This chapter turned out longer than I intended it to be... but I should have expected that since this is basically a climax to the book. And because I'm paranoid,I'd like to remind you that I have a reading disability so it is hard for me to notice when I repeat words or use the wrong ones on accident. Hopefully I did not do that too much this chapter. I feel like I did.
Enjoy!
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Armen's point of view-

His body moved like a rag doll being tossed around the room. He twitched, and lunged, and staggered around, that sadistic smile hardly ever slipping from his malevolent and mischievous expression. There were few moments when the two of us gained distance between one another, myself gasping for breath and trembling as the strength slowly fled from my body. The former body of my best friend levitated in nearly complete stillness with the exception of his tics and fidgeting. His back slumped with his head lowered and arms limp at his sides like his body was broken. With every swing that I made, he avoided most of them with movements that were jagged and uneasy, which made chills creep down my back. He resembled that of a puppet with his strings being pulled by the puppeteer.
I huffed for breath to fill my aching lungs, glaring at the monster before me. Monster is not even a word vulgar enough to describe him. My gaze locked onto his luminescent white eyes that once never failed to fill me with fear. I will not let that fear weight me down any longer and keep me from doing what must be done.
I snarled, Herobrine's blade dripping with my own crimson blood, while my own blade was also smeared and dripping with red with a slight mixture of purple from the blood that once belonged to Drake. It was like Herobrine was purposely letting me get clean strikes on him, letting my confidence get high so he could make it all come tumbling down. That, and he enjoyed the feeling of pain.

"You are a persistent little f**ker... but you have your limits. I have broken you before, and I will do it again." He cracked his neck, preparing another attack.

"Just try. I will not let you hurt me or anyone else I love ever again!"

He laughed. "You really are ignorant, even more so now that you have free will. I'm a god! I can do whatever I d*m well please!"

My next remark caused the monster to growl in anger. "You're a murderer, a conqueror...but you are no god. You don't deserve that title."

I pulled my blade to my side, twisting my body until my spine popped. The blade aura from my Nightmare side bellowed around my body, with bright cyan magic engulfing my left fist. My body was growing weaker and weaker with each passing second, still not used to using my muscles after being a spirit for a month and over a half. I was in no physical shape to fight, and the more I used these abilities, the more drained I felt. Yet I was so filled with rage over the loss of my best friends that I did not care. I had to keep pushing myself. I had to bring this monster to his end. I needed to finish this deviation and chaos once and for all.
Finally, I closed the distance between the two of us, letting out a shout, swinging the purple sword in an arc before myself to strike my opponent. There was a loud clang that rattled the room as my sword collided with Herobrine's. His diamond blade glowed in a bright white glow with the moonstone illuminated in a brilliant blue. Herobrine stayed firm in his stance, only being pushed back a few inches. I gritted my teeth until my head began hurt even more than it already was and my teeth felt like they would crack.
My eyes then grew as multiple orbs of white energy formed in an arc above Herobrine, causing me to pull back retreat as I anticipated for the orbs of light to rush at me in blurred speed. The next moment, numerous white orbs fired, plunging down towards my form. I had the think of what to do, time almost slowing down as the blast approached. I tried to dodge, the blast going past me and slamming into the wall, exploding the stone and causing the room to rumble like thunder.
He then swung his blade, a wave of white light slicing the air and inching closer with each millisecond. Once again I flew up and avoided the blast, listening to it make impact and explode against the stone wall in a bright show of white light. Specks of dust from the ceiling drifted down, causing myself to cough as I inhaled the microscopic specks of stone. As I recovered and regained my breath, Herobrine had already released his next attack.
Without much of a thought, I turned my physical form into darkness, letting my body easily avoid the blast as I morphed my shape to get away from the light. It was more difficult than I had expected, as light is always easily able to snuff out the dark. Usually the light is on the side of good and darkness is on the side of the wicked, but this time it seemed that was no longer the case.
The room rattled and shook like a violent earthquake as the multiple blast collided with the floor and the wall, sending stone flying in an explosion of white light. Almost immediately, I reemerged from the dark and swung back toward the devil with white eyes, my sword ready to strike and make impact.

"Raaahhhh!' I screamed until my throat hurt.

My gleaming blade collided with Herobrine's, sending out blazing sparks upon impact. I felt a burning pain traveling up as body as the blackness spread across my skin, rising a bit more up my arms and legs. I looked into my enemy's white eyes as the demon spoke, a soft yet deep voice that was almost a delicate whisper.

"Let all of that rage overtake you, boy. Doesn't it feel good to let it all out? All of that rage and hatred building up inside of you?"

I knew that doing so was exactly what Herobrine wanted. I was smart enough to know that the more I used my Nightmare ability, the more I unleashed my rage and let it take hold, the more monstrous I became. Besides, hate is what the demon craved and fed upon. The hate, self hate, and anguish of those who refuse to worship him as their true god. I growled, unable to decrease the seething rage that boiled inside of me.

"After all, you and I are one in the same. You're just like me. A murderer."

I screamed. "You and I are not the same! Far from it!"

He tilted his head, his brunette hair falling over his left eye. "Right. Drake is more like me than you are!"

The next thing he said caused me to boil over. He wanted to get me angry, and he knew how to do exactly that. "Except he was a cry baby and my pathetic b**ch."

