And so began her dark journey, a path that led her to where she now sat, hardened and scarred, telling her story to David, who listened in silence, the weight of her words pressing down on him.

“It took me more than ten years to prepare for revenge,” Alice continued. “I hunted down seven members of the One-Eyed Snake adventurers. Only one remains - Johan. He’s the one who wounded John and nearly killed us both.” Her voice hardened. “Unlike the others, he didn’t squander his fortune on a noble title. While they grew lazy in luxury, he kept wandering the world. He’s stronger than any of them.”

David looked at her, his face tense. “How will you find him?”

Alice’s lips twisted into a grim smile. “He’s coming to this city soon. I got that information from Kevin, who still had ties with the group.”

She paused, her eyes darkening as the memory resurfaced. “When I confronted Kevin, he didn’t resist. He accepted his fate. He told me everything he knew about the group but made one request: to let him live until I had killed at least five of them. He said it would take time, and his customers still relied on him for supplies. So, I agreed. Once five were dead, I came back for him.”

She exhaled slowly. “He was waiting for me. No running, no hiding—just sitting in his chair, ready to face his punishment. I killed him quickly, but not without pain,” her voice turned cold, resolute. “It was the least he deserved.”

Alice and David sat in silence for a moment, the weight of her words lingering in the air. Then, breaking the stillness, Alice turned to him. "What about you?" she asked. "What’s your story?"

David opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get out more than a word, a voice interrupted, cold and sharp. "Nobody cares."

Both Alice and David whipped their heads toward the source of the voice. Standing in the shadows was a man with two swords strapped to his back, his face obscured by a hood. David frowned, asking, "Who are you?"

But Alice didn’t need to ask - she knew. Without hesitation, she unleashed her witchcraft, hurling an attack toward him. The man, Johan, dodged effortlessly, sidestepping her assault with ease.

Before David could react, Alice released a shockwave of witchcraft that sent both Johan and David flying back. "Stay out of this, David," she said, her voice edged with cold determination. "This is between Johan, John, and me."

As she spoke, her shadow expanded unnaturally, twisting into the monstrous form of John - the knighted giant with the enormous sword - rising behind her, ready for battle.

The dark forest was thick with mist, the towering trees surrounding Alice, John, and Johan like silent sentinels. The air was charged with the tension of the impending battle, the only sound the faint rustling of leaves as a cold wind passed through.

Alice’s eyes glowed faintly as she readied her witchcraft, shadows twisting and coiling around her feet. John, loomed beside her, his breath heavy with anticipation. In contrast, Johan stood calmly, two swords on his back and his hood pulled low, hiding his face in the gloom.

“Ready to die, are we?” Johan taunted, his voice filled with a cruel amusement.

Without warning, John roared and lunged at Johan with brute force, his massive blade slicing through the air toward the hooded man. Johan reacted swiftly, stepping to the side and deflecting the attack with one of his swords. The impact sent sparks flying, but Johan didn’t flinch. He moved like a shadow, slipping between John’s powerful strikes, his movements effortless.

Alice unleashed a blast of dark energy, aiming for Johan’s exposed flank. Black tendrils of witchcraft snaked toward him, but Johan leapt into the air, flipping backward and landing gracefully on a tree branch. He chuckled, balancing on the thin wood like a predator toying with its prey.

“Pathetic,” he spat, his voice dripping with disdain.

John growled, slamming his sword into the tree, splitting it in half. Johan landed back on the ground, his hood still covering his face. Alice launched another wave of witchcraft - this time shadows formed into sharp, ethereal spears. Johan twirled his swords, deflecting each one with ease, his form a blur of motion.

But then Alice managed to slip a hit through. A dark energy blast struck Johan’s chest, knocking him backward into a tree. His hood flew off, revealing his face.

Alice’s eyes widened. “You... you're younger!”

Johan smirked, straightening himself. His features were smooth, youthful, nothing like the old man Alice had expected. He looked as though time had reversed for him. His skin was unblemished, his eyes sharp and filled with a malevolent gleam.

