Estrella

Well, at least the hallway we've chosen seems to provide a straight path somewhere. Ben is the first to enter into the room ahead before I follow with Sade behind me...Wait, where's Chris? I'm just about to turn back around and find him, but a sadistic voice comes from the end of the room.

Facing the room once again, I notice a blue haired woman at the end of the room sitting on a throne wearing a very skimpy nightdress. That's kinda creepy. It's as if she's trying to seduce us...or at least the one male in our group.

"Well...looks like three new toys have finally arrived. A warm welcome to the Castle of Dreams!" she laughs out in that same tone I heard before facing her. Huh? I can't read her intentions for some reason... However, she introduces herself as Pyra, but immediately throws two dark orbs at Ben and Sade!

Sade immediately throws a shield magic spell up, but the orbs easily go through it before engulfing both her and Ben within the orbs...and they fall asleep almost instantly. I draw my blades before facing Pyra ready to slice her next projectiles into pieces. Her next dark orb flies at me, and I slash it in half...but it splits and forms two...then four...and it splits into ten before they converge on me. I'm hit by multiple dark orbs before feeling extremely drowsy. I pass out.

Upon opening my eyes, I'm back on the surface of Ephario...but something's strange. My chest is bloodied, and there's smoke and crashed dropships all around me. I pick myself up, but then I notice a group of people lying on the ground, and they're bled white. Most of them are regular soldiers I don't recognize, but I see Mahony! Quickly scrambling over, I notice that he has a variety of metal rods sticking out of his body with his longbow resting broken on the ground next to him.

No...how could this happen!? I just saw him an hour ago...Ah! I look at more of the corpses, more of my family and friends are revealed in gruesome fashion.

My parents had died in each other's arms, their lower bodies vaporized by magic bolts.

Ben had fallen on top of a large stone spike, where the stone pierced right through his chest.

Sade laid next to me, where her armor was shredded and her body was covered in cuts that were bleeding profusely...but she was long gone already.

I'm already throwing up and crying my eyes out...but one last body lies in the distance. Chris. I drag myself over to him before turning his face towards me...and his lifeless blue eyes stare back into my soul. My vision is going blurry now, but I can make out one thing...he's wearing the pendant I gave him on our first date together. Just as I reach out to grab it, it shatters into pieces. I break.

NOOOOOO!

Benjamin

One minute I'm fighting a succubus-like woman, and now I'm in Khore...Why? My thoughts are cut off with a sudden explosion. Chris is standing next to me, but he's not doing anything...Woah! There's a whole squadron of Predator Units looking up at me! Oh geez...am I supposed to lead them? Me? Nevermind, I gotta do it right now!

"Alright! Everybody take your standard formations and we'll head to the front lines!" I order, but nobody salutes or responds in kind. Instead…

"You? We're waiting for Chris to give us a proper order."

"Stand down you failure!"

Huh?...Why are they acting like this? Turning to Chris, he's still frozen like a statue. However, I turn around to notice my family...My mother, father, and Cecilia are all standing there…

"I'm really sorry for you Brother. Maybe I could play with you to make you feel better?"

"Your mother and I knew you'd fail like this...We don't need Cecilia going down the same sad path you did. Goodbye, Benjamin."

As they turn around...I fall to my knees and for the first time in awhile...I start to tear up.

"What have I done…"

Sade

Blood. Explosions. Turmoil. Those are some of the consequences of war...and they are never pretty. Some people say that having a past full of wonderful childhood memories will provide a retreat for those who become caught up in a life of war. I never believed that, and maybe that's why I grew up in a relatively normal fashion. I chased my dreams, found my talents, and met new friends. Team CEBS became close very fast after all.

Now I'll just say it. Those who told me to develop that past...Fuck you. Because upon trying to fight that revolting woman, I'm now surrounded by everything I hate about war. My childlike memories? They aren't helping me. And the worst part? I'm alone. Alone to deal with it without any help...Oh wait! I see Estrella! She has her blades drawn, and is facing a city where bombs are being dropped. I slowly approach her before she turns to look at me with a rage-filled face.

"Sis? Are you okay?" I ask, but those are the only words I can get out before she charges at me. Instinctively, I pull out Azure Edge before barely parrying both of her strikes.

Why is Estrella attacking me?! Dealing with the war is one thing...but fighting my sister? I can't do this! I can't..HGH!

Just as I hesitate, Estrella pierces my chest with both of her blades before kicking me off onto the cold, wet earth. I seemingly fall into a pit...a bottomless pit.

"How..could Estrella do something like that…"

Christopher

I've just caught up with the sounds of Team (C)EBS fighting when I notice all three of my teammates trapped in dark orbs, and they're all unconscious. There's a blue haired woman standing by each of them, observing them with a keen eye...as if she were getting ready to finish them off. I'm about to scream at her...but Noelia sends me a message via telepathy (wait, is it telepathy when they're a part of you?).

"That there, is Pyra. My older sister, and the Goddess of Nightmares. She likes to toy with people before sapping their magic energy...just like what she was doing to me in that vat. Be careful...I hope you'll escape your greatest fear, whatever it is." she explains, and then I try to sneak up towards Sade to pop her bubble...but Pyra spots me.

"Oh...another toy? Trying to save your friends are you?" I turn to see her preparing to throw one of those dark orbs at me...but I think I'll be able to handle it...maybe. The orb engulfs me as I lose consciousness.

I'm surrounded by darkness. Around me...a large pool of blood...and the corpses of people I've killed. Many Cardinal members. Random thugs. Corrupt business officials. Jerad's mother...and Zolo Yelick. The blood is already enough to churn my stomach and force me to throw up...but I remain calm.

After staying completely still for a few seconds...I feel a strange presence. Pyra pops into the dream and is hovering above me.

"Impressive. Maybe I'll make you my new body!" she cackles before charging towards me. However, Noelia pops out of my body in a...ghost form before confronting her sister.

"Forget it! He's already hosting me Pyra. You stay away!" Noelia screams while holding up a magic shield around me, stopping Pyra dead in her tracks. She seems to become furious, but I calmly reach towards the ground while dabbing my fingers into the pool of blood beneath me. Holding the red thick and sticky liquid, I make a tribal sign across both of my cheeks...and a bright light engulfs the darkness.

This is how to escape Pyra's nightmares. Confront one of your greatest fears, take control of it, and harness it's power. I may still have a violent reaction to blood and gore. The past will still haunt me no matter what...but that is a weakness I have.

And a weakness is just one more reason to keep getting stronger!