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MIDAS Chapter 6 - Let's go to Heaven✮⋆˙

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A solitude enveloped Grian. Time seemed to pass by slowly, but he wasn't sure how long he had been laying. It could have been for a few minutes, a few hours, days, and he wouldn't have known. A nostalgic warmth began to prickle at his skin. It laid across like a warm blanket, holding him close and secure. The warmth felt that of a distant memory, a hopeful future—the security of slowly falling asleep in your mother’s arms. Nostalgia for a time that never happened or maybe yet to be. Grian could drift in this feeling forever. It was overwhelming but all at the same time, and he couldn’t pull away. The only thing that kept him from his peaceful slumber was a distant sound.

[Authors note; This chapter is actually a flashback chapter ( Take this chapter as if Grian is telling his past to Mumbo) + Scarian? centric.(though it’s vague so you can interpret their relationship however you wish) I KNOW I KNOW BOO AND TOMATO ME ALL YOU WANT. But I promise it's important lore wise and plot wise. Listen, if you read this, next chapter will make up for this one. Thank you for understanding <3 CW: There's going to be some descriptions of Scar’s death in 3rd life, but nothing too graphic. Content / trigger warning for grief, death, fighting, blood and injury, and emotional trauma aftermath. Edit: This made my husband cry so I GUESS. BE PREPARED FOR THIS CHAPTER TO THROW BRICKS AT YOU.] Song for this chapter! 🎵

The idea was simple; All █████ really had to do was buy a ROM cartridge and a burner. Once he was back at his job, he would simply use his desk computer to start programming. He would kill two birds with one stone working at his job and his project. He had it all planned out, start to finish. It was a bit unusual for someone to go out of their way to learn how to program, nonetheless video games. Despite this fact, █████ was obsessed with the idea of it. Throughout his high school years, █████ always had an affinity towards electronics, especially games. One game in particular caught his attention—though he would never admit it—a visual novel simulator (that he adamantly explained was in fact not a dating sim. There was an absolute difference).The only issue he had with these games was that they were played out every single time.

There was nothing wrong with a good romance of course, but where was the drama? Where was the thrill? He could easily come up with 20 better ideas on the top of his head. █████ eventually decided he just had to make something—anything, and after months of thinking and deliberation, he had finally settled on an idea. Not a dating sim. Rather a death game. Surely, no one had thought of it before. What if there was a game, where instead of dating the characters, you had to survive? You had to live with them in a world where there would eventually be one remaining. A world where you were surrounded by characters with flaws, but humans with their own ambitions and wants. To █████ , it was a story he absolutely had to tell. It was far more interesting than what games were coming out at the moment. A romance, a tragedy, a thriller. It was everything and more. More ambitious than he wanted to admit.

That was before one night; █████ was late at work as per usual. All he needed to complete were a few spreadsheets. Simple enough. As much as he wanted to get them done, he couldn’t help but stare helplessly at the bright, blue screen etching into his eyeballs. It felt as if some sort of barrier kept him from completing it. It was so simple yet he sat there. Clicking. Click. Click. A sigh managed to escape him, shoulders slumped. Everything just felt impossible now. How on earth did he expect to finish anything at this rate? ‘Maybe I should just let the game go. Start thinking more in reality.’ Click. ‘Maybe if I wasn't pushing myself to do this, maybe I could start actually focusing on something important.’ Click. But who was he kidding? From his point of view, the future felt like a deep pool of disappointment and loathing. Either way, he was going to slip into the deep end.

It wasn’t long before █████ noticed he was adventuring the world wide web, mindlessly scrolling through a few websites he had stumbled across, none of which seemed interesting to him, except for a small popup on the corner of his screen. A small plaque, a moving image of cloud backgrounds. Gold vines stretched across the corners, alongside golden adorned letters scrolling past. The words read out: [HAVING TROUBLE BEING HUMAN? CLICK HERE] A soft chuckle left █████ lips.

If only it were that simple—with a click of a button. Yet he couldn’t deny his interest was piqued. He initially didn't expect it to do anything. Maybe it will take him to some cheesy message with a note telling him how everything magically will get better. Click. For a moment, nothing happened. A little loading ring appeared where the pointer was, buzzing in and out. Then a quick download.

Usually an unknown download would have sent immediate red flags out to anyone. █████ really wasn't even meant to be using these computers for programming. Surely breaking a computer with a virus would have gotten him into some serious trouble with the corporation. A normal reaction would have been to stop, to cancel it entirely, but there was a certain apathy lingering underneath. Did he really care if he lost this job? He sought out this job for the sole purpose of being able to program, but if he's going to give that up entirely then what was the point of staying here?

Sure, it was paying the bills—but what was the point? It was a simple silly thought but, in all honesty, it was hard. Being a person was hard. A part of █████ really did want that silly magical message to appear and tell him it would all be better, maybe it would give him some advice.

Hell, anything would do at this point. He felt as directionless as his mouse was.

