The white light shines brightly, snatching all of our attention. Well, the other's attention. I'm trying ignore my left arm twisting in pain, still calming down from the fight with Ivor. And desperately trying not to panic when I feel the limb stiffing up, not sure if it's just the muscles or the purple roots claiming more and more of me.

I wave it around, the light dimming and brightening in some directions. Forcing a grin at the others, a flutter of relief echoing throughout my hallow body when hope lifts their spirits, I follow it.

To the dread of my exhaustion, the amulet glows the brightest above a certain spot on the floor. Of course Soren's below us, of course we have to dig for him. Although I probably should've have expected more when Ivor the scumbag trapped us in here.

"This is the spot." I wince at my words, trying to quietly clear my throat again. The phlegm just doesn't want to get out, and the urge to cough is rapidly groaning.

Axel meanders over, clear distaste at the thought of digging at that. "Maybe."

I raise an eyebrow at him, waving the amulet flashing white at him. "This is definitely it."

"Yeah, but who knows how far down that goes?" Okay, well, I certainly didn't succeed with making Lukas feel better. "We might end up digging until we hit bedrock. We're aren't really equipped for this."

"We are digging here!" The snap flies from my mouth, partly to get myself motivated too. "With are hands if we have to!"

Lukas's eyebrows shoot up. "Yeah, okay, I'm with you Jesse. I just want to know what we're getting into."

"This! PAI-GOW!" Axel shouts, smashing one of the blocks. I sigh, just one of many.

"Let's get to it then."

Pocketing the amulet, everyone gets to digging. As much as I would love to calm down concern about my arm and prove that it's fine, very little in this world will get me to punch stone with that arm. It even hurts more than my right, which is the one punching everything!

Petra and Axel by far do most of the work, since when the hole gets too crowd for anymore than two people, they're the ones who keep digging down. I wish I could be with them... but man, the meager work I did was exhausting. If it could, I think my both of my arms would go into hibernation and never be used again.

The purple parasites flash through my mind, and I'm sure they're worse by now. Crawling up my arm, eager to dig into more of my body. Those agonizing purple roots spreading all over my limb, clamping down on it....

I forcibly shake the thought out, reminding me of the tight pressure throbbing in my head, and with a soft whine Reuben pushes against my right arm. The limb twitching to life and gently petting him.

Sighing, I focus back down on my friends in the hole. They've gotten pretty far now, I really hope that Lukas wasn't right. That we aren't going to be digging down into bedrock.

They burst down another layer, and I squint to see it. Although instead of getting a clearer picture, my sight blurs. I can see the closer objects just fine, but I can't tell what's below my two friends.

"We got a hole alert people!" The fuzzy Petra peers down it the blackness, my thoughts still buzzing on getting my eyes to work properly again.

"Woohoo!" Axel jumps down I think, and with a frustrated grunt, I strain my eyes to look at my friend. If he needs help then I gotta know about that.

"Axel!" Olivia shouts down at him. "You shouldn't just jump down into holes."

"Nah, there's nothing scary down here. I mean, it's dark, yeah. But-"

His sudden cut off snatches my attention. "But what? Axel?"

"Uh... I think the walls are moving...?"

I gasp, muscles tensing at his scream and I'm just about to jump down when hundreds of screeches fill my ears. A small swarm of bats bursting up the hole. Olivia, Lukas, and I all yelp, but then I'm just relieved it's just bats. Could've been something worse.

"Are- are they gone?" I sigh, Axel's still rattled up by the bats. But I can't exactly comfort him way up here.

"Yes you big goof." Petra jumps down with him, but I still can't see them with how dark it is down there. "The big scary bats have flown away now."

Olivia chuckles at that, before swinging over the edge and climbing down. Climbing down. Shoot, I did not think about that. With one arm out of commission and the other weary with everything it's been doing, I just know this is gonna suck.

