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Spoke walked, and just walked, he wasn't even sure if there was a way out of this maze or not... His food was gone, and he felt like he was going to die right here and now. He had a few of notch apples, but he wanted to save them for emergencies only.
He paused for a moment. He looked up. It felt empty... He seemed— He'd been through worse than this, but losing Mapic's trust felt even worse.
He laughed, how ironic wasn't it? He was probably meant to be alone, he didn't deserve friends because— Who would want to put up with his bullshit anyway?
He tries to convince himself that he wants to be better, but his way of achieving that only adds bad to his name. His way will not be understood by anyone.
Honestly, did he even want to save the captured players...? It feels like he's using that excuse to justify and cover up the fact that he actually just wants to find Mapic.
When Mapic approaches them that time, Spoke wants to drop everything and just stop following a trail that leads to null and the captured players. But Mapic... Mapic wants to go and try to save the other players.
How could he refuse? When Mapic immediately disappeared from his sight again and simply told him to go to the coordinates he gave him and Jumper.
Spoke just wants Mapic back, but if he has to overcome the null's obstacles and save the captured players, then he will. And the leader of the Nulls also had business with him. Spoke wasn't stupid, he already had a guess as to who the leader of the Nulls was at that time.
He wanted to clear up some dirt on him.
But this is not the ending he wanted...
He felt like he was being strangled. Mapic's words kept repeating in his mind like a broken disc that couldn't be stopped, the more it repeats the smaller he feels and the worse it gets.
Spoke started walking again, he destroyed the leaves hoping that apples would drop and he could eat something to increase his energy to walk and run.
He stopped. He took a step back.
His heart pounded and dropped to his stomach. He felt panic starting to rise again. He had nothing now, and he could not imagine having to deal with another Null players.
The Nether portal was like the end of the world for Spoke.
He quickly turned around and tried to run as fast as he could. But what could he do when he was starving already?
"I'm out from hunger— no.. No– no, no, no."
Spoke muttered desperately, he still tried to run even though his legs were already giving out, he glanced back several times hoping he wouldn't be caught, even though he knew that it's just a desperate delusion coming from him.
When he glanced forward again, he was greeted by another nether portal. This made him take a step back, but on the other side he was also being chased by another null, he was trapped now.
He can't go anywhere.
"Please– please, please, please..." He's chanting like it's a prayer.
He tried a desperate attempt, he went to the center, only to be greeted again by another nether portal appearing. He tried to mine, to hide himself, he knew it was futile— But he.... He was just scared.
He even tried to push them away with his bare hands, he tried to put up his shield, take out his axe and put up a fight, even though his hands were shaking uncontrollably from fear and lack of energy.
He tried to bow, but even the arrow he tried to nock wasn't quite right with how much he was shaking. He kept taking a step back just to keep a safe distance from them.
Null Players don't even try to catch him anymore, Spoke is already cornered and he has nothing. He's just a pest at this point and a quick drop.
Another Portal appeared.
Jamato came out of the portal.
Spoke's eyes widened.
"Are you even surprised? It was always going to end like this?"
Jamato's voice echoed in the emptiness of the Maze. Spoke glanced at Jamato and Null beside him repeatedly. His heart felt like it was going to burst at any moment.
"Wh— Why... Why do this...? Why do any of this??"
Spoke asked, he tried to hide his trembling voice, at a time like this, he didn't want to show that he was on the verge of giving up.
Jamato started talking about things that triggered Spoke. About how Spoke is such a nuisance, that Jamato did all of this to bring him to Justice. Of how Spoke is still fighting and kills the Null, Jamato's soldiers.
"I mean— What did you expect?? You send soldiers to spawn to try to captured me?? You capture Mapic. Let's not forget that. You— You. You took them month, you took them weeks before you even attacked me. And you think i'm not going to just fight back against them??"
Spoke didn't stop there, his voice raised. "Of course I was going to kill them. And I was succesful. I killed– I killed one of you soldiers leader. I'm ready— I... I was ready to kill more."
Jamato stared at Spoke for a few moments with... Disgust? He seemed to be looking deep into Spoke's soul, and Spoke didn't like how exposed he felt.