So there he sat, patiently waiting as the download bar progressed, waiting and waiting. Eventually... a program began to run. A bright, blue sky sat in front of him with pixelated clouds fading into view, sliding across from one side to the other. Then, a minimalist company logo began to fade into his screen; A loading circle with two dots circling in on each other, an eye in the middle staring right at him. The company name is nestled underneath: Evolution Incorporated. With a click, a small hum emanated from the computer. Its fans began to whir, struggling a bit from running the program. It seemed way more advanced than what █████ was used to, or any modern computer for that matter. A Character Customization screen popped into view with an immense amount of content to choose from. All █████ could do was stare in awe. How was there this much content in a game of all things? And on the customization screen at that. █████ could practically sit for hours looking at the options. Clicking on a few of the options laid out in front of them, he began to explore the interface. “Hm.. I’ll make him have cool wings.. and a tail..” █████ hummed in satisfaction as he finalized his avatar, giving it a good spin with his mouse. He hadn’t put too much thought into the selections, he honestly picked whatever seemed cool to him at the moment. Next was the option for character name. █████ knew it wouldn't be wise to put in his actual name into some program in case this did turn out to be some sort of scam. He sat for a moment before landing on a random assortment of letters. “Grian”. It felt right. The only thing he had lingered on was the option for gender. Grian was the type of person, where at first glance, you wouldn't be able to place who they were. With his shaggy blonde hair and bad posture, you couldn’t even tell he wasn’t born a man, yet no matter where he went, people slipped their words each time. Never once did he try to correct them. In fact, he enjoyed the confusion. He enjoyed that people would accidentally slip and call him a man, to the point where everyone in the office started just accepting him as one (Not without a few questionable looks and crude comments, of course). Now that he sat with that option. He lingered. Eventually he decided to leave it as is. It ultimately wouldn't actually affect the game that much. He wondered if it was even possible to implement something like this in his own game. Surely not from a simple ROM. So how on earth did they manage to fit so much into a dinky little computer? With a final view of the character, his mouse lingered over the accept button. Clicking it resulted in a popup:

[By clicking this button you accept these Terms and Conditions: Clicking Yes will bring you closer to your desired future. Absolutely everything you could ever wish and whim for will fall into your palms. Denying this will only bring you closer to your destiny. A team member will be with you shortly to discuss further details. Do you accept?]

Once again, Grian didn't take the prompt seriously. Maybe it was some sort of play into whatever the game was about. He also couldn’t deny there was a heavy sense of curiosity lingering. So despite the warning, he clicks “Accept”. As his index finger clicked the mouse button, a jolt of electricity shot through his body. Grian’s hands instinctively pulled away, tensing and twitching from the shock. Looking down to his chest, a weird tugging sensation began to form. A glowing ball of light began to slowly pull out of Grian’s chest, ripping out with crackles of electricity. He felt everything at once, then nothing at all. The sensation felt like a faint memory even though it happened mere seconds ago. The ball of light floated in front of him, shifting in color and hue, before settling on a vibrant golden yellow. It cracked and fizzled in front of him before seeping into the computer. Peering into the screen, his reflection began to warp—it now staring right back at him. The reflection began to smile. Grian’s stomach sank. He began to falter, his eyes widening as he watched his reflection now typing a message to himself. M: [Hey! I've been meaning to meet you.] A sly smile pulled at the doppelganger’s lips, now staring directly back at Grian. Grian’s hands were now shaking. He could barely move, sitting still. M: [What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?] M: [Come on, you were so confident a moment ago! Where did all of that go?] Grian’s brows twitched, his hands quickly now gliding over the keyboard, making loud clacking noises from how hard he was pressing. G: [Could you give me a moment? Can I not process what just happened?] M: [Sorry!] M: [I'm just so excited to finally start working with you! I've heard you have so many cool Ideas!] G: [You’ve heard of me?] G: [ What are you talking about??] M: [Of course I've heard about you, I am you!^u^] M: [ I just needed to take on a physical form, especially if I'm going to help you.] G: [.... You’re me?] M: [In simple terms, yes.] G: [Elaborate??] M: [I’m your instinctual desires! The thing you usually yell “No, that's a bad idea” even though you really want something. Ever get so mad you just want to hit something? See something in the store you really want, but can’t afford? When you tell these impulses “No”, you’re telling that to me!^^] M: [Tell you what Grian. I couldn’t help but overhear you talking a bit down on yourself. I know you don't really want to quit making your game...] M: [But it feels like you don’t have anything to work towards right? ] M: [“No one's going to pay attention to it!” “What's the point, what will I do after?” “What if I’m not working towards anything important” blah blah blah] M: [WHOOOO CARES?] M: [I want it! YOU want it! Isn't that important enough? Isn't that a good enough excuse? Or do you need to have something more extravagant to fit your image of what “important” looks like.] M: [From the look in your eye, it seems to be the latter.] Grian winced as his eyes fell on the last words, leaning his head on his palm. Everything he was reading was right on the mark. Each and every word. G: [So what do you suppose I do?] G: [Everything I've worked so hard for has amounted to nothing so far.] M: [It may seem that way, but much of your progress is naked to the human eye.] M: [If you’re wanting more, I can give you more. But you have to figure out what you’re wanting exactly.>_>;] G: [Honestly, I don't know what I want.] G: [I guess I want to make my game.]

G: [It’s just so vivid in my head. I want to experience it.] M: [So like making it a reality?] M: [That’s easy enough! I can help you out with that no problem.]

