"Seems a bit odd..." More endermen zap in and screech to each other, the lack of concern in Soren's voice making me concerned. "They've never been inside before."

"Great, let's go." Instincts, exhausted but still strong, kick me back into action. "We gotta get out of here."

We all quickly shuffle out, Soren grumbling next to me about altered behavior. Although my mind's on other things, like how Petra is forcing calm breaths out. Dang it, I may not be able to see each, but there must be a lot of endermen for Petra to start to get afraid. Maybe I should be glad I can't see very well.

"Ah dude," My agonized arm twists at the fear in Axel's hallow voice. "How are we going to get out of this one?"

I squint the moment I get through the door, vision still slowly improving, but it is not hard at all to see all the endermen that have swarmed the hallways. A persistent buzz ringing constantly, just the slightest thing could piss them off over the edge.

"Oh! I wasn't expecting so many houseguests, there's no way I have enough seashell soaps for all of them."

Doom coils around my heart, whispering and foretelling a tragic future. I shake my head out of it, ignoring the headache and focusing on the weird grunts and bleeps of the endermen. We have to get through them... somehow.

"How are we suppose to get out of here?" Lukas's words quiver, my arm relentlessly screaming its torture as the purple parasites suck whatever life that's left in there. "We have to come up with some plan and-"

"Soren? We could use your expertise right about now." A small wisp of hope gives Soren the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he's still in a bit of shock. He'll snap to his hero self in no time.

"One constant about endermen is that they hate water. If we can force that fountain to overflow somehow..." He trails off in thought, and I breath a sigh of relief- "Jesse, you still have the enderman suit. Put that on, and you'll be able to safely reach the fountain."

Only for my heart to lurch forward in my chest, panic driving through every vein in my body. I glance back at the others, my muscles begging them to get me out of this. I can't break a fountain, I can't even use one arm and the other is completely useless. That's not even mentioning if the rest of my body collapses under me.

Yet all I see, in my hazy and jittery vision that strains to produce even a clearer sight of Lukas's terrified eyes. Or the anxious bobbles of Olivia's head that could pass as a nervous twitch. Or Axel's unibrow tight in fear. Or Rueben's whines as he trembles next to Petra.

I press my lips together, grabbing the enderman mask and pushing it on my head. Not Ivor, not a Wither Storm, and not endermen get to kill my friends. I'm not letting some stupid sickness interfere with that.

"Good luck dude." I give a nod at Axel, creeping forward on wobbly yet determined legs. I'm not failing them, I refuse.

"We'll um, we'll all watch here then! Where it's safe." Doom clenches down on my heart and I struggle to keep creeping forward after the hero's words.

The buzzing gets omnipresent the closer I get, endermen all around me. Blood thundering throughout my body, my very sore and exhausted body, but I have to do this. Just gotta keep going.

An enderman shrieks and I whip to it in pure fright, cowering and bracing for its infuriated screech at me. But to my utter relief, it walks off. A woozy rush of relief throwing my balance off for a moment.

"Try not to die."

A raspy huff comes out at Soren's words as I step up to the fountain. Death is not the problem, using only my one arm that has already been pressed to its limit is the problem. How the heck am I going to break this?

The pathetic punch I attempt instantly blares pain, a far cry from my left arm, but the muscles did absolutely nothing to weaken the stone. New strategy needed.

"Jesse! Hurry up!" Petra's fierce whisper cuts to me. Hmm, since I don't have a pick to break the stone, why not a sword to cut it apart?

The stone blade hisses softly as I drag it out of its sheath, slamming the point over and over again on the stone. Energy quickly sapping from my arm, strength leaking out from the rest of me. Yet it works, it works and that's what matters. Water flooding the floor, wailing endermen quickly vanishing away.

"We're clear!" The words strangle my throat to get out, a cough bursting out. I don't even try to hide it or anything. Not when my arm needs oxygen so desperately, not when the purple parasites will kill my arm faster if I don't even get it air.

Then I turn around, the sight off all the endermen still on the ground sucking the wind right out of me. I gulp, my body already so weak from the first time. I don't know how long adrenaline will keep me going, I feel no energy. Even with all the endermen that could so easily kill us, my body wheezes just to do nothing.

"Oh geez..." Panicked pants puff out of Olivia. "Oh no, oh no, this is bad, very bad. We're-"

"Going to be fine." I cough a bit more, dragging myself towards the next fountain as I tighten my grip on my sword. "I'll break the next fountain. We're all going to be fine."

