The robed man looked across to the three woman that kept him company at the end of the world.

“We arrived at the same result,” the one directly across from him said, the crystal embedded into her forehead blackened as if mimicking the frigidness in her voice.

“I don’t want to let it go unsaid, but I stood behind your decision. You know that.” A woman clad in half-plate lamented as she took in the vista of the crumbling earth around her.

“But now, I can stand to see you do this to yourself no longer.” She continued as her gaze fell upon the man.

“Please. Once more.” The man pleaded.

Just,” he looked around, “one final attempt.”

“I am incapable of supporting such actions.” the woman with the crystal said, tapping on her forehead.

“I am on the last vestiges of my power. Continuing would be impossible in our current form,” she said as she settled into a serene calm.

“Then we just need more power. We have an hour, maybe two before it becomes unsalvageable. We can still think of something,” the man said as strength returned to his voice.

“My power is innate,” the crystal bearing woman said as she closed her eyes, “and I have used up all I have.”

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“Without the people to believe in me, I too am no use,” the armored woman said, her knuckles turning white from frustration.

The final woman, clad in leather that seemed to meld into the shadows, looked over the rest. She had remained silent for she knew those three intimately and no words were needed for her to know what they wanted to say. She waited, watching for their attention to be drawn to the disappearing earth below them before she snuck away.

“But those are our people dying around us.” the man screamed as he pointed off into the distance.

“Those are people you have saved time and time again,” the leather-clad woman whispered, now far from earshot.

“We’ve beat back danger after danger. Apocalypse after failed apocalypse,” the man continued.

“We’ve lost too many friends. Too many allies," the woman spoke absentmindedly as she made her way to her destination.

“We won’t be beaten now,” determination finally welling in his eyes as if his speech had beat away the despair.

“Then do what you refuse to do,” whispered the armored woman.

“You deal in souls, the power of others. You have some available right now, about to make their way to the lands beyond,” the crystal bearing woman explained.

“It’s not the quantity of souls, I told you that,” the man harshly replied.

“You’d have never agreed to this. Eve offered to be the one to do it but I couldn’t let just anyone be the lynch-pin for the procedure you’d though up. I couldn’t have had it any other way” she thought as she plunged into the abyss below.

“Yes, but you’ve just been offered one very powerful soul” the armored woman said, staring the man directly in the eyes.

Not 30 seconds later, the world stood still.