text: [Themes: grimdark fantasy, grimdark, fantasy]
  
  "Hmm. Vomiting, convulsions, foaming," Jaina ponders to herself. The soldiers around her remain silent. "Let's see here." She weaves her arms into a spell, whispering arcane words under her breath. Blue light floods from her palms into the book—rather, the light coats the book in a thin layer of magic. It hovers a moment before dissolving, the defensive curse gone with it.
  
  Jaina speaks again, this time towards the nearest soldier. "Well, what are you waiting for? Pick it up."
  
  The man glances at his dead colleague and gulps nervously. He slowly approaches the book and timidly reaches his arms out, keeping his head as far away as possible, like it's going to spring up at him. Two gloved hands wrap around a black tome. Noticing his eyes are involuntarily closed, the man peers an eye open. Realizing he's, in fact, not dead, a smile breaks across his lips. "For you, milady," he says with more confidence than before, offering the book to Jaina.
  
  This is our chance. Jaina was kind to take care of the magical defenses for us. She's exposed; take the shot. The ever-familiar weight of your bow focuses you in the moment. Many hunts, many situations it's gotten you out of. The weapon has saved your life countless times, in more than just physically dangerous circumstances. It's a symbol of your chance at redemption. Perhaps one day that'll lie at the end of a hunt.
  
  She left. Betrayed you to search for a life of adventure. Ironically, that's the very life you lead now, catapulted into such a life after she left. What she seeks for was right in front of her, led astray by fanciful thinking and imagination. You hope she found it. Then at least one of you could have what you want. What you seek is seemingly just out of reach, always so, moving slightly further away with each outstretch of the arm. Peace. Contentment. Quieting of the mind.
  
  Your muscles flex with the bowstring draw. Once, a full draw was taxing on your arms. Once, nocking an arrow took deliberate attention. Now, both are handled with ease. It's nothing more than tying the strings of your boots. Bow drawn, arrow released.
  
  The instant it's sent, you know it'll land true. Countless arrows fired alert you to that fact. It's a feeling. Steady hold. Target lined up. Breath exhaling. Smooth release, automatic, like the weapon knew when to loose the arrow. The string slides from your fingers, rubbing where heavy calluses have been built up. No jerk. No pull. Just release. Its trajectory is absolute.
  
  The arrow flies through the air directly towards the back of Jaina's head, still uncovered by her hood. Impact. No blood. Like glass shattering, the arcane protection Jaina casted explodes in a shower of light. Your arrow falls harmlessly to the floor. Jaina turns, meeting your eyes. She flashes you a smile.
  
  "I was wondering when you'd show up," she says. "You know, you should have told me Richter gave you the cube. We could have traveled here together. You wouldn't be able to pass the keep's defenses otherwise."
  
  Your eyes narrow. "What do you know about the cube? Were all of you hunting the Spirit of Truth for it?"
  
  Jaina laughs. "In a word, yes. Do you really think that 'deadly' medical center provided much of a threat against Lord Tiras? Propaganda. All of it. Meant to lure someone with your skillset to lead us straight to the man. You always did focus too much on the task in front of you. You should really learn to look beyond the immediate."
  
  The soldiers accompanying Jaina shuffle their feet in nervousness. Not against you suddenly appearing. Against the fact that Jaina revealed their master's less-than-noble approach to obtain the cube. It's obvious who their allegiance lies with.
  
  Anger fills your mind. Anger against being used. She used you. Lord Tiras used you. Your traveling companions, Maxxx, Jaina, and Richter, used you. You aren't some child's toy to be played with. You should really learn to look beyond the immediate. Jaina's words. You're open to the advice. Your life hasn't gone in the direction you've wanted so far. Might as well change things up a bit. Jaina's words were meant as a taunt, but hell, you're going to put them to good use.
  
  Your life flashes before your eyes, similar to how men speak of near-death experiences, although in your case, it's in the opposite direction. You imagine a year from now, two, five even. In which direction are you heading? Will it be a constant cycle, taking job after job to keep yourself busy, to keep the mind occupied so it can't look inward?
  
  You've hunted men, exchanging blood for coins. It's always been known who the true enemy is, however. The true enemy lies within. It's the part of you that pulls towards self-destructive behavior. It's the part of you that ignores those who offer a hand out while you're lost in darkness. Will you continue the endless, inward fight or will you learn to change the battlefield?
  
  Questions, too many questions pour into your mind. The future is uncertain. It holds many possible paths. You care little where it leads you as long as the enemy within can be conquered. You should really look beyond the immediate. You have. Jaina stands in your way, a mere obstacle on your way to self-mastery.
  
  Her shield is down. Fire another. You pull another arrow from your quiver, firing it with your next breath. It flies across the cavern directly at Jaina. At the last moment, one of her soldiers jumps in front of the sorceress and blocks the arrow with his shield. First deal with the soldiers. Most of them carry shields, so your bow will not be effective from your current location.
  
