I awoke. Or so I thought.

"Ugh. . ." I groaned, then looked around. "Huh? I'm awake? Where am I?" Then I saw myself, crying.

"I don't know, why does everyone have to involve me?! I'm just a mage! All I wanted was to learn more about magic!"

I realized then I was in a flashback, a memory.

"I-I remember this. . ." I said to myself. Then I saw Lass step forward, but then. . . stop.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Let's go, we'll find Elesis on our own."

"W-Wait, what?" I said.

Lass, Ronan, and Ryan started to just leave me there, crying. . .

"W-Wait, what's going on?!" I asked. And then, I, myself, entered the flashback, still crying. The emotion flooded into me. No. . . Lass! Come back!

"A-Ah, no!" I cried. "Why are you leaving me?! L-Lass, wait!" Ronan looked back, eyes filled with sympathy.

"Go away." Lass' voice was like ice, and it shot through me like a dagger. "We don't need you anymore, and you don't need us. We're not a part of Grand Chase anymore, remember?"

"P-Please. . . I. . ." I said.

They turned and walked away, disappearing into the forest.

"N-No, Lass! Wait, please! C-Come back!" I begged. No, why, Lass, why?! I didn't mean what I had said! I need you!

I fell over sobbing. "P-Please, c-come b-back. . ." I don't know why, but I began to cry even harder. There was laughter in the air, sounding like Lass, but it wasn't right.

"W-W-Who's t-there?!" I demanded between sobs. Then it grew white, and I was in another memory.

"N-No, not again," I whispered.

A blue aura bumped against a jail cell, but it couldn't fit.

"What is it?" Ronan grabbed the aura and pushed it backward so he could see it.

I whimpered.

Inside was Lass, body lying in a puddle of blood, skin stained by the thick, red liquid. Lass' eyes were open, unblinking, lifeless, blood pouring from his nose. He was still breathing.

The aura circled about Lass body. Ronan cut the bubble in half, letting the aura out, and it entered Lass' body.

He let out a loud gasp, and began to sputter out blood. Then he let out a loud scream.

"Lass! I cried out.

Ronan pried the bars apart and used his Holy Inferno, bathing Lass in a soft, blue light, but it didn't help

Lass kept screaming, crying, tears of blood falling from his eyes. He squirmed and struggled in the blood.

"Damn it, why won't it work?!" Ronan cried out, frustrated.

I covered my ears, and closed my eyes. "This isn't real, this isn't happening, it's only a dream, a horrible, terrible, aching nightmare that won't let me out. . ."

Even with my eyes closed and ears covered, I could still see and hear. Lass continued to gasp for air, but then his screams were drowned out as a massive amount of blood escaped from his mouth.

"Lass, stay with us!" Ronan cried. "Damn it, where's Ryan!" Ronan began to panic.

"Please, oh please, let this be over. . ." I begged.

Soon, Lass grabbed Ronan's wrist and looked up at him, eyes filled with pain.

"No, wait, Lass, no!" Ronan's voice was filled with pain.

Lass eyes dropped to look out of the cell. His gaze rested on me, before his eyes widened, then closed halfway, staring at me as his last breath escaped his lips.

"Lass!" Ronan cried out.

"Why can't I wake up?!" I screamed. "Why?!"

I saw Ronan grab Lass and shake him, tears flowing down his face. "Agh, no!"

"No, no, no, no!" I cried out desperately. Then, I bit my hand, as hard I could, tasting the salty tang of blood.

Then the scene changed on me. I thought I woke up, because it was the same place I was in, before I had fallen into this hellish nightmare. The Dark Mages were all gone, and in the cage, only Sieghart was there.

"S-Sieghart?" I called out, hesitantly. "Where is everyone?"

"We're the only ones here," Sieghart answered.

"B-But the others?" I asked.

"Ronan, I broke his leg." Sieghart looked down before continuing. "Elesis and Lire, I don't know. . . When I woke up, only you were here. Ryan either." He shook his head.

"W-Why did you break Ronan's leg?" I asked, then realized something. "Wait, h-he was left behind at the forest. . . as was Ryan."

"I was possessed, but I experienced it all." With a sigh, Sieghart lay down on his back, staring at the roof of his cage.

"W-Where is everyone. . ." I asked. "Where. . . Lass?"

"Lass? Who's that?" Sieghart asked. No. . .

"Y-You know him," I said. "The white-haired male. . . The assassin, thief. . . Him?"

"Never met him." What happened. . .? "Don't think I'd like him though."

"B-But. . . What about Jin then?" I asked.

Sieghart looked down. "You were there, weren't you?"

"Where?"

Sieghart squeezed his eyes shut. "When I had to speak to the Kaze'aze. . . through Jin. . . About how. . . Ryan was put into a coma and sent nightmares. . ." No, that wasn't Ryan!

"No, that was Lass!" I shouted.

"No. . ."