Jamato revealed everything. That he used Mapic as bait to get Spoke to this point. That everything that happened to the rebels was Spoke's fault. It was all Spoke's fault. How they are now recaptured is a total mistake made by Spoke.
Ally, Dev, Planetlord, Dylan, Cookie, and now Jumper.
All the names that came out of Jamato's mouth only added to the burden and guilt that was like an endless void to Spoke. Spoke couldn't even hide that he was affected by Jamato's words. He couldn't hide that he was trembling, that he was afraid, that he— He was helpless.
"What— What i was supposed to do?! You infiltrated my team. You black mailed me!!"
Spoke raised his voice, a last ditch attempt to ask... Since when did everything go so wrong?
"How was i supposed to tell ANYONE?? How am i supposed to prevent this?? How is it— It was always going to end like this—!"
Spoke... He felt like burying himself right now and then. He felt so pathetic. He couldn't even hide the tears that were starting to form in his eyes.
Spoke's ears were ringing terribly– he couldn't fully hear Jamato. It felt like, even now, he was still denying that what he had done was entirely wrong. With Jamato's words going in one ear and out the other, Spoke doesn't need Jamato's words—
It wasn't until the last words finally pierced his soul.
"—Honestly, nothing i could ever fabricate is beter than the disaster you've created for yourself. You. Have Ruined your life. Better than I ever could have." Jamato pressed his finger on Spoke's shoulder, Spoke didn't even fight back, he just stayed silent as he get pushed back a little...
The four Null players on Jamato's side began to leave one by one, entering the portal, and when Jamato was about to leave as well, Spoke stopped him.
"Wait— Jamato... Are you going— Are you going to tell them what I've done...?"
Jamato glanced at Spoke slightly, "The better question is. How long do you think you can hide the truth?"
Jamato's voice echoed before his figure finally disappeared into the portal.
Leaving Spoke with a silence that seemed like it would kill him. With Jamato's questions and words now swirling in his mind alongside Mapic's... He destroyed the Nether portal and walked again...
After what felt like eternity, Spoke continued walking with a burden on his mind that he couldn't stop or control. He saw the– He saw the way out of the maze which seems to have no end.
At first he thought that he was hallucinating, or maybe it was a trap... But he— He had no other choice, he wanted to get out of here. But everything feels wrong.
It felt wrong for him to go alone... He should at least take Mapic... Or Jumper out with him. Maybe he should at least take both of them with him—... Would they even really do it if Spoke was the one doing it?
Jamato had definitely told them the truth and their trust in Spoke had melted and disappeared who knows where...
But no— Spoke. Spoke still wanted to get at least one of them out of here. He might sacrifice the Rebels, hundreds of players— But if he could save one of his friends... Then it's enough...
He walked back to the Maze, and he looked in the opposite direction... There he saw a very familiar figure. He didn't even realize that he was smiling when he saw that figure– Even though he actually knew that he had no right to do that...
He walked toward the figure, and sure enough, it was Mapic. It was his best friend. Mapic...
Spoke called him several times, a happy voice could even be heard in his tone, he felt hopeful– Even though Mapic had lost faith in him, Spoke could still save Mapic.
"Mapic– Mapic, Mapic. Listen, listen. I don't know who you've seen so far, but– But I found the exit. we, we can go, we can leave this place, we don't have a lot of time— He's here, He—"
Mapic cuts off Spoke's words. "Spoke."
"Jamato told me, that it wasn't Leo who tried to kill him. It was you. Bro, he told me everything." Mapic spoke, he frowned as he continued to walk closer to Spoke who continued to back away with a confused and scared expression.
"He told me everything."
Spoke's mind started spiraling again, he just wanted to get Mapic out of here. It doesn't matter about the truth. He just wants him safe. He wants them both to be safe.
"That's the most selfish thing you've ever done. Spoke." Mapic started to raise his voice.
"He's trying to turn you against me! I— I don't know what you're talking about– We. We can go." Spoke tried to change the subject, he just wanted Mapic to go with him and get out of here. He didn't let Mapic interrupt him and continued talking.
But to no avail, Mapic managed to cut him off again, "Bro– When you killed Jamato, we could have roamed the server for free bro, we could've explored, bro. BUT you had to have your pride moments with Leo."
