»Trapped (A MineCraft Story)

Trapped
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Chapter 1 - The Awakening

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As far as I could remember, the most recent memories I had of myself was that of me, writhing in pain as the lava threatened to engulf me. Then, in a flash, I found myself lying on soft ground yet again. The grass on the ground was surprisingly smooth to touch. I recalled myself lying on a similar ground on the very first day I was thrown into this cycle of endless horror. Almost a month has passed, but I never found an explanation to why I was here.

It just happened. I woke up one day, only to find myself away from the familiarity of my room, away from the comfort of my bed, away from the warmth of my family. The environment felt so real, yet looked unrealistic. I staggered to my feet, squinting my eyes as the sun rays blazed down on me. Scouting my surroundings, I figured out I was pretty much in an isolated area, devoid of life, besides those tall menacing trees that only got denser as I plodded on. I dragged myself on for a good distance, my foot steps being the only sound I could hear breaking the eerie silence. As I witness the sun set beyond the horizon, terror gripped me. I could not explain it, but a sense of unease settled in. My fears were confirmed when the moon cast its dim light on the first zombie crawling around in the midst of the forest. Realizing the danger I was in, I dug away at the ground, hoping to find safety beneath it, away from these horrors that were roaming the night. The ground was surprisingly easy to break, and I managed to squeeze myself in with ease. With what remaining dirt I had in my hand from digging, I sealed the hole and allowed the darkness to envelop me. Relying solely on my hearing to look out for surrounding dangers, I stood there, a lost, timid, hopeless man, whose only purpose in living again, was to survive.

Chapter 2 - A New Life



I opened my eyes. Darkness greeted me as thoughts of what had happened earlier flooded my brain. I had somehow fallen asleep despite the terrifying voices of the horrors above me. But wait, a deafening silence greeted me now. Were the horrors gone? Just how long have I been asleep for? I did not know, but staying in this forsaken hole I made for myself was not an option. Raising my sore arms, I broke the dirt above me, allowing the first ray of sunlight to stream in. The sunlight nearly blinded my eyes as I hurriedly struggled my way out. It was day time again. A gust of wind greeted me, the refreshing breeze caressing my cheeks, soothing my mind. This was a stark contrast to what I had experienced here the previous night.

Nevertheless, the first hand experience with the horrors of the night demanded that I build myself a proper shelter before the next night sets in. The forest I was in however, was too isolated and dense to build a safe house for myself. I could make out a clearing not far from the forest, but I was not going there without bringing some resources with me. Heading to the nearest tree, I ran my fingers over its barks, and instinctively gave it a punch. My hand could not feel the pain. A few more consecutive punches and a block of wood fell, much to my surprise. The law of physics did not seem to apply here either. The tree continued to stand upright, as if it was independent of gravity. As I stole a gaze at the noon sun, I realized I did not have much time left before the night sets in again. Heading off into the clearing not too far from the forest, I took in a deep breath of air and told myself, "Like it or not, Welcome To Your New Life".

Chapter 3 - Glimmer Of Hope



I sat in my lawn, hugging my knees to my chest as I gazed up at the clear blue sky. Three days have passed and I have never found myself in a precarious situation again - ever since I built myself that small wooden hut. Alongside it was a farm I made for myself. It was simple, just a couple of wheat harvested daily, but sufficient for me to bake some bread for myself. I switched my attention to the signboard fixated beside the door to my hut. It had remained empty since morning. My name was supposed to be etched into the signboard. But why? Why could I not remember my name? A tinge of sadness tugged at my heart but was soon swept away by a strong sense of resolution. The resolution to break free, to put up a fight, to return to my own world.

Heading back into the hut, I plowed through the resources I had gathered these few days. My chest consisted mostly of wood and stone materials, not extremely useful, but something I could begin with. With much effort, I crafted a few tools - axes, pickaxes, shovels and even swords. I had no idea why I made them, it was rather instinctive, almost as if I had done it a million times. The familiar hissing and growling of the night monsters broke my chain of thoughts. Night had fallen in once again. By this time, I would usually be cowering in my bed, hiding in fear of being discovered. But today, with my new-found resolute, I decided, for the first time, to take a peek out of my hut.

I stared panic-stricken at the sight before me. Tens of zombies and skeletons were roaming the surroundings of my hut. I choked back on a scream as a skeleton bore its gaze through me and broke into a smile, almost as if it could feel my fear, and knew I was watching. I backed away into the corner again, pitting my back against the wall behind me. Was I ready for this? Doubts filled me, threatening to erode the very resolution I gained that afternoon. With uncertainty in my heart, I fell asleep in that corner, letting the feeling of fear take over me. Somewhere deep in me however, I could hear a faint whisper. A voice telling me not to yield, a voice telling me never to give up, a voice telling me to get out of my safety and comfort zone, a voice igniting my only glimmer of hope.

