(Original drawing by Nemeisisfirefox212. I got a bit lazy with the coloring and the design has slightly changed since we did this.)
Sorry that this took so long. I've been having an extreme lack of motivation, but I'm going to start doing ships again. Also sorry that I crammed so much into one chapter.
Song: Seeking Loot
_____________________

"It's treasure or your life at this point."
-Drake, The Haunted, Episode 8: Catacombs
***

Mia's point of view-

Grayson and I both examined the map, looking past the bizarre writing to watch the small dot that signified our aircraft upon the map. Based on our position and the length we would have to travel until we left imperial territory, we concluded that we would arrive to the sight on the map within a day or two if we continued at this pace.
I could already feel my heart pounding out of my chest with anticipation for our upcoming discovery. What waited for us at the red 'X' that marked the spot? A burial ground? Riches beyond our wildest dreams? I could hardly contain the joy that I had bottled up inside. I cheered with a loud screech, clapping my hands together as I jumped up and down, causing Grayson to laugh beside me. Around me was Grayson, a few of his guards and my team, staring at me with smiling faces. Drake was off on the left side of the ship, watching and talking to one of the guards, Victor.

  "I guess we should be there by tomorrow morning. It's about an hour or so before we will be above the imperial boarder and enter Redstone Republic territory." I exclaimed to give everyone insight on how our journey would be for the first half.

Grayson's guard, Markus, whom had helped my team unload the airship from our last expedition, spoke up with a gruff voice muffled by the mask over his mouth and nose. "It's just a smidge of their land, meaning that we should be able to pass by it within two hours or so."

Grayson nodded as he rolled up the map, needing to give it back to the captain flying the ship so he could know that we were heading in the correct direction. The further out we got, the colder it became but I was the only one who truly prepared themselves for the weather conditions we hypothesized that we would face. Grayson wore nothing thick, but was fairly prepared for a drop in temperatures. He wore dark grey pants with golden knee pads, long black boots, a grey jacket lined with gold, a black sweater, and a red scarf. Additionally was two golden chains hanging against his hips and his old emerald and gold shield from the hatchery on his back, sword at his side. His hair was pulled up as always, but he was not wearing his crown.

  "I sent message to the king in that area that we would be passing by and to not mistake us as an enemy." He turned to me as he took a pause. "Mia, has the map changed at all?"

I pinched my fingers together. "Slightly. A bit more of the area beyond the empire has been revealed but no significant changes to be reported."

Grayson nodded, taking out his compass from his back pocket. He looked down at the compass on his grey gloved palm, the red hand swaying gently to settle upon the northwest direction, exactly where we needed to go. He looked, sunlight bouncing from the emerald green of his wide eyes. He slipped the compass back into his grey pants, a smile on his face. I could not tell who was more excited, him or me.

Dante broke the brief silence between all of us. "So whatever is in that crypt is linked to the ancient War of Minecraftia, based of what we found in the other crypt, correct? We were just searching a crypt with artifacts and information like that. Do you think we'll even find anything new? We don't exactly know what this place is, or if it's even a crypt."

Angie nodded. "Well, the map was in Bargelian, which by the way shares enochian roots!"

  "Enochian? You mean like angels?" Grayson asked with a brow lowered.

Dante lifted a finger. "And demons. Don't forget demons."

My Interest was caught when they spoke of the language on the map. I remember hearing about that language, reading about it in books about the war, mainly those whose spoke it.

  "Bargelian? You mean...the ancient language of the cult of Herobrine? Why didn't you tell us?"

Dante defended their silence. "I kept quiet because I knew it would scare you. I really wanted to check this out, but... I know that the cult is an issue we have faced for many years. I've studied them and their language, what they did. I did not want that to keep us from possibly discovering the biggest hit we could get in our entire careers!"

Angie looked away, showing that she had the same thoughts. I could almost feel the tension rising from those around me, tightening my chest as the air grew thick. Grayson looked annoyed, while a bit away from us I could see that Drake was uncomfortable. His eyes were wide, his body shaking with a lowered Enderman ear. I was uncomfortable as well with the situation, knowing that with the possibility that our enemies to the west may be the cult, increasing my worry. What if they were further north than we thought? What if they were at our destination?

I looked back to Grayson as his fists clenched. "You should have mentioned that earlier! Withholding information could place all your comrades in jeopardy!"

Both my teammates displayed guilt ridden expressions, more so Angie. "My apologies, sire. But, Dante and I both have done deep research on the occult of Herobrine and his armies, not only cultists but monsters and demons as well! If anything were to go wrong, we can provide offers to fix it."

  "Come on, your majesty. I assure you that all will be swell! This map does seem to be ancient after all." Dante gave a nervous smile.

My eyes moved back to Drake, noticing Cecil trying to calm him down in the background. He appeared infuriated, the glow to his eyes and in his mouth and nostrils definitely brighter than naturally. Markus stepped up to defuse the situation, suggesting that we continued with the expedition but remained cautious.

  "We should take a specific formation." Samantha suggested. "Guards on the outside, followed by the magi, then us, then emperor Grayson protected in the center."

Markus closed his visible eye, still managing to show happiness. "Good with me! Are you alright with that idea, sire?"

Grayson did not seem particularly fond of the idea of being protected by everyone. After all, he was one of the most skilled swordsman of all of us, equal if not better than Drake now that Drake was in the position of power he once was in. The emerald eyed sighed and accepted the idea of the formation.
I smiled until a gasp forced its way up in my throat, hearing a distant grunt followed by Ceceil's voice barking out Drake's name. The next thing I knew, my ears were ringing from an Enderman's growl, an angered hybrid stomping toward us.

  "Why the f**k didn't you two tell us that it was in the language of the cultists any sooner?!"

Markus grabbed him, struggling to hold him back. "Master Drake, calm down!"

Even for the guard that was in heavy armor and twice the build of the hybrid, Drake pushed him away with little effort. His deathly pale complexion had gained a barely noticeable pink as his features were blanketed by the thick pearly glow that spewed from his mouth and eyes, balled fists coated in gnawing whitish energy.

  "Drake, stand down!" His best friend to my side ordered.

The demigod allowed his feet to stop in their place, only for an unnerving laugh to breach from his mouth. He laughed at Grayson, asking how any of us were okay with this. Deep down none of us were, but it was too late to turn back. We already made our plans, made too many preparations to turn tail and flee.

Drake stare down Angie and Dante, barring his poised teeth. "If anyone gets hurt or dies, I am blaming the two of you."

He spun around on his heels, heading to a door so he could go down in the bearings to cool off, though unfortunately a certain man who he butted heads with occasionally snatched his cape to force Drake to stop. Drake spun around once more, immediately pushing Dante away with such force that the darker skinned was sent to the ground and painful sounding thud. Drake balled his gloved fists, anger seething as Dante picked himself up with a groan.
Drake opened his mouth as if to say something, only to quickly shut it and turn to head down into crew's quarters, slamming the door behind himself.
Samantha and Angie help Dante to his feet, the man dusting himself off with a scowl on his features. Grayson came up behind him, his arm reaching out to take his shoulder, but he slowly retracted it.

  "I'm sorry about that, Dante. When it comes to the cult, he can have a temper."

Dante refused to look his superior in the eye. "Yeah. He always has a temper. He better not lose control over himself and destroy the ship, otherwise our deaths are on your hands for letting him come along."

Another of Grayson's many guards that roamed the airship stepped between the emperor and the archeologist. Lexen glared, hand placed firmly on the hilt of his blade resting in the scabbard against his side. "That is no way to speak to your majesty."

Dante bowed his head, more in shame than respect as he stepped down, walking away to pass through the same door that Drake had gone through, also slamming the door behind himself. Surely the two world not go into the same room together, otherwise all h**l would break out between the two, which Dante would surely end up as a bloody corpse.
One of Grayson's guards, Lexen, tried to go after him, but Grayson took a firm hold on his silver shoulder pad to hold him back.

  "Leave them be, Lexen. Those two are always going at it."

Angie looked from us back to the door, worry in her glance. "I'll go make sure they don't get into another fight."

She followed Dante and Drake, disappearing behind the wooden door once she gently closed it behind herself, the golden hinges squeaking. Grayson sighed with closed eyes, turning with one hand in his pocket and the other gripping the map. I could feel the frustration emitting from his being, eyes shaking and tearing up as if the endeavor had given him a migraine.

  "We will do as Angie suggested with the formation. Jeremiah will create a chart which all of you will study once he has completed it. Keeping order of our positions will keep things from becoming chaotic."

With that, he went off to meet with the ship's captain to hand him back over the map. Jeremiah did not question his given objective, instead appeared rather enthusiastic about it. I was worried about my friends, mainly Drake considering the mental state he was now pulled into. I did not want Drake to push his mind into dark places especially since I promised Lalea that I would watch over him... I chased after Grayson when he got a few steps away.

  "Grayson, you know how sensitive Drake can be when it comes to the cult. Perhaps we should ask him to teleport and stay ho-"

Grayson stopped, turning to me with gentle yet somehow still stoic eyes. "No. I need to stop treating Drake like he's incapable of overcoming these obstacles on his own. I have faith in him to make the right choices."
...

Drake's point of view-

I sat on the bottom deck on one of the seats, looking down at the small pictures within the gift my child had bestowed upon me. I smiled at the sight, seeing their own heartwarming smiles within the still pictures. It did help to place me in good mind; to remind me why it's worth clinging to the sanity and hope I have left. I closed my eyes to lean back against the wall, allowing my chin to move up as I shut the locket, almost numb to the feeling of it bounce against my chest as I allowed it to fall.
I was shaking, but fortunately growing more calm as I forced in a breath. I felt as my burning power within my veins died down, the raging energy relaxing as I did the same. Even then, it was easier to kill the anger than it was the anxiety for what was to come at our destination. The language of the cult? Thank Notch we're outside of the war zone, but that does not mean that we will avoid danger at a guarantee.
I opened my eyes to a bright cyan light, unable to keep the smile from my face as my eyes met with those of Armen's. He smiled back with a soft laugh that gave off a chime light a bell behind it's already enticing song. He stood with his back arched, hands on his knees to reach my eye level where I sat.

  "Drake! Hey bro! You doing okay?"

I chuckled for no particular reason. Perhaps it was because of his bright aura that filled me with a sudden, but temporary happiness. "For the most part. I...I'm worried about what's at the crypt."

  "What do you think will happen, mister deja vu?" He attempted to be comedic but fell flat considering the situation.

I did not know how to answer his question. I did enjoy a bit of a change, definitely a welcomed aspect in this sudden lack of recollection, but... I had minimal deja vu before leaving the capital, now none since this expedition had begun. It felt nice in a way yet filled me was an almost incomprehensible anxiety.

