Puniceus

POV: You are married to Technoblade and live together in a cottage in a forest. The first big snow of the winter means you are forced to stay indoors.

The first thing you sensed when you awoke was the deep rumbling of Technoblade’s snores. You blinked, eyes adjusting in the dim light as you turned to him. He was still blissfully asleep. His long, pink hair was fanned out around him, and he had one arm that was resting on top of the blanket. You could trace out the outline of his muscles on that arm, built from years of training and swordsmanship.

You were curious to see what time it was. Cautiously, you untangled yourself from the blankets. The chill of the room hit you immediately. Nevertheless, you quickly tiptoed towards the window to peek outside the curtains. The sky was starting to become a light colour, illuminating the natural scenery outside. The two of you lived in an isolated cottage, tucked away in an abandoned taiga forest. Rather than the usual dark green shrubbery, you could see a thick layer of snow had coated everything in a dusting of pristine white. Smaller snowflakes continued to drift gently from the sky. It was a snow day. That meant no chores, no work for the day.

You quickly made your way back to the bed and snuck into the comforting warmth of the bed. You adjusted Technoblade’s arm so that it was under the blanket again. His skin radiated heat. Holding his arm in your hands, you fell asleep again.

--

You must have fallen into a deep sleep, because by the time you roused again, it was already past noon. The space next to you was empty, but you could smell something savoury coming from the kitchen. Technoblade must already be downstairs and awake.

As you got dressed and made your way down, you could see he was preparing fresh toast. There was also something bubbling away in a pot on the stove.

“Good morning [Name], or should I say good evening?” He teased.

“Good evening.” You replied. You walked up to him and wrapped your arms around his waist, resting your head against his back. “I suppose you’re making brunch?”

“Yeah, I don’t want to make anything too complicated. I only woke up a bit before you.”

When the toast was ready, he set it onto two matching plates. The pot was full of leftover soup you had cooked yesterday, Techno was just reheating it. He poured the soup into bowls, which the two of you carried over to the dining table.

“Did you sleep well last night?” You asked him, dipping the toast into the soup.

“Like a baby.” He replied.

You looked out the window to see that it was still snowing. Your husband followed your gaze.

“Yeah, I figured it was going to snow one of these days. Winter is coming.” He commented.

“Is that going to be a problem?” You asked.

“Nah, it should clear in a few days.”

Since the two of you lived in such a remote area, you would get groceries and supplies from the small town nearby. In sunny weather, it would take a whole day to get there, finish shopping, and come back. Sometimes the snow meant you wouldn’t be able to travel there. Regardless, whether you were going into town or staying in the cottage, you didn’t mind as long as Techno was by your side.

The two of you ate contentedly, finishing your meal in comfortable silence.

Technoblade carried the dirty plates over to the sink. The two of you worked together, clearing the kitchen and washing the dishes. You hummed a sweet tune, which Technoblade didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m going to polish my swords.” He said when you were finished. You didn’t stop him. While you didn’t want your husband to be working on what you considered a break day, you knew that working on his swords was one of his treasured hobbies that brought him great joy.

That left you with a few hours to burn before dinner. You walked over to the large bookshelf that decorated your living room. Several of the books belonged to Technoblade, they were about war strategies and mythology, but several of the books belonged to you as well. You picked one book that was part of a series you were currently reading and carried it with you to the bedroom.

Then, you folded the blankets, propping one against the wall to create a comfortable seat. You arranged the pillows, as well as some of yours and Technoblade’s clothing, to form some sort of nest. You crawled into your carefully constructed haven, pulling the largest remaining blanket over your body as you settled the book in your lap and turned on the reading light.

You remained that way for a few hours, until a rough hand on your shoulder startled you.

“Must be a pretty interesting read, you didn’t even hear me coming in.” Technoblade laughed.

You chuckled in return. “It was, want to join me?” You lifted the large blanket that was covering you, creating a space for him.

It was like you read his mind. With a practiced ease, he slid into the bed beside you, adjusting his body so that he was lying down and pulling the blanket over himself.