Chapter 4 - The First Step



As the warmth of the sun reached out to my cheeks again, I awoke, armed with courage and hope. I shuddered at the thought of the fearful sight of the previous night that still lingered within me, but no, I was not letting it get in my way. I had to take my first step out. Recalling what I had set out to do the previous day, I packed all my tools and resources into my bag-pack. Heaving the heavy, resource-filled bag onto my shoulder, I opened the door and left my hut. The morning sun had promised me long enough periods of sunlight for a short exploration not far from my home. I should be able to make it back before night. As I trotted on, I could feel the sense of adventure heighten in me. I was determined to find some clues. As I took a turn, I made one final glance back at my little hut, the place I called home for the past 4 days now, before the dense forest covering shrouded my house from view. The journey had only just begun.

As I navigated around, I made conscious effort to make markings leading the way back to my little hut. I broke certain blocks, or placed some at eye-catching places just so I would not get lost. It did not take long before I found myself at the mouth of what seemed like a cave. Standing before the darkness that greeted me, I was apprehensive of whether to venture into it. On one hand, the darkness could mean untold horrors awaiting me, yet it could also hold the answers to my questions. I surveyed my surroundings and figured it was pretty much plain and dull. It then struck me, that only through stepping into the unknown, could I sustain the hope in me - the hope that I would one day be able to end this horror and return to my world. With that in mind, I took my first step into the dark cave.

Almost immediately, I regretted not preparing some light source before making this trip. Who would have thought I would come upon a cave anyway? Luckily for me, I came across coal ores not far into the cave. In fact, they were in abundance, and I took that opportunity to craft as many torches as I could. Confident that I had enough torches to light the entire cave, I placed down my first torch, observing as it's light radiated in all directions. As I watch the torch burn furiously, the resolution in me was reaffirmed, igniting a blazing determination to press on. I managed a slight smile, the first I had since I ended up in this forsaken place. With that, I planted my first step towards the bright path ahead.

 

Chapter 5 - Tougher Than It Seems



The cave was big. No, big is an understatement. It was humongous. Every turn I made presented me with more routes deeper into the cave. As I tread deeper into the cave, the sunlight from above got fainter and fainter, until I was solely relying on my torches to illuminate my way. It was not long before I heard it - A strange hissing sound. I quickened my pace in what seemed like the direction away from the source of the hissing. But no, the hissing sound only grew louder and louder. Whatever it was, it had landed its sight on me and was determined to prey on me. I drew my stone sword, the sword I wish I never had to use. Bracing myself, I made a sharp turn around to confront whatever was pursuing me. I froze. But the pursuer did not.

With a leap, it bit at my arm, causing me to flinch and stagger backwards. I snapped out of my daze and raised my sword, wielding it as fast as I could every time my pursuer attempted to leap on me. After several slashes, the mysterious entity let out a final hiss before it vanished, presumably killed, dropping behind what seemed like a red ball. I picked it up in my hands and made careful observation of it. I knew I had seen this somewhere before. Yes, on a documentary I can't quite remember back in my world. There was no doubt. This was the eye of a spider. Except, this spider was huge. I ran my fingers over the wounds I have suffered from this encounter. It was not serious, but sufficient to shatter my confidence. Before I could come to a decision on what to do next, the strange smell of sulfur invaded my nostrils. Curious, I looked left and right, before finally making a turnabout.

I stared into a face, a sense of dread taking over me. The creature wore a somewhat depressed look. It writhed and pulsated a few times, before the smell of sulfur became overpowering. Instinctively, I ducked backwards but was not fast enough. The suicidal maniac exploded, its impact sending me right up against the walls of the caves. I barely survived. There was no question nor hesitation this time. I picked up whatever resources I had left and headed in the direction where I came from. As I hurried my way back to the entrance, it suddenly dawned upon me that seeking out the truth, was definitely going to be tougher than it seems.

Chapter 6 - A Second Try



I hung my head low. Thoughts filled my brain, faster than they can be processed, as I trudged my way home. First the zombies, then the skeletons, and now spiders and a four-legged monster that creeps up on you? What next? Goose bumps broke out all over me as my mind wandered off to think of the other possible beings that awaited me out there. Despite this, my mind was set on a return trip. I did not know what awaited me, but I had to find out. The shadows of the trees were becoming fainter by the moment, and as I lifted my eyes off the ground, I could see my little hut fade back into view. Heaving a sigh of relief, I quickened my pace towards the hut, tired but glad that I had made it home just before nightfall.

It was the first time I slept that soundly. The moment my head cushioned itself on the pillow, I fell into a deep slumber. No nightmares, nothing. Just a night of peaceful sleep. The next morning began with the familiar warmth of the sun. I woke up, refreshed and ready to face the day. Gobbling down a couple of bread, I murmured to myself, "This time, I will be more prepared". Aware that time waits for none, I hurriedly packed my bag-pack, careful to make sure I brought torches along this time.

The journey back to the cave was boring, just me following the markings I had made the previous day. Before I knew it, I was standing at the mouth of the cave once again. I was ready for a second try. With the aid of the torches that I had placed the previous day, I managed to trek back to where I had my yesterday's encounter with the spider and what I had come to term it as the "creeper" - the 4-legged creature that creeps around. I explored deeper, a sense of uneasiness settling in, intensifying as I moved on. Strangely enough, despite venturing this far into the cave, there had not been an encounter of any sort. I was just about to put away my sword into my bag-pack, when out of the blue, I caught a shimmer at the corner of my eye...