Darkness. Silence. A solitude enveloped Grian. Time seemed to pass by slowly, but he wasn't sure how long he had been laying. It could have been for a few minutes, a few hours, days, and he wouldn't have known. A nostalgic warmth began to prickle at his skin. It laid across like a warm blanket, holding him close and secure. The warmth felt that of a distant memory, a hopeful future—the security of slowly falling asleep in your mother’s arms. Nostalgia for a time that never happened or maybe yet to be. Grian could drift in this feeling forever. It was overwhelming but all at the same time, and he couldn’t pull away. The only thing that kept him from his peaceful slumber was a distant sound. Grian’s brows twitching as the noise only grew louder. He grumbles, tossing and turning before he feels himself being prodded with a blunt object. “Hellooo? Are you dead?” An unfamiliar voice called out to him, echoing through the void. Groggily, Grian began to open his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He could have sworn someone poked him with a stick? Then, a wave of panic cascaded over him—vision staring into an empty, sparkling dark space. He quickly sat up, curling his knees in to protect himself. Was he floating on air? Grian looked around, gazing into the endless night sky. Thousands of twinkling stars gaze back at him. Where was he? He began to adjust himself, slowly standing on wobbling knees. Could he have been here in a dream? He begins to trudge through the space, inspecting each and every star, peering into them. When his gaze looked into them, it revealed visions of people talking to each other. None of them, nor this place, seemed too familiar to Grian. In some of the stars, people were making jokes and bursting with laughter, barely able to keep a breath. In others, people faced various trials and efforts, ultimately resulting in their demise. On closer inspection, Grian even seemed to be in a few of them. He winced and decided to keep moving. Then, the voice from earlier echoed again. “Hey! If you’re dead, can I keep your stuff? You look like you got some good loot on you!” He pauses. “...If you don't respond, that’s a ‘yes’, right?” One of the stars illuminated brightly as the voice called from inside of it. Hesitantly, Grian began to inch closer. His eyes squinted as he stared into the twinkling portal, grabbing it with his hands for closer inspection. The moment Grian touches the star, it stops glowing and becomes clearer. An opalescent crystal that shifted in hue, glittering in the light. The crystal held an image of a man and a few other people near him. They all looked seemingly familiar. Too familiar. On closer inspection looking at the man's features, Grian’s eyes grew wide. It was one of the characters he had initially planned for his game! He was rugged; He was handsome; He was egotistical and not to be underestimated; It was a character Grian never really got around fully-fledging out, but it was his favorite nonetheless. Grian figured most people would attach themselves to charismatic characters. At least he always did. The character only had a place holder name for the moment. “Hot guy”. Yet there he was, a fully fledged person staring right back at him, imperfections and all. He’s lived a whole life—he's a real person.

Grian’s heart was racing, and surely it was because of his dreams becoming a reality. With sudden assurance, Grian’s fingers curled into his palm, tightening his hold on the crystal before releasing it into the air. The motion seemed to be second nature to him. Grian didn’t even give it another moment for thought. It just felt right. Like this is what he was meant to do. As the gem raised, it twisted and glimmered. Each facet of the crystal shined with radiance, its glow growing more and more before it became a blinding light, making Grian wince. That once nostalgic warmth now burned into a blistering heat. Opening his eyes again, Grian was now on the ground and laying in a patch of grass. A cool breeze swept across his face, sifting through his short curly hair—wait, short? He lifted his hand and combed through his new hair cut. Grains brows creased. He desperately needed a mirror. Before Grian could get too caught into his thought, another familiar jab hit his side, making him yelp. He quickly snapped his head to the direction of the source, now staring up at the tall figure looming near him. Grian’s face tinted red in realization that the man was in fact shirtless. “Eep!” The rugged man quickly pulled away from the increasingly annoyed look the other was giving, dropping his stick in the process.

“What was that for?!” Grian snapped. The dark brunette put his hands up in protest. “I thought you were dead! I kept trying to wake you—”

“How did you think I was dead?! I was sitting UP!” “I thought you were a zombie!! I had to double check!!” The two quieted down, staring at each other in silence. Catching Grian’s puzzled expression, the brunette continued on. “Oh, come on, don't tell me you don't believe in zombies. I've had to deal with them. Trust me,” The man flattened his hands out for emphasis, “They show up at the darkest parts of night, and they stalk you down. They’re persistent predators…” The brunette's voice drifted off, realizing he may have been going off subject. “I didn’t want one tracking us to town!” For a moment, Grian wanted to argue. But from how much knowledge the other had, he really didn't want to take his chances. ‘Were zombies real here?’ And where was here exactly? “Alright, fine. Can you at least give me your name, shirtless?” Grian began to look him down. The brunette's hairy chest and stomach were covered in battle scars. Grian’s eyes widened, covering his face as he realized how much he was staring, “A-and can you cover up or.. something?” “The name’s Scar!” Scar's hand reached down and quickly clasped onto Grian’s, shaking it up and down. From the looks of it—feel to be exact—he doesn't seem to understand his own strength. Grian’s glasses nearly slid off his nose as the two shook hands. “Also, nope!” Scar quickly turned his heel, glossing over Grian’s plea, “The others were planning a meet-up in town in about an hour after everyone gathers their own supplies. I'm guessing I'll meet you there then, Birdie?” “Huh? ‘Birdie’..? At least my insult made sense.” “If that went over your head, I think you might need a mirror.” A sly smirk slipped on Scar's lips before slowly trekking off, sliding his hands in his front pockets, “See you later, friend!” Then, silence.