  "I don't know, Armen. I don't have any deja vu...Nothing that feels dramatically familiar."

  "Really? That's...weird."

I nodded, growing more and more anxious. I rubbed my arm, replying "Yeah. I wonder why, but it's getting me anxious. What are we going to find? What would the cult want there? What are they trying to hide, or more likely trying to find?" The longer I went on, the tighter my chest felt despite that I was not even breathing. My cold body was gaining heat.

  "Drake..." I tuned him out with my staggering thoughts.

  "We have to get there and get whatever it is to get the upper hand, but what if someone gets hurt?!"

  "Drake!" Armen shouted.

I snapped out of it, looking up to my brother who was no longer smiling. It took a moment for him to paint his half hearted smile back onto his blue lips tainted with death. His eyes glimmered, that low smile lifting even more.

  "It's okay. Don't worry yourself so much. You always know what to do. I trust that you and the others will be okay."

I smiled and laughed, happy to have Armen with me. "What would I do without you?" His bright smile grew warmer.

My eyes opened wide, anxious as I turned to face the sudden sound of approaching footsteps, a long shadow stretching my anxieties for the inevitable. What was there to be scared of? Oh right, bloody hallucinations.
It was a relief to see Jeremiah, free of blood and gore staining his body. He greeted me with a bright smile, almost as bright but softer than Mia's usual peppy greeting grin.

I smiled in return. "Hey Jeremiah. What brings you down here?"

He frozen when he saw Armen, his smile disappearing, eyes filling with terror. At first I wondered why he seemed so scared, stepping back, quivering as if, oh wait. I forgot that he has not met Armen before. My brother laughed at his fear for a split moment, taking amusement in his expression. The rookie archaeologist was frozen in place, quivering lips only able to let out a few near indistinguishable murmurs.

  "It's okay!" Armen insisted, trying to get him to comprehend the situation. "I'm Armen, Drake's brother!"

Jeremiah remained relatively unshifted. "B-but you're-!"

I joined in to ease the panic. "Yes, he's...you know, but I can summon his spirit thanks to my power! I can summon all spirits that Herobrine once controlled." I could see that he was calming down to a degree, but continued to tremble.

  "Him? You mean like the Nightmares?"

  "Yes...I saved him."

He calmed himself a bit more. "How did you die?"

The question brought a slight anger and sorrow to me. As I glared, I could see Armen gaze to me, feeling my shift in mood. My emotions often affect the spirits I control, so I only hoped that Armen did not feel what I was feeling, but he was good at keeping my own emotions from affecting him.

  "We don't particularly enjoy talking about it."

The kid nodded in understanding, clearing his throat as his eyes continued to stare at Armen, continuing to take it in. It did take awhile to get used to it, to see spirits and understand that they were good and the fact that I controlled them.

  "Well, I'll leave you two. Nice to meet you!"

Jeremiah smiled. "You too..." He took a moment to recall his name. "Armen."

My brother nodded, turning and promising me that he would check on my family before his transparent body faded in it's bright glow, that glow soon fading into the dark as well.

I looked back to Jeremiah as he smiled, no longer scared but now smiling. "That was awesome!"

I laughed. "Yeah. Anyway, any changes with the map?"

He walked over to his own separate supplies, looking through his equipment and rations. "No, not yet, but we've decided to set a formation increase we do come across a formidable enemy." He pulled out a sheet of papyrus and a charcoal pencil.

  "Formation? Oh, right, you spoke of that up there. Sorry, I wasn't paying too much attention. What was the plan for it?" I asked as he began drawing with delicate strokes.

He laughed. "The guards are going to be on the outer perimeter, followed by you and the magi, then the archeologists then Grayson in the center."

He began writing down our names, being sure that every word was straightened out and the boxes representing ourselves were drawn with straight lines and evenly spaced. Odd. I never took him as an OCD type.
His face flushed out as I laughed at the fact, saying exactly that. He looked away, finishing off the drawing as he agreed that he somewhat did have obsessive compulsive behaviors.
After a moment of relishing the amusement that I thanked Notch I was not numb to, I turned to the chart Jeremiah had created. My eyes grew.

  "Why did you place me in front of Dante?!"

His red cheeks returned, accompanied by sweat slowly releasing from the pores on his forehead. "You two need to learn to trust one another. The only one he fights with more than you is head spy Xavier."

That brought out a chuckle from me. They were always clashing, have for a few months now, perhaps years. See, the true reason why I did not like him, and supposedly why Xavier did not like him as well, was because Dante preferred the rule of Alduin. Sure, he had warmed up to Grayson over time because of my friend's reputation of being the one to end Herobrine's reign and because they have now worked together for so long, however I can see his resentment deep down, only masked with the wonder he takes in his job.

  "Yeah...Still though. Anyone who prefers that tyrant over the one who freed everyone's sorry a**es from that demon is no friend of mind."

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Drake." He said as he closed his bag and stood, turning to leave. "It's not healthy to hold onto that resentment...not just with Dante or anyone! You need to learn to let go..."

  Don't tell me that. You have no right.

I growled at my thoughts, turning away in hopes that he did not think that I was growling at him. Was I though?

He continued. "Not only what others have done, but...with your past as well. I know your reputation and... I pity you, not in a way that I look down on it but... I wish you didn't have to go through that and to be called devil just because you suffered."

I ripped my eyes away from him, containing the anger. "Not helping."

He laughed, causing me to lift my head. "Just...I like you, we're friends and friends want each other to be happy! Understand?"

It was odd, like he was being passively demanding. I smiled and nodded with a reply that I did in fact understand him, as insulted as I felt deep down. Then again, he was right. For a moment the conversation left me depressed, filled with guilt for the very thing I was doing right now; suppressing my emotions and refusing to move on. Once I realized that, I shook my head to force on a smile until it became real.

  "I'll try to be more...enlightened." He giggled as I shook his hand.
...

...and what would Lalea and my unborn do if I were to lose my life right now? Would Lalea be able to stand raising our child on her own? Would I miss my child's birth if this war continues? If worse came to worse, they die, either from complications with the pregnancy or postpartum depression gets the best of my wife...No! She'd never! Quite thinking like that! I need to get home and be there for them.
Mines went off left and right, explosions filling the sky with gray and red. Soldiers screamed as their limbs severed, blowing to bits. Arrows flew in thick waves overhead, only a lucky few striking their target down. The screams, the cries, after so many years you never truly get used to it...even if you don't feel a thing.
I brought my sword straight down from overhead, an unavoidable slash cutting through my opponent draped in red and black. He remained standing, though bleeding, bringing up his sword to deflect my next attack that howled towards him. Our blades clashed as he deflected my offensive maneuvers, the heavy shock leaving my palm numb. Using the momentum, we jumped back away from one another, his gasps silenced from the screams and clashing weapons that surround us; defending to the weak ears.
We closed the distance, matching strikes like a practiced dance, the rhythm and mirrored movements unfaltering. The least expected of a general to a legion of 6,000. In the back of my mind I was near tempted to begin small talk and ask how he was trained so I could relay the advice to Nathan in his training to rise into the rank of general, as he was only a Lieutenant General due to slow movements when fighting elites in battle. Even then, I was conscious that this was the enemy, one that required immediate eradication.
As I felt my energy restoring from constant usage, which had leveled the battlefield immensely and wiped out a majority of our foes in the beginning of the fight, I rushed at him in a speed that matched that of lightning. My hand emitting white and purple plasma went straight through his chest in less than a second, staring into his eyes as they became glazed. No hesitation, no remorse. I retracted my arm, watching the body collapse.

  Add salt to infected wounds, will you.

I turned around, the battleground suddenly becoming desolate. The sound of clashing blades and screams had ceased, leaving me in an eerie silence that sent a chill up my spine. It was unnerving, almost enough to leave my body feeling feeble. I swallowed the pressure in my throat, anxiety building.

  Stay calm. This is war, stay calm in war.

  Petty. Truly petty.

I spun around, only for my eyes to grow, limbs freezing up. A few feet across from me, was a statue of myself in a pose like a conqueror, sword to the ground and chin held high. The left arm had crumbled away, the grey stone smeared with blood over the horrifically precise details that mirrored my image. A disembodied voice howled in the wind that felt like nothing against my skin, only clear that it existed due to it tugging my hair and cape, whistling into my ears.

  You can never redeem yourself, no matter what nobel deeds you commit. The blood of the innocent remain as permanent stains on your hands.

My ears twitch to the sound of dripping liquid splashing against the bloody ground. I gazed down, both of my hand dripping with heavy, thick blood. When I looked back up, both of the statues eyes were glowing like pearls in the sunlight of high noon. The gray flushed away from its being like breaking stone revealing a new layer beneath, revealing colors of black, a deeper gray, brown, purple, and a sickening shade of bluish bisque. It's lips lifted, blood seeping from the sides, it's nostrils, and eyes, a reflection of my death. Before it, a sea of graves stood tall, all of them familiar, all baring names. I could read a few, Luke, Nathan, Grayson, Xavier, Lalea, Mia...everyone I loved. The same graves from my haunting dream that persisted my unconscious thoughts; the ones from recurring nightmares.

It's lips moved, spitting scarlet with a deep malevolent voice to join the gore. "This is something you can not escape. The cycle of bloodshed, lives taken by your own wit. What you've done is irredeemable and for that...I purge."

Before I could even open my mouth, I was sitting up in a cold sweat, the dark room swaying around me until it settled within a few seconds. We were all in beds against the wall, comforted with warm blankets and soft pillows. I did not remember falling asleep. That usually never happens unless Lalea is around, too anxious to see those white eyes unless my wife was there to pull me from the lies and harsh memories of my past that I yearned yet failed to repress.
I despised seeing not only that devil, but those headstones that filled me with dread.
I honestly would have liked to head off to sleep once more to pass the time and drown the boredom, but  when I closed my eyes, all I could see was a white haze before the images of the corpses of my family and friends. Seeing their mouths move, cursing me before freezing, embracing the cold arms of death itself.
My eyes opened once more, sitting up in my frustration once more. Really, why do I even bother? I suppose that I never learn, too stubborn for my own good. Ha, Lalea always says that. I looked down at my locket, praying that my family back home was safe and sound, longing to see them again despite that it had been less than a day since my departure from them.

  They're dead...

My eyes darted, searching for a hallucination. Instead, bright cyan filled my vision. My attention turned to Armen, smiling down at me as he asked if I was okay. My gaze on him became harsh, my fingernails clawing at the plush surface beneath my body. His smile was so warm, his eyes...deceitful. There was no spirit energy.

  "You're not Armen."

