Chapter Text
"Dude I swear, I'm not making this shit up. It's fucking weird. He even looked at me, like not the player in minecraft, but, like, ME in real life"
Mob's tone definitely sounded serious, but for all you knew he could be trying to prank you again. You only ever fell for it once, but he'd still try sometimes just to see if he could catch you off guard. Rolling your eyes, you click on the download he sent you and sigh.
"Yeah sure alright, I'll try your dumb "horror" mod. It better not be some shitty dweller mod though. Those suck."
Mob continues blabbing on about whatever weird occurrences the mod gave him, but you aren't quite listening. You're busy putting the mod into the folder it needs to be in, and starting up the game.
"Mob, I'm sure it was scary, I'll give it a try alright? I'm starting Minecraft up right now."
You hear a relieved sigh from the other end of the Discord call, maybe something about this mod really did have your friend stressed out. Mob wasn't the kind of guy to take something like this seriously, so the fact that he sounded so fearful convinced you more that this was something to actually look into.
The conversation didn't last much longer than that. Mob wished you luck and said he was going to bed. You told him to sleep well, then hung up the call. Now it was just you, and this 'Verity' mod. You shifted in your chair, settling in for whatever was ahead while starting the new minecraft world.
Chunk by chunk the world loaded in, along with an odd looking cardboard box. Looking down at it, you give a small 'huh' noise. Suddenly a cheery voice emanates from the box, causing you to step back in surprise.
"Helllooo? I know you're out theerreee!"
Did it... hear you? The mod didn't have you set up a microphone, but you shrug it off, figuring it used your default mic.
You give a gentle tap on the box, it floats up, opens, and a small, yellow sphere with a simple smile and dot eyes tumbles out. It's expression changes as it hits the grass below, then it goes back to smiling when it sees you.
"Hello! I'm Verity! Your personal A.I. helper friend! Ask me anything, I know everything!"
Ugh, an A.I.? Rolling your eyes and putting that thought to the side, you respond to it.
"Uh? Hi? You can hear me?"
It gives a light chuckle with it's response.
"Yep! Loud and clear!"
So it IS using your mic. Alright, you might as well test it out.
"Okay... if you know everything... what's my name?"
"Your name is Y/n! Of course I know who YOU are! You're the one who downloaded me!"
Now that's a bit impressive, usually mods would just use your gamertag. Only the more interesting mods use information from your computer. Interesting being your word for it, but often times those mods are taboo, or get taken down for being "too invasive". A dissapointment for someone like you, who's been on the internet unrestricted for way longer than you should've been. You're pretty sure you've seen it all by now, and arent easily impressed.
"Alright then, how about... the nearest thing to loot? Any villages or ruined portals around?"
"There's a ruined portal one hundred and thirty eight blocks to the northwest of you. Would you like the exact coordinates?"
"Nah, I do better with general directions anyways. I'm sure I'll see it when we're close. For now though, you DO seem pretty useful so I'll take you along with me."
While you respond, you pick Verity up, keeping him in your off hand.
After punching down a few trees and crafting some basic stone gear, you feel ready enough to head to the portal Verity mentioned. While walking, you decide to try a couple other questions you could ask this 'all knowing' yellow ball.
"How do I craft a.... respawn anchor?"
"Oh! Thats three crying obsidian on the top and bottom of the crafting grid, with three glowstone blocks in the middle."
You figured it used crying obsidian but you'd never needed a respawn anchor before and had no reason to know how to make one.
The grass below your feet begins to look yellower and you look up. A grumble escapes you after realizing the biome you've wandered into. Gray bark and orange wooded trees with dry leaves that rustle in the sweltering wind were suddenly all around you.
"Ugh... Acacia. At least we aren't staying here."
"This savannah biome extends for the next one thousand one hundred and fifty one blocks!" Verity adds with an innocent grin.
"Greeaat. How awesoommee..."
Trudging on, you try to keep yourself distracted from your surroundings with more questions.
"Are there any pretty biomes around? Maybe somewhere to put a cute house?"
"Three hundred sixteen blocks to the east, there is a lake in a flower forest that is preferable to build next to! There are sheep, cows, and chickens within that area."
A flower forest! With water nearby! You begin to imagine the type of house you'd make. While you don't think you're THAT great of a builder, you still like to try, even if you only like building the same type of cottage every time.
Finally you come across the ruined portal, you know it isn't able to offer you very much, but you loot it's chest anyways. You grab a golden helmet, putting it on your head before continuing to rummage through the other more useless stuff. No need of any fire charges or pieces of obsidian, but you do take four golden carrots before shutting the lid of the chest.
"Alright! Now to head to that forest! Unless there's anything else around?"
You could swear for a second Verity's expression faltered, but maybe you're just tired and it's late.
"There's a village to the west, and one more to the south that's not worth going to."
More to the west would be more acacia. So you arent too keen on going that way. Although what does that mean? A village not worth going to? You think for a second, remembering the chance of abandoned villages sometimes spawning. Or maybe it's a village with like, two houses? Your curiosity is piqued, and now all you want to do is to see why exactly that village isn't worth going to.
"Not worth going to? Augh, now I have to go to it! You can't just tell me to not go somewhere in my own minecraft world and not expect me to want to go there!"
Verity is silent, and glancing over to him, you're sure of it... His smile isnt as big anymore. Probably for not following his advice, you figure. Whatever, it's not like this A.I. actually feels anything.
You turn towards the south, surprised you didnt see the hints of the village before. You see faint towers of smoke in the air buried within spruce treetops. It's closer than you originally thought, so you don't feel very troubled walking over to have a look.
Looking around the village, you feel uneasy. All the loot was still there, bread, apples, emeralds, hay bales, and other things, but there wasn't a single villager or animal in the village. It was completely empty, and what made you the most anxious was that all the doors were open, meaning that there HAD been villagers at one point in time. This made no sense to you. You literally JUST spawned in about fifteen minutes ago.
"Verity... What happened to all of the villagers?"
"They... left." Verity answers quietly, turning away from you.
"What? Why? What happened here, Verity?"
A moment passes with no answer. Hairs on the back of your neck stand as a cold breeze somehow blows against you. Verity's face is expressionless when he finally responds.
"...Something passed through."