The anger within my grew. How dare he says anything like that about Drake?! My eyes averted to look at Hero's fist as it swung my way, an orb sparking in his bloody palm.
The white enveloped the front of my body as it inched closer, the orb easily able to land a clean strike against my body. I flew back, my body colliding painfully with the gray stone wall as burning pain nibbled at my abdomen. I hissed past my teeth, my eyes cracking open only to shut them tightly once again and cry out in burning agony. My skin burn and prickled, the shock wave from the force of the impact rattling my insides, making me dizzy and left me momentarily disoriented. My ears rung and head ached, my stomach burning and filling with pressure that made me feel like I would vomit. I looked down, my vision clearing to allow my to see my exposed skin that had been burnt red and raw. The orb had burned through my clothing, leaving a massive hole in my shirt. The edges were charred black and the strap across my torso snapping in two.
It was like Herobrine was intentionally not hitting me with a fatal blast. Like he was holding back, toying with me. Just like he always did to Drake, Grayson and I.
Tears returned to my eyes as memories of my best friends flooded my mind. I remembered meeting Grayson in the dream world a year before reuniting with Drake. He kept me company in a world that would have driven me insane without him around to keep me calm. I remembered when Drake and I had met him in the oil rig, when he was holding the two of us at gun point because we randomly showed up out of the blue with no memories of how we ended up there.
It was such a relief when he accepted our company so quickly; a man who only yearned for someone else to be around when he was all alone for so long. I remembered joking around with him in Iron mere, the relief I had to learn that he was alive when Drake and I reunited with him in the woods. I still could not believe what Grayson had just done. Why would he just jump in front of me like that?!
I recalled fishing with Drake, and going through all of the h**l with him, the two of us staying side by side no matter how thick the fog of dread became. I remembered Drake reaching out for me, screaming and on the verge of tears as I plummeted into the lake of flaming lava back in Iron mere. Drake was always so strong. He was always by my side and helped me find courage when I was cowering and freezing up in fear.
Even just Drake's sheer presence made me feel stronger and hopeful. As if as long as he was by my side, then everything would turn out okay in the end. Drake made me feel happy, gave me strength and made me feel brave. Drake gave up his life for me and was willing to go through h**l for my sake. He was willing to let this be his fate just so he could save me from the same horrible fate...

Herobrine laughed, his neck twitching as he swirled his sword around effortlessly with one hand. "Poor, poor little Drake..."

My eyes shot open to glare at the demon, brimmed with rage and desire for the demon to finally meet his end. I was tired of this never ending cycle of agony and torture. I was sick of being terrified, sick of this anger. I was sick of seeing people die, especially the two people that made my life worth living. Now they truly were gone...their blood truly was on my hands. And this time it was no nightmare or illusion.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Herobrine's deep, enraging laughter. Herobrine taunted me, knowing exactly how to get under my skin. "He died in such misery. Blaming his very existence for everything wrong that happened, believing that no matter what, he could never do anything right."

I growled as I got away from the wall, hissing in pain and anger. He continued. "When you jumped into the lava and I took control over you, do you know how many problems you caused for Drake? He tried so desperately to try to save you, and because of that he went through so much distress and pain. Heck, he even exerted some of me onto him trying to help you, even if there was no point afterward! You caused this whole mess! You and that useless b**ch, Drake."

I was then overcome by sorrow and fury. I screamed, "Shut up! Don't call him that! I jumped in the lava to sacrifice myself for Drake and Grayson. That was what I wanted. I never meant for your selfish a** to survive!"

I rushed him, swinging my blade as my fury began to fuel my fading strength. Before the tip of the purple sword in my hands could slice through flesh, he vanished. The moment I realized that he was gone, I quickly spun around but I was too late. Herobrine's diamond blade slashed in to my chest, then another swipe let the sharp mineral graze my neck. I moved back, the pain burning in my skin and insides as the sword's enchantment made a simple wound feel almost unbearable. At least the wounds were not deep enough to slice a vital artery or an organ.
Another slash went across my chest, followed by another and another. I tried to react faster, but it was a if my limbs were beginning to fail me. They just would not move as if the paralysis from Herobrine's blade was finally beginning to take affect on my already weak body. I bled, red beginning to run from my cut lip as well.

He simply chuckled once his rain of attacks ceased. "It doesn't matter what you want. What matters is what you did, what you caused. You're pathetic brother was driven mad and is now going to suffer for eternity all because of you, and what he chose all those years ago. You brought this upon yourselves."

With another scream of pure rage and eyes full of tears, I allowed my attacks flare out wildly. I brandished my sword, each swing thick and swift. The cyan light around my left fist began to glow brighter as I extended my arm and released a blast of magic.

"I said shut up!"

"It does not matter what you do. You'll die again and turn back into a Nightmare and serve me, slaughtering in cold blood. Just like the good old days, huh Armen? Satisfying your need to kill."

More memories began to flash through my mind, these ones being more distasteful. I remembered seeing people running as their homes were burned down; loved ones burning alive and screaming out in agony for someone to come to their aid. I remembered the countless people that Herobrine made me kill in the most brutal ways possible all for his own sick pleasure. I remembered their blood running down my hands, the eyes of innocence people glazing over to forever be filled with pain and horror and fear.

Once again I bit my lip then screamed as tears stained my face. I pushed the memories to the back of my mind, gaining enough strength to make another swing with my arm. "I said...shut.the f*ck.up!"

My blade once again collided into Herobrine's, smashing into it with a loud clang and a flurry of bright sparks. My eyes scanned his weapon, barely looking away at the point where the two sharp sides were touching together. My arm was shaking from the force that I as pushing against the opposing weapon, knowing that serious injury or death awaited me if I let my guard down for even a second. Then I saw the cracks beginning to form in the metal from the place where our two blades were grinding against the other. The mighty Fiery sword was close to it's breaking point.
I retreated, the tip of the demon's diamond sword nearly slashing diagonally into my face. I took in a few deep breaths, magic beginning to course down my arm. My head tilted back, a ball of cyan flame igniting above my right palm as in held my sword with my left hand. My vision was blurred and my body aching everywhere from wounds and exhaustion. A snarl vibrated in the back of my throat before I let out a battle cry, firing a blast at my malevolent foe.
...

Grayson's point of view-

This time around in my near death experience, I did not see heaven nor h**l. I did not see Clara or R.J or even Drake. All I saw was darkness. I thought that being dead meant that you felt nothing, just being completely numb. But I felt pain, pain that was so intense that I could not describe it. I wanted to cry and scream but I could not move. That pain was all that allowed me to know that I had not yet died, yet I could somehow feel myself slowly fading away. I knew that I was dying, and I suppose that I deserve my death to be this slow and agonizing. So many people have died slowly and in agony because of me, and I deserve the same.
I could not stop thinking about my regrets and failures. I could not forget or move on from he fact that I failed to keep my promise to Drake or the family I had made at the empire. I could not save him nor my own wife and son. No matter what ways I tried to think, no matter how much I tried to tell myself that they were all in a better place, I could not get rid of the guilt. I could have been a better friend, a better husband to Clara and a better father to R.J. Will I see them briefly in heaven or go straight to h**l where I belong?
I felt myself chocking, unable to breath as something clogged my throat. I knew that it was blood from my dying body in the real word. I remembered everything that I had been through with Drake and Armen, wondering where I would be if I had never met them. Where would I be if I had never reunited with Drake after those four long years of not knowing rather or not he was dead or alive? Would he still be alive if not for me? I promised to save him... and I only let Herobrine take him over. I only let Herobrine break him until he lost his body and mind. I only let him suffer and die...
I felt so empty, so useless. I felt like a mistake. I was a worthless, miserable mistake. Drake should have just let me die out in the woods. I was so broken down on the inside, the guilt becoming too much to bare. I can't believe that I let everything get as bad as it is. Drake died all because I failed him. I was too late to find a cure, and I failed from keeping his mind from falling apart... I let him down.

