Armen's point of view-

I suddenly felt warm, along with a growing pain in my chest. It's been awhile since I've felt physical pain. I was beginning to gain feeling within my body, no longer feeling numb like I have been for the past four years. I felt the clothing against my skin, I felt my hair tickle the back of my neck, I felt my feet against the ground. Yet I still felt confined and helpless. I was able to feel, yet I was numb. Like I was asleep in some coma. I was still terrified, unknowing of what was to come.
A gasp of breath flooded into my lungs, taking away the pain in my chest. Breathing... It felt so weird having the need to breathe again. My eyes watered and burned from the need to blink. A burning sensation covered my skin, which was one of the few things that I was able to feel during these four years before Drake destroyed one of the sacred diamonds. After I...died, I just felt cold and numb both physically and emotionally.
Then there was my own heartbeat. A sound that I never would have believed would hit my eardrums again. That slow, steady, rhythmic beat that I never thought I would ever feel again.

Bum... Bum...Bum... Was my heartbeat always that...slow?

I slowly moved the fingers on my right hand one by one, the numb sensation fading after so long. My bones popped and shook as they tried to get used to movement again. I looked down at my body, holding up my arm to examine it with wide eyes. My clothes were mended and my skin was clean, not baring a single wound. I watched my fingers move slowly and watched them shake with movement that was barely noticeable at first glance. I was in complete disbelief. How was this possible?

"I...How is..?"

I then began to remember everything. I was turned into a Nightmare, along with everyone else who had ever perished at the hands of Herobrine or were somehow associated with him in life. I remembered being filled with this burning hatred that I could not explain and could not get rid of. That constant pain. I remembered watching over Drake and occasionally being able to break free from the darkness to reveal myself to him but my plans were always foiled. I would always be dragged back into my Nightmare form or only appear to Drake in some mangled form. That did not help with the fact that he was already having hallucinations of me, so he never knew what was truly me and what was fake.
My eyes averted from my hand when I heard a sound similar to a choked up whimper. I looked up, gasping as my eyes rested on the broken down body of my best friend. My brother.
Drake sat before me, on his knees and his head hung low which made his hair cover my view of his eyes. Black shadows were covering his body like hands emerging from the ground and clawing at him viciously. They were keeping him in place like chains in a prison cell, an environment that I knew he was familiar with. The shadows had a dark, transparent black aura like a flickering blaze. Drake's hands were limp at his sides with tendril like shadows wrapped around his wrist. He appeared so broken. So...empty inside.

"D-Drake?"

A lump formed in my throat but I was able to force it down with a cry. "Drake!"

He was unresponsive to my pleading call. I found myself able to move, not spending a single moment of hesitation as I ran to his side. I fell to my knees in front to him, feeling an intense burning and pain against my exposed skin. Physical pain felt so strange. My hands rose up, instinctively grabbing Drake's shoulders and shaking him as I called out his name. I hated seeing him beaten and bruised. I hated what he did in order to make this come about. What he sacrificed to save me...
He looked up, a weak smile spreading on his cheeks. His lips quivered and his eyelids drooped. His mismatched orbs glowed, both of filled with...happiness. My eyes teared up and my fists tightened their grip on his shoulders. Why would he do that?

"A-Armen..." His raspy voice muttered. "I-Is that...you?"

His trembling right hand rose up and cupped my cheek, touching me as if to be sure that I was real and not an illusion in his head. I let go of him, one of my hands rising and grabbing his arm. I sobbed, knowing what was happening and terrified of what was to come.

"Y-yes! It's Armen! It's me, Drake! It's your best friend!"

His eyes glittered with tears. "Armen...I missed you...I never thought that I would see you again."

"Why would you do this?... I told you not to save me! Why do you have to be so stubborn?!" I screamed, clawing at his arm as I felt angered at his actions.

He laughed. My eyes widened, my grip on him releasing. That happy laughter that I had missed and feared that he would never let out again. A single tear dripped from my eye and went down my cheek, sizzling as it fell and hit the burning Netherrack stone beneath our knees. He opened his eyes again, giving me a look that caused pain to my chest. It was a look of joy glazing over a look of pain. After all of this time of him suffering... he actually looked happy. I thought he would die in misery but here he was smiling before me. I did not want him to die... I refused to believe it.

He spoke with a chuckle in his voice, the darkness around his body going over his right cheek. "I have always been stubborn...right? After all, this is what family does for each other. We make sacrifices for the ones we care for." He laughed again.

"Besides...I would have died anyway after a few more seconds if I hadn't transferred my life force to you."

My lips quivered as I muttered out his name. "Drake... Why does this have to happen to us?! Please don't go..."

I choked with my vision blurry from warm tears in my eyes. He continued. "I'm just...I'm so glad to see you again, Armen!" He repeated. "I-I never thought that I could see the actual you again, at least not you alive again. I missed you so much..." He choked and whimpered, his head falling.

  "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry! I killed you! I didn't save you when I should have! I-I'm so sorry..."

I placed my hands onto his shoulders again, watching him cry over his guilt that he did not deserve. "Drake, nothing was your fault! I'm here now, aren't I? Besides, I'm glad to have been possessed instead of you. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if you had been in my place."

  "But what about now? You've been put through h**l...all because of me, a-and I...it's all my fault! You dying, Sylvia dying, Luke dying. Everyone is dead because of me!"