Grian was now alone in the woods, watching as others began to wander off in their own little cliques. It was exactly how he imagined these people would act. For a moment, all Grian could do was stare. Then, a wave of excitement washed over him. He was there, really there. He could experience every second of it. Grian couldn’t help but lay back down on the dirt and watch as the clouds passed by above. Funnily enough, staring at it too long made the clouds seem more pixelated, a faint reminder of the fact that this was still a game. Part of him wondered if he was in the game in his world, or maybe this was a different world entirely. Would people notice his absence? Many thoughts crossed his mind. If he didn’t know any better, Grian would have laid there for hours. Pushing himself from the ground, he began to make his way down the road leading into town. There was no time to sit still; by nightfall, there would supposedly be creatures walking around. Grian didn’t think too far ahead with exactly all the monster designs he had in mind. It would be a complete mystery as to what would show up. He had to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. Walking into the town, Grian watched as groups of people talked amongst each other. All of them were various types of hybrid-like creatures, he wasn't even sure if they were even human. He thinks that these people must be residents of the town, but on further inspection, he could see how barren it was. Rows of crops lined up in soil seemed barren, poorly tended to. Cobwebs and vines hung from door panes, and each glass he looked into had a thick layer of dirt staining it. It could have been months if not years since someone last was here. Using his sleeve he attempted to rub the stain from the glass, seeing a faint reflection of himself. Grian’s eyes widened, staring at the warped reflection. “Is that… me?” Grian’s voice softened. His hands caressed his own chin, reveling at the stubble he had. He looked completely like the character he created. Well, all except missing a few of the accessories. Seems like in the end he only got the wings he wanted. Grian thought there was an unfamiliar weight to him, but he hadn’t even gotten a glimpse of them until he reached a reflection. ‘Ah. So that's why you called me that.’ “Well hello there, birdie! Was starting to think you weren’t going to show up!” A familiar voice called to Grian, catching his attention. He pulled his view away from investigating an abandoned building. It was once again Scar, who was still shirtless. “Come on over! We were just about to start introducing ourselves to each other!" Scar said proudly with his hands on his hips, standing between a huddle of new people. The whole group was filled with mismatched characters: A unicorn hybrid, an imp, a raven, and Scar. Grian couldn’t quite put his finger on what he was exactly. Maybe he was a— “Look what the cat dragged in. A little bird?” The unicorn hummed. He had a beautiful, long white tail and curly, turquoise hair that sparkled. It partially flowed and covered one of his eyes. Compared to the others, the unicorn was completely put together. Scar quickly snapped his head, shooting a slight glare. “Hey! Just because I got stuck in that tree one time doesn’t mean I'm a cat!”

“Ohh, yes it does.” The Unicorn's voice was sly, ending a bit with a hum as Scar gasped and scoffed, “Name’s Scott by the by. And I'm assuming your name isn't actually ‘Birdie’ as much as this one likes to insist it is.” Scott passed a knowing look at Scar. Scott seemed as though he was used to the other’s antics.

“My name?” Grian straightened, preparing to introduce himself. Just as he began to speak, Grian found himself unable to. It's like his name had left his memory. He stood like a deer in headlights.

Scott raised a brow. “You do know your own name, right?”

“Well, of course I do! I just.. I think I'm a bit confused at the moment..” Grian began to put his thoughts together. It must have been the same name he made when he created the character.

What was it again? “Grian, my name's Grian.” He finalized, nodding his head as if to solidify the statement. He stood a bit uncomfortably as the others went back to bickering a bit back and forth. Everyone eventually began to introduce themselves—14 players in total.

Looking out into the forest beyond the town, Grian saw an unfamiliar creature with green fur. It was covered in leaves and vines, using it as camouflage. It had long spider-like legs and weird hooves that dug into the dirt. As it walked, it dragged various bits of foliage alongside it, each step shaking the leaves wrapping its body. It craned its head in a methodical movement, almost if it were searching for something.

Grian squints in an attempt to view the creature. He shuffled away from the crowd, sneaking close to the forest. Before he could get too close, Grian looked up to see that their eyes were now interlocked. He stood still for a moment before it slowly began to inch closer out of the brush.

Grian’s lips thinned. Something told him that this creature wasn’t passive. Quickly regretting his decision, he began to stumble back. Luckily for him, this thing didn’t seem to be running after him, more so creeping closer to him; Its eyes firmly tracking onto him.

Then, the smallest, faintest idea popped into Grian’s head. ‘This would be the perfect way to scare someone, wouldn't it?’

Looking around, Grian spotted his target and began to once again back away, slowly luring the creature ever closer, to an unsuspecting Scar. The creature began to increase in speed, it seemingly agitated from the chase. Grian’s steps too began to speed up, feeling slightly intimidated.

Quickly skipping behind Scar, he left the creature behind– and a trail of smoke.

Turning around, a loud explosion capsized over Scar and the creature, leaving nothing but ash, smoke, and a large hole in the ground. Grian’s eyes opened wide, the rest of the group gasping from the explosion.

“I didn’t mean-I mean—I didn't know it was going to explode!” Grian quickly protested, looking at the smoking hole.

“Welp, that's the first death!” Tango cackled, grabbing a few of the items strewn on the ground and pocketing them, “Man, you’re brutal!”

“I didn't mean for him to die!” Grian strained, covering his mouth with his palms, “Why are you being so calm about this?!” Turning around he was left face to face with Scar once again, making Grian yelp in surprise. “What—wait—how did you?!”

Scars eyes flickered with light, his once emerald earthy green eyes now a shimmering gold. Grian’s brows twinged.

“Aw man! Did any of my stuff explode?” Scar leaned over Grian, trying to get a better view of the explosion site.

Grian stammered, still trying to wrap his head around what just happened. He eventually gave up, taking a deep inhale and sighing. “Scar, I'm so sorry. I really didn’t know that it was going to blow up! I didn’t even know what that was!”