“Are you taking a nap?” You teased.

“Sword sharpening is hard work…”

With that, he curled an arm over your waist. You wanted to keep reading, but for now, you admired the lovely sight of your partner, completely relaxed beside you.  

Guys... after literal months of procrastinating, I designed my own OC for the glorious OWYLAM fic by @uunoia. I was too scared to post art on tumblr but here goes ig 💔

Gonna be working on more writing soon, and possibly alternate versions of my OC for other works

This was basically me for the past few months

You can read Part 1 here

More shenanigans in the labyrinth

I mean this with my whole soul when I said the first part was meant to be a oneshot, but people kept asking for a part 2 so here it is 💀 posting before I think its bad and procrastinate again

2.3k words

It had been about 2 weeks since you had first entered the labyrinth. At least, that was your estimate based on the number of meals you had.

It was a bizarre situation, truly. The place that you had once truly considered to a death sentence had now become a place for you to rest and recover. It was enough of a surprise to discover that the feral hog monster was actually an intelligent shapeshifter, it was even more of a surprise that the supposed monster liked you enough to keep you alive.

You were sitting at said monster’s kitchen table right now, eating a dish of mashed potatoes. Technoblade, in his human form, sat across from you. His meal looked the same as yours, but you knew it wouldn’t be enough for someone his size.  

“Hey,” you said. “I’d like to explore the labyrinth by myself today.”

Technoblade looked up from his pile of food. “…Why?”

“I just can’t help but feel like there must be a more efficient way of getting out.” You replied.

The look on his face was doubtful.

“At the very least,” you continued, “I’m getting bored of staying in the house all the time.”

“You might run into one of the other tributes.” Technoblade said matter-of-factly.

The tributes -better described as sacrifices -were supposed to serve as entertainment, and food, for Technoblade. While you had been tossed in with nary a tool or supply, others may have entered for glory. They would have brought a weapon. Someone like yourself, who had never had any combat training, wouldn’t stand a chance.

But then again, the glory-seeking types were few and far between. After the first few years of the labyrinth being used, it had become clear that no one could survive the wrath of Technoblade.

Except you.

All the tributes in the labyrinth nowadays would have been entered against their will.

You were broken from your thoughts at the sound of a clattering fork. The man stood next to you now, towering over you. Technoblade hooked his pointer finger under your chin, gently tilting your face upwards. With his thumb, he wiped a trace of crumbs from your lips. Your breath caught in your throat.

“You can go. Keep yourself safe.” He said, red eyes boring into yours.

With that, he turned and plucked his pickaxe from the table. He swung it casually over his shoulders and headed out the door.

You sat at the kitchen table for a moment, feeling the hotness on your cheeks. Had you been blushing? Had he noticed?

Ever since he had brought you to his cabin and made the outrageous claim of wanting a wife, your mind had ping-ponged between panic and relief. On one hand, the man that had found you and walked with you, that had treated you with more dignity than anyone in your life had before, that you had been starting to consider as a friend, was also a bloodthirsty monster.

But then, he had decided to spare you.

But then, he was also weirdly possessive.

But then, he could give you a better life.

Ugh.

You groaned to yourself, then looked at your plate again. One thing was for sure, if you wanted to eat something other than potatoes, you had to get yourself out of the labyrinth. Exploring the maze on your own would be a good start on that.

You packed yourself another cooked potato and a water canister, stuffing the supplies into an old jacket that Technoblade had loaned you. Heading out of the cabin, you set off in a direction you hadn’t gone before. You weren’t afraid of getting lost –Technoblade would follow your scent and bring you home.

Home… Was that what this place had become to you now? This dilapidated old cottage in the middle of an underground prison? There were some benefits, sure. The company was better, for one. Your own parents wanted nothing to do with you, which explained you being sacrificed to the labyrinth. In the few days you had spent with Technoblade, he had made whatever meals he could from scavenged ingredients, crafted boots to replace your flimsy sandals. Wrapped his cloak around your shivering form…

Your thoughts were interrupted by a sudden noise. The path ahead turned sharply to the right. Whatever made the sound must have been just around the corner.