I watched as his smile that had lowered twisted into a sickening grin, white light spewing from behind his teeth. Followed by flash of bright light, his body flickering like a glitch, his appearance had changed entirely. His hair was unkempt and tangled, clothes in near shreds,blackened and filled with holes that exposed his charred flesh burned until the muscles beneath his skin was visible. His eyes were dead, nothing but a blank white that shined in the dark. Black goo-like blood began to bubble up from beneath his eyelids, running down his face to leave behind streaks of inky black.

  He's still dead because of you.

  "Stop it!" I didn't notice that I had screamed until it was too late. Even more alarming, my power lashed out.

The apparition was gone by the time I opened my eyes, now facing all of my previously sleeping comrades staring at me, wide eyed and startled. I began to shake as I looked around, guilt releasing into my system. The white light dissipated around me, noticing broken floorboards on the edge of giving way for me to fall into the next room below us and the wall filled with sharp splinters, some even charred black.

  "I-I-"

I looked around, thankful that no one seemed to be hurt this time around. My body quivered, feeling sick to my stomach, but not in the way that it is when I eat. It was an anxious knot in my gut, continuously twisting until I could clear my head. I pushed the covers off of me then scurried to my feet, the floorboards beneath me creaking dangerously but I managed to get off of it with little issues.

Grayson cut me off, his long blonde hair cascading over his shoulders now that his locks were free from the rubber band holding them up. "Drake, it's fine!"

I shook my head, backing away until my back pressed against the door. "N-no, I...I'm sorry."

I didn't allow anything else to be properly said, turning around to open the door. I could hear Grayson's voice from a brief millisecond before closing the door on them all.
It does not matter. It is not like I need sleep anyway, but they do and I won't deprive them of it. Especially since they are going to need as much energy as they can get when we arrive to our destination. I forced myself to breathe as my vision grew hazy, the burning inside of me as my power threatened to release. Stay calm. Stay calm, Drakey.
I hated the silence, but my own paranoid thoughts help to fill the void, although I wonder if I preferred the disheartening voices or anxious silence. I shook my head, knowing what would help to clear my mind. I marched up to the upper deck, the airship still piloted by a 'night flyer' as we called them; those who fly the ships past the stroke of midnight until dawn. I continued to march until I was in front of the railings on the left side of the aircraft, starring two of my former biggest displeasures in the face; heights and water. It made me want to laugh nowadays, but I still hated water just to a lesser degree.
I watched the stars twinkle in the blackish blue of the night sky lit by the gorgeous rays of the moon. I had always adored star gazing, finding peace within the night pass time. Lalea and I often did it together to relax, after Landen was born, we would do so after she was put to bed, and when she got big enough, she would join us in the bliss of the calming hobby. I smiled, wondering if they too were watching the stars, but then again, it was past the midnight hour.

  "Drake?"

I spun around with a jolt coursing through my still blood. My eyes met with bright eyes and a messy jungle of blonde highlighted pink hair. Mia looked at me with tired eyes, back beneath her red eyes from lack of sleep. Not only did they appear tied, but held a dreadful concern.

  "Mia? You should go back to bed. Sorry for waking you...and everyone else."

  "What was the nightmare about this time? You haven't slept in a long time, but I know when someone has a nightmare, no hiding it with that reaction."

I smiled grimly, turning away with a sigh. "Just...the usual. You know, mister white eyes."

  "Oh..."

A calm silence fell between was, well, relatively calm. The gentle rush of the wind, the sound of distant crashing waves, and the bright glow of the moon and glittering stars scattered across the night sky offered a peaceful atmosphere. It allowed us both to clear our minds.
The archeologists walked up to my side, joining my in gazing off into the vast, calm distance. Though peaceful, it was difficult for me to settle with the silence in the presence of another person. I felt the need to speak up.

I sighed once more, placing a hand on my chin and elbow against the railing. "I'm anxious about all of this, Mia. The war, this expedition, my family...the fact that I don't feel any Deja vu."

I could almost see the glow of her eyes out of the corner of my own eyes, reflecting the moonlight like a mirror. "Really?" She sounded shocked. "Like...nothing?! Not even a bit?"

I shook my head, allowing her to continue on. "Wow. That's a first."

I laughed, more so as an outlet for the anxiety built up in my chest. "I'm just as surprised! I don't know how to react to it."

I flinched as she place a hand upon my shoulder, having to reach up a bit I may add. "Hey, it's going to be alright. Don't take this as an insult or anything, but..."

She paused. My eyes met with her own, the lime green almost appearing to be joined with an alluring shade of pink despite the darkness. She was wearing a pink nightshirt made of cotton with matching pants and fluffy pink slippers. It made me smile, however brief that grin was. Myself on the other hand, I wore the same clothes I had during the day.

My elven friend continued. "Perhaps this can be an advantage, an opportunity to enjoy the world one again! I mean, you always look so distant and I'd love to see you smile more, not those fake ones that you wear."

My face grew an unusual warm temperature, feeling an urge to cover my face as if to hide a fake grin that I was not holding. "You know about that?"

  "Yeah. I know a fake smile when I see one. We put them on a lot when the old emperor held us captive. He's the reason I am not fond of my real name anymore but I guess he learned what name I was going by around the time he captured you..."

The comment tore me away from reality, seeing that b*****ds face from when I had first laid eyes on him. That cynical grin and eyes gleaming with pleasure from my bound, beaten state. Even the memories of his rough grip on my chin sent chills scurrying down my back and pulsing anger through my veins. I could almost feel the scars on my back tingling like blood running from wounds. My vision became more hazy with white, my twitching ear lowering.

I was brought back to the present as Mia inched closer. "But this isn't about me. My point is, enjoy this time we have together. With the war and possibly that something will happen...It's nice to just relax and enjoy the moments we have together." She smiled with her usual perked lips, that brightness drowning away my troubles for the time being. Mia always had that enlightening vibe around her.

I laughed.  "I have been getting this lecture a lot lately. I guess it's a sign. I know that you are right. I'll try."

  "Don't just try, do it. It may be difficult with your anxiety but I know that you can find some relaxation. After all, you have Grayson and I!"

She wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me tight to comfort me and surely as a drawback to the way we were back in the day, reminding me of when when she, Grayson and I all wore flower crowns and she pulled us into a hug. Those memories I was more than happy to recall.
...

Grayson's point of view-

A soft yawn left from my mouth, stretching my arms above my head until my shoulders popped. I cracked my neck, pushing the top of my blanket off of me, looking to my prosthetic that I had set beside myself before going to sleep. I pulled up the bottom of my pant leg that hung limp from the lack of a limb, revealing the stub of flesh that was once connected to more flesh and bone. I had to put fitted rubber over the stub before strapping the prosthetic to my leg so that it was comfortable and less painful once I stood. I pulled the fabric back over the metal.
I stood up, wiping the crust from my eyes as the joints in my legs popped. I twisted my spine intentionally, listening to the disks pop, loosening me up. My mouth was dry, long hair over my face until I pushed it behind my ears.
My eyes scanned the sleeping forms of my comrades, noticing that one was missing; Drake. I suppose that it was not too alarming on its own considering that Drake did not need sleep, but my concerns were stirred upon recalling our conversation the other day and the events of last night. I knew that he still had nightmares and that they were getting worse. I should have gone after him.
As I began to make my way to the door, I heard a tiny feminine groan. My eyes looked down to the nearest bed on the wall, Mia turning to face me as she yawned, rubbing her eye.

   "Good morning, Grayson." She whispered her greeting, eyes still red and baggy, obvious that she was still tired.

  "Good morning. Sleep well?" I whispered back as to not awaken the others.

Her head shook. "Sort of. I was up for a bit after he woke up from that nightmare. We talked for an hour or so."

I smiled, letting out a deep breath. "Thank you for that, Mia. Get some more rest. You'll need it for the day."

She giggled, resting her head back down as her eyes closed. She let out a long, soft breath, digging her cheek comfortably into her soft, plush pillow. "Whatever you say."

I giggled with her before turning, reaching out to the doorknob to slowly turn it, trying to open the door as quietly as possible. As I left, slowly closing the door behind myself, I went up through multiple rooms to get to the upper deck. I squinted when I entered the sunlight, the rays beaming down into my orbs, momentarily burning them until they became used to it. A couple of my guards were roaming the ship, used to waking up at the crack of dawn, other used to falling asleep at dawn. The person that caught my eyes the most stood at the head of the airship, his back towards me with his short cape and hair flowing in the breeze. I wanted to ask if he was okay, but first thing was first.
I turned to head to the wheelhouse where the captain flying the airspace was steering. The back of the room itself was incorporated into the ship's stern, equipment scattered with the main wheel front and center. A large window was before it, allowing the captain to see down onto the deck.

  "Good morning, captain Remus! Where are we at now?"

He turned to me with a bow of respect due to my position of power. "Good morning your highness. We are above the Tuscany sea approaching our destination, but there is something that I believe you would like to see."

My head tilted, taken by intrigue and curiosity. I took a step forward, my arms behind my back as he reached down to grab the map on a table beside him. I did not get much of a glance on it as he moved swiftly, nearly pushing the sheet against my chest as he held it out. He told me to take a look, to which I complied and took the map from his loose grip. I flipped it over so the drawings of land were in my view, greeted with an oddity.
The map was filled with a variety of similar drawings, consisting of tall dark figures or smears of black that appeared intentional. Our destination was ahead of us, the red 'x' in the center of the map at the end of the island. I tried to ignore it, but my eyes were drawn back to the strange drawings, creatures like Enderman. Perhaps different new breeds? Honestly, it increased my excitement!

I scratched the the curly strands on my chin. "That is strange. Well, despite the fact, land the airship a distance away from the mark that why we can survey the area properly and decrease the likelihood of attack if any enemies are present on the island."

He nodded. I examined the map further, taking in the writing on the page, two new sentences in the barbaric language had appeared. A brow on my head lowered, the curiosity growing.

  "Mind if I take this to our map readers? Whatever is on here appears urgent as it's in the center."

Once again he nodded with a jolly reply. "Of course! Just be sure to give it back if course so we don't go off track."

We exchanged bows before I went back out. I stood there for a few moments, taking in the cold breeze that gently pulled my hair that still attempted to spill over my shoulders, no tie to hold it up. I smiled and pulled one from my pocket, pulling my hair comfortably back into its usual ponytail.
I looked down, watching as the others began to come out into the deck, blanketed by the light of dawn. Dante groaned, complaining that he wanted to sleep more.

  "Dante, Angie!" I called out, grabbing their attention as they turned to face me. "Changes have occurred with the map. I need you to study it and figure out what it says."

Angie saluted. "Can do, your majesty!"

