I screamed at the top of my lungs. The magical energy flowing through me started to burn and freeze my skin. Frostbite started to appear ever so slightly covering my gloves, I could feel it. I opened my eyes and the fear came crawling back into me. The energy blast was a dark purple, expelling outwards in all directions from my shield. I held my ground, as the energy sparked, pushing me back into the dirt. I grit my teeth as my arms and legs started to feel numb. The amount of magical energy I had expelled was too much. The shield began to crack, and I pushed more energy out, fueling the shield with every amount of strength in me.

My life seemed to flash before my eyes. Suddenly, I was back in my house, cooking with my mother. Then I was fighting in a martial arts tournament. Suddenly I was getting ice cream with Jake. It was as if I was being constantly thrown around inside my own memories. Slipping in and out of reality. Until ...

Slam. I was suddenly back in the forest with my party members. The ice shield shattered as the shadow magic disappeared. My body was thrust across the clearing and I was impacted with the plateau side. The energy of magic had faded, my body was numb and I was unable to move. Blood trickled down my face and around my right eye. As I was hyperventilating, I attempted to move my body, but to no avail.

My party members were around me. Their faces filled with concern and shock at the same time. Stephanie was crying. I couldn't move a muscle at all, yet the same elemental force that I was so afraid of was approaching us.

"Heal!" My hearing started to come back as I heard Stephanie chant some healing spells on me. Moving my fingers and toes I attempted to speak.

"Don't talk." Kayden commanded. "Zach has already commanded for Julie to come. That blast was powerful, not even I was aware of how strong the lich might be." He rambled. "You can rest, we'll be retreating soon."

No. I thought. They have to run now. Leave me! I tried to speak but I couldn't just yet. Stephanie's healing spells weren't going through quick enough. I wanted to pass out but couldn't bear the thought of letting my party members die.

"R-run." I managed, my voice cracking as I coughed. "He's .. too much." I struggled to get up or even speak but Zach put his hand on my shoulder collapsing me down again. I began to get better with Stephanie's healing magic.

"Don't worry Anna, Julie and I can take care of this." He smiled, his charisma was charming but I knew we were all going to die. "I've got my legendary sword remember." He smiled turning away and walking over to Kayden who was looking out for Julie and the mysterious stranger.

"You can sense elemental energy?" Tye said, sitting down next to me. "That's a pretty remarkable technique. Where'd you pick that up?" Confusion fell over my face.

"I-" I started to say before coughing again. "You mean, you couldn't feel that?" I asked curiously. "It was so obviously there.. I wasn't even casting a spell." I said weakly.

"Tye! Go help them!" Stephanie said frantically before casting another spell. She looked weakened, and frightened as hell. She'd been using all of her energy to heal me. The trees rustled in the distance, and I could hear some of them fall over as something came towards us. Zach, Kayden, and now Tye as she got to her feet stood in front of us, weapons drawn. I assumed it was the lich of the north, but I couldn't be sure just yet.

"Hello." The entity had arrived. He was a tall lanky man who looked painted white. His eyes were completely black, and glowing. I could see them from all the way over here. He had two large horns that protrude out from his head. He was holding something. No, someone.

"You bastard!" Zach growled getting ready to charge but Kayden stopped him with his arm out. "I'll kill you!" He spat. This was very out of character for Zach, until I noticed the man, no the monster was carrying a stripped down and battered Julie. Zach's Guardian was defeated.

The fear returned as a made a futile attempt to get to my feet. Stephanie scolded me for just a moment until I saw Julie's body being thrown towards the cliff-face. Zach stuck his sword in the ground and immediately threw himself in the way of Julie, catching her in his arms and crashing into the cliffside behind them.

He held her lifeless body in his arms, tears streaming down his face. He really cared for her. I thought to myself, again trying to regain my strength. I was able to get to my feet, and I cracked my neck before Stephanie grabbed my arm.

"You don't have any magic energy yet! You need to stay down longer." She pleaded but I pushed on through, pulling my mask up to my face. I turned to Stephanie, regaining some of my magical energy.

"Help her." I snapped angrily without raising my voice and pointed towards Julie. Stephanie, tears forming in her eyes, obliged and made her way over to Zach, who was attempting to help Julie himself. I gave him a worried look, and he met my gaze. His eyes were broken, and I could tell he didn't want to fight anymore.

"Anna?" Kayden questioned me as I walked towards the battlefield. The Lich hadn't even begun to speak or anything, but he started walking towards us. I crushed a catalyst in my hand, and stood with Kayden and Tye.

"We can do this." I said, pulling Arin's knife out of my back sheath.

"Anna you're in no condition to fight." Tye scolded me, but I Ignored her.

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A cold flame lit in my chest as my relic started to fuel my magical energy. I could hear it, whispering to me. My confidence had returned. I smiled and swiped my dagger in front of me as if to taunt the presence in front of me. The fear that I felt, I buried it deep. I used it as fuel to power my weapon and with one swipe my weapon began to change. Arin's dagger quickly grew longer into a one-handed sword. I took a cryo catalyst, and socketed it into the handguard, granting my weapon more magical energy.

"So boss." I said, feeding on the dark energy radiating from my sword. "What's the plan?" Tye and Kayden just looked at me in awe. The Lich had stopped moving towards us about ten feet away.

"That's a mighty fine weapon you have there, Anna was it?" The Lich spoke for the first time since he had appeared. "Anna." He pondered, putting his hand on his chin. His long fingernails gripping the side of his chin. "An elven boy I met a few days back spoke of you." I held my ground, but curiously I approached him. Kayden tried to stop me.