You braced yourself.

A face peeked around the wall.

You stood in place, resisting the urge to step back. The face belonged to a middle-aged man. He was dressed in a ragged brown tunic and pants. His blonde hair, cropped slightly below shoulder length, was greasy and covered in soot.

Another sacrifice.

This was the first time you had encountered another person in the labyrinth. Mostly because you hadn’t ventured far from the cabin.

And also because Technoblade had been killing the other sacrifices.

You didn’t want to think about it. That the same man that had carried you so gently had been ruthlessly killing the others.

The blonde man gripped against the corner of the wall with one arm. You stared at each other in a tense silence before the façade slipped and he collapsed to the floor.

You looked at him in pity. He would be dead if Technoblade had found him.

Perhaps that was why you had crouched down beside him. You even passed him a cooked potato. His eyes squinted in suspicion, before gratefully taking the food and eating it.

After a few bites, he began to speak.

“Thank you, you didn’t have to share with me.” He whispered.

“I figured you would like some comfort before your death.” You replied.

The man chuckled. “My name’s Phil, by the way. I’m the one that designed this labyrinth.”

Your eyes widened. “You? You’re the famous inventor that saved the city?”

He nodded slightly. “Less saviour, more like delayed a problem.”

“Why would they throw you, of all people, into the labyrinth?”

“I couldn’t find a cure for the king’s wasting condition, so they threw me in here, as punishment.”

“Oh…”

An awkward silence settled between the two of you.

“Ambitious of you, to sneak in food.” Phil commented.

“I brought water too,” you said, feeding into the misconception. You passed your canister to him, hoping to build rapport. As he drank, you decided to keep pressing him.

“If you were the one that built the labyrinth, do you know any way to get us out?”

Phil rubbed his hand over his stubbled chin as he thought.

“I don’t think so. Perhaps if we make markings on the wall and use a process of elimination, I could guide us to an exit gate, but it’s no use. The monster would have found us by then, and we would be…” He dragged a finger across his neck, miming a slit throat.

You frowned.

“Guess I did too good of a job.” He muttered half-heartedly.

“What if we could distract the monster?”

“Distract? That beast won’t be fooled by petty tricks. He’s too good of a hunter. The only way would be if you used yourself as bait, and we ran in different directions. But then, you would be as good as dead.”

“He hasn’t killed me yet.” You whispered.

“Only because he hasn’t found you.”

You pondered telling this man the truth. That he had found you. That you had been sleeping in the same bed for the past 2 weeks.

Technoblade had said he was betrayed. Could Phil have been involved, back then?

“I’ve been inside his house.” You revealed carefully. “I know when he is and isn’t home. If you need supplies, I could bring them…”

Phil seemed to take the bait. “Right. Well I’ll need food and water to last several days. I need paper, and ink, to draw a map. If we want any chance of fighting the guards at the gate, I’ll need weapons.”

“And if I get you these without Technoblade knowing, you’ll be able to lead us out?”

“Depends on the tools you give me. I’ll be honest, it doesn’t look very likely…”

 Another silence. You made the realization a second after Phil.

“How do you know the monster’s name?” Phil asked.

 …

There’s no getting yourself out of this lie.

“I don’t know… How do you know the monster’s name?” You replied weakly.

“I asked first. Explain yourself, kid.”

You sucked in a breath. “Long story short, I think he’s keeping me around for entertainment. I thought he was a hero, at first. Then I told him stories about different myths I’d heard, and he seemed pleased enough with those to keep me alive. I’ve been eating his food and living at his house.”

“That’s still-”

“Your turn!” You interrupted Phil’s protests. “How do you know him?”

“Extremely long story. But that’s beside the point. What I’m getting from your story is, he tolerates you, even likes you, far more than other humans. If we use this to our advantage, we might actually have a fighting chance.”

--

You left Phil in a room of the labyrinth that came equipped with a water basin. You had made additional trips to give him some food and other items he requested, hoping that Technoblade wouldn’t notice these missing from his house.

