Tubbo, Fundy, and Quackity came into the room, and seemed confused to see Dream there. Having nothing else to do there and clearly seeing they wanted to talk to Ranboo alone, he left.
That would end up being one of the biggest mistakes of this life.
/perspective shift Technoblade
Technoblade stepped into his house, sighing softly as he felt the heat from the fireplace envelop him. He paced forward and sat down, groaning. It was getting worse, just like Phil had told him. There didn't seem to be a cure, and if anyone knew it would be Phil. No one else knew as much about otherworldly matters.
He couldn't stop himself from gazing at the sword on the wall. It shone with a gentle purple light, glowing with a powerful arcane energy. With every moment, he felt like he was being pulled in. A weapon of destruction could be so, so beautiful. Even though he had hung it there himself, swearing never to take it up again, it called to him. The blood called.
He rested his hand on the handle, stroking it like a beloved pet. In a way, it was. But it wasn't one that he was proud of. Chaos followed him everywhere. The more distance he had from it, the better.
The cawing of a crow interrupted him, and he turned sharply, then his eyes widened as he saw the dark shape sitting in the window.
"They're coming, Techno," Phil's voice said from the creature's beak. "You don't have much time."
Technoblade's heart plummeted. Of course, it was not to be. They must have found Phil's compass. Yet even as he berated himself for being so sentimental as to give Phil a way that anyone could find him, he didn't regret it.
"Who's coming?" Technoblade asked in a low voice. A hint of that familiar anger began to surface, and he tried to force it down, his body shuddering as it rebelled, his entire being longing for blood.
They're coming. Finally.
Kill them.
Destroy them. They deserve it.
"Run. They're coming," was the only response he got. He reached out to grab the bird, but it flew away, dipping out the window as his hand closed around nothing.
He growled softly, then his body went on autopilot. Without his control, he went through the rote motions of unpacking his gear. He pulled his armor off of the stand. As the familiar warmth of the enchantments rested once again on his body, he let out a shuddering breath and paused, staggering momentarily beneath the weight.
Then he shook his head, reminded himself of Phil, and forced himself to look through his emergency barrels. Potions from one, golden apples another, then his axe, a shield.
Only one thing was missing.
The will to fight.
He should be proud. There was no reason for him to fear. He could take them, whoever they were. But that wasn't the problem. He had spent all this time resisting the impulse, and now that the time had come, and he found himself blessedly reluctant to fight. Despite his need, he was momentarily relieved. He wouldn't have gotten caught up in some small conflict like he was fearing.
But then his stomach dropped. It didn't matter. Not if he had to fight anyway.
As he stepped up to the main entrance, his foot coming down heavily, he heard something. Instantly, his mind blanked, and he swept aside, crouching beside the door as it swung open.
But instead of an enemy, the person who came in was Ghostbur.
"Ghostbur?" Technoblade asked in a quiet voice. It was strange to see him all the way out here, but he had come to visit from time to time. He didn't seem to need a compass, knowing his way without any sort of direction. Techno hadn't even told him he was leaving, but a few days after moving, Ghostbur showed up in the middle of the day, not seeming to realize that Techno didn't want anyone around, and he had started talking.
Techno still wasn't sure about Ghostbur. It seemed as though all of the dark inclinations that Wilbur had had during that last stretch in exile were gone entirely. But Techno hadn't gotten so far because he trusted the appearance of things.
So when Ghostbur called out to Fundy and Tubbo from Techno's balcony, he didn't trust that Ghostbur hadn't led them there. But by now it was too late to do anything about it.