I growled and shook my head. "Drake, no! Those are all just lies that Herobrine was feeding you! I'm fine now, okay? And there was nothing you could have done to help Sylvia and Luke. Don't feel bad for something that wasn't your fault." I wheezed past my tears.

He did not reply. We both sat there, sobbing in remorse. I don't want him to die thinking my death was his doing. It was not his fault; he could not have known that destroying that diamond would bring me such a fate. He could not have done anything without putting himself in danger. My ears perked up when he finally spoke again and broke the dreaded silence.

"Armen...can you do me a favor..? It's my last wish..."

What was he saying? No. No! I would not expect that! He can't just accept death like that! He was my family, the one I care for more than anything in the world! I could not accept his fate. I could not. Although in the back of my head, I had already known that his fate was nigh.

I shut my eyes tight and turned my head. My teeth gritted together, despising his choice of words. "Wh-What?"

His smile returned, bright and lively. "Smile...please."

My head spun back to face him, opening my eyes to let the river of tears continue to flow. "How can I smile when you are dying?! When you're going to be dead and end up as that b***ards puppet in a few minutes?!"

"...Because...that's my final wish."

Once again my eyes grew. I growled and shook my head. I was going to lose him, so honoring his last wish was only right. I forced on a smile, the corners of my lips aching and struggling to keep it on. I chuckled, but not in any sense of happiness. More tears left from my eyes, sorrow drowning out what joy I wished I was feeling instead. For so long I had wanted to be reunited with my best friend, my brother but...but not like this!

His head was downcast, his own eyes struggling to hold back tears. "Thank you. As long as you and the others are well..."

He lifted up his head, his lips perked into a smile and tears running down from his closed eyelids. "...then I'm happy!"

I couldn't believe that this was happening. I was losing my best friend again, but this time he was the one who gave up his life for me. My heart was racing and sore within my chest, a feeling that I had become unfamiliar with after so long of not having a beating heart. I choked on my sobs, until eventually I lunged at him, wrapping my arms tightly around his body.
He tensed up for a split moment, my grip on him so tight that my limbs ached. I cried into his shoulder, clawing at him and the shadows wrapped around his body. I did not want to let him go. I knew that I would lose him if I did. His arms rose up and clung around me just as tightly as I held to him. I listened to his sobbing, regret yet also joy flowing through him. I closed my eyes as I held him within my embrace. This couldn't be it...this couldn't be the last moment we would have together. It can't end like this!

"D-Drake...I love you."

I had to tell my brother that. I had to reassure him that Herobrine was lying and that I never hated him for what happened. I still loved him like a brother. He was and always will be my family. We had been through so much together, and even beyond the days that our memories had been wiped, we shared a close bound that I will never have with anyone else. I cared about him and loved him more than my own real family. More than my parents and more than even Collin.
His body suddenly went limp. I tensed up, feeling his chest stop moving and felt his arms fall limp to his sides. His sobbing grew silent, leaving us in the quite atmosphere. My eyes opened wide, saying his name but he did not respond. Finally, I pushed him away from myself, scooting back to look him in the eyes.

"Dra-" I didn't think my eyes could get any bigger. I suddenly couldn't breathe, shock and fear staggering into my core and causing me to freeze.

His eyes. They had no color. No pupil or iris. They were blank white canvases that glowed like fire in the darkness. His face was emotionless, with his mouth opened with a bright glow in his throat, his lips slightly parted but now making not even the slightest of movement. I could not rip my gaze away from his glowing white, soulless eyes. He was gone...corrupted...gripped by death himself.

"Drake?!" I screamed, scampering back to him. I once again held onto his shoulders and shook him violently.

"No! No! No! No! Drake!"

A sudden deep, dark laughter erupted from the walls as the netherrack began to break away and slowly rise, fading like the rising embers of a dying flame. The walls were ripping apart, revealing an endless black abyss beyond the room we sat in. I gasped and pushed myself further back, seeing a dark shadow rising behind Drake with two glowing white orbs that I could never mistake.
I looked back down at my friend, his eyes left completely blank and lifeless. I growled and lunged in order to get to him; to hopefully do something to snap him back to himself. Suddenly, I hit what felt like an invisible wall keeping Drake and I apart. I slammed my fist repeatedly against it, screaming out Drake's name until I ran out of breath.

  It's too late for him...

I win...

His laughter resumed, sounding like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. The ground beneath me began to shatter like glass, and the next thing that I knew, I was falling into a void. I screamed and clawed at the air as I began to plummet, wanting so desperately to get back to my friend. I saw Drake vanish, his broken image plastered onto my mind...
...