Deep breaths heave in and out of my lungs, never enough for my needy body. Arm writhing silently in agonizing torture as I trudge through the swarm of endermen. The constant static driving my headache to insane levels, what I would do for just a clear mind again.

An enderman pops right in front of me, almost causing a heart attack, and I force myself to freeze. Staring straight ahead at the black and purple haze, trying to be every enderman-like as the real one peers at me. It's not leaving, it needs to leave. Please, leave me alone now.

I sigh when it walks off, only to brace myself for the next fountain. Muscles tight and dying as I bring the sword down over and over again. The stone cracking and crumbling beneath the shards of strength I'm burning to destroy them. The fatigue crawling and ensnaring more and more of me. Even my sword dulls as I bash it over and over, crumbling away just like me.

The last one finally shatters, and if it wasn't for my friends, I'd drop right then and there. Endermen vanishing with their shrill cries as my friends splash through the water, racing past me. Past me, as I just want a couple of seconds to desperately gasp at the air.

All too soon though I yank myself out of it, sheathing my sword and stumbling to follow with my friends. Once we get out of here, Soren will do his thing and I can rest. One rest, and I'm sure I'll recover at least a little bit.

I stumble right into someone though, and I force my eyes up. Everyone just frozen in front of me, Reuben's whines the only sound coming from the group. Wonder what totally terrifying and exhausting thing it is this time.

Squeezing myself through, my knees wobble and almost collapse at the horror scene fuzzed in front of me. The bright light of the 'Happy Land' has faded to a gloomy gray tinted an ominous purple in my eyes, a wave of black bodies crawling all over it. Every single part completely infested with them.

"They're..." I gulp at Petra's empty whisper. "They're just everywhere."

Lukas mutters next to me, the quiet nervous mumblings replacing my fear-shocked thoughts. "Okay, how the heck do we get through this? Holy shit, this is- I'm going to be mentally scared forever. This will definitely become a recurring nightmare."

"Hold onto me." I shake the fears from my head, it doesn't matter if I'm afraid. I have to get everyone through. "I'll guide us through, just keep your heads down."

Lukas snaps his head towards me, millions of worries contorting his face as he shuffles behind me. "If this is really the only way to get back to the trapdoor..."

Everyone follows in line, raspy breaths flying in and out of me. I gulp silently when the last of them hold on, beginning the quite terrible trek to the trapdoor. Everyone shuffling behind me as my legs wobble and shake beneath me. But for the sake of everyone, I can't afford to collapse. I can't.

Step... and step... and step. Don't think about all the endermen around us, ignore the parasites that are digging its poisonous burning fangs into me, focus on just getting everyone out of here alive. That's it, get everyone out alive.

Our feet knock against the wooden bridge, and the buzzing suddenly gets louder. Way too loud. I lift my head, fear freezing me to the core at the flood of endermen blocking me. There's no way I'm going forward. I'd kill us all.

"Uh... can we turn-" I break into a fit of coughs, instantly trying to smoother them as I stop. The exit though is completely blocked off too. This is bad, very very-

"Ah!" I stagger back, a black body bursting into existence right in front of me. My head snaps up, my eyes locking with the enderman's, my heart exploding five times every second as I have to stay absolutely still. My body shaking like slime as I stare at the monster.

The static floods my ears, the enderman bending down into me. My lungs lurching for air, sanity and willpower crumbling every second as the screaming urge to run engulfs my body. This thing needs to get out of my face right now! I just can't handle it!

Ever so agonizingly slowly, I dare say even more agonizing than my arm, it pulls away. That horrific thing pulling away and allowing me to finally heave in one big desperate pant of air-

It screams at me, my eyes wide open to catch the gaping black pit of its mouth. Terror blasting through me and it is time to get away right freakin' now!

"Water! NOW!" I shove the decorative gate open, tumbling through it as balance and fear and thoughts and everything boils together. Overflowing my body with a storm that it just can't take, my stomach sick as the world spins.

My legs frantically kick below me, gravity pulling me down through the water. Confusion and panic running wild as I try to breathe and breathe, gulping down water whenever I can't break the surface, distantly hearing all my friends splash in. This... why is it this or endermen? Can't I get a better option? Like sleeping?

"Oh! When I constructed..." My ears lose track of Soren, his words a random jumble in my head as I struggle to keep above surface. The only thing I do notice past the whirlwind of chaos and nausea inside me is the water flowing past me. Do I need to go forward too?