Chapter 7 - The Abnormal



Wild thoughts flashed through my mind. What was it? A hostile creature? My imagination? It shimmered again. I stared in awe, captured by it's resemblance to the shimmering stars we see in the night sky. I approached with caution, step by step, still unable to fathom what it could be. Inching even closer, I was dazzled at the iron-rich deposit I had found. Bountiful iron ores laid sprawled out on the floor of the cavern. I reached out at the iron ore. It felt cold to my touch. A deep grunt drew my attention away from the ore. No, it was not just a grunt, I heard grunts. I realized I was only a few metres away from a edge, where the source of the grunts seem to be coming from. Keeping as quiet as I could, I laid flat on the ground, doing a brief crawl forward, hoping to attract as little attention as possible. Nearing the edge, I raised my head slightly to peek down. Then, I saw it.

Zombies were not new to me, I have seen dozens of them. But this was. Amidst the zombies that were prowling aimlessly, stood an abnormal with significantly different facial features. It had a nose, eyebrows, and even pupils, unlike the rest who had empty eye sockets. What rendered me motionless however, was the fact that while other zombies wore a vacant expression, this one had a forlorn look - It was capable of feeling. I trembled a little, tipping a small rock over the edge crashing down below. They looked up.

I reeled away in horror as the crowd began to advance towards me. They had no direct way up, but were obviously seeking alternative routes to get to me. I picked myself off the ground, grabbing my bag-pack as I made a mad dash for the nearest route I could find. Entering yet another dark path, I had barely taken a few steps, when a slight movement slowed me to a sudden halt. Sensing danger, I retreated several steps, as a robed figure emerged from the shadows. It wore a high hat, emitting a strange aura of brilliance. Lifting its hands out of its robes, it revealed what seemed like a potion in its hand. The next thing I knew, the sounds of shattering glass reverberated throughout the cavern, as my vision blurred and I collapsed to the ground.

Chapter 8 - A New Hope



I swung my arm around aimlessly, blinking profusely as my vision became increasingly distorted. I was disoriented, the world spinning as my mind attempted to focus and make sense of what was happening. Drawing up what remaining strength I had, I withdrew a stone sword from my bag-pack. Hands quivering, I raised the sword, aiming its tip at the robed figure. All of a sudden, a sharp pain pierced through my shoulder. This was followed by a series of stabbing pains throughout my body. The zombies had swarmed in on me. I flailed my stone sword wildly, the sound of grunts and flesh being torn apart echoing in my ears. Just as I was about to surrender to death, my vision began stabilizing. Slowly but surely, my strength and vision were returning to me.

Swinging my sword even more crazily now, I lifted myself up, desperately slashing away at the few remaining zombies. Watching them draw their last breath, I rested on my sword, exasperated, my heavy panting fitting of an exhausted man. I had believed I was safe, until I realized I was staring at a pair of foot - foot of the robed figure. I had completely forgotten about it. I looked up, staring straight into its eyes, yet it seemed to has its pupils fixated on something else behind me. Instinctively, I turned around, only to set my sight on the abnormal. Standing between the two, I switched my gaze back and forth, staying as alert as I could to the slightest movement. The robed figure swiftly reached into its robes, drawing out a glowing potion. Without warning, it hurled the potion in full speed towards me. I ducked, the potion sailing past barely a centimetre above me. It struck the abnormal, causing it to convulse uncontrollably. Taking the chance, I called up the very last bit of strength in me, charging at the robed figure as I plunged my sword several times at its vitals. I collapsed in a heap, as the figure vaporized, leaving no trace of its existence.

The abnormal continued shaking violently for a good few minutes. Its skin cracking, sizzling, falling by bits to the ground. I looked away, the sight too unbearable to watch. A series of bright flashes ensued, and then silence settled in again. Battling to keep my weary eyes open, I stole a glance at the abnormal. My jaw dropped. There, stood a being who was smiling at me, a being I saw new hope in, a being who was as human as me.

As a sense of relief washed over me, my tensed muscles relaxed, my heartbeat slowed, my eyelids grew heavier. I had used every ounce of my energy earlier. Unable to stay awake any further, I welcomed darkness' embrace, as the worn-out me fell into a deep slumber.

 

Chapter 9 - The First Clue



My eyelids flew open, pupils darting around to survey my environment. I was lying on a bed. Jolting upright, I happened to cast my gaze out the window adjacent to the bed. The morning sun hung high in the sky. Squinting, I could make out the silhouette of a man. Just then, he turned around and began to pace towards me. I was greeted with a familiar smile as his face came into view- the smile I saw before I blanked out. Approaching me, he introduced himself as Steyn the Butcher. I nodded my head slightly in acknowledgement, questions filling my head. Who is this Steyn? Was I not in a cave? Why am I here? I had so much I wanted to ask. Holding back the urge to fire him with endless questions, I allowed him to show me around his small wooden house and pig farm.

