The Tipping Of The Scales

The Tipping Of The Scales - No Lives Remaining

Jordan's POV

My head hurt so much. A endless throbbing well of pain that lingered behind my eyes, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. It was dark, I couldn't find the strength to open my eyelids and face the searing lights, so I allowed my other senses to break the confusion that was consuming my mind. I was lying on cold, hard earth with the grass scratching the back of my neck constantly, whilst the cold wind whistled over my motionless body - sending bone numbing shivers down my spine and causing goosebumps to form on my bare skin. I could smell flowers and trees surrounding me, the leaves rustling quietly overhead. Squinting carefully, I began to open my eyes knowing that I couldn't remain in the darkness forever. I was in a forest that seemed rather familiar to me, with the sound of far off animals bleeting and grunting constantly. There were multiple wooden staircases leading down to multiple locations including a boat and some sort of house with a salt shaker on top? It was lingering in the corner of my mind that this place was too familiar for it to be a coincidence but for the life of me I did not know where I was. Once my eyes opened completely I was confused, everything seemed to be blocks! Immediately I dropped my gaze down to what I was wearing, my clothes were black trousers, jacket and a white top with a pair of red sunglasses sitting on my head. I still looked human, with fingers and the usual human traits compared to those of the minecraft world but the blocky world and familiar textures told me otherwise of my location. 

Looking around the blocky realm, I glanced downwards to spot a note that had been sitting next to my unconcious form written in a minecraft book. It read:

'Welcome to Phase Two Jordan. This was the consequence that I spoke of. But surely you have figured that out by now. And surely you will have figured out the true gravity of your situation. I wish you the best of luck in your journey and that you are the hero the riddle spoke of. Do not die in vain. - Fate.'

Panic shot to my senses as my mind quickly began to flick back through the memories and what little knowledge I had of this area. This was the Realm Of Mianite, I knew that much and I had awoken in the garden of my house near Jerry's tree which stood tall behind me. Tom had last been seen running from Mianite, I had no idea whether he was alive and had managed to evade Mianite or not. Maybe he was here? That was the blanket consequence that Fate had spoken of. But what irritated me more was the idea that we were trapped in Mianite, inside a game that we streamed for a couple of hours a day. What would the viewers be seeing right now? A character moving around on a screen like a human, an empty facecam that didn't make much sense? My viewers must be terrified or at least worried, what if I didn't upload for weeks at a time, what would happen to them without me!

Shaking my head out of those terrifying thoughts, I began puzzling over the riddle Ianite had set me line by line, trying to decipher its meaning.

When the realm is in peril.

When the shadows are free,

When the light turns dark,

When all seems lost.

The first four lines were pretty self explanatory, the realm was in peril from Mianite - also known as the Shadow, he represented the light but had turned dark. But the last line was confusing, we had hope, we didn't think it was over did we? That was a bad omen to say the least.

A hero will rise in the name of justice,

With one life remaining,

I guess those lines were referring to me, I was the only Ianite follower on the server and I stood for justice but one life remaining? The main point of minecraft was that you could respawn, try again whenever you died, its not like the gods had the power to change the gamemode right? But the letter Fate had left me seemed to state otherwise... Ah. Hardcore mode. Great. Swearing to myself, I continued my deciphering with a sense of dread turning in my stomach.