment.

Purposefully, I let Ellegaard and Olivia go through first. So when I get out of that terrible place of headaches and burning lungs and into the bliss of the cool pond, they have already run too far ahead to see me shove my head into the water and drink like a madman.

Unfortunately, I can't drink the amazing water forever before having to sprint to catch up with the others. The muscles groaning and throwing a huge fit at the simple and quite small burst of energy.

We climb up the vines, and even though I climbed them just fine in the morning, my left arm hissing violently at me for transferring my weight onto it. What is wrong with me? I can't be weakening like this!

Sighing when we get to the top, wishing for a break, but only jumping down and hurting my feet when they have to take the landing. The impact's pain travelling up my legs, and I simply gaze over the fortifications Lukas made with little interest, even when Ellegaard says something about it. A fog settling in my mind, distorting even pain.

The hiss of a creeper jumps me out of it, and my arm whips up to draw my sword... until about five arrows embed themselves into the pulsing mob. A sigh of relief flying out of my weary lungs.

"Who goes there?" An exhausted smile makes my on my face and I wave up at Lukas, able to see his grateful smile from here. "Jesse? Is that you?"

"Yeah! And we got Ellegaard!" I clear my throat, trying to get rid of the cracks in my voice the Nether left behind. "Mind letting us past your wall here?"

Lukas does an excited little jump, putting away his bow. "Uh, yeah! Of course! Man, am I glad you're back!"

He disappears, and we head towards the door. Not a second later Lukas throws it wide open, his excitement even stronger up close. Hope bursting through his eyes, a full blown smile lighting up his face.

Man, I wish I felt that good and not this muggy tiredness chained around me.

"You guys are never going to believe who showed up while you were gone..." He steps back as we enter, grinning like a fool, revealing Petra leaning up against the wall. Totally okay and just- just alive!

"Petra!" A swell of pure relief and joy hugs my heart. Chuckling in that mad relief that she didn't die, she's okay, that monster didn't get her. She's still alive.

Reuben squeals happily running around her legs and nuzzling up to her. I just can't stop smiling as she kneels down to pet him, she's alive. And I swear I'm going to do everything to make sure she stays that way. It was hard enough on us just wondering if she was dead or not, I can't actually let her die.

"I'm soooo glad you're okay Petra." Olivia scoops Petra up in a hug, and the mercenary returns. Smiling bright all the while.

"Yeah, I'm pretty stoked about it myself." She pulls out of the hug, stepping up to me. "And it's really good to see you Jesse."

She hugs me, but my smile falters just a tad when my left arm hurts when I'm simply trying to hug my friend that came so very close to dying. Frustration boiling up when I wish I could just get a break from this.

She pulls away, a grateful smile on her face. "Things got pretty dicey back in Gabriel's bunker, and if you didn't pull me from the beam, I wouldn't be here thanking you for it."

"Hey, I'm just so relieved you're okay. That you're here. It's amazing!" I sigh, a smile still on my face as I try to ignore all the pain and weight I feel. "It's just- I couldn't be happier that you escaped."

"Once you pulled me from the tractor beam, I ran. I ran and ran to get to this temple." Her smile falls a bit, eyes becoming hard. "If you hadn't saved me-"

I wave her words aside, forcing my smile back up again. "Petra, you're here now. You escaped!" I pat her shoulder and begin to head further into the temple. "Be happy about it! I sure am!"

She chuckles and walks with me, brightening up again. "Well if you absolutely insist, I suppose I could live with being happy about living."

I hear the chuckles of Olivia and Lukas too, another coil of relief springing up that they're happy again. With how terrible I feel, how tired I'm becoming, we need all the smiles we can get. Although I just can't help but wonder... can't help to think about the doom surrounding me as my arm throbs even now.

If even after finding Petra alive, how bad am I if it only takes a minute for my smile to fade?

"Excuse me, Petra was it?" My attention shifts over to Ellegaard, feeling a yawn beginning to build up in my system. "Do you know what happened to Gabriel?"

And just like that everyone's smiles fall, the thick weight of depression hanging in the air. As we all silently say the answer to ourselves, the undeniable answer.

Gabriel's dead.

"The Wither Storm left almost nothing behind." Any relief in Petra's voice has vanished, stone cold now. "Only bedrock remained, nothing else even stood a chance against it. Everyone and everything gone, it even got Gabriel."

Ellegaard gasps, her breath almost choking her. "I- I wouldn't believe that anything could defeat Gabriel if I hadn't seen it for myself. This... this is terrible."