You sat alone at Technoblade’s kitchen table. You knew he had come home when you heard the front door creaking. There was a patch of red on his shirt.

“Welcome home!” You said cheerfully.

Technoblade grunted in response. His eyes darted lazily across the room.

He shouldn’t notice anything, right?

In a second, he was right in front of your face, crouching down to your eye level.

“You smell different.”

He said it calmly, but it seemed that Technoblade had a way of making everything he did seem intimidating. Or maybe it was the guilt you felt for going behind his back.

“You met someone when you went out.” He stated.

“I did.” You replied coolly. There was no point lying to Technoblade. It was all you could do to keep your heartrate under control.

“Did you get hurt?” He said, eyes softening.

Huh?

You watched Technoblade lifted your arm and turned it over, looking for scratches. Then he looked at your legs, and walked around your chair to survey your back. There were some minor bruises on your skin, but those seemed to appear out of nowhere. You had not been in a fight.

“I’m… fine. Thank you.” You said as Technoblade took a seat at the table. The atmosphere became much more relaxed.

“Did you…?” You wanted to ask about how he had spent the day, but it was pretty clear what he had been doing. At least he wouldn’t be hungry anymore.

You changed tact instead. “Actually, how is that tunnel you’ve been working on?”

Technoblade seemed crestfallen at your question. There had been a quiet tension bubbling in the house. You knew, instinctually, that Technoblade couldn’t escape the labyrinth. Phil had made that even clearer today –the maze was designed to keep even the smartest and strongest creature in the kingdom, controlled. When Technoblade had first met you, he had said some throwaway line about mining a straight tunnel through the stone walls of the maze, but with how expansive the labyrinth was, that would surely take decades.

“It’s going fine.” Technoblade said, finally.

There was a beat of silence.

“Do you-”

“I’ll get myself cleaned up. Go to bed.”

Normally, you would have listened, but something about your encounter with Phil had emboldened you today.

“No.”

“Eh?” Technoblade seemed genuinely stunned by your confidence.

“Look, I know you’ve been treating me the best you can, ever since we met, but I’m sick of pretending there isn’t a problem with the way we’re living. I don’t even know what time of the day it is, and you’re telling me to go to bed?”

When Technoblade remained silent, you took that as your cue to continue.

“I’m bored, Technoblade! Haven’t you noticed that I’ve run out of stories to tell you? Every day, it’s sleep, eat, walk around the labyrinth, repeat. I don’t think I can keep doing this. Either we find a way out, or I die here, like I was destined to do, from the start.”

“Stop that.”

He was gritting his teeth. Your comments had definitely struck a chord.

“We need to find an escape route! We can’t keep wasting away for the rest of our lives here! At least, I don’t want to-”

“ENOUGH!” He snarled. His hands gripped the table. His form was shifting, morphing, growing into something inhuman.

“You think I haven’t tried to escape? To hope? To want a better life? This maze, this whole place is designed to keep me trapped.”

His enlarged hands gripped at his face. You could see, clearly, the exhaustion in his eyes.

You protested. “I think I found a way out today. If we work together-”

“Look, even if you found the exit, I can’t survive out there. The kingdom would stop at nothing to hunt me down. They treat me like a monster. I am a monster. I’m dangerous. I’m not one of them, one of you.”

He was shaking, but it seemed that already, he was trying to control his outburst. You were going to do something stupid.

You walked towards him and placed a hand on his cheek.

The gentle touch seemed to calm him, and he shifted back into his human form.

“Why are you trusting me? I could kill you in a second.”

“You’re not a monster. You’re much kinder than the people I’ve lived with in the past.”

“That’s not…”

“Who do you think is crueler? The one that wants to fit in? Or the ones that would build a giant prison and send in innocent sacrifices?”

Technoblade had gone quiet again.

“We’ll go to sleep, but in the morning, promise you’ll hear me out on my idea.”

He grunted in agreement.

Later, the two of you laid side by side on his bed. The room was dark. His hand searched for yours.

