'-up?'
'Too ri...'

Ugh... Ow.

'-moved!'
'...he's hostile?'

Who- Hostile? Must be a mob or something.
'We'll have to see for ourselves. We can't go making assumptions, especially if he might hear us.'

Hey, I can open my eyes now. Sick.
All he could see was the flesh-like ceiling of netherrack, undoubtedly the roof of a cave. But why was he laying down?
Why couldn't he move?
'He's out cold. Preston's not gonna be awake for a while.'

Mate, I will fight you. Feel my mental fists right now. Eh.
'He's heating up again-'
'Because I'm awake, you plebs.' The lava-creeper-human hybrid groaned, using the nearby wall to pull himself up to a sitting position as Lachlan and Choco both took wary steps back. They looked like they were... Scared, of something.
'Guys, is there something behind me?'

'...You're... Not gonna attack us?' Choco asked, narrowing his eyes unsurely as Preston tilted his head - He was their friend, for all time's sake. Why would he attack his friends?

'You're kidding me, right?'
'Not really.'
'Okay, wow, that hurts - A lot. Why would I hurt any of you guys?'

Lachlan sighed quietly as he approached his friend, crouching down to eye level as the Texan crossed his legs. 'Alright, Preston, what's the last thing you remember? Before you woke up here.'
'I- There was the firestorm, and there was all this lightning and - I thought I heard somebody.'
'That would have been me. I was supposed to pull you out of there before you could get hit, but I was too, too late an-and you were-'

Eyes widening, Preston leant forwards and hugged his friend before the blond could start crying 'Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm sure nothing too bad happened.'
'Yo-You wouldn't be saying that if you could see yourself now.' The Australian muttered, staying where he was but moving one of Preston's hands up to the Texan's face. 'I wasn't quick enough to save you.'
Every few seconds, a small crimson light would flicker across his lava-like skin. Blinking a few times to make sure he wasn't imagining it, and just seeing the red lightning once more, he just shook his head and ruffled Lachlan's hair lightly. 'I'm still alive, aren't I?'

"Not for long though."

When he was younger, Preston's Mother had once told him a story. It hadn't been a cute fairytale or anything - More of a warning, really - and he remembered exactly how it went.

'Now remember this, Preston. If you ever see a creeper get struck by lightning, it will become supercharged and twice as hostile, which makes them far more dangerous. If you do come across a supercharged creeper, you should either run or try to take it down in two successful blows.'

'I get why you thought I would attack you, now... Heh. Nah, I'm still completely passive, you don't need to panic.'
'If you say so.'

~~~

We need to be quiet. Herobrine always has guards patrolling the halls.
'But- I thought you said we were - ow - invisible?'
Wither skeletons and blazes are able to sense the hidden, Robert. Mostly the skeletons, it has something to do with the malicious souls wanting vengeance.
'O-Oh, right...'

Something the matter, Robert?

The hybrid flinched, looking down and shaking his head. That's exactly what Herobrine had said before... Before he...

Why're you crying now? You get to see your friends.
'It's not that, I just; I don't think I can face them. Not like this.'
Why not? They're your friends. They wouldn't hurt you.

'I know, but I... I'm sorry, I can't do this.'
It's alright, I understand. What do you wish to do now.
Looking out of a barred window in the corridor, Rob could still see the firestorm. It appeared to have been going on throughout the "night", but was beginning to calm down. 'Entity, are they really here? It's not a trick?'

The god nodded, a ball of rouge smoke solidifying between his hands. Here, take this. It'll show you who you want to see, no matter what dimension they're in. They can't see you, but hopefully this will be proof that they've come for you.
Rob swallowed nervously, taking the orb with shaking hands and holding it up to his eyes. He didn't see anything at first, just dark grey smoke (weird, the ball had been red a second ago), and he looked back up to the crimson-eyed legend 'It's not-'

Think of somebody.

"I hope this works... Show me Preston." The smoke flashed blue, and it cleared to reveal - Was that netherrack? A netherrack cave?
'-passive, you don't need to panic.' The lava mob was saying, but there was something... Off. Every so often, a red lightning-like shape would flicker across his body.

'They - What're they d-doing here?'
They came for you, Robert. Preston was on his way through the firestorm to try and scout the area when he got hit; Your friend's been supercharged.
'But when a - No! What if, what if he ends up-'
There isn't a way to reverse the effects. Your friend will slowly grow more and more hostile until he attacks somebody and ends up exploding. I'm sorry.

Rob whined quietly as he watched his friends through the orb. Because of him, Preston was going to die - Probably within the next few days, and if they couldn't get to the fortress in time...
He wouldn't get to say goodbye.

You can keep the orb, if you want. Entity offered lightly, taking it into his hands and twisting it from the top and bottom. As he turned it to the left, the ball began to shrink until it was the size of a pebble. You can change the size, so Herobrine and the girl won't be able to find it.

'If you're Herobrine's brother, then why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?'
I'm not too sure myself, Robert. I want you to get home, I think, and what by brother is doing to you is both immoral and inhumane... Come on, we can go to the infirmary and get you something for your wounds.
'I thought the wither skeletons-
It depends which one we run into. One of them has somehow managed to keep their humanity, even remembers some of her past life, so I don't believe she will hurt you. Follow me, and keep your head down incase a skeleton walks by, alright?

The Canadian nodded, clutching the glass ball (now back to it's original size) to his chest. If he had anything more to lose, this orb was probably the only thing left now.
He couldn't let one of the other two find it.

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

Whyyyyyyyyyy do I keep ending chapters on such dramatic notes smh.

Congrats to the people who guessed what had happened to Preston.

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