“I'm about as lost as you are! Never seen anything like that where I came from!” Scar tipped back his hat, scratching his head, “That was my first life though.. You know we only get three here, right?” It then suddenly clicked. Of course! It has video game rules! Scar simply respawned somewhere else. Everything had felt so realistic so far. It was really easy to forget the world Grian was in was in fact a game.

Grian turned back to the other. “Scar, I swear to you my first life,” Scar hummed in confusion, looking down to Grian with a raised brow.“It's only fair that after making you lose it, I pledge my allegiance to you.” Grian raised his hand, extending for the other to grab hold, “BUT. Only my first life. After that, our truce is over… Deal?”

A sly smirk pulled at the corners of Scar’s lips. “You got yourself a deal!” He clasped the other hand in his palm.

Their tracks landed at the edge of the forest and the two men stared at the desert from afar. The world was cascaded in an amber gold blanket, the sun just about to set from the horizon. The wind swept at their feet, bits of sand being swiped alongside their shoes. There was only one issue. “Scar, you said there was a house out here. Where is it?” “Huh? I said that?” Scar turned to Grian, raising a brow. A slight tinge of panic shot through the avian's body. Did he lead them here for nothing? “You must have misheard me! I said we’re going to build a house here.” Reaching into his bag, Scar grabbed two shovels and pulled them out (they seemed impossibly long for the bag). He then tossed a shovel over to Grian, which nearly slipped from his hands. Scar watched him expectantly. “Go on, help me out!” Scar nodded over to the other before leaning onto the handle of the shovel. “You want to build the house? It's practically almost sundown.” Grian looked over the horizon, watching as clouds passed by.

“Trust me, it's a lot easier than it looks! Just get some sand, craft it into sandstone, then build us a little fort.” Grabbing onto the handle he began to nestle it into the sand. His foot presses down on the shovel, scooping some of the sand into a little pile. As the grains fell down, it was as if they transformed into pixels, forming a perfect cube on the ground. Scar scooped the block into his hand, then showed it off to the other with a sly smirk. “See? Easy enough, right? Think you can manage?” Grian stared in awe for a moment before shaking his head, “Tch! Well, yeah! Of course you make it look easy.” He forced his shovel blade into the sand, the two now starting to collect materials. It wasn't long before they had collected the blocks and various materials. Scar had demonstrated to Grian that you can simply hit a tree hard enough, it would give wood. Using the planks they gathered, they created a crafting bench. Then, they began to build the fort. A hush fell over the world as the sun sank beyond the horizon. The night was cold and quiet, only things illuminating the desert were the stars and a few lanterns that Scar had placed. Scar leaned up tall, meticulously fiddling with one of the lantern chains. “These should keep the zombies away, at least from here.” Grian watches him use a flint and steel to light the flame inside. “Do they not like light?” Scar paused, his brows furrowing as he closed the lantern. “Well, for a while, I thought so… but I think it might actually be from the heat.” Scar huffed as he planted his feet back onto the ground, “They burn in daylight, and they also try to stay away from lava. It's like part of them still knows that it's dangerous.” His lips thinned out a bit before clicking his tongue. “At least that's what I'm guessing. I don't know much about the other monsters.” Grian adjusted his shawl, then began to play with the hem for a bit. It was starting to become unbearably cold. He wondered how—still shirtless—Scar was even managing to stay outside.

“You seem to know a lot. You some sort of zombie expert or something?” “Nah. In my old world, it was just filled with them! Didn’t have to really worry about spiders or skeletons or... other weird things.” Scar gave a knowing look. Grian gives a sheepish smile in return. “Never seen anything like that before. Have you?” Grian quickly shook his head. “Swear to god, I had no clue what that was! I wanted a better look at it.” His brows furrowed, recalling its spider like limbs. “It was just like… creeping around. Stalking us.” A small hum left Scar’s lips, “Wonder if we could give it a name...” “You named our llama Pizza. I think you’re done naming things for today.” Grian turned his heels, stepping inside the fort. “Oh, come on, I think we could name it something cool!” Scar called out, throwing his arms out, only to receive no reply, “I’ve got tons of good names. No one appreciates ‘em...” He shoved his hands into his pockets, huddling himself from the cold. Walking into the fort, Scar could barely keep his composure anymore. His teeth chattered from how freezing it had gotten. “Jeez, who knew deserts got so cold.” Scar mumbled to himself, rubbing his forearms. “You didn't learn that in school?” Grian was rummaging through a chest, gathering a few crafting supplies. He had just enough materials for a single bed, though he had been hopeful they gathered enough string for an extra one. He grumbled slightly to himself.

“Uh… ‘School’?”

Grian perked up from the chest, eyebrows furrowing from the response. He hesitated, “Oh, uh. I guess you wouldn’t know what that would be.” He stood up, “Hm... Well, I don't really have the time to explain why the desert does all of that.” Dusting himself off, he tossed one of the beds on the ground haphazardly.

“Woah, wait—only one bed?!” Scar frowned, turning and opening the chest Grian had just searched in, “Where's all the wool?”

Grian rolled his eyes. “Well, there was only so much I could do during sundown. It's like all the animals flee during the night!” Grian peeked through one of the windows, looking over at the edge of the forest, “I could only get a few sheep, and I strung some string together into wool...” He trailed off. If Scar really was going to complain about it, Grian guessed there would be no issue sleeping on the ground tonight. He would just really need to find a way to insulate himself.

“Well, if it's this cold, I guess it's a good thing we have one bed! I can use you like a warm water bottle.” Scar simply put.

