[Warning… You've entered Critical State!]

[Warning… You're suffering from Laceration, you must staunch the blood flow before you bleed out!]

[Warning… You have lost 50% of your mobility, you have been slowed by 80%]

[Warning… Your body will enter into Shock in twenty seconds]

[Warning…

[Warning…

…

The innumerable notification continued popping as I gazed at the massacre that my own arrogance caused. Here, in the depth of what could be described as hell on earth, I watched, with one leg, and one arm left, with many broken ribs, and a burnt face, I watched with whatever minuscule vision I had left. I watched as my beloved was split in half in front of me while I couldn't move a muscle to help.

I watched as my friends and comrades were crushed, broken, bent and twisted, I watched.

I watched with the inability to even mourn, or cry, not to mention try and save them, I was unable to, for no man can witness this atrocity and remain sane.

My own greed, my own pride, my own blind trust in my oh-so-meager power…it was the cause of this.

We fought, for twenty years, we fought, battled demons and creatures that came and ended life as we once knew it in our world. But we still fought, banded together, made friends and many enemies, yet we all fought for one cause, to end this suffering and finish off the reason for this invasion once and for all.

We grew mighty, we grew strong but ultimately, we grew complacent, full of hubris and the fake notion of power. How can a person be proud of being able to lift a truck, when this monster can easily shake a skyscraper? How can a person be proud of being able to heal a broken arm in a day when this monster can reverse cause and effect and make the same wound never to have happened in the first place?

How can a man be proud of being able to control the elements when this monster can easily manipulate the Soul of Elements? How can we be so blind to think that these weak, utterly laughable, and utterly useless powers we have were even worth using against it? We would have had no different end if we had washed our necks for him, or if we struggled for our lives. Because, not even the accumulation of all of our power, experience, and might was even worth it for this thing to even consider us as a threat.

We were, utterly, completely, and totally out of our depth, league, and level. We're nothing but ants in the presence of the mighty, no matter how vexing, no matter how irritating, no matter how unfair, I had to admit. For today, the very day that I'll die, I saw true divinity, I saw power beyond what I could have ever dreamed of, and I saw defeat plain and simple. Here and now, as I gazed upon this abomination.

A creature that was as tall as a regular person, with skin as white as porcelain, a face without lips and jaws that held razor-sharp fangs, it had a tail behind it that swayed leisurely like a cat on the hip of its owner, another insult to our futile attempts.

The creature looked at me and it smiled, a smile that was so wretched, so ugly and so frightening that my heart felt like it was gripped with fingers made of steel and colder than ice.

Its smile grew and stretched until the very skin on its face broke, as his smile reached his face.

"SSSS-struggle well, SSS-strugglers, for you've come and met your-rrrr ends-ssss" the creature spoke in that very same voice that caused us nightmares the moment we stepped into this place.

"For-rrr my king had ordered me-eeee to come and cleansssse this placeeee, out of fear for humanity'sssss potential, but my king is too cautioussss, for…I see nothing but weaklingssss…" the creature said and I couldn't refute him.

The creature came and stood in front of me as I gasped for breath. My only functional knee could barely carry my own weight as I looked up at the creature that none of our weapons could heavily wound it.

The creature laughed as it looked at me, "You were the one that had the most promisssssse, so I had to break everyone around you, so that you'll see how futile, how vainnnnnne and how utterly incapable can you beeeee, have you learned yet, humanssssss? You're nothing but sources of food, slavesssss and a workforccccce that should never raise its head.

The creature walked towards me with hands held forward, mocking my very existence, "This position, kneeling, is all you should have done from the day you were born. Kneeeeeeel to your bettersssss, kneeeeeeeel to your lordsssss, kneeeeeeeel and forever kneeeeeel, kneeeeeel until your bonessss break, kneeeeeel and beg for mercyyyyys, for your life'ssss, value is nothing more than the dirt on the very ground you're kneeeeeling on."

While his words sounded true in his head, he forgot one thing.

I looked at the monster and said, "In any other case, I would have knelt, but you know there is one thing you don't understand about humans." I said as I grit my teeth and looked at the yellow piss-like color of his eyes, "Is that we're the most spiteful motherfuckers in the universe," and I jumped the creature.

Even with a single-arm, and a single leg, even if I couldn't fight or win, I had to, at least, land a blow, no matter how small how insignificant, and how futile, I'll never go down without at least landing a blow.

But the creature was fast and immediately grabbed my extended arm.

"Fool," he said and thrust his hand into my abdomen, easily breaking my armor and penetrating into my innards.

Though I spat more blood than I thought I had in my body, the fire in my eyes was still lit. Even if I were to welcome death today, I'll never go down without a fight.

As he had my only hand caught in his hand, the only weapon I had left was my teeth, and I bit on the motherfucker's neck like a vampire that hungered for a thousand years.

I bit my teeth into his skin that felt like it was harder than stone, but mere spite, and anger, not against it, but against my weakness, helped me clench my jaws tighter, even while my teeth broke, I bit harder until I drew blood, I bit, until tooth connected to tooth, I bit and pulled while the monster screeched and threw me off.

As I fell, dying, and with a disgusting piece of meat from the monster's neck In my throat, I smiled, for the first time this day. Even if I were to die, I'll at least die knowing, that I landed a blow against it.

Though not many strong people remain in this world, if they see the damage on his neck, they'll know he is not invincible…

I closed my eyes as I breathed my last. For I no longer had any attachment to this world. Perhaps I'll meet my friends again, in hell or in heaven. Right now…I'll rest.

I deserve it, I fought for a long time, I fought enough, I deserve a bit of darkness.

…

...

...

...

"Hey wake up! You slept enough already, you'll miss your exams!" I heard. It was the voice of someone that I've missed, it was the voice of someone that I haven't heard in more than two decades. Though tired as I was, I forced my eyes open, even if it was an illusion, if it was her, it's more than worth suffering this illusion.

University? Exams? how long was it since I attended university? It's been so long I can't even remember.

I opened my eyes into a room that I was way too familiar with, as looked forward, there was a middle-aged woman with small wrinkles on her face but they never dulled her beauty, for me, she was the most gentle and caring person in this world.

"Mom," I said as I smiled "I missed you."

"Wow, that's some creepy stuff to say right as you wake up, are you not feeling good? Are you sick?" she said as she placed her hand on my forehead.

The moment she touched my forehead, I felt her hand, and the sense of touch is impossible within illusions, and I shot up from my bed, looking around like a cornered cat, unbelieving of what was going on, "What the hell? I'm… no way!" I said as I looked at my skinny forearms.

"There is no way!" I said as I looked at my still alive mother.

I grabbed her face, as if afraid that she will disappear the same way she did back then, as I looked at my stunned and slightly frightened mother my tears couldn't help but fall.

"I'm…back…."