Some headcanons:

He lives near the adventurer's guild and is good friends with Marlon

His loved gifts include gold (ofc) and most weapons

A liked gift could be the guide to combat book

Basically the Greek myth about the minotaur but Technoblade is the monster. I wonder how this will turn out?

Oneshot

2.5k words

Today would be the day you die.

That was what you thought as you stood at the entrance of an imposing doorway, almost twice your own height. The doors were locked shut by a large metal sliding lock, and two of the king’s guards stood on either side.

The door was said to lead to a labyrinth, a cold unforgiving prison designed to keep in the half man, half pig hybrid that had once ravaged your nation.

You’d heard that the monster was strong enough to beat one hundred armed soldiers alone in combat, leaving battlefields and cities soaked in blood as he went on an uncontrolled rampage. It was only through the careful effort of the king and queen, along with a skilled inventor, that they were able to lure him into his prepared prison where he resided until today.

To keep the beast entertained in his elaborate jail cell, every few years, nine young men and nine young women were to be sacrificed. Tossed into the labyrinth to be hunted by the monster.

You were one of those sacrifices.

You yelped as the guard leading you tugged on your rope. It was connected to a metal collar around your neck and you couldn’t help but move forward. The other guards unlocked the door and opened it just wide enough for your body to slip through, before promptly pushing you inside. They tossed the rope in with you.

The last sliver of the outside world disappeared as they slammed the heavy doors behind you.

You observed your surroundings. You seemed to be in a dark tunnel, possibly underground, sparsely lit by old torches. The floor was rough and dusty. The walls towered over you and were too smooth for you to climb.

You wondered if you should wait by the door for when they let in the next sacrifice but that would take several days. It was the guards’ way of stretching out the fun for the monster, or else everyone would be killed at the same time, barely sating the beast’s bloodlust.

You shivered, both from the thought and from the chill creeping into your skin. The white sacrificial cloth and sandals that they had dressed you in did little to protect you from the cold. The only way to keep warm would be to move.

Your footsteps echoed as you walked through the abandoned tunnels. Every time the tunnels split, you chose the path to your right. Not that it mattered – the labyrinth was designed to fool even the smartest humans. The stone all looked the same under the darkness, so there were no visual cues to follow. The pathways were also confusing, sometimes turning at right angles, sometimes at sharp, narrow angles. Sometimes, the walls curved gently, leading you down a winding path that had you feeling like you were walking in circles. Not to mention the floor sloped up and down, and you actually groaned when you saw stairs. No doubt there were multiple levels to this labyrinth. It was designed so no one should be able to escape. The sunlight was also completely blocked out, meaning you would have no sense of time.

Sometimes you thought you heard footsteps, or even hoof steps behind you. It would send you into a panic, but when you looked around, you didn’t see anyone. Most likely it was the monster, but it also could have been the echoes of your own footsteps.

After a few hours, you heard dripping water. You decided to follow it to see if you could find a water source.

You entered an open room surrounded by moss and algae. Near the opposite wall, there was a stone basin where water was collected from a dripping pipe. You rushed forward and collapsed in front of the basin in relief. You scooped the water into your mouth, not caring if it was clean or not. Then you rubbed water over your face and body to cleanse yourself of the dust that had gathered on the skin.

It was only then that you realized how tired your feet were. This was as good a place as any to rest. You laid down on the stone and drifted off to sleep.

You awoke to the sound of footsteps and quickly perked up. Standing a few meters away from you was a man wearing an animal skull on his head. Long, pink hair draped behind his back, coarse and tied into a loose braid. The dark atmosphere of the labyrinth made him even more intimidating.

The empty eye sockets of the skull mask seemed to bore into your soul.

“Who are you?” You asked.

He rolled his neck, toned muscle peeking out from the top of his shirt. “Who do you think I am?”

“Are you a hero?”

He seemed surprised at your answer. You felt his demeanor shift, from imposing to curiosity, though he stayed silent.

 “I mean, your clothes look a lot better quality than mine, so you’re clearly not a sacrifice. And you also look strong- I’ve heard of heroes wanting to kill the hog beast that lives in this labyrinth, so maybe you’re the first one to make it in?” You stumbled over your own words. You hoped this man wouldn’t kill you out of pure annoyance.