Third person point of view-

Nightmares. Such fascinating creatures; so misunderstood. The spirits of the dead, corrupted to serve the devil as his henchmen. The spirits forced to follow demands and to never act on their own instincts. The slaves without a choice, without free will. They are forced to follow chosen victims, to take them and make others feel their pain. Slaughtering in unwanted rage, like a need for revenge that it never satisfied. The cursed who silently cry and weep with pleads unheard. The poor creatures whom were once humans.
So few have a will strong enough to break through the barrier of shadows and the bondage of the white eyed demon's control. Only for moments at a time can they regain what humanity they once had, weakening themselves just to be like they once were. To feel what it was like to love and feel like they were living again even if just for a moment. Even if it meant feeling pain, but fist they must break through the memories of pain, sorrow, and rage. With fruitless efforts, each were dragged back and shackled into the darkness with stronger chains.
Cyan eyes opened to take in the world, squinting as they took in light for the first time in what seemed like forever. A gasp of breath rushed into his lungs, oxygen filling them and easing the aching pain. His eyes adjusted, seeing the stone roof above him and the flickering light of extinguishing orange flames. He felt nauseous at first, his head pounding from a migraine and his stomach aching from being completely empty. He felt the warmth and cold mixture of air and an irritating feeling of pins and needles rushing through his fingers, feet, and even his back. His ears rung, slowly fading to let him listen in on the distant sound of fighting and screams.
His fingers clawed at the stone beneath his body, taking in every physical sensation that had not felt for so long. He took in the aroma around him, the scent of stale air, the smoke from the fire and the putrid scent of blood and sweat. His mouth had a metallic taste on his tongue and his clothing and hair tickled his skin. He was...alive.
He sat up, his eyes scanning the area. Nightmares swarmed the room, using the shadows to their advantage. He looked down at his skin, his clothing somehow mended and clean, his skin pale but also clean, and his hair was just a bit longer than he remembered it being, now reaching to his shoulders. His chin bore small stubble of a beard that was beginning to grow in. His body had been stuck with the appearance of a sixteen year old for four years and it seemed that those four years were catching up with him.
Armen's eyes filled with tears. He was alive because of Drake...and now...Drake was gone. He should have just left him as a Nightmare, then he would be with him, him as a corrupt spirit and Drake as a spirit...at least he would like to believe that. The memories of Drake's last words still rattled the boy to his core. "I'm happy"... Something about those words did not settle with him. They were ironic, really. His best friend had been suffering so much...and for his last words to say that he was happy... Armen would have laughed if the circumstances had not been so grim.
His eyes moved up, opening wide as saw himself sitting in the middle of the blood circle but what his eyes locked onto was the body of his best friend. His face was covered in blood, covering his new clothing in red, his eyes closed and mouth slightly opened. His was not breathing and did not even move. Armen could see the tears on his bloody skin that the hybrid had shed before his...his demise. Something about his body was off, and Armen knew exactly why.
His ears perked up as he heard a female yell. His head turned as he faced the wall of fire that began to extinguish. The flames lowered just enough for a girl with blue hair to run and jump across the crevice. Her body hit the stone ground causing her to grunt in pain, a small corner of her cloak catching on fire but the impact made the ember go out. Armen remembered her, or at least flashing images of her from when he was watching over Drake as a Nightmare. He got to his feet and ran to her as she pushed herself up.

"Wait!" He screamed as he reached her and held out his arms to grab her shoulders and keep her back.

He looked at her, her face red and covered in tears. Her blue eyes were tinted red from crying. Her hood was down, shining lapis blue hair falling over her shoulders. She could feel their life forces, and she felt the one that she loved more than anything slip away. She could not stand it; could accept that he was gone. She needed to be with him, to hold him one last time.

"No, stay away from him!" Armen warned her, his voice hoarse.

"Get out of my way! Who even are you?!" She screamed, turning sorrow into rage.

Armen backed away, but he kept his arms outstretched to keep her back. He saw the pain in her eyes, the biting loss. She clutched her fist and tried to push past him but he continued to keep her at bay. She kept searching. Searching for any sort of sign that her beloved was still in there. She prayed that her love was not forever lost.

The boy placed a hand on his chest to gesture to himself. "Please! Listen, I'm Armen. I was Drake's best friend."

Lalea looked at him in disbelief, shaking her head. "No. You can't be...Armen's dead!"

"I know that you loved him, and so did I. He was my only family. I understand how you're feeling, and it hurts more than anything" His eyes filled with tears and streamed down his sore cheeks. "...But you have to stay back!"

"I need to be with Drake! H-He's...d-"

"That isn't Drake anymore!"

Lalea's body suddenly froze up, her expression of sorrow shifting to one of fear. She began to back away, slowly shaking her head as a few more tears rolled down from her eyes. Her lips moved, letting out choked up noises. Her eyes were gazing behind his shoulders, where they both were able to feel a dark presence. Armen swallowed a lump in his throat, almost chocking as sweat rolled down his face. He knew that darkness from anywhere.
The boy's bright cyan eyes shot open wide. He was quick to turn on his heels, his head spinning for a moment but the world quickly went back into focus. He saw a figure, the same figure that had been laying motionless on the ground just moments ago. He gasped, despite having already expected this. He snarled and glared at the demon that had tortured his best friend and himself...the one responsible for his best friend's death.
Drake's body levitated in the air, rising about five feet off of the ground. The mortal's both felt their hearts racing from fear and anguish. Shivers ran down their spines and skin chilled as the air around them grew cool.

"Drake..." Lalea gasped out through her tears, but she knew better. This was no longer the man that she had devoted her heart too.

They were surrounded by the familiar scene of parts of the floor ripping away from its foundation. Stone rose into the air, a wind coursing around them, and the hybrid vessel seeming to be its source. Deep chuckling echoed against the walls before turning into loud, high pitched laughter. His head fell back as he laughed, overjoyed that he had finally seceded. He looked back down at his body, gazing down at his fingers as he moved them, cracking his neck. This body was now completely his. No more Drake to hold him back. He had finally won.

"Finally." He lifted up his head, showing his eyes that had become completely white, both glowing like the brightest of shining stars. "I've waited so long for this!"

