Jack and Emma led me into their village. It was different than any village I had seen in the game before. It was in the middle of a forest hidden by its dense trees. There were many more villagers than in a normal Minecraft village. There were people everywhere. I was surprised by the size of it. This wasn’t just a few houses grouped together, it was a full-blown town.

Unlike a normal village where villagers wander aimlessly with the occasional ‘Hurrgh’, this village looked organized. The villagers inside were mostly practicing and training. They were using swords and shields. Some even had bows and arrows. As we walked by, they would stop briefly to glance at us before returning to their fights.

“Welcome to our home,” Jack proudly said. “Resistance Village.”

“This is kinda epic,” I said as I looked around in awe.

Jack went ahead of us to let Dionysus know of my arrival. Emma and I took the scenic route through the village. They wanted me to get a good tour of the entire village grounds, which kept shocking me with how big it was.

As we walked through the village to reach the center, there were more and more buildings. Entire full-sized inns and taverns, and massive armories and libraries. There was even a river that ran through the middle of the village. As Emma showed me around, I realized that the village was divided into various sections. There was one to train crafters, one to train builders, and then one to train warriors.

The crafters were learning to remember crafting recipes and craft items as quickly as possible for the builders and the warriors. The builders were learning to build various kinds of defenses, covers and other structures. The warriors were practicing their combat skills. They were learning to fight using various kinds of swords and bows.

“Warriors, Crafters, and Builders. Why is everyone split into three groups?” I asked Emma.

“To make squads of three. Each squad has one warrior, crafter, and builder. This way each individual is focused and highly skilled in their one expertise.”

“Why only three in each squad?” I asked.

“Three members keeps each group small enough to perform stealth missions and if we do end up getting caught by our enemies or getting overwhelmed in a fight, our army doesn’t suffer too many losses,” Emma answered.

“Army? Who exactly are you fighting here?” I asked as we reached the middle of the village. There was large square building in the middle, a sign by the door revealed the building’s name: The Dojo.

“This is where our leader Dionysus resides. I know you have many questions. He will answer all of them. Go inside,” Emma directed.

I hesitated for a second. Is it really a good idea to go inside? What am I getting myself into? If there’s an army, is there a war?

“Come on, go inside,” Emma pushed me closer to the door.

“Okay, okay, I’m going,” I said as I reluctantly walked toward the entrance.

I opened the door and walked inside the Dojo. It was a lot bigger inside than I expected. Inside the Dojo, the floor and the walls were made from white sheep wool blocks. All the way in the end of the room stood a villager wearing white robes and holding a bronze sword.

He had a presence about him, like he was a giant. I felt like he was looking directly at me. Despite him being a fairly regular sized villager, that was facing away from me.

“So, you are Steve?” Dionysus asked, but I had a feeling he already knew the answer.

“How did you know?” I asked but received no answer. “Well, I guess that’s what my name is now. At least that’s what your people keep calling me.”

“What do you think, Michael? Are you Steve?” he questioned as he sharpened his blade.

“Thank you! At least someone knows my real name!” I exclaimed happily knowing I’m not the crazy one. “So what’s with this whole Steve thing?”

“There is a prophecy. A prophecy that states that the chosen one would arrive to save this world from the evil that plagues it. The prophecy states that this savior, this chosen one, he will be called Steve,” Dionysus explained as he finally turned to face me. His face was stern and serious. Old, but not too old. Weathered like he had seen way more of the world than I could possible imagine.

I didn't know how to react to what he was trying to say. Was I supposed to feel honored or scared? Or maybe both?

“The Chosen One? Me? Well, like you said, my name is not Steve. So, I think you got the wrong guy. I’m just another struggling Minecraft streamer. I should probably head home, if you know the way there that would be really helpful because I’m not exactly from here,” I told him.

“Ah yes, I know far too well that you have traveled from another world,” Dionysus replied. “Maybe you are not Steve—the chosen one. We have been wrong before. You can leave now if you are not Steve, although you can stay and fight for our cause too if you wish. The choice will be yours. But if you are Steve, your destiny will be to remain here.”