  This is what I deserve... I'm a failure...to my friends, to my family...I deserve to burn in h**l... I'm sorry.
...

Third person point of view-

Most of them sat on their knees in front of Grayson's limp, bleeding body. Grayson's life force was fading, almost to the point where Lalea and Endy could no longer feel it's presence. A massive hole was in his side where the blast had made impact with him, blowing away his flesh. His skin was deathly pale from blood loss, and his body was limp like a corpse. Those who knew that he was still alive could only imagine how much pain he was suffering from. They were surprised to even be able to feel his life force at all. He should have died already.
Mia leaned down sobbing into his chest. Despite that he was still alive, he had stopped breathing which made him appear to be dead to the non-magi who could not feel his life force. He continued to bleed out, on the edge of eternal darkness; the edge of cold, ruthless death.
The dragon limped his way over to his master, giving out a coo followed by a whimper. His beautiful adolescent eyes were bright, and even brighter as they seemed to be filling with tears. It was as if he knew that his master was on the brink of death. His small black scaled snout nudged the blonde's cheek, moving his head slightly but failing in getting a reaction out of him. The infant reptile squealed and pawed at Grayson's face, but the man remained limp.
Nathan stood there, not knowing how bad the situation was without his sight to help him. All he knew was that something seriously bad had happened, judging by the sobbing and the sound of clashing blades and blasts of magic up above. It was strange hearing the fighting coming from up above in the air, and judging by the light screams, grunts, and occasional talking, it was Armen taking on the demon himself. Was Armen floating?! How was that possible?!

  "Wh-what's going on?" He asked, his voice beginning to tremble.

Endy answered, who was balling her eyes out by Grayson's right side. "Gr-Grayson's... Grayson got hit... He's dying."

The boy's heart turned to ice, sinking from her disheartening, troubling words. His back straightened with disbelief. Of all the people he thought would be injured or potentially die, he never suspected Grayson to be claimed victim. Not unless he willingly died to protect someone else. Perhaps that is what he did, but now was not the time to ask.
Suddenly, the Nightmares attempted to rain down another attacks. Mia screamed as claws dug into her back, fireballs raining down and causing them all to cover their face. One exploded against the ground a few feet above Grayson's head, and another would have impacted with Lalea if it were not for the enchanted necklace around her neck. Xavier lowered his arm, snarling with his tear filled green eyes as he looked at the monsters that clouded the room with thick darkness.

He held up his weapons, sniffing as he spoke with a low voice, still struck with sorrow over the loss of his friend. "I'll take care of these pest..."

Endy objected. "Xav'!"

The ex-spy responded with a laugh, but it was darker than his normal bright, chaotic laughter. He did not even look over to her, but he said quietly for Jane to stay with Endy.
For another moment that day, his mind snapped. His sorrow was shifted into rage, burning within his blood. The sounds around them were so loud...he wanted it stop. He wanted vengeance. He wanted it all to stop, the pain, the anger, the shattering of hearts, the death. It all needed to end. The chestnut cracked his neck, then screamed and kicked his feet against the ground to charge at the vengeful, angered spirits. He swung his blade, only adding to the horrible noise around them as the Nightmare screamed before erupting in light, then fading.
The room shook as the fight between Armen and Herobrine raged on. They could feel dust from the ceiling drifting down to rest on top of their heads, the stone cutting up their throats as they took in deep, heavy breaths to get more oxygen into their lungs as they continued to cry. They were all too distracted to realize that the place was close to caving in.

Nathan's eyes grew underneath the bandages around his head. A memory followed by an idea struck his mind. "Endy! Your health potion! The one that you tried to give to me! Do you think that will save him?"

Endy's eyes grew wide as she remembered the potion that she was in possession of. She looked down at it, her left arm lifting up and grabbing the vile. Her eyes watched the white liquid swirl and glow with light as if was it was not liquid at all, while the dark purple remained thick and still. She lifted it up to her mouth, placing his teeth against the quark and chain to pull it off. With a small pop that was barely heard with all of the noise going on and the light aroma that tickled her nose, she opened it. She let the chain drop, staring down at the regeneration potion before her eyes moved to Grayson's nearly lifeless body.

Her hands began to tremble. "I've never seen a potion regenerate flesh...but this is stronger than normal. I don't know if this will work."

Mia lifted up her head from Grayson's chest, looking at Endy as she moved closer. The elf scooted back as Endy lifted up Grayson's head, his blood covered lips parted to allow her to pour the magic liquid into his mouth. She placed the brim of the small glass vile against his bottom lip, tilting it to let its contents spill out. A light gasp slipped from behind her lips, feeling a faint presence, then she saw the white and purple move. The purple liquid immediately rolled down into Grayson's mouth, but the white caught her attention. It danced around like glowing steam. It was not even liquid as she had first assumed; it was life force.

  "Life force..." Lalea was baffled. "I didn't know that life force could be contained in an inanimate object like that."

Endy shook her head. "Neither did I."

It went Grayson's throat, the light fading. They all waited with anticipation for the ex-imperial commander to open his eyes or to move in some way, to give them any sign of life. The wounds caused by battle began to mend themselves. Then their attention averted towards the massive hole in his side as the bleeding slowed. They all gasped at the astonishing sight of light glowing out of his wound, followed by horrific sight of his insides, bone, muscles, and skin slowly beginning to reform. The wound disappeared, new pale skin as soft as an infants surrounded by crimson.
The blonde gasped, his eyes twitching before they fluttered open. The others all stared at him with amazement that he was alive, tears of sorrow becoming replaced with tears of joy. He groaned, chocking on the blood that collected in his throat. His eyes shot open completely as he turned over onto his hands and knees and began to violently cough up the blood and regain oxygen into his empty lungs. He gasped until his eyes teared up, his head spinning until the fresh oxygen reached his brain. He remained dizzy and felt weak, his body trembling and short of breath from losing so much blood.
Grayson's hand reached down to his side as he realized that he should be dead. He grabbed his side, looking over at it only to be struck the realization that his fatal injury was now gone. The ringing in his ears cleared, allowing him to hear everyone crying out his name. He sat up, looking over as he watched his dragon jumping up and down, squealing in joy. He laughed as he jumped onto his lap, placing its front paws against his chest as it licked his face. Grayson laughed, feeling its tongue and warm breath against his face, feeling the dragon wiggle on top of him. His hand lifted up and pet the dragon's scaly head and tiny horns.

