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"I'm sorry, you want me to do what now?"
A look of puzzlement and disbelief was present on your face, currently sitting across from your editor-in-chief, or EIC. The man chuckled, not mockingly, just finding it amusing about the idea he just gave you.
You've known him for a few years, he had hired you when you had inspiration to write about the world. He trusts you, and you trust him.
"It's just a simple request; I want you to document any anomalies or entities in this world." You were a journalist, known for taking notes and writing things that were weird about this world. "Remember when you showed me your journal on Endermen? That was one of my favorites."
A faint chuckle escaped your lips, loving that document as well. "But... It's been a while since I've been journaling. I have all my stuff back at home, I just don't know what to start on..." the man hummed, sitting up in his chair just a bit.
To him, it looks like you had writer's block, or you were burnt out and needed to rest away from the hobby. He started to give you suggestions, telling you to start off small before you spread out to find more anomalies and entities.
To your knowledge, the only thing you could think of is the Endermen. They've been roaming around for years, most say that they used to be ordinary people, or maybe tribes that were wiped away from The End.
Of course, there were other legends and myths that would be rumored, but no one had the guts to prove it. There was the Nether, End Portal, Aether Portal, and the mystery of who was stealing his baked pies in the morning.
That's all you could think of, really. You weren't an outgoing person, liking the peaceful space of your home. If you had any questions about it, you would've asked your siblings, Steve and Alex. They were more outgoing and adventurous than you.
"C'mon, I know something is itching in your mind to write. When was the last time you wrote a chapter in one sitting, eh?" He lightly teased, knowing how determined you used to be to get some pages done and have them sent to him to be edited.
A smile stretched on your lips, knowing that you had time and energy. "I've been thinking about it for a bit, I'm really just spending time with my siblings." You're a year older than them, taking care of them after your parents passed away. They did the same back, making sure you didn't stress yourself out.
Eventually, you gave him a nod. "Yeah, I think I'm ready. The options are still the same as last time, right?"
"Correct," he hummed, entangling his fingers together. "You get to name your price, request the items you need, and you can back out whenever you like." Fixing his glasses, he leaned forward just a bit. "Oh, and one more thing."
A faint yet puzzled hum was emitted. "Yeah?"
"I heard that your siblings were preparing for an adventure of their own. Something about... fighting the Ender Dragon." Your eyes slightly widened, but before a word could utter from your lips, he held a finger up. "But, I think that's a good idea."
He suggests that you should take your sibling with you, saying that they can help you more while you're journaling. "Do you know how much you can learn out there? While you're learning from them, they can learn from you."
Taking in his words, you let them settle for a bit. To be honest, you don't mind it, smiling at the thought of spending an adventure with your siblings. But at the same time, you wanted to protect them. You never gave them restrictions or rules, you just don't want them to get hurt.
Not after what happened to your parents.
The thought made you shiver just a bit before pushing it at the back of your mind. Lifting your head up to face the man, you let out a sigh that you didn't know you were holding. "Okay, I'll bring them with me."
Your EIC clapped his hands with excitement. "Excellent choice!" He cheered lightly.
"But if anything bad happens to them, I'm sending them back home. If it's even worse, I'm backing out."
He gave you a firm nod. "I understand, [Name]. Do what's best for your family." that earned him a thankful nod from the young journalist, knowing that you were capable of protecting your loved ones. "So, when do you want to start?"
You were glad that he asked you that question, not wanting to start right away. You would have to prepare your bags, journals, papers, and all those things that needed to be gathered. But you would be able to craft those in the wilderness.
"Give me two days to prepare, I want to make sure everything is okay before we go." Nodding at your reply, he took out a small notebook of his own, writing what you said and making sure to add the date as well.
Looking towards the window beside you, the sky was colored with a light orange, blocky clouds that slowly drift in the wind. The sun was slowly going down, signifying that it was close to getting dark. The sound of villagers chattering outside, guessing that they were heading inside for the night.
Before you rose from your seat, you wanted to ask your editor some questions. "Have you seen something that's odd? Maybe something that concludes that something is out there?"
He gave you a nod. "There's multiple. Most of the villagers have seen them more than me." Sitting up straight, you listened carefully. "On the outskirts of many villages, ours included, there's been multiple litters of trees having no leaves or branches. As if it was cut clean off."
You really wished that you had your journal, needing to draw what he was describing. Thankfully, you had a good memory.
"The minors in the caves heard something roaring, hissing and growling that didn't belong to the zombies nor creepers. One of them told me that they heard someone breaking blocks nearby, and they were the only ones in the mines that day."
