I could hardly see through the clouds of ash and bright, orange flames that covered the entire town. The night sky was almost red from the blazes, and I could hear distant cries from the villagers. Oh gods. I remember wondering to myself how many innocent lives had already been lost. How many deaths could have been prevented if it weren't for those dreadful beasts? The more I thought about it, the more I felt that all hope was lost.

As I ran through the burning streets of Ylisse, trying to fight back tears, I directed myself towards the source of the screams. If anything, I had to save as many Ylisseans as I could, even if I couldn't bring back the ones who had already been slaughtered.

"Help us! Someone please help us!"

The cries were coming from inside one of the houses, and with them I heard a blood-curdling growl.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" I shouted back as I rushed up to the house. The door had been smashed to pieces. I pushed aside the broken shards of wood and entered, immediately greeted by an enormous axe. I dodged it swiftly and looked up to face my enemy, who was towering above me.

It was one of them. One of the monsters who had appeared out of nowhere, and had saught out to destroy everything that ever was. 'The Risen' was what they were called, and even though I'd already cut down several of them, they never ceased to make my blood run cold.

I drew Falchion from its holster and quickly locked blades with the beast. Sweat poured down my forehead as our weapons clashed. It was obvious that these things were getting stronger. As I fought the Risen soldier, I glanced over to the villagers who were cowering in the corner of the room, paralyzed with fear.

"Run!" I yelled at them. The Risen soldier saw that I was distracted, and took advantage of it by sending his axe flying towards my head. I barely ducked in time, but once I did, I wound my way around the monster and sent Falchion charging through its unprotected back. It fell to the ground and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, a unique phenomenon that occurs when a Risen soldier is killed.

Once I regained my composure, I turned to the two villagers who had still not moved from their spot. It was a mother and her baby. The mother was shaking, holding her child close to her. A look of fear and grief was etched on her face, and I couldn't help but soften my gaze as I looked upon her.

"Miss, you must go to borders!" I said, holding my hand out for her to grab. "There are more coming, and the sooner you leave, the better."

The woman took my hand without saying a word. Her legs trembled as she lifted herself up, still holding her baby close. We locked eyes for a moment. Tears were falling down the mother's face.

"Gods bless you, your Highness." She whispered, giving me a tiny bow. I gave her a small smile in return. Even though the world was falling apart in front of me, I was glad to have at least saved two lives that day. I remember thinking how proud Father would've been had he been there.

I gave the woman one last nod before we both rushed out of the house. When I got outside, I started making my way towards the castle at once.

The closer I got, the more screams I heard. My heart was pounding furiously inside my chest. If only Mother and Father were here, I thought. They'd know what to do. Even then, I knew that what I was doing was suicide, but that didn't stop me. I had to protect Ylisse at all costs.

When I got to the castle courtyard, I gasped, my eyes widening at the horrific display before me. Hundreds of Ylisse's best soldiers were fighting against the Risen, and it was obvious that they were at a huge disadvantage. I watched as a soldier was speared by one of the lance-wielding Risen, letting out a scream of agony as he fell to the ground.

Before I knew it, I was charging straight at the Risen soldier with Falchion in hand, screaming in rage. I heard a crunch as the sword went through its stomach. Without even a moment of hesitation, I took my sword out of the creature's body as it vanished and readied myself for another battle.

Just then, I saw that one of the Risen were towering over an Ylissean soldier, preparing to strike. I quickly ran up to the monster and stabbed Falchion through its midsection. Pushing the creature aside, I turned to the soldier who was staring at me with amazement. I knew at that moment that I had to take charge here, or else Ylisse was doomed.

"We can't let these things win," I told her with conviction. "Now grab a sword, and fight!"

The soldier picked up her sword which was sprawled on the floor across from her. She then stood up and gave me a salute, a new sense of confidence evident in her expression.

"Yes, your Highness!"

The battle went on for several minutes, and soon the Ylisseans finally had the upperhand. I was starting to believe that maybe there was hope. That maybe we could win this war once and for all.

That was until the dragon came.

As I was about to strike another Risen soldier, a cloud of white smoke swept over the courtyard, accompanied by a strong, hurricane-like wind. Ylisseans and Risen were blown away in all directions. I screamed as I fought to keep my balance, preparing myself for whatever it was that had caused this.

The wind was too strong, and I ended up falling to my knees. My mind was racing as I tried to grasp what was happening. That's when I heard a billowing voice.

"So ends the human race..."

I jumped to my feet and turned my attention to the sky, trying to find the source of the voice. I started to shake. Beads of sweat were trickling down my forehead, and I could hardly keep a grip on Falchion. Somehow, I knew who it was. I could feel within my bones that it was the monster who reigned terror over the world. The monster that ended the lives of my parents.

"The future is built upon the past, but your kind shall never see it!"

I was still trying to decipher where the voice was coming from. Fear was beginning to take over me. I had to remind myself to stay focused, but all I could think about were my parents, and how they died fighting the same beast that was before me. What hope could I possibly have to win?

My heart stopped as I felt the dragon's gaze upon me. Quickly, I turned my head and gasped in horror. I was face to face with Grima himself, his enormous, glowing red eyes meeting my own.

At that moment, I knew what I had to do. Holding Falchion in front of me, I looked to the sky, where the menacing dragon was hovering above me like a lion stalking its prey. I tried to remain calm as I readied myself for battle. The dragon's maniacal laughter filled my ears.

Though failure seemed to be inevitable, I was prepared to fight until the very end. For my parents. For Ylisse. For the world.