"Grayson! I thought we actually lost you this time!"

The blonde turned to look at Mia, tears in her eyes as she sat on her knees beside him. He turned to look at his other side, seeing Endy and Lalea also sitting beside him, and Nathan who was still standing. The girls all had their eyes full of tears that ran down their red faces, while the visible parts of Nathan's face was red as well. He heard the screams of Nightmares, his attention shifting to Xavier who was fighting off the Nightmares all by himself. Grayson blinked to clear his vision that was still a bit blurry, turning and looking at everyone.

  "What...happened?" He asked, pausing between words as his eyes rested upon the fight in the air.

He watched the boy and demon clash, Armen taking on most of the damage. His eyes then moved down, looking at the floor to see a puddle of his own warm blood, gagging at the sight of his own flesh scattered here and there. The smell of burnt meat flooded into his nose, causing him to throw up in his own mouth, but he was able to force it back down.

Mia answered, his eyes looking back to her. "Herobrine nearly killed you, but Endy was able to heal your with her potion."

Endy cut in. "It had life force in it apparently. It was able to regenerate the part of you that got blown to bits."

He looked back upwards to the battle taking place. Tears filled his eyes that were already red, his face turning red and scrunching up as he stared at the hybrid body. Tears ran from his eyes and dripped from his burning face as his eyes locked onto the possessed corpse of his best friend; the man who was like a brother and gave him a purpose.

  "You should have just let me die..." The sorrow mixed with aggravation. "Why did you have to save me?! I was ready to die! I just...I just want to see Drake and my family again. I-I just..."

As he trailed off, Mia cut in. "You're our friend, Grayson! If we can help it, then we won't let you die on us! Drake wouldn't want you to die."

Armen slammed his blade against Herobrine's, breathing heavily with sweat rolling down his skin. He could feel his strength slipping from his body until... The black aura around his feet was beginning to fade, and Herobrine landed a strong blow against his defense. The weakness in his body was becoming too much to keep pushing himself. He was reaching his limit.
Herobrine let out a laugh as he made another swing. Armen was sweating, becoming less confident in his ability to withstand this brutal onslaught. He held up his sword to black Herobrine's attack...then with a loud crack, his heart seemed to stop and turn to cold ice.
The cracks along the purple blade began to grow and spread, the sound of breaking metal filling his ears. Shards of purple and black with faint golden fluorescence scattered across the air, falling down to the ground below like hail unleashed from the dark clouds of the sky. The long tip of the blade fell to the floor, causing a loud bang as the metal collided with the stone, clattering before all grew silent. For a moment, Armen had stopped everything. He had stopped breathing, stopping moving or thinking. He was in disbelief as he stared down at the hilt of his weapon that Grayson had made to defeat the demon before him so long ago. The mighty weapon reduced to practically useless shards.
He looked back up as the handle slipped from his grasp, his eyes growing even wider as Herobrine swung his weapon. Pain burning his chest as the blade traveled across his upper torso, causing a scream of pain to arise from his lungs. The next thing he knew, he was once again plummeting to the ground.
His body slammed against the stone, only by a miracle did every bone in his body not shatter. For a moment, the impact against his spine paralyzed him and the impact to the back of his head nearly knocked him unconscious, only causing him to blackout for a few short seconds. He opened his eyes with a groan, his head pounding and vision causing the world to spin. He felt nauseous and sick.
His eyes closed as he hissed in pain, feeling as if he would soon pass out. His blood seeped from the boy's wounds, covering the stone in red. He groaned and gasped, tears slipping from the corners of his eyes as he tried to pull himself back up, but only lifted up his head before it fell back down. His ears were ringing, the noises sounding as if they were further in the distance then what they really were. He moved his fingers, scraping them across the stone to ensure that they still had feeling within them and that they were not numb.
His once again forced his eyes to open, his blurred vision allowing him to see Drake's body floating a few yards away from him in the air; his brother's body but not his brother. His head then turned, looking over at his friends. His tears cyan eyes grew wider when he saw Grayson's blurred form sitting on his knees. He was moving, but his vision was so blurred that he could not tell if the others had lifted up his body, or if his friend was miraculously brought back from the edge of death.

"Gr-Grayson?" He tried to call out, but the pain reduced it to nothing more than a whisper past his pale lips.

The blonde got up to his feet, his legs shaking violently underneath his weight. His vision darkened around the sides and filled with spots as he was struck with a wave of dizziness. His legs finally gave out, his body collapsing as he felt like passing out. Mia quickly caught him, pushing him back up to his feet but she remained holding onto his arm so he did not fall over again. The blood loss was still affecting him, making him dizzy, short of breath, and becoming tired, but he hung onto consciousness.

"Armen!" He called out, leaning forward. He wanted to run over to his friend, but his head began spinning again as he took a step forward.

Armen rolled over, coughing as he regained the breath that was knocked out of his lungs. Saliva rolled down his chin, his arms trembling as the hoisted himself up to his knees. In aching pain, he began to use some of the last ounces of strength that he had to crawl over to his friend. Waves of pain flared throughout his body with each movement he made, his stinging, burning wounds only adding to the agony. Tears slipped down his face, with a trail of blood behind him, but he was smiling with joy. He could not help it. Grayson was alive!
He reached out a shaking hand, not even making it half way there before his body collapsed and fell on his left side. Lalea gasped, then ran to Armen's side. She got down to her knees, grabbed his arm and reaching around his side to help pull him back to his feet. She lifted him up, a bit surprised by how little he weighed. She looked over to him, seeing his eyes open, gleaming with joy yet pain. At least he was still conscious and alive. By what she could sense, none of his bones were broken and nothing vital was hit, but he was bleeding quite a bit.

"Are you okay?" She asked, helping him walk over to the others.

He choked and swallowed the saliva collecting in this throat. "I-I'm alright. What about Grayson?"