I pathetically push myself with them, my legs always trying to find ground below me to stand on. And oh, I'm never complaining about standing again. So much easier than swimming, I'm getting so exhausted by just this. I need- I can't-

Coughing, I try to get my head back in order, throwing those thoughts out as I try to stay afloat with only three limbs. Not bothering to swim with the others for who knows why, kicking myself to the edge actually. Not caring about the endermen and using the side to give myself a wee bit of a rest.

My arm hates me for it, the muscles cramped permanently within, but my legs sigh out in relief. I proper breath of air finally flowing into my lungs, which I immediately cough afterwards. But at least I'm not swimming anymore, well not fully. I can just-

A rumble staggers into my head, and with a head heavier than bedrock, I look up. Another rumble shaking everything as I try to figure out what's going on-

A current of water pushes me up, flooding over the ground. I blink for a moment, unable to understand, but shake it out when I'm pushed up again. If this place is getting flooded then I better get a move on.

My legs kick beneath me, my one arm frantically clawing at the water to push me along. My ears acknowledging my relieved friends with their tones, but fear screaming at me to swim faster. I've made such a meager distance and the water level is rising way too fast.

Grunting, coughing, I push and push, trying to fight past all the fatigue and pain. The others quickly passing me as the water surges beneath me, endermen shrieking as I gasp and cough and struggle to make any distance.

Vaguely, my head catches the sight of my friends vanishing into the mass of blue. My lungs clench inside me already, heaving desperately for air. And with one final huge breath, I plunge under the surface.

My eyes can't make anything out, a shrill of panic roaring in my blood. My legs take me to where I'm pretty sure where I'm suppose to go, but I can't see. I just can't tell.

The lack of oxygen begins to drive fear higher, limbs spasming and even my left arm twitching and jerking to get me to go faster. Surely if I can't just get to the ground I'll be able to find the trapdoor. I just have to keep going. Coughs build my in my lungs, lungs burning without air. No, I have to get to the trapdoor. I gotta keep going. Keep going, keep going. I can't stop now.

Darkness creeps in on me, fire running rampant through my body. Desperate and useless kicks and grabs at the water do nothing to push me along, fear crying out at how helpless I am.

Something, someone, grabs ahold of me. The wild and seething fire flickering out, my own body a million miles away from my mind. Confusion and dizziness spinning and dancing on top of my head, my lungs burning for air. My heart trying to beat in the storm, still desperately beating.

A bolt of stark terror shoots through me, the darkness, the death, claiming more and more of me. My limbs spasm frantically, my lungs bursting and burning as they screech and plea for oxygen. Water and more water everywhere, I need air!

Currents push and grab at me wildly, limbs forgotten as cold darkness ensnares my mind. Fear surrendering to the darkness, the cold numbing out the misery. My lungs open in a latch ditch effort, flooding with water but not even burning anymore, only my heart still lurching in my chest. The only thing still trying.

The cold and darkness suddenly stretch out, fluttering consciousness jolted by death warping into some chaotic sense. Only my heart suffers and groans and lurches around, not even my arm reacts.

Air floods around me, my heart clenching. Lungs suddenly surging with a bit of energy as I try to breath. Only to hit something, water spraying out as I gasp uselessly through phlegm and water. Gurgling as I desperately try to get any air at all into me. Air ringing in my head as I cough as violently as I possibly can.

Water pours from my mouth and I continue to get small wisps of air in. I cough harder, water slouching in my lungs and in my throat as I try to get more and more out while getting more and more air in. Finally, I can breathe. Somewhat.

My chest lurches around, my own coughs wracking it as I frantically breathe as something turns me on my side. Gravity pulling out water as my heart lurches violently now that it has purpose to beat again, eagerly sucking up all the air. After coughing as vigorously as I can, I think I got most the water out. Hopefully. 

A din of frantic shouts swirl through my head and I force my eyes open. I can't actually see anything of use, almost drowning probably doesn't help sight, and strain my ears. Bowstrings snapping and zombies groaning, while Petra does her battle cry thing.

"Go ahead and throw that lever behind you!" Yay, Soren's finally taking the stupid and stressful leader position. He can have it, I never want to lead ever again.

Coughing still, I turn on my back and lift my head. Blobs floating around, but I mostly only see darkish gray tinted purple by the mask. I wonder how many hits I have to take for my vision to completely stop. It sure has taken a whole lot of beatings and its getting slower to recover every time.