I walked down, handing the map over to them before commenting that I was going to get Drake. I let them be to discuss it, my eyes lifting to meet with Drake's back facing me as he remained at the nose of the ship. I speed walked over to him, calling out for him.

  "Drake!" He turned around to look at me, a tiny smile catching me by surprise.

  "Good morning." He greeted. "What's up?"

  "The map has changed! I want the three of you to translate."

He gazed past me to the two archeologists, his gaze becoming harsh. My chest felt tight, recalling the anger he had expressed the previous day against the two. Admittedly, I was irritated with them as well but I knew that we had come too far to turn back now.

I let out a deep, forced breath. "Drake, I know that you are frustrated with them, but we need to work together to get this done. We all do."

He huffed and eventually caved in, heading over to them. Dante and Drake gave stern stares, but something happened that I did not expect.

Drake seemed to clear his throat, eyes softening. "I apologize for yesterday, Dante. I know that it was immature of me."

Everyone within earshot was in shock, staring at Drake until it was obvious that he was uncomfortable. Drake actually apologized to Dante of all people? Why?! I mean, I was glad but it came out of the blue. What did he and Mia talk about last night? What it because of what I had just said to him?

Dante was in shock as well, starring for a few seconds before giving an awkward smile. "You're forgiven for it."

Drake gave a nod of his head to Angie. "You too, Angie. I'm sorry."

  "It's okay. Now then, let's get to reading!"

Mia suddenly appeared out of nowhere as they were examining the map, squeezing in between Dante and Angie. Her cheeks were squished against their arms until they both stepped in opposite directions to give the elf room. Her eyes lit up as they rested on the map.

  "So cool!"

Samantha had to pull her out of the huddle, laughing. "Let them do as told, spastic."

I walked closer to the group as they discussed the map, paying no attention to me despite being only a few feet away. They examined the pictures, Dante pointing to an image of a tall figure with purple eyes.

  "Enderman? Why would they be on the island? Based on this, the place is snowing in most places."

Drake nodded. "You're right. Not exactly the ideal location that Enderman would like to be."

Angie circled her finger around the page. "I'm more so curious as to what those are. Like Enderman, but... most have different colored eyes, not to mention different body structures. Some with horns, some with tails it appears."

  "New species of Enderman?" Mia gurgled her own saliva in the background from the overwhelming excitement of the possibility.

Drake looked rather bothered and insisted that they continued with the instructions I have given them; translate the language. It took them a bit, Drake picking out the letters he knew, Angie the vowels, and Dante filling in the rest.

  "Guarded by hades gate, trial to decide one's fate. He who stepped across transgression, opened the door to our redemption." We all questioned what it was supposed to mean.

Dante shook his head. "Well, whatever it means, I don't trust it."

  "I agree." Drake added. "But like you said, if we turn around now, who knows what we'll miss. And I've been thinking, if the cult wants something that is on this island, then I believe that it is best that we get our hands on it first. Who knows, it could give us a bigger advantage in the war."

I opened my mouth but quickly shut it, remembering the conversation Drake and I had a few days before we set out, the one we had when I told him that I knew of the cult. I had full faith that we could win the war with Drake and Dracey, along with our armies alone, but I have also come to acknowledge that Drake was right. I can not rely on his and our dragon's power alone.

Mia cheered in the background. Jeremiah encouraged Drake's hypothesis. "You're right! This could be a huge advantage for us!"

I sighed, insisting that they continued. Drake gave me a brief smile before they returned to their work. I watched them squint with twisting expressions, rotating and shifting the map to make the lettering more clear. Angie allowed her fingers to glide beneath the letters, making sound with her mouth that her comrades filled with complete words, eventually figuring out a rough translation of the next and final sentence.

  "Time is irrelevant. He will rise."

For a moment, my mind went blank, the reverberation slowly fading. My eyes grew until they burned, shaking lips growing chapped. The only sound to fill my ears was my own pounding heartbeat.

  "H...He? As in..?"

Drake stared at the map, I look of pure terror and fear in his eyes. His body began to violently shake, the parts of the map clenched beneath his hands suddenly igniting into a mixture of purple, blue, and white flame that faded to a natural orange. The other two yelped as they dropped the map, quickly stomping on it to put out the flames. Drake stared at the floorboards, lose in the daze of his thoughts; and surly his cruel memories.

  "Drake?"

He snapped out of it, looking up to lock eyes with my own. His deathly pale cheeks gained a faint flush, the glow in both eyes brightening. "Even if this is speaking of the one that I am sure came to all of our minds, we cannot let it stop us. If anything, it should make us more determined to seek this mission through."

His gaze became a glare that cast itself to the floor, suddenly appearing unusually calm. Numb? Perhaps, but I could see a distant fire burning in his eyes, a burning fury that surprised me with how well he keeping it concealed. I had expected his power to lash out. Just as that thought came to mind, the clouds around us, and even the dawn sky free from clouds was flashed with waves of lightning. A strong sign of the hybrid's true inner emotions. At least it was evidence that he was feeling something...
...

Third person point of view-

The sun had risen over the horizon, casting its golden glow across the lands and the seas. It was freezing cold, but luckily they had come prepared with warm clothing for the journey. Mia stood with her eyes closed and chin lifted as she took in the sensation of the wind rushing against her pale face. She was once again wearing her thick dwarven style snow clothing, hair up in a messy bun. A light giggle slipped up as she looked down, shifting her attention to the glittering surface of the ocean.

  "Do you think there are any mermaids down there?"

Grayson laughed as he walked up to her left from behind. "Who knows? Wouldn't that be something?"

The hybrid stood at the nose of the ship, staring off at the clouds in the distance, but he paid little attention to it, focused on his lack of recognition and the warnings on the map. Why could he still not feel that Deja vu that had pursued him all his life? While it was relieving, it made him uneasy. What was going to happen? Something tragic? More important, what did it mean by 'Time is irrelevant" and who was 'He' referring too? It confused him, left him anxious. He could only pray that it was not referencing that white eyed monster, but doubt surfaced to cloud that hope.
His back straightened, ears lifting as they entered a dark, thick cloud. Suddenly, a chill rushed up his spine, his shoulders now heavy, head filled with dread. The sunlight was lost.
Grayson lowered his brow, head turning to take in the change of scenery. Were they heading into a storm? He looked up to one of his attendants that had come along, the map in hand as he called out as he stood in the doorway of the wheelhouse.

  "We're here! Heading for landing!"

Their focus fixated upon the figures that slowly revealed themselves from the clouds. As they descended, a valley of snow blanketed mountains came into view with a ground of vast flat planes aside from spires of stone protruding from the ground. The snow came down heavily, blinding the mortals until they covered their eyes.
Grayson turned his head, facing away from the near blizzard like conditions that he was accustomed too, running up to the captain steering the airship. He snatched the map away from him, pulling the sheet of papyrus close to his eyes, squinting hard to see that the red "X" and black dot were now aligned.

His head lifted, holding his hand above his eyes as he beamed to those below the wheel. "Alright everyone, this is it! Get your equipment ready to head out on command!"

Everyone did so, scrambling on the deck to get below and gather their belongings. Drake was the only one who had all he needed; his wedding ring, his locket, and the clothes on his back. He clung to the golden heart dangling from the chain around his neck, eyes strengthening their hash gaze upon the land. His body felt heavy, the air tightening around him.

  Something isn't right.

They could feel a change in atmosphere the moment they began to descend from the sky. The chills that crept up their backs were not ones caused by the cold, but the air seemed to clench around their bodies. Grayson, aside from Drake who was unaffected by temperatures, was the more comfortable in this climate. It somewhat comforting, reminding him of his old home back at the arctic.
The king walked into the wheelhouse, the captain and attendants looking to his direction with bright smiles, bowing and wishing them luck. Grayson giggled before lifting up his hand to ask for the map. He did not need to ask verbally, as Remus had already placed the map in his gloved hands.

Grayson smiled. "Thank you for bringing us here. You and your crew stay on the ship. I don't know when we'll be back but keep the ship ready to leave."

Remus returned the smile and bobbed his head with a nod. "Can do, your majesty."

They could almost feel as the bottom of the airship and to settle upon the ground, a near silence flooding the air as the propellers slowly until they reached an eventual halt. Other than the sound of the wind, there were other familiar sounds, including what resembled that of...Enderman growling.
Grayson's blood pressure rose, heart pounding in his throat. His muscular body felt heavier with each passing second.

  "All of you stay here on the ship just in case." He said to the pilot, who nodded with a bow in response.

The blonde spun on his heels, heading back to his best friend who remained where he previously was. The hybrid did not even turn around to face him, lost in his observations of the new terrain.
The environment was rather odd, mountains and rocks scattered about with dead shrubs all cloaked in a blanket of white, yet there was a lack of trees and animals. Occasional patches of sand or stone somehow managed to peak through the white, most often with the assistance of mushrooms keeping snow from landing on a particular spot beneath it.

  "Odd, isn't it?"

Drake did not lose eye contact with the wilderness for even a moment. "I find multiple things off with this place. Which are you referring to?"

  "The fact that there is fungus everywhere. With these weather conditions, those all should have died. Not to mention the atmosphere."

He turned around, his hair being pushed away from in front of his eye by the wind but he showed no discomfort with the snow in his eyes or the numbing cold. Well, his body was already naturally cold to the touch. He looked to Grayson with confusion, definitely more delightful than his usual blank expression.

The hybrid's voice began monotoned, the emotions of curiosity growing more evident. "You're right. That is odd. Not only that but this place makes me feel..."

The widow cut him off, finishing his sentence. "Heavy."

Our attention was turned away from one another as the sky rumbled with an ear piercing screech. Drake's began darting around, fingers balling into fists, and chest rising and falling as he forced himself to breathe, signs of an anxiety attack. Grayson reminded him of their old lessons; just breathe. The demigod growled as if to say 'I'm already doing that'. Grayson could not council him much longer as a set of noises picked up around the airship ike distorted growling. It echoed and clicked, only describable as unworldly.
The fog was still thick, masking whatever creature it was in heavy grey.

  "What do you think that is?"

Drake lifted up a hand with a bright glow bellowing around it. "Something unpleasant."

He remained vigilant as the others began to come back up from getting their supplies. The archeologists all bore heavy bags on their backs with lanterns and pickaxes, filled with who knows what. They covered their faces from the wrath of the snow, Jeremiah commenting on how it was freezing.

Suddenly, Drake called out, "Everyone get down!"

They barely had time to react before his hand shot up in a blast of white light. The only thing Grayson's brain could take in as he was blinded was an unholy screech that rattled his bones and brought back unpleasant memories of the Nightmares. Their heart rates picked up, pounding in their eardrums, breathing patterns heavy and fast.