"Do I have a reputation already?" I replied, a breath of spice in my voice. "I didn't think the word of me would go around that quickly." I felt so confident in my ability wielding this blade, it was like a drug.

"Oh my." The lich laughed. "The girl has quite the tongue doesn't she? Shameful really, that you're going to lose it!" He snapped, pulling out a longsword from thin air and striking downwards. He was slow. I thought, moving out of the way quickly and punching him into the ground with my left hand.

Slam. The Lich fell down to the ground, face first. I brought my sword down to finish him off, but his body contorted in an unnatural way, parrying my attack. I went to kick him in the stomach, so that he would drop his guard. My foot smashed into the ground below me. Kayden and Tye immediately got on high alert as the Lich disappeared completely. He's not slow. I remarked.

"Now Anna." The Lich said from behind me, his sword poking at my lower back. "Why are you special? How did that boy know of your existence?" He asked, inching his blade causing a stinging sensation to drive up my entire spine. My strength had returned, as my fear had fueled it.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" I asked, wincing as his sword pierced my skin. Blood didn't pour, as my ring had been protecting me. "I don't know anybody outside of Crosta, maybe he was a friend of Arin's." I laughed, thinking that Arin had friends.

"Arin you say? Your demon of a guardian. I knew him well." The Lich explained. "As, he trained me as well." Perplexed, and curious. I stepped away from the blade, and the Lich moved to stab me as I did so. However, I dropped my sword and quickly drew my dagger, putting it behind my back to parry the blow. I spun my body around, as our weapons clashed he smiled at me. That's when it hit me.

"You used to be a blighted one?" I asked, backstepping away and sheathing my dagger whilst grabbing ahold of my longsword once again. "What made you decide to start murdering innocent people?" He put away his weapon, as if he was testing me.

"No no Anna, I ask the questions first." He said. "The elf said his name was Jake." His voice trailed off, as I seemingly zoned out. Kayden and Tye were ready to jump in but I held my hand up to them.

"Jake." I said stunned.

"Oh so you do know him?!" He snarled. "Man he looked so delicious!" My expression grew fierce as I clutched my sword tighter.

"Too bad though," he licked his lips. I assumed the worse. "He sold for a decent amount of money." I sighed in relief, holding on to hope that he could be alive. I stopped, and took Arin's words to heart. I shouldn't rush, I should talk this out.

"Jake couldn't have been here." I said. "He's alive, back home on Earth."

"Oh but dear Anna, how could he have told me about all the fun you two had? Or how much he cared for you despite your dead eye." The Lich spat pointing at his own left eye. Impossible. I only ever referred to it as my dead eye... That is only something Jake could have known. I thought to myself, gripping my blade tighter.

"Jake.." I muttered. "Where is he...?" I spat.

"Defeat me little one, and I'll tell you exactly where to go." He re-summoned his sword. I knew I couldn't beat him if he had defeated Julie, but maybe with all of us? I looked back at Tye and Kayden. They nodded towards me.

"Anna. Same plan as when we destroyed the gorilla-beast." Kayden said drawing his staff and slamming it onto the ground beginning a spell. I nodded and Tye got next to me. We looked over towards Zach, who was still holding Julie in his arms. I could feel his magical aura of sadness radiating over him. She was alive, and talking, but I couldn't hear what was being said.

Tye and I both leapt from the ground rushing in to fight the Lich. He laughed and activated his magical aura, dodging each of our oncoming attacks. Even Tye, attacking with both weapons furiously could not manage to land a single hit. He must have let me hit him earlier, to gauge my strength. I thought, whilst pulling away from him. I had an idea, but I wasn't sure if it would work. Tye continued attacking while I crushed a Cryo-Catalyst.

"Not gonna work!" The Lich shouted and swiped at Tye, easily cutting through her armor and shattering her magical aegis, sending her a few feet backwards with bruises on her stomach. He charged me.

"Return!" I shouted, catalyzing a spell and focusing on the wrists of the Lich. Ice chains came up from the ground grabbing onto the Lich's wrists and pulling them down to his knees. Tye had lunged back in, slicing the Lich's back. The poison took over quickly as he lost the ability to move.

"Now!" Kayden shouted and Tye and I ducked away. "I cast the cursed flame bellowing from within me! Chaos Orb!" A large dark red fiery sphere recoiled quickly outwards past Kayden and I and smacked into the Lich causing a large explosion around all of us and dust to kick up in our faces. I couldn't see. Damnit, I can't fucking see! I don't know if the spell worked or not! I thought to myself. I jumped back, trying to get out of the smoke.

"They need you." A weak voice called out from my right. My keen ears picked up on it. "Please ... Help them." It was Julie. Zach wouldn't leave her side. "I beg you, do what I could not." I could see them slightly through the large amount of dust.

"That was quite a good plan." I heard the Lich laugh, and move throughout the smoke. I kept turning my head around and around, moving my body and walking along. I couldn't see anything, but I could hear swords clashing. Was Tye fighting? Her aegis was destroyed! She was in trouble!

"Too bad, your mage has to die!" The dust began to clear and I could start to see outlines of people. A huge gust of wind hit me and I closed my eyes as I heard an impact.

"Kayden?!" I shouted, worried for his safety. "Are you okay?" No response. Shit I thought, rushing over towards the sound. I couldn't see anything still. The fear from before returned, but I gripped my sword, keeping my confidence high.

I couldn't see anything, I looked around as the crew was in danger. Where the hell was Kayden? I needed to find him. I needed to. I looked around quickly before noticing three figures. I made my way over to them, and the sight was not pleasant.