Armen's fists clenched as another tear escaped from his right eye. He bit his lip, his body filling with seething rage. "You bas***d..."

Herobrine looked up, tilting his head until his neck popped, with a crooked smile on his face and white light shining bright in his throat as he spoke. "Armen... How does it feel to be flesh and bone again? Great, isn't it? I must say, I'm going to miss having you as a part of my army, but you'll be back...real soon."

Armen only responded with a snarl, opening his mouth to speak but he choked on his words. "You killed my best friend... I'm going to make you pay!"

Herobrine let out another malevolent, joyous laugh. He mocked the boy, stating that no matter how much he tried, he would always come back. He always did. After all, you can't kill a god. His arm shot up, his bandaged and bloodied gloved claws pointing upward as they sparked with white light.
Armen and Lalea looked up, gasping as lightning sparked from nothing and crashed down around them. They jumped out of the way, watching fragments and dust fall from the ceiling. Armen fell to his knees as they wobbled beneath his light weight. When he looked back up, all he could do was gasp as he saw the Nightmares descend upon them.

The demon watched them with a smile as they scampered for their lives. He lifted up his arm and spoke softly before snapping his fingers and disappearing. "A new era has begun."
...

The sharp claws of the beast slashed across his chest, inflicting three deep, painful wounds. Xavier winced in pain, pushing his heels against the stone floor to push himself back. He pushed back Jane who stood fearfully behind him, finding it increasingly more difficult to protect her in these conditions. Her arm was already injured, slashed open by one of the Nightmares that he had failed to keep at bay. He refused to fail her again.
He looked down at his injuries, three slashes of red from the cuts and soaking into the white fabric of his shirt. He took in a deep breath and held it in, repressing the urge to scream at the stinging pain. His staggering breath rose into the air tainted with aroma of dust, sweat, smoke, and blood.
He huffed, taking a quick glance at his daughter. She was trembling with tears in her eyes, her lips quivering and chapped. It pained him that he could not tend to her injuries at that moment. He just wanted to comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, but he was too caught up in the fear and alertness. The father knew that she wanted to cling to him for comfort and security, but with Xavier's rapid body movements from dodging and swinging ineffective attacks, she could not without hurting herself or slowing him down.
A loud screech rattled through the room, causing ringing and the sensation of blood in their ears. The ex-spy looked up, watching with his wide green eyes as a corrupt spirit emerged from the shadows and spent at them through the air that was thick with fear. He knew that he would not be able to dodge in time, especially without the risk of Jane being put in more harm. He took in a deep breath and braced himself.
The Nightmare stopped before him, lifting up its powerful arm and swigging it down to strike. Pain spiked throughout his body, his left arm and chest taking most of the pain as the creatures knife sharp claws slashed into his flesh. The impact was so strong that he was sent flying, his body colliding painfully to the ground. As he skidded across the floor, he went limp and blacked out.
Endy was on her knees, her lip bleeding and scars on her cheek. Why did she have to break her arm, her dominant arm at that?! Her black sword was difficult to wield with her left arm, and the Nightmares surrounding her only made things more of a struggle. A fire ball was flying from one of the attacking spirits, but she was lucky that she was able to jump off to the side just in time before the fireball collided and caused a small explosion on the ground.
She knew how this situation came about. She had felt Drake's life force fade and become completely replaced by the darkness that was Herobrine. Yet something about how it felt when he faded did not feel right. He did not disappear like other life forces that she had felt slip in the past. Something about his death was off but Endy could not pinpoint why.
She tried to catch her breath, but her moment of rest was short, another Nightmare screaming as it rushed towards her. Endy dodged, holding out her sword in hopes that the blade would at least clip the best, but the tip of the weapon only seemed to phase straight through it.
She jumped back, gasping to catch her breath. Her head turned, only to see Xavier laying motionless on the ground, and Jane quivering with a Nightmare hovering in front of her injured form. Endy let out a gasp as the monster prepared to strike her.

  "Jane!"

Instinctively, she ran as fast as she could to the girl's side then jumped in front of her for the Nightmare's next attack to come down on her instead. Endy screamed as it's claws traveled across her back, slicing open her skin. She bent dow and let her left arm wrap around Jane and held her against her chest to protect her.
Xavier's slowly opened his eyes, a painful pounding against his skull. His vision slowly went into focus, allowing him to see Endy and Jane at the beasts mercy. He tried to push himself up but collapsed yet again.

"Stay awake."

"Stay awake."

The voice kept repeating itself in his head. Xavier pushed himself to his hands and knees, his head spinning and dizzy. That voice. It was not his own thoughts, but someone else's. They were more like memories of someone warning him. Luke...
The raven haired female turned her head, looking at the Nightmare with tears of pain in her eyes. She gasped as the creature began to swing its claw at them, feeling it clip her skin. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain, but it never came.
A loud screech flooded her ears until ringing was all that she was able to hear. Even with her eyes closed, a bright green light broke through the blackness. Her eyes cracked open before she stepped back in awe. The Nightmare had a green light shining from its side where a small green kuni knife stuck out. The Nightmare screeched as its body turned into shadows and escaped into the darkness. The knife fell and clattered against the floor.
Xavier sat on his hands and knees on the ground, gagging for what appeared to be no reason at first glance. The girls both ran over to him, getting down onto their knees to make sure that he was okay. He was shaking and continued gagging until a bit saliva dripped from his mouth followed by a small amount of vomit. He looked back up, gasping to catch his breath. Both of the girls gasped, with Jane letting out a scream.