"I inherited the pig farm from my father at a young age, and have got 20 years of experience as a pig butcher..." As he rattled on, I gradually lost interest in what he was saying, his words simply trailing off. I was more concerned with something else. There was something amiss about him. His eyes - the way he kept avoiding direct eye contact with me. It's almost as if he was hiding something. The tour ended with me not remembering more than just his name. I was then ushered to the dining table, where I was given pork for lunch - the most delicious meal I had since I got trapped in this nightmare. Mustering up my courage at the table, I decided to begin by asking Steyn what had happened back in the cave. He seemed glad to answer, sharing with me the story of how he had been out looking for the pigs that had escaped from the farm when he came across a horde of zombies and got cursed. Apparently, the robed being was a witch, and its potion had coincidentally saved him. Pressing on further, I asked for a world map, making up a lie that I was lost and needed directions. Deep down, I was apprehensive of telling him my full story - that I was from another world.

"You don't really belong here do you? You're one of them." I was taken aback. Steyn had practically read my mind. It was ironic. The more answers I had, the more confused I got. Before I could utter a reply, he beckoned me to follow him out onto the streets of his village. As I trailed behind him, my bewildered eyes struggled to take in the many sights around me. There were cows, sheep, chickens and plenty of people around. It was a bustling village, full of life, but none I had acquaintance with. Ultimately, I was still a stranger in a foreign land. Before long, I found myself in front of a tall majestic building. Its wooden door creaked open, as Steyn held the door, urging me to enter. Hesitantly, I stepped into the building. An aged man in white cloak greeted me from what seemed like a magic-imbued table at the far-end of the room. Steyn introduced him as the oldest librarian and the most knowledgeable person around. As the two exchanged nods with one another, Steyn whispered to me, "He's your first clue", before exiting the room, leaving me to face what I had just learned, to be my first clue.

Chapter 10 - The Truth Hurts



After exchanging looks of curiosity for a moment, the librarian signaled me towards a table in the center of the room. The table was lined with potions. I reached my hand out for one but was promptly stopped by the librarian. "Not now" He warned sternly, before gesturing for me to take a seat around the table. Grabbing a seat opposite of me, he began: “It’s a long story, but I’ll start from the beginning. Hopefully, you’ll get some answers.” I nodded, unsure of what to expect.

“In our universe, there exist 3 types of energy - Light Energy, Dark Energy and Void Energy. These energies were distributed equally across the universe in the 3 different worlds we knew - Light Energy in The Overworld, Dark Energy in The Nether and Void Energy in The End. This distribution of energy kept our universe in equilibrium, and our most ancient texts have always warned us of disrupting this balance. As such, this balance has always been carefully maintained. This was until 6 months ago, when an accidental discovery of a new portal revealed the possibility of a fourth world. It created quite a stir, reason being even our oldest records had no mention of a fourth world. It was a completely new discovery. Soon after the discovery of this new portal, the first batch of trained villagers were sent in to scout and bring back information on this hypothetical fourth world. However, none returned. A rescue team was scrambled in, but after 3 days of not hearing from them, everyone knew they had suffered a similar fate. Excitement for the possibly of a fourth world soon turned into panic, as tales began to spread of how the fourth portal was the true portal to hell. Guardian Council, widely known as GC, the council responsible for ensuring balance in the universe, was brought in to end the widespread panic and confusion. Right after assuming control, the GC launched a project, its code name 'Project Steve'. Selected villagers underwent various biological mutations, making them faster, tougher and brighter, hopefully strong enough to handle what laid in the fourth world. The project, headed by a group composed of the brightest librarians, was completed just a few days after its commencement. The villagers who emerged from the project became known as 'Steves'. However, on the day the first batch of 'Steves' were sent into the portal, a new, much worse problem presented itself to the Guardian Council - A fourth energy was flowing in through the portal. Its effects were disastrous. Villagers found themselves controlled. They were breaking dirt, building houses and exploring dark caverns, all against their free will. It was strange, because only the villagers seemed affected. This fourth energy was later termed the Chaos Energy, due to the widespread mayhem it caused in our universe. Seeing no other way out, the GC shut down the newly discovered portal, at the cost of their creations – 'Steves'. No one knew what happened to the 'Steves' who were left behind in the portal. This was true until recently, when 'Steves' began to reappear in our overworld. The 'Steves' however, were behaving strangely, believing that they were in fact from another world. Wanting to avoid a second wave of reignited panic, 'Steves' that reappeared were swiftly taken in by the GC." There was a long pause, as the librarian stood up to pace back and forth along the table, as if he was pondering over an important decision. With every moment, I became even more curious as to why he stopped speaking halfway. I had my answers within seconds.

"You, are one of them.” He declared, extending his arm towards me, fingers merely inches from my face.

I stared at him in disbelief. What was he talking about? I am one of who? A look of doubt hung on my face. Sensing my apprehension, the librarian went further to reveal, “Do not doubt, I was the one in charge of the project”. Without warning, the door slammed open, Steyn, with a group of villagers, rushed in to surround me. The villagers all don a common white coat , a white coat with two golden letters shining prominently on their chest – GC. Before I could even react, one moved in to grab a potion from the table and tossed it at me. Catching sight of the lead held in their hands, I wondered what fate had in store for me as my mind blanked out.

