The End Of MINECRAFT (Being the Final Volume Of the Minecraft Trilogy)

Prologue: In Dreams

It was one of those dreams that felt so real. Steve felt the soft morning breeze on his face as he took in his surroundings. He was in a grassy field that swayed softly in the wind. Nearby, there was a village-- Westlodge, Steve was certain. And though their camp was several kilometers from that village, here it was, also close to him. Perhaps that was the first clue to the lack of reality in his situation.

Nonetheless, at the moment, he believed that this was reality. Slowly, carefully, he walked through the field, observing his surroundings. As in most dreams, he had no memory of how he got there or what was to happen.

As he was curiously surveying the surroundings, a voice inquired, "Beautiful, isn't it?" Steve wheeled to see a figure in the distance.

"Who're you?" he asked. Instinctively, his hands went for a sword, but there was nothing by his side.

"Who am I?" the figure echoed. "Who are any of us, if not more than just a consciousness journeying through the dangerous corridors of space and time?"

"What?" Steve wondered. Who was this person? Steve grappled to place the voice. It sounded familiar.

"I've confused you, haven't I? Poor boy."

"Tell me who you are," Steve demanded.

"Get used to disappointment," the figure fired back. "You seek answers, but the ones you get won't please you."

"What do you mean?"

"Your father, for instance," the figure said, now fiddling with his fingers.

Steve stopped. "What do you know about my father?"

The figure chuckled. "I know lots of things you don't." He continued to laugh, his laughter growing into a sinister cackle.

Steve ran at him, and at this moment, the figure turned to look at Steve. Instantly, Steve stopped dead in his tracks. Glaring at him were the two solid white eyes that belonged to only one person.

Herobrine.

Steve was paralyzed by the twin lights that shone into his own eyes. "What do you want?" he struggled to ask.

Herobrine grinned. "Me? I want peace. Perfection. It's you who stands in my way." He jabbed an accusing finger in Steve's face. "You and your little band of 'heroes.' You stand in the way of my masterpiece coming to fruition." As he casually talked, Herobrine procured a small stick from his cloak and rubbed it against a box. Instantly, it lit fire like a mini torch.

"Just know this, Steve," he continued as he examined the small flame. "Before success can be achieved, the world you know is going to burn." With that, he dropped the flame on the grass and the world caught fire.

Steve recoiled as everything around him-- trees, ground, sky-- caught fire and burned away. Herobrine's maniacal laughter echoed all around him, but the Dark Lord had vanished. Now, Steve was somewhere else, a place he never thought he'd return to.

The Nether.

He stood on a steep cliff that overlooked a large portion of the hellish landscape. Lava cascaded all around him, and he fought to keep a foothold on the loose rocks. Laughter continued to boom around him, but now it belonged to a new voice, one less familiar.

"You have come so far hero, yet failure still looms ahead of you," the disembodied voice thundered.

"And who are you?" Steve shouted back into the void. This dream had gone from bad to worse. Now he had more questions than answers.

"Someone of consequence," rumbled the voice.

"We aren't failing!" argued Steve. "We've fought Herobrine and won-- twice! I led a revolution in the Nether. Monsters are being taken down across Minecraft!"

"And yet war is still hurtling toward you," the voice interjected. "If anything, you've sped up its approach. Herobrine will destroy all you love to achieve his goal. His war is coming. It's already begun in some places. And here you are, being a hero, and not the one your world needs.

"You are intent on leading your band of heroes on quest after quest, running off on one right as war sets fire to your world."

Recognition dawned on Steve's face. "The Ender Dragon must be stopped! He's a key ally of Herobrine! With his power, entire armies could be eradicated without a monster batting an eye."

"Or is that just what you've told everyone?" the voice questioned. "Beware! Your ignorance and desires may cost you dearly."

The hill began to rumble. Steve's fragile foothold crumbled. Rocks began to shake loose and tumble down into the lava. As Steve desperately tried not to fall, he shouted to the invisible entity, "At least tell me who you are?"

"Herobrine wants to set the world on fire as a means to an end," the voice said, fading away as the hill fell apart. "I'm one who is just content to sit back and watch the world burn."

The last rock came loose, and Steve tumbled down into the glowing red lake of fire--

Steve sat up in his cot, drenched in a cold sweat. From the folded flap on his tent door, Steve could see it was still pitch black outside, most likely early morning. He fell back down into his cot and tried to fall back asleep. Remembering something from the dream, he turned back over and unwrapped a small object on the desk next to his cot.

In his hands was a small jade stone with what looked like an eye dwelling within it. An ender pearl. Steve turned it over, regarding the small object with wonder. The power contained within such a small object was not one to be taken lightly.

Reflecting on the events of the dream, Steve shuddered just a moment before settling back down. What could it all mean? What was he supposed to do?

A great distance away, another person lay sleeping, but only for a moment. As their closed eyes continued to twitch, a slow smile spread across their face. The dream they had awoken from had been one of pleasure.

Then, the eyes opened, and the chamber was bathed in an eerie white light...