"So you're telling me that Herobrine came, didn't kill you, but instead lead you to a nether portal, informed you that we aren't the first he has done this to, and we are running out of time?" I can only nod my head as Alexa repeats and summarizes everything I told my friends. We were all standing a few blocks from the portal now, wary of the way it looked and sounded, not to mention the fact that it looked like it was slowly infecting the world around it. Netherrack was taking over the stone, and a few blocks held vine-like tendrils in them.

"Let's not forget that he also said the longer we are here, the more we start becoming our avatars..." Anthony speaks up, snapping my mind back to the group. Mobius slightly shivers. "No wonder it's nearly unbearable in here for me...." I tilt my head in confusion until I see feathers move behind his head. "Avali's live in negative forty degrees Celsius to negative one hundred degrees Celsius....." Alexa shakes her head. "You shouldn't go to the nether then, Mobi. It could literally kill you!" I nod my head in agreement. "It's already dangerous enough to go there as it is. However, we can't leave one person alone at any time anymore...."

Everyone grows silent, and we all hesitantly turn our gaze to the portal. None of us truly wanted to go, but we all knew it was necessary to beat the game. Not to mention the only place to get supplies for the potions we will need in order to survive The End. We are all silent, trying to think of the best possible plan.

"I'll go..."

My head snaps over to Mobius as he speaks. I already have my head shaking in protest when he raises his hand. "Look, we don't really have a choice. We can't risk a split-up when so many mechanics are being messed with. I will bring a bucket of water in hopes that it still stays in the bucket while in the inventory. I can drink it and keep my body temp down.... hopefully." I still find myself wanting to protest, but I know he's right. I slightly feel my anger rise a bit, but not at my friends...

At Him.

Before anyone else can object, I feel my eye start to sting and pain begins to well up in it. I let out a hiss and cover it, drawing Alexa's attention. I feel fear start to sink in when I realize which eye it was, and my wide-eyed expression seems to speak many words to Alexa, and thankfully it's all I needed. "We need to go, now!" She shouts, gaining everyone's attention. "What? Why?" Anthony asks, and just as she opens her mouth, I hear the fateful gargle of an Enderman, followed by another... and another. I shake my head. "No time! In the portal n-"

Pain floods me as a black blocky fist slams into the side of my head and sends me crashing into the side of the nether portal. I feel my vision slowly return, and the sound of fighting is the first thing my ears pick up when my hearing returns. Arms wrap around my own, and it takes me a moment to register that it was Mobius carrying me away just as an Enderman attempted to land another hit on my face. Despite getting dragged, I am still able to lock eyes with the mob, and my own widen at the sight.

Its face was normal, but the eyes were not. They weren't white, but they were still shining an off-color. Instead of the usual purple-pink, they were a crimson red and burning with unknown hate. I hear the noise of the portal grown closer, and I stagger to my feet when Mobius finally stops moving. I shake my head to regain my focus, and I hear Alexa shout as she is hit directly in front of me. I barely move forward enough to catch her. As I help her stand, I draw my sword...

And the Enderman hiss as they step back, as if revolted by it.

I narrow my eyes and swing it towards them, and they move back again. My eye burns in agony, but I try to hide it. However, I feel a hand grab my arm. It's Alexa, and she shakes her head. "Not now. We have to go." I growl, and her grip tightens. Turning back to our attackers, I see them shifting forward slightly, and more are joining them. However, they seem uninterested in me anymore, and their gaze is locked on the three behind me. I protectively move my sword to cover them, and the mobs back off slightly. I narrow my gaze, ignoring the excruciating pain that was starting to radiate from my right eye.

"You guys first. I'll follow."

Of course, Alexa is the first to start protesting, but the movement she starts to speak, an Enderman teleports directly in front of her on my left. I take no time at all to backspin and sink my sword deep into its chest. It lets out a scream of agony that pierces my ears, but the burning sensation from my eye overrides the pain from the noise. I fight it back as another vwoop echoes and I slide my sword out of the now-dead Enderman and lunge toward the one that was swinging at Anthony and Mobius, who were just in front of the portal. My blade slices clean through its arm. As it retracts itself in pain, I spin and raise my hand up to slice it, and successfully relieve it of its head.