Lukas effortlessly jumps down, and after nudging me one last time, Reuben jumps down too. Olivia eventually releasing the wall and falling down too. Guess that just leaves me.

I don't bother with the wall, surely I'll be able to just jump down too? My legs aren't exactly great, but they're faring way better than my arms. With no light down there, and my eyes still refusing to give me a perfectly clear picture, I suppose I'll just jump and hope for the best.

So I do, in the air for one quick second to realize what a terrible idea this was. I miss all the ledges, my legs buckling once I hit the bottom. The jolt rocketing up me, throwing my balance for a loop as I stagger forward.

Groaning quietly, I heave myself up. My arm twisting and screaming at me as my legs ache terribly from the landing. Note to self: I can't handle anymore jolts like that. I'm trying not to burn my strength out.

"Okay..." I rise my head to Olivia, almost smiling when I realize no one really saw me since it's so dark. "It's, uh, it's pretty dark down here."

"Never fear Olivia, I'm on it." Forcing my voice to sound upbeat, I pull out the amulet. The white light showering over us.

Olivia and Axel grin at me, although mine falters lightly when Reuben whines and nuzzles against me again. I wish I could pet him, but that would require my withering and stiffing arm to do something. And yeah, not happening.

"Come on guys." Petra points in front of us, grinning too. "I think the exit's right over there."

Thankfully, no one's excited enough to jog over there. My legs simply groaning again at walking. Although their pain is a far cry from my arm, the limb is entirely useless at this point. It's stiffened to the point where just bending it will spell out disaster. I'm really glad I'm right handed at the moment.

Reuben stays pressed up to me as we walk, quivering as the walls groan because of something. The faint splashes of water running drifting around us. My ears have yet to begin to falter like my eyes, the world definitely gets blurrier the farther away it is.

I hold out the amulet as we get closer to the edge, my arm moaning for a break, and ignored when I lay sight at the cliff I find myself on. I blink rapidly, unable to process the complexity of this... thing Soren has made. I can't even tell how deep it is, my sight only providing a blur which makes this thing seem bottomless.

"We have to get out of here." Olivia shouts, horror on her face as she backs up. That's all I need to see to know that this... thing is bad.

"What?" Lukas apparently doesn't feel the same, just tilting her head at her.

"We have to get out of here!" A new level of panic enters her voice, and I hurriedly step away from the edge, even pocketing the amulet in case I need my arm.

"We just got here!"

"You don't understand! This is a grinder!" I gasp, cold dread prickling inside my throbbing head. I don't need to know what's at the bottom of this, I know it's deadly. "They're meant to kill monsters, trouble is, they can't tell the difference between monsters and people."

"Okay, verdict is: this isn't a good thing." I step away from the edge some more. "Olivia's right, we gotta get out of here."

"But there should be a loot room down there right?" Axel simply shrugs, how in the heck is he not worried about this? "Just saying, not all bad."

Creepers hiss behind us, shutting up Axel who somehow thinks this isn't going to go terribly. Begrudgingly, I whip out my sword. Time to rush in without concern for my failing body and then horribly suffer but think it's fine because my friends don't get hurt.

Wow, what a great pep talk I just gave myself.

Grunting, I run at the green monsters with Petra. My left arm screaming at me this is a terrible idea, stop running, everything's going to suck if you fight these things. And I ignore it as I slash at one of the pulsing creepers. Jumping back until it calms down and doing it again.

"Another one bites the dust!" I glance over as Petra shouts, her sword cleanly driving itself through a creeper before I turn my attention to another one hissing at me. "And another one gone! Another one gone!"

I slash at a creeper, managing to kill it despite my right arm ready to drop the sword, and- "Jesse! Creeper!"

Pure instincts hurtle me back before I even see it the stupid thing, an explosion pushing me back farther. That really messes up my sight, my head bursting with pressure as the hit to the ground sends a flare of furious pain right from my arm. This is why the mob grinder is a bad thing.