Before anyone could answer, the room was once again filled with the unsettling sound of low chuckling that slowly grew louder. Xavier stopped fighting as all of the Nightmares suddenly vanished in puffs of thick black smoke. They all looked up to the levitating hybrid, who had his hands in his pockets with his face and wounds dripping with blood. The corners of his lips were perked, allowing the white light to shine past his blood stained teeth. His shoulder lifted up and his head tilted violently to the side as he twitched.

"Grayson! It seems that you have yet again survived something that should have killed you." He clicked his tongue. His sick grin faded as he snarled. "You are all like cockroaches! No matter how many times I try to kill you, you just will not die."

"Maybe its because..." He paused to breath, still short of breath. "You suck at what you do."

Herobrine growled, but his grin soon returned, insanity sparking in his blank eyes. "Says the one who let his family and friends die. Weren't you suppose to protect them? Now that worked out perfectly." He said sarcastically, twitching once more.

Grayson's eyes grew as he took in Herobrine's insult. It pierced him through the heart, immediately allowing his intense guilt and sorrows to return. He bit his lip, eyes narrowing as his brows lowered. His emerald orbs almost glowed as they filled with tears, a growl vibrating within his throat.

  "It's about time that you were all exterminated."

His chest was surrounded by bright light, his eyes and the glow in the back of his mouth becoming more intense. His blood covered face twisted with one of infamous sickening grins. Grayson sniffed, tears returning to his eyes as he stared at Drake's body; a demon pulling the strings to his now lifeless shell. Lalea was also in tears, not being able to hold them back. Every time she gazed at the hybrid vessel, it only reminded her that Drake was dead. She wanted to spend her life with him, to always be there for him, to love him unconditionally. Now it was too late. All of her new dreams and hopes that her love had inspired, were now all shattered.

"Do you want to know I do what I do? Killing? It's not just because I want the respect and worship I deserve. And while I do enjoy slaughtering others, that's not the only case. No." He began to giggle.

"It's because you mortals are flawed, broken, inferior. Even infants are born destined to sin against the heavens! Murderers, thieves, liars, tyrants... You're all just as bad as me if you think about it. Above all, your disobedient. My brother Notch...or God as you all call him, loved you too much. He gave you free will when you should have worshipped us! And look where free will has brought you! Just pain and longing for purpose...You all need to learn your place!"

The light energy bellowed around his being, before engulfing him entirely. His left eye twitched as his unsettling smile somehow growing even wider. Suddenly, white flared out at all sides, like a massive bomb finally exploding. The powerful, deadly burst of white light filled the room. Everyone gasped, turning their heads and shutting their eyes tight from the blinding light, awaiting their impending deaths. Xavier and Endy got down, each of them grabbing onto Jane and each other. The ex-spy quickly sputtered a prayer underneath his breath. Grayson reached for his shield and held it up, despite knowing that it did not stand a chance at protecting him from such powerful energy.
Lalea released Armen, letting her right hand wrap around the caged heart against her chest. Would it be strong enough to protect her? What was the point if she ended up surviving when everyone else died? If death did come, then perhaps it would be for the best. No mourning or pain. No sorrow or guilt or grief. She would be with Drake, and rather she was in paradise in heaven or burning in h**l, as long as she was with her love, then she was accepting of her fate.
Herobrine laughed from above, his right arm lifting up as he put his left one behind his back. He chuckled, listening to the walls rattle and crack, stone crumbling around him. He wanted them all to finally die, but yet another part of him did not care about their fate at this moment. After all, they did make things exciting from time to time. He placed his thumb and index finger together, snapping his fingers before his body vanished as the walls around them all crumbled away.

Lalea's point of view-

With one hand holding my necklace, and the other extended outward with my regenerated magic swarming around my arm, I turned my head and closed my eyes. I was prepared to die if this did not work. I was more ready for death than I had ever been. I never thought that would accept my demise so easily, but I will die with my head held up high.
Then the blast finally hit. I cast out a shield of magic, feeling the strong, nearly overwhelming force push me back. I remembered this kind of power the night Drake was possessed after the airship crash, when one simple orb of energy from his hand has shattered my defense. I bit my lip and shut my eyes tight as I lowered my head. All of my memories of Drake and my friends and family ran through my mind, warm tears burning my skin as they traveled down my aching cheeks. I'll be with them...
A minute passed by, a slow, agonizing minute. Each second my heart was pounding within my chest, anticipating for our demise. The white light continued to burn around us, even visible when my eyes were shut tightly. I was wondering why my magic shield had not shattered yet, because I knew that my magic was definitely not strong enough to hold out for this long, but I was not sure if my necklace was protecting me. Finally, I opened my eyes, squinting as I opened my eyes only to be blinded by light. The white seemed to be slowly fading, finally disappearing. I looked over to my shield, gasping as my eyes adjusted onto it.
The shield was not a dark blue like my magic created. It was a mixture of dark blue, purple, black, and cyan. The white energy was crashing against it, but the magic showed no sign of giving way. I looked down at the others, seeing both Endy and Armen with their arms out, casting their own spells. They both looked over to me, then to each other before we all realized that our magic had morphed together, forming one strong, massive barrier between us and the blast. The white light finally faded away, leaving us in nearly complete darkness other than our magic, Nathan's pendant, and the door on the other side of the room that was opened. The light pouring in from the doorway gave a clear view of the crevice that split the room in half.
I lowered my arm, as did the other two magi to let the barrier fade away. I looked around to make sure that everyone was okay. They all seemed fine, as Xavier and Endy stood back up and Grayson mumbled underneath his breath. I focused in, barely able to hear what he was saying but I understood.

"He's gone... H-He's gone..."

Suddenly, I noticed that the room was still shaking, the walls cracking and stone falling down to the floor. I heard stone crashing around us as they plummeted to the ground and shattered, dust falling and cutting up my throats as it took in deep breaths to try to breathe again. I stated to cough, feeling as if my throats was being cut by glass. This place was going to cave in on us. We had to get out, immediately.
I pulled went over to Grayson and pulled him up to his feet, with Armen quickly doing the same. I looked back to the entrance of the room, seeing the stone falling and crashing down around us at every angle that I looked. My focus remained on the light coming through that doorway.

  "Guys..!" I coughed and gasped. "We have to get out of here!"