To your relief, he seemed happy about your answer.

“Yeah… Sure, I guess you could say I’m a warrior.”  

His voice, deep and husky, sent shivers down your spine. You tried not to let it show.

He walked closer to you and offered his hand. Graciously, you took it. His fingers were thick and calloused, but they wrapped gently around your delicate ones as he helped you stand. You brushed off some dust that had collected on your robes.

“Great, do you have a plan to get us out of here?” You asked.

He put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. “I want to get more information about the… monster. What do you know about him?”

“Well,” you started, eager to be helpful. “They say that the monster is strong enough to best one hundred men in battle. He’s got an insatiable thirst for blood. He kills to eat, but he also kills for fun. Parents would tell their kids that the labyrinth monster would kidnap and eat them if they were misbehaving.”

He scoffed. “Well, maybe he wouldn’t be eating them if they weren’t so damn annoying.”

You were shocked. “Wait, does he really eat children?”

“Nah, just gives them a good scare. Children don’t have enough meat on their bones to be worth it.” He laughed like it was a morbid joke. “And he usually only starts fights with those that provoke him first. If he kills someone, it’s for a reason.”

“Sounds like you know more about the monster than me.” You commented.

“Ah, well, that’s just hearsay you get from travelling. It’s all old news. He might be a bit crazier now.”

“Yeah, I suppose spending years in this labyrinth would make anyone go insane.” You spoke.

He stretched his arms, grunting. “Alright, looks like our best plan is to keep going through the labyrinth. See if we can find more information-”

Your stomach grumbled.

Right, you hadn’t eaten in a whole day.

You tried to play it off, but the man hit you with an amused smirk.

“Hungry?”

You glared at him. “I’ve had nothing but water since entering this place.”

The man dug around his pockets and handed you a single cooked potato. It was still warm. You looked at him, confused.

“Eat up. We can’t move if you’re starving.”

--

The two of you spent some time in that chamber. He told you his name was Technoblade, and you told him yours in return. He watched you intently as you chewed through the potato with nothing but your teeth and hands, as if you were a fascinating specimen on display.

Once your hunger was sated, the two of you took a few last sips of water, then began exploring the rest of the labyrinth. Technoblade made you lead the way while he followed behind. He seemed completely at ease, which made you feel relaxed as well.

"Do you think you're strong enough to slay to monster?" You asked after you had been walking in silence for a while.

He barked out a laugh at your question. "Yeah, I'd say we're about the same strength."

When you became cold from the creeping chill of the dark labyrinth, he placed his thick cape on your shoulders. “I’m used to the cold.” He said. You were immensely grateful. The fabric was high quality and bordered with soft fur, finer than anything you’ve ever worn your whole life.

On the off chance you came across a water source, you would take the opportunity to rest. Technoblade asked about your life before coming into the labyrinth. Truth be told, your family was poor, and you had to steal to survive. That meant you were labelled as a criminal, one of the best categories of people to be used as a sacrifice.

Sensing that you were uncomfortable talking about your living conditions, he asked more about the stories you were told as a child, apart from the labyrinth monster. You told him about forest nymphs, legendary knights and princesses, witches, seers, three-headed dragons and sirens. He listened intently to your stories, as if entranced, and you even continued narrating when the two of you started moving again.

When your feet became too sore to continue walking, and there was no water source to use as an excuse, you would sit, back resting against the wall. It seemed that Technoblade never got tired. By the third time you wanted to rest like this, he became impatient, scooping you up in his arms bridal style like you weighed nothing, despite your protests.

“Put me down! You’ll use up all your energy!” You cried.

“It’s no burden on me, as long as you keep telling me that story about the cyclops.” He chuckled.

You were too tired to fight against him. You rested your head against his chest, seeing there was nowhere else to lean it. Eventually, you fell asleep to the rhythmic movement of his walking.