“Wrong before?” I thought about it and quickly realized, “Emma, she was the first, wasn’t she? She’s another person from my world? That’s why she doesn’t look like the other villagers, she doesn’t have that large…you know…nose. No offense.”

“None taken. Our noses are…unfortunate. But yes, she was another I called to our world. But she wasn’t the first to come here,” Dionysus explained.

“Then who was the first?” I asked.

“The first person to come from your world and into ours is a monster. He is the one we fight, the one we are trying to defeat. An anomaly. He arrived in this world to create his own army. To take over this entire realm. We call him Herobrine,” Dionysus answered.

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“Herobrine? That means all those YouTube sighting videos were real!” I exclaimed.

“You…YouTube?” Dionysus asked, confused.

“Never mind, you wouldn’t understand. I mean my mom still doesn’t get it and I’ve been trying to explain it to her for years,” I sighed. “So, all I have to do to get out of here is to say I’m not Steve?”

I was starting to get impatient on going back home. Things here seem more complicated and dangerous than I expected. Armies, monsters, anomalies, saving the world—that’s way above my skill set. I mean if Dionysus wanted me to set up his computer and download some games, now that is something I can do.

“You can’t just say you are not Steve. You must prove it,” Dionysus took a diamond sword out of a yellow chest and tossed it over to me. I dropped my stone sword and caught the diamond one. The sword was heavier than I expected.

“Prove it? How am I supposed to prove that I’m not Steve?” I was getting frustrated.

“If you are Steve, then you should be able to defeat me. If you are not, then you will fall.”

Dionysus raised his bronze sword and signaled me to come fight him. I swung my diamond sword around in the air. This was going to be easy. All I had to do was lose. If I lose, I prove that I am not the Chosen One ‘Steve’ and then I can go back home.

Easy, right?

But something tells me I shouldn’t do that, something tells me I should give it my all. Deep down, I think I want to be Steve. I always wished I could do something worthwhile, something that could make a difference.

If this world is really struggling. If it is really under threat from someone from my world. This is my chance to make a difference.

You know what, this is it, this is my moment and I’m not going to mess it up.

“Fine, I accept your challenge!” I yelled.

“And so, begins the battle for the chosen one!” Dionysus said.

“You sure you want to do this?” I teased the old man. “Jack did tell you how many mobs I fought last night, right?”

“There is no TNT here. Only skill!” Dionysus taunted.

I charged at him with my sword behind me, ready to swing. As soon as I was close enough, I swung my sword at his chest, but he blocked the strike with his bronze sword. I staggered back from the force and quickly raised my own sword to block Dionysus’s counterattack. I was ready for his strike against me, but I wasn’t fast enough when Dionysus changed his direction mid swing.

SMASH!

He caught me off-guard I went flying back to the Dojo wall from the hit. The soft sheep wool wall did not feel so soft after I slammed into it at that speed.

I am going to need a whole lot of porkchops after this, I thought as I picked myself back up.

“Maybe we did make another mistake and brought another brash kid here,” Dionysus stated in disappointment. “I should’ve lowered my expectations.”

“It’s not over yet old man,” I got back up on my feet and picked up my sword.

“Go ahead, try again!” Dionysus challenged.

I charged at Dionysus again and he charged at me too. I was ready for him this time. He swung first, but I was able to swiftly block him. I struck back at him, but he recovered quickly and blocked me too.

He was too fast, and he was too strong, but I had no intention of giving up. We both took a couple steps back and circled each other—planning our next moves. I watched his every move and tried to anticipate his next attack.

“Not ready to give up yet, Michael? I thought you wanted to lose,” Dionysus panted as he caught his breath.

“I’m actually starting to like the name Steve,” I taunted as I charged at him again.

“Let us see what you can do, then!” Dionysus said.

