The sands of time

River walked through the green vines and blue and red parrots flying above. They passed a field of yellow sunflowers and a pond filled with green seagrass.

Without a plan, River found that it was easy to stop along the way. Picking flowers, soaking up the sun, filling their inventory with bits and bobs. Why not? They wandered into a desert. The world opened into pale gold, filled with sand and cacti that stood around being prickly philosophers.

“Help!” A voice suddenly ricocheted across the sand.

River froze. The shout came again, thinner now. “Down here!”

A ravine split the desert like a paper tear. Peering over, River spotted Kai clinging to a ledge. A parched on a shelf above pinged arrows like a very aggressive metronome. The ledge below was crumbling; the ledge above meant business.

River’s heart tried to run away without them. “It’s okay,” River called, which was as much for River as for Kai. “I… I’ve got a plan.”

They looked at the skeleton, then in their inventory, then back at the skeleton again. Then suddenly, the desert offered an answer.

Sand falls. Sand falls!

River placed a neat tower of sand blocks out over the parched’s perch and tapped the support.

Shff‑shff‑shff—WHUMP.

The sand avalanched straight down. The parched danced jerkily twice and disappeared into the beige, muffled and offended. River waited, counted to three, then peered over. No arrows. Just a brand‑new sand capsule with one very quiet occupant.

“Still with me?” River called.

“I’m here!” Kai answered, who sounded shaky but hopeful.

Getting down was the next puzzle. Sand would fall if stacked sideways. Great for dropping, not great for staircases. But sandstone, that stays put. River opened the crafting grid, pressed sand into sandstone, and started placing steps like a zipper down the wall. Clonk went the netherite leggings with each cautious step, but they didn’t mind the noise now.

Shield up, River edged along the last meter, offered a hand, and braced. Kai scrambled onto the sandstone stair, knocking a pebble into the dark. River breathed in, breathed out, and together they climbed toward light, sandstone under boots all the way.

At the top, Kai sat right down in the sand and laughed the kind of laugh that sounds like a person remembering how to be a person. “Thank you!” they said when they finally composed themself.

River’s cheeks warmed. “It was blocks,” they said. “It’s usually the blocks.”

They shared a moment of staring at the sky before they started walking in comfortable silence. Evening stretched purple as they reached the jungle again. They kept going until they reached a fork in the road.

“I’m going left,” Kai said.

“I’m going right,” River said.

Kai lingered for a second. “I’ll see you around, River. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along. Thanks to you, the future looks bright.”

River smiled back. “Thanks, Kai.”

They waved goodbye and headed to their respective bases.

The next morning, River started a fire in the furnace. Sand becomes glass if you’re patient and have enough fuel. The ocelot appeared at the edge of the trees, sat down, and blinked slowly. Who doesn’t enjoy a good smelting? When the glass blocks cooled, River shaped them into panes. But something still wasn’t quite right.

River sat down, and stared into the jungle. The ocelot padded around the lush green leaves, its yellow fur a beautiful contrast. It reminded River of all the beauty in the Overworld they had seen. And all the flowers they had picked… suddenly, River knew what was missing.

It was time to dye!

By the time the sun started to set again, River had finished dying all the window panes and putting them in lace. It had been a long day, and it was finally time to rest.

As the sun set, River curled up in bed and looked up at the colors of red, and blue. Pink, and orange. Yellow, and yellow, and yellow.

The future really did look bright.