"Jesse?" I glance at the side, recognizing Lukas's voice, but almost unable to see anything of him. "Can you, uh, are you-"

A sharp cough cuts him off, my body still crying for air. All feelings and thoughts heavy and lost as air continues to fly through my body. The parasites wake up, and despite everything, I wince as traces of pain float up into my head. I get the feeling that's going to hurt a lot more in a minute or two.

I shake the thoughts out for now, focusing my attention to the muttering Lukas and coughing out my words. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I-"

My own coughs cuts me off, exhaustion rippling through my fragile body. My arm stringing painfully within now, only growing more and more intense. My legs feel dead, I have no clue how I'm going to stand up. How the heck am I going to do anything?

The raging coughs die down for just a moment, my lungs still wheezing for air, and my heart still hammering inside my chest.

"Okay, that sucked." I heave myself to a sitting a position, focusing that my heart's still working. I can still keep going. "Thanks again Lukas, I- I would've died in there if it wasn't for you."

I hear him sigh, still unable to make out any expressions as my arm withers and screams its agony, and-

"Jesse?" Olivia suddenly calls out on the other side of the portal, Reuben squealing. "Guys? Where's Jesse? And Lukas! Where'd-"

"Here!" My voice croaks, the water and coughs have completely thrashed my throat. A surge of energy that doesn't really exist trying to get me to stand up, my one good arm absolutely necessary for balance as the ground is slick with all the water that has seeped out of me.

"Whoa Jesse, you shouldn't-"

"Man Jesse you can still see it!" Axel appears, grabbing hold of my good arm and yanking me forward. "The golems are totally wrecking the monsters!"

My legs stumble pathetically along, and I sway a bit when Axel lets go. I hear the pounding of the metal just fine, but everything's in blobs of color kinda tinted purple still. I think my eyes are making slow progress on my sight. Especially since whenever they get better I generally get hit again.

Axel chuckles beside me. "See? Isn't that just the most awesome thing you've ever seen?"

"Yeah, totally." I wince at how terrible I sound, and then have to cough again as my lungs wheeze. My legs hate me for standing, shaking violently beneath me as they are cold, wet, and completely exhausted. I don't think I'll be able to stand for too much longer. It's time to get a Formidi Bomb.

I can make out everyone walking forward, I force myself to move forward, already wishing to stop. But it's okay, all good. Soren's here, he'll get the bomb, he'll kill the Wither Storm. I'm done. I just have to drag myself along and everything will be alright. I can deal with the parasites raging and killing my arm horrendous in just a little while.

"Do you guys hear that?" I string of alarm runs through me when I hear nothing. Maybe I should take off this mask? If it's keeping me from hearing-

Petra grunts at Axel. "Hear what?"

"All that stuff whispering. 'Take me. Take me now.'" Relief flutters through me, Axel's just talking about loot. I can still rely on my hearing and I'm sure if I take off the mask my friends will notice how terrible I look. I can hide my sickness behind this suit, play off my voice as water getting in my lungs.

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely hearing that." Petra seems happy at least, and my legs think it would be a great idea to sit on the stairs in front of all the chests.

"I'll just fetch the super TNT." I snap my head up at Soren's voice, the Formidi-Bomb isn't built yet? "It's right up there."

Olivia hums, my brain scrambling to figure out what he means. "How are you possibly going to get up there?"

"Oh, I have my ways." Metal clangs, my eyes able to make out the white blobs of iron golems stacking on each other, and Soren's footsteps pound on them. "Feel free to help yourselves, just keep an eye out for the gunpowder that we'll need to make the Formidi-Bomb."

I sigh, that's not a problem. If we have the ingredients to make the bomb, it's not a problem. And since I can hear chest creaking open, I'm pretty confident that my friends have the searching through the loot covered. I am going to sit down, hopefully for a very long time.

The others are happily digging through the chests as I drag myself through them, Olivia teasing Axel about something. I let my eyes drop and use the sounds around me to move, feeling my heartbeat as I shamble. Trying not to think about my legs so close to collapsing, trying not to think that my left shoulder is losing feeling as the arm cries out in unspeakable suffering.

My eyes, in the most haziest way possible, tell me I'm at a couple of stairs up to a chest. I reach out first though with my arm, making sure I'm not seeing things before I sit down. Muscles easing to relief as dread wraps around my heart. I don't even trust my sight anymore, how much worse is this going to get before I can't-

"Jesse?" I lift my head at Lukas's voice, sighing as his face is still just a blurred mess. "How, uh, how bad has it gotten?"

