The smoke started to clear. I could see Kayden on his knees, I looked at him, his face filled with horror and agony. His eyes were widened and his jaw dropped. Blood splattered on his face. I turned to face what he was looking at as the dust and smoke began to clear.

"Tye?" I asked, looking at the figure in front of Kayden. "No.." I muttered. She had been impaled by the Lich's longsword. It went through her stomach and out towards Kayden. "You..." I managed, attempting to say something. The lich pulled his sword out of her, splattering more blood on Kayden.

"Looks like.." she coughed up blood. "Everybody's safe." she said, before collapsing on the ground to a lifeless, motionless corpse.

"Your turn." The Lich said looking at Kayden. The dust had completely cleared now. "I'm done playing around. I'm done dealing with these insignificant adventurers. You are all the same!" He ranted on before raising his sword against Kayden, who collapsed onto his knees and cried out in agony for his fallen comrade.

"No!" I shouted, rushing in to parry a blow that would have ended Kayden's life. Tears started to form in my eyes. "Nobody else is dying!" I shouted.

"You want to play next?" The lich screeched. "Fine! So be it!" Before I could even react, the lich had grabbed my face and pushed me back a few feet into the cliff-side. My aegis held up, preventing some of the damage.

I crushed a catalyst from my pouch, and grabbed his arm. Using my magical energy I crushed his forearm and pushed him off me. Crazed and enraged, he wailed at me with his blade, and I parried it. I punched him with the magical energy, sending him a few feet backwards. He was still injured from Kayden's spell.

"You think you're tough?!" He shouted rushing at me, I parried a blow before being pushed back into the cliffside, denting it. "You think you can face me?! I'm a lich! I do whatever I want. I'll kill you and eat your heart!" He lost it, attacking me with quick but chaotic blows. I couldn't defend myself as his blade struck my leg, than my arm, and once across my stomach. My aegis shattered and I fell to one knee and screamed as his blade pierced my thigh, cutting straight through my armor.

"How does that feel you bitch?!" He shouted, digging his blade in deeper. I cried out before taking my sword and stabbing it into his stomach. His eyes, they were filled with rage. He pulled his sword out and grabbed my face again lifting me up into the air and slamming me down onto the ground. I coughed up blood and tried to get up as he stood over me. My sword still stuck through him. I tried to get to my feet to continue fighting but he lifted me up by my hair.

The memory of the bandits trickled back into my mind and again I felt powerless. Powerless to save the boy, powerless to save Tye, and now powerless to save myself. I couldn't cry out for Arin this time . Nobody was there to save me. This death, this pain, was going to be my own fault. Only I could save myself now.

"Die." He spat, bringing his sword up to stab me. I struggled, kicking aimlessly before getting an idea. I drew my dagger and threw it at his face. It went straight into his eye, forcing him to cry out in pain and throwing me away. He covered his face with his hand and pulled out my dagger. I was now without a single weapon. I landed after bouncing a little bit, and that's when I noticed Zach. He stood in front of me, his shoulders broad.

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"I'll take it from here." He said, motioning for me to stay down. He pulled out his legendary sword. "Hey you stupid fucking monster!" He shouted, pointing his sword at the Lich who now had blood pouring from it's damaged eye. "You hurt my friends, and I will not stand for this. I am a player in this game, and I will be the one to defeat you!" Zach was very emotional, but he was still acting like a kid in this situation.

I got to my feet, noticing Stephanie and Julie getting up. Julie was wrapped in bandages, and Zach's orange cloak. She smiled at me, and nodded to Stephanie to come over and help me.

"Miss Anna, Please allow me to-" Stephanie began but I put my hand out.

"I.. Need.. Energy." I demanded angrily staring at Zach who was easily losing this battle with the Lich. He had a power boost, an elemental surge, because of the incident with Julie, but he was still getting his ass handed to him.

"Stephanie, I need you." I grabbed ahold of her shoulders, still breathing. "Grant me all of your remaining energy. You are not a fighter." I demanded, her eyes widened in fear and her cheeks stained with tears. She mumbled for a moment before lifting her staff.

"You-You're right. I-" She began to cry.

"Zach's going to die. I need you to help me." I asked, trying to lighten up my tone.

"Here! Just .. Take it!" She cried out, tears falling down her face as I grabbed her arm.

"Transfer my soul unto hers, grant her my energy and take me!" She shouted, light filled my vision as I regained my energy completely and all of my wounds disappeared. I smiled.

"Thank you-" I was going to continue but Stephanie had completely passed out in Julie's arms, and they lay against the cliff-face. I turned towards Julie.

"Can you walk?" I asked. Julie nodded, not saying a thing.

"Then walk." I said. "Run if you have to."

"W-where?" Julie asked, fear quivering her voice. "I-I can help." She muttered.

"No. You are a guardian, but you are in no shape to help." I scolded.

"What happened to you?" I asked, Julie began to cry. "Malphas..." She muttered. "He was with the Lich. He told me that- ... He needed you alive." She looked at me. "Then he..." She began to sulk. I put two and two together, seeing her emotional state and her state of undress.

"I'm so sorry." I said, feeling pity on her.

"You can't let him take you." Julie demanded, "Malphas will kill you."

"Who?" I asked.

"The Lord of Terror.. Malphas the Consumed King." Julie said through tears. "You need to fight. Help Zach win." I nodded, as Julie began to waddle off with Stephanie on her back.

Crack. I looked over, Zach's sword had broken when impacting with the Lich's. I rushed over to them, and saw Zach's fearful look in his eyes as he stared at his broken sword. I wasn't fast enough. Zach's stomach was pierced by the Lich's sword, and blood poured from his mouth and injury.

"No!" I shouted, rushing towards them.

You'll die. The whispers filled my mind. You're going to die. They said.

"I don't care!" I shouted. "RETURN!" Two chains leapt from my hands pulling my longsword and my dagger into my hands. I screamed in agony as the magical energy erupted through my body, but pushed forward, sliding in between the two of them as both of my blades parried his attacks.

"It's not fair..." Zach said weakly. "I-" he coughed as I continued to parry the attack, the force of the lich getting greater and greater.

"I'm supposed to be the hero. The protagonist of this game. I can't die. It's- not..." He trailed off. I pushed the Lich back, using both blades to my advantage. My speed had increased, but the magical energy was pushing me to my limit. My knees ached, my body was shaking vigorously as it was fueled with so much power.

I charged in, attacking in quick succession forcing the Lich to go on the offensive. My entire body was brutally chilling. It was so cold that I felt like I was burning up. I kept up my assault, trying to end this battle quickly. The lich was quick, as he moved out of the way of many of my attacks, parrying but a few.

I couldn't take this punishment for much longer. I knew, that in time, I was going to die.