Our steps were echoing through the familiar stone hallway, the glow from the multicolored portals giving us just enough light to see.
"I can't believe I'm coming with you guys this time!" Exclaimed Axel, right on my heels. "It's just so... Awesome! The way you guys went on all of these adventures was cool!"
I remembered the good parts of our adventures, I mean- we met new friends...
"Can we just pick a portal?" Growled Ivor, slowing his pace.
I stopped, looking back at my friends' shadowy faces.
They slowed their steps, and came to a stop.
Everybody but Olivia and Petra had came along with me, Petra saying that she had dealt with enough adventure to last her a lifetime.
Olivia couldn't come, because she had been tinkering with her redstone, and insisted that she wanted to stay behind.
"Who's going to pick the portal?" Asked Lukas, bringing out his journal from the white pumpkin's place. "The last person to choose when we were portal hopping... Was Petra, so any of you can pick one." He turned to us, closing his book.
"No volunteers?" I asked, not believing that Axel didn't want to choose.
"I'll pick." Said Ivor. "After all, I never got the chance to-"
"Well I've never even been to this hallway!" Axel interrupted, giving Ivor a death glare. "I deserve to pick the portal." So now Axel was arguing.
"Nonsense!" Boomed Ivor, his voice echoing through the long hallway. "I never got a choice, either!"
They kept arguing, their voices overlapping in echoes.
"Guys... Guys?" Lukas tried to stop their argument. "GUYS!"
Ivor and Axel stared at Lukas, surprised that Lukas had screamed at them.
"Fighting isn't getting anybody a chance at picking the portal." Lukas mumbled, back to his timid self.
"It will if I win." Said Axel.
"ENOUGH!" I yelled, shocking everybody.
I looked up and down the hallway, looking at the portals.
"Maybe you guys can compromise."
Axel and Ivor glared at each other, then looked back at me.
"How could I compromise with him?" Spat Axel.
"I could ask the same, Jesse!" Snapped Ivor.
"I'd rather take orders from Lukas- before I'd pair with him."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Asked Lukas, his face red from anger.
"I mean..." I paused, trying to find the words. " Ivor could pick a color. That will be the color of a portal frame. Axel can choose a color for the middle."
Axel looked at me sideways.
"If you two can't do this, then I'll just get Lukas to pick the portal."
Axel crossed his arms.
"Deal." He huffed, sitting down on the stone floor.
"Deal." Said Ivor, leaning against a wall.
Lukas smiled.
"What are you smiling about?" Growled Axel, facing Lukas.
Lukas's smile melted.
"Nothing..."
"Are you smiling because of your girlfriend?" Sneered Ivor.
Lukas and I had been dating since we got back from our adventure with the old builders. Which was almost a year back...
I looked at Lukas.
Our eyes met, and he blushed, and his smile returned, his sky- blue eyes sparkling.
"Alright..." I said, looking at the portals. "Ivor... What color do you choose?"
There was a pause.
"I don't choose a color. I choose quartz." I didn't think there was a quarts frame for a portal, but I kept my mouth shut.
I turned to Axel.
"What color do you choose A-"
"Green!" Yelled Axel, his voice echoing.
"Okay..." I said, walking to a portal that I saw down the hallway. "Quartz frame, with a green center. Is anybody going first?"
"ADVENTURE!" Yelled Ivor, charging through.
"Oh, notch..." Said Axel, poking the green goop in the middle.
"Well..." I said, walking towards the portal. "We can't just stay here. We've got to go after-"
"AHHHHHHH!" Yelled Axel, charging towards the portal.
He ran into Lukas on his way through, sending them both through.
I smiled, thinking about my crazy friends.
Then, I ran right through the portal.

