I think he's ready now.
Day One: ZedaphPlays
Happy Hermit-a-Day May 2026! Zedaph's day! We'll see how many days I get through!
Writing also under the cut!:
When he was there, in its clutches, at its mercy—he was a mush of himself and what he wasn't. He knew its plans, because it bothered to share them with him—far before it gave the others instructions. He knew that it was only doing those awful things to get back at entities called Watchers. And he felt–
Zedaph felt so much.
It was overwhelming, just how much the Being—Echo—had shoved into his heart.
He suddenly felt like he'd failed the ones who raised him; but his family was a caring herd, even if they weren't the most progressive.
He suddenly felt like maybe he wasn't doing something right– he felt like he should be doing worse– he felt like the Hermits deserved everything they got. He wanted to pull them apart, he wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, he needed to prove himself—
But it wasn't Zed.
Zed was controlled, he loved his fellow Hermits. They didn't deserve any of what it did to them. He didn't want to hurt any of them, and he knows he did, because he couldn't help but move his body when it commanded him.
He hurt Ren. He hurt Doc. He hurt everyone.
But it wasn't Zed.
It was Echo. The Being, the Entity. It got into his head. And yet...
He can't help but still blame himself. He went up to Echo, he made those deals.
Zedaph hurt his friends. Not any kind of possession, Zed did.
And he's so, so afraid right now.
So much has happened—it's a new season, Season 10. But it followed them. It came back, and they're all hurting again.
He doesn't want to believe it, but it's all in his face. There's so much proof, but it almost doesn't feel real. He wants to shove the Being into a box and shove that into a corner of his mind. He wants to stop being hurt by it, he wants to stop being so pathetic about every reminder he gets of it. He wants to forget.
But Wels and Beef came back without Jevin. Skizz left Impulse dying, and didn't turn back. Impulse died in Zed's arms, in the dead of night, and how can they be fully sure he's okay? And now– xB returned from the Nether, without his excursion group—False, Doc, Cub, Mumbo, Keralis.
What is he supposed to think?
And now Joel?
He wants to do something. He used to know Echo. Zedaph used to be able to brave explosions and dragons and evil counterparts with smiles. Now he just feels scared.
All because of a stupid, green entity.
He is so done.
He isn't under Echo's influence, but it feels like it sometimes. Sometimes he still feels them, whatever they left in him, in the back of his mind.
He wants to be done with it all. And he wants his friends back. He wants to be safe again.
He wants to make up with Ren.
He wants to trust people, to not feel like a ticking time bomb of anxiety.
He wants to help the server, he wants to let Joel help everyone.
He wants to feel like himself again.
Not Echo, not whatever Zed he was in Season 9 and he did so much damage. Not a broken hybrid. Not a friend Tango needs to hold together when they're all hurting so badly.
He's ready to move on, he thinks. And he wants to have a fun season. With everyone. With Skizz and Impulse, with Ren and Doc, with Joel and Xisuma. And Etho, and Bdubs, and Grian and— everyone.
He wants to laugh and smile, and he wants...
Zedaph feels tears build up behind his eyes, but he's so sick of crying, because it hasn't taken him anywhere so far. So he swallows them back and turns to the blazeborn beside him, the man that never left, that has held strong beside him even when Zed has seen him shaking with fear and anger.
"Tango," he says. And some of his resolve must bleed through, because Tango turns so quickly, and something bright is in his red eyes again.
He knows, Zed thinks. He doesn't even have to say it out loud.
But he does smile, though it's wobbly, and his friend looks so relieved that Zedaph almost thinks he'll cry those magma tears of his.
Tango's been so strong for the both of them these past weeks—as Skizz was whisked away, when Impulse died. While Zed kept on breaking and breaking, fracturing into smaller pieces, the blazeborn made sure there was something for each piece to fall into, so that when the sheep hybrid was ready, he could piece himself back together again.
And he thinks he's ready now. Tango knows, because he's Zedaph's best friend, and nothing more needs to be said.
Zedaph won't hold the remaining Hermits back. He'll go with these new ideas, he'll pick himself back up and help.
Because he used to know that bad, green entity so, so well. And...
He wants to play games this season, with his friends. He wants to be happy.
And– goddamnit, he's sick of Echo holding him back.
Tango hugs Zedaph tight, and the first piece of Zed fixes itself.
He's ready.
They're going to take Hermitcraft back, with everything they have up their sleeve.
And Zedaph will smile with his friends again.