--

When you woke, you were resting on a soft bed. Next to you, there was a wooden wall. A cozy lamp hung from the ceiling. There was even a bedside table where a glass of water was placed, waiting for you. Was that sunlight coming through the window? It seemed like you were inside someone’s cabin.

Wait - weren’t you just in the labyrinth?

Did Techno save you? That would be the only reason why you were somewhere safe and warm. Did he slay the monster? Oh no, what if he was injured?

Your mind rushed with hundreds of possibilities.

“Technoblade?” You called out, cautiously. Your voice sounded meek and pathetic.

When there was no reply, you stepped out of the bed and walked across the room.

“Techno?” You called again.

This time he appeared, his large frame entirely blocking the doorway. He had removed his skull mask. His face was littered with a few battle scars, and you could see two tusks protruding from his mouth. His eyes were an unnaturally bright shade of red, twin rubies that drew all your attention.

Regardless, you were glad to see him. You rushed forward and wrapped your arms around his torso.

He seemed pleased with your reaction. “You called, darling?”

You smiled at him, even ignoring the nickname. “Where are we?”

“We’re in the pig-monster’s house.”

“Wait -huh?” Your confusion was evident. You tried to pull away, but Technoblade’s strong hands gripped your arms, holding you in a vice grip against his body. 

“When the labyrinth was built, they built it around the monster’s house while he was sleeping.” He began to explain. “It was clever, real clever. They started with a thick chain net to cover the house. Then they build a wooden fence around it. Outside the wood, there was obsidian, then end stone, creating a wall that would take even the beast a long time to break through with his bare hands. Outside of that, they built a maze of pathways at rapid speed, caging the monster for years.”

“Then we need to get out of here! The monster could return at any time!”

“Ah, wait.” He shushed you. “The ‘monster’ has already returned.”

You froze. He couldn’t possibly mean that.

You looked up at him. His eyes were glowing with anticipation. He was smiling, but to you, it looked like he was baring his teeth. Those tusks were probably sharp enough to tear your skin-

You tried to push past him, tried to sneak into that little gap between his body and the doorframe so you could escape.

“Let me go!” You shrieked.

To your surprise, he actually did loosen his grip. It was enough for you to go running into the hallway, past the menacing weapons that hung on the wall, and into the foyer. You fumbled with the lock on the door leading outside.

“Silly human, you won’t be able to outrun me!” His deep voice reverberated through the walls, but he was taking his time, as if he was amused by your escape attempt.

You got the door open, and stumbled into a potato patch. Dirt covered the white cloth hugging your body and your knees ached with pain, but you couldn’t stop. You pushed forward, jumped through the enormous hole that had been made in the wooden fence, then passed the obsidian and stone layers, tumbling into a dark tunnel again.

But you couldn’t give up now.

You began running blindly down the tunnel. Behind you, you could hear footsteps, hoof steps closing in.

Strong claws grasped the back of your robes, lifting you effortlessly into the air.

The monster, Technoblade, spun you around to face him. His body had morphed, turning him into a giant, bipedal hog with tusks like knives on his face. His red eyes glowed. It would have been enough to make the most experienced warriors cower in fear.

“I must admit, the chase was fun. It seems like you’ve still got some fight in ya.” He growled.

“I- I trusted you!” You said accusingly. Tears were starting to form in your eyes.

As if reacting to your tears, he lowered you so your feet were touching the ground, though his hands still remained twisted around the fabric of your robes. You were facing the dark tunnel again, with your back to him.

“Do you see that?” He said, leaning over you and nodding his tusks toward the darkness. “I figured, if I can’t find a path out of this labyrinth, then I might as well go through it. I’ve created a tunnel that goes straight through the walls. Soon enough, we’ll be out of here.”

We?

That meant he wasn’t going to kill you… yet.

“I’m thinking I’ll build a nice home, hidden far away from the humans. I’ve learned they can be quite a… nuisance when they work together.”

You gulped.

“But, living in this labyrinth has taught me about the burden of loneliness. I’m thinking I’d like to have a little wife to keep me company.”

With that, he scooped you up into his arms, carrying you bridal style.