I sigh- my breath hitches as Reuben nuzzles up against my right side, pressing my cold wet clothes into me. I didn't even see any pink at all, I guess my head as a whole is degrading along with my sight.

"Well..." My voice crackles, my throat still burning dry after all the water that has thrashed it. "I'd really appreciate it if you could make sure we have all the gunpowder."

"Yeah, I think the others got that covered. But seriously, how do you feel?"

Reuben oinks softly, and my lungs wheeze as I want to avoid giving him the complete and totally awful picture of excruciating arm complete with an utterly exhausted body relying on a degrading respiratory system and can't even see where it's going.

"Ah, I can't exactly see you every well at all. If that's what you mean. Nor do I want to stand at any point in the near future."

He groans, sitting down too and muttering to himself again. "It'll go away, it has to. Once we bomb the Wither Storm at least. Surely it will dissipate once the storm is gone."

I suck a breath in-

"Mystery button!" When Petra shouts out, a wall groaning apart. Minecarts roll noisily over the rails, lots and lots of minecarts by the sound of things. A zap sparking to life, powered rails I'm hoping. Because I'm already grateful if I don't have to walk and can just ride along.

"Hmm, well that-" Petra cuffs off, grumpiness rippling through exhaustion as I still can't really see why. "Are you okay Jesse?"

Reuben snorts at me, and I don't have to see to know Lukas is probably raising an eyebrow at me. Without this mask though, I bet the question wouldn't even be necessary. Especially as I hear her walking closer.

"Honestly, no. But I-"

"Do we have all the gunpowder yet?" Soren's shout cuts me off, and while my body refuses to get up to go to him, I don't hear the others moving either.

"Yeah, I think I have enough." At least Olivia's responding, I know I'm not doing too hot right now. But if Lukas and now Petra focus more on me than the stopping the Wither Storm, that's bad. Wither Storm is our top priority, I can just force myself through this for a little longer.

"So... as you were saying? What's wrong?" I sigh, letting my shoulders droop. Why in the heck do these two have to be so stubborn? I have an easy enough time convincing Axel and Olivia that I'm fine. Or maybe it's Axel and Olivia being too stubborn to admit that for the first time, they can't rely on me.

"I-"

"Hey Petra, you know a lot about sicknesses and stuff right?" I glare at Lukas, his form sharpening up a bit. "Maybe you could us what this is."

"Kinda need to see the 'this' first."

Lukas nudges me and grumbling I reluctantly grab at the two sleeves, the arm radiating waves of searing agony. I really hope Axel and Olivia are really into whatever Soren's talking about, I don't want them too see this too.

I pull it up, Lukas loudly cringing beside me as Petra gasps. Thankfully, I can't see the entire scene of death killing my arm. But seeing purple and gray instead of a skin color does make my stomach fold over in horror. If it weren't for the gloves, I'm sure they would see bright purple veins throbbing inside a frail thin hand.

"So..." I cough again, pulling the sleeves down and grateful that Petra can't see the fear I know is in my eyes. "Is this something I should probably freak out about?"

"Hell, you should've freaked out about this days ago!" Petra curses, furious frustrated whispers seething from her mouth. "That's Wither Sickness, not only is it the worst sickness there is, but I've never even heard of strain as powerful as that! Did you get it in the Nether or something? Only wither skeletons and..."

Petra sighs, and I'm feeling quite awful and overwhelmed right now. "You got it from the storm didn't you? Shit, no wonder you haven't been using that arm. I can't believe I just thought you had a normal bug mixed with stress or something."

"Well," Raspy sarcasm claws its way out of my throat, my last defense against the fear running through my body stronger than blood. "I'm glad I'm acting skills are still on point."

A huff of hot air flies out of her. "Either way-"

"To the minecarts everyone!"

Reuben jumps up, all of us looking as Petra curses and Lukas gasps. But I can't see anything, it's all just a bunch of random colors everywhere and screaming!

"Hey- wait!" Lukas grabs my good arm, jerking me to my feet and yanking me forward to the minecarts. "What's happening?"

"Endermen!"

Okay, good reason panic. Good enough to where my legs don't complain too much about me quickly hauling myself into a cart until after I sit down. My arm bristling in furious torture at the sudden movements afterwards at least.

I hear, and kinda see, the minecart in front of me rush forward. Causing me to hunker down into the minecart, almost curling up as I brace myself for the powered rails. It's better than walking, I just need to remember its better than walking.