Grian’s head snapped to him, flinching at Scar already standing right behind him. Grian’s heart was now pounding. Did Scar even know how that sounded? Was that intentional? He whips his head back to the window.

“I… uh...”

Scar looked down at him, smiling. “Well, it's pretty late. I'll be in bed if you need me!”

Scar quickly hopped into the small bed that sat in the corner of the room. On the wall beside the bed was a shelf carved out of the sandstone in the wall with a lantern sitting on top of it. He then leaned over, opened the lantern and took a deep breath before it extinguished the flame. Scar rolled over on the side of the bed, nuzzling into the blankets to stay warm. All that was left was Grian, the night sky, and twinkling stars stretched out before him. Grian knew the night would only get colder. It probably was a good idea to huddle to Scar for warmth. The only problem was this would be the first time sleeping next to another person.

Grian hesitated, shuffling on the ground to get closer to the bed.

Would this be awkward? Does this imply anything between them?

Hell, Scar is half naked! Grian’s nose scrunched. It's not that he didn’t want to sleep next to Scar, in fact the idea was making his heart quicken. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure why he was so nervous to do it in the first place. They’re just huddling for warmth is all. There was nothing to make a fuss over. Surely. (At least that’s what Grian kept repeating to himself.)

Carefully, Grian managed to pry himself from the cold floor. He took off his shawl and laid it across Scar, hoping to give him at least something to work with. All that was covering Scar at this point was some of his clothes and a thin blanket they managed to pull together.

Then, Grian slowly slid himself under the covers. He tensed. He really didn’t want to make this more awkward than it already was. Scar grumbled slightly before turning over.

“Oh! Finally, you made it. I'm freezing over here.” Scar’s voice was hushed in a whisper. Grian’s lips thinned into a straight line, he could feel his face heating up. Scar’s skin was freezing to the touch, which made Grian pull away slightly.

“Scar,” Grian scolded, “Go to bed.” That's all he could manage to muster up, quickly turning his face away. Scar grumbled slightly, tugging on the blanket and making sure it covered the both of them. Scar tucked it underneath Grian and between them.

“Alright! Alright, I'm getting there. Yeesh.” Scar smiled softly, snuggling closer into Grian. The two quieted and stilled.

After a while, Scar’s breaths slowly became louder and deeper, eventually turning into soft snores. Grian sighed in relief, now laying beside him in quiet. Besides all the anxiety and awkwardness, this was nice. He never heard the world be so quiet. It felt like there was nothing in it but the two of them. Maybe he could get used to this.

Eventually, Grian began to relax in the man’s arms, shuffling a bit to get comfortable. Scar’s embrace was so warm, so welcoming. Grian couldn’t help but slowly drift off, deeper and deeper into sleep.

“You can kill me.” “What? No!” Grian stammered, his hand clenching tightly onto the handle of his blade. Scar lowered his head, keeping their eyes locked onto each other. “For everything you’ve done to keep me alive this long, you may slay me and keep the enchanter.” “No. I can’t. I literally can’t.” Grian stood waist deep in the wadding water. His hand clenched tighter onto the handle, hands now beginning to shake. Grian had already gathered the courage to continue his attack on Scar. He had to push aside his feelings and pursue victory—yet now that Grian stood with Scar at his knees, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Who would willingly let someone kill them?“I get it. They’re wanting a show, right?” Scar trudged himself out of the pond and reached his hand out for Grian to grab hold, pulling him out. Grian’s brows pinch in confusion.

“Alright then,” Scar huffed, placing his hands on his hips as he stared out beyond the forest, “We have a fair fight. No armor. Just fists—right back at home. Last one wins. How does that sound?” Scar passed a glance over to Grian. A bit of silence passed before Grian swallowed. “Sounds fair.”. It was a long, silent walk back to the desert. Grian followed behind Scar, shoving his hands underneath his arms. Grian realistically knew this was bound to happen, it was a death game afterall. He thought he had finally come to terms with the fact that one of them would die eventually. He just didn’t think it would have been up to him to decide. Trekking up the sand dune, they began to form a circle with cacti blocks to make a makeshift boxing ring. Scar used his flint and steel to close off the circle and encasing them inside, not before gloating and throwing a few of the other teams treasured items into the flame. He hoisted one of their flags up high before swooping it into the flame and tossing it aside. “Well.. are you ready?” Scar reluctantly turned to the other, readying his fists.

Grian’s lips pulled into a small smile. “As I'll ever be.” Scars brows furrowed, focused on keeping his composure. His heels dug into the sand, but wavered until, eventually, he walked forward. He stands face to face with Grian. Using one of his hands, he shoved the avian. Grian stumbled back. He scoffed, confused. “What was that?”

“What?” “Was that your attempt at a hit?” Grian cocked his head. He already knew how Scar attacked. He was definitely holding back, he thought.“Wh- I barely even seen you try to make a move! At least I did something! You’re not even trying to hit me!” Scar got closer. “...Are you egging me on?” “...Is it working?” Scar turned his cheek to him. Inviting.Grian’s nose scrunched as he stifled a laugh. Reeling back one of his fists, he pushes his courage into punching Scar straight on the jaw, forcing him on the sand. Grian wavered, almost immediately regretting his decision. He opened his mouth, but Scar chuckled softly as he massaged the impacted side of his face. “Wow, you pack a punch!” Scar shook his head to try and shake off the pain. Grian stood for a moment, before his lips curled into a smile. The wavering battle continued, the two surrounded by an admixture of laughter and grunts of pain from each punch thrown, leading to them falling to the ground. From the start, Grian felt himself laugh from it all. The thrill of each landed hit and each time he had to tense a muscle to lessen the impact of Scar's fists.