“How... how is that possible?” Alice demanded, her voice trembling with disbelief.

Johan chuckled darkly and slowly lifted his shirt, revealing a glowing dark crystal embedded in his chest. It pulsed with an unnatural energy, like a living thing feeding off his very soul.

“I was blessed,” Johan said, his tone almost reverent. “By the True God. This crystal grants me power beyond your comprehension.”

Alice’s heart raced as she realized what they were up against. “That’s impossible...”

“Impossible?” Johan laughed, his voice echoing through the trees. “This power was given to me for a reason. I am chosen.”

Without warning, Johan’s twin swords began to glow with a dark, purple mist swirling around them. The air grew heavier as his aura intensified, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble. He charged at John, his swords cutting through the mist with deadly precision.

John swung his massive sword to meet Johan’s strike, but the dark energy surrounding Johan’s blades cut through John’s defense. With a swift motion, Johan slashed at John’s arm. A sickening sound filled the air as one of John’s monstrous arms was severed cleanly from his body.

John let out a roar of pain, stumbling backward, dark mist pouring from the wound where his arm had been.

David, who had been thrown aside earlier and was struggling to regain his footing, looked up in disbelief. Just moments ago, John had seemed unstoppable, his monstrous form impervious to all damage. Now, he was bleeding and wounded.

Alice’s voice trembled. “That... that’s Aura! How can you wield it?”

Johan’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Yes, little witch. Aura. A power so rare, most adventurers will never encounter it in their lifetime.” He raised one of his swords, the purple mist swirling more violently now. “And it’s all thanks to my god.”

He didn’t notice as John’s severed arm, surrounded by the same dark mist that formed his monstrous body, began to twitch. Slowly, the mist pulled the arm back toward the stump, reattaching it with a sickening crack. John’s form regenerated, his wounds healing as though they had never been.

Alice, focusing again, summoned another barrage of witchcraft, sending shadowy blasts at Johan. But Johan dodged each attack effortlessly, his movements quick and precise. As John regained his strength, he rushed Johan again, but this time Johan was prepared.

He met John’s strike head-on, his aura-infused blades slashing through John’s sword, chipping away at his armor. John stumbled back, unable to land a clean hit as Johan danced around him, delivering blow after blow.

David, staggering to Alice’s side, asked in disbelief, “How is Johan able to hurt John?”

“The armor on John is magical,” Alice explained breathlessly, “it can absorb most magic and physical attacks. But it’s not perfect... and aura can negate magic. Johan’s aura is cutting through John’s defenses like they’re nothing.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Johan pressed his advantage, landing a series of devastating strikes on John’s monstrous form, the aura-infused blades tearing into his armor. With a final powerful strike, Johan slammed his swords into John’s side, forcing the giant knight to his knees. John groaned, his body flickering as though it might collapse at any moment.

“Your monster is finished,” Johan sneered, turning his attention to Alice. “And now it’s your turn.”

He leaped toward her with frightening speed, his swords raised. Alice barely had time to react, her witchcraft surging forward in an attempt to block the blow. But Johan’s aura-infused swords cut through her magic, forcing her backward.

Just as Johan was about to land a lethal strike, David intervened, raising his sword to block Johan’s blow. The force of the impact knocked David back, but he held his ground.

Johan laughed mockingly. “You? What’s next, boy?”

With a swift kick, Johan sent David crashing into a nearby tree, the impact knocking the wind out of him. Johan turned back to Alice, preparing to strike her down, but she unleashed a blast of energy, throwing him back several feet.

Johan rose to his feet, laughing again. “Is that all you’ve got? You’re pathetic.”

But the battle wasn’t over yet.

Johan’s mocking laughter echoed through the forest, but Alice, John, and David were far from finished.

John, the monstrous knight, charged forward once again, his massive sword swinging in a deadly arc. Johan sidestepped the attack, his twin swords glowing with that eerie purple aura. He moved like a shadow, barely a blur in the misty forest.

