I looked down at my beaten hands and tried to muster magical energy. I crushed a catalyst to gain some energy back, but it hurt so much. I looked to the sky watching as Arin and Malphas continued their duel. Arin's energy was fading, and I didn't know what to do.

Suddenly they crashed down to the surface nearby. The other guardians and blighted ones came up behind me having rejuvinated slightly and we were ready to assist Arin despite our lack of magical power.

I watched as Arin was thrown into a nearby cliff and many rocks fell on top of him. We gathered together, weapons in hand and went to assist Arin. I saw Malphas in front of me, and charged. Our blades parried, but my magical energy was too low for any real kind of damage to happen.

I was thrown back, and Malphas looked at me with such a bored stare.

"I'm not going to play with you guys. You are all boring." He said. Then he raised his hand out, and the ground started to rumble.

I retreated behind a few houses, and to my horror I watched as smaller blackguard undead warriors popped out of the ground. Each of these released powerful elemental energy that reminded me of the lich we fought earlier.

"Look out!" Zach shouted, jumping in front of me and parrying one of the blackguards. "Five of them, five of us!" He parried one, cutting his midsection. "Let's go!"

"I feel the earth beneath me and call to it! Avalanche!" Eric shouted, causing a huge wave of earth to come out and explode through the blackguards, splitting everyone up.

"I know we're all weak!" Alec exclaimed, "But if we can take on one each, we should make it through this!" He casted a spell, and I lost sight of him as earthen walls grew up all around us.

Now I have to fight a black guard. With no elemental energy. Great, what am I supposed to do now. I guess I'll die. No! Damnit! My thoughts raced as I approached the creature. I pulled out Vortex and Eclipse and powered up the little energy I had left.

"I have to fight!" I charged, rushing to the monster and hitting it multiple times over and over again. "FROSTBOLT!" I shouted crushing another catalyst. It frost the creature solid, but, nothing. I could hear everybody else fighitng against the blackguards. Metal clanging on metal, so much destruction and pain. People getting injured. Zach's lightning. Kade's Scythes. Everything. I could hear everything as I fought the black guard. And I knew we were losing.

Then I felt my entire world shatter in mere moments. I was fighting the black guard, dodging and parrying, making sure to focus on sensing everyone's elemental energy around me. I was focusing on each one in the back of my mind. Zach's energy was still there, so was Alec's. I parried another blow, focusing on Eric's, then Julie's then Kane's. Finally' Arin's. Everyone was safe. Until...

"Arin!" I cried, jumping over the large wall and crushing four cryo catalysts in my hands to give myself more energy. I sheathed my daggers and quickly dashed over to a fading energy sign. Arin had fallen. I caught him midair, and we fell to the ground together. His armor was battered and half of it was completely torn off.

"Arin! You son of a bitch, what happened?!" I shouted, tears falling from my eyes as I looked at the black knight in front of me. He was weak, blood was all over his neck and stomach, and a hole was in his stomach.

"I need a healer! Please! Someone!" I shouted. Arin looked weak, dead inside even. I couldn't even feel his energy. Then, he burst to life, grabbing my gloved hand. I looked back, noticing that everyone was still fighting the Black Guards. They were losing, Alec took a hit, Zach's aegis shattered, and Arin was laying bloodied in front of me.

"Arin-"

"I don't think I'll make it," He coughed up blood, his face looked rugged and sad.

"Shut up! You will make it! Don't talk like that!"

"Look Anna, take... take this." Arin grabbed the necklace he was wearing and gave it to her. "One day, I'll return for you. It will glow a deep orange when I do. I'll-" He stopped.

"What?! What are you talking about? Return? You'll be right here! You're going to be fine! I'm here!" I tried to do something, I kept moving my head around looking for things. The fighting kept going, and Malphas floated above us grinning evilly.

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

"Arin, you'll be fine! Please don't-"

"Anna listen to me." He said, and I shut up. I was stunned. "Take, this." He handed me the necklace, and I put it away in my pocket.

"I've lost, already."

"No, we can still win this! Get you patched up!"

Arin moved his hand, revealing a large purple area around his broken clothes and skin. "No, you can't..."

"Poison..."

"It's over for me, but... not for you." Arin coughed. "Run,"

"What?!"

"Run," He said it again and I was still just as stunned. "You can still run. The black guards are distracted-"

"Shut up! I won't run and leave everyone behind! What the hell is wrong with you?!" I shouted. I was so angry, I furrowed my brow and scowled at him. How could he say that?!

"Then you'll die." He said. I looked at my hands, they were covered in his blood. Blood. My blood? No. His blood. Blood.