 

Chapter 11 - Friend or Foe?



I awoke, my eyes adjusting to the environment around me as I laid motionless. The air was still, with only my occasional breathing to break the silence. Cautiously, I lifted my head off the ground to scan my surroundings for any potential danger or my kidnapper. I was alone. Picking myself off the ground, I felt a scorching pain at my wrists. As I examined closer, I could make out red markings around my wrists, probably the result of an abrasion caused by the lead they used on me earlier. I walked along the perimeter of the room, running my hands along the walls, hoping to find a lever or button - something that could get me out. But no, no buttons, no levers, just a simple room with 2 tubes of lava as its light source. Surprisingly, despite the presence of lava, the room felt unusually cold. I was shivering. Still confused about what happened, I moved towards the iron bars, peering out into the darkness. I could make out the shapes of certain objects, but could not exactly tell what they were. Then, I heard it.

There was the rattle of chains somewhere out in the darkness. Something, or someone was moving. As abruptly as the rattles started, it suddenly stopped. The silence was broken once again, when a slight creak far out in the darkness allowed what seemed like a ray of light to stream in. The door continued to creak open, the light from beyond illuminating the room. A familiar figure entered, causing both fear and anger to stir within me as I fixated my eyes on him. As if he knew I was about to yell out at him, Steyn held a finger to his lips, signalling for me to remain quiet. With his other hand, he waved what seemed like keys to me. He then tip-toed across the room and as he approached closer, whispered to me: "If you wish to live, stay as quiet as you can and just follow me". I nodded, keeping my eyes trained on him as he fumbled with the right keys to unlock the iron door. A "Click" threw the door wide open, as I stumbled out towards Steyn.

Without hesitation, he grabbed my arm and ran towards the door he had entered from. We burst past several other rooms, which were much to my surprise, empty. The place was huge, and we were making frequent sharp turns around corners, going up and down flights of stairs, and even jumping over objects. Whatever the reason, I could sense Steyn was obviously afraid of getting caught. As we approach a dead-end, Steyn suddenly slowed to a halt. He fished out a pickaxe from his bagpack and began to dig away at the ground, raising his head every second to scout the surrounding area. Digging past 3 layers of blocks, a deep hole into the underground was revealed. Steyn nudged me to look at the ladder leading down into the darkness, before hurriedly pushing me to start the descend down. He then eased himself down onto the ladder and as I watched him seal up the hole, I was once against plunged into darkness. As I made the slow descend, I could not help but wonder, is Steyn friend or foe?

Chapter 12 - A Clear Goal



The hole led down into an extensive cave complex, similar to the one I chanced upon in my first exploration, except this was much deeper. I was disoriented by this confusing network of caves but Steyn on the other hand, seemed extremely familiar with the cave system. He led the way, navigating through passages after passages. We did not speak at all, the squishing sound of the gravel being the only sound that accompanied us as we plodded on. After hours of walking, a faint light in the distance finally came into view, indicating that we were near the exit. The dim moonlight and night wind greeted us as we emerged from the cave. I shuddered as the howl of a distant wolf echoed through the night. Much to my surprise, a little hut was situated right beside the entrance of the cave, presumably owned by Steyn who then proceeded to usher me inside. He led me to one of the two beds in the room, seating me down as he sat on the bed opposite of mine.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he looked up at me and finally spoke: "We are safe". Seeing me look even more puzzled than before, Steyn took the initiative to clear up my doubts.

"You see Steve, I work as an informant for the Guardian Council. Whenever, 'Steves' like you appear, I would turn you in, it was simple as that. I never questioned nor bothered to find out what they did to people like you... Not until the past few times when I saw for myself what they did. They claimed that they were taking in these 'Steves' to prevent a second wave of widespread panic among the public but the truth was, they were conducting experiments on them, even to the extent of killing them. The Guardian Council never gave up on the fourth portal afterall. They are still researching and experimenting, hoping to re-enter the portal one day..."

"But why save me? Why not the others?" I interrupted, still unsure and wary of his motive.

"You saved me once... Though it was not intentional, if not for you, I would probably still be a zombie in the cave..." His words trailed off as memories of the earlier exploration came back to me. Steyn paused, as my brain struggled to make sense of the information I had just received.

'So he was worried about the fourth portal... And also because I saved him... Wait did he mention re-entering the fourth portal...? That was it... If I had arrived from the fourth portal, surely my answers would be found in there too.' As this sudden realization struck me, I jolted straight up. Staring right into Steyn's eyes, I declared: "I need to re-enter the fourth portal".

Chapter 13 - The 3 Relics



Steyn was taken aback, his wide-eyed disbelief expression worn on his face. Regaining his composure, Steyn retrieved a book from the shelf beside his bed and strode towards a table on the other end of the room. Placing down the book on the table, he flipped open its cover and beckoned me to grab a seat opposite of him.

