Chapter Text
His own thoughts quieted, or were drowned out, by the barrage of information in his head.
D3rlord looked back at the screen and the thoughts that were not his own went silent. After confirming that he cannot look away from the screen, two new pieces of information stood out.
First, he did not seem to hear anything about the future, instead, he learned about many different paths this world could take, without one definitive answer.
And second, this isn't real.
At least somewhat. It's a story someone came up with. D3rlord doesn't get to know much more than that. Turns out, the "infinite knowledge" thing only works in this world. He doesn't get to know why, who, how, but he can know what. Because the information of how this story goes applies to this world. It should be one of the many roads, he'd just have to look for it.
But does he want to?
It would be painful, sure, to let the other thoughts speak again, but does he even want to know?
If he knew, could he change the ending, whatever it may be? Could he make sure that Avery gets out safe?
Or could he only watch the story play out as he knew it would, forced to play his part?
He starts recording again, typing to anyone who might watch. He supposes that it could be a consequence of being in a story. It makes sense to know the character's thoughts, after all.
-
D3rlord goes through the unnatural worlds, continuing being the only thing he can do, eventually meeting Avery, the person he knows so much about, that doesn't know anything about him.
It's nice not being alone, and he hesitates before killing Avery, but he knows he has to.
-
As he walks around the red dimension, he considers looking away, but he never does, too scared of the pain. Eventually, he finds the exit gate. He tries getting through the door any way he can, but to no avail.
Through the desperation he decides to let the other thoughts in again. He needs to know how the story goes, how to save Avery. and how to get through this door.
He focuses on those ideas as he turns away from the computer for a brief moment.
The searing pain makes his head instinctively snap back to the monitor, but he learned all he needed to, and more.
The answers: he does, and he doesn't.
He saves Avery, that's how the story goes. Even if D3rlord doesn't change anything, Avery will be safe. He doesn't like having to trick him, and killing him again to do it, though.
And for the immediate matter, he won't get through the door, instead using a boat to glitch through the floor.
It's obvious, now, that the minecraft world appearing on his computer was there to start this story, and it will end with him forcing the King to merge with him. It's weird, he knew he couldn't live with the infinite knowledge, but knowing for sure that he will die still scares him.
For now, he plays his part and falls into the brilliant blue and purple void.
-
Once he's through the gate, he turns to the grand door, finally at the end of the hall, before turning and going forward, through the smaller door, like he's meant to.
He wanders around the village he had visited once before, despite knowing he'll end up at that buried barrel, uncovered by the glass terrain.
He reads through the book, wondering how the writer's story went. The King is still here, without a vessel, so they did not succeed, but where did they go?
D3rlord knows that he could know, but he doesn't want to experience that pain again for mere curiosity.
He copies the chant, pasting it into chat and removing the excess spacing, then heads back out into the hallway. He waits on the bridge for Avery, knowing how this conversation should go. Seeing the other's character walk out of a door, he types.
"Avery."
His character stopped, "D3rlord??"
"Avery listen."
"Are you okay what happened?"
"I'm okay."
"What happened I just- I like blacked out and woke up in front of the gates again."
"Back in your world?"
"Yeah, back in my world."
"Okay listen. I need you to hurry, we don't have a lot of time. You remember the library?"
"Yeah, where I found you."
"Right. Further in, there's a pile of gold blocks. You need to get those and use them to cover up as many doors as you can, like the book said."
"Okay. I'll try."
"I'm counting on you."
"I won't let you down D3rlord."
"Derek is good too."
"Got it, see you soon. Just stay there," Avery runs into the door, heading for the library.
Based on the bridge he was on, it should take him longer to get to the library than he would've to the tree, and the unfamiliar terrain should only delay him further. Derek can only hope it's long enough for him to end this.
Going through the door, he looks back briefly before heading in the direction that leads to the castle. He looks around at the terrain, eventually seeing the grand castle come into view, and the few village houses around it.
He looks up at the castle only briefly, wanting to finish this before Avery gets here.
He wanders through the big, empty halls of the castle. He goes into F5 to look at the symbol on the platform, the same one as the church had. He walks up and stands in the middle, on the dot and looking around.
The black blocks appear, surrounding him. He looks around calmly, waiting for the eye to appear. It's interesting to see how the entity manifests itself with the limitation of minecraft.
The darkness fades slightly, revealing many more eyes, focused on D3rlord. He looks around at them, and down below the platform. The black blocks that created the illusion of the void have now turned into the real thing. He turns his attention to the area clear of any eyes, waiting as the large one moves towards him.
The king speaks to him, "You've returned. But your return is too late."
"Why Avery?"
"Silence. In mere hours, I will be ready to fuse with the vessel."
D3rlord repeats himself, "Why Avery?"
"You speak." The king replies, seemingly annoyed.
He continues anyway, "Why is Avery the vessel? Why him?"
"It is time that you exit. Your stay in this domain is over."
"The doors are closed. You'll never reach Avery. Your plan failed, he's gone. I sent him away and he won't come back."
"Fool. How pitiful to see someone so smart reduced to so little. Do you truly believe I would leave the instructions to my ruin in my own domain? The doors are meaningless. There is no power in closing them. I had you find that book. I fabricated that truth. I gave you false hope. I'm surprised you even returned. There must be a hole somewhere."
D3rlord holds his breath from that last sentence, but the King continues unaware, "But no matter, your return is in vain. In minutes, when my form has finished constructing, I will bring the vessel here and we will combine. It will recite the spell, and the gates to the physical world will finally be open, and I will rule what is mine."
D3rlord opens the chat, ready to send the spell. "You, however, will not be lucky enough to experience it. I will dispose of you painlessly, as a thank you for bringing the vessel to me. Now per-"
He sends the message, and though the message doesn't appear in the chat box, his screen distorts.
The King reacts, the voice distorting slightly, "What? You invoke this spell? Why? How?"
"Come again?" D3rlord taunts.
It gets even more distorted, "Silence.. -can't be.. how do you even know that spell? Why would you invoke it? The mind must be clean."
The blocks comprising the eye disappear slowly, seemingly cracking it apart.
"Why? You are ruining yourself."
"Your universe is looking a little unstable."
"Silence. You fool, Don't you realize you're destroying your own mind, too? You'll cease to exist if we merge. There will be nothing left of you. Cancel the spell. Speak!"
"Now you want me to talk?"
"Release the spell, repeat-" The King gets cut off as the screen distorts again.
"I don't think I will."
D3rlord ignores the King as it pleads with him to undo the spell. As he types a goodbye to it, the eye disintegrates fully.
He looks around, holding his breath. After thirty seconds, he relaxes. Avery isn't here. D3rlord delayed him enough, and the King does not have the strength to hold on long enough to wait for him.
But he knows that he has one last thing to do for the story, so Derek creates a public folder in his drive, ending his recording before putting it in. He keeps minecraft open in the background, to keep the pain at bay. He makes a doc in the same folder, typing out his letter. He knows Avery will find it.
He'd at least like to be comfortable if he's going to die, so he turns his monitor to face his bed, for once glad that his small apartment forced him to keep his computer in his bedroom, and lay down. He's exhausted, and somehow manages to fall asleep.