"Yes it was! I-I was there! Lass was the one who was in a coma. . . not Ryan. . ." I squeaked out the last words.

"Jin's dead. . ." Sieghart said, as if I never spoke. What?! "It's my fault. . ."

"No, we saved him. . ." I said. "We saved Jin!" Then I stopped. "Wait, t-this is just another nightmare. . . I-It's just a nightmare. . ."

"I would hope so. . . I'd love to wake up right now. . . Jin. . ." Sieghart covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry I killed you. . ."

"I hate this, I want to wake up. . ." I whispered. "I want to see everyone again. . ."

"But you can't. . ."

"We won't allow it. . . "

"W-Who's there?!" I cried out, looking around. Then Jin and Lass appeared in front of me, Lass' back turned to me.

"L-Lass?"

He turned around and looked at me. "What?" His voice was like ice.

"W-What's going on. . .? No, I don't need to ask that, I know what's going on. . . I'm in a nightmare. . . The worst nightmare I've ever had. . . And you're alive, I know it, a-and I love you. . . but this is a nightmare, and I k-know that. . . things will become even worse. . ." I was afraid.

"That's right, but. . ." Jin said, voice ominous.

"To end this nightmare," Lass added.

"You have to kill the broken," Lass and Jin said, together.

"And that means us," Jin said.

"W-What?" I said, surprised. "K-Kill you? I-I can't kill you guys. . ."

"Then have your mind rot in this everlasting nightmare," Lass spat.

"N-No, I'll wake up, and I 'll do it without killing you!" I shouted.

"Arme!" I heard. I-It was Lass, and yet. . . it wasn't this Lass I was facing.

"L-Lass?" I called out.

"Wake up! Please!"

"Rgh, shut up!" this "Lass" yelled.

"I-I'm trying!" I answered.

"Lire, Arme, Elesis. . . You have to wake up before it's too late. . ." It was Sieghart that time.

"Oh, please, please," I begged. "I-I'm so. . . I'm so scared. . . I d-don't want to do this, but. . . but. . ." I looked over at the fake Lass and Jin.

"Hey, are you okay?" the dream Sieghart asked. "You're talking to yourself."

"At least. . . I'm talking to someone who is. . . real. . ." I told him.

"You know, if this were a nightmare, I'd be so happy. . . 'cuz none of this is real. . ." he told me, with a sigh. "No one dies in real life if someone dies in a nightmare."

I agreed weakly.

"Thank the Gods for that. . ."

"This is your final ticket out of the nightmare, mage," Jin whispered.

My mind clicked. "I'm so happy," I said, "But. . . I have to kill. . . those two." I pointed to the Lass and Jin in this dreaded nightmare. "And even though I know they aren't real. . . I'm going to have trouble. . . doing it. . ."

"If I killed my daughter in a nightmare, I'd be overcome with sadness. . ." Sieghart said.

"Sieghart, please, step back," I told him.

Sieghart did as I asked, but he kept talking. "I'd hug her so tightly. And I might smite Ronan a bit. . ." He sounded far-off, as I prepared my staff.

"I'm sorry, but you two. . . have to die, if it means waking up. . ." I said, turning to the two in the disguise of Jin and my dear one. Lass' eyes widened as I spoke those words.

"You don't have the guts," Jin said, sounding unsure of himself. I heard Sieghart still talking. "Oh, Elesis, I miss you. . ."

"You think I don't, Jin?" I told him. I felt as if I had a slightly maniacal smile on my face. "Remember the time, when we found out you had drugged the boys? Or when I fought Elesis back at Kaze'aze's Castle?"

"Or when Sieghart nearly killed me? Or in this case, killed me?" Jin continued.

"In my nightmare, you died," I told him. "But in reality, he simply wounded you, so that we could bring you back."

"So, what, you're going to have me killed again? Can you really do that? To me? To Lass?" Jin's face seemed to have contorted in my eyes.

"Arme! Please!" I'm coming, Lass, just hold on. . .

"I can, and I will, if it means I can see my one love again. . ." I whispered. "Farewell, nightmare. . ." I raised my staff up, feeling the air swirl, dance, twirl, around me, concentrating into a large mass of dangerous energy in front of me. And I aimed it at Jin and Lass. The ones I had to destroy, to get out of this nightmare.

The Air Blast ripped through them, and they faded into nothing.

Sieghart looked up, and he began to fade as well. "Was this all a dream?" Even his voice was fading. In fact, all but I was fading away.

"Yes, it was, and you can see your daughter again, Sieghart," I whispered weakly. Everything was gone, but me.

"Now what?" I asked myself.

"Arme! Wake up. . . I love you. . ." Lass. . .

"It could be too late. . ."

"No, I have faith that she'll fight this. . ."

"Lass," I whispered, the last of my strength fading. "I. . . love. . . you. . ." I felt myself fall down, as everything faded into black.