I brace myself for the climb up the stairs. Almost instantly having to breathe harder, my muscles and lungs furious at me for trying not to breathe deeper simply not to worry the others. My arm throbbing and stinging at me for being such an idiot. My body needs air, a lot of it that I'm denying it.

"Boy... can't remember the last time I saw this place." My fatigue gets the best of me, and I barely even acknowledge Ellegaard's hushed whisper as I sigh in a way to breathe harder.

Until I hear her furious sharp intake of air. "Would someone care to explain what HE is doing here?"

I whip around, almost expecting to see someone like Ivor, but only lay eyes on Magnus. I have to stomp down a relieved smile, Ellegaard's glare looks like it can kill someone. But this is absolutely great! Now we have Magnus too! This is fantastic, since I certainly did not have the energy to go get him too!

"Call this hunch..." Petra glances at Magnus and then the fuming Ellegaard. "But do you two not like each other?"

Lukas clears his throat, shifting uncomfortably as he looks at me. "Right. So I forgot to mention that Axel went on a little... adventure of his own while you were gone."

"An adventure to get him?" Ellegaard glares at the other member of the Order, utter disgust flying from her voice like venom as she turns on me. "Did you know about this? Why didn't you tell me? You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"Just let me talk to them." I shift away from her, her glare and all of its hate burning into me. "I'm, uh, I'm sure I can figure this out."

"You better, I will not work with him, not after-" She huffs angrily, scowling at the air as I quickly pivot and scurry away from her. The throb in my left arm almost encouraging me to get away from that energy sucking woman.

"So," Only to get the glare of Magnus the Rouge once I approach, weariness rapidly fostering inside me. "Who are you? And why did you bring the Queen of the Nerds with you?"

"That's Jesse, my best friend." Axel grins at me, excitement bursting in his eyes as he looks back at Magnus. "Trust me, Jesse's totally cool."

Magnus lets out a bitter laugh, lips pulled back in disgust as his eyes dart between me and Ellegaard. "I'll... I'll be the judge of that one."

 "Ellegaard's here to help defeat the Wither Storm." I push a grin past the throb in my arm, somehow getting it on my face despite my exhaustion. "She's, uh... Well, that's why you're here too."

"Elle, help?" Magnus snorts, glaring back at the engineer. "I'm gonna let you in on something bucko, Elle does not help. She takes over, micromanaging every little thing until it kills you."

He scowls, crossing his arms as Axel just shrugs at me. "I kinda got tired of waiting around for you to get back, so I decided to go recruit Magnus myself." A big smile explodes on his face despite the legendary griever still quite bitter. "It was a crazy adventure, but it all worked out. And now, I'm the King of Boom Town! I've had like, the best day ever."

Magnus loudly groans, grabbing his head. I try to smile at Axel, I really do, but the two Order members here are giving me this really bad headache. With that now on top of my body ready fall asleep the moment I allow it too, my left arm hurting more and more, overall feeling really weak since I definitely didn't drink enough water after the Nether and I haven't eaten anything for a really long time now, and it's just becoming too much. I don't know how the others are handling it, but it's getting really hard to keep pushing forward.

"Way to go Axel!" With what I have left, I force myself to be happy with him. "That's incredible!"

"Well it wasn't easy..." He smirks triumphantly, chest swelling up with pride. "I had to beat him in a crazy tournament and-"

"Long story," Magnus rudely just cuts off my friend, my headache getting worse as he steps in front of him. "You had to be there. Short story, epic battle of explosions and mayhem, death-defying action shenanigans and pyrotechnics. Badabing, badaBOOM!"

Axel grins madly, although anger mixes into the pot of pain and fatigue as Magnus just disinterestedly waves his arm at him. "Your friend here is kind of Supreme Ruler of my kingdom now... you know what mean..."

I draw in a breath, until the furious stomps of a certain engineer catches my attention. "Well, this is unexpected."

Magnus glowers at her. "I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but I'm definitely sure that I don't like it."

"Yeah!" Axel crosses his arms at her. "Show him some respect."

Ellegaard's disgust transfers onto Axel, my friend. "Oh you're sticking up for Magnus... That's very sweet of you."

"Yeah, he's sticking up for me." Magnus steps up to Ellegaard, hate burning within him. "It's because I'm really awesome and super cool."

"I'll never understand your fans."

Anger wells up inside of me, only a few shards of energy holding it back. "Cut it out! We don't have any time for you two to act like crazy people!"

They both huff angrily, storming off in the same direction and even Axel following them as they blow me off. "Hey, heroes? Let's focus on the bigger picture huh? There's a Wither Storm on the lose that just so happens to be gobbling up the world for its dinner."