------------------In an AU----------------

I was dropped on soft grass, but the landing still hurt.
I stood up, and saw Axel grinning.
"Axel..." Groaned Lukas, slowly standing up. "Why do you always have to do this to me?"
I shot Axel a warning glare, but he just smirked- looking extremely proud of himself.
I turned to Ivor, who was staring at the scenery.
"Anything striking the word adventure?" I asked, replicating his catchphrase.
Ivor shot me a glare.
"I don't think so..." He paused. "I think that this is just another portal home"
"Home?" Asked Lukas, smoothing back his blond hair. "I thought that there was only one portal home?"
"I thought so, too..." Said Ivor, walking around. "But I recognize this place..."
Realization struck him.
"Somebody tore down my lava house!" He spat, gesturing to the clearing in the oak trees. "This was where they moved it!"
Oh yeah... I remember that Ivor had built a lava house, right before we left on our adventure. Axel and Olivia had ended up moving the entire thing, making Ivor a little upset, but he was glad that his house was still standing.
"I'm going right to the hub, and demanding they tell me the reason for tearing down such an exquisite building!"
He started walking to the edge of the clearing, pushing his way through the trees.
"He's in a bad mood.." Said Axel.
"You should see him when he's actually mad." Said Lukas, following Ivor through the trees.
Axel followed, and I pushed my way through the trees, too.

-----------------Time skip-----------------

We had made it out of the forest, and we're facing the stone structure of the hub.
Ivor kept marching, the rest of us following him.
Why was Ivor so mad? I mean, I know it was his lava house, but the townspeople were upset as it was- and they just got tired of it, and tore it down.
I was lost in thought, when I ran right into somebody.
"I'm so sorry!" I gasped, apologizing to the girl.
The girl didn't turn around, neither did she seem to notice that I had walked right into her.
"Are you okay, Jesse?" Asked Lukas, slowing his pace to match mine.
"I'm fine... I just... Never mind."
We walked the rest of the way in silence.

-----------------Time Skip-----------------

Ivor threw open the doors to our hub.
We followed him, hearing him scream.
"Who tore down my lava house?!" Yelled Ivor, walking to Olivia and Petra, who were sitting on matching white chairs in the corner of the room.
They ignored him, talking to each other.
"Don't act like you don't know we're here?!" Yelled Ivor, getting right in front of them.
"Stop, Ivor." I said, walking over to him. "There's probably something wrong with them..."
I sat down on the floor, looking at them.
"Hey guys..." I say, trying to be cheerful. "We're back... Heh..."
"Forget this." Said Axel, stomping over to the girls.
He walked in front of Petra.
Then, he slapped her, right on the face.
But his hand went through.
His hand went through her face.
"Wha-!" Yelled Axel, moving his hand through Petra's face. "She's like... A ghost!?"
I turned to Olivia.
I touched her head, and my whole arm went through.
"AHH!" I yelled, terrified.
"They're ghosts!" I screamed.
Ivor was putting his hand through the middle of Petra's face.
"Let me try something..." Said Lukas, walking towards the mirror on the other side of the room.
His face drained color.
"I- I don't see my reflection!" Gasped Lukas.
We rushed to the mirror.
"I don't see mine, either!" I yelled, panicked.
"Relax!" Yelled Ivor, scaring me. "There's probably a totally reasonable explanation for this...."
"Yeah!" Said Axel, sounding paranoid. "Maybe somebody pulled a prank on us?"
"That could be what's going on..." Said Lukas, sounding doubtful. "But we have to be sure that it's a prank..."
"I think we need to test some people..." I said, scared. "I mean, I don't feel comfortable with mashing my fist through stranger's faces... But maybe..."
"Let's look around town for things, first- okay Jesse?" Asked Ivor, crossing his arms.
"Okay..."

-----------------Time Skip-----------------

We were walking around the town square, looking for something... Anything... Anything that would show us why this was happening to our world.
We came to the center of the town square, seeing the podium where I placed the amulet.
After that, people had placed banners of the dead on a giant memorial.
Thankfully, not too many had lost their lives during the witherstorm attack- but all the people that had... Their portraits were hung up on the quarts blocks.
"Guys..." Said Lukas, sounding panicked. "LOOK."
He was pointing to the banners of the dead, and I couldn't see what he was referring to...
When I saw it.
Our portraits.
Axel, Ivor, Lukas, and I.
I understand why nobody noticed our presence- like when I had run into the girl earlier, or when I mashed my fist through Olivia's face...
In this world, we were dead.