He continued to describe more sightings and clues. Pigs and cows that have been mauled, lifeless bodies littered in the woods and abandoned areas. Dark figures walking within the shadows. "I heard one of the villagers saying that they heard whistling coming from the woods."
Taking in the handful yet helpful amount of information, you replied with another question. "Have you encountered anything?" His lips formed into a firm line, body tensing as your question settled. He looked uncomfortable. "You don't have to-"
"No, no, no. It's fine." He held his hand just a bit, apologizing in the process. "I should tell you, I gave you this opportunity anyway." Letting out a heavy sigh, he made an attempt to relax as he remembered that one horrifying night that still hunts him.
"I was preparing to go to bed, it was pitch black dark outside and I only had a single candle lit. When I was about to close the blinds, I saw a pair of eyes... glowing white." His hands slowly start to clench on his desk. "I thought it was just something reflecting from the window inside my house."
The eyes were far from his house, illuminating faintly in the woods. He couldn't help but stare back, yet his mind was telling him to close the blinds and hold a weapon against him until the sun rose. "I... I couldn't look away. I was afraid that something would happen if I did. Eventually, I closed the blinds, but something happened after I did that."
His eyes slowly rose to find yours, seeing comfort in them. "After I closed the blinds... I heard my door knocking. I was wondering to myself why. It grew louder, to the point it shook the things that were hanging on my wall." If it was a villager, they would've made themselves known.
Your brows furrowed, knowing that his home was near the end of the village, meaning that the people that lived around him had to have a lantern on them. Cursing to yourself in thought, you really wished that you had your journal in hand.
"Did the knocking stop?"
"...Eventually." he sighed, feeling a tad bit better. He dragged his hands down his face, shoulders lowered as he emitted a groan. "On that night, I just wished that it would never happen. The following morning, I don't think I left my house."
Humming, your eyes slightly widened. "Wait, is that why you didn't participate in that important meeting you had?"
A heavy sigh escaped his lips, guessing that you were right on the marker. He remembered the chiefs of the village asking him why he was absent, but he didn't even bother to open the door to his house until the next day.
It was silent for a bit, watching as he calmed himself down, sitting a bit straight on his chair. "That was my encounter. That's practically the main reason why I suggested this to you."
Sitting there on your chair, taking in everything your editor had explained, you couldn't ignore the shiver that went down your spine. But, you were brave. Determined. You know your limits, but there was a chance that it would break during this journey.
Standing up, you gave him a comforting smile. "I'll try my best. Sorry for asking so many questions, but do you think there's more out there that you hadn't mentioned?"
He gave you a dismissive wave, chuckling. "No, you're all good, kid. Personality, I do think there's more, it probably hasn't been around this village though." Heading towards the door, you gave him a wave, stating that you'll see him later. Replying with a wave back, he watched you close his door.
Your editor slumped in his seat, a weary sigh flowed from his lips. 'Rest well, kid...'
Walking down the small path from his house, you quietly traversed your way back home through the village. The light patch of grass softly crunched under your feet, looking around the area for your surroundings.
Some of the villagers were still out and about, gardeners finishing planting new seeds before heading back inside. Blacksmiths were putting their materials away, making sure to lock them in the process.
The sounds of cats meowing gently in the distance, either just making noise or calling for their kittens. Multiple torches and lamps had lit up the village, needing to keep creatures that roam in the night away.
Your home wasn't that far from the village, liking the peace and quiet you would have. Well, if your siblings decided that it would be a peaceful day. 'I wonder what those two are doing right now... I know one thing is that they're not resting'
Chuckling to yourself, you got a view of your home, seeing the roof. It was a large cabin that was built by your father, having the help from the villagers that knew him for years. Glancing towards one of the windows, you could see a warm light illuminating from it, signifying that they were awake.
The closer you walked, the sound of chattering from inside can be heard. "...Are you sure that we should tell them?" The female voice belonged to Alex, seeing that she was talking to Steve. "They've been huddled in their room ever since they finished their last journal project."
A light chuckle followed, belonging to your younger brother. "I think we should. We would have so much time on our hands." A smile stretched onto your lips, silently listening to their conversations.
Eventually, you knocked on the wooden door, hearing them trample and run towards the noise. Slamming the door open, the gingered-haired girl pulled you into a tight hug. "You're finally home! It was starting to get boring here!"
The smell of warm wood was present, enjoying the homey atmosphere. Patting her head as she whined, you told her that you weren't gone for that long, earning a narrowed expression from her that held playfulness.
Steve wrapped an arm over your shoulder, giving you a playful noogie. Even though you're a year older than them, you weren't the tallest. Your brother managed to be taller than you and Alex, you and her being the same height. "C'mon, when was the last time you ate?" he questioned, watching you escape from his antics.