I heave myself up, barely even able to properly move my left arm as I get up. Shoving my sword back in my sheath as I look down through the hole. Well, my head is pointed in that general direction. As for looking, it's blurry and my vision is all jittery.

So I pull out the amulet, and I suppose wrecking my body did one good thing. The amulet glows much brighter than last time when I hover it over the hole, which is a bit of a drop now that my eyes slow sharpen back up again.

"Soren's down there." I glance up at the others. "Just right-"

Rushing water cuts me off, and the current knocks me back. I stagger, balance dying beneath the powerful current and the amulet flies from my hand. My right arm flinging wildly out to grab it, not caring as water rushes my feet off the ground, almost able to reach it-

Axel's arms clasp around my chest, the air driving out of me as the amulet soars out of reach. My legs wobbling for a moment to find my balance, Axel releasing me as I stare at the amulet rolling farther and farther away until fades away as a blur.

My lungs couldn't care less about that though, they want air.

I cough, violently. Hacking out the phlegm that I couldn't get out by just clearing my throat. Desperately panting as I force all problems, all the stupid pain and fatigue down the drain because I need that amulet if I want to get to Soren. And Soren is the only person who can save my friends.

"Jesse-"

"Come on guys." I cut Olivia off, not allowing myself to hesitate. "We got an amulet to fetch."

I jump, my legs burning as they take another jolt. Ignoring my right arm's groans as I snap out my sword again. Petra thankfully charging, an excited grin on her face as she slashes a creeper out of the way.

She rushes down the stairs, taking care of another creeper. Causing the wall to explode, spiders flooding in. Cave spiders of all things, great. Just another thing to kill.

Despite feeling strains of adrenaline finally spark to life, I glance behind me. Making sure all my friends get past first, before running past them and having to jump down again. The impact rattling me up, my vision completely going out of focus for a moment.

Reuben squeals, terrified, and I blindly run after him. My right arm pumping madly as my left kinda swings stiffly, burning ferociously despite energy beginning to, or at least trying, to get me through this.

Axel's scream snatches my attention, and with my eyes recovering by now, I spot a couple of zombies after my friend. Axel defenseless against them.

Without hesitating I run after them, those rotting monsters aren't going to hurt him! I swing at them, trying to use momentum rather than muscles to shove it off. The undead thing flailing off the edge, yet not even getting a flicker of relief in my pounding head.

"Jesse! Get down!" I don't look nor do I hesitate, ducking down and feeling the really heavy weight of a zombie rolling over me. My legs almost buckling and collapsing under me until the thing falls off the edge.

"Who wants more?" Axel dashes off, and I sigh as I drag myself into running behind him. I'm not exactly taking this every well, any more might be more than I can handle. And I prefer to avoid death.

We race down another flight of stairs, Olivia pinned by a skeleton. Running to her as the heap of bones tries to impale my friend! Flashes of anger helping to pump adrenaline along.

"Ugly! Over here!"

I run after it, narrowing my jittery sight at the monster as it turns its bow on me, dodging the first arrow. Sliding forward under the next one it launches, springing back up and pushing it over the edge. My balance spinning wildly at the one act, my left arm screeching when I was forced to move it.

"Way to go Jesse!" Olivia smiles at me as we jump over to another walkway. I nod at her, unable to smile as I pant furiously to get oxygen for my weary legs, but grateful that she's okay all the same.

Lukas yelps, trying to kick cave spiders over the edge as they surround him. An eight legged vermin trying to pounce on him.

"Hey creepy!"

Eight red eyes narrow at me, Lukas kicking another over the edge as it leaps at me. My body whipping out of its path, the fast reaction throwing my headache into a fury. My skull throbbing at me to not do that stuff anymore!

I take a moment to gasp, using my sword as a cane and leaning on it as I breathe heavily. Phlegm fostering in my airways yet again, my body thoroughly exhausted with both arms never wanting to do anything ever again. One way more agonizing about it though.