Spoke's eyes widened, he stepped back again...
"You dragged us all back into this."
Spoke tried to get closer again, he tried to grab Mapic's shoulder only to be slapped away by him. "I— I couldn't, I couldn't have said that. If I told you. If I told you and Zam that i tried to killed Jamato, you would just turn against me there. BUT because of my decision, we were abale to go back to spawn, and I was able to finish off Leo. We don't have to worry about Leo. We got to go— Alright?–"
Spoke said everything he could to convince Mapic to go with him. "I– I don't know if we'll able to save the players, we can go back to them, I just– I just want to go back to spawn. I just want to see everyone again– Please. The EXIT is just down here!"
Mapic uses wind charges to block the way to his exit, and then uses a new armor set...
"Spoke, bro. I'm not letting you leave here, bro."
Spoke's eyes widened, he walked backwards and almost slipped. "No way you're doing this—"
And Mapic immediately lunged at him without warning, Spoke frantically grabbed his notch apples and ate it. "There's no way– You're actually insane."
Spoke tried to run from Mapic, it felt like his legs were torn off at that moment, but he didn't have time to think about that, he had to run away.
"You manipulated me this entire time. This entire time!" Mapic said as he continued to make new wounds on Spoke's skin using his sword.
"I MANIPULATED YOU??"
"You just did what you wanted me to do so I would be on your side, bro."
Spoke's armor didn't help and started to break down, making more wounds on his body, and blood started to pour from the cuts from Mapic's sword...
"MY CHESTPLATE, MY CHESTPLATE MAPIC—!" Spoke shouted– Not because of the pain his best friend was doing to him, but the worry of the armor given to him by the person who made him like this now.
Mapic didn't even flinch and continued to stab his sword into Spoke's body without mercy.
With that, the chestplate broke, and so did the last Apple notch. It's all gone, Spoke has nothing.
Spoke stared at Mapic, he clenched his fists, hiding that he was terrified at the moment, that he was in pain from the wounds Mapic had given him.
"Mapic. I have nothing left— I. I have no golden apples, i have no armor left..." Spoke said. His voice lowered. Spoke no longer had anything, not even a best friend or friend— That too was gone.
Why is he even still trying at this point...?
"Is this how you were thinking this would all end when you're manipulating me?? What was your goal?"
Those words were the last thing Spoke wanted to hear come out of Mapic's mouth. He never expected it to ever be said even.
Mapic stood before him, draped in the cold, unfamiliar shimmer of a new armor set. He looked like a stranger...
"Manipulating you...?" Spoke whispered, the word tasting like ash. "Are you serious...?"
A single tear carved a clean path through the grime on Spoke’s face. Then another. The sight made Mapic flinch, in two years of chaos, war, and everything, Spoke never break. To see him leaking sorrow was like watching a mountain crumble.
"Of course," Spoke laughed, a jagged, hollow sound that ended in a sob.
"Of course Jamato didn't want to kill me himself. That’s too clean for him. He wanted to watch the only person I ever cared about tear the heart out of me."
Spoke took a step forward, he get out of web Mapic put on him, to close the distance. And Mapic didn't reach for a sword. He just stood there, staring at Spoke.
"You think I wanted this?" Spoke’s voice cracked, rising in a desperate question.
"Why don't you ask that yourself, Spoke." Mapic said bitterly, his sword shaking in his hand. "You didn't even protect me! You made me a pawn in a game I didn't even know we were playing!"
"Then end the game, Mapic..."
Spoke’s voice went suddenly, terrifyingly calm. He looked up, his eyes brimming with a devastating honesty.
"Where is the exit? Just— Just go, Spoke." Mapic said quietly.
"I have nothing left. No apples, nothing. If you let me leave, I’ll just be a nobody wandering the server alone. Is that what you want? For me to live with the memory of your face looking at me with that much disgust?"
Mapic gripped his sword hilt until his knuckles turned white. "Just... go, Spoke. Get out of my sight. I’m not— I’m not doing this."
"No." Spoke stepped into the reach of the blade.
"You said I dragged everyone back into this. You said I ruined everything."
