The next couple of weeks were the best Phoenix had ever had in The New world. He loved being part of the Honor Guard. The four of them loved going on dungeon raids and killing monsters. The four of them were currently farming monsters in the forest, whilst trying to toughen Suki up. The monster they were facing was a mutated Venus flytrap. It had three large heads, razor sharp teeth, and was over seven feet tall. Phoenix, Jonny and gander surrounded it, while Suki was supposed to go in for the kill. But Suki was far too scared to fight. She had a sword a shield, but she was still petrified at the creature that stood before her.

"Suki, it's all yours" Gander yelled with glee. But she didn't move'. "Suki, it's right there." Jonny said trying to encourage her. Phoenix couldn't tell why Suki was so afraid, he'd seen her take on this type of monster before, why would she be afraid now? "Suki, snap out of it!" He yelled. She seemed to come back for a moment, but one of the head smashed against her shield, causing her to fall over. "I've got it." Phoenix said, leaping forward and swinging his sword. All three heads dropped to the floor and it disintegrated.

Being the thirty seventh monster they'd killed that morning, they decided to go home. "Not bad everyone, though Suki you may need some more confidence training." Gander said trying to lighten the thick mood. "Yeah Suki, what made you freeze up back there?" Jonny asked. Phoenix knew he shouldn't say anything. But he did observe how Suki reacted to the questions. She didn't, she didn't even hear them. Phoenix gave Gander a look saying 'Best leave it."

They went back to the town, they were now on floor eleven. The major guild had seriously stepped up their game in taking out the dungeons and the bosses. But the quick floor changes was having its effect on their little guild. Barely having enough time to level up. But Suki was now level forty, and with Phoenixes help she had started selecting the right perks. Gander and Jonny were levelling up like crazy and both of them were almost level fifty like most players, but Suki was lagging behind. Truth be told he was really sacred for Suki. Ever since he'd arrived in the guild, they'd been the closest and they understood each other. They even had some of the same hobbies in the outside world, like mixed martial arts, drawing and photography.

When the guild had some downtime they would take pictures of the guild and then recreate it one paper. Hell he and Suki even had the occasional hand to hand fight. Fighting wasn't Suki's problem, it was her courage and confidence. She was constantly undermining herself, and she doubted her abilities. But the freezing in mid battle was new. But as soon as she was attacked she fell apart. Phoenix wasn't sure if he should ask yet. The four of them entered the town. It was quite large, it was a safe zone, so being killed was impossible, and it was beautiful. The town and most of the buildings were made out of a soft looking white granite, a small river ran through the town. Three was one small bridge separating the two halves, and three were allot of cherry blossom trees scattered across town. They were still staying in taverns, but they were pooling their money soon so they could all buy a house soon.

The first thing Gander and Jonny did was hit the bar. It was well deserved, they'd killed quite a few monsters today. But he could still give them hell for it. "You know, were never going to get that house if you two don't get your drinking under control." Phoenix joked. "And you need to be less of a light weight." Jonny shot back. Phoenix acted like he'd been shot. "Ow, that sting pall." Phoenix said clutching his chest grinning. "Are you going to get some sleep?" Gander asked. "Yeah, I'll be down for dinner." Phoenix said leaving them to their daily drinking game.

Phoenix entered his room and lay down in his bed. He was trying to figure out what happed. Two days ago Suki had killed the same monster, but today she was petrified. He thought back to the previous day. They had gone dungeon diving. Looking for good items and loot. They had run across a few pieces of amour and a new sword for Suki. But that was it. Wait no something else happened. They had met a group of players who were in the middle of battle. They were up against a giant crocodile monster. They had joined the battle and were winning. But two of the players had gotten to close and had gotten killed. That might not be it.

No it was, when they had died they had landed at Suki's feet. Suki's odd behaviour had begun after they had left the dungeon. Something about that death had messed with Suki's head. He hadn't been able to fight since that particular incident. "Hm, I guess I can let her get some rest, then we can talk." Phoenix said to himself. Going into his settings and put away his weapons, shoes and shirt. He had to do his fitness routine. Sixty sit-ups, thirty Push-ups, thirty chin-ups on the rafters of his room, and four minutes in a planking position. He knew it was only a digital world, but every time he did this he increased his strength and speed. After that he got some sleep.