"I ate before I went to go talk with my editor. I'll probably snack on something before hitting the hay." that earned you a deadpanned expression from your siblings, feeling them drag you into the kitchen.
"Yeah, that's not happening." Alex stated. The smell of pork chops and potatoes fuming from the furnace caught your attention, causing your stomach to comically growl in cue. He asked you to help with the gravy, wanting it to be ready when the food is out of the furnace.
Alex already prepared the vegetables that were cleansed and cut into smaller proportions. The three of you lightly conversed, talking about what you all did. "So what did you two do while I was out?"
"Training," your brother hummed, watching the small fire in the furnace slowly burn away as he pulled out the food, his mouth watered immediately. "But we were just hanging out."
Your sister nodded in agreement, grabbing the plates so they could prepare the meal. Pork chops, baked potatoes and vegetables. Once the gravy was ready, and Steve placed the food on the three plates, you carefully drizzled the liquid onto the potatoes.
Grabbing a plate, you three settled at the table, taking the first bite. A delighted hum fluttered from your lips. "What made you want to cook this?" The ginger-haired girl stated that they wanted to sharpen up their cooking skills, and you could tell that they've improved.
Taking a few bites of your baked potato, you lightly cleared your throat. "I have some news that I want to tell you guys." Your siblings glanced towards you, placing their utensils down to give their older sibling their attention. "I'm back to journaling again."
Their eyes widened with surprise before smiles stretched onto your lips. "Really?! That's amazing!" Alex exclaimed with excitement. "I get to read more about what you write."
Steve was excited as well. "What place are you going to explore this time?" Whenever you were writing in your journal, you would draw pictures of the places you've been. There were some places that Steve wanted to go explore, but he wanted you to have your space.
"Well, my editor told me that I would document some entities and anomalies that've been rumoured in the area."
Your sister tilted her head in puzzlement. "Entities? So like... Endermen?" you replied with a chuckle, saying that you said the same thing to your EIC. Continuing to explain, you told them that while you're doing this, there would be a chance that all of you could get hurt.
"Wait," the blue-eyed boy uttered. "What do you mean by 'all of us'?" your smile couldn't help but grow as your siblings stared at you with confusion and anticipation as you paused for dramatic effect.
"Well... I decided to take you guys with me. My editor told me that he heard you guys talking about finding the Endor Dragon, so why not have an adventure with just the three of us."
There was a pause after your sentence ended, the only thing that could be heard were the faint sounds of crickets chirping. In a matter of seconds, you were tackled into a hug by the two, making you nearly fall out of your chair.
"You don't know how long we wanted to tell you that." Steve chuckled with excitement, his voice muffled against your hair. To your right, you could practically feel Alex beaming with joy, her green eyes became glossy at the sudden news.
"All of us... Together. Geez, we have so much to pack." her siblings chuckled as she and Steve pulled away from you. "So when do we start?" she wiped away a tear that managed to stream down her cheek as they headed back to their seats.
You told them that they would start in two days, needing to prepare and gather your things so you could be ready when heading out of the door. This was a dream come true, Steve thought, remembering his parents telling him stories about the Ender Dragon as a kid.
At first, that was his dream as a child, to discover and fight the dragon. When Alex became interested in the idea, he couldn't help but be excited that his sibling had the same interests. The three of you continue to lightly converse, finishing up the last bits of food before cleaning your plates.
You all formed a group hug, relaxing in the comforting warmth before parting away. The three split throughout the cabin, going into their rooms to change into some comfortable clothing. Steve's room was close towards the front door, your room was across the living room while Alex's room was upstairs.
Once you were done changing, you faceplant onto your bed, a tired groan escaped your lips. Turning your head towards the left, your eyes open half-lidded, finding your desk. There were small stacks of books on there, each one of them had your notes and drawings inside that stuck out just a bit.
Inside the chest that was next to it, there were some basic supplies that were inside. Paper, books, blocks, flint and steel, and maybe some cookies. Finding the courage, you finally moved your body to make yourself comfortable under the covers, relaxing under the warmth.
"Goodnight...!" you shouted loud enough for them to hear as your head rested against your pillow.
Alex was first to respond, hearing her loud and clear from upstairs. "Goodnight!"
Steve followed a few seconds after, his voice already hinting exhaustion. "Night..." Once everyone was settled, a peaceful silence roamed in the air, dim lights from the lantern fairly illuminated the inside and the outside of the house, keeping creatures away from the home.
As the night slowly passed by, all away in the dark woods that was far from the village, a pair of eyes watched the home in silence, eyes that glowed white that couldn't be enveloped in the dark night.