The slashing blow, unexpectedly coming from behind, caught him off guard. With a ringing in his ears, he crashed to the ground, feeling everything blur before his eyes. Blood splatters, like red flashes, marked his cheeks, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from the horrifying scene before him.

In front of him unfolded a picture of merciless struggle. Monsters emerging from the depths of the forest, like dark shadows, attacked a group of knights. Their claws and teeth gleamed in the darkness, and their eyes were filled with a thirst for death.

The knights clad in sturdy "Tangar" class plate armor stood like a solid wall, gripping their shields and swords, trying not to let the enemy advance. The sounds of battle pierced the night air: the clashing of weapons, cries of pain, the moans of the wounded. Puddles of blood and mud spread beneath the warriors' feet, reflecting the shimmering moonlight.

The monsters attacked with furious rage, and the knights fought back with all their might. The knight's old friend, his loyal comrade-in-arms, lay wounded. His cries pierced the hearts of every fighter. He, belonging to the "Daries" class with a magical bow in his hands, knelt, his face contorted in pain. He looked at his comrade, his eyes filled with fear and hope, and the Knight knew he couldn't give up. Not now. Not here.

Comrades fell beside him. Many lay motionless, incapacitated by their wounds. The remnants of the squad, still standing, wielded their swords with all their might, continuing to fight. But in their eyes, there was a sense of powerlessness, and the belief in victory was beginning to fade.

Leaning on his now slightly dulled sword, the Knight began to rise. His armor was battered in mud and blood. He was at the edge of his strength, but his will was unwavering.

Gathering the last of his remaining strength, he stood up. His voice pierced the night as he began to deliver an inspiring speech to his allies.

-"Today we fight not only for these lands, friends!" his voice thundered, echoing like a fateful storm. "We raise our swords and sacrifice our lives for the future of humanity! Do not let these beasts engulf our light! Forward, for victory and for the honor of our ancestors!"

After this speech, the Knight raised his sword.

-"Magical Augmentation!" he shouted, and a magical whirlwind enveloped his blade, propelling him back into the fray. His sword gleamed, and magical power surrounded him. It was a special spell of his class - "Sword Enchanter" - which he had mastered only recently. It cloaked him in a magical invisible layer, enhancing the knight's attributes, and created a mana stream around his sword, resembling a whirlwind.

With lightning speed, the Knight noticed a warrior standing nearby out of the corner of his eye. In the moment their gazes met, a monster was already hurtling toward the warrior. Its claws seemed super-reinforced, as if aimed to destroy everything in its path. Drool dripped from its mouth, as if already savoring the taste of human flesh, as it lunged toward the motionless soldier, raising its huge paw, surpassing a human hand by one and a half times.

In the last moment before the strike, the knight shielded his comrade and countered. The monster's claws slid along the blade of his sword, and, losing its balance, the creature staggered. In an instant, the knight lunged forward, impaling the monster with his magically enhanced sword, and watched as the lifeless body of the monster fell to the ground.

-"Thank you, [indistinct]," the warrior thanked the knight for saving him.

-"Of course, but now is not the time to relax; the battle is not over yet," the knight replied resolutely.

Other knights, wounded and exhausted, rose to their feet, their faces smeared with blood and dirt, but a spark of hope gleamed in their eyes. Seeing their unwavering commander, they once again charged into battle, like flames burning in the darkness, reflecting the faith and strength of their leader.

With each sword strike, with each piercing cry, they drew closer to victory. The monsters retreated, their ranks thinning, their cries growing weaker. Finally, the sun began to rise above the horizon, and the darkness began to give way to light.

Alone, facing one of the most powerful monsters, the commander-in-chief charged without hesitation. His sword gleamed in the light of dawn, and the force of his strike pierced the darkness. The monster squealed in pain and fell, it's dark body crumbling to dust beneath the knight's feet.

At that moment, as the first rays of sunlight broke through the clouds, the battle was won. The knights stood, their breathing heavy and uneven, but a fire of victory and hope burned in their eyes.

-"We did it, my friends," said the commander-in-chief, his voice sounding like a victory hymn. "Today we showed these beasts that nothing can break our spirit."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Their victorious cry echoed across the battlefield, as if in response to a call from the heavens, and in that moment, under the rays of the rising sun, they knew that nothing could stop them.

After the grueling battle, the knight, leading the squadron, headed towards the towering gates leading to the city. There, in the archway, stood the princess, awaiting his return. When she saw him on the horizon, her face lit up with joy, sincere and bright, like the rays of the setting sun. In the shadow of the majestic castle towers, he saw her silhouette, her graceful contours, her hair coiled and gathered in an intricate yet beautiful braid. However, he did not see her face - it was as if smeared with paint, but that didn't stop him from smiling, knowing that he had fulfilled his duty.