  "You hit your head, didn't you?!" Endy scolded him.

His vision clouded with red, his hand lifted up and rubbing the skin beneath his right eye. He pulled his hand away, looking down at the red on his fingertips. He chuckled, knowing that he was bleeding from the eyes. The impact must have worsened his concussion. If he slipped out of consciousness one more time, he was sure that he would not wake up.

He smiled and replied. "Y-yeah. Surprising that I'm not d-dead yet, huh?"

Endy rolled her eyes, turning and putting his arm around her neck to help him back up to his feet. As she did so, her looked at her back, seeing the blood covering her torn cape and sweater. They were deep wounds, so they bothered him. He sighed with the acknowledgement that she at least able to walk and protected his daughter at the risk of her own life.

He smiled. "Thank you for protecting her, Endy. I don't think that I'll be able to live with myself if anything ever happens to her."

He looked down at his daughter, seeing how filled with fear she was, but he was just happy that she was still alive. He rubbed her head, making her flinch. She asked with her squeaky voice of he was okay with Xavier replying that he was fine. He hated that he needed to lie to her. She was crying, terrified. Xavier wiped the blood from his eyes, listening to Endy speak.

"It's no problem. I won't let anything happen to her, and I'm not letting anything else happen to you! I can't lose you..." She blushed. "You're...you are my best friend."

Xavier lowered her arm to reveal a bright smile. He was thankful and honored to hear those words from her. She looked away, not having lied but not really telling the truth either. She was not ready to admit her true feelings, and she was sure that he was not ready to fall in love again.

"And you're m-my b-best friend." He cleared his throat, remembering Luke. "You and Luke a-are the only people who ever really e-excepted me, you know, other than Sylvia... Pl-please don't die too. Everyone I-I care about...always ends up dead."

Endy felt sorry for him. He lost his wife and Luke, the people that he had bounded with the most in his life. He had even lost his parents, as he had told her on the airship before they came to this island. Endy's fingers twitched, wanting to hold his hand but his arm was already over her shoulders.

  "Well, you still have Jane. You still have me."

A smile came back to the ex-spy's face. "Y-yeah...at least I have you two." For now at least...
...

Nathan's point of view-

Noble snarled at every mass of black smoke that came at me. He lunged out and attacked the Nightmares, his light able to extinguish the darkness. Yet no matter how much of a fight that the little fox spirit put up, he was still inferior compared to strength of the Nightmares. He clawed and bit and used magical and spiritual energy to wipe out the enemy, but in the end he was not strong enough to fight them all off on his own.
Slashes made their way across the my right shoulder and up across my neck and cheek. I screamed in pain, feeling the blood trickling down my skin and soaking into my clothing. My pendant glowed a bright orange and yellow, causing me to gasp as the light traveled up to my wounds, then I felt tingling where my injuries had been. The pain suddenly faded. I lifted up my hand and rubbed my leather covered fingertips against where the wounds had been inflicted, feeling no pain. My wounds were mended but the blood remained.
I struggled to catch my breath, all of my attacks repeatedly ending in failure. It was like the only thing that could hurt these Nightmares was magical energy. Darkness against light. I held my sword against my side, readying my next attack. I knew that offense against these things would have fruitless results, but preparing to defend myself was all I could think of to do.
My head turned as I heard a female's scream. Mia was by the destroyed altar where we had hatched the dragon egg, her bow in hand and an arrow ready to fire. Her body was scarred and left bloodied from the Nightmares relentless attacks on her. She pulled on the bows string and aimed at a Nightmare, choosing one out of the many that flew through the stale air. I was shocked, and she seemed to be too when around fifty flower pedal sized spikes of light appeared around the bow. An enchanted set of bows and arrows. She smiled with confidence and took in a deep breath then released the string.
As she released the arrow, the small orbs of magic energy followed in suit. They fired at high speed and moved without restraint through the air. I watched as a few hit a hovering Nightmare, causing it to scream at a high pitched, ear piercing volume. Bright pink light erupted from its mouth and snuck out from it's eyes before it vanished into the darkness, leaving us unknowing as to rather or not she was successful in killing it or if it just slithered back into the darkness. The pedals of light that had missed their target sped towards the wall and was able to split the stone that it collided with, breaking it upon impact. The arrow disappeared from being stuck in the rubble, a bright glow coming from the arrows hostler on Mia's back. I gasped as the arrow returned to its rightful place.

  "These arrows are awesome!" She cheered, looking over to me and acknowledging my presence. I tilted my hat to her.

I smiled and laughed until her facial expressions turned. Mia looked over to me, her mouth hanging open and eyes enlarging as if struck with surprise...or more likely struck with fear. I followed her eyes and spun around on the balls of my feet, holding out my blade to attack. A gasp rose in my throat but it was stuck, causing me to choke. The Nightmares flew all around both behind, and at our sides but now they kept their distance from me. Standing before me with a crooked grin was the person who was once my friend; my best friend.

  "Hello, Nathan. Miss me?"

Drake's face was covered in blood and both of his eyes glowed in an almost blinding white light. My limbs were beginning to quiver, knowing that I was not facing my friend, but instead I was facing that monstrous devil possessing his body. He put his hands behind his back and tilted his head to the right, taking a step forward while I took a step back from him. I was sweating from fear, plagued with the memories of the countless seas of corpses that he always left behind in his wake.

