Awaken (Hermitcraft Fanfiction)

II. Humble Beginnings

TW: mentioned animal death, illness

The leaves shook as a breeze passed through them, rattling the branches. Slowly, the sun reached down her rays to brush the horizon, drawing the covers of twilight over the small single-player world. The peaceful world seemed to slumber as daylight sunk into the ground and the moon rose.

However, Pearl knew the peace wouldn't last. Several years on her own in this wilderness had schooled her in the unexpected spawning and behavior of hostile mobs. Thankfully, the area around her base was well lit and safe from monsters, with the rest an untamed and cruel world.

Skeletons rattled between the oak trees, searching for a reason to spill fresh blood. Zombies prowled in small packs on a quest to tear through unfortunate warm-blooded creatures like herself. Creepers threatened to combust, blasting holes in her carefully constructed landscape. Spiders reached out with their silk, spreading the sticky, tangled substance everywhere.

Pearl slipped behind a tree, barely escaping the notice of a horde of zombies. She took a deep breath, sprinting to the edge of the forest overlooking the plains. The moon reflected off the blades of grass, the long stalks obscuring the animals as they hid and slept until the sun returned with the daylight.

Even with its imperfections, such as the deadly roaming mobs, the night was fascinating for Pearl. She reveled in the moonlight, her skin glowing a delicate silver in the creamy light. Although many would say she has a case of chronic insomnia, Pearl always denied it, saying, "The night is dark and full of promise. You have to enjoy it." The thought was terminated by the scream of a dying sheep as it failed to escape the murderous zombies.

In reality, though, she couldn't sleep tonight for a different reason. For the twentieth time that day, she took out the letter from her pocket, now crumpled and smudged from being opened, read, and closed repeatedly. She glared at it, frustrated that its purpose seemed to be to befuddle her at every opportunity. She read the handwritten words again.

Hey Pearl! Remember me?
It's Grian. We went to school together before I moved. I hope you're doing well.
I did admin training in university. It was hard, considering I don't have much Magic. The point is, I started a small survival multiplayer server called Evolution. We've been exploring the simulations of the beginning of Minecraft history, and I'd like you to join us. We're currently in version 1.6; I'm not sure when we'll update again.
I'll tell you more when you get here.
Grian

Pearl sighed, the twenty-first reading as unfruitful as the rest. It was just like Grian to send her a note without any further instruction. A couple steps about leaving her world would be great, and additional information about how to join his would benefit the whole ordeal. As was his nature, Grian supplied neither.

She looked at the moon, searching its off-white surface for an answer. It smiled back, as if saying the mystery was hers to solve. Pearl wasn't satisfied with that reply: her brow furrowed in frustration as she shoved the note into the night sky, irate at the lack of response from the universe. The moonlight shone cheekily through the worn paper, showing no sign of activating anything.

Pearl stood, angrily blocking out all the sounds of the night to think. She lowered the letter, noticing how suddenly translucent it was. She spun toward a flicker of motion in her periphery, suddenly aware of a lavender portal creating a fissure in the flat plains. She held the paper in the moonlight again, observing the burst of progress the rift made. New words formed on the page in Grian's familiar, childish penmanship.

P.S. I knew you'd figure it out. The night is dark and full of promise.

A unique symbol took shape immediately after the words, which she interpreted as an artistic representation of the server. Pearl cracked a smile, the illustration sparking the familiar feeling of adventure and curiosity. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and fell through the portal into the swirling lavender mass that continued before her.