No one put up and argument. We all began to run, Mia having to grab onto Nathan's sleeve to guide him and Xavier picking up Jane and holding her against his chest. I ran to the entrance as fast as I could, the teas that were still in my eyes impairing my vision. I occasionally stumbled but I stayed in my stride. I tried hard not to focus on the rocks that fell in front of me, attempting to lock my focus solely on the light coming through the doorway.
Then we finally reached the crevice, some of the blackened stone still red and orange from the flames the previously brushed against it. I took in a deep breath, chocking on it. I jumped with same amount of force as I had before meeting Armen. My body went over the massive crack in the ground, colliding painfully with the ground on the other side. I got back up to my feet as fast as I could, once again stumbling but I proceeded with sprinting to safety. I heard a scream behind me, my feet grinding against the ground as I finally stopped. I had to make sure that my friends were okay. Everyone had jumped over, but I noticed Mia crouching down at the crevice, struggling to pull something up. Nathan.
When no one else seemed to notice them in trouble , I ran back to aid them. Once I reached them, I quickly reached down and grabbed his other hand that was struggling to grasp onto stable foundation. Mia and I both began to pull him up, thankful that he was not heavy and actually quite light in weight. Even so, we still struggled and had to use up some of our strength within our bodies that were already weak and exhausted. Once he was up, Mia once again grabbed his sleeve, both of us turning around and dashing for the exit to the craving in room.
A wave of relief rushed over me once we reached safety, but something was off. We were not all in the clearing. I turned, seeing Grayson and Armen still in there. Armen was on his knees, grabbing something that was in a cluster of materials scattered on the ground by the circle of Drake's blood. I recognized what the boy held close to his chest. Drake's spell book, a talisman, and a scroll. Grayson grabbed him by the arm, screaming at him and pulling him back up to his feet. The two once again began to run just before a massive boulder fell that would have crushed the two to death if they had not moved away from that spot.
The ceiling above us in the corridor was beginning to crack as the place continued to shake violently. I had to get back just in case the ceiling around the door caved in as well. I coughed as the dust rushed into the long hallway, feeling as if I was suffocating. I stared anxiously at the boys as they ran as fast as they could, fear plastered on their faces. I knew that they felt the weakest out of all of us, stumbling and struggling to stay on their feet.
Finally, the reached us. I went forward and reached out, grabbing Grayson by the arm and pulling him to safety just as he was about to collapse below the doorway. Just as they got out of the range of danger, the room finally completely caved in, the stone blocking off the room for possibly the rest of eternity.

Third person point of view-

Now that they were safe, they finally allowed themselves to rest. Xavier set Jane down, his legs shaking and weak underneath his own body weight. He collapsed painfully onto the ground, too exhausted to complain about the additional pain caused by his careless fall. Instead he let out a groan, his battle to remain conscious resuming. Jane called out his name, getting down on to her knees and shaking him. He groaned again, saying that he was okay and just needed to rest.

Endy got down next to him, wanting to lay down but the injuries on her back were still as painful as when they were first slashed into her flesh. "Just don't fall asleep."

  "I-I'll try n-not to."

Endy let her eyes scan the father and daughter. While Xavier was injured too, tending to Jane's injuries was first priority for her. She took off her backpack and pulled out whatever medical supplies that she had not used up just yet, which was now very minimal. Fortunately, she did have some bandages and things to clean the wound to spare.

Jane whimpered, her lips quivering with tears in her eyes. Endy tried to calm her down as she mend her wounded arm, which was difficult since she could only really use one arm. "It's okay, sweetie. It's okay."

Mia fell to her knees, gasping as she let the straps to her backpack slide off of her shoulders. She opened it up, reaching into it and searching for any medical supplies that she had left to treat to the injuries she had sustained, mainly for the ones around her eye. Grayson coughed and walked sluggishly, dragging his feet on the floor as he occasionally stumbled. His shield slipped from his grasp, clanging against the ground. He made his way over to the wall, putting his back against it as he slid down. Luckily his wounds were gone, otherwise it would have been painful. He was panting, tired and dizzy from losing so much blood. He pulled his shaking legs up to his chest, hit teeth vibrating within his gums. His face was so covered in tears that he could no longer feel the new ones sliding down his face.

  "Is everyone o-okay?" Xavier strutted with his speech slurred before he resumed with his loud, heavy breathing.

Mia rolled her eye, wrapping the other one with the last of the bandages that she had. "Not exactly. I mean... we lost Drake! What about that is okay?!"

Xavier chuckled, not to be disrespectful or finding amusement in the loss of Drake. It was just a nasty force of habit that he did no matter how depressed he felt. "Right... I'm sorry for asking."

"...It's fine..."

Lalea and Nathan both fell to their knees, gasping for breath. Nathan leaned against the wall, his hand slowly stroking the wall the make sure that it actually was a wall, despite that his gloves would not allow him to feel anything, other than in the spot where the gloves finger was gone. One finger to his glove was torn away, showing the dressed amputated stub left behind, still slightly hurting but not nearly as bad as when had first lost that finger of his. He swallowed a lump in his throat before taking in a heavy gasp, his mouth dry and lungs beginning for fresh air.
Armen turned around, facing the blocked off doorway where dust continued to pour in. He coughed, still holding the items against his chest, feeling them shake as his arms trembled. Once the dust finally settled, Armen fell to his knees, dropping all of the items that he held. He bit his lip and sniffed the mucus that ran from his nose, his face and eyes red from sorrowful emotion. His head slowly shook with salty, warm tears rolling down his cheeks.

  "Dr-Drake.."

His hands lifted up, his fingers digging into his scalp, clawing at his skin and yanking his raven black hair. He growled, denial setting in. He felt frustrated, angry, mournful, and overall, he felt desperate. He wanted his brother back. He wanted to finally talk and laugh with him again, to not feel this anguish and heartache. He just wanted to live a happy life. He suddenly screamed, reaching down and grabbed the scroll. He opened it, but he could not understand what it read. He tossed it aside, grabbing the spell book. He flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning everything as fast as he could read, but he could not understand a single word. It was in the magi language and he had yet to learn it, as was the scroll.

"No! No! No! No! This can't be it! I need to save him! I need to save him! There has to be something in here!"

He saved me... and I can't even save him.

Then, a folded up piece of papyrus paper slipped out from between the front cover and the first page. Armen's eyes grew as he stared down at it, gently setting the book down then gently picking up the piece of paper. He flipped it between his fingers, examining it before he unfolded it to see what was written inside.