I straightened my back and tightened my fists. "Drake, I know that you're in the-"

His cold laughter cut me off, sending a chill running down my spine. "Drake is not coming back, trust me. He's gone and he is staying gone, for good this time."

I didn't want to understand or believe a word that he said. My head slowly shook as I gripped the handle of my sword, biting my lip. Drake can not be dead. He can't be telling the truth. He is a demon, and that is what demons do, lie! I growled, denying his words but he only pushed it further and further.

  "Drake is dead. Don't you think that you could done something? That you could have saved him?"

Guilt crept throughout my body. I did feel that I could have done something but deep down I knew that no matter what, I could not have prevented this. No matter how much I want to believe that Drake could have been saved, I knew that no matter what I did or thought about what I could have done differently, Drake still would have been claimed by his illness and Herobrine's torture. I knew that I could not have helped him back then at the palace, but tears of remorse could not help but fill my eyes.

  "I-I..."

With a flash of orange light and a deep growl, Noble appeared in front of him, snarling and baring his teeth. The vessel tilted his head to the left and snickered, his arms going down to his sides.

"How cute. Are you that weak that you need a ghost to protect you? You're more pathetic than Drake and Armen."

He looked down at Noble, then his sick smile grew wider as his gaze came back to me. His arm lifted up, his palm aimed at my chest as a ball of white light formed. The next thing I knew, a blast of powerful white energy came hurtling my way. I shut my eyes and turned away, but instead of death, I heard an inhuman yelp of pain.
My eyes shot wide open, readjusting to the mixture of white and orange light blazing wildly before me. I looked back to see my familiar between myself and Herobrine's attack that I was sure would have been fatal. Both the light from the blast and Noble's body faded, my familiar's light traveling back into my pendant. The crack in the gem repaired itself with Noble inside, left too weak to continue on existing in the real world. I guess even familiars have to regenerate.

"Nathan, look out!"

My focus turned back to Herobrine, listening to him laugh as his left fist ignited in white flame while he drew his sword with his right hand. He charged at me with a speed that made him appear as a blur to the naked eye, so I instinctively held up my sword in defense without even giving it any thoughts. I gritted my teeth as I watched him closing in the gap between us, tears blurring my vision. If I should die now, then let it be. I am not being a coward or acting like a weakling any longer. Drake was dead, the man who taught me bravery and showed me what this world truly is, and I refused to back away from the monster who brought him to his end.
Suddenly, he vanished into the thick air, leaving a swarm of Ender particles behind. I waited for pain to overtake my body, but no such thing came upon me. My eyes darted around to look for him, but I saw no sign of his new whereabouts. I jumped when I heard Mia scream, spinning around to face her direction. Herobrine appeared before her, the sword that Drake fought Grayson with earlier clasped tightly in his hand.

"Dr-Drake? If there's any piece of you left in there..." Mia was beginning to cry. "Then please snap out of this!"

He swung his arm and struck the elf before she could do anything to prevent or counter his attack. I was once again forced to listen to her scream in agony as his swords diamond blade slashed in a diagonal upwards motion, slicing her across the lower left of her side and up to her right breast. A bright white light shined from the wound, her arms lifting up and wrapping around herself, frozen in pain before she collapsed to her knees. She continued to scream as if she was burning alive. Her arms fell back limp to her sides, her head lifting up to let her tear filled eyes stare into the white eyes that once belonged to her dear friend. He cut her limbs, a bright white light shining from her wounds. He then grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look up, readying to decapitate her. She screamed.
He lifted up his blade to bring it down on her. I could not just stand there and watch as another one of my friends was killed. I growled and held out my sword, roaring in fury as I charged at the demon with my head spinning from exhaustion, nearly tripping over my own feet. I could feel tears slipping from my eyes as the cold air rushing into my orbs. My grip on the blade of my handle was so tight that I felt as if my gloves would soon rip.
I reached him and swung my arms to let the sharp iron side collide into his body. I heard the sound of something breaking, my eyes widening as the iron to my sword shattered upon impact with his arm. I stopped in my tracks, my shaking arm dropping the blade-less hilt as I backed away. Blades...can not hurt him? He cracked his neck and sheathed his sword, filling me with dread as I anticipated his next move. He let go of her, letting her paralyzed body fall over. He suddenly spun around, his arms lifting up with enough speed that I could not dodge.
His hands grabbed onto the side of my head, his thumbs digging into my eyes but just enough to not allow me to blink. I grabbed his arms and tried to push him away but my efforts were met with failure. I stopped struggling when there was suddenly a bright light, like I was being forced to stare at the sun itself. I screamed at the top of my lungs, kicking and thrashing around as my eyes felt like they were being burned out of my skull.
I felt his hands release me, letting me collapse back onto the stone ground. I clawed at the floor, breathing heavily as the pain continued to scorch my eyes. All I could see was white slowly fading into black. I tried opening my eyes but I could not, everything remained completely dark. I could hear him chuckle, followed by quick footsteps and Mia's voice calling out. I flinched as another set of hands slipped underneath my head and back, pushing me to sit-up. They placed my hat that had fallen off back onto my head, adjusting it.

  "Nathan, are you-?" Mia abruptly stopped in the middle of her sentence.

