My Last Hope (Truth Series 4)

38: Old Homes

Soro's POV

I walk into the abandoned house. The abandoned house that once belonged to Seto and I. Now it is nothing more than a half demolished shell of a home. Dust covers everything. It covers the table, chairs, and counter of the kitchen. The couch and coffee table of the living room. Even the paintings and pictures we had hanging on the walls of the hallways and the staircase. It's odd though. Walking through the house. Remembering everything that happened in here. The good and the bad. Duncan and Rythian fighting. Jimmy teasing me. Lying on the couch too sick to move. Playfully questioning if Jimmy had a crush on Brice. I even remember building this damn place. A shame all our hard work is wasted though. Half of the wall to the living room is missing and I can see into an upstairs room from a hole in the ceiling of the living room. That explosion really got the house good. I hope that's Jimmy's room I can see from down here.

I follow the staircase up to the second story. I walk down the hallway it connects too. I stir up dust along the way as my hand trails along the walls. I peek into Jimmy's room when I pass by it's open door. I almost laugh out loud. Sure enough, there is a hole in the floor and part of the wall that separates the room from the world outside is missing.

Finally I reach the door to my room. It's closed, preventing me from seeing the damage inside. I twist the doorknob but it doesn't budge. I chuckle lowly at myself. Of course it's locked. I always locked the door when I wasn't in it. Back then it was the only real private space I had. On a whim, I pull a key out of my front jean pocket. I've been lugging this thing around Earth for the last seven and a half years not knowing what is was meant for. I still don't really know if it'll work on this door but it's worth a shot. I enter the key into the keyhole. I hear a faint click as the door is unlocked. I twist the knob and let the door open on it's own. There's an eerie creak as it reveals my darkened room. I reach inside the doorway and pull a lever on the inside wall. Redstone lamps in the ceiling burst to life. The new found light illuminates the dust filled room. The room is exactly the way I left it. Everything is untouched. Even the force of the explosion didn't touch anything. The draws to my dresser are still open from the last time I went searching for fresh clothes. My cloak still lays on my bed where I threw it last. Books lay haphazardly in stacks around the room. My bookshelf is still the disorderly mess it always has been. A lone book lays on the edge of my nightstand. The book is one I know very well. Tales of Ashe. A collection of half true, half fiction stories of my grandfather: King Ashe. On top of the book is a few folded sheets of paper. The letter my father left me.

I approach my dresser first. I fish out a few articles of clothing. I use my magic to combine the material and make new clothes that will actually fit me. I don't mean to brag or anything but I have gotten taller than Jimmy! I design my new outfit to resemble that of the one I used to wear around Minecraftia. A loose fitting white tank top and black cargo pants. I change into them. Hopefully my guesswork is correct. Surprisingly it is. I then take some of the leftover material and use it to extend my cloak to match my taller stature. Satisfied with my handiwork I slide the cloak over my shoulders and clasp it together in the front using the white skeleton brooch.

Finally ready and feeling like I belong in this dimension, I grab the letter from my nightstand and leave the room. Probably for the last time. I don't look back. I have everything I need. I can't keep looking at the past while everyone else is preparing for battle. As I leave the old house I skim through the letter.

I look up as I exit the building. Rythian, Jimmy, Star, and my mother are standing in the front yard. They look to me as I approach them. Upon seeing my appearance Jimmy and Rythian grin.

"Back to the old black and white I see." Rythian teases.

"Look who's talking." I retort indicating to his outfit. Which, mind you, is mostly black.

He rolls his eyes. "Where to next?"

"My old house in the Nether. I need something from my father's room."

"Lead the way," My eldest brother directs. I nod and teleport the five of us to the old Yogscast Village. Most of it is demolished from a fight between Duncan and one of the other Yogscast members. I faintly here Rythian sigh. "Why are we back here?" He asks solemnly.

"This is the closest Nether Portal to the house." I explain as I walk away. There's no time to be wasted. I head for the portal and step through. I don't pay attention to the others. Whether they follow me or not is up to them. Once I'm through the portal I immediately head for the familiar house I grew up in. Before I enter the building I stop just outside of it. I rest my hand on top of the cross that marks my father's grave. Under my breath I whisper the words, "Hello, father. I'm doing my part in helping save the world. I'm not going to stand back and watch everyone die when there's something I can do to help them. I'm sorry, father. I should have helped you. Instead I turned tail and ran. I regret it to this day. So I swear to you father, I will avenge your death." I leave his grave and enter the house. I avoid looking at anything in the house. It all brings back too many memories. Memories that I could spend forever trying to relive but I can't. Right now I don't have that much time to waste. Finally, I reach the door to my father's room. I open it slowly. There's a loud creak and a slight scraping sound as the door drags against the floor. Unlike my room in this house, my father's room is actually organized. Books line his bookshelves in a neat fashion. They look to be in alphabetical order. His bed is neatly made with the corner of the blanket pulled back so he can climb under them easily. His nightstand is empty except for a lamp and a neat stack of books. His dresser appears to be orderly but what it looks like inside the doors I'm not too sure. SAme thing goes for the chest at the foot of his bed. The only actual 'mess' about the room is the thick layer of dust covering everything. Although, that's from it all being untouched for fifteen years.

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and end up coughing roughly when I inhale dust. I won't be doing that again. I quickly cast a spell turning the hood of my cloak into a scarf. I examine the stack of books on the nightstand. None of them are what I'm looking for. I carefully examine all the books on the bookshelves. Maybe he disguised it. "Damn it!" None of these are it. I run my hands through my hair. "Time to look in other places," I mutter. I look in the small drawer of the nightstand. Empty. I look under the bed. Nothing. I look in the dresser. Only clothing. I look around every wall. No hidden compartments or doors. Last place to look. The chest. I don't want to search it because I want to respect my late father. He could have private things in there. I run my hands through my hair again. Private things like a spellbook. I sigh and lower myself to my knees. Reluctantly, I search through the chest. At the bottom of the chest I find a soft leather bond book. The title is written in Netherian. My native tongue. It reads: 'The Whitefire Family Collection of Magic'. I close the chest. I leave the room. I don't look back as I close the door. I walk out of the house staring at the ground. I don't look up until I exit the building the close the door behind me. The same four people that were waiting for me before are waiting for me now. Rythian, Jimmy, Star, and my mother. My eyes water and they blur into shadowy figures. I sink to the ground leaning against the door. Someone sits next to me and wraps their arm over my shoulders. I don't pay attention to who it is a sI turn and cry into their shoulder. "I miss him."

"I do too." My mother draws calming circles on my back. She softly kisses my forehead. "You'll get through this, my son."

"How?" I croak.

"You'll find a way. Don't forget you have friends and family standing by your side."

"I won't."

We stay like this for a while. Eventually, I calm myself down. But it's then that Rythian shouts, "Everyone take cover!"