"Come on Anna, just breathe with me." Laurence was next to me the whole time. It had been forever, I wasn't even sure if I could do it anymore. "Focus!"
"I can't!" I stood up and walked away.
"Stop being dramatic." Laurence followed me. I was on the balcony of the fortress. "What are you looking at?"
"I forgot how beautiful it is here."
"Anna-"
"No, I'm serious. This was my home before O'Khasis. This is where I met you and Zenix. I forgot what it was like to be here." I took it all in. All the creatures, the lava and in the far distance the blues and purples. "I would still be here if it wasn't for you."
"I know, but shit went down and I knew we had to escape. We'd be dead if we didn't leave when we did. Where'd you go after that?"
"I ran straight to O'Khasis. It was the nearest village. Little did I know what would go down, but it's where I met Garroth." I looked down to the ring on my finger.
"When did you guys get married?"
"Not even a week ago." I twisted it around my finger. "But he's gone now."
"What?" Laurence turned to me.
"He's dead. Aphrodite killed him." My eyes widened. "Laurence."
"Anna."
"He's- the reality hasn't, I"
"I know. Come here."
"No, Garroth, he's-" The scream came out of my mouth before I could stop it and I fell to my knees. My hands gripped the handrail, pain coursing through my veins. Anger, sadness, betrayal all mixing together to concoct an unearthly feeling.
"Anna? Oh my Irene! ZENIX!"
—
This was it. We had tried our hardest but Affie was too strong. She has wounded Aphmau severely, Katelyn and I barely able to keep up with her attacks.  "Aw, look at you two, you know you can't beat me. Why are you still trying?" She came up to me and gripped my by my throat and picked me up. "What point are you trying to prove?"
"Aphrodite-" It was barely audible, the pressure she had on my neck was unbearable. "I love you, that's why- why I wanted to help you. That's why I have you the world." She froze, unable to speak. "I'm sorry." I drove my sword through her heart.
She gasped, her breath outward made the hair around my face move.
"Merek-" She dropped me to the ground. "How dare you! Who do you think you are? Playing with my emotions?!" She took the weapon out and dropped it, the clang against the ground ringing through the silence.
"But I do! Af- how can you not see that?!" My breathing was heavy. "I never wanted to marry any of the girls you brought me! I wanted you!!"
"Stop it! Stop talking! You agreed to it everytime!"
"Because I knew it made you happy to have another person added here. I did everything you ever asked! I just wanted you to be happy! The whole time, I've done this for you!"
"No- you're a liar!" She drew her weapon and came at me, without my sword, I couldn't defend myself. I knew my end would come, so I closed my eyes, waiting for my demise.
TING
What?
I open my eyes to see a woman. White hair, black armor and a sword bigger than her. "Don't touch him." Anna...
—
"If you want him, you'll have to go through me." I felt it, I felt that power from everything that I've been through. All my troubles finally came to prove what it was all for. This moment was the finale, the moment I've been waiting for.
"Who do you think you are? Challenging a goddess?"
"I'm the Jury's Angel, bitch." I bent down, bringing my sword down and drilling it right through her center. "How's that for being a puppet?" She looked at me in horror.
"What is this? What is it doing to me?"
"That my dear is Irene's divine sword. Made to kill the relic holders themselves. Including you." She fell to her knees as she looked up at me.
"But, how?"
I held out my hand and the Shadow Knights appeared. "Guys, help them!" I watched as they helped Aphmau, Katelyn and Merek assist everyone out and tend to the wounds they suffered. "Because, in case you didn't catch the drift when you tested me, I'm a grade A asshole. I never lose." I tilted her chin up as I withdrew my sword from her and put it in its hilt. "I fight for my family, not against them. I find every possible avenue I can in order to save them. That's something you'll never know."
"Anna!" I turn to Laurence to see him above Garroth's body. I sigh.
"Ha! I still won though, you lost him." Affie spit in my face, laughing at my grief.
"Actually, you lose on that too." I reach into the pocket of my armor and remove an amulet. "Jury code number 17. Always carry your nine lives."
"How'd you get that?" Katelyn and I made eye contact and my face softened. "Jeff-"
I only nodded as I stepped over to Garroth's body. "Come help me." Katelyn ran over as we broke open the vial and poured it in his mouth.
"You know what comes next." Katelyn looked at me, her eyes concerned.
"I'm aware. Jeffrey did it for you, now I have to do it for Garroth."
"I, Katelyn, of Phoenix Drop, member of the Jury Of Nine lend my power to grant Garroth a 2nd life."
My hands hovered over his chest. "I, Anna of O'Khasis, of Phoenix Drop, and of the Nether, member of the Jury of Nine hereby grant Garroth Life 2." I clasped my hands together and a flash of light came through causing all of us to double over and turn away. When it went away, I looked up at Katelyn and her eyes were focused somewhere else. Merek was kneeled over Affie's body.
"He loved her. I heard the whole thing." Katelyn and I looked back at each other. I felt bad for him, but she was gonna kill him if I hadn't of done something.
"How many do you have left?" Katelyn said it with remorse, she knew the answer.
"None, that vial was Jeffry's. He gave it to me the night he died." It's the last one I had." We both look down to Garroth. When we join the Jury, we're all given 9 vials that can either revive us, or another civilian of O'Khasis. I had used mine all up in my time serving. Mostly on civilians, but once on myself. Jeffry had 2 left, he used one on Katelyn in battle, and his last one had been with me since his death.
"Anna? Katelyn?" Garroth took in a shallow breath and slowly opened his eyes.
"Oh my Irene!" I tackled him right back down to the ground as he began to sit up. He pulled me onto his lap as he hugged me.
"Look at you my love, I like the new hair."
"Shut up." Our lips crashed together as we reunited. No matter how many times our lips met, they always molded perfectly together, making chills run up my spine. "I thought I lost you."
"It's gonna take a lot more than death for you to lose me dear. Let's go home shall we?"
"One last thing." I got up from my spot. "Merek?" He looked up at me, his eyes red with tears. "How would like to come home with us? You'll be safe, loved, and we could use you in our guard. Please. I can't bear to leave you here. We can take the townspeople too." He looked back down to Affie as I extended my hand. I closed my eyes and sighed. He'd never leave her behind.
I felt a warm palm grab onto mine as he stood up. "Thank you, for everything. For saving us."
"Thank you for saving me. Now let's go home Merek."
—

We all walked out of Shadespire, the townspeople, Merek, Aphmau, Katelyn, Garroth and myself. I knew that Phoenix Drop would prosper with the increase in numbers, this was good thing. I look up at Garroth and he smiled down at me, grabbing my hand, engulfing it in his own. "We did it love." I could only nod as I took in my surroundings. This was it, the ending of my story. All of the hardships were over and Garroth and I could try some of that life everyone tells us about.