The pain in my eyes was slowly fading but my vision did not seem to be adjusting back to normal. I reached out my hand, touching what felt to be Mia's left collar bone between her neck and shoulder, feeling the fabric of her clothes and her leather shoulder pad. She must have been sitting on her knees in front of me. I could hear the screeching of Nightmares and the struggling screams of my comrades as they fought. I could hear Mia's deep breathing and my own heartbeat. I could feel my body trembling, especially in my hands and feel the pain that filled my body.

"Wh-where is he?" I asked, beginning to grow panicked.

She tried to calm me down. "He's gone. He teleported somewhere else but, Nathan...are you able to see anything?"

I cleared my throat, growing increasingly nervous. How could she tell? Was there something visibly wrong with my eyes? I shook my head and answered.

"N-no. I-I can't... I can't see anything at all."

She was hesitant to give any reply. I could hear her scavenging through her backpack and pull something out. I flinched as something touched the back of my head but she assured me that it was okay. I began to feel something constrict around my head, going around and around and covering my eyes. I lifted up my hand and touched the material that she put on me, not being able to feel it with my gloves, but I knew that they were bandages.

  "Mia, why are you putting these on me? What's wrong with my eyes?"

She finished wrapping the bandages around my head then answered grimly. "Your eyes are clouded, Nathan. I don't know if it is temporary but...you're blind"
...

Grayson's point of view-

Another ball of fire smashed against my shield, pushing my feet back against the stone floor. My shield formed a thick layer of green magic energy in front of itself, giving me two strong layers of protection from the wicked spirits powerful attacks. A wave of heat rushed around my body, burning my skin and causing me to sweat even more. My warm, staggered breath forced its way out of my aching lungs, gasping for fresh air. I could barely breathe in the dust filled air and my body giving into exhaustion. The bright side was that I had a dragon by my side to help me fight, but he was too young to defend himself for long.
I held my shield up higher, another blast of fire colliding with the emerald and gold. Armen II squealed, outstretching his wings as he jumped up. I felt him claw to my backpack and crawl up until he was on top of my head. His talons dug into my head but I did not flinch in pain. He spat out a small blast of purple magic energy mixed with purple flames. The Nightmare that he targeted turned its body into shadows and swiftly avoided the blast.
In a speeding instance, it came at us. I twisted my body to avoid the monsters sharp claws but it was still able to cut my chin that I had failed to cover with my shield. Armen II let out another squeaky roar and a growl mixed with hissing in the back of his long throat. I closed my eyes and flinched as the room rattled with another scream from a Nightmare. Honestly I could not believe that the ceiling had not collapsed on us yet. Especially after Drake's magic went out of control and nearly destroyed the entire room.  All of that magic that was unleashed...it seemed like too much for comfort with his condition. It seemed like enough that it would be...fatal. I was worried about Drake, terrified for him honestly.
All of Nightmares began to leave the area around us, myself finding it strange but it gave me the opportunity to search for the others. The flames still raged on in the crevice that Drake's magic created. Lalea had jumped into the flames earlier but I was able to see that she made it across, but I also saw a strange figure behind the flames and heard another voice before the Nightmares began to attack me and forced me to go all the way to the back of the room. I had no idea who or what it was but I assumed that it was a Nightmare.
My eyes scanned the room, the Nightmares swarming the other ends of the room that made it difficult to see much but I was able to catch glimpses of my comrades. Endy, Xavier, and Jane were together but Xavier looked the most injured due to the fact that Endy had to support him in standing. On the opposite end of the room to them was Mia and Nathan. The elf was kneeling in front of the boy, who seemed panicked. My eyes moved from one group to the other, then to the altar, more specifically the wall of flames and magic beyond it. I had to get to Drake and Lalea.
As I started to sprint, a figure suddenly appeared before me out of thin air. I stopped, taking in the image of a tall man that stood in front of me. I gasped, my eyes growing wide as I immediately recognized who it was. It was Drake, his face covered in blood and... both of his eyes completely white and glowing.

He tilted his head with a crooked, unpleasant grin.  "Grayson! Just the man I've been wanting to see!"

His voice was off as well. It was not mixed like it usually was when Drake was possessed. Instead it was spine chillingly deep in tone and slightly echoing, fitting perfectly with Herobrine's demonic role and his personality. The white light creeped past the small cracks between his teeth. His greasy, blood matted brown and black hair falling over his face. My eyes teared up just from looking at him.

  "Dr-Drake..." His name was all I could get myself to mutter out, despite knowing that this was not Drake standing before me.

He chuckled as he began to slowly walk forward. "Drake is dead, Grayson. You failed to keep your promise, but that's nothing new, now is it?"

I backed away as he slowly approached closer. Guilt was beginning to cloud my mind and pull me away from reality. Looking at the body before that once belonged to my best friend only brought me sever pain. Even back when Armen was possessed he still had a cyan eye. It was faint but it was there, and now...both of Drake's eyes are completely white. Does that mean that...he really is gone?

I shook my head and forced myself into denial. "No. No! Drake can not be dead! I don't believe you!"

He chuckled and shrugged. "Suit yourself. Believe whatever you want to believe, but think of that pain when you keep begging him to come back... and he never does."

