'Any signs of the storm letting up yet?'
'It looks like it's calming down. The rain's just cooling lava right now, so it should be safe to pass in a few hours.' Preston announced. He was still the only person who could check the storm, and had had to bring an "escort" of sorts incase he got hit again.
Choco (the escort) nodded at this, pushing away from the netherrack wall and glancing to the cave's entrance. They hadn't done a good job of patching the hole up, but it was enough as to protect them from possible death.

'About a mile through the storm, Preston saw some weird castle-like thing that could be what we're looking for. I get that we're supposed to find the other group and tell them where it is, but as that's a stupid decision-'

'We've elected to ignore it.' The young Texan grinned cheekily. Kenny snorted at this, while Lachlan rolled his eyes at the use of words. 'Good job, guys. So what's the new plan?'

'Storm the base like absolute morons, and pound Herobrine's face in I'm guessing.' Mitch smirked, hand-in-fist as Vik facepalmed.

'That would be a good idea, but it's also the most expected. We need to be stealthy - One team going to get Rob, one scouting the castle and/or guarding group one.' The mocha-skinned teenager pointed out, fanning himself with one hand as he glanced around the group. They would have to split the usual pairs up, but hey.

If it got Rob back, they probably wouldn't care.

'Group one will be lead by Lachlan. In that team will be Preston and Kenny. Choco, Mitch and I are gonna be watching your guys backs from a distance, but will mostly be trying to find the throneroom.'

'Why me?!' Lachlan squeaked, glaring at his shorter counterpart who shrugged and continued fanning himself. 'You can be obnoxiously stealthy when you try hard enough, think of all the times you've been able to sneak upon people.'

'I mean, I guess, but still.'

'Hate to break up an argument of a married couple, guys, but the storm's stopped.' Choco called from the mouth of the cave, gesturing to the hellish terrain around them to prove his point. Both Vik and Lachlan glared at the chocobo, but stopped their bickering and agreed to disagree for the time being.

''Kay, so are we all good to go? Kenny?' The blond looked up and nodded slightly, pushing himself away from the netherrack wall and making his way to the entrance before disappearing around the corner. 'He's been really quiet... Huh.'

Choco narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his honey-eyed friend's direction and nodded slowly. 'I think I know what he's doing, or has already done. It wasn't intentional, but I did warn him.'

'About what?'

'Mitch, Vik, when you guys went back to the village, did Kenny ever - I don't know, either disappear or stay really quiet throughout the day?' Mitch nodded in confirmation, slinging his bow off of his back and plucking the string a few times. 'Harry said that he would go to the parkour course and just sit at the top. He wouldn't talk to anyone, and even when he was with us, he hardly said a thing.'

'So he's probably gone from not talking at all to suddenly yelling and trying to be as hyper as he was when you guys first came to the Glitched Lands. Kenny's probably lost his voice at the worst time possible.'

~~~

You seem out of breath, Robert. Have you been somewhere?

'Just trying to run from my problems.'

As you always do, but there's one you can't run from, isn't there? The fact that you've killed a man.

'You really think I feel bad about that?' The wolf hybrid smirked, crossing his arms (ow, more pain) and glaring at the air infront of him. 'He killed my Mom right infront of me. I was seven, buddy, so excuse me if I was pissed off at him.'

If your friends found out, they'd call you a monster.

'...Maybe.'

Most definitely. And if you think that's bad enough, I'm sure you wouldn't mind me reminding you that you almost killed the lava mob?

'I-'

Rob couldn't really turn that around. His wolf half had been in a blood-lusting craze at the time, but on the rare occasion that did happen he would normally get it under control before he hurt anyone.

...

Logan had deserved it though.

But Preston didn't.

Ugh, contradictions.

You know I'm right, brat, it's just a matter of time until you realize... Unless I can open up your eye right now. The torch-eyed god smirked, cracking his knuckles and materializing in the cell as Robert's own eyes widened in fear.

Ah, fear. It's a wonderful feeling to know that somebody fears you, it gives you such power when you see the very moment they dread your existence, and fear for their own.

A simple spell wasit it took. It brought the boy's worst memories, the ones he kept locked away for both his own safety and the safety of others, right to the front of his mind.

Ever since that day, the lava mob has feared you. They all have, incase you might snap and try to attack one of them again. Your sorcerer friend showed them all what he'd seen. He showed them all, human and hybrid, exactly how you killed that man.

The Canadian put his hands up to his ears, desperately trying to block out both the words and the memories, but of cuse they bled through. He reached towards his eyes - Maybe getting them out would stop the images? - but some force stopped him.

"Robert, you must resist this. Resist him. Your friends are so close to you, you just need to wait a few more hours until they get here."

"I can't."

"You've got to, if not for them then for yourself. For your mother - Would she let you do this?'

'I-I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING!'

Well, you're suffering, so that's not true now is it? Herobrine mused, strengthening the spell which caused his victim to fall to his knees. ...Weak.

'Please, just, just make it stop.'

No can do, that spell's locked on for the next - Two? Three hours? I won't even be here, but you'll feel no difference. You'll be too busy drowning in your own pity, just as your kind do. You're sickening, every last one of you, and I won't let any of you get the better of me again.

And with that, the god left his "project" to storm another village.

+++

The spell faded what felt like years later.

It didn't stop the effect, though. Robert had collapsed minutes after Herobrine left, resulting in a dangerous headwound, but nobody came to check on him. When he did manage to get up, around half an hour after the images stopped, he just pressed himself into a corner and pressed his head between his knees.

"He's afraid of you."

"He's afraid of you."

"He's afraid of you."

"He's afraid of you."

"He's afraid of you."

"He's afraid of-"

'Rob?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AYYYYYYYYYYYYYY HE IS SAVED.

Who d'you think it is, guys?
(P.s - MAMAAAAA JUST KILLED A MAN-)

See you all in the next chapter, and have a great Morning - Afternoon - Evening - Dawn - Dusk - Midnight - Paranormal Timezone!