"It was terrifying." I huff, frustrated that it took Ellegaard this long to drop her anger. "It came out of nowhere and just destroyed everything."

Of course though, Magnus just snorts at her. "Little to scary for you Elle? Couldn't just think it away?"

Rolling my eyes, I force myself to follow them. Feeling more and more ticked as they just argue needlessly, biomes and cities destroyed as they waste they're time with their grudges. Where are the heroes we've looked up to all our lives?

"Stop it! Just stop fighting!" Fatigue and anger boil together, intensifying as my arm throbs and throws its pain into the mix. "You two are members of the Order of the Stone! Is your stupid need to one up each other more important than saving the world? Where are the selfless heroes from the legends? Because we need those heroes and not some petty rivalry!"

I hear the gasps, I see the shocked looks, but I just can't care. All of it spilling out of me in a crazed mess with no energy left to control it. Something just needs to get done here.

"This thing killed Gabriel!" I glare at both of them, not caring about the shame that's finally hit them. "He was your friend! I don't care about your past, I don't care about how much you two hate each other, I care about how you're letting it stop you from avenging him. That's what we need to be working at right now, not trying to be the best."

I huff, furious as I glare down at the two and simultaneously wanting to collapse and sleep. The sharp rise in anger already crumbling into dust as there's no energy left to feed it anymore. My sight deciding to blur as my muscles twist painfully in my arm.

Petra, thankfully, breaks the silence I created. "He has point y'know, we need figure out how to stop that thing before it takes more people."

Magnus huffs, and I don't think I could take it if they still don't get along. "I don't know if you guys have poked around in this place yet, but yeah, it's completely stripped bare. Even then, if it really took down Gabriel, all the TNT in the world won't be enough."

"I hate to say it..." I glare down at Ellegaard, and let it fall into relief when I see her thoughtfully rubbing her chin. "But you do have a point."

Whispers of my friends' excitement reaches me, but through the headache and fatigue, I can't even make out their words. My headache, even though the arguing has stopped, pounds relentlessly. My left arm getting to the point where I just want to grab it, that's how hard it's throbbing.

"Hey!" Ellegaard's head snaps up, a faint smile on her lips. "I've thought of something!"

Magnus, of course, just can't help but roll his eyes and mutter. "Ugh, thinking. What else is new with you?"

"Well if mere TNT isn't enough, then perhaps Soren could have something we can use." I groan internally, the way she said it makes me think she already knows exactly what this thing and holding it back for... dramatic effect? I don't know... too tired to care.

"Oh Elle, not this again." Magnus huffs and glares at her. "You know I hate it when you brag about you and Soren's little brainy club."

"I am NOT bragging, I actually have a legitimate idea here."

I haul myself down the stairs, tiredly waving my good arm at Ellegaard. "Let's hear it then, what's Soren have that could be used?"

"Soren had a kind of 'Super TNT', stronger and more explosive than anything else in the world." Pause for a needless and frustrating dramatic effect. "The Formidi-Bomb."

"Yeah yeah yeah, heard about Soren's F-Bomb before. Never actually seen it before..."

"It's real. And it can obliterate that monster." Ellegaard snaps back at Magnus, I think they got along for about two minutes before their hate has gotten the best of them again. "I swear it."

"That sounds so cool!" I blink myself into reality at Axel's voice, forcing myself to actually think about what's around me and not just stare dumbly at it.

Olivia rolls her eyes, and is that the sunset's light on her? "I think you mean dangerous."

"Dangerous? Cool? What's the difference?" I roll my eyes as I glance behind me, wincing as the bright light penetrates my poor eyeballs. Definitely sunset.

"Uh... moving on then," Ellegaard gives another disgusted look at Axel, and it's probably bad that I can't even get angry at that. "The only problem is that we don't know where Soren is. He's been missing for years."

I sigh, of course Soren's missing. It would be way too much for me to ask for a break, since I just love being tired and frustrated and wondering what this doom is that I've been feeling and pretty sure it's coming from my arm since it keeps on hurting.

Ellegaard clears her throat, making me realize that she is staring at me. "Do you know though? If you found us, then do you know where he is?"

"I didn't find you guys." The words tumble out of my mouth, and I only lightly stumble once as I head over to the map. "It was your map."

Everyone follows and looks up at the world map, until an awkward cough comes from Ellegaard. "You activated it? I've never actually seen it work before." She shakes herself out of it, raising her head back up. "Of course though it won't work if Soren's in the Nether or End. But it's worth a shot."