  "What was that?!" Jeremiah screamed as he stood up straight, his eyes wide with panic.

Drake lowered his arm, taking a sharp turn to face his comrades. He did not answer the question. "We need to get going. Now!"

The pilot and a few others rushed into the airship for cover while the magi, archeologists, guards and Grayson instead grabbed a thick, long line of rope and tossed it of the side of the ship after tying one end to the railing. They slid down the rope one by one while Drake fought off whatever it was that was attacking. The guards had difficulty with the weight of their armor but managed.
Grayson was the last to go down, looking back to watch being blinded by an explosion of light against pitch black and red, then a cloud of black dust drifting away in the wind.

  "Go!" Drake demand as he ran to join his friends.

Grayson, followed by the hybrid who stopped for Grayson to go first, went down the rope to join the others. His insides lifted as he swiftly went downward, the rope cutting his gloves, feeling the tether slicing through. Once his feet were settled upon the snow that crunched beneath his weight, his eyes traveled upwards, Drake's head popping up from over the railing before tossing himself over the edge of the ship carelessly. Lucky he landed perfectly, no flaw in his form nor twisted body part, which would not be a problem anyway as he cannot feel pain.

  "Drake, what's going on?" Samantha asked, an obvious fear in her trembling voice.

The hybrid continued to look around for any more foes. "The monsters here. I don't think that they are a breed of Enderman. They don't have life forces."

  "Then what are they?" Samantha blurted.

The hybrid allowed his gaze to dart to all directions in the sky and around them. "They are like Nightmares, so my best guess, corrupted spirits."

Cecile pulled a talisman of light out from his backpack, a rare artifact. "I wonder why they're here...Well, at any rate, whatever they are, their auras are definitely malevolent."

Drake's head turned to Grayson, determined eyes that the blonde had only seen in war since he was freed. "Grayson, get your sword ready. Magi, prepare your spells."

The emperor felt odd taking orders from him, but he obeyed anyway with the plan already in mind before being instructed. There was comfort in the sound of his blade grinding against the mouth of his scabbard, a loud hiss that left the warrior with a feeling of security. They all drew weapons, Drake unsheathing his diamond blade with a single moonstone in the hilt. The guards took out their swords, Mia drawing her old bow that she acquired at the hatchery. Dante and Angie took the pick axes from their bags, magic preparing to cast their spells at any moment.

Grayson shouted, "Formation, now! You memorized it, right?"

They did not need to answer, taking the formation as if they had practiced it many times.

  "Grayson, where's the crypt?" Eleanor asked, her voice nearly drowned out by the approaching alien sounds.

The royal did not answer straight away, raising his sword as he yelled to warn the others of an approaching enemy that lunged from the fog. He gasped, eyes meeting with two red orbs as the creature screeched. The guard before him, Victor, held his sword straight out, gasping when the creature was above his blade, pushing his ion heels back into the snow and near solid clay. Their ears rung as it screamed, nearly impossible to see in the raging snow storm. As the tip of the obsidian pierced into the creature, it's physical form becoming nothing but a cloud of thick black that vanished in the opposing white of the snow. His eyes looked to Grayson standing behind him.

  "Force of habit. Fighting is my speciality!"

He lifted his blade into the sky and shouted, being sure to get everyone's attention. "Head west! I'll lead the way!"

  "But the formation!" Jeremiah cried. "You can get hurt, my lord."

Grayson huffed. "I will remain in the center, just listen to my instructions." He took out the map.

They went onward, barely able to see ten feet ahead of themselves. Grayson sheathed his blade, grabbing the other side of the map to get a better view of it, although his vision quickly filled with white from the raging storm. Cecile pulled out a talisman, the image of a white star on the front.
  "Where do we go now?"

  "This way!" Grayson continued to lead them verbally straight ahead.

They continued to journey on through the hazardous valley of hills and mountains, many made of stone rather than sand. Grayson found it odd how almost unnatural the terrain and weather itself seemed to be. He had lived in an arctic base plagued by a never ending blizzard three years straight; he now know unnatural weather when he saw it.

He held out his compass for Drake and Dante who stood on either side of him. "What does this say to you?"

The red needle spun around out of control. It was as if the magnetic field around them was disrupted.

They both looked over, Dante nearly jumping. "Wow. That is freaky."

Drake tilted his head, investigated. Grayson found it to be a miracle to see curiosity in his eyes. "That's peculiar. Does that mean that something is wrong with the magnetic field?"

His friend nodded, slipping the useless compass into the pocket of his jeans. "That's the most logical explanation we have at the moment. Question is, why?" None knew how to answer.

Grayson's point of view-

We jumped when we heard a feminine scream from behind, spinning around to see crimson scatter across the snow. Mia collapsed, a large gash oozing blood on her right cheek.

  "Mia!"

I raced to get to her, but Drake had already vanished. He appeared in a flash of light and a flurry of Ender particles before the injured elf. Even as I pushed past other suddenly engaged in battle to charge with my blade poised, Drake lifted up his arms to form a shield in front of the elf, allowing me to take the kill. The monster, like a ravenous demon, swung its knife-like claws down upon Drake's shield, igniting sparks that melted the snow around it as they fluttered to the ground below.
I was only a moment away from landing the perfect blow when the creature unexpectedly spun around for its glowing sapphire eyes to beam into my own. I had to move as swift as possible, feeling as if my soul was being stripped from its vessel by that bloodlusting gaze. I find myself frozen, my mind going numb...the world seemed to drift away into nothing, consumed by that sapphire hue. As I stared deep into them, I could see Clara and RJ crying back at me...

  "Grayson!" I could not tell who had called out my name.

Another wave of sharp pain traveled through the nerves of my body, snapped out of my trance once I saw blood spraying through the air; my blood. My first instinct, despite the burning agony from the four long gashes in my chest, I jerked my arm upwards to hack off a majority of the beast long limb. It's arm severed, fading away like black smoke from a fire. Soon, the rest of the creature followed suit but I knew that it was not dead in a puff of blue light before turning into darkness, most likely slipping back into the shadows to recover.
Drake attempted to heal me until I pushed him away, insisting that if he healed each of our wounds when we could soon end up with more, then he would only be wasting his energy. As much as it pained him, made obvious by his expression, he knew my words to be true. He nodded, instead helping me back up to my feet. My eyes shut tight with my teeth painfully clenched. Once I was back up, my eyes cracked open to watch the scarlet soak into the grey of my shirt, four massive tears across fabric that dug clean into my flesh.

  "I'm okay. We can deal with this later." I told Drake, hissing through my teeth as I looked around to find that nearly everyone was engaged in battle with these foreign foes.

My attention turned back to Mia as she picked herself up from the ground, holding her newly acquired wound. Her gloved hand lifted to reveal the smeared blood.

  "This better be worth it or I swear to Notch..." I could hear her growl.

Eleanor took out the last of the monsters that surround us, at least those who were visible to our naked eyes. Markus turned to us as we gasped from the brawl, warning us of more possible enemies up ahead. Surely enough, there were more creatures with black skin and long limbs up ahead, taking cover in the fog. I glared into the grey, adjusting the handle of my sword in my grasp.
My heart was racing, vision blurred from the snow and pain. I was finding it difficult to focus, the after image of those eyes blinding me.

  "Come on." Drake said, snapping me back to reality as he helped me to take a few steps forward before letting me go on my own.

Third person point of view-

They looked up, watching as Cecile activated his talisman. The fog was lifting ever so slowly, allowing them to see a horde of black figures that retreated or made their way toward them, towing like Enderman but some had long horns on their heads, some twisted, others like antlers. Their eyes varied in colors, range into from red, to sapphire, to orange, to green and so forth. Even purple with a faint lining of green. The exact eyes of an enderman.
The light blue eyed Mage chanted a spell, shouting for all the others to look away. They all did so except for Drake, a bright white light from the talisman seeming to consume the valley the large group traveled in. With the sound of the blast and the monsters screaming, they could hear nothing but ringing in the aftermath.
The humans and elf opened their eyes, a brief moment of panic drifting over them when they saw nothing but white, realizing that they needed to blink to clear their vision. Once they did, shades and colors came back into view ever so slowly. Grayson looked to the map. Just a bit further westbound.
The only warning they received was an unholy howling from the darkness circling. In a blur of speeding black and gold, there was a scream, droplets of scarlet splattering onto the snow, the warmth melting the delicate ice.

  "Duilius!"

His armor had been torn through like a knife through butter, his winged shoulder pad ripped from its place to allow poised, elongated claws to slice through his chainmail and into the guards flesh. His screamed, immediately holding up his wingguarded sword into defensive position.
Drake spun around with a swing of his blade, narrowly avoiding a dead on strike with Dante's head.

  "Watch it!"

A powerful white light traveled down the slightly chipped diamond blade, forming and arch of light that shot forward, striking their unknown assailant.  With a magnificent cry, the creature dispersed into the fog. Duilius quickly looked to his wound, eyes snapping back to his surroundings after only a moment.
They continued on, warning one another to watch out. Drake was trembling, fearful of this unknown, the unnerving ambiguity.

  These things...they aren't too unfamiliar though. I've seen these before...

  "Look!" Dante grabbed everyone's attention, pointing to an oddity, as this entire island seemed to be.

Now into more open space, it was obvious that many portions of the ground had been elevated, as if the tectonic plates beneath had lifted the ground, causing it to crack and separate. It was if the entire island could split into many pieces and drift away from one another at any moment.

Samantha ran her gloved fingers along the closest body of arisen land. "These look like they could have been caused by earthquakes."

  "...Earthquake?" The hybrid furrowed a single brow. "We've been getting those at the empire recently. Could this have been where it started and the shock waves traveled to Segetara?"

The archeologists pondered. "It is plausible. One question though, what caused it?" Everyone looked around, as if the surroundings could provide an answer, but all that was brought forth was reappraisal and apprehension.

They kept on their toes as they continued along, exchanging a few words here and there until Drake could no longer handle the long periods of silence.

  "Dreadful smell, huh? Like corpses."

Jeremiah gagged. "Please don't say that. This musk is making me feel sick enough as it is."

Drake cleared his throat, casting his gaze ahead of himself as he clenched the handle of his weapon with both hands. Ever so slowly, the connection was made in his brain, piecing together the pieces like a puzzle.
Corrupt, malevolent spirits... His eyes grew. How did he not reach this conclusion sooner?

  "Guys, I think I know what we're dealing with!"

Eleanor pointed with a cry, "Watch out!"