The fight for survival was human and personal. Even in a world he had made—with each person created with personalities and reasons to fight—Grian himself still couldn't understand why Scar would willingly give up for him.

Grian’s laughter subsided into sobs. Each breath he took felt like hell, lungs burning. God knows what kind of internal organ damage he was enduring. Grian hissed as he sucked through his teeth. Opening his eyes, he could only stare in horror as Scar's body had finally stilled. Grian’s breath now trembled, mouth shakily taking in shallow breaths before finally letting everything out. He screamed out to the now empty world that he inhabited. All that returned to him was his very own echo. Grian slammed his fist into the ground in frustration, a crimson color imprinting onto the sand. There he sat—shaking, taking heavy inhales. He carefully dug his fingers under the sand, grasping onto Scar’s lifeless body and gently hoisting him off the ground. Grian began to cradle him, gently resting Scar’s head on his very own chest.

“Scar..” He finally managed to choke out, sobbing between breaths. Tears rolled down his cheeks, softly dribbling and landing on the corpse. Just like that, the only person who truly cared about him was gone. The landscape began to dim, the effervescent lights on the horizon suddenly shutting off. It eventually reaches him, surrounding him in void.

For a moment, Grian thought he recognized the space. It felt similar to the area he was in before the game had started. Thousands of glimmering stars flickered in the distance. They seemed smaller than before. He looked upon the world that now laid empty and dark. The once oppressively bright desert landscape now was an empty void with no end. Grian’s brows creased, his eyes widening as he stared into the nothingness. His grip tightened on Scar, scared he too would disappear alongside the world around him. POP. Grian flinched from the sudden crack through the air, it echoing slightly. Looking up he could see tiny bits of confetti paper twirling through the air, gently landing beside him amongst some streamers and sparkles. All Grian could do was stare in horror at the sight, the curly paper staining a bright red from the puddles on the ground. A cacophony of laughter and roaring applause began to fill the space and a single spotlight flashed directly onto Grian. “What's-What's happening..?” A tall figure began to emerge through the shadow. Beautiful golden wings covering its head, hips, and legs. Looking up at it, it seemed to bear a bird-like mask to the front of their face. A long purple robe draped around its shoulders, the cloth shimmered and shifted in hue. It cocked its head to the side. Beside the giant, another smaller creature stood with a lion-like tail. The smaller one seemed meek in comparison to this giant. It held its hands together, its head low–not daring to make eye contact with Grian. It almost seemed a bit guilty. “Congratulations, Midas. You won,” The giant’s voice was layered like a symphony. It began to crane its neck, hovering over the man. The creature's eyes were pinpoint and sharp, dilating as it got closer. It inspected him for a moment. “You won yet you look so grim. Why is that?” Grian tenses. “I…” He swallowed the lump in his throat, hoarse from the screaming he endured. “I didn’t want this! Why didn’t you do anything!? Why didn't you stop this! I-” Grian’s breath hitched as he tried to catch himself, desperately trying not to sob again, “I wanted the both of us to win!” The giant’s stare was unfaltering, its eyes locked right onto each and every one of Grian’s movements. Outstretching one of its wings, the God wrapped it around the other and held him close. “Oh, Midas..” It slowly extends its hand, gently placing its forefinger and thumb under Grian’s chin, tilting his head to look at its eyes, “It's your game, is it not?” Using its other hand, it wiped some of the blood still staining his face. Grian’s stomach dropped. All he could do was stare at the godly figure standing before him. He dared not make a sound. “You wanted this. This story was yours to tell, and it was told wonderfully. You should be proud.” Another thunderous applause erupted from the shadows, making Grian’s head snap back towards the void. Looking out to the stars, they stared right back at him. “This—This is sick.” Grian finally managed to spit out, his voice heavy with scorn. “You KNEW what I wanted! I wanted a game for people to enjoy, a place where I could belong—A body that felt right..” His voice began to crack, baring his teeth, barely able to hold himself together.

“And you got everything you wanted and more.” “You forced me to kill the one person I loved! You forced me into this body—You took EVERYTHING!” Finally he couldn’t hold it back anymore, curling into Scar and sobbing into his still chest. God, how he wished he could feel his warmth one last time. Grian hoped Scar would forgive him for the mess he became. Scar would have wanted him to enjoy this, but he couldn’t help but feel nothing but remorse. The figure began to stand slowly, towering in height more than before. “This world was of your own making–by your own two hands." Reaching into its pocket, its claws held a crystal in between its forefinger and thumb. It tossed the gem, the sparkling object rolling in front of the sobbing man. Watching it, it began to replay Scar’s voice. “Hellooo? Are you dead?”

Grian’s stomach churned. In the gem, Grian saw himself laying on the ground and Scar inspecting him with a stick in his hand. It was exactly what happened a couple of days ago, but from a different perspective. He was watching everything now from start to finish. Hesitantly, adjusting Scar in his hold, Grian leaned forward and grabbed it. He squeezed his hand around the crystal, knuckles almost turning white. “You have some sick twisted sense of humor.” Grian’s hoarse voice growled. He stifled a sob. “I don't want to win anymore.. I just want him back.” Sitting in silence, he looked out to the void. His view trailed back down, landing on the gem. A simple thought crossed his mind. Could he find a world that could bring Scar back?