I don't know how, or why, but everyone breaks apart and does their own thing. Axel and Petra start chatting under the map, Reuben smiling as she pets him. Ellegaard and Magnus, on opposite sides of course, stare at the map. If I was more awake and cared more, I'd think about why, but I don't.

When I turn around to go and put the amulet in it's place, I do see something I care about. Both Olivia and Lukas have this... crushed air about them. Olivia just crushed, and Lukas looking more on the overwhelmed side of things.

So pushing down a groan, I head to Olivia. Pushing up a smile as I get closer. "Hey 'Liv, you okay?"

She shrugs, glancing at me before returning her gaze on Ellegaard. "I'm fine, I just can't shake the feeling I really embarrassed myself back in Redstonia in front of Ellegaard. I think she kinda judges me a little bit."

I'm probably a terrible friend for doing this, but I instantly stop caring and just pat her shoulder before heading over to the pedestal. I swear if Lukas is just as crushed about something else so pointless while I'm struggling to keep my eyes open...

"Hey," Lukas's head perks up, and from the weight in his eyes, he seems to have a real issue. "How are you holding up Lukas?"

He sighs, that one moment of silence filled with a throbbing arm. "I'm all right. It's just this has all been really pretty intense. I feel like if I think too much about what's been going on... well, I'll just think I'm completely nuts."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, I'm really thankful for all your help." The words fly from my mouth, and I attempt to smile. "I- I know we've haven't always gotten along the best in the past, but you've been so great and have been a big help. And- well, thank you."

"Wow," Lukas eyes widens at my words, but it's mission accomplished when a smile comes to life. "That means a lot Jesse, thank you."

I nod, violently kicking all my problems down and forcing myself to smile back at him. With a deep breath, letting the smile fade but keeping it up, I put the amulet back on its spot. However, when I go to levers again, all of my thoughts on the topic of motivating myself not to cradle the throbbing arm, I make the mistake of walking a bit too close to Magnus.

"Hey small fry," I further make the mistake of giving him my groggy attention. "No shame in admitting you can't turn that thing on. It's very very sophisticated." 

"I'm going, I'm going..." I roll my eyes at him and keep heading to the levers, a tired frustration dragging itself to life as I mutter. "At least I know how to work your stuff...."

"Well then, there's your light..." I huff as I go back to the others, it would be nice for them to wait until I rejoined them since I'm the reason the map's on. "My light-"

Static goes off, a white beam shooting onto the map. Technically, it's only an eighth of a block to the right. But that's a really far distance in the real world, and I'm really tired. I definitely don't want to have to go into the Nether again or have to travel now as it's about to be night.

Axel huffs, scratching the back of his head. "That thing's new."

"There he is." Ellegaard sucks in a deep breath. "Soren had his fortress deep inside the mountains. After the Order broke up, that's where he went to keep doing his experiments."

"Look," I think my headache's getting to me, since Magnus just turned to Ellegaard without any trace of hate. "He invited me there a couple times, but it always seemed a little..."

"Weird, right? It always seemed a little weird." Yep, with the headache, fatigue, and arm, I'm definitely out of it. After furiously fighting just moments ago, Ellegaard can't have also shown no anger.

"Glad we can agree on that at any rate." Oh okay, never mind. They have acknowledged their obsessive problem of arguing and realized they have taken a break from it.

"I mean, I never actually went there with him."

My head snapped up at that one, but Lukas beat me there first. "Wait, what? Do you guys not know where it is?"

Before either of them could say anything, a dark blue light flickered onto the map. Unlike the others though, it's moving slowly to the white one.

"Yeah..." Confusion weaves itself into Olivia's voice. "It didn't do that before."

"Are you sure it's working?"

"Ivor, that's Ivor." I gulp, feeling myself wearing thin at the problems hurtling at my face.

Ellegaard gasps, throwing her arms up as she whips to me. "Ivor is going to Soren's! We need to move!"

I glance up at it, it is a really small distance, and I suppose we don't have enough minecarts for everyone if we did travel through the Nether. "It's not too far, we could make it on foot."

"Righteous." Magnus nods, planting his hands on his hips. "We'll get some rest and head out first thing in the morning. Avoiding all the 'nighttime monsters' and everything."

Ellegaard glares at him before I can agree. "If you had seen that monster, you be wouldn't be saying that. We need to leave. Now. Especially since I think it's following us, and I don't want to risk it catching up with us. We have to go now."

"It's so bad that you're going to just go waltzing out in the woods at night?" While yes, it is kinda that bad. Yet Axel and Olivia are totally unarmed, I suppose Lukas and I have weapons that we're just figuring out how to use.