Grayson replied to Armen's shouting as the boy looked at the mysterious paper, not noticing it. "Forget it, Armen. If there was something in there that could help, I'm sure that Drake would have done something."

Armen's eyes scanned the page, his eyes once again filling with tears as he read the cursive words written in ink. He choked, beginning to hiccup and gasp and he sobbed. His arms began to tremble so much and arms shaking so violently that he could not finish reading the letter. His arms fell, crunching the sides of the paper as he dug his fingers into it, his tears falling and soaking into the material. Grayson finally noticed when he heard the boy sobbing, pushing himself away from the wall. He made his way over to Armen, getting down onto one knee beside him.

  "Armen... I know that this is hard to deal with.... It hurts me too, but..."

Armen held up the letter, not even turning his head to look Grayson in the eyes. He spoke glumly and staggered, struggling to take in enough air to speak. "This is for you guys..."

He held it up to Grayson with his trembling hand. He gazed at it, then at Armen who still refused to look him in the eyes. He was hesitant to lift up his arm and take it, but he eventually gently took it, slowly pulling it out of Armen's grasp. He cleared his throat, using his torn, bloody sleeve to wipe away the tears. He stood up and backed away from the grieving body, turning his back to him. His emerald eyes settled onto the sheet of papyrus, seeing the words written in black ink. He blinked to clear his vision, his heart racing with the knowledge that this was going to be heartbreaking.

Dear friends,

If you are reading this, I might be dead and you all were somehow able to find this letter. If I'm not dead, then well, Grayson is probably going to kill me for even writing this! So if you guys managed to save me and somehow managed to find this, I'll gladly burn this letter and apologize for writing it in the first place. Ha...
Anyway, if I am dead or possessed or whatever, then I just want you all to know that I love you all. I'm sorry for everything that I've done. I am sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry for getting so many people killed. Sylvia, Luke, Armen... I'm sure that you guys don't want to hear that so I guess I'll move on to a brighter subject.
I'm happy to have known all of you. I'm glad that I got to live as long as I did to spend more time with all of you. To Grayson and Mia, thank you both for trying to help me rescue Armen, and for being there for me when I needed you the most. To Grayson, thank you for giving me hope and the will to go on for as long as I did. I guess all of that talking really did help. I'm glad that I met you and glad that we reunited. Without you, I would have given in a long time ago. You showed me my reasons to live,  just as I did with you. Please, no matter what, don't stop fighting. Please never give up. You're strong and I know that you can pull through anything, thick or thin.
To Lalea, I just want you to know that I love you with all of my heart. Thank you for loving me despite my many flaws and my unstable mind. Thank you for being the angel that I needed to guide me into the light. I never would have imagined that I needed someone like you in my life so desperately before I met you. I want you to feel happy. Please don't dwell on my loss and move on. Be happy for the both of us!
I'm sorry that it had to be like this. If I died because of my illness then just know that it's better that I did not kill myself. If I died because I killed myself, well...don't let it get to you. Don't blame yourselves for anything that I went through or for my death, if you are all positive that I am dead. I'm happy that I got to be with all of you, even if we went through some troubling times. At least I was not alone. I'm sure that you will all be okay without me. You'll be fine. I love you all and never forget that. Thank you...for everything.

Love, Drake.

Grayson lowered the piece of paper, his tears falling onto it and soaking into the sheet. He pushed his trembling hands closer together as he sniffed, the paper crunching as he slightly crumbled it up. His throat closed up and his plugged nose made it difficult to breathe.

"I-I...I failed him..."

The warmth began to rise in his ghostly pale cheeks. His tears slipped past his chapped lips and into his mouth, leaving a salty taste on his dry tongue. Those words kept running through his mind; the promise that he had broken. That fact that he let his best friend down. I fell to his knees, no longer able to support his own weight as his weak legs gave out. He wanted to stop crying, but he could not. The pain was too overwhelming.
This was all his fault. His mind would never let him move past the fact and think otherwise. It was a carving on a stone tablet, the thoughts engraved into his brain or like a parasite that was eating him away. So many people had died because of him, and no matter how much he wanted to protect those he loved, he could never seem to achieve that goal. They always ended up dead.

He felt heavy with guilt and grief, looking down as he began to hiccup and whimper. "I'm sorry...I failed you." He whispered, looking upwards at the ceiling.

Lalea walked slowly up to him, her hands together and over her chest. Her blue eyes were red and watery, her nose, cheeks, and ears flush from crying. She cleared her sore throat, speaking softly and slowly as sorrow weighed her down.

"Grayson, you did your best. You did whatever you could for him."

The blonde's head shot up, his teeth grinding and brows lowered as sorrow was joined by anger. "I could have done better as a friend! I...I wasn't...good enough." He continued to cry.

The blue haired Mage tried to think of what to say. "At least you were there for him. That was all he wanted, to have us by his side, and we did that. You stuck with him until the end... and I know that he loves you for that."

Grayson tried to slow his fast, heavy breathing. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down. He remembered his last moments with Drake, that smile and how he...he knew that he was going to die, seeming to accept his fate. He then remembered the small item that Drake had handed to him, and his last wish.

"Lalea..." He reached into his pocket, pulling something out. "Drake wanted you to have this."

He held his closed fist out, watching it shake in front of him. Lalea held out her hand underneath his, his fist lowering to her open palm to gently place the item. He unwrapped his fingers and pulled his arm away to reveal the a bright ring made of gold, with diamonds and a bright moonstone in the center.
Lalea gasped water forming in her sore eyes that caused them to burn more than they already were. She held it close to her chest, looking down at it as tears fell onto the ring and her palm. It glimmering in the faint lighting cast by the magic lanterns on the ceiling. She could not help but to smile despite the pain that she felt in her heart.

"Drake...wanted to give this to me?"

Grayson gave a weak nod. "...Yeah. I think he wanted to save it for something special, but..." He trailed off, biting his lip.

She remembered something that Mia had said when they were all searching through the hatchery, how moonstones represented the binding of lovers. Something special... Was he actually planning on..?
She closed her eyes, opening them again to let out a soft, weak laugh. With her hands shaking, she slipped the beautiful ring onto her finger, continuing to shed tears as she stared down at it.

"My grandfather...he died the same way." She forced the words out of her throat, sniffing.

"My parents did not want us to know what was happening, but I was smart enough to figure it out on my own. He was so sick... I remember him on his death bed, wanted us to take him out in the open where nothing could be destroyed when his magic lashed out. Mom and dad took him... and he died."