No. Drake can not be dead, not now! Tears filled my eyes as I remembered him screaming on the other side of that crevice. Were those his last moments? I could have saved him...I missed my chance. My body started shaking, a heavy pressure rising in my chest. I suddenly could not breathe, my nose plugging up and throat feeling closed up. My face was heating up as I tried not to cry and let him get the better of me. I took another few steps back, hearing the dragon growing into my ear as he stood on my shoulder.

  "You can never seem to do anything right, can you?" The demon taunted. "Sylvia, Luke, Drake, your own wife and son, all of them trusted you and you let them down. You failed them all."

I choked as tears streamed down my face like a river. I wanted to stay strong but each and every word that came out of his mouth was like a sword that pierced into my heart. What he was saying was the truth. They would all be alive if it were not for me and my incompetence. I always try so hard, or at least believed that I did but I never made anything better. All I ever do is bring the people I care for to their deaths. My limbs began to feel heavy with sorrow, my arms lowering in front of myself as a hiccup escaped from my throat.

"Sh-shut up..." I hissed at him, shaking my head to get rid of the memories.

"You once said that Drake was your reason to live, that he restored your will to persist on in life. He's dead now, so what do you have left? Everyone that you love is either dead because of you or will be dead because of you."

I snapped, letting out a scream as I dashed towards him. I lifted up my blade high into the air, my vision clouded by tears. I took a swing at him but he was able to swiftly step to the side and avoid the attack. I brandished the Andruin left and right but each time it was if he was teleporting away from my strikes. He was definitely acting more on strategy than when we fought at Iron mere or in the magic library. Back then he always avoided my attacks but in those times it was because he kept levitating high enough that could not reach him.
He teleported back a few feet, putting distance between himself and me. Armen II jumped at him, but his hand shot up and took the baby dragon by its neck. He snickered with a grin, chuckling as he squirmed in his grip. I gasped, inspecting him to snap the infant reptiles neck, but instead he tossed the baby dragon, sending him flying until his body collided with the stone. I listened to him squeal loudly in pain as he hit the wall then fell to the floor.

  "Armen!" I screamed but I had no time to run to him. By the time I turned around, Herobrine was readying his attack.

He began to fire blast after blast of powerful white energy that exploded all around me. They all were so powerful that the ground shattered underneath each blast of light. I jumped back and held up my shield to block his attacks, feeling the shield rattling with each blast that hit. I could barely keep my defense up. I could feel the blazing heat and overwhelming energy coming from each blast that struck. The green magic shield that my own defense put before itself quickly shattered, his attack stopping just before it destroyed my own shield and obliterated me.
I got up, continuing to feel vibration coursing through my arms and chest. My sorrows were ever so slowly shifting into pure rage. I was beyond infuriated. I screamed as loud as I ever could and dashed at him faster that I could think. I swung my sword repeatedly, not thinking about any action that I took. He dodged and used his own sword to block my attacks, swinging at my body and cutting into my cheek and left leg. I stumbled as it became temporarily paralyzed and flared with burning pain as if my insides were set on fire, but I remained standing.
I took one last swing, but he vanished and did not reappear. My body jumped as I heard his deep voice speak from behind me. I spun around on the balls of my feet and held yet another stance in preparation to defend myself. He looked down at his fingers as he held his hand up, as if continuing to take in the fact that he had taken full control over Drake's body.

  He turned around and laughed. "You know, I want to reward you! After all, you helped me get full control over my vessel."

I snarled and held up another stance. "I want nothing that you have to offer! Nothing except for Drake!"

He gave a slight shake of his head. "Don't be like that. Come on, Grayson, I'm sure you'll like this. After all, it's always nice to be reunited with an old friend."

I lowered a brow, wondering what on earth he was possibly talking about. He lifted up his arm a little higher and snapped his fingers with a smug grin on his face. A shadow emerged from the darkness beside him, a swarming mass of black smoke. It took shape with a black aura surrounding its body like fire. The smoke shifted, turning into one of his Nightmares. It's claws were sharp and it's eyes soulless with a gaping maw filled with teeth as sharp as knives.
Suddenly, it's form began to shift once more, taking a humanoid figure. It screeched and whaled, making me cover my ears as they felt like they were filling with blood. It's screeching began to change, sounding similar to human screams. Color began to rise from the blackness, seeping past the darkness. I took in the colors and took in the familiar image. I gasped with my tear filled eyes in shock.

The screech shifted, turning into an echoing scream filled with agony. "GRAYSON!"

The male figure stared down at me, his eyes lifeless like they had rolled into the back of his head. His black clothing that was not covered by dented and scratched armor was covered with rips and stale crimson stains barely visible against the black. His abnormally colored hair was a thick mess, black ooz leaking from his eyes, mouth and left nostril. His right hand lifted up, showing me the bone that peaked out of his flesh where his limb was severed. His face twisted and distorted as if he were in severe pain.
I could not believe it. I could barely wrap my head around what I was seeing. This could not be real...

"Luke?"

He screamed as if he was trying to keep control over himself, trying to hang onto his own free will and resist attacking me. Unfortunately, Herobrine's influence seemed to overpower him. His body turned back into a Nightmare, his screams turning into ones that sounded like a screaming animal who just got its leg cut off. He lunged at me, his sharp claws digging into my chest, my shield lowered from getting distracted. I stumbled back in pain then held up my blade.
Keep calm, Grayson. This isn't Luke. It's just a trick! It's impossible for this to be Luke! Luke is dead and in a better place..! I wanted to believe that so bad but I could not convince myself of that. What has that demon done to my friend?