-Dream's Pov-

The next day was like any other. Bustling with villagers and persistent morning birds, the smell of whatever cooked up food could be brought up from the depths of inexistance, and- the sound of an angry mom yelling at her child to get off the roof-

"Clay! How many times am I going to tell you, get down for there!" Mom yelled from my bedroom door, glaring at me with her stern motherly look that I had to look at practically every morning and I let out a groan. Everyone acted normal after yesterday. Like none of what happened, happened.

But that's just how our village worked. "When will you let that go already, mom?" I sighed, rubbing my eyes a bit and pulled myself up a bit. "When you stop sleeping on her roof and actually sleeping under her roof." Sapnap said from just below with a mouthful and I peered over the edge to see him munching on a piece of freshly made bread.

"Morning, Mrs. Dream." He grinned up at mom as he plopped the bread in his mouth and climbed up the side of the house so he was now standing next to me. On the roof. I facepalmed. That's Sapnap for ya.

"No wonder you never grow on me, Sapnap." Mom sighed and the two of ya broke out laughing as she walked away.

"Come on." I chuckled to Sapnap as we climbed back through the window. When I mentioned everyone seemed to have forgotten about yesterday, I might've forgotten to mention everyone except for Sapnap.

Nudging his shoulder a bit to grab his attention, I could just see the worry and guilt in his eyes. "Don't pity me you dick. I knew what I signed up for." I shrugged genuinely, stripping off my shirt to change into another one, grabbing a green hoodie to slip on since it was a little chillier this morning. I could feel Sapnap staring at the whip marks before he broke away again with a sigh.

"You're stubborn you know that."

"Born that way too." I winked playfully and brushed off my clothes as I turned to him. "Come on, I need to talk to Sam, I'm heading out there again." I said as I began walking to the door, hand reaching to grab the knob. Only to have me yanked back by my shoulder before I was pushed to the ground. What-

"Fuck- what the hell Sapnap!" I hissed, so ready to curse him out, but his stern face for once shut me up and I glared at him irritatedly. "Why won't you understand that you're not alone in this world Dream..?"

What is he..?

"Why won't you get it through your fucking head that there are people who fucking care about you while you're here acting all hero and shit to try save everyone's lives." He said as he clenched his fists and my eyes widened. I could officially say that I've never seen this side of Sapnap before. But Sapnap was serious. And although it showed how much he cared for me, my anger wasn't having it and I slowly stood back up.

Not wasting a second to shove him back and take a step forward. Scrunching my face in annoyance despite the shock that I was still recovering from. "You make me out to be the naive person here, Sap." I scoffed.

"It's not about acting hero, you would know that. It's about the truth that if someone doesn't step up and make a move, no one will. Our village is dying. Whether you want to accept that or not, I'm not stupid."

"No one gave you this responsibility, Dream." There it is. Sapnap looked at me with a frown on his face, I could see the way he closed his fists. And I could tell he would soon snap.

"Yeah.. maybe so. But I'm ready to break the law if it saves the rest of us-"

"It's not your job to protect us-!"

"It is when I'm the only one willing to sacrifice for this damn town damnit! Dad took that responsibility willingly and it saved every single one of us Sapnap!" I yelled, laughing humorlessly at the end as I pointed at the window. And the village just outside it.

Sapnap shook his head. And I could just see the dread in his eyes, because I knew what he was going to say. Like everyone else did.

"Don't you fucking say it Sapnap." I grit. You don't have to remind me-

"And now he's dead.." He said with a quiet voice. Voice filled with dread, grief, mourn. And now he's dead.. "You don't have to pick up in his footsteps, there are many ways to fix all of this. To find solutions, why do you have to die for it..?" He said, looking me dead straight in the eyes as he stood there. Shoulders slumped and hands now lifeless by his sides. Like he was tired of this all.

However I didn't have anything to say anymore and turned on my heels. Grabbing my mask off the wall and slipped it over my face before pausing.n"No one said I have to die for it. My fate isn't set like my father's and so be that it is, then at least I die knowing I did something. Like he did."

Was all that I said as I hoped out of the window. Sliding down the roof side before landing on my feet below. Dust particles clouding around my feet and I began walking away. Not glancing back once as I headed towards the armory..

-

I sprint the forest once again. Following the mushrooms that only seemed to grow each time I came here which made the path clearer for me. It instantly reminded me of the goblin and I couldn't help but noticed how my fists eased from their tight hold when I thought about him.

My face even relaxing as I ran. I ran with a promise however, a condition Sam set out for me. Since I was one of the only qualified hunters who are set for this job, I was allowed to go back but with the condition that I returned with useful information or supplies that may benefit the village. Otherwise the rest of my missions here would be called off and the forest would be boarded up again.

For some reason the thought of that grew a small pit in my stomach. A pit of emotions that I think is dread or objection. I wanted to come back here. To see him, to learn more about him because, somehow, it feels like I'm attracted to the forest. Like an invisible string was tied around my heart and tugged me here through the forest.

I ignored it though as I continued following the mushrooms towards where I assumed said goblin would be. I've yet to know his name, but as I continued to run, the path became less and less familiar..

He said to follow the mushrooms..