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Mumbo and Grian lie on the roof of Mumbo's base, watching the stars. They don’t often make time for this, but whenever they do, it seems to invite deep conversations. So when Grian turns to him with that familiar, pensive look, Mumbo isn’t surprised.
“Mumbo?” Grian begins, a bit hesitant.
Mumbo meets his gaze and offers a reassuring smile. “Yeah?”
“I think I’m ready to tell you what really happened on EVO.” His words hang in the air, making time feel as if it’s come to a standstill. The tension in Grian's voice is unmistakable, and Mumbo can tell he’s been wrestling with this for a long time.
Mumbo thinks back to when he first saw Grian in the sixth season of Hermitcraft. He remembers the way the sky seemed to part, allowing this battered, winged figure to fall. Grian had been barely conscious, whispering his name in a way that still haunts Mumbo. “Are you sure?” he asks, not wanting to push.
“I’m not sure,” Grian admits, his gaze returning to the stars. “But I feel like it’s time. And I know you’ve got questions.”
Mumbo nods. Of course he does—Grian vanished for three years without explanation, and when he came back, he was broken, bruised, and unrecognizable. Mumbo takes a deep breath. “I do, but... I can’t imagine how hard it was for you.”
Grian looks down, his voice quiet. “You were there for me, even when I was at my worst. You stood by me without knowing why I left.”
“I was just glad you were alive,” Mumbo says, the memory of Grian’s haunted expression clear in his mind. “Always glad to have you back.”
Grian hesitates, then says, “Do you remember the last message I sent?”
Mumbo looks at the stars, recalling it perfectly. “You said you were finally going to the End.”
“Yeah,” Grian whispers, his voice thick. “And we did. But what we found there… it was nothing we could have prepared for. They left clues, led us right to them, but never warned us of the cost.” He swallows hard, voice trembling. “They promised my friends would survive if I went with them.”
Mumbo’s heart aches as he begins to grasp the weight of Grian’s sacrifice. He doesn’t know who these mysterious beings are, but he fears the worst. “And… they didn’t keep their promise?”
Grian’s gaze turns dark. “No. After everything—the torture, the ‘teachings’—I was changed, Mumbo. I’m not a Player anymore. It’s why Xisuma struggled so much with my code when I joined. I started seeing…worlds. The past, present, future. Sometimes, I’d get lost in it. And one night, I had a nightmare—a vision, maybe—of EVO. I saw my friends…and they hadn’t survived.”
The weight of it all settles heavily between them. Mumbo reaches for Grian’s hand, grounding them both in the quiet comfort of each other’s presence.
“Somehow, I just knew it was real.” Grian’s voice drops. “So, I left. Escaped, really. I remembered you once told me Hermitcraft was the safest server, so…” He trails off, his gaze distant.
Mumbo nods slowly. “I'm sorry, Grian. That's horrible.” They sit in silence for a moment, still holding hands, the weight of their shared history heavy in the air. A question buzzes under Mumbo’s skin, compelling him to break the quiet. “Who were they? The people that took you?”
The reaction is immediate. Grian closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, attempting to calm his tense body. “Watchers.”
“Watchers,” Mumbo echoes, a shiver running down his spine. He’s heard of them—mythical beings, almost gods, known for manipulating worlds as if they were mere playthings. “So, when you say they changed your code…?”
Grian exhales slowly, the sound tinged with frustration. “They made me a Watcher too.”
Mumbo's heart sinks, realisation hitting him like a wave. “You’re saying you’re…one of them now?”
“Yes,” Grian admits, his voice a mere whisper. “But it’s not as glamorous as it sounds. I don’t have control over it. I see things I wish I didn’t—future events, potential realities. Sometimes I even…feel the weight of every choice that’s ever been made.”
“That sounds - overwhelming,” Mumbo says, concern etching his features. “How can you bear it?”
Grian shrugs, his expression distant. “I didn’t have a choice. They didn’t ask for my consent. They just…changed me. I’m still trying to understand what that means for me, for us.”
Mumbo squeezes Grian’s hand tighter, a gesture of reassurance. “We’ll figure it out together. You’re still Grian. Whatever powers they gave you, they can’t take away who you are.”
Grian glances at him, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. “Thanks, Mumbo. That means more than you know.”
As they lie back on the rooftop, stars twinkling overhead, the moment is fragile yet significant. The bond between them deepens in the shared vulnerability, and for the first time in a long time, Grian feels a glimmer of hope.