Grian turned to the creatures, opening his mouth about to say something—but they were gone. No trace left behind. With heavy breaths, Grian tried to calm himself. Slowly, he managed to lift off the ground, still holding Scar tight. “No matter how long it takes, Scar, I’ll bring us to a better world. You have my word, okay?” Grian looked down at the other, forcing a small smile. Grian then began his long journey, trekking through the long landscape of sand. In the world he inhabited, there was a definite and discernible end—but here, the desert seemed infinite. It could have been hours before Grian had begun to finally make way towards the stars. Grian took his time to inspect each one carefully, but it just seemed hopeless. Each vision seemed more bleak than the last. Worlds where he would betray Scar and kill him, and they seemed never ending. He finally collapsed in exhaustion, gently laying the other in the sand. “I just want a world where we can't die,” He stifled a laugh. The concept sounded completely insane and impossible to even himself. He crumpled on the ground, leaning on his knees. “Where we could live together, just doing normal things. Without worrying about a game.” Grian looked out to the stars, realizing now he was speaking to no one once again. He continued on begrudgingly, a feeble attempt to negotiate to the twinkling gems before him. “I just want to be with him again.” Looking back down, the ground was empty before him. Scar was now truly gone. Grian was alone and there was nothing. He slowly lifts his head up as a bright light cascaded down on him. A gem began to glow, floating itself over in front of him. It twirled and spun as it made its way. Grian hesitantly extended his palm, letting the gem land in his hand. Looking into the crystal, it revealed a group of people having a meeting in a field. The people were lively, all enjoying each other's company. They were all telling each other stories, telling jokes and laughing. God, it had been so long since Grian heard laughter.

His eyes opened wide as his view landed on a familiar figure amongst them.

Scar. For a moment Grian just sat, watching the gem in the palm of his hands. He barely had the strength to keep walking, but seeing this glimpse into a world gave him hope. Maybe with this world he and Scar would be given a second chance. Grian found himself laughing alongside this new unfamiliar group of people, watching as they started to pull a few pranks on one another, before a small fight broke out. Grian watched on the edge of his seat as one of the members poofed away. He quickly tossed the gem back down on the ground. He just can't go through that again. He would have to go back to searching, he would find another world for them to live in. Yet he lingered for a moment, watching as none of the others seemed worried about the sudden death. Then, with a puff of smoke they quickly reappeared, the person is grabbing their own spilled items on the ground. Grains brows twinged, watching intently. Was this a world where death wasn't permanent?

His heart began to race. This, it was exactly what Grian was looking for. A place where he and Scar didn't need to worry about death, they could spend the rest of their lives together. They could spend the rest of their energy creating a world with their own bare hands rather than fighting. Using the last bit of his energy, Grian grabbed hold of the gem clenching it in his fists. He tossed it high into the air and watched as it spun. A bright white light enveloped the whole room. Opening his eyes, he was left on a small island. The breeze left a hint of salt in the air, and looking into the horizon, there was no end—whereas the world he and Scar were in seemed small and confined. The sea was vast, a deep azure hue. Watching the waves wash upon the shore, he too felt his fear wash away. This truly did feel right. On wobbly legs, he managed to pry himself from the soft grass, turning to the semi-familiar group of people. A few of them stood awkwardly to the side, watching as Grian managed to stumble his way into the group. They all seemed familiar with each other, which made Grian stand out more. There in betwixt two people stood Scar, lively as ever. He stood with an adventure cap, and an Indiana Jones-like jacket. He looked exactly the same, as if they just met. Well, besides a few features. Scar now had some additional stitching across his face, as if somebody attempted to put him back together. Grian felt his heart swell, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Stumbling into Scar’s arms, Grian held him tightly. The two stood for a moment, Scar’s eyes opening wide as he looked down at the other.

“Well, hello there! Uh..” Scar swallowed, hesitantly moving his hand and patting the top of the other's head. “Scar, you don't know how happy I am to see you.” Grian rested his head onto the other's chest, feeling as it lowered and raised. Grian was glad he would never have to worry about never feeling the sensation again. Scar began to tense. “Well, I'm glad to see you too, stranger!” Scar shuffled a bit uncomfortably in the other's grip. “...Stranger?” Grian’s voice lowered. “Sorry, have we, uh.. met before? Wait, don't tell me.” Scar managed to slip out of Grian’s hands, standing back as he took a look at his figure, “Hmm.. I feel like I would have remembered someone as striking as you.” Scar placed his hand underneath his own chin, turning his head as he examined Grian. Watching Grian’s expression shift, Scar stammered, “B-but I mean it in a good way! I mean like… You look cool!” Scar forced a smile, trying to save his comment. Grian opened his mouth as if to say something before ultimately closing it. He hesitantly hugs himself. “I.. guess I must have mistaken you for someone else.” Grian said quietly, “...You look very similar.” He couldn’t even meet Scar’s eyes anymore, eyes firmly planted at his shoes. It wasn’t long before others had come by and said their introductions. They were familiar, but different; These people looked and seemed like them, but none of them had the memories Grian had. It was like Grian never existed to them. Maybe these people were different ones entirely? They all seemed so sweet and welcoming, but there was a deep resentment stuck in the pit of Grian’s stomach. As kind as this Scar was, this wasn’t his Scar. This wasn't the Scar he pled allegiance to. This wasn’t the Scar he huddled close to for warmth in the cold desert, and he wasn’t the one he fell in love with. The one he never truly got to admit it to. The Scar he knew was dead and gone.

#flashback chapter

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#flashback chapter