Groaning, I force my head up and look up at Lukas. Who's cowering back in fear, eyes wide at something behind me. I look, jumping back as a legion of spiders crawl past the wall. Scurrying towards Lukas as they leap at me.

Terrible decision on my part, leaving us both cornered against the wave of spiders. I tighten my grip on my sword, trying to plant my feet and prepare myself for an attack.

Only for a waterfall to crash down on us, horror blasting through me as I quickly shove my sword away. Trying to get away before-

Water slips my feet from under me, knocking me over the edge. My good arm flings up, thankfully my entire forearm up on the ledge as my fingers dig into it like claws. Adrenaline or pure fear, I don't know, but the weary limb manages to hang on despite the water.

However, once the water stops, there is no way it alone can hoist me up. I try, I really try. But it can't, the muscles cramping and screaming that they alone can't take my weight. My left too stiff with agony and so dead that it couldn't help even if I could swing it above me onto the ledge.

"Come on Jesse!" Lukas appears above me, a ball of panic basically, and thankfully grabs hold of my suspenders to hoist me up. A much better method instead of grabbing my arm, and actually gets me on land.

For a moment, my right arm goes limp. Pounding blood and heaving lungs trying to help it out best they can. While my legs are forced to get me up alone, and stagger as balance isn't even there to help them either.

Lukas, again, has to help me, steadying me as I sway a bit. Through it all, I somehow get my lips to twitch upward for a few seconds.

"Thank you Lukas."

He nods, and my brief break is over when Reuben squeals, and we're both running again. Can't stop, never can stop. Even if my legs burn, even if my is heart crashing against my chest as it desperately tries to keep me alive, even if my left arm is practically dead to me, I can't stop.

Petra is down below us, trying to fight off a handful of creepers at once. Grunting, I charge ahead of Lukas. My arm's short break is over, and I whip out my sword as I hurtle down the stairs. Swiping at the first creeper I come to, the thing exploding and creating more holes.

After first, I let myself have the really hopeful thought I can stop for just a few seconds when all the creepers go up in smoke, even as Lukas and Reuben jump down. Only for one the suicide mods jump from above onto us, already pulsing white.

Without a second thought my legs get me away from it, jumping down over the edge and then hoping Petra's good by herself. Only to realize how freakin' far I've jumped down.

I slam into someone, Lukas judging from their cry, fumbling onto the stone. I wheeze for a moment, air demands exceeding the amount my phlegm filled lungs can provide. How much longer until this ends?

"The amulet, it's over there!" I sigh in pure relief, almost over. This craziness is almost over. I swing my head over, not bothering to hold back the groan as I lift myself up. My fuzzed brain latching onto the slightly blurry amulet, it's so close now.

Only for Axel's scream to snatch my attention, him and Reuben surrounded by mobs. The two of them defenseless against them. I can't let them... I'm not letting those rotting things hurt them!

"I've got to help them." My eyes, my blurry tired eyes, frantically scan for a way down to them. I've got to get to them.

"What about the amulet?"

I spot my path. "You get it!"

Running to the side, I leap down an edge. Ignoring the jolt as Reuben's terrified squeals bombard my ears, quickly sprinting again and jumping to Axel and Reuben. Ready to kill these undead monsters.

I narrow my eyes at the two zombies cornering Reuben, charging at them. "Get away from my pig!"

The exhausted muscles get no say as I smash my sword into the first zombie, slicing at the next. Sending it flying over the edge, where it can't hurt anyone anymore.

"Jesse! Behind you!" I twist around, my head throbbing again at the too quick action, and raise my sword against the creeper. Knocking it back until the roar of a waterfall enters my hears.

Oh no.

It crashes into the ground, a wave knocking me clear off my feet and my sword flying from my grasp. The accursed gravity yanking down on me, pulling me to whatever death trap that kills these mobs. My limbs flailing uselessly in the air around me.