"It's not night yet, we'll-"

"Let's stay here until morning." Now that I've committed myself to the plan, the idea of rest, it suddenly becomes precious to me. "Not only do we need to avoid the monsters, but then we can rest and have a full day of sunlight."

Ellegaard glares at me while Magnus smiles and nods. "Jesse here's talking a lot of sense. Let's just go with that plan."

"You're just saying that because it's your plan." Ellegaard huffs, resent clear on her face. "But fine."

So we all get to work, Ellegaard and Magnus back to their bitter grudge and staying away from each other. I'm fine with that, I just keep telling myself that the faster I work and get some beds out then the faster I can flop into one and finally go to sleep. Only using my right arm during the whole thing for fear of upsetting the throbbing and aching limb.

The sun has dropped below the horizon when all the beds have been set out. The darkness only prompting my fatigue more, the thought of sleeping the entire night, instead of just part of it like last time, so rich in my head.

"Hey Jesse, come here for a moment." Petra waves me over to her before I can lay down, and because of all that she's went through, I end up sighing and sitting next to her.

I sit down, unable to help the sigh of relief as my muscles blissfully relax. Even my headache warping into some strange form of grogginess.

"I know you waved it off earlier, but I don't think I properly thanked you for it. So... thank you. There, that's all the gratitude you'll get from me."

I chuckle lightly, resting my head against the gravel. "Well you're welcome, but I don't think you quite understand how grateful I am that you're here. Things were... tense when we didn't know if you survived."

"It sure wasn't easily." My tired eyes shift over to her, but she's smiling lightly despite her hard voice. "But thanks for letting us rest, I can tell everyone needed it. It would do no good for us to leave only to be too tired to handle normal monsters. Let alone a... what did you call it earlier? A Wither... Tornado or something?"

I smile, kinda aware I'm going to fall asleep here soon, but not caring too much about that. "Storm. We've been calling it the Wither Storm."

"Yo." Footsteps come up to us, and I reluctantly lift my heavy head to Magnus. "We haven't really gotten the chance to chat yet."

Petra huffs, rolling her eyes at the interruption. Even though I'm looking up at Magnus, he's not talking. So while trying really hard not to groan, I pick myself up. My body whining at being used again.

"So..." He walks away from the others, and I drag myself behind him. "You're Elle's protégé. She's a piece of work isn't she? Always thinking about her redstone stuff. Always trying to show off how smart she is..."

"I really can't say I like her." I rub the side of my face, catching myself before I say that I think both of them are acting way too high and mighty for their own good. "But even so, what's with all the fighting between you two?"

He shrugs it off, scratching at his mask. "Ah, I don't know. I really don't. We've been in too many tight situations together and we've just never gotten along. Different strokes and all that."

I nod, maybe a bit too much. But my left arm is pulsing again, my headache rearing back to life at the fact I'm not resting. I just kinda want to get this over with so I can rest.

"Anyway, thanks for having my back before. I do appreciate it." He then smirks at me, raising an eyebrow. "So, how you liking being the leader of this little pack?"

My head recoils back, and I blink rapidly as I deny the words my ears are telling me. "Huh?"

He waves my confusion aside, as I desperately try to think through my headache and fatigue. "You know what I mean. I haven't been here long and even I can tell there's some unrest in the ranks. Especially between Axel and, ah, whatshername, Olivia." 

 "Well, uh..." Magnus completely caught me off guard, the words just tumbling from my mouth. "Axel and Olivia have this thing where it's okay for them to fight each other, but not anyone else. But uh, I'm not the leader or anything-"

Magnus starts laughing and I just blink at him. My tired aching thoughts trying to figure out what he means, but I'm not the leader here. I just don't get it.

"Wait, you're not joking?" He continues to laugh, shaking his head a bit. "Look champ, ever notice that during tense situations everyone looks at you? It means they're looking for you to lead. It means they are handing all the problems over to you. Congrats."

I shake my head, nope, no no no, I do not want that. I can barely handle my own problems. "I just want my friends safe. That's it. Safe and not mentally degrading, just those two things. Not leading."

Magnus just chuckles at me, patting my back and pushing me back towards the beds. "Anyway small fry, let's get some sleep. We've got a long walk ahead of us in the morning."

Out of everything he just said, I think I like that the most. In fact, I don't even bother talking to anyone else. I immediately flop down onto a bed, sighing in utter relief as the soft mattress adjusts to my body.

My fatigue, all the exhaustion and weary muscles, set in stone. Nothing apart from the Wither Storm is going to make me move now. Even my throbbing arm and headache fade and fade, until the blissful darkness encompasses me.