There's a knock on the door. Fear pulses through my body, but I open it anyway. I already know who it's going to be.

It's Reuben. He snorts and runs around my legs. I go down on my knees.

"What's happening boy?" I ask.

He snorts again and then runs outside. I run after him.

Fire, explosions, monsters, and the Witherstorm. Its purple light pointing at Reuben, about to pull him up. I pull out my sword and jump for him, reaching for his hand. I reach it.

"Jesse!" Reuben says, but it isn't Reuben anymore. It's...Lukas.

Panic and fear take control.

"No!" I scream. My hands slips from his, and I fall into darkness. Words ring in my head.

You are a failure, a disgrace. You are useless. It is time to pay.

*******************************

I wake up with a start, and then wish I hadn't. Pain strikes at me like a knife, cutting deep into my soul. My head aches and I can barely breathe. I groan loudly and turn, grabbing my head in agony.

I feel hands on my shoulders and arms, trying to calm me down. I barely hear the voices and everything I see is a blur.

Another pain hits my neck, a smaller one. I realize it's an injection.

After a few moments I can breathe and see, but the pain still resides.

I'm in a hospital room with three nurses. One is tending to me and the two others are trying to hold back the door.

"Jesse!" A voice shouts. I recognize it. It's Axel. There's more banging on the door.

"You can't come in yet! She's still in critical condition!" One of the nurses holding the door shouts.

"We're the Order of the Stone! Let us in!" Petra screams.

The door breaks and the Order comes in, almost crushing the two nurses.

Axel, Olivia, Petra, Ivor, and Lukas come in. There's yelling and arguing, which makes my head almost ready to explode.

I put my hands to my head and shut my eyes.

"STOP IT!" I shout angrily, the pain increasing. I start to cough and my throats turns sore.

Everyone stops and looks at me. One of the nurses tries to calm me down but I push her away.

"Just stop. Stop." I say quietly. I breathe heavily and slowly. The pain continues to spread.

There's a moment of silence, and I have a chance to relax.

"What even happened?" Axel asks. I can already see him folding his arms.

"Yeah! We were worried sick!" Olivia cries.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. Lukas.

"Jesse?"

I turn to look at him. His blonde hair and blue eyes. His smile. I remember the dream and shut my eyes tightly.

"You can open your eyes." He says gently, pushing my hair out of my face. I open them, slowly.

Once I open my eyes he plants a soft kiss on the lips, quick but making my heart beat. My friends' eyes widen and their mouths droop. Then there's another shot of pain.

"Okay. Someone better start talking." Petra says, folding her arms across her chest. "Like, now."

"What happened?" Axel asks.

They all look confused and somewhat angry. I move to sit up, groaning as pain hits my chest. I cough.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure." Lukas says. "We were walking around town. Then we stopped at the fountain and an arrow came straight to us. Jesse...she saved my life."

"You don't-cough-know how happy it makes me to see you alive." I rasp, and try to smile.

"I was gonna say the same thing." Lukas replies.

Suddenly, there's more pain. I gasp and turn, shutting my eyes and grabbing my arms. I feel dizzy and my stomach lurches.

The nurse injects something on the other side of my neck. I try to breathe again.

"Are you okay?!" Olivia asks.

"What does it look like?" Axel replies. "She's in pain."

"Why don't you try sleeping Jesse? It'll make you feel better." Petra suggests. I shake my head quickly.

"No, no. I'm...I'm good. Just-keep talking. I'll try to tell you as much as I can." I say.

"What's the full story?" Axel asks. I breathe, and tell him the story, with coughing fits in between. I tell him where we went, and the arrow.

"If Lukas hadn't brought her here she would have been dead. She's lucky to be alive." The nurse adds.

"So the arrow just came out of nowhere?"

"Attempted murder!" Ivor screams. It's the first thing he said since he came here.

"What do you mean Ivor?" Petra asks.

"Of course! Isn't it obvious!? Someone's trying to kill Jesse! Or even Lukas! The arrow was even tipped with poison. A quick death if hit in the right spot."

I think about that, thoughts swarming through my head

"The arrow...it was aimed for Lukas." I say definitely. "I remember. I moved just in time."

"Then that means, someone's trying to kill Lukas!" Olivia cries and Lukas looks guilty. Everyone looks at him.

"Then it is my fault." He says softly. I grab his hand.

"No it's not." I reply firmly.

"Yes it is. No matter how much you deny it. It's my fault you almost died."

"You didn't chose for someone to kill you. So stop blaming yourself."

"But you do it all the time." He says and I shake my head in disbelief and anger. Someone gasps.

"You know why I blame myself?" I say quietly, but deadly. "Because that was my fault. Entirely. If I hadn't dropped that stupid sword, Reuben wouldn't have..."

I choke as I struggle to keep the tears away.

"And then you're trying to blame yourself for something wasn't your fault! When it wasn't! What could you have done?" I cry, and Lukas looks at me, surprised.

There's silence.

"I'm going to find whoever shot that arrow, and make them pay." He says finally.

"You'll just be putting yourself in more danger!" Olivia cries. I look him in the eye.

"No. You are not going. I'm not letting you get killed." I say firmly. "And as the leader of the Order of the Stone, that's an order."

I take his hand, but he looks away from me.

"I'm sorry Jesse, but this is one order I can't follow." He lets go of my hand and starts toward the door.

"Lukas stop!" I shout, pain making its way to my heart. I won't let him get killed. I won't fail again.

He looks at me, his blue eyes piercing through me, and exits, the door closing behind him. Shock and anger pulse through me. My rage explodes.

"Why didn't you stop him!?" I shout.

The Order looks at me. I stare daggers at them.

I start to feel pain everywhere. On the outside, as well as the inside. I start to shake violently, and close my eyes to darkness, those same words echoing my head.

You are a failure, a disgrace. You are useless. It is time to pay.

Yay a chapter! After all these years...nah I'm kidding. Thanks for your patience. It's really hard keeping up with all these stories and planning and school and life...

The reason why I'm doing two stories at a time is because I can, for those of you wondering.

Updates are whenever I have time or whenever I feel like it.

Anyway, what's gonna happen between Lukas and Jesse~? 

These two lovebirds had a quarrel hehe~