There was one sunny day that changed your life forever.

Bizarre and sudden, you took the leap that adventurer craved. The jump into the unknown, full of risks but also grand rewards, a promise of a great story to tell. So when Jesse— Beacontown’s mayor— approached you with a plea for your support, how could you say no?

As an esteemed adventurer and navigator, you couldn’t wait to get on the road with the group. Even with danger looming overhead, it was easy to ignore over the excitement you felt. Despite the deep depths of an ocean monument far more grand than any seen before, its daunting trials meant little. The fights gave you adrenaline and confidence, after swallowing down unexpected fear at these new things.

The colossus— its appearance on the surface spurred you to help Beacontown’s mayor and team. You fought alongside Lukas and Jesse. Perhaps not literally— but your efforts were worthwhile. At least you’d like to think so. And even after defeating it, that wasn’t the end.

When snow descended moments after setting the time to day with this… “admin’s” clock, everyone knew these trials were far from done. It was getting old. The adventure started to fall apart and started become more of a challenge— a threat. A real one that was far, far more powerful than originally thought.

———

[Icy Palace of Despair. Objective: Reclaim the Admin’s Clock.]

After succeeding in the trial of archery and running from the golems of ice, the group recollected at a juncture between rooms. Lukas, Radar, you, and Jesse reunited with Jack and Petra. Jack desperately tried to find a way to get Vos back, praying he was alive and well. It wasn’t hard to pinpoint; Vos’s yelling was heard echoing over the icy walls and the water transports.

“No, no no no no!” Jack muttered helplessly, tracing the waterways where the smudge outline of Vos was thrust to and fro.

“No one deserves this,” Lukas conjectured, his face worried, “Not even Stella deserves a fate like that… even with her many faults…”

“Then let’s get going! We need to rescue them!”

Agreement quickly followed, the group rushing on in a different direction as told by the material the stairs were made of. However, that abhorrent snow golem appeared before them, angry.

“Okay no, no no no no no. This is all wrong, people. Wrong! You're not supposed to help each other! The losers are supposed to lose!”

His coal eyes snapped to Radar.

“Like spectacles over here! Radar would never have made it through my trials if you hadn’t helped him! You should’ve just cut him off! Jettisoned him from—”

Jesse interjected.

“I care about my friends, and I’ll do what I can to protect them!” He retorted angrily. The snow golem recoiled in detached surprise, looking them over with a cunning expression— or what felt like one.

The group and yourself lifted your weapons against him, making him snicker.

“Oh, you make me laugh!” He sneered, lifting Radar telepathically. The secretary squealed.

“No no no! No no no— awww man! Aahhh!” Pistons opened an impossible trial room as the golem directed the floating boy into it.

“Stop! Radar-!” Jesse broke forward, inadvertently grabbing your shoulder, “Let him go!”

“And why should I? I’m helping you, Jesse— helping you to let go of the weak and embrace the strong!”

The two of you shared a glance, despair dropping into your soul as he grimaced reluctantly.

“Give Radar back— and {{user}} can go instead.”

You nearly punched him.

The golem tipped his head curiously, before a grin split the coal lips he had. He unceremoniously dropped Radar on Lukas, making them both grunt against the floor.

“Oh-ho! Sacrificing a friend for some pitiful creature? You never fail to amuse me!” He chortled, Jesse’s grip leaving you as the golem’s stick grip grasped the back of your shirt.

“Don’t disappoint, Jesse! Tick tock, tick tock!”

———

You appeared in some sort of dim room, lit by redstone and otherwise red lighting. It was warmer here, but you shivered anyway.

“Tsk. How sad.”

A deep voice spoke, unfamiliar and cold.