Their heads snapped to where she was pointing, dark figures emerging from the shadows. Seeing them...it was almost too overwhelming to comprehend. They all felt sick, Drake less so but slightly ill nonetheless. More so filling with memories that were clouded with thick white haze, only an occasional colorful pair of glowing orbs breaching the white.
They all struggled to take their stances, racked with terror limiting mobility. The main trio, consisting Drake, Grayson, and Mia, along with Dante, were the first to break free from the trance of fear. The monsters lunged, bodies remaining solid for the first wave assault. They raged an onslaught against the guards surrounding the others, shaking the earth with their cries. The human's put up a valiant fight, but not even a few seconds had passed before they dropped like flies in mists of bright crimson. Drake attacked with his power, the magi forced to resort to magical attacks as the guards collapsed, wounded or killed.

  "It's not charged!" Cecil cried as he tried to put his mana into the talisman.

Eleanor screamed as claws ripped into her flesh, first from her right shoulder to chest, the second swing across her face, knocking her to the grown with snow to surge beneath her, then drift to the ground once more. Cecil came to her aid, a light blue blast of energy engulfing the creature until it was no more...only for it to reappear a few seconds later, it's body reforming.
It let out a painful scream before white light flooded the air. Once the light faded, the creature had vanished.

  "Take cover!"

The magic worked with haste to shield their comrades and themselves as Drake lifted his hand to the sky, the light swarming up his arm to the tips of his slim fingers.

Grayson screamed, knowing that this would weaken him. "Drake, don't! We can handle this!"

Without a second thought, Drake unleashed his attack, or at least tried. Before the blast could be properly unleashed, a beast lunged at him
All eyes shot to Drake as he screamed. They gasped, slim pupils in utter disbelief of what they were seeing. Drake was bleeding, claw marks ripping through the clothing and flesh upon his back. The light faded as screams released his name. The glow in his eyes dimmed.

  "Drake!"

His gums filled with pressure as his teeth grinned. Hot pain shot across his skin, realized that the monster had not just sliced through his clothing, but his flesh as well. How..?! Despite the pain, he knew that he had to move. His body spun around on the heels of his feet, unleashing an attack as fast as he possibly could.
Mia's eyes widened, a lofty creature of black with sapphire eyes stalking behind him like an animal preparing to attack prey. Something snapped in the elf's mind. If these...things could hurt him...then they could kill him, and she was not about to let that happen. The moment the magi accidentally let down the shields as they were taken by shock, she bolted.
Drake turned around to face another attacker, only for his eyes to rest on a familiar figure of blonde and purple between him and the shadows.
Mia screamed as claws sliced through her thick clothes, cuts deep enough to cause blood to drip from her lips.

  "Mia!"

She collapsed to her side with enough force to bruise her cheek. Drake scurried to her, only to have both creatures make their moves. They both drew harsh breaths as the creatures lost their physical forms, clouds of darkness melting into the male and female, causing the elf to fall out cold and the hybrid to collapse unconscious on top of her.

Cecil lifted his arm into the air, screaming at the top of his lungs as the monsters howled. "Shield your eyes!"

The talisman in his grasp let out an explosion of pure light.
...

Mia's point of view-

I opened my eyes, an odd calm filling me. I was soothed by a gentle rocking motion, an ominous yet familiar creak in the walls, sounding off repeatedly. It was cold yet warm at the same time, against her body with my own in her arms. I could feel her chest rising and falling at a steady rhythm, long hair cascading over her shoulders to tickle my face. Her jewelry covered her scars, crimson and golden suit that made her appear...just as I had always viewed her as; authoritative yet stunning. A woman committed to her cause, willing to get her hands dirty if it were for the greater good.

  "Mayadriel, is something wrong?" For some reason, I felt uncomfortable with her calling me that despite that it was my name.

Hearing her voice, it caused me to stiffen. That accent, I could never mistake it nor the way her red eyes gazed upon me in such a gentle manner despite how hardcore she came off to her crew. I admired her...with all my heart.
At the back of my mind, something felt odd, yet as her arm tightened around, tucking me closer to her body, that feeling seemed to wash away.

  "Well, don't worry about a thing, big sis will always be here, right?" She gave me that heartwarming smile with closed eyes, a look I relished to see.

I smiled and giggled, kicking my small feet hanging from her lap. "Right!"

She closed the book in her lap, telling me to relax and let her have control of the night. An odd way to put it, but I settled with it. I am only seven after all. I cuddled against Mairyn's body, closing my eyes to relax and greet the sweet bliss of sleep. As I did so, that feeling returned. Something was scratching at the back of my mind, a feeling that left me with uneasiness. My eyes opened up, my body jumping with a gasp forcing its way past my lips.
My gaze settled upon a circular window in the east wall adjacent to us the moment I opened my eyes. Golden light flooded the captain's quarters that my sister and I found solitude within, but this golden glow was not from the warming rays of morning sun. My ears twitch, a faint, distance sound that dreaded me. Screaming. The light flicked, embers of flame rising.

  "Mairyn, do you see that?" She looked but said that she saw nothing, insisting that I needed sleep.

Despite another brief attempt, I could not rest. The next time I opened my eyes, two white orbs had flashed in the window previously exposed to flames. I jumped and screamed, Mairyn holding me tight.

  "Las, calm down! You're just having nightmares!"

For a moment, I considered believing her until a single drop of red dripped onto my chest. I was terrified, looking up only to feel that terror more so. Her left eye was closed and contracted, a long bleeding scar running down her swollen eyelid. I screamed in horror, kicking myself away until I had pushed myself from her knees and fell to the floor.
Suddenly, the memories came flooding back to me. When Herobrine attacked and destroyed the Star Emerald, When I heard of Mairyn's survival at the hands of imperial executioners, when we reunited and she was taken from me once again...This was not a sister.

  "No...Mairyn is gone! You're not my sister!"

She laughed with a jolly laugh that sounded nothing like her own, instead more...maniacal. "Y̵o̧u're j͘u̵st ͜s̸e̴ein̡ǵ ͝a͘ ̸b͝ad͜ ́dre̸a͜m!̢ It ̀wi҉ll̛ all ͘be okay̨,҉ I͠'̛m̧ ̛h̷er̶e͜ t͠o p͠ŕo̧t͘ect you,͠ ri͘g̀hţ?͝"

I bit my lip. No... I wanted her to be here, I wanted that so desperately, but I knew better. She walked closer, and in my panic, I spun around to make a dash for the door. My body slammed into it, suddenly much taller than I was. I was no longer like a child, no longer trapped in a memory. My hands grabbed the golden handle, twisting and turning it but no matter how far or which way I turned it, the door would not budge. I had no choice but to turn around and face her, or whatever this thing impersonating my sister was.

  "C͘o̵me͏ ̛on̨,͞ you ͝don̸'t ͠wan̷t͜ ̷to͠ l̡eav̀e y͠o͜ur̨ b͘ig͝ si̡s͢'̶ behi̴nd!̷ J̧u̷s̴t like you͝ ̛d͏i̷d̛ before..."

  "Wha- no!"

Before I could take action, a tight pressure was around my neck, my back and head painfully pressed against the closed down. My ears were ringing, my airway closing up as I clawed, prying at the fingers around my throat.

  "Ýou ͜l͝us̀͜t̛,͜͢ ̡no͏̵͢t҉̸ ̴fo͢r ̵̷p̀h҉̢ys͢͠iç͡a̛l̨ pl̕è͟a̧̛͠s̸̀ų͞r͜e͏̧͢ ͜͞b̵ut̨͢͏ ̨i̴͞ns̕t͠e̷a̢d͘ ̧͞f̶͢o҉͝r ̶c͘l҉͏ơ̴͞s͏́̕u͢͝͠ŗ̨e̶҉͠.͜͞ A͘f͞t̴̛er͏̕͢ ̴a̧ļ͏l̶,͘̕ ̴̷͢y̧̧o̡ų͞ c̀au͟͟s͞è͟d͟ m̷͘y̴ ̵͠d̢̀ea̧t͠͠h. Ý͢͠ơu͡ ̴̧c҉̸o̵̡͢u̸͡͞l̛͞҉d ̀h͠͏a̸͞v̵̢͟è̀ ͞s҉̷e̵ar̨͟c͢ḩ͟ę̵͜d̛ ̷̨thè̴ ̧̛w͢r͢e̴̕ç̸͡k̷̷͡a̴g͏͘e a͘͢nd͟ ͘͡ṕ̷͞úll͟ed̷͏ ̀̀m̶͢͞é ̵͢o̢͠ų҉t̕͠ ̷̸͘b͡e̛͡fǫ̕ŕ͘͘e͜͏ ̶̧th̢̨ey̧ ̛͡fo̕ún̷d̴͏́ ͢m̶͠e̴,͏ ̷̡b̸̢e͢f̢o͟͞r͠͝e̴͢ ̶th̷͢ey c҉u̷t҉̡ ̵óf̡̛f̢͢ ̢m̀͜y̢̡͢ h̵e͝a̶̢͝d҉,͏ ̵͝h̡umi̸͡l̸̀͘i̶͠ą́t̸͠e̴̵d́͘ ̴̧m̵̛ȩ̀ ̢͏́in ̵͢f̧̕͞ro͟m҉̕ ̵̛t̵̨͜h̡e͜͝ ̛e͟͝n͞t̷̵í͘͜r̨͏e ̶̧̡c̢̨a͏̵̛p͜ít̢̀͢á͏l͘͞!́ ̵Ý̶͡o͘͟u̶ ̶ć́͢a҉̶̵r҉̕è͠d̡͜ ͢͠m͟or͟é ̕͝à̡b̴̢ǫ͞ù̧t̡̀͞ y͏o͘u͏̧r҉̢́ ͟bò̵y̶f͟͟͞r̸͝i͞e͝n͡d̴̕͡ş̷͜ ̶t͘͠h͏è̸̡n͟͞͡ ̸̨͢y͘o͏u̕ŕ ͢͝o͡wn̶ ͘͡f̕̕͟l̕͏e͏s͜h̨͏͢ ̨a̛n̴̷d ̵͜b̨̡ló̧ò̷d̢!"

I was wheezing, struggling to take in air as it's fist grew tighter around my throat. "Not...t-true..."