But Phoenix didn't dream. Recently he'd only been having nightmares. They started back to the Spawn city, just after the announcement of the game being hacked, and the new conditions. Phoenix saw player after player run from the city and throw themselves off into the abyss below. Phoenix felt their hopelessness, he saw them laughing to their deaths, overcome with madness and grief. He saw other players tear each other apart, anger coming over them. He watched helplessly around him as it happened.

Then the scene switched. To a memory Phoenix could never forget. It was the third day in The New world. He had gone out hunting for food. But when he was deep in the woods, he had been attacked by two players. The crystals above their heads were red, they both wore hood, both held long sharp knives, and both of them had the symbol of a blue mask with black and red eyes tattooed onto the back of their wrists. It was like some sort of branding. The two of them had intended to kill him. The red crystals proved that. They had killed many a time before, and only three days in.

"Who are you." Phoenix had demanded. "We are simple foot soldiers of the death guild, the Eyeless Jack Guild." The first had said his eyes filled with a mad excitement. "We are hunters, murderers, and wolves in this flock of sheep." The Second had said. Clearly he was clearly not mentally stable either. "Look, I'm just looking for food, just let me go, no blood has to be spilled." Phoenix had told them, but he reached for his sword, knowing how this was going to end. The first one had lunged at him quickly with his knife. Phoenix had swiftly sliced down on his arm. Completely separating the limb from the body. They didn't even seem to notice. They just went at him again. But this time he went for the throat. They had died in an instant. The second fighter didn't care that his friend had died. He just laughed and stabbed Phoenix in the stomach. And when he didn't fall, they jumped on him and began to strangle him. Phoenix was pinned, the only thing he could do was try and stun them. He had punched them in the throat, and then used an open palmed strike for the second hit.

But this was back when Phoenix still wore his wrist blade. The blade had gone completely through his neck. Crushing his Adams apple and his windpipe. Phoenix shuffled back in horror as he saw the blue glowing mark in the boy's chest. Christ, he couldn't have been more than twelve. After he had died Phoenix had simply thrown up. Disgusted with what he had done. He'd cried for weeks afterwards, he'd just killed them so easily, like it was nothing. Yes, it had been in self-defence, but that didn't make it any easier.

Then came the next part of his dream, the ghost of the dead players. They surrounded them. There were ten of them. Players he'd seen die. Most of them had died in boss battles, dungeon dives, or by his hand. Among them was Aeron, and the two PKers he'd killed. They all stood around missing bits and pieces, bloody gouges, missing eyes, missing limbs, and vicious cuts and gashes all over their bodies. Around him they began to chant. "The mighty Phoenix, the special player, with the hacker's approval, so brave, so powerful, so weak." The taunted him. "Stop it, stop it now." Phoenix said spinning around in panic. Trying to run but his feet were glued. "You let us die, you killed us, you probably wanted us to, take the win, take out the competition." The cackled. "No that's not true, stop it, I don't want to kill anyone." Phoenix cried desperately trying to move. "Oh, says the boy with three lives on his hands." The voices said in a mocking tone.

Phoenix fell to his knees. "Stop, please, I would do anything to take back those deaths, anything to undo my wrongs." Phoenix sobbed into his hands. "You could have saved all of us, especially Aeron, you could have forced him to accept the health, but you let him fall." The said leaving a small snigger afterwards. Phoenix had had enough. Standing to his feet he ran past the ghosts was plunged into darkness.

When he could see again, he saw three people. He recognised them immediately. Jonny, Gander, and Suki. Jonny and Gander were on the ground, bloody and wheezing. They both had on of Phoenixes throwing knives in their chests. Jonny and ganders health were red, and Suki was crying over them. "Why?" Jonny wheezed as his exploded into pixels. "Phoenix, why, were, your, friends." He heaving with each breath. And he too died. Suki was left crying. He stood there for a minute. Then Suki stood up. She looked exactly like the ghosts.

No eyes, crying blood, missing an arm, holes going through her body, and random wounds all over her body. Phoenix wanted to scream, shout, and fall to the ground. But he couldn't, he was held in place. But as she drew closer, he could stand again. "You killed them." She said slowly, emotionlessly. "No Suki, I would never, you guys are my friends." Phoenix wailed as she grew closer. "They were your friends, and you killed them, without a second thought." She said smiling in a truly wicked way. "Suki you know I couldn't do this." He pleaded.