"You really wish to enter the fourth portal again don't you? I can see the burning determination when you spoke with such resolute. I will help you, but on one condition. Once you enter, you must find a way to stop The Guardian Council. Lock or destroy the portal, do whatever you must. Just see to it that they do not re-open the portal and their curiosity does not bring Chaos to us again. Do we have a deal?" Steyn asked as he extended his arm towards me, presumably for a handshake. I took it without hesitation, sealing the deal which would be my first step towards returning into the fourth portal, returning to my home. I could barely remember the last time I felt such sense of hope, but yes a flame was burning in me - again. Steyn seemed pleased with my decision, or at least I thought he was.

"Very well, listen carefully. This is a copy of the book I made from the one The Guardian Council has. Based on its contents, the fourth portal was accidentally discovered through the bond of 3 Relics, namely the Ender Dragon Head, The Nether Flame and The Sacred Beacon. These 3 Relics, when placed together, generates a burst of energy, so strong it sends a beam of rainbow straight up to the sky, revealing the fourth portal when the light finally fades. If this is true, all you have to do is to gather the 3 Relics together and it would be done. Unfortunately, ever since the portal was shut down, The Guardian Council has hidden the Relics at 3 different locations." Upon hearing this, my flame of hope was mildly extinguished. As if sensing my disappointment, Steyn quickly continued.

"I have been trying to hunt down their locations for some time, and here's what I've got." he spoke as he tapped at a map on the wall beside the table. "This map alone, shows 2 locations of where 2 of the Relics are. The Ender Dragon has been resurrected from the Relic and now resides at The End. The entrance to The End is not far from here." I nodded in acknowledgement as he pointed to a specific location on the map. "The Nether Flame is locked deep down in a Nether Fortress, its entrance found much further, sitting on a small island within a vast ocean. It would be wise to go after the Ender Dragon Head first since it's much nearer. While you are at it, I will try to pin down the location of the last Relic."

Glancing at the clock, Steyn gave a loud yawn as he uttered: "It's getting late, we shall start tomorrow once the sun rises." With that, Steyn returned the book to his shelf and tucked himself into bed. Lying down on the bed beside his, I heard the first rain drop against the roof of the hut. It was soon followed by several others before a torrential rainfall ensued. Streaks of lightning flashed across the sky as the thunder rolled in. Despite the weather, my determination and hope stood high. 'This time, nothing will extinguish my flame. I will get the 3 Relics. I will return home.'

 

Chapter 14 - The Quest Begins



The sun seemed to rise much more earlier than usual, probably just me being too eager to get going with the quest. Steyn was up even earlier than me, for he was already seated in front of the table, scribbling on what appeared to be like a notebook until suddenly, he looked up.

"Good morning, come over here. I've copied over whatever information there is about the first 2 relics. Bring it along with you. Hopefully, it comes in useful." I kindly accepted the book with a smile. Steyn then proceeded to empty his bagpack onto the table. Armors and weapons laid sprawled out, all crafted from diamonds. I was awestruck, as he placed them one by one into my bagpack. "I have to leave now, before The Guardian Council starts to have their suspicions on me. Those gears should help you with your battles ahead, good luck. I'll contact you again." With that, Steyn stood up and left the room, leaving me to watch as the door shut after him.

Without wasting a minute, I clumsily equipped myself with the diamond armors. It was my first time putting on one afterall. The armors were heavy, but their hardness seemed to offer remarkably good protection. With an information book in one hand and sword in the other, I set out for my journey towards retrieving the first relic.

The journey to the End Portal was about 6000 blocks. It was not too far from where I was but was still be a tiring journey nonetheless. I passed by swamps, jungles and even a desert, fighting off countless zombies and skeletons I used to be so afraid of. Nothing was going to stop me, not this time. Before long, I found myself searching high and low for the End Portal around a particular spot. The map had marked out the End Portal to be here, but no visible portal stood in my view. The vast plains extended in all directions around me, its environment seemingly too peaceful to harbor such a sinister portal. I was on the verge of giving up, when I suddenly caught sight of a rabbit burrowing into its home underground. That had to be it. Hastily, I took out my pickaxe and started digging away at the ground. I had left no stone unturned on the surface, but I had never considered the possibility of the portal being underground. As I dug away at the ground, a block beneath me suddenly gave way, plunging me into the darkness below. Just as I thought I was going to hit solid ground, a magical-like portal came into view. It looked exactly like how the book had described it to be. At that instant, I knew. I was falling right into the end portal.

Chapter 15 - Ender Dragon Head



At the moment I came into contact with the portal, my mind went into a swirl. I was disoriented, thrown into the distortion of time and space, hearing the screams of my own ringing in my ears. Then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped. I found myself standing in a completely unfamiliar environment. The peace and calm earlier had been replaced by a sense of dread. The noon sun that hung high just a moment ago had been mysteriously swallowed into the void. This was The End, a place devoid of night and day, a place existing in a dimension of its own. As I stepped out of the purple platform, the shrieks of nearby entities became increasingly pronounced. It was obvious that they were headed for me. I raised my sword, ready to fend off whatever monster that dares challenge me. The next instant, I was staggering back in horror as a creature sprung up without warning, lashing its arm out at me.