  "B̵͝ù̶̴t͏ ̸͞I̸̡ ̷ąm̴ ͝n̵o͟͠t ̡̢͟w̷͞r͡o̸n̷̢g͠ àb͞͡oúţ̶ ̸y̶͏̛o͜͠u̡̕͢r̸̡ ҉de̢s͝ì͠͏ŗ͏è̢͟,̧̀͏ ̡́á̛͡r̷e̴̵̶n̕'̨͜t͠҉ ̨͘I?҉̵̢ ͘͜͞Y͝ò̵ú ẃ̵͟a̕͡n̢t̷̨̕ ̨̀ţ̀͜ơ͝͏ ̧͞f̶ơ̡͘r̡g̶̴e͘͠t҉͘ ̛͘a͏̶b̢́͜ó̧u̴t̸͢ ̢y̨͏̸o͡ur͝ ̶p̕͘ą́s̢̀t̸̷͟ a̴̡s̷ á ́͠p̧͡r̶̷͠ac̕͏tí̕c̸͟a̶͟l҉ ̕͢s̨͞l͘͢ave̡,͏ t͜͝͠o͢͜͡ ͝s͘͡e̵̷è͜͢ ̸y͡ơu͟r̀ s͢͟͞i̶͘s̨t͞҉e̵͢ŗ ͞a͘͢͢n͘͢d̸҉ ͠l͟o̵s̴͘t ̧l̡̡ǫ͞v́ed̶́̀ ̷͡o͝nę̸͡s̡̛.̡͡ ̛͠͏No̴͘҉?"

Blood spread on the center of her abdomen, crawling across her shirt from a slim focal point; a stab wound. Her eye continued to bleed, a twisted grin that was nothing to compare to the smile of my adored family. Whispers we're faint in my ears and clustered, but I knew that it was the same thing repeated on a loop.

  All your fault.

  "I̧̢ ̨́c͠a̴͜͡ń̵ ҉g͟͝i̴v͘é ͘͠y̧͢ou̷ ́͠t҉h͘͘͢at͘ ̷͟͏d̨e̵̷si̴̛r̀͟͟e.҉ ̸̛I͟͠ ̵̨c̨͢an̨͡ ͏̶̴b͠r͘i̴͠n̶̢҉g̴҉͘ ͠h͜҉e̢͝r ̵͜b̨͜͝à̛ck̕͜ tớ͝ ̨ỳ̸̶o̷u̸͝,͢͠ ̸̀̕I̸̵̧ ̡c̕a͝ǹ́ t҉̡͞a̛k̨҉é ͝a̶̡͢ẁ͡ą͠͡y̶͞ ̀͠t͢h́͝o̡̧ś̡e̡͜ ̴m͞͝o͠m̶̕e͘͞n̨҉t̸s͞ ̕o͟҉̷f̸҉ ̛you̵̴͞r̵͡ ̕l̷̛if́é ̀͟at̵҉͡ ̨͝t̶͟h҉̡͜ȩ̶ ͠i̶̡̨mp͠͠ȩ̢ri̵̴͡a̵͞l ̴̢ca̕p͡͠i̶t̶̢a͞l!̧͢͢ ͏̕͞Á͢l͘͢l̛ ̷͞yo̵u͏ ̛̀̕n̸͘ȩed ͟͡t̨͢o̢̢͝ d̴̷o̷, ͜i̵͞s̷̛͘ ́̕àl̛l̸͟ớw ̕̕͢m̧e̷͜ ̴t̵̛o͠͡o̢͟."

Dare I say, the offer was tempting. I would be lying if I said that I did not consider the offer for a moment or two, remembering losing the only family I had left, when I was captured, watched a comrade die in front of me while I was helpless, while he fought for our freedom only to die to emperor's hands. For so long, it felt like only death could free us from our captivity, yet it was as if his spirit was still with us, still chained to the emperor's leash even in death. The stares, the harassment, the abuse, the fear...I screamed as the memories became too overwhelming.

"Stop it! I know what you monsters do! I've seen my friend tortured and I won't fall for it! Get out!"

Like shattering glass, the room began to crumble. The monsters melted away my sister's form in such a grotesque manner, the skin and clothing and hair melting away until all that was left was a menacing shadow towering over me, sapphire eyes burning into my soul. It's massing jaw filled with knife like teeth unhinged, letting out a screech like none other, piercing into my ears.
The world was consumed by love get, and then, darkness.
...

Drake's point of view-

My eyes shot opened to the sound of cheering all around. My eyes adjusted to the sight of my arm extended upward, a glass chalice in hand nearly spilling over with wine. The bitter taste coated my tongue, an ill feeling in my gut. I don't drink...never have despite considering. When did I drink this?
I looked around, finding myself in a familiar setting at the palace, tables everywhere with my friends and palace attendants. The chandeliers were as bright as ever, delicate music playing in the background from violins, harps, and cellos. A bit away from the tables was an open space where people danced with elegance.
Grayson was standing on the table, completing his toast to my and my now wife. What I found odd was that...Armen and Luke were here. Didn't they leave after the ceremony? Lalea clung to my arm, a gorgeous white dress covering her slim body and a white veil on her head. Armen stared at me with soft eyes, congratulating me while Luke and Xavier laughed together, the spy holding hands with Endy.
I smiled, lowing my glass to place it on the table, smile dropping with my mind trying to remember ever agreeing to having wine.

  "Thank you for everything." My ears perked to Lalea's angelic voice.

I smiled once more, rubbing her arm. "I love you." Something about her smile...it wasn't her usual smile.

I jumped as she let me go, standing up as the orchestra began a new, slow song. My wife took my hand, pulling me out of my seat as she laughed and suggested for us to go dance. At first I was self conscious about dancing in front of so many people but it was near impossible for me to object. My cold face grew warm as she pulled me to the dance floor, her arms around my waist as I grabbed onto her hips.
Honestly, I had no clue how to dance, only learning as I went as the watched the couples around us. They all moved away from us, watching us as we danced alone...I did not like all of the eyes on us. I let her lead our feet for the most part, swaying from side to side.
She pressed her head against my chest, holding me closer as I took the lead in the dance, if that was what you call this. I liked aving her around me, but...she felt cold. I told her this as I placed my chin on her soft blue locks that the veil did not cover. She said nothing in reply, only her arms tightening around me.

  "What's wrong with me right now? I just got married! I should be happy! Yet... I know that something is off."

I listened to her voice, which calmed me down. "You'll stay here with me, won't you?"

  "Ye-"

Just I was beginning to relax, my eyes shot open to a faint dripping sound and a tingling on my upper lip. I lifted my head, freezing up as I saw red soaking into Lalea's hair. I pushed her away, ignoring her hurt, worried expression as my hand lifted to wipe beneath my nose, finding a smear of blood as I pulled my hand back.

  "Drakey-poo, is something the matter?"

My we twitched, another drip falling to the floor, this time from the blood seeping from the corner of my lip. I looked up to Lalea, realization striking me as. Her eyes flashed purple.

  "You are not Lalea..."

The creature dropped the act, a sickening grin stretching on her cheeks as she froze, her eyes turning entirely purple. They mirrored that of an Enderman, or more so, those creatures that attacked us outside of this illusion. A demon... Black liquid trailed from her eyes and lips, fingernails growing visibly sharper.

  "Se̛̕e͝m̀s҉ ̧͢t̢̢̨hat͘ ͟͡y̷̴oư ẁi̕l͢l͠͞ ̕b͝ȩ͡ ͝a͡ ̵͘͏c͡͠h̸̀a͝l҉l̵e̛͞ń̨g͢e͘.̛́ ͡Y҉̛ǫ̷u̸'̷r̡͢͠e҉ d̢̀͝į̷̷ff̷͘eŕ͘͡e͢nt͜ ̧͠f͜rò̢͢m̴͞ ̵thȩ͢ ̀r̛e̕s͜t̵͝,͏́͏ ͏s̶̶͞tr̨͞o͞ǹ͡g̀͜er҉,̡̀ ̸̕i̛͢n͜t̴̛èl̵̶l̕i͡͝g͘҉͠én̵t͟͞, ̶͜i̡͞d̴̢e̴̕a̷͞l̴̴i̡͢s̵̸t̀i̴̶͜c͞.̕͟҉ I͘ ̸t҉͡h̕į͝n̶̕k̛ ̀͞yǫu͟͞'̀r͡è ́m̨̕y̨ ̢͏́f̡̕a̢͞v̢̢o̶͠rit̴̵e ̛̛o̡͘f͢ t͝h͏e̶m̀͝ ̡a̶͠l̶̨̀l͞͏!"

I growled, energy around my hands. "Quit the flattery! You must be a demon of pride, well, I ran out of pride long ago... What do you want?!"

It laughed. "C̸͠ơm̷͟ȩ ̧͞o̧̡͠n͞ ͢͢now͞,͝ ̕͟͟nó ̡n̷̷e͞e͟҉d ̛f҉ǫ̶r ̸̷͘t̨h͞e̕͠ ̢͘h̸a͟r͏s͢͟h̸n̸̵͘e͡ss.̧̢͡ ͝D͏id̸̵n͜͞͡'ţ͝ ́͠͝yǫ̛ù͝ ̨̧͡s̵̶͞a̵y͝ ͞͏yo͟u ͟͟w̸̨͞o͢͜u̡ļ̷d̕͡͞ ҉̸̀en̨jo̕ý̴ ý̶o̢͠ur̷ ̷t̢i͘m̵͜e ͢h̛̀͜e̶̵͞r͟e͝? ̶́͏Á̢̨l̷̸̷l̕ow̴̵ m̶e̡ ͞tó ̴̕h͟͝e͏͝l҉͘p̛!"

My arm shot up as it stepped closer. It shook its head and shook its finger."N͘͘͞ǫw̷,̨͜ ̸͘n͘͜o͏̀͝w̕,́ ̴D̴r̷͢ak̶̛e͟҉.͜͢ ̸Y̷o̸u͟͝ ̷̵̀o̕҉̡f ҉a͞l̴͏l͢ ͝p̵͟e͘o͜p͢҉͟le̢̡͞ ̴̢kńow͏͠ ͞w͏h̵̨a̡͢t͏͠ ̡͝h͢á̷͏ṕ͜p̶͏e̴ń͏̸s͡ ̕w͞h̨e̷n̶͝ ̨y̵o͜u̸̴͡ ̶̨m͜è͢s̷͟͠s͘͏ w̴i̡t̀ḩ́ ̴a ͘͟d͘é͠m͏o͝n҉̵̢." It's smile was somehow able to widen, so wide that in humane. "I̢ ̵̀͞k̴͢ne̸w̕҉ ̧̧͢th̸̨a͜͟t̷ y̴̨ǫ̢u͞'̶̕͝d͢ b͠e a҉ c̷̛h̵̕a͘l̴̨l̸̴eń͜g͢͜e͞͡.͏͟ ̨̕͡Ą̷̡f̕t̸͠ȩ͟r̢ ͢a̛͘ļ̸̨ļ̴҉,̸ ̀y̸͟o̶̕͜u ̡̕ar͠e̶ ̶̛͏p̨a̵͟r̸̕͟t̨í̡͟al͏l͟y̴ ̴͞oņe̡̛ ̀o̷̕͟f̧ ̡͢u̧s."

