Pearl was living a lie.

She knew it was a lie. But she wasn't sure she wanted to see the truth.

So she played along with Grian's antics. She pretended to think he was just as normal as she was. She pretended not to realize that something was different about the brother she hadn't seen since Evo.

He was avoiding her already. She knew that. When Scar, Impulse, and Mumbo dragged her into Boatem, Grian had gone pale. But Pearl hadn't asked.

Unfortunately, she knew the truth now.

She had come to ask Grian when he would be restocking deepslate in the G-Train. She didn't feel like mining it.

Instead, she found a monster.

The thing that had once been Pearl's brother still had the same hair. But there were eyes all down what was visible of his arms, blinking, looking in different directions. Some of them glowed. Some of them looked normal. Pearl figured there were probably more eyes hidden under his clothing. He had wings, too, covered in feathers. There was a halo-like structure floating over his head that Pearl knew all too well - the symbol of the Watchers.

'Grian' turned immediately upon entering, and Pearl realized that those eyes could see. "Pearl," he said. "Uh-"

Pearl took out her sword. "I knew it," she said. "I knew something was up."

"N-no!" Grian said quickly. "Nothing's up. I- you're imagining it!" His voice was a squeak.

Pearl ignored the feeble attempt at gaslighting. "I'm not imagining it. It's right in front of me. Who are you, and what have you done with Grian?"

Grian sighed. He raised a hand. Purple magic weaved its way between his fingers, and then suddenly, he was himself again - wingless, halo-less, only two eyes. "I'm not going to try to explain it. You wouldn't understand. Let's just... forget this ever happened. Okay? That way, no one has to get hurt."

Pearl crossed her arms. "No, I don't think I want to forget this ever happened. What's going on? How long have you been... weird? And why are you threatening me?"

"Get out," Grian growled.

"No," Pearl said stubbornly. "It was the Watchers, wasn't it? They changed you. I knew something was off. Snap out of it, Grian."

"You're going to forget you ever saw this," Grian said. "And you're not going to tell anyone."

Pearl took a nervous step backward. "I want an explanation first."

"I've been like this since Evo. I'm a Watcher now. Don't you remember that? Now, out," Grian repeated. His eyes glowed purple.

Pearl scrambled out of his starter house.

She now knew that the Grian she knew was an illusion. A lie. A puppet body for a thing that had long since ceased to be her brother.

Grian was gone.