I can hear explosions, screams and the faint smell of something burning reaches my nose. I try to open my eyes as I clumsily bring myself up to no avail. It’s no good, I feel as though my insides were ripped to shreds as I experience nausea and exhaustion. I will myself to stand up and I force my eyes to open but what I saw can only be considered as chaos. I see people with mangled bodies while some are slowly roasted alive by the very magic that they thought would protect them. I recall that I had some companions with me and as that thought was finally processed by my sluggish mind, I realize that ‘she’ was nowhere to be found.

“Ali…? Where are you…?”

I call out her name as I walk around the burning village square. I see people running scared, clutching their children close to them as though the very notion of letting them go would kill them. I can’t blame them, I’m no good as an adventurer myself since I can’t even protect my teammates. I can feel panic building up inside my chest as I start to think that the worst happened to my companions. I can’t think that way. I reprimand myself. I guess I have to do whatever I can to keep myself awake. The smoke doesn’t bother me, it must be because of my training and my experiences in the field but what bothers me is the smell; the smell of a thousand burning corpses filled my head with images of dread and pain. It’s not helping, really.

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“Ke – *coughs* Keith!”

A familiar voice. I realize that the voice was calling for me so I prepared myself and ran towards the source. As I try to go around the burning corpses while avoiding the everfire that started this whole mess, I finally find the person who called my name.

“It’s…you…you’re okay...?”

I find my companion clutching someone familiar, someone dear to me. I can feel the exhaustion, panic and fear taking over me and I snap. I break apart only to be stopped by ‘her’ voice. I look behind me and I am reminded of the horrors of this ‘world’ and why I must be strong.

I take up my sword and activate my runes. I feel electricity and fire circulating from within and without of my body. I can do this. I have to do this.