I took a step back, the power building inside of me. The demon was giddy, lifting its arms by its sides. "I͢ ͘c̶an̕ ͢g̨ì͞v̶͞e ̵̶͢y͘͠o̷͟u e̸v̴͡e̸̵͜r̴͜͡y̸̨͢t͠h̸͢in̸͡g̢̕͏ ̷͘͠y̕o̷u̴̢͘ d҉e͜s͝͞i͜͏r͜͡e̵̶,̵ p͘͟e͞a̵͜c̀͜e͜͟͝ ͏͞o̕f͠ ̧̢̛m̕҉i̧̕n̸͝͝d̷,̷̷ ń̛̛o̷ ̵͟͝m̡̧ơ̷̕re̶̛ ̧d̴͜e̡͡j̕͜a̴͠ v̴̨u̷...́͞ ̵ǹo̵͏ ̴̀ḿ̡͡or̀͠͞e̕ ̡ha̶͡҉v͡i̴n̡̧g͡ ҉͘t̷̷͟o ̵l̛͡i̶v̢͝e͜ ̛҉͞pa̧͢s̡t̵͠ ̧y̸̸o̧͟͢u̢̕ŕ͡ f҉rįen͏̴͞d̡͘s̴ ̸̷de̵͟aţ͜͝h̢."

I assumed that it was talking about my nightmares and hallucinations. "And in return?"

  "I̕͏n͢ ̨r̸̀̕e̸͟t̛̀͜ú̕͝r̀͘͞n͜, ̷̀I͏ ̶̧w̶͢a̕͞n̴t ̡̡y̸̨͢ou̷҉r ̧͢p̡o҉̀͟w̧e͏͘r̸͠!̨"

Something about the offer made me laugh. Rather it was an anxious laugh or one of actual humor, I did not know; everything was becoming scrambled inside of me. I was confused, I was terrified, I was angry, and deep down, I was intrigued. I enjoyed having these different feelings yet despised it simultaneously.
Give a demon my power? Last time a demon had this power, it nearly wiped out all human life of earth. Peace of mind sounded like heaven. I wanted it, I wanted to accept, but I knew better. I knew of the consequences, of the lives I would put at risk. I bit my lip, it's head tilting as it waited for my response. I looked away, the possibilities running through my mind.

  "So̕, ͟d̸o w̵e̶ ̨h̶a̶v̕e ͠a ̴d͞e̷a͘l?͏"

I looked back to the creature. "Forget it. I know what happens when you make a deal with a demon. It never ends in mutual good terms."

With that, I unleashed the building energy within my body. Just before everything went white, our surroundings fell apart like broken glass.
...

Third person point of view-

Mia's eyelids lifted, a loud gasp forcing its way from her throat. The intense white faded from her eyesight aside from the snow just outside. Her lime eyes darted, all of her comrade's staring at her with gigantic smiles.

  "Mia!"

She opened her mouth, unsure of what was going on. "G-Guys? Are you okay?"

Dante nearly jumped for her. "We were worried sick! Are you okay?!"

The elf sat up with a groan, rubbing the back of her aching head as she insisted that she was fine. Grayson warned her not to move as she bit her lip hard, pain from her chest spiking. She open her eyes once more, seeing and feeling bloody bandages around her chest, her torn, bloody jacket laying on the ground beside her.
They were in a small, damp cave. It was freezing, icicles hanging from the mouth of the entrance, mushrooms around the outside covered in snow. The demons screeched off in the distance, wracking the few people on the island with fear.
Eleanor and Cecil let out sighs of relief not only that their friend was okay, but that the darkness that had invaded her body had drained away. Mia asked what they meant, the magi replying that an evil spirit had tried to possess her. Her eyes went wide, not in shock, but in sorry and fear. She remember what had happened before she passed out...

  "Drake! Is he okay?!" Her eyes darted around until they finally rested upon the hybrid laying flat on the ground, his eyes closed.

  "They got to him too."

They stared at their unconscious friend, waiting for him to wake up. Instead a glow emitted from his chest, back arching with his previously resting expression twisting. He wasn't screamed; he stayed odd silent. Everyone stood and backed away before Grayson cried out for them all to take cover. They rushed out of the cave, getting to what they assumed was a safe distance away. They turned back, the glow growing dim. False alarm. They sighed in relief.
They walked back, watching a blur of colors stand up.

"Is everyone okay?" The hybrid asked as if oblivious to what had just happened in his head, rubbing an old scar on his forehead, though he scar was not the cause of his discomfort.

He jumped when Grayson and Mia rushed at him, colliding into him with open arms wrapping around him, laughing almost hysterically. They pushed him back but they all remained standing. He was confused.

Before he asked what was going on, Grayson wrapped his arms around both him and Mia. "Don't disobey my orders and don't do whatever it was you did ever again!" He scolded the two of them.

They rolled their eyes before Drake looked to Mia, Grayson's arms releasing the two. "Mia, you tried to jump in front of me. Why?"

She gave a soft smile, moving her long strand of hair away from her eye behind her ear only for it to fall back where it was. "I promised Lalea that I would watch over you, doofus. You need to stop getting yourself into so much trouble!"

Drake giggled with a deep blush of embarrassment. "I try not to. Guess I'm a magnet for chaos!" He gave out a weak laugh, his own words filled him with uneasiness.

  "You're both okay, right?" Grayson asked.

Mia smiled wider. "I am. You, Drake?"

Drake shrugged. " Yeah. I'm more worried about the rest of you."

Samantha walked up from behind Grayson and Mia. "We're fine for the most part. As of now, I believe it best for us to get going before those...demons come back." She spat the unholy name.

They all agreed, Mia grabbing her jacket to stay warm despite the tears and blood stains. Drake healed her before they began to head out once more, this time finding significantly less of the spiritual creatures, as if they had fled from the group of mortals. Perhaps scared away from Drake wrathful power or perhaps another secret unknown.
They finally approached their true destination, the mountain reaching up into the sky. A massive door made of stone was embedded within the mountainside, a magic circle etched into the stone. On the ground on either side were two large pillars, one toppled over to its side, split n half while the other only had about a foot left, the rest of it completely demolished. Spikes of stone protruded unnaturally from the ground around the door. The most eye catching portion was the magic circle in the ground in blue. In the center of that was a podium with a diamond on top in the stone.

  "Woah!" Mia baffled.

Jeremiah reacted the same way. "Awesome!"

Grayson warned everyone not to touch anything as they moved about to examine everything. As they did so, Jeremiah comforted Drake as he increasingly more anxious, and after his recent experience with that demon, no one could blame him. Cecil examined the door while the other two magi examined the circle on the ground.

  "This sigil is the Third Pentacle of Jupiter. It's meant to ward off evil spirits. Perhaps that's why there was less of those creatures around the closer we got to this place."

Eleanor nodded but kept focus on the circle on the ground. "These runes are in the magi language. That being said, why was the map in Bargelian?"

They all exchanged glances, none coming up with an answer. Drake's Enderman ear lowered as his eyes scaled the mountain, the presence overwhelmingly strong. He did not know what the presence was, but recalling the map, it was nothing less than uneasy.

  "Perhaps whoever made this place isn't the same people who made the map. What if this place was simply scouted out or even overrun by attackers..."

Grayson pushed his way in before the hybrid could have a panic attack. "Well, we haven't seen any cultists yet, other than demons apparently."

The black haired Mage lit up with a gasp. "I got it! The circle is a blood magic sigil. It's a type of taboo spell though because it corrupts the blood and often leaves the cells morphed, similarly to when a magic user uses black magic."

Cecil spoke up. "That's all? Didn't the map say it was guarded by powerful magic? We had those demons but I don't think that's what the map was referring too."

He was right. Despite the type of spell required and facing demons, this seemed too simple. Angie offered the possibility that despite the map saying that no one had stepped inside, perhaps that it was just an exaggeration to keep others away, or perhaps what awaited behind the door was not the treasure, instead more trial. Jeremiah groaned in annoyance at the notion.

  "But first we need to get through this."

  "I can perform it!"

They all looked to Drake as he volunteered. Grayson immediately objected until Drake faced him with an unreadable gaze. "I've done it before, Grayson... My blood is already corrupted from it. It doesn't matter if I do it again."

They all stood there in shock, eyes wide with lifted chins, aside from Dante who tucked his head down with an almost curious gaze. Grayson could barely speak, but after a long moment of silence, he finally got his words out, pleading to Drake that it wasn't true. His eyes looked to Drake's wrists, knowing that they were dressed beneath his sleeves.

  "It was a long time ago since I did it, within the first month since you guys saved me... You know that I was in a dark place and the voices..." His eyes shut tight, as if holding back tears. "I regret it... I really regret it, but all I did with the spells was create warding sigils! I didn't do it to hurt myself. I was just...so paranoid that...that h-he would come back, a-and-"

  "How could you do that," Dante questioned. "If you can't be injured, aside from those demons?"

Once more, the demigod was hesitant. Despite the question being from Dante, he showed little resentment. "Well, back then every blade that the empire produced was made with manyullyn... It...wasn't difficult to get my hands on one. Lalea helped with paranoia and I learned to live with the hallucinations."

Mia looked down at the cuts on her crest that was yet to be healed. "I can provide the blood considering that I'm already bleeding."

She approached the pedestal, her hand stained in her own red liquid. She placed her hand on it, Drake looking to her with concerned eyes, asking if she was sure. The elf nodded, Eleanor telling them that even if they used Mia's blood, she wouldn't be corrupted as long as her hand was away from the applied liquid; only the one casting the spell would be affected. They all looked to Drake, somber features on their faces.
Drake placed his hand over the blood, whispering a verbal incantation that the circle beneath his feet had provided.
The blue circle suddenly turned purple, all heads snapping to the sound of moving stone. The door had ascended upward, opening up to reveal a dark stairway down. It brought back memories to Drake, Grayson, and Mia from when they found the hatchery. Drake quickly retracted his hand, a minor burning in his veins. The joy was short lived, as almost immediately, a rush of darkness poured out from the door like fire from the mouth of a dragon.
The magi could feel it; this wave of darkness, of evil. Drake took in the feeling of corruption, his knees almost giving out as they trembling beneath his weight. He could almost feel it spread through his veins and arteries, this same feeling he was with in in the past. Mana absorbing, soul absorbing, decaying spells. All dark magic; exactly what this wave resembled.
It stopped, allowing everyone to look up, gasping. Cecil commented on how it was dark magic, but too little to corrupt much. They all cleared their throats, gulping as their bodies were racked with nerves.

  "Let's get this over with." Drake mumbled, walking down the stairwell, his glowing eyes leading the way.
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