The knight, trying to contain his excitement, approached her. As was customary, he knelt before her, demonstrating his loyalty and respect. Raising his gaze, he met hers, full of gratitude and love.

-"This victory was hard-won, Your Highness," he said, his voice sincere and weary. "But the feelings of duty and responsibility for your safety and the safety of our people gave me new strength."

In a moment, as if forgetting her status and manners of restraint in public, the princess rushed to embrace him. Her embrace was warm and comforting, and he felt that in this moment he was truly home, safe from all the storms and dangers of the world.

The princess couldn't contain herself and began to cry tears of joy.

-"I was so worried about you! Y-you... You promised to come back earlier! Do you know what I imagined?" she cried, choking on her tears.

-"Forgive me," the knight smiled in response. "But now everything is fine."

He began to stroke her head, comforting her like a child, until the dawn fully broke and morning arrived. They were surrounded by the morning rays, piercing through the gate arch like golden threads, dispersing over the castle's stone walls, bathing them in warmth and light. The air was filled with the freshness of early morning, and the birdsong added its melody to this magical morning.

After the battle, the knight once again felt a sense of tranquility...

But suddenly, obstacles began to appear before his eyes. The picture of the surrounding world began to change, as if blurring under the influence of an invisible force. The smells, sensations, even the voice of the princess seemed to drift away from him, as if carried away into the unknown. He stood as if paralyzed, trying to make sense of what was happening. The knight, as if trying to adjust the antenna on an old television for a stable signal, absentmindedly touched his face, trying to return to reality, but all he saw were fleeting fragments, blurred and unclear.

Blinking, he found himself in a dark, enclosed space. His eyes, not yet accustomed to the darkness, couldn't make out the outlines of the room, or any silhouettes, nothing. Darkness enveloped him like a heavy blanket, depriving him of the ability to understand what was happening.

Interferences appeared before his eyes with frequent periodicity, as if something invisible was playing with him, turning reality into a kaleidoscope of blurred images and sounds. The knight was in a state of paralysis, unable to move or orient himself in space. Images followed one after another, and he began to feel…

Stop. A knight? He no longer felt like a knight. Upon reflection, he realized that the medieval era had ended more than 300 years ago. All the sensations he had just a few minutes ago began to fade away, as if evaporating under the influence of an invisible force. Instead, he felt uncertainty, fear.

The darkest feelings began to possess him as if on autopilot. Fear was followed by anger, anger by vengeance, and beyond that — ruthlessness...

As if into an abyss, these feelings engulfed him, the heaviness in his chest making breathing difficult and irregular. He felt the walls of reality crumbling around him, felt the world he knew disappearing, leaving only a void of darkness.

Now he saw before him a room resembling a prison cell. The walls, bathed in darkness, seemed impenetrable, and the light coming through the narrow window barely illuminated the sparse space. In the next moment, pools of blood appeared before him, and in his ears echoed the sound of desperate cries, piercing and agonizing.

He couldn't understand what was happening. Trying to focus on one of the fragments, he saw, to his dismay, how it changed to another. Then, before his eyes, a scene unfolded: apparently, he was lying on the floor, and in front of him was a girl with crystal white hair. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that her hair turned red closer to where it touched the ground - it was fresh blood. The girl breathed heavily, staring at the ceiling. Slowly turning her head towards him, she whispered something indistinct, and her face was obscured by interference.

The former Knight felt a tightening in his chest at the sight of her. He reached out to her, longing to touch her just once, but his hand stopped in mid-air, as if encountering an invisible barrier. Tears welled up in his eyes, streaming down his cheeks, as if once again he couldn't reach something he longed for with all his heart.

At that moment, the young man abruptly opened his eyes, breaking free from the dream. He saw his hand reaching out into the air, as if searching for support in the abyss of nightmares. His heart pounded so hard that he could almost feel it physically in his chest. Cold sweat burned his skin, and his breath was heavy, as if he had just run a marathon. The alarm clock next to him continued to scream, but its sound seemed distant to him, like an echo from another world.

Managing to pull himself together, he gradually calmed down, adjusting his breathing. His hand rested on his chest, as if it wanted to keep his heart in place. He looked around and saw his room, illuminated by the morning rays of the sun. Posters of a superhero nicknamed "Magnate" adorned the walls, next to them hung a personalized scarf with his name embroidered on it - "Aiden", and the shelves were decorated with figurines from his favorite game series, "Fantasy World 2".

Turning off the alarm clock, he glanced at the calendar and saw today's date circled. His gaze wandered to the reflection in the window, and he whispered to himself:

-"Another one of those nightmares... Lately, it's been haunting me more and more. Maybe I should cut back on the sleeping pills?" His thoughts were tangled like a ball of yarn, but he seemed to know that this nightmare wouldn't leave him in peace.