TW: Fighting, mentions of manipulation

Ian sighed. It was a beautiful day, but he couldn't enjoy it. He hadn't been able to enjoy anything for a while now. Nico kept pushing him to go and talk to the others, but he couldn't. They'd been acting odd around him anyways. The only person he could talk to was Nico.

A group of people jumped in front of him. "You madman!" one of them yelled. Ian was confused. What had he done? Why had his friends turned on him?

"You took all the stones! For what? Power?" Sigils yelled, sword in hand. Ian glanced down at the gauntlet on his hand. All of the stones were on it, yes, but he thought it was easier having them all on then having to switch them out for the different abilities.

"Or you want to bend our minds so we aren't a threat?" Henwy said, flying in, a bow in hand.

"Who told you this? I just want-" Ian started.

"Power," Frost, 'The Dark Lord', snarled.

"NO! Why do you keep saying that!" Ian yelled.

"Because it's who you are. A power-hungry madman," Jerome said.

"First the most powerful armour, then the most powerful weapons, now the stones! Of course you're power-hungry." Florian said. Do they really think that of me? Ian was hurt.

"Just because I like being protected doesn't mean I'm power-hungry!"

"Oh really now? You just like being protected? Then why manipulate Nico into being your friend?" Raffesor asked.

"He's my friend by choice! It's not manipulation!" Ian growled. He never forced Nico to be his friend.

"As if he would choose to be your friend by choice," a voice said behind. Ian whirled around quickly, and the others took the chance to start fighting him.

The others slashed their weapons across him, finding little nooks in his armour. Someone tried to grab the gauntlet, but it tightened around his hand. A potion was splashed on him and he instantly felt weaker.

He had no chance in this fight. It was a 1 v 6, no, 7. Biffle was there too. He may have had good armour, weapons, and the Soul Stone, but they had numbers, surprise, and potions. They were quickly going through a good chunk of his health, even with a couple of them being injured.

The others who weren't injured were taking turns in healing the others, or weakening him. They had long stopped trying to pull off his gauntlet.

Ian's life was flashing in front of his eyes. Sigils jumping whenever Biffle snuck up on him while Ian laughed, the admins inviting them to help improve the server, Henwy and Jerome giving everyone a tour of the castle, Nico helping him make the gauntlet.

There was one chance, and a risky one at that. It could hurt everyone permanently, which he wasn't trying to do. He just needed escape. He took a deep breath, and snapped.