“Blaze a path, my Courage!” Electric heat resonated through Andie's arm and out the tip of her sword - shooting bolts of golden orange light that exploded like fireworks. Their embers formed burning platforms in the sky. “That should get its attention…” A supernatural fear surged through Andie, splitting open cracks in her confidence. Cracks for doubt to slip in through.
Was Dyllan really stuck in his own mindscape? And if so, was attracting his Nightmare really the best way to reach him?
Andie shook her head.Thoughts like this popped up every time she spent her courage, but it didn’t matter. This was the only plan she had… and she needed to try something.
She needed to focus.
“This could all go horribly wrong…” Andie let all her fear, doubt, and insecurity pool within her, then took a deep breath. “But so what!? I’ve already made up my mind. Good idea, bad idea… I’m doing this.” She tightened her grip on her blade, and leapt up to the first of the burning platforms. Then on to the next one. Then the next. Within seconds she was miles above the platforms of the mindscape.
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It only took a few seconds more for Dyllan’s Nightmare to spot her and fire a barrage of bullets. Andie wasn’t easy to hit though. She used her sword to form new platforms as she dove down towards the beast, bouncing between them to weave between the bullets.
In what felt like an instant, Andie had closed in on her prey. The Nightmare swung its knife up at her, but with a single clean motion she parried the strike and stabbed her weapon deep into the beast’s wrist. Using gravity and her downward momentum, Andie dragged her blade down through the monster’s forearm - tearing it out at the elbow.
Andie glanced back to admire her handiwork. But instead of the glowing cracks she’d expected - instead of the brittle shell of cynicism giving way to the hope underneath, there was nothing but a hollow gash in the Nightmare’s arm. A gash that had already begun to heal.