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Chapter Eleven

"All right, done!" King shouted. "If this does not bring us to the Ender, then nothing will."

"It better," Chosen shouted, punching a zombie in the face with a flaming hand. It fazed into a glowing red dust.

"Is there supposed to be this many mobs here?" The Lord asked.

"Not usually, no," I said. "But come on. We better go before they kill us. I only have three hearts left."

"Wait, we have hearts now too?" Chosen demanded.

"Let's just take a seat and order tea now, shall we? I don't have any urgent appointments," I said. A phantom screeched, diving down at The Lord. I saw this out of the corner of my eye and only had time to throw my sword at it. It squealed and fell down with a thud. "Do you?"

"Got it," he gruffed, running backwards to shield him from the mobs. "Let's just get in the portal and out of this place."

I ran after him. "I don't need to be told twice."

King jumped in first, and Chosen and The Lord were right on his heels. I stepped onto the platform, about to follow, when the day of meeting Blue and Green for the first time flashed before my eyes.

"It's my, uh, secret bunker!" I said, guiding them into the building. "You know. For when I need my alone time."

They grinned, looking around. "This place is awesome!" Green commented, his bright green irises gleaming in the lava light.

"That's not the best part," I told them, stepping up onto the ledge. "We'll be jumping into this!"

They clambered up, their faces expecting, but when they saw the lava, they recoiled. "Um, are you sure?" Blue asked, watching as it bubbled and foamed.

"Of course!"

"We're jumping into lava?"

"Who said that?" I teased them, taking out an ender pearl from my inventory. I threw it into the last block that still stood empty and the purple glaze of a portal flashed over the fire. "Let's go!"

The vision flashed away, leaving me breathless and frozen. My muscles were stock-still, and even if I wanted to, I probably would not have been able to make myself move.

The grunts and groans of zombies edged closer. I could practically feel their warm breath on me. Their stench already filled the air. Phantoms gilded above and spiders screeched from around me, but none of it was enough to finally make me jump in.

I had already lost The Lord's friendship. I was the reason phantoms were flying above our heads. I was the reason King had even gotten close to succeeding in being feared and practically worshiped.

What else was I going to do wrong? Everybody hated me. I was just a mistake. And mistakes hold no values.

Maybe that was why my father never came?

I heard something screech. It knocked into my chest, flapping its hard wings against me, and I fell backwards, onto the grass. My hearts, which had finally gotten to four, was now knocked down to two. Another blow and I would be dead.

The thought chilled me. I didn't want to be. I actually liked life, despite the fact that everybody hated me. So maybe I was not the life of a party, and probably better fit for the shadows of a room, but so what? I had been living okay for the past four years. I did have some good qualities about me, even if only I knew them.

A loud slurping sound startled me. I slashed at it with the new sword I had pulled out earlier, killing the spider.

I didn't want to die yet. Not yet.