Minecraft Story Mode: Darkness Rising

Chapter 8

"You don't want to do this," Lukas warned.  Aiden laughed.

"On the contrary, I want to do this very much," he said.  He dove forward, swinging his enchanted diamond sword with brutal force, but with a quick flick of Lukas's own enchanted sword he was able to block the stroke.

"Herobrine doesn't serve you! He doesn't serve anybody!"

"I don't need him to serve me! I just need him to kill Jesse!"

Aiden broke away before swinging his sword again. Lukas managed to block the stroke but he was pushed back several steps by the brute force behind the attack. He fended off several more attacks but could feel his strength fading fast.

He had to end this. Quickly.

He summoned the last of his strength and pushed forward with his sword, toppling Aiden to the ground.

"You've been beat, Aiden," Lukas said. "We can end this now, before someone gets hurt."

"You'll never know what it's like," Aiden growled. He struggled and Lukas pointed the sword point at his chest. "You can't even remember what it was like to be one of us."

"And you can't remember what it was like to care," Lukas retorted. "But you can still make the right choice."

"Oh, I plan to."

Aiden swung himself around, kicking Lukas's leg out from under him. As Lukas stumbled backwards he issued the fatal downward stroke. Lukas threw his own sword up to meet it.

The enchanted blade sliced neatly across Aiden's face.

Aiden's howl split the air as Lukas tumbled to the ground, unable to see Aiden but still able to hear him. He scrambled to his feet and turned to face Aiden, to apologize, but found himself unable to move with Aiden just beyond his line of sight.

"Looks like you children have gotten yourselves into trouble," Heronbrine's deep voice rumbled. "How awful. I do believe I'll have to separate you now."

Abruptly the invisible force which had held Lukas trapped evaporated. He turned, searching for Aiden or Herobrine, but they were both gone.

"Where's Jesse?" Lukas demanded. "I know you have her, Herobrine! Stop being such a coward!"

"You think I'm the coward?" Herobrine demanded. His voice thundered through the room, sending dust raining from the ceiling. "You don't know true terror. Stay, and I can educate you. Leave, and you will be spared. You don't deserve my time."

"I don't have time for your games! Show yourself!"

There was no reply to Lukas's shouted challenge. He stood trembling for a moment, then sank to the ground.  The sword slipped from his limp hand.

"I'm so sorry, Aiden . . ."

He hadn't meant to do it.  If he had the chance he would go back and change things.  He would undo the damage he'd caused.  It didn't matter that Aiden had summoned Herobrine.  They had been friends, once.  Maybe they could have been again.

But not if Lukas had destroyed his face.

How much damage had he even caused?  He hadn't seen, just a clumsy stroke as his arms pinwheeled for balance.  One, dumb, clumsy stroke that managed to connect with Aiden's face.

"Why did you do this?" he whispered.  "I don't get it.  Why are you so bitter?  We were friends.  I trusted you.  You saved my life, once . . ."

As the guilt and sorrow crept in, Lukas saw something move out of the corner of his eye.  He glanced down to watch as small, black particles drifted from his chest and into the air.

"Herobrine feeds off of pain and darkness," Ejess's words echoed through Lukas's mind.  "The longer you stay in there, the more you risk falling into despair.  And the more you fall into despair, the more power you give him, and he has over you."

"I have to keep it together," Lukas murmured.  He picked up his sword and pushed himself to his feet.  "I have to do this for Jesse."

He began walking in the direction Ejess had told him to go, leaving dark powdered footprints in the blood-red carpet behind him.