She wiped away the tears only for them to return. "They had similar personalities, him and Drake. Maybe that was a reason I took a liking to him, as strange as it is to admit. I...I loved him..."

She broke down crying. Mia walked up behind her, putting an arm over her shoulder and patting it in hopes of comforting her friend. Before she could say anything, Endy spoke, finished with dressing Jane's wounded arm.

"You didn't feel it?"

Lalea turned to her, Mia pulling away and stepping back. "What do you mean?"

"Drake's spirit is still inside that vessel. Drake is still in there!"

The ex-commander cut in. "What do you mean? He's..." He despised to say it, closing his eyes and pausing for a moment. "Drake's dead! He's not just possessed!"

All of their attention shifted over to Armen, who still sat there on the floor with his back to everyone. "She's right. Drake's soul is still trapped in there with Herobrine. He died...but he did not pass on."

The place grew silent, no one really knowing what to say. Lalea was in shock and disbelief. How did she not notice? She looked down at her necklace, then messed with her new ring, eyes fixated on the bright stone that would never fail to catch her eye. She wanted to tell Drake how much she loved it... Would she ever be able to?

Grayson spoke up again after picking up the dragon and holding it gently in his arms. "So what does that mean? That Drake is still being tortured?! Can we...can we save him? Or at least get his spirit of his body to spare him from...that pain?"

Armen stood up, turning around to look at the others. His expression was no longer like it was four years ago. If was desolate of innocence and purity, his eyes full of sorrow and pain. Yet there was a small detail that remained the same, a light glistening in his cyan eyes. Hope.

"I don't know, but I do know more about Herobrine than anyone. Four years of being trapped in that psycho's mind, hearing his every thought, you pick up a few things..."

He was cut off by Xavier's fit of violent coughing as the ex-spy got up onto his hands and knees. Saliva fell from his mouth, as his eyes watered from lack of breath. He was growing dizzy and lightheaded, his headache pounding and feeling as if his brain was swelling and pushing against his skull, crushing itself. Once it finally stopped, he gasped and wheezed, struggling to suck in air. He collapsed yet again, pain filling his chest and heat burning his skin.
Endy helped him back up to his knees. She felt him trembling and felt the heat radiating off of his skin. He looked like he was in pain and struggling to stay conscious, his eyes nearly closing then shooting wide open. His head fell forward, but then lifted up again. The female hardly noticed when she placed against his cheek, then moved it up to his forehead. He was burning up, causing her to become more worried than she already had been.

"You're starting to get a fever again."

His eyes closed, opening again as his head fell back, then lifted again. "Yeah...T-tired...Um... I can't st-stay awake much longer."

The exhaustion and the concussion together only made matters worse for him. The drowsiness that they both laid upon him was becoming overwhelming. Staying conscious was more difficult than it seemed, especially with the head injury and poor sleeping habits he had on a regular basis. He kept pinching himself and digging his fingernails into his skin in an attempt to keep himself from falling out cold. So far, that method was not working too well. He tried to slap himself, but Endy prevented it as she held his right hand tightly with her left hand.

Endy shook her head, her arms reaching up and grabbing his shoulders as his eyes closed and head fell back once again. "No, stay up! Please!"

He laughed and blushed, his heart racing. "Yeah.. I'm still trying." They stared each other in their longing eyes.

  Sylvia... He thought, sighing. Forgive me for this.

He then spoke fast and in one breath. "But just in case!"

The spy then leaned in and placed his lips against hers. She tensed up in utter surprise and shock. She did not expect it. Her heart raced at what felt like a hundred beats per second as her mind processed what was taking place. Finally, she closed her eyes and let herself sink into the kiss, her lips pressing back against his own soft lips. He pulled away and smiled, once again gazing into her one violet and one blind eye as he placed his fingers beneath her chin.
Jane did know what to think about the whole situation. Her father had kissed someone who was not her mother, which made her feel incredibly awkward. She blushed and looked away.

  "Thank you..." Xavier said before his eyes then slowly closed and his hand fell limp to his side. His head fell forward, followed by the rest of his body as it fell forward onto of the girl.

Endy's left arm, and her right arm with limited movement, shot up and wrapped around him. His chin rested on her shoulder as she stared blankly ahead of herself, her pale cheeks more red than they ever had been in her entire life. She was able sense as he fell out of consciousness, slipping into a deep slumber, one that feared he would fall into. Why now?! She pushed him away and shook his body, but he remained in a vegetative state. She screamed out his name, her tears returning to burning her eyes and red face, but he stayed limp. Jane just thought that he had fallen casually asleep; that he was okay and just tired like she was.
Grayson stepped forward, not realizing how serious the situation was. He did not realize that Xavier's condition had worsened during the battle with the Nightmare's, and that by slipping out cold, they would never be positive of when or even if the ex-spy would ever wake up.

  "Endy, it's okay. Let him rest."

The raven haired turned her head and prepared to snap at him, but she froze. She looked into his red rimmed eyes and the stains of old tears that completely covered his face. She did not have the heart to tell him the truth. The truth that Xavier, her crush, had a possibility of not waking up from this. Grayson had just lost his best friend...she could not put more weight on his shoulders and make him feel like he was to blame for this. Not now.

She pulled Xavier closer until his chin was back resting on her shoulder and his chest pressed against her own. She tried to hide the water in her eyes as she put her chin on his shoulder. "Okay..." Her voice shook.

Grayson smiled and chuckled halfheartedly, liking that the mage and spy had shared their first kiss, but he was bothered that Endy was crying. He coughed into his fist before looking back down at the crumbled piece of paper in his hand. His emerald eyes then shifted to gaze at the door blocked off by massive boulders and rocks. Memories of Drake flooded his mind, not allowing him to have any peace whatsoever. He looked back down to the letter, letting out a heavy breath and sniffing as he wiped his upper lip clean of the running mucus that came from his nose. His attention then shifted back to Armen.

  "Anyways, what were you getting at earlier, Armen? Do...do you think you can stop Herobrine?"

Everyone's eyes lit up with his response, every though it took a bit for him to finally speak up again. "I think I have an idea. It may get rid of Herobrine and save Drake, it may not. I don't think that it will bring him back to life...but it's all I know to get rid of that monster once and for all. We at least have to try. It's our only chance of possibly killing Herobrine... and setting Drake free."