"I said go!" Mapic roared, stepping back, his eyes darting around as if looking for an exit from the conversation.
"I can't do anything without you, Mapic!" Spoke shrieked, the raw dependency finally baring its teeth. "I don't know how to breathe if you hate me! If you won't forgive me, then kill me! Give me that much of a mercy!"
Mapic shook his head, his expression twisting into a mask of horror. He began to lower the sword, his resolve buckling under the weight of their two-year history. "I won't. I'm leaving, Spoke. You have to live with what you've done."
Mapic turned to walk away.
"Mapic, wait!"
Mapic stopped, he turn around.
He felt a sudden, sharp weight hit— Spoke had lunged, not to attack. He had grabbed Mapic’s sword arm, his fingers digging into Mapic's wrist with a frantic, terrifying strength.
"If you won't do it," Spoke hissed into his ear, a frantic, broken prayer, "then lend me your hand, Mapic."
In one fluid, horrific motion, Spoke pull Mapic toward him. He threw himself forward while pulling Mapic’s sword arm, guiding the enchanted Netherite blade with expert precision.
The sound was sickening— the slide of metal through fabric and flesh.
Mapic gasped, spinning around as he felt the resistance give way. He looked down, his eyes widening in total, paralyzed shock. He was still holding the hilt, but the blade was buried deep in Spoke’s chest.
Spoke gasped, a spray of white blooming across his lips. He slumped forward, his forehead resting against Mapic’s shoulder, his hands weakly gripping Mapic's sleeves to keep himself upright.
"There," Spoke wheezed, a small, tragic smile flickering on his face. "Now... now you don't have to... worry about the lies anymore."
"Spoke? Spoke, no! Why— what did you do?!" Mapic’s voice broke into a high, panicked wail. He tried to pull the sword out, but Spoke’s hands tightened on his arms, holding the blade in place.
"It had... it had to be you," Spoke whispered, his voice fading into a rattle. "My last... selfish act. I didn't want to die... in a world where you... didn't look at me."
Spoke’s grip slackened. His knees hit the cold stone of the maze first, then his body slumped sideways, sliding off the blade that had been held by his best friend.
The death message flickered silently in the corner of the world, cold and indifferent to the wreckage left behind.
SpokeIsHere was slain by Mapicc
Mapic stood alone in the silence of the maze, the bloody sword heavy in his hand, staring at the spot where his best friend had finally stopped lying. The exit was right there, but for the first time, Mapic realized he had no idea where to go.
"Spoke?"
The name was a fragile thing, whispered into the oppressive gloom of the maze.
Mapicc dropped to his knees. He reached out, his hand hovering over Spoke’s still form. The death message was still burned into his retina, a permanent scar on the history of the server.
"No, no, no..." Mapicc’s voice hitched, a sob tearing through his throat.
He grabbed Spoke’s shoulders, pulling the limp body into his lap, heedless of the blood staining his pristine gear. "Spoke! Wake up, bro! This isn't— this wasn't the plan! You were supposed to leave! You were supposed to let me be mad at you!"
He shook him, a desperate, frantic motion, as if he could shake the life back into the heart he had just pierced.
He searched Spoke's face, the face that had lied to him, manipulated him, and.... cared for him. The eyes were open, staring at nothing...
Mapicc looked at his own hands. They were shaking so violently he couldn't hold himself steady.
He had been so angry. The fire in his chest had felt like it could burn down the entire world. He had wanted Spoke to feel the sting of betrayal, to feel the coldness of being alone. But he hadn't wanted this. He hadn't wanted to be the instrument of Spoke’s self-destruction.
"You idiot," Mapicc choked out, hot tears streaming down his face and dripping onto Spoke’s skin.
"You absolute, selfish idiot. You didn't even give me the chance to forgive you. You just... you forced me to kill you so I’d have to carry this forever."
He realized then the depth of Spoke's dependency.
Spoke hadn't just died because he was guilty, he had died because he couldn't endure a world where Mapicc looked at him with disgusted look...
Even in death, Spoke had manipulated the outcome— he had turned Mapicc into his killer, ensuring that Mapicc would never, ever be able to forget him.
It was the ultimate, twisted act of care...