Our Darkest Hours

IX

[Grian]

I was sitting alone on the couch. Taurtis and Techno had gone outside to give me a moment to spend alone in my childhood home. This place meant the world to me. All the memories I had here meant so much to me.

The place looked the same, but it didn't feel the same. Now it smelt weird and dirty. It no longer smelt like different foods or flowers. It made me sad. I just wanted to wake up and realize that this all had been just a terrible nightmare, but I knew there was no way to wake up if I wasn't asleep.

I bit my lip and glanced around once more. I was no longer a child. I was now all grown up and my childhood was far behind. I had to just learn to continue, to walk forward, to keep my head up. I had to stop crying. I didn't know how I hadn't ran out of tears yet.

I stood up. I had to leave. I had already seen everything. There was no time for crying anymore. My tears were running dry. Now was a time to turn around and walk out. I had to go. So I left.

I stepped outside and saw Techno and Taurtis there. They were quietly talking about something, but went quit as they saw me approaching them.

"Grian," Taurtis called out and walked to me. He wrapped his arms around me and embraced me into his warm hug.

"How are you feeling?" Techno came to hug me as I separated from Taurtis. I knew they were both worried about me and my health.

"I'm doing better. I guess this silence just started tearing me apart. I'm so used to having our siblings around me to make me feel like home. But I'm fine now. Of course I can't ever forget our mom, but I have to keep moving on," I explained. I smiled sadly, but warmly. I knew my mother wouldn't leave me even if she was actually dead.

"I'm so proud of you, Grian!" Taurtis gave me a warm smile. I knew he and Techno cared about me.

"We're both proud of you," Techno corrected. "You're our older brother and we honestly don't deserve your love and kindness! You're strong and you shouldn't be ashamed of it! You show everyone that you're stronger by letting yourself to move on. You didn't get stuck in the past and kept moving on," He spoke with a smile on his lips. This was the side of Technoblade that he didn't really show everyone else apart from me and Taurtis, and our mother.

"Thanks, Techno, Taurtis! You two really mean the world to me!" I bit my lip so I wouldn't cry. I honestly didn't know where I would be without my brothers.

"Let's go back home, shall we?" Taurtis asked. He wore a smile and offered his hand to me. That made Techno chuckle and he too began offering his hand for me. I looked at both of them before giving them the biggest possible smile. Obviously I took their hands and began following them towards the Nahakra Village. We were going back home.

I looked behind me and smiled. I was going to miss this place. It was my childhood after all, but as I had said, I had to keep moving on!

[No one]

Grian walked through the Boatem Village to his house. He kept looking around him to see what had happened while he was gone. He even used this new path that had appeared when he had been gone.

It was currently midnight and the sun had set just an hour before. Three more hours before the sun would rise again and brighten up the world. He really wanted to see the sunrise, but he didn't want to be awake at 3 am because he was pretty tired after all the traveling.

He walked through the Boatem Village and examined the place with his senses. Under his sneakers he felt the grass that was touching his ankles through his socks as he walked. The cold night wind was blowing through the village. It played with his hair and clothes. It felt cold, but comfortable as it touched his bare hands and face.