  After the first fell to the book's curse, there are six left. Katia postures to fight alongside you, but you wave her back. She'll just be a liability. A distraction, drawing your attention away. She still holds her crossbow, though. One lucky shot from her will make things significantly easier. Shields raised, the six converge on your position. They're approaching quickly. Too quickly. Jaina must have whispered a few arcane words in their direction.
  
  You only have time to fire one arrow, aiming low, underneath the shield of the nearest soldier. It pierces through his left greave, sending the man sprawling to the floor, magical speed thrusting him into a harder fall. Tossing your bow aside, having no time to properly sheathe it, you draw your blade ready to meet the soldiers' onslaught.
  
  With your recently experienced foresight, you're not about to passively engage the soldiers. True, you're outnumbered. The soldiers' chainmail is much more protective than your light leather. And they have the support of a magic-wielder. The odds are highly against you. If this is how your story ends, hell if you won't go without a fight. You match their charge with your own, parrying several sweeps as you meet.
  
  Your willingness to take the offensive surprises them for a moment. That's all you need. You direct all your attention towards a soldier on your left, abandoning the others with a series of fury-filled heavy swings. He manages to block the first three, but then you break through, the fourth swing landing at the base of his neck. Not counting the man hit by your arrow, four to go. Your mind becomes a rush of memories. A flow state emerges, one that takes your mind from the present moment and the soldiers before you.
  
  Soft hands in your embrace. Tender kiss on your lips. Warmth of her body against yours. A strange outlook took hold. Suddenly, the world around you was full of opportunity. Hope. Each person in passing, each circumstance was a chance to experience more with her. That in itself took away the mundane. Nothing lacked excitement when she was near. (Faintly, you're aware a bolt from Katia's crossbow hits a soldier in the neck.) Then she started acting differently. You could tell. Your minor quips didn't result in smiles. She seemed restless in your arms, a mind divided from the life she lived. Divided from you. Your best attempts weren't good enough. Desperately, you tried to fill the gaps in her mind with your own. She left, taking it with her. Now you're left in the cold with a mind split. Fragmented. Lost.
  
  Back to reality. You stand alone, bodies laying unmoving at your feet. No, not alone. Katia comes alongside next to you, putting the finishing touches on one fallen soldier still clinging to breath. Your eyes meet. Words remain unspoken. The biggest threat of all still remains. Jaina.
  
  "How romantic," Jaina comments towards the two of you standing in pooling blood. "I do believe your little star-crossed journey has reached its final destination. There's no 'happily ever after' in your future. I'm sorry, my former friend, but this is where you die."
  
  Jaina's hand crackles with electricity. Blue tendrils release from her outstretched arm. You have a split-second to decide a course of action.
  
  > tackle Katia out of the way
  There's no time to think. She stood by you in the end. Long have you traveled to arrive here. Perhaps it's due to your recent flood of memories or the fact that you might not make it out of the keep alive. But damn if you won't act for someone else for once, at least since she left you. Putting all your strength into the maneuver, you wrap your arms around Katia and tackle her to the ground.
  
  Searing pain. The bolt of energy lands squarely into your back, severing your spine and paralyzing you instantly. Blood from the soldiers splash in the air as you fall, dying the side of your face in red, like warpaint. Katia pinned underneath you, face and clothes painted the same red, attempts to push you off of her.
  
  She's too slow, however. And in your state, you're unable to aid. Jaina's boots echo in the cavern as she approaches the pair of you.
  
  "And to think, she would have betrayed you. It wouldn't be the first time if my sources are correct," Jaina says. "I didn't expect such heroics from you. Do you really care about her that much? Our own journey, short as it was, never saw you putting yourself in harm's way for one of us. I doubt you would have risked your life for Maxx, that big old softy. No matter. You'll both be dead soon."
  
  Katia finally manages to roll out from underneath you, but that leaves you face first in a pool of blood. You struggle to breath, the blood trying it's damndest to drown you. A death of your own making. Such clarity only comes with the end. This must truly be where your journey ends.
  
  "You know nothing of me," Katia answers back.
  
  Jaina laughs. "I know you'd likely steal my reward if left to your own device. I know your only reason for leading us here is because you're too weak to complete the mission on your own."
  
  Katia led them here?
  
  "Wrong. I lured you here to end the search. Plus, I needed a few expendable men to help dispose of the traps," Katia says, alluding towards the soldiers around you. Does that include us? "The book taken, his prized whore dealt with, Lord Tiras will have no choice but to abandon the search. Once I learn of the book's secrets, it will be too dangerous to continue the pursuit."
  
  "Fool. You don't understand the arcane. Reading the book's contents will likely result in your destruction."
  
  "Perhaps," Katia wonders aloud. "One way to find out for certain. After dealing with you, of course." A struggle ensues. Arcane magic fills the cavern in response. You don't live long enough to see the victor.