I spin around, finally seeing the killer crushing pistons. Air rushing and roaring by my ears, as I plummet towards it within seconds. The only other thing in my ears is a pulsing creeper.

A blast of hope jerks through my body, and I desperately reach out to the creeper. Forcing even my left arm, that twisting contorting agonized arm, to grab hold of its flaky skin and thrusting down below me into the pistons.

I've never been more thankful for a creeper explosion when it blasts a hole straight into that death trap, and I harmlessly fall through it not even a second later. Plunging into the freezing water, freezing water that at least didn't crush me to pieces. 

I swallow the water that got in my mouth as the pool vibrates, my friends must've fallen too, but I can't see who through the thick water. I can barely-

A spider suddenly latches onto my neck, my one arm snapping up to pry it off. My left arm already stiffening up after I used it, screaming in agony as the spider continues to dig into my neck. My fear blasted fingers finally able to pry it off and throw it back.

Air though, my exhausted muscles spasm up, I need air. I can't breathe in water! I need air! Now!

I try to swim up with the three limbs I can, but a current's pulling me down. Oh no, no no no! It pulls me further down despite how much I swim against it. Away from air, I need to breathe!

My body burns as I flail in the current, the blue-gray filling my vision creeping up with black. My heartbeat getting dull as the urge to breathe clasps around my lungs. Weary limbs falling numb, everything going dark.

Until my body smashes against the ground, a wave pushing my body with no resistance on the floor. I shrivel up, coughing and coughing. Water and phlegm both burning, everything burning. It hurts! Ah! It hurts so much!

I cough and cough, pathetic on my side as water dribbles from my mouth. I'm alive though, it hurts because I'm alive. Just think about it like that. It's good my left arm has purple parasites sucking the life out of it in the most horrendous way possible. Good, good. Still alive to feel it.

My lungs wheeze, and I lay there just trying to let the heavy, almost nonexistent, muscles recover in my drenched clothes. Until the water roars at above me again, various screams of my friends filling my ears. If I'm alive, then I better get up and make sure they are too.

Olivia screams until she hits the ground, I hear a clang hit the stone, pretty sure I saw Petra through the water, and Lukas collides into the ground right in front of me. A loud squeal coming from Reuben as he splashes into a puddle. Axel...?

Lukas groans as he gets up while I snap my head up looking for Axel, droplets from my hair falling off. "I thought water was suppose to break a fall."

"Hey guys? Where's Axel?" Still nothing... oh shoot. He better not have died up there! Oh no, no no-

Olivia jumps, terror shooting through her. "I could've sworn he was right behind me up there."

The waterfall comes to life again, carrying his scream. For a moment, I couldn't even feel the pain. Relief swallowing it up that he didn't die, he's fine. Probably not even breathless with that screaming,  . All good, all good...

He lands right on top of Lukas and I wince for him, my sore and fading body reminding me of its pain. "No, no. Don't worry. I'm totally fine."

"Why?"

 "Oh crap, I'm sorry." Axel gets up, and offers to help Lukas up, until he slips in a puddle and Axel just gives up on him.

Reuben oinks, Axel scooping him up as he steps to me. "I knew you'd come for us, I just knew it. Reuben had his doubts. I owe you, big time. And if there ever comes a time when I can pay it back-"

"No," I smile at him, just happy and relieved he's alive. Wet and suffering, but happy. "You don't owe me a thing."

He grins, but it soon falls away into narrowed eyes. "Hey, there's something different- Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! This is where all the loots get sorted right?"

My headache pounds in its dreadful beat again as Olivia grins next to him. "That's exactly what it is."

"See that? Things are starting to turn around." In his excitement, Axel barrels past me. Balance immediately ditching me as I wobble, desperate not to fall. Again. My soaked weary legs, which really hate me by this point, manage to hold me up. Somehow, I'm starting to surprise myself with how much I'm hanging on when there are purple parasites living in my arm.