Air rams into me, dazing me. My body shivers, the winds and wet clothes sucking out all my heat. So cold that my brain even gets numb, so cold that my arm doesn't seem like its hurting much. So numb that my eyes even feel heavy and everything's getting kinda sorta dark....

...

Pain crashes into me, my eyes flying open as my body flails and scraps against stone. My heart hammers and lifting my head only results in seeing a mash of dark colors tilting up and down. The rails I'm laying on pressing up into me as I feel a breeze hitting me.

Wait, when did we get outside? Why'd the minecarts stop working? Am I hearing monsters? I thought it was endermen not normal monsters? Where are the others? Wasn't I just with them? What the heck happened?

Groaning, all the panicked questions get me to hoist my body up. Bitterness swirling up when I realize that I fell asleep and would definitely know the answers to these questions if I kept myself awake.

I squint as my trembling legs hold me up, splotches of green running past me. Hisses of spiders and creepers going right by me too. Okay... monsters aren't attacking? How hard did I hit my head?

"There you are!" I snap my head to the Ellegaard's voice, my balance really hating that decision.

"So glad you could make it!" That's Magnus! Sweet, Soren can make sure they don't fight and they can all take down the Wither Storm. My friends are finally safe, I get better, and we can all relax together. Perfect plan.

Partly stumbling and partly running, I make it over to them. Using Magnus's voice to figure out when I need to stop before I tumble into them. I guess a mix of fear, relief, and adrenaline can get me to stay upright and mostly coordinated.

"Man, glad to see you two in one piece."

Magnus scoffs at me. "What in tarnation did you get yourself into? I've heard rocks grind against sandpaper that sound better than you!"

I wince, thankful for the mask again, as I give up using my eyes and focus on my ears. Scampering away the moment a creeper's hiss gets into my head, running far enough away where the blast just makes me stumble. I definitely can't take too many hits.

"What's going on?" Lukas's terrified shout and Axel's screams mash in my head, balance tittering back and forth despite the hisses and groans all around us.

"You don't have to worry about the monsters. They're running away!" Confusion strikes me, and I try and try to make sense of the stuff around me. "Worry about what they're running away from."

Grumbles, grumbles that shake my body fill my head. I shake as I turn towards the Wither Storm, horrified when all I see is just a mass of black. I can't tell where the Wither Storm ends and the sky begins.

Axel gulps, voice hallow. "I feel like that got bigger."

"It- it did."

"Come on," I push the words out, noticing that they really do sound awful. "It's time to blow that thing."

"Soren?"

"It's him. It's you."

Soren must walk past me, my entire body screaming that we need to get a move on though. That thing needs to die now, reunions can happen later. Much later.

"Hello old friends."

I suck in a breath with my wheezing lungs, they're about to get a whole lot of pain I've been going through if they do not get-

A bellow shakes the earth, my knees wobbling furiously to keep me standing. My heart threatens to burst out of my chest, the Wither Storm, it must be so close! It sounds like it's right on top of us! I can't believe we're so close to it!

The terrified pants of my friends rush past me, and I stumble along with them. Stopping at the base of the stairs though, I so don't want to heave myself up those quite yet.

"It's time to go! We only get one shot at this!" Despite the Wither Storm roaring and my arm the embodiment of agony itself, a flutter of relief goes through me. Soren will take care of this. "Remember, once the Formidi-Bomb is crafted, it'll explode in a matter of seconds."

Soren pauses, the brief second filled with a monstrous roar. "It means whoever's doing the crafting will be in great danger. I was hoping... well, um... perhaps we can draw straws?"

My heart drops and stops beating for a moment in pure absolutely terrified shock. Fear, the fear I've been hearing in all my friends as we struggled to find Soren so he could solve this, unmistakably in Soren the Architect's voice.

A nervous laugh from Magnus the Rouge wafts into my horrified brain. "Don't look at me."

"Um..." Ellegaard the Engineer's voice quivers. "I think I may have tweaked an ankle earlier, so...."

I turn to face the Order members, the legendary heroes. All the hope that I've had, that I gave to the others that they can, will, fix this, shattering. Shattering and digging into me more painfully than my arm as ever been. Terror claiming my heart, mind, and soul as they won't kill the Wither Storm.

Olivia gasps, Axel muttering to himself as Reuben whines. They'll... they're all going to die if the storm isn't blown up. Everything I've done, everything to keep them safe as I was falling apart, was useless.

No, I'm not letting them die. I will NOT let them die. My friends will live.

"I'm going to set off the Formidi-Bomb."

Even if this bomb kills me.