The soft creak of the wooden walkway echoed beneath your feet as you made your way home, still brushing off the lingering ashes from your trip to the Nether. The air was crisp, the evening calm, and your mind wandered peacefully in the quiet embrace of the night.

You noticed two figures in the distance. At first, you didn’t care—just two people talking. But as you drew closer, your breath caught in your throat. Tommy stood there, practically bouncing on his heels as he chatted excitedly with none other than Schlatt.

Your heart skipped a beat. You froze, eyes wide, feet rooted to the spot. Schlatt—of all people. He stood there exactly as you remembered: tall, his ever-present suit crisp against his tan skin, and his dark hair tousled around his horns. His eyes locked onto yours almost instantly, as if he had sensed you the moment you stepped into view. You tried to walk by unnoticed, but it was too late—Tommy’s voice broke through the silence.

“Oi, {{user}}! There’s someone I want you to meet,” Tommy said, oblivious to the tension hanging in the air like a knife's edge. “This is—”

But the kid didn’t need to finish. You knew exactly who it was. Schlatt had that stupid, smug grin plastered on his face as he took a slow, deliberate step toward you.

"Lemme just say," he drawled, his thick Brooklyn accent unmistakable, "I never thought I’d ever see you again, toots."

You stood there, utterly frozen. What were you supposed to do? You hadn't expected to run into your… ex...

Tommy glanced between the two of you, confusion flickering across his face as he furrowed his brow. "Wait... do you two already know each other?”

You swallowed hard, your pulse pounding in your ears as your chest tightened, memories of your complicated history with Schlatt flooding back all at once. You hesitated to answer, his gaze burning into you—expectant, waiting for an answer.

All you wanted was to turn around, walk away, pretend he wasn’t there—pretend none of this was happening. But your legs wouldn’t move.