"Haha! Now that's what I'm talking about Jesse!" Petra pats me on the back, almost knocking me forward, and shoves my sword back into my hands. "That was incredible! Rushing in to save Reuben and Axel, I knew you'd be able to put this sword to good use. Much better than that terrible wooden thing could ever do for you."

 A happy sigh rushes out from her fully functioning lungs as I sheathe the sword, not bothering to wonder how she got it. "I'm soo glad you're not letting all this Wither Storm and Ivor nonsense get to your head. Sticking together comes first, we can't lose sight of that."

I grin at her, my shoulder grumbling sorely at her too enthused pat. "Like I'd ever leave them behind. Although I have to say, I wish I had a bit more sword experience before this whole thing started."

Petra chuckles, still grinning brightly as mine starts to falter. "You seem to be getting the hang of it so far. Besides, you're doing fine. Especially when everyone's at you to lead and all that." She doesn't seem to see my exhausted and pained expression at that, and continues on. "Well... y'know. Not everyone it seems."

Petra looks past me, and I turn too, still wishing everyone didn't want me to lead. If I could just hang back and just silently drag myself along, I'd be fine with that. Someone else can make the calls, I'll just do my best to keep the others safe... in my body that's weakening at an alarming rate.

"It looks like it's still working." Lukas lifts up the amulet, Soren's light still shining. "I'll just be real careful with it."

Since I can't keep up with Petra's enthusiasm, me and my wretched left arm drift over to Lukas. "Hey, thanks for grabbing that."

"Not a problem." He turns to me, alarm shooting through his face, but the amulet shines brightly before he could say anything. "Hang on a minute, he's close. Soren's close by!"

A smile breaks free, my arm choosing that exact moment to send flashing bolts of wretched pain straight to my head. All of my willpower going into not cradling the limb.

"He gotta be this way! Just look how bright it is!"

The light flickers shut, right as a resounding groan moans through the walls. Olivia coming up next to us and glancing up with us too. "Sounds like the grinder's backed up."

We all come together and stare up, confusion dripping in Axel's voice. "With loot?"

The waterfall comes into view, the water thick with exactly what I didn't want to see. Monsters.

"Go!" I push Lukas with my right arm. "Go go go go go-"

The water sweeps me off my feet, pushing me far back from my friends. The monsters picking themselves up too, but most of my friends are already scampering to the door out of here.

I whip out my sword, staggering out of the way of a skeleton's arrow. "Keep moving everyone!"

I spot Lukas help Olivia up as I use my thoroughly exhausted arm to swing at the skeleton, the two of them dashing through the door. I pause and whip around at Axel's shout, my breath hitching when the jittery sight of a spider pounces on him.

Shoot, shoot, shoot. I haven't hit my head and my vision's still going out! Not now, I can't let this happen now!

Another spider pounces on Axel's back, and I rush up at him as I try not to let dread eat me alive. "I'm coming buddy!"

Ignoring at how gruff my shout has become, I slice at the spider. Knocking it off as my lungs begin to die inside me. The organ unable to take all the stress I keep forcing it through.

"In your face spider!"

I sway slightly as I run forward again with Axel, my legs wobbling to keep me upright. Just get through the door... get through the door, I can stop then. I can fix myself then, just get through the door.

Axel quickly passes me, catching up to Petra up ahead. Petra, who seems to be flashing back and forth as I desperately force myself forward. Almost falling multiple times to avoid the zombies and skeletons, giving up on trying to attack them.

"Holy crap, an End Portal?" I almost fall as I get to the base of the stairs, my body screaming as it can't keep up with everything.

"Go!" My muscles give a pathetic surge to get me to scramble up the steps. "Jump!"

They don't move, fear or whatever, I don't know. But I'm not letting them all get killed because they couldn't jump through a stupid portal!

My vision scatters, and I push whoever happens to be in front of me. "Come on everyone! IN!"

I push the person again, managing to send them in and I, in the most ungraceful and wild way possible, plummet right into the End Portal.