The Broken Flame

Herobrine shifted the memories again, this time, with the night taking over. She could see that all the subjects of the kingdom had left for the night, leaving the Demi-God to sit on the platform. He seemed exhausted beyond description as he yanked on the chains holding him again and again. He was on his knees, trying again and again to free himself. Celina could only watch the Demi-God as he lightly whimpered and pulled.

Herobrine suddenly took a deep breath, stood up and pulled both of his arms down as hard as he could. And to his surprise, the chains snapped away from the shackles on his wrists, sending him stumbling forward. He looked at his wrists in surprise, his hands shaking as he looked down at them. He did it. Herobrine had freed himself. After three long months of torture, he had freed himself. And he knew what he had to do now.

He had to run.

He had to run somewhere, where they wouldn’t be able to find him.

And he knew just the place.

Taking one look back at the kingdom that once adored him, Herobrine snarled and turned on his heels, taking off towards the forests outside the kingdom. He knew they wouldn’t be able to find him in that cave if anyone came to look for him. He knew how hidden it was. He knew that if anyone came looking, they’d never get past the traps inside.

Celina watched the young Herobrine run to the cave where they had found Tulip. He quickly hid himself behind one of the walls near the entrance, peeking out to make sure no one had seen him and followed him. When no one came forward, only then did Herobrine let himself break down.

He slowly let himself slide to the floor as he leaned on the wall, and when he was on the ground, he put his hands over his mouth, and wept. He let his cries ring loudly and echo down the cave as tears streamed down his face again. He could only sit there and let himself fall apart.

“I sat there,” came his voice from outside. “And all I could ask myself was: why? Why did my wife have to suffer for my actions? Why did I have to lose my children? What did I do for them to have to suffer? What did I do for any of this to happen to my family? What did I do wrong?”

The being sobbed as loud as he could, and Celina watched as he slowly, but surely, he wore himself out. His loud cries turned to soft sniffles and he sat there, looking so tired and so weak. Herobrine seemed to be out of it, and Celina soon saw him moved to lay down on the stone floor, his emotionally worn out form falling into sleep.

*****

The next memory showed the Demi-God, but he wasn’t in the entrance to the cave anymore. He was resting peacefully on a throne made of purple concrete and emerald blocks, with purple and black banners hanging over the armrests. The Demi-God leaned against the backrest, before lightly moving his head as he began to stir from his sleep. He then let his eyes slowly open, fluttering a bit. However, they widened when he realized he wasn’t in the cave’s entrance anymore.

The room was large and carved out from the stone of the underground cavern. It was decorated with banners of purple and black, all of them bearing the crest of a purple rose. Bookshelves that were as high as the ceiling towered over him and he could see various blocks of yellow and purple replaced some of the stone. They were blocks that came from the End. Chorus plants also decorated the room, standing proud among the other flowers. Many mobs wandered around the space, seeming to be normal mobs until Herobrine moved and their eyes all turned to him.

Herobrine was beyond confused. Where in the Overworld was he?

“Well, it’s about you awoke, Herobrinious.”

The Demi-God’s attention moved directly in front of him when a smooth, dark, feminine voice caught his ears. He turned his head.

An Ender was making their way to him, one with the usual purple eyes, but clothes and with hair. Her hair was purple and short, to where ears should be. She wore a long purple coat, a lavender dress to the floor, and a small brown hat with a purple gem and a small black veil hanging from it. High heels clicked on the floor as she made her way towards Herobrine, small purple particles floating around her. 

The Demi-God could have sworn he was dreaming. There was no way this Ender… this Enderwoman… could it really be?

As she stopped a few blocks away, the small scars on her cheeks confirmed his suspicions. “You… you’re… you’re the first Ender that was ever made.”

“Well, aren’t you an observant one,” she spoke out. 

Celina looked at the Ender with disbelief. “No way… that was the first Enderman ever made?”

“Yes, she was. She goes by the title of an Enderwoman. She was the first one my sister ever made. I only recognized her because she’s one of the few with scars. Usually, Enders can’t get scars, their healing blood is too powerful. However, that wasn’t given to them until after this Ender was made. She had strong healing blood, but she can get scars.”

“Well, seems you recognize me, little one,” the Ender spoke to Herobrine. “I suppose you know my name?”

“That I… don’t know.”

“Then allow me to introduce myself.” She held up a hand. “Glistenia Gilttrian. You already know that I was the first Ender. But I also rule over the mobs of the night.”

Herobrine’s brows furrowed. “You… you rule over the mobs?”

“Of course. They need to have some kind of iron grip on them to be as successful in this world as they have been.” She saw the Demi-God give her a puzzled look. “You see, little Demi-God, I was created by the queen of the Gods, and I was given my own free will upon my creation. She didn’t give me any kind of purpose, no direction, nothing to say what I should do. So, as I wandered between the End, Nether, and Overworld, over the centuries, I have found my own purpose. I rule over the monsters of this world that attack humans. I found that they admired my determination to fight back against those who wanted to needlessly slaughter us. They wanted someone who would help lead them to victory in our war with humankind. And, well… it was only befitting of myself to take that place.”

