Safe

Ethan stood in the middle of the shattered room, panting as the dust settled around him. The battle was over. The mutant Wither had flown off into the dark void above, its wings carrying it away into the unknown. Ethan didn't know where it was heading, but for now, it was gone.

He pushed himself up from the debris-strewn floor, aching from head to toe. His muscles burned, his armor was battered, and his mind raced with what had just happened. The mutant had changed, evolved right before his eyes, and now it was something entirely different, something alive.

Shaking off the lingering fear, Ethan glanced around the destroyed chamber. The place was quiet now, eerily still. He noticed a figure on the floor near the far wall. The man in black, the one who had sent the mutants after him, laying on the floor. Ethan cautiously approached, gripping his sword tightly, ready for anything.

As he got closer, he saw what had happened. The man's chest was torn open, a gaping hole where his heart should have been. Blood stained the ground around him, but there was no life left in his eyes.

So the Wither Mutant killed him… and took his heart to become even stronger, Ethan thought, piecing together what had happened. The man had created the monsters, but in the end, his own creation had turned on him. The irony wasn't lost on Ethan.

He turned to leave, when a weak sound came from behind him. Ethan froze, gripping his sword tightly as he looked back. The man was still alive, barely. He lay there, coughing up blood, but his lips curled into a twisted smile.

"Haha… in the end, it's my own creation that betray me," the man muttered, his voice faint but with amusement.

Ethan walked back toward him, a look of disgust crossing his face. "Good for you. If it wasn't him, I'd be the one to finish you off," Ethan said coldly, raising his sword.

The man laughed, a hollow, broken sound. "I'm already dead, you fool… Haha, you can't kill what's already dead."

Ethan didn't believe him. He was still moving, still talking. Without hesitation, Ethan drove his sword through the man's skull. The blade pierced his head with a sickening crunch, but even then, the man's laughter didn't stop. It echoed in the crumbling room.

"You may have defeated me," the man said, his voice weakening, "but… he… he will kill you."

Ethan's grip tightened on his sword. "Who?" he demanded. "Who's going to kill me?"

The man's eyes rolled back as his final breath escaped him. "He… Her… ro…," he sputtered, his words fading into nothing. His body crumbled to dust before Ethan's eyes, leaving only silence.

Ethan cursed under his breath, pulling his sword free and stepping back from the pile of ash. "Damn it… it's the same as that necromancer," he muttered. "So, it really is Herobrine behind all this. If it weren't for him, I'd already be at the End by now."

He glanced around the ruined chamber, frustrated but alive. His plan to fight the Ender Dragon and escape this world was now more uncertain. Herobrine... who knew what else he was capable of? What if the Ender Dragon was stronger than in the game? What if Herobrine had make change on it too?

The thought playing in him, but he knew he had to be cautious. He couldn't rush into the End unprepared. Not after everything he'd just been through. I can't take any more risks like this, he thought.

Ethan pulled out his map and compass, taking a moment to calm himself. His base wasn't too far from the stronghold, but it not he dont even know where he is now... He looked down at his armor, the dents and cracks making it clear that he wasn't in any shape to take on the Ender Dragon. His weapon had seen better days too, its edge chipped and dull from the relentless battles he'd faced.

"I have to go back" Ethan decided.

His eyes drifted to the now empty room. Ethan took one last look at the pile of dust that had once been the man who created the mutants. "If Herobrine is behind this… then I need to be stronger," he whispered to himself.

He sheathed his sword and turned toward the exit. His body was tired, but his mind was focused. As much as he wanted to keep moving forward, retreating to his base was the only option that made sense. He couldn't fight the unknown with broken armor and a dull sword.

The journey back to his base was a long one. It was far from his base, and each step weighed on him more than the last. His thoughts raced as he moved, replaying the battle in his mind. The Mutant had grown stronger by consuming the fiery Phantom and the Explosive Skeleton. It had transformed into something more human, something that could think and act on its own. It same with The vampire he kill before.. but this new evolved mutant is far stronger.

Ethan stopped for a moment, pulling out his water bucket and taking a small sip. The cool liquid refreshed him slightly, but the exhaustion was still there. He wiped the sweat from his brow and continued walking following the compass and map direction. He needed to reach his base fast, before anything else could find him.

The path back was familiar but eerie. There were no mobs, no sounds but his own footsteps echoing through the tunnels. It was as if the world itself had gone quiet, waiting for something to happen.

As he walked, he mentally went over his next steps. He need repair his armor, sharpen his sword, gather more supplies, and maybe enchant his gear further. He needed every advantage he could get if he was going to face the Ender Dragon—and Herobrine.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Ethan saw the familiar landscape of his base. The snow-covered mountain stood in the distance.

He felt a sense of relief wash over him as he quickened his pace, eager to get inside and hide. But even as he neared the safety of his fortress, the memory of the Wither Mutant's red eyes and Herobrine's looming presence weighed heavily on him.

This isn't over, Ethan thought as he reached the entrance of his base.