“John, keep him busy!” Alice commanded, her eyes glowing with determination. She summoned dark tendrils of witchcraft from the shadows around her, sending them spiraling toward Johan. The witchcraft formed jagged spikes that tore through the air, aiming for Johan’s exposed flank.

Johan deflected the tendrils with ease, his swords a whirlwind of flashing steel. “You’ll have to do better than that, witch!” he sneered, slashing through the dark energy.

John, undeterred, continued his assault, his brute strength forcing Johan to keep moving. The monstrous knight slammed his sword down, shaking the earth and knocking Johan off balance. Alice took the opportunity to strike, hurling a concentrated blast of dark energy at Johan’s chest.

This time, the blast connected. Johan staggered, his aura flickering as the dark magic collided with his body, pushing him back. But he recovered quickly, eyes blazing with fury.

David, watching the chaos unfold, knew they needed to work together. He gripped his sword, now cracked from Johan’s earlier attack, and ran toward Alice. “We need to hit him together, coordinate! His aura can’t block everything.”

“Agreed,” Alice replied, her breath coming in sharp bursts. She could feel her energy draining, but she wasn’t about to give up. “You distract him—John and I will go for the crystal.”

David nodded and sprinted toward Johan, yelling to draw his attention. Johan turned just in time to meet David’s charge, raising his swords to block the strike. The impact reverberated through the forest, and Johan smirked at the feeble attack.

“Is this all you have, boy?” Johan taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’ll never be more than a nuisance.”

David gritted his teeth, knowing he was outmatched in strength but determined to hold Johan’s focus. He swung his sword again and again, forcing Johan to defend himself. Johan’s aura-infused blades glowed ominously as they clashed with David’s weapon, but the young warrior didn’t back down.

Meanwhile, John circled behind Johan, his massive frame moving with surprising agility for his size. Alice concentrated, channeling her witchcraft into one final attack. She needed to be precise. This had to work.

Johan, growing frustrated, knocked David back with a powerful strike, sending him sprawling across the forest floor. “Enough of this!” Johan snarled, turning his attention back to Alice.

But he had made a fatal mistake. In his distraction, he hadn’t noticed John closing in from behind. With a mighty roar, John swung his massive sword down toward Johan, aiming for the dark crystal embedded in his chest.

At the last second, Johan sensed the danger and dodged, but not completely. The blade grazed his side, tearing through his cloak and drawing blood. Johan hissed in pain, his aura flaring up in anger.

“Fools!” he shouted, raising his swords high. Dark energy surged around him, swirling like a storm. His aura seemed to grow, crackling with malevolent power. “I am blessed by the True God! You are nothing!”

Johan charged at John, his twin swords now burning with dark purple flames. He slashed through the air, cutting deep into John’s side. The monstrous knight staggered, black mist pouring from his wounds. John roared in pain, but he didn’t fall.

“He’s too strong!” David shouted, struggling to get back to his feet. His body ached from the earlier blows, but he refused to give in.

Alice, her hands shaking from exhaustion, glanced down and saw one of David’s daggers lying in the dirt, knocked loose during the battle. Her eyes lit up with a sudden plan.

“David! Your dagger!” she called out, picking it up. “It’s our only chance!”

David’s eyes widened as he realized what she intended. “You can’t get close enough—he’ll kill you before you reach him!”

“I’ll distract him!” Alice said, determination hardening her voice. “John will keep him busy, but I need you to be ready.”

Alice handed the dagger to David, who hesitated for only a moment before nodding. John, weakened but not defeated, stood tall beside Alice, ready for one last push.

“John, now!” Alice yelled.

With a surge of energy, John charged Johan again, his colossal form barreling toward the enemy. Johan, still fueled by his dark aura, met John’s attack with ferocity, their swords clashing in a deafening storm of steel and magic.

At the same time, Alice whispered ancient words under her breath, summoning a wave of dark witchcraft that wrapped around Johan’s legs, slowing his movements. He slashed at the tendrils with his aura-infused swords, but they held fast, if only for a moment.

That moment was all they needed.

John swung his sword with renewed fury, forcing Johan to defend himself with both blades. Johan’s attention was completely consumed by the monstrous knight in front of him, leaving his back exposed.