She chuckled darkly. “However, I have been alive for hundreds of thousands of years. And even if I’ve made it this long, I know I won’t live forever. That’s why I need someone just as powerful, just as determined, just as commanding… to lead the mobs when I’m gone. And you… you, Herobrinious, you are the perfect candidate.”

Herobrine watched her pace back and forth in front of him.

“I’ve been watching you, Herobrinious. I had seen your struggles against these humans, how they so needlessly turned on you when you had done nothing wrong. You’ve obviously lost your place among them, so I have formulated a new plan for you.”

Herobrine wanted to protest. He just wanted to leave this place and find his children. If they were still alive in the castle, he still had a chance to save them and take them away from this place, far away from the people who could kill them without a second thought. However, when he went to say something, she spoke again.

“I plan for you to take my place as the ruler of the mobs. Think about it. You would have an endless army in your control, that you could send after whoever you so wished to. You could make those humans pay for what they’ve done to you, make them suffer for taking away your wife. It would be the perfect union, and I would be able to rest easy.”

Herobrine blinked, then shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt anyone! I don’t want this! I just want to go find my children! They’re still in that kingdom and I need to find them before they’re taken from me! I don’t care about vengeance, I just want my children to be safe. If you think I’ll take your offer, you can go to the Nether!”

Glistenia seemed to gauge his response. However, when he was done speaking, she simply started laughing. “Oh, dear Demi-God… do you really think I take no for an answer?”

Herobrine felt his posture fall. But before he could do anything, two Endermen grabbed his arms, holding them out at his sides and pulling him towards Glistenia. Herobrine struggled in their grips. “Let me go! LET ME GO!” He tried his hardest to get free, but with his super strength and other powers gone, he couldn’t loosen the grip on his arms.

He could hear a sword being drawn and that was when a purple blade came flying at him. A deep searing pain came from his chest, and the Demi-God cried out as his life fluid began to drip down his abdomen. He didn’t want to look down but he couldn’t stop morbid curiosity and he saw a huge vertical wound on his chest now. It pulsed and burned and he struggled harder to get free from the Enders. 

“I’m sorry, Herobrinious, but this is going to hurt you more than it hurts me.” Glistenia pulled a purple potion with swirls of black in it from her inventory, popping the cork. She knelt to Herobrine’s level, and despite his cries and protests, she poured it into his chest.

“EEEEERRRRRAAAAAHHHHHHAAAAAHHHH!” Herobrine’s sudden wail of agony made Celina cover her ears and watch as he flailed around, kicking his legs out in an attempt to get free. She watched him, and it hurt her heart. Tears were pouring down his face again, down his cheeks and plopping to the floor as the potion continued to bubble and burn inside of him. Eventually, she could see the Demi-God pass out, his exhausted body lulling him to sleep again.

*****

When Herobrine awoke next, he was lying on the floor, lying down the rugs, his face still damp with tears. He groaned as he tried to move from his place on the floor. He was sore all over and everything hurt and pulsed to the core of his bones. When he managed to push himself up, he sat there, eyes closed as he rubbed his aching chest. The cut was gone and his clothing was mended, which was expected of his healing abilities. He was still hurting a lot, but at least it wasn’t a searing, burning pain anymore.

“Sleep well, little Demi-God?”

He looked up to see Glistenia on one knee next to him, still towering over him with her being taller than the average Ender. Herobrine tried to stand, only to fall back to the floor in his weakness. Grunting when he hit the ground, he found himself snarling at the Enderwoman. “What did you do to me?!”

“Fear not, Herobrinious, I didn’t intend to kill you or weaken you in any way. I simply gave you a potion of my own creation that restored your powers that were taken.”

Herobrine narrowed his eyes at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Do you not believe me? Try out your fire powers. Go ahead, try them.”

He didn’t want to trust what the mob was telling him, but when she held out a hand to help him up, he took it and stood. He then concentrated on the ancient flames of the Nether, only for his hand to ignite in a few seconds, a fireball sitting in his palm. He let his eyes widen. “What the… you… restored my powers?”

“Oh, yes, I wouldn’t lie to you about such a thing, my Lord.” She chuckled and gestured to a nearby zombie, who handed her a small mirror. “I have restored all of your born powers, as well as given you some new ones. It seems to be working quite well. Unfortunately, my potions have a price. It had to take something from you to give you these new abilities. I don’t know how you’ll feel about it, but I think it suits you.”

Herobrine took the mirror from her, only to gasp and drop it in shock when he saw what had happened. 

His eyes were no longer the two different shades of green. He didn’t even have pupils or irises anymore. No, his eyes were pure white as the freshly fallen snow. They even seemed to glow when he looked at them.

Celina’s mouth fell agape. “Your eyes… that’s why they’re white… the potion took your eye colors…” She shook her head. “That’s… that’s why your eyes… are white.”