This time I aimed high for his head, but Dionysus ducked and avoided my attack. Then he struck me again with his sword while he was crouched, sending me flying back into the wall. He hit me a lot harder this time than the last time. And that wall is still not as soft and fluffy as it looks.

Good news is that this means he is not holding back anymore, which means that I’m probably doing better. Bad news is that I am in a whole lot of pain right now. I tried to pick myself up, but I fell back down as my arms started to ache.

“I think I broke something, do I even have bones right now in my blocky form?” I moaned as I tried to get up but just flopped back on the ground like a fish.

“I expected better, Michael,” Dionysus sighed as he put down his sword.

“Wait! Pick it back up! I’m not done yet!” I yelled as I finally got up with the help of adrenaline and anger coursing through me. How dare he drop his sword? “You started this fight, you don’t get to decide when it ends. I do!”

I started to slightly regret yelling that when Dionysus actually did pick his sword back up.

“Very well, Michael,” Dionysus said. “If you want to continue, go ahead.”

This time I decided to stay on the defensive and let the old man charge and tire himself out. Dionysus started walking up to me slowly and tactically.

So much for tiring himself out, I thought. He knows what I’m trying to do and he’s conserving his stamina.

As soon as Dionysus got in range of me, he wasted no time to start swinging. I blocked the first couple attacks, but he kept attacking faster and faster giving me no time to retaliate. Soon enough I was too weak to keep blocking his flurry of strikes and got hit again and again, falling back, but getting back up every time.

I’m just a kid! What did I get myself into? I wanted to give up, to make all the attacks stop, and eat one of those magic porkchops so I could feel better again. But I kept getting back up. My body ached from all the hits, but my spirit refused to give up. I was determined to win even though I had no idea how to.

I was getting tired, my limbs felt heavy, and my eyes grew blurry. How much more of this could I take?

I looked up at Dionysus standing above me.

Every part of my new blocky body was in pain. Everything hurt more than ever before. I didn’t even have the strength to hang onto my sword as my grip on it loosened and the sword slid out of hand.

“Done?” he asked.

“NO!” I yelled out in determination as I reached for my sword again.

“Yes, yes you are done. I hit you even once more and you will die. I have beaten you down to the last bit of health you have.” He reached into his pockets and got out a cooked porkchop. “Take this…Steve.”

“No I’m not—wait, did you…call me Steve?”

“I lied to you before. The chosen one is not determined by their skills in defeating me. The chosen one, Steve, is determined by willpower. The determination to fight till their last heart, even when they can’t fight anymore. I didn’t make a mistake this time. You are Steve. You have proven that to me,” Dionysus smiled and helped me stand up.

“Thanks, Dionysus,” I thanked him as I took the porkchops and started eating it. My bruises started to disappear, and the pain went away too.

“You must train now, kid. Fighting me was nothing compared to our true enemy. Meet Jack and Emma outside, you will join their unit as a warrior. Keep the diamond sword too and also take this,” He reached back into his pockets and handed me a glowing Ender Pearl.

“This is no ordinary stone. This Ender Pearl has magical properties in it, it is fueled by pure willpower, only you can use it. When you do use it, it will bring you back to your world. Forever. Use it carefully, as you can’t ever come back if you do,” Dionysus explained.

I took the pearl and placed it in my inventory along with my new sword.

“Thanks, Dionysus, I won’t let you down!” I thanked Dionysus one more time as I headed out to look for my new unit. To my surprise, they were waiting right outside the door.

“Did you do it, Michael? Are you Steve?” Jack quickly asked me, as Emma patiently awaited my answer.

“Wait. So you do know my name?” I questioned him.

“I was just teasing you before. So, did you do it? Tell us!” Jack asked again impatiently.

“Yeah. I guess I’m Steve,” I finally answered showing them the glowing pearl.

Jack was filled with excitement while it seemed Emma was a little disappointed. Before I could say anything else a large bell started ringing throughout the town.

“What’s that?” I asked my new unit.

“The alarm bells. They’re here!” Emma replied.

“Who’s here?”