Who Lies in the End?

Ch 33: 3 "I don't want you to be used to it."

art by: zayvii

As the evening progressed, the group became rowdier, yet the room became cozier. Empty dishes had been pushed off to the sides of the den on the workbenches and blankets had been strewn about on the floor. Ranboo, Fundy, Tubbo, and Karl joined Bad on the floor, leaving Sapnap a couch, Sam an armchair, George a loveseat, and Dream a couch.

Their chatter was loose and loud, filled with many laughs and plenty of bickering. As Dream took a second to listen, he could count four different conversations at once. Occasionally, a conversation would merge with another before fractioning off into smaller ones once again. There was a moment when he counted six conversations at once.

His attention was pulled towards Fundy, as the fox-kin called his name, "So Dream, there is something I've been dying to know."

The others currently invested in this concession were Tubbo and Sam, who looked patiently towards Dream. He nodded his head, signally Fundy had his attention.

A wide grin slit Fundy's face as his eyes lit up with curiosity, "Have you actually been to the End?"

The question drew Karl and Sapnap's attention, and their conversation came to a halt. Grey eyes flickered across those awaiting his response, while Dream's mouth presses into a thin line. His jaw turned tense as he mulled the question over in his mind. It was a seemingly simple question with a fairly... intriguing answer.

Dream forced a smile as he leaned back against the couch, "Why are you so interested?" he fought to keep his tone even.

Fundy looked towards the ceiling and began gesturing his hands in thought, "I've just heard some stories down the grapevine, and would love to get the answer from the man himself."

"I'm quite curios too," Tubbo added with a nod, "I wouldn't put it past your skills, but no one even knows how to get there. So how would you have?"

Dream took a second to mull over his options, but Sam bought him more time by chiming in, "Then again, it's possible that you found this information in your own travels and kept it to yourself. You're a risky man, and have gone to many off-limit locations that are deemed too dangerous," his eyes narrow in what was supposed to be anger, but Dream could see the hint of amusement.

"You'd be surprised the number of things you can learn by running into the unknown," Dream tilted his head as memories of countless adventures gave him a wistful tone, "Plus the rush is amazing."

"Is that the reason you do so many dangerous things? For the rush?" Karl asked.

Dream lulled his head back as he hummed in thought, "For the most part. The adrenaline coursing through my body, my nerves on end, the satisfaction when I succeed-- all of that is worth more than what's actually on the other side."

The remaining side conversation finally came to a close, allowing Ranboo to join the questioning, "And you're not afraid you could die through any of this? All it takes is one trip, one cave-in, one creeper explosion, and you'll be a corpse lost to the world."

"Wow, Ranboo, way to make the mood grim," Tubbo narrowed his eyes playfully as he patted his friend's shoulder.

"What? It's a genuine question," Ranboo bated away Tubbo's hand before awaiting Dream's response.

Dream closed his eyes as he pondered the multiple near run in's with mortality he had. Cave spiders, misjudged jumps, hunger, cave in's, trapped chests, lava, anything that had the ability to end his life had nearly done him in at least once. So many times he had come close to death -stared the endless void in the face, only to reach his hand out willingly. He always reached towards it, because it was that void that held his answer. It was that void that kept him locked in perpetual prison. It was just a damn shame that it never reached back for him.