The attack sent me stumbling back, a fresh scratch clearly seen across my chestplate. The being before me was almost twice my height, its mouth opening unbelievably wide as it shrieked. The information book had stated that The End was guarded by several enderman but never mentioned they were this strong. I raised my sword yet again, as more enderman began to close in on me. This time, I struck first, slashing out at the nearest enderman, hurting him but aggravating the others. A fierce fight ensued, their advance eventually forcing me onto what seemed like the edge of the world. Facing the last 2 enderman in my way, I threw my diamond sword at one and withdrew a bow to take a shot at the other, watching as they vaporized right before my eyes. Scooping up the ender pearls that they had dropped, I placed them into my bagpack, recalling that the book had mentioned it to be a useful combat item. With adrenaline rushing in me, I dashed towards what I thought to be the center of the world and yelled at the top of my lungs, challenging the Ender Dragon to a battle.

As if acceding to my request, The Ender Dragon descended into view from the sky, its thunderous roars echoing throughout The End. Swiftly but gracefully, the Ender Dragon landed in front of me, creating a gust of wind so strong I had to raise my hand to shield my eyes. As the gust of wind died down, the Ender Dragon let out yet another deafening roar, spawning several enderman in the vicinity. The mere sight of them sent shivers down my spine, as I held my sword with a shivering hand. I could feel my palms sweating profusely as I tried to keep a good grip on my sword. Without warning, the Ender Dragon spewed flames towards me, torching me on fire and landing me in a state of panic. I hopped around, an arm desperately searching in my bagpack for a bucket of water to douse the fire as the other waved my sword around aimlessly. Just as I emptied the water bucket over myself, a second puff of flames missed me by inches, sending me reeling back in horror, as the contents of my bagpack tumbled out to reveal what I had forgotten - the ender pearls. With little knowledge of what the pearls could do, I grabbed one and threw it at the Ender Dragon, watching as it landed on its back, wondering what would come next.

Then, in a flash, I found myself on the back of the Ender Dragon. It was a teleporting pearl. Fleetly, I drew out my sword, causing the Ender Dragon to cry out in pain as I made repeated stabs at its nape. With an ear-splitting roar, the Ender Dragon arched its back, its wings poised in a position ready for flight. I dashed for its right wing, reaching it just as the Ender Dragon took off. Raising my sword up high while attempting to keep my balance, I severed its right wing, the Ender Dragon crying out in pain as it veered left before crashing to the ground, raising layers of dust. I leaped off just in time, merely seconds from being part of the crash. As the dust cleared, shadowy figures began to approach me. I was about to lunge out at the first enderman who came into view, when out of the blue, a mysterious arrow pierced it right at its head, killing it instantly. As a puzzled me look around for the source of the arrow, several more shots killed the remaining few enderman. This was accompanied by a series of rapidly-fired arrows on the Ender Dragon, killing it before it could even get back on its feet. In a burst of light, the Ender Dragon vaporized, leaving behind its head - the relic. I picked up the head, along with my bagpack and its contents that were strewn on the ground. A hooded figure was now in clear view, approaching me from a distance. As I headed nervously in its direction, I wondered who or what could have helped me in this dangerous battle.

 

Chapter 16 - The Third Piece



We stopped a good 10 meters from each other, sharing a moment of silence. He was cloaked in black from head to toe, aside from what looked like a white tunic he wore underneath his robes. With the top half his face shrouded and only his stubble visible, the man reached into his robes to pull out a scroll. In the swing of an arm, he tossed the scroll at me. I caught it with both hands, surprised at the weight that such a paper scroll could hold.

"Steyn wants you to take this." That was the only line he uttered. Before I could probe further, the man had already taken off into the shadows, leaving a baffled me with a scroll in hand. Tugging on the gold ribbon binding the scroll, I was greeted with a map before me, a map so detailed it was hard to imagine the amount of time and effort placed into its making. A small scribbling could be seen at the bottom of the map reading: "The Third Piece - Steyn". As I rolled up the scroll and stuffed it into my bagpack, I could not help but wonder what could have caused Steyn to write so hastily in a scribble. After all, the notes he gave me earlier revealed a certain degree of obsession with neat handwriting. Confused yet exhausted, I dragged myself towards the exit portal.

The air had never felt so refreshing in the overworld, with the wind gently soothing my mind and the moon radiating its dim light of warmth. I collapsed in a heap, stretching myself out against the soft touch of the grass. As my eyelids grew heavier, I closed my eyes, welcoming the darkness before me.

I awoke to the distinct sound of rustling in the bushes. There was movement around me. It had started out soft, but grew progressively louder as it got closer. I pricked up my ears to follow the rustle to the best of my ability. It was then that I saw it. The grey entity raised its head from beneath the bush, staring at me dumbfounded. I gasped, struggling to recall the name of such an entity as it galloped towards me. With a neigh, the entity dropped down to rest beside me, allowing me to run my fingers across its head. "A horse!" I cried out as I recalled what it was termed. The horse raised its head to look at me and for a moment, I thought I caught it rolling it eyes as if thinking I was a loony. It soon became apparent that the horse had taken a liking to me, especially ever since I fed it an apple from my bag. It was a playful one, making numerous silly mistakes on purpose to crack me up laughing. To think of it, I had never laughed so hard nor had so much fun ever since the day I arrived here. As the noon sun hung brightly in the sky, it struck me that an entire morning had gone to waste. Sweeping up my bag from the ground, I watched as the horse stuck around me, lowering its head as if prompting me to ride on it. Hesitantly, I eased myself onto the back of the horse. After finding a comfortable position, I came to realize a name-tag was stuck on its back. Flipping it around, the name-tag bore the name of its owner: Judy.