Alice darted forward, moving with a speed and agility that belied her exhaustion. She slipped through the chaos of the battle, dagger in hand, her eyes locked on the dark crystal glowing in Johan’s chest.

Johan sensed her too late.

As he turned, trying to fend off both John and Alice, David, from the side, lunged at him with his sword, drawing Johan’s attention for a split second. That was all the time Alice needed. She leapt forward, plunging David’s dagger into Johan’s chest with all her strength.

The dagger pierced the dark crystal.

Johan screamed - a horrible, guttural sound that echoed through the forest as cracks began to spread across the crystal. His aura flared violently, but it was unstable, flickering like a dying flame. The power that had once made him invincible was now tearing him apart.

“No!” Johan gasped, his face twisted in shock and rage. “This... this can’t be!”

The dark crystal shattered, sending a wave of energy rippling through the forest. Johan’s body convulsed, his swords falling from his hands as he crumpled to the ground. The once-immortal warrior lay broken, his god’s blessing now nothing more than shards of a destroyed relic.

John, towering above Johan, let out a victorious roar, the dark mist around him fading as the battle came to an end. Alice stood over Johan’s lifeless body, breathing heavily, the dagger still clutched in her hand.

David limped over to join her, his sword dragging in the dirt. “It’s over,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

Alice nodded, her gaze fixed on Johan’s shattered form. “Yes... it’s over.”

Suddenly, David's expression shifted. He stood frozen, staring in disbelief as Alice and John began to disintegrate before his eyes. The air around them shimmered with faint traces of magic, blending with the cold wind that swept through the dark forest. His chest tightened, his breath catching.

"Alice... what’s happening?" David’s voice cracked as he limped toward her, his legs heavy with exhaustion.

Alice, calm yet filled with undeniable sadness, looked down at her crumbling body. Her skin flaked away like ash in the wind, the price of her power made clear. Beside her, John, the towering knight, was also fading, his monstrous form breaking apart, piece by piece, into the mist.

"Witchcraft comes with a cost," Alice said, her voice steady but weary. She met David’s eyes and gave him a small, bittersweet smile. "To wield this kind of power, something must be sacrificed."

David’s heart sank as he watched her deteriorate, the truth slowly dawning on him. “What did you sacrifice?”

“My life,” Alice whispered. “When I chose this path, I made a pact. Not with demons, not with gods, but with myself. In exchange for the power to hunt down those who destroyed my world, I agreed that when the last one fell, so would I. Now... it’s time.”

David shook his head, refusing to accept her words. “But John... what about him?”

Alice glanced at the fading figure of John, the dark mist slowly consuming him. “John was bound to me through my teacher’s witchcraft. With me gone, he fades too.”

David clenched his fists, helplessness and frustration welling up inside him. “There has to be something we can do,” he said, his voice raw with emotion.

But Alice only shook her head. “There’s no reversing this. I made my choice a long time ago.”

John, the monstrous knight who had been silent throughout the battle, stood motionless. His presence, though deteriorating, carried an understanding that words could never express. Slowly, with what remained of his hand, he reached out, grasping Alice’s in a gesture that was tender and almost human.

David’s eyes widened as John knelt beside Alice, his massive hand gently closing around hers. Then, for the first and final time since he had been transformed, John spoke. His voice was broken, deep, and filled with effort.

"Was I... a good knight... for you... my princess?"

Alice’s eyes brimmed with tears. She looked up at him, her lips trembling as she smiled, memories of the boy she once loved flooding back. “Yes,” she whispered, her voice filled with emotion. “You were always my knight, John.”

With her final words, she kissed him gently. As their forms began to fade, both Alice and John dissolved into the wind, their dust carried off into the forest.

David stood alone in the quiet forest, the battle behind him. The forest was still, the night cold and silent, and all that remained was the memory of a princess and her knight who had finally found peace, even in death.

With one final glance at the place where Alice and John had stood, David sheathed his sword and limped away, leaving behind the dust of the past and the forest that had witnessed their final stand.

The End.