Suki was now only a foot away from him. "Oh no, then why did you kill me?" She asked looking at her stomach. Phoenix looked down, and saw his sword going directly through her, blood oozing out through the wound. His a hands were bloody, and so were his clothes. He looked back up as Suki who had gone limp, and her lips were contorted into a cruel smile. Phoenix let go of the sword and his whole body began shaking. "NO, NO, NO." He screamed.

Suddenly he was back in his room. He had broken out in a cold sweat, his heart felt like it was going to explode. There was a heart rate warning hovering over his head. It was nearly at two hundred beats a minute. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and he was sobbing into his knees. "Phoenix, Phoenix, are you alright." A voice said from behind his door. "I'm fine, just give me a second." He said, trying to gather himself. Wiping of the sweat, putting on a shirt, and calming himself down until he stopped crying and the heart waring had gone away. He answered the door, and behind it stood a very worried Jonny and Gander. "Phoenix, are you ok? It sounded like you were being murdered in there." Gander said looking around Phoenixes room. "Yeah, I was just about to bust the door down." Jonny said wide eyed. "Yeah, sorry, just a nightmare." Phoenix said calming down. That's all it had been, a nightmare, it wasn't real. "We were coming to get you and hear you screaming your head off." Jonny aid turning a bit more serious.

Phoenix opened his settings and checked the time. "It's a little early for dinner, its only half past five." He said confused. "Dinner can wait, Suki's missing." Gander Said. A sense of dread fell over Phoenix, missing. "Have you gone looking for her?" He asked panicked. "We were going to ask you too, you're allot closer to her than us, despite the fact we've known her longer." Gander replied. "But, I think we should go and look for her now, you look pretty shaken up." Jonny said placing a hand on Phoenixes shoulder. Phoenix pushed past them and went down stairs, swapping his pyjamas for his normal attire. "No, I need something to distract me, I'll find her." He called running outside.

Phoenix used the friend tracker in his settings and flowed the blue icon. She was inside the town, that was for certain. As Phoenix got closer he saw her. She was under the bride in the middle of the town, wearing her normal attire, knees to her chest, crying. Phoenix jumped down onto a small stone path just above the water level, leading under the bridge. "Suki, what's going on? You've given us all a fright." Phoenix said trying to sound positive. She looked up at him and her crying slowed. "Phoenix, can you sit with me?" She asked. Slowly he walked over and sat next to her knees draw like hers.

"Suki, what's wrong." He asked nervously. She looked up at him, there was no light in those eyes, no hope. "Phoenix, I'm tired, tired of the death, tired of the fighting, and tired of facing death at every single corner." She whispered. Phoenix sat there speechless. This wasn't the strong, confident girl he'd seen yesterday, killing monsters and taking names. "Phoenix, we need to run away, away from all this death, away from the fighting, away from The New World." She said looking into the water below them.

Phoenix almost jumped. "Suki, you don't mean suicide do you?" He said frozen in fear. She just chuckled. "Is it really such a farfetched idea?" she said looking into Phoenixes eyes. "Yes it is, there is a chance we can beat this game go home, live in peace again, that's something worth fighting for." Phoenix urged, trying to pull her away from this train of thought. "Phoenix, what is the point? Fighting for a future we will never see? I will die long before we get there, you and the others are strong, and someone weak like me dies in situations like this." She whimpered.

Phoenix couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Suki, I will not let you die, I will train you to fight and survive, and lay down my life if I have to, you will make it out of here, I promise you." Phoenix swore. Suki looked a little confused. "Why do you care so much? Why do you even bother with me?" She said starting to tremble. "Suki, I care about you, so much, I know you can survive, and I will keep it that way, because I have lost too much already, and I refuse to lose you as well." Phoenix said pulling her into a hug before she started crying. "You really mean that?" She wept. "Yes I do, I will do anything to ensure you make it out of this hell." He said, lifting her off her feet and taking her back to the inn. And once Gander and Jonny were satisfied with the half story Phoenix gave them, he tucked Suki into bed and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, he went to sleep as well.