"Aria... your eye..."

I find myself turning to fearfully gaze into the eyes of Anthony, who was gazing back at me in concern... and shock. I could see it in his armor. There was smoke flowing from my eye, but that wasn't what concerned me the most.

Half of my face was slowly turning black...

I was becoming an Enderman.....

I narrow my gaze. "Go... Don't argue. Just go!" As I finish my sentence, I shove Anthony backward, and he falls into Mobius, and the both of them fall into the portal. Another vwoop, and this time I only have to stab my sword backward in order to kill it, as it had teleported directly behind me. I shrieks in pain, then falls backward away from me. However, his shriek seems to have been the final straw needed, as the pain in my eye suddenly becomes unbearable and I fall to my knees, clutching my head.

Alexa is by my side in an instant with a shout. "Aria! We need to go now! Get up!" I try to focus on her voice, but it sounds so distant. The only noises I hear are Enderman screams and shouts flooding my brain. Her words are jumbling with the noises of Enderman...

"Set us free...."

I feel my blood run cold, Alexa's voice only a distant echo.

"We have no choice."

"You can stop him..."

"Free us Ar-"

"Aria!" Alexa's voice finally breaks through, but only as I see her get slammed in the chest by an Enderman and thrown directly into the portal with a scream.

I snap.

With a raging shout, I push myself up and turn, swinging my sword wide with both hands on the hilt. A sudden wave is released from the blade, but my mind doesn't register it. It only registers the number of mobs the wave hit, and the pain I should be feeling turns to rage. I can't comprehend anything but kill.

Slice.

Save...

My mind stutters, but I'm still swinging. Left. Right... Left, right...

Save my friends...

I slice down, and my sword cracks into the stone below. I take a deep breath, gasping for air. My mind was finally clearing, but the rage was still pounding like a bass drum in the back of my mind. I could feel it fighting to have control back, but I didn't even need to move my head to see what I had done. There was purple blood spilled across the ground, a large puddle pooling where my sword was impaled in the ground. I suck in air again, struggling to calm myself. The pain was returning as the rage was lessening, and it was making my legs begin to shake. I was holding myself up on my sword now.

Alexa, Anthony, Mobius... They need me... I... can't...

"Impressive."

I freeze. My legs stop shaking. I feel my grip tighten on my sword. The rage slowly creeps back into my mind and I feel my eye blazing once more. I barely turn my head to spot Him standing directly in front of the portal, as if taunting me. His gaze is not on me, but around me, taking in the murderous scene in awe. I feel my stomach twist as his lips slightly quirk up in a smile. His bright eyes finally land on my body, and I growl as his smile widens. "Each time we meet, I am intrigued by you even more...."

"Yet I am repulsed each time."

My voice is warped, sounding slightly deeper and not at all like it used to. It startles me, but I show no sign of it. In my mind, I was battling down the rage before it took over again. However, his laugh echoing off the walls of the mine seems to trigger it to rise again. I release a shout and rip my sword out of the ground, charging at him in blind, animalistic rage. He smirks and merely begins moving backward. "I'd be careful where you swing that, Aria..." I only growl in response as I realize where he was leading me to.

The portal.

In a last attempt to harm him, I swing my sword just as we both enter the portal...

And stop centimeters from Mobius' neck.

As I gasp for air, the heat hits me like a ton of bricks, snapping me out of my rage as all my senses are shocked. Heat fills my lungs and my eyes widen at the sight of Mobius' wide eyes locking with mine. He was rapidly breathing, panic evident in his eyes, and I could see Alexa and Anthony behind him. Alexa moved forward and pulled Mobius away, and I finally realize what had stopped me from chopping my friend's head clean off.

Anthony's sword was locked with mine, stopping it in its tracks. I turn my head to the right, locking eyes with him. His face was serious, full of concern and shock, but mild anger was hidden behind it. I suck in another breath, pulling my sword away and dropping it at my side. I gaze around, taking in the surroundings and where we are exactly...

Until I feel my legs wobble. "I... I'm sorry...." Is all I can mutter out before my legs give out and I collapse against the ground. I mildly feel arms catch me, but my vision blackens and I completely lose consciousness in seconds.