Herobrine X Reader - Love's Wither Rose (COMPLETE)

15 - ...Into The Fire

A/N:

Sorry this chapter's out a lil late, I've been taking longer-than-usual breaks between writing recently cuz my brain be saying "no motivation for u" and overall I've been feeling pretty crap mental health wise.

But on the plus side, this chapter's a bit longer than usual! And hopefully I'll be back on track soon!

Bone apple teeth!

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I was snapped out of my dream-like state by the sound of something hitting the floor. I looked over and saw a folded sheet of paper lying on the cobblestone. Glancing up at the bars, I saw Johnny's face as he winked and disappeared from view.

I shuffled over to the paper and carefully unfolded it. There was barely enough light in this cell to read the words, but I found an angle that made it easier.

Couldn't get close enough for long enough to get a clear ear around what Blythe and his buddies are on about. I'm sorry.

I stared at the note for a little while, then back at the bars. I couldn't see Johnny, but I could hear him whistling away to himself.

"How long have I been here?" I asked, my throat a little sore after having not spoken for...however long it's been.

"A week, maybe? I dunno, it's hard to keep track of time here."

"Tell me about it. At least you can see the sun - I've just got four walls to stare at."

"Not true," Johnny chuckled. "You can stare at my handsome face."

"Oh, please," I laughed. "I'm not that desperate."

"You wound me, (Y/N). Shall I ever recover from such an enormous betrayal?"

"Johnny, don't get me started on betrayal." My chest suddenly felt like I had an anvil on my ribs. "Been there, done that, got the scar to prove it."

"The raid?" Johnny's voice was softer, more caring than his usual playful tone.

"Yeah. You were there, weren't you?"

"Yep. I ain't never seen a raid that messed up and ruthless in a long time." He paused. "Not since..."

"Since what?"

There was a long moment of silence.

"Do you know how vindicators like me are made?" I could've sworn I heard his voice shake a little. "We start out as just your average villager, until we're taken durin' a raid or by a passing patrol. Then, we get brought back to a mansion and the evokers do some twisted things - magic, brainwashing, all kinds of messed up experiments - and then we wake up like this. We're made to believe that we're all just nothin' but exiles."

I searched for the right words to say.

"What was your village like? Before you got turned."

"I...I can't remember. But I think I was a farmer; there's just something oddly familiar and homely about being around crops." I heard him chuckle a bit. "Can you imagine: Johnny, the ruthless vindicator and former peaceful farmer?"

I found myself smiling at the image.

"What about you?" Johnny asked. "What was yours like?"

"Peaceful," I said. "I'd often be going back and forth with stuff to trade, keeping the place safe or giving them another iron golem when I couldn't be there. Sometimes the children would get their toys stuck in a tree so it was pretty common for me to arrive home with a couple splinters and some twigs in my hair."