"Judy...?" I read out aloud to myself. The name felt eerily familiar, almost as if I had known it for the whole of my life. Yet, my memory was failing me. I could not recall anything about such a name, yet the feeling of familiarity felt so real. Even more determined to retrieve the remaining 2 relics and find out the truth, I rode out with my new companion towards my next destination for the second relic.

"I will unite the 3 pieces."

Chapter 17 - The Nether



For the most of the journey, my mind was preoccupied with the name Judy. For some reason, I could not keep it out of my head. Before I knew it, the horse was thrashing around in the water until I snapped out of my thoughts and hurriedly got off to pull it back to shore. Laying sprawled on the beach, the vastness of the ocean before me had meant the remaining the journey was to be completed with a boat. Night was crawling in as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. Setting my mind on sailing out into the sea by dawn, I worked through the night, crafting a boat and building a makeshift stable for my horse companion. It took a lot longer than expected and I barely caught a wink before dawn arrived. Yawning, I was tired but eager at the thought of getting myself out into the ocean. Coaxing the horse into my makeshift stable, a satisfied me shove my boat across the sand into the water. As I plunged myself into a seat I had made in the boat, I took one final glance over my shoulder at the horse. Choking back on a tear, I paddled forward, knowing that I will see the horse again.

Instead of going against large waves, the seawater was surprisingly still. Occasionally, a squid would be seen darting around in the water but that aside, the ocean seemed devoid of life. I had barely paddled for an hour when I caught sight of the silhouette of an island. A rush of adrenaline coursed through me as I paddled even faster now. It took another good 10 minutes before the whole island soon came into view. Besides its extraordinarily small size, there was nothing peculiar about its features. It had trees, hills and rabbits, pretty much like a peaceful normal forest. Eyeing around for the nether portal, it took only seconds, before my gaze fell on the top of a hill. There, there was the unmistakable emission of a purple light, characteristic of a nether portal. Another 10 minutes later and I found myself docking my boat, before leaping off and sprinting towards the hill to start my ascend. Despite it being a low lying hill, I was panting heavily when I reached the top. Taking in one final gasp of fresh air, I threw myself into the nether portal, into the uncertain that awaits me.

After brief moments of blurry and hazy vision, my vision cleared to reveal I was no longer at the top of a hill. In stark contrast, I was now surrounded by the bubbling of magma and flows of lava. The temperature was unbearable, but not something I could not endure if it meant finding out the truth for myself. Stepping off a platform, I realized I was in a cavern, merely meters away from the edge of the cliff. A few more steps forward and I would be devoured in the pool of lava below. My eyes balls darted around, scanning the dull surroundings until I caught a flicker at the corner of my eye. As I threw my gaze at it, the flicker roared into a brilliant white flame, so bright it caused me to look away for a moment. The mysterious flame stood on a separate platform across the pool of lava below, well within my sight but out of my reach. As I made plans to dig out the walls to use as connecting bridges to the other side, a blast through the roof made me turn my back. Something, or someone had crashed through the roof, raising a thick layer of dust as it landed meters behind me. As the dust cleared away, it soon became clear this was no object. Pulling out a sword from within my bagpack, I held out a trembling hand towards the red-hooded creature. It lifted itself off the ground with ease, its red eyes raised to meet mine, sending an uncontrollable shiver down my spine. With an ear-piercing screech, the creature launched itself at me as I threw myself forward into an unsettling battle.

 

Too lazy to read

 

Lol, and wow.


The story, omg please more of this.

 

Go Go Boss !! Continue with this story we want more !

 

so long i only read the first paragraph

 

Moree!
Btw is was amzing.

 

Chapter 3 is complete. Apologies to those who cannot take long posts. I guess this is really written for those who want to take some break away from the game and have the spare time to read. For me, it's just a platform for ideas and creativity to flow. I do wish to get inputs from you guys too though, so that the story can only go on to be more interesting

 

Released Chapter 4 & 5 together. The Title of Chapter 6 "The Second Try" is out. As of now, I have not planned nor come up with any content for Chapter 6 yet so I am welcoming all suggestions and ideas. I am retiring for the night and will work on this tomorrow. Till then, for those with the spare time, enjoy

 

AWESOME!

 

jesus, that's a lot of work. nice job

 

Oh my wow, Minecraft has never sounded so epic

I want moooooaaaarrrrr :3

 

Reading the title, i thought the story is about someone getting stuck in a washing machine.

Just joking... But holy Shiz this is a damn good story. If my english teachers see this, she would at least give him an A (no jokes). Man is this guy gifted with writting talent? Go sign up for a few writting competitions bud... Man, i am amazed :3 moar plz ~<3

 

Goose bumps leehhh!! So nice story good thing i used my phone hue =3

 

Nice story!

 

Nice story, can't wait for the next chapter