"Finally," said Alana as the group came to a stop in a clearing. "My feet were going to fall off and die, I swear."

"I seriously doubt that and your feet cannot die, and if your feet fell off, there is the possibility that the wound would get infected and you would die," spoke a confused Immi.

"Exaggeration, love," explained Atlas.

"Oh, I get it now," said Immi after a few moments of silence. "Sorry."

"All good," Alana said with a smile. "Remind me to teach you some sarcasm later." Everyone laughed a little.

"Let's set up camp," called Italzi from the woods where she was already getting firewood. She waved an arm in the air.

"I'll set up tents," yelled Atlas, reaching for the bundles.

"Hey, can Alana and Dimitri bring me some roots or something for dinner?" asked Cindie, who was getting the kitchen supplies out about 5 feet away.

"Sure," shrugged Alana.

Her and Dimitri began wandering deeper and deeper throughout the woods, picking herbs and grass that looked like herbs as they went, until Dimitri spoke up.

"Alana, my- my father doesn't love me," he croaked out of the blue. Up until that point, the only sounds heard was the leaves and sticks cracking under their feet. They were now miles away from where the group had set up camp.

"Umm, I'm sorry," Alana said, not quite sure how to respond to the statement.

I wish I was better with advice. I wish I could help him.

"I think the only way to get him to love me is to defeat you guys, but I don't want to."

"Well, then don't, I guess. I mean, it is your choice."

Dimitri halted picking grass and turned to Alana. "I swore not to harm Italzi and I can't hurt Cindie."

Alana felt the color in her face drain, not quite sure why. "Well, I guess you're out of luck in the killing people department," she joked half-heartedly while taking a step back.

 Dimitri sighed, "I'm sorry, Alana."

"Dimitri?"

With a sudden panic, she tried to get the hell out of there but Dimitri was too fast. He caught her by the leg, yanked her whole body down, and pinned her to the ground.

Alana swore inside. She wished she was stronger than that.

"HELP!" she screamed as loud as she could, and Dimitri cursed. Repositioning himself while making sure Alana stayed down, he adjusted himself in a way that his arm squeezed tightly around Alana's neck. She felt helpless, and she detested that feeling.

 Italzi and Atlas came barreling around the corner within mere seconds. Alana guessed it was the guard and knight training, how they were able to do that.

"DIMITRI, STOP," yelled Italzi with wide eyes. Alana started to see stars but Dimitri held her head up, squeezed her neck even tighter, and shakily held a knife up to her throat.

Then Immi and Cindie came into the woods and screamed out of surprise.

"Dimitri, calm down," pleaded Cindie, frantically. "This isn't you."

"I'm sorry, I have to," said Dimitri. Were those tears forming in his eyes? Alana couldn't get a good look.

"G-give up the fight against my father... or Alana dies."

"Don't do it," croaked Alana, but Dimitri ignored her and only pulled the knife tighter against her neck. She felt blood starting to bubble down it.

"Okay, okay," uttered Italzi. "We'll stop, let her go."

Dimitri loosened his grip and Alana slipped free. She tried to run away yet again but someone topped her again, and a searing pain stabbed her in the back of her neck. 

A commotion of noises floated around her. Yells, screams, Angry cries, you name it, it was there. Alana suspected some sort of fight was happening.

She quickly gasped and tumbled onto the ground. 

It felt like she was lying down in glass, being pricked with thousands of needles. She heard yet another someone shriek in the distance. She felt life very slowly start to drain out of her.

he couldn't scream, couldn't cry, couldn't do anything as a matter of fact. She was trapped inside of herself. She just laid there, silently, dying. Alana knew it.

She realized... this isn't how she wanted to die. She didn't want to die alone. Not by herself. This would be it. She would never get to see her country saved. The Duke's reign end. She wouldn't see her relatively new friends live the rest of their lives.

Vigor came to mind. She'd never see him again.

 ...Didn't even say goodbye... How stupid of her. How selfish of her, to just leave him like that. The guilt felt inside of her was unimaginable. And how naive of her, too, to blindly trust somebody who quite literally stabbed her in the back. She hated herself for ever giving her friendship, her heart to Dimitri. He was the Duke's own son, wasn't he? No wonder he turned out just like him.

Vigor's face filled. I'm sorry, she thought, then a final darkness took over her mind, her vision, her body.