My thoughts raced as I looked at Arin, and he looked back at me. "This is the end of my journey. My story was never meant to be told, but yours. You have so much left to do."

"What?! How could you know that."

"I'll come find you, in time. Just... stay away for now." He pushed me away.

With tears in my eyes I got up, looked to my friends, looked to Malphas, and saw Zach. I thought I'd run. I tried to run. I wanted to for a moment. Then, I remembered.

"Don't run away." Is what Zach taught me, and "As long as I draw breath, never use the abyss again." Is what I had promised Arin.

I looked down at Arin, he was dead.

Arin no longer drew breath, so I no longer needed to stop hiding the darkness.

"So you finally want to give in?" The abyss spoke directly to me.

"Yes, I do." I said, and everything went black.

Magical energy erupted around me, shattered the earthen walls and what remained of the buildings. It started as blue, but quickly shifted to a demonic black energy. The abyss. I felt it. The energy I was so afraid of all this time and it was mine.

The power was mine.

Malphas landed next to me, and with a single look he recoiled back. I put on the necklace Arin had given me and it was a very low grey tint. Not orange like Arin had said.

"Kill them all boys!" Malphas shouted to the Black Guards. "Play time is over."

I turned to the black guards who were fighting my friends. They all suddenly powered up. Zach got disarmed, and stabbed in the leg. The black guard lifted up it's weapon to slice. Suddenly, in a moment, I was there. I stared down at Zach as I caught the black guards sword with my hand. He looked afraid. Good.

"Anna is that you-" Zach stuttered.

I shook my head no. I believed I truly was no longer myself. I had ascended.

I shoved my arm through the black guard, killing it instantly. Then turned to the one fighting Alec. It was kicking him over and over again, but lifted it's sword up once Malphas gave the word.

The sword was going to plunge into Alec, but instead, I was there. I didn't parry the weapon, or catch it, or even block it. Instead it pierced my shoulder, going straight through me and sending black blood to the floor. The black guard took a step back, surprised, but I had already cut him in half with vortex. He fell to the ground.

"What the hell?! You're hurt, we should-"

But I already disappeared. I was done fighting. Now, I was killing.

The wound in my shoulder quickly patched itself up with black magic. I didn't even feel any pain. I didn't feel anything. I just felt rage.

"Anna! Stop! You don't have to turn to darkness."

I turned back, towards Zach. Zach was my friend. He had helped me since I got here. I took a deep breath, and completely powered down my magic so that I could speak again.

He smiled brightly, getting to his feet. "Anna, see, you're okay. You don't have to-"

"Shut up," I said. "I don't have to, I want to."

With that last statement, I powered up my shadowy magic again, turning off my ability to speak. Quickly I made my way over to Eric, who was cowering behind his shield as the Black Guard tore into it with it's weapon.

He saw me, and as soon as he did he started to run. Good.

I teleported in front of him, grabbing at it's throat and tearing off it's head. Then, immediately transported myself to the last black guard, the one who had severely beaten Julie. Zach was holding her, protecting her from the creature.

But I didn't care about them. I cared about nothing. I only saw red. I touched the last black guard, and it turned to dust.

"Please don't-" Zach grabbed my arm.

"Please stop, don't use this power!" Alec exclaimed.

"Lady Anna," Eric said weakly.

I just stared at them all blankly. Why would I not use this power? They don't understand it's all I have left. I shook my head no. I'm ending this, I'm bringing us all home.

I tore myself away from them and approached Malphas, he charged me, stabbing me in the stomach. I looked down at my wound, no pain. Then I looked up at his face and watched as he went from smirking to confused. I put out my hand, blasting him away with a fury of jet black water. He cried out as the black water burnt his skin.

"What are you?!" He shouted.

I couldn't reply, I didn't.

"You're way in over your head! I'm Malphas! I'm a Lord of Terror!"

I tried to speak again, but couldn't. So I just pulled out the sword from my stomach. Black blood spilled onto the ground, killing the grass as it landed.

Please stop. Arin's voice was in my head.

"Please stop!" They all shouted from behind me.

I couldn't stop now. I had to beat Malphas. I had to. I had no other-

I powered down. My thoughts were caught up.

"I remember," I said.

"Anna, are you back?!"

"One spell, that Arin told me never to use."

"The curse of the abyss does take it's toll!" Malphas said, getting up from his wounds.

"No, not that spell. This one." I said, pulling out both of my weapons.

I slammed both of them into my chest.

I was going to die, but in the end, I was going to save everyone in the process.