The Forsaken Hero
I closed my eyes and let out a shuddering breath. My fingers were numb and cold, my arm aching where the needle pierced the vein. Something clattered onto the pavement, and I looked down to see the needle. It had slipped out of my hand. Nothingness swirled around me, bringing the first sense of peace I'd felt in my short, miserable life. There was no one to miss me, and no one I would miss. There's always someone else to beat or rape. The regulars would move on quickly. I died. Only...wasn't death supposed to be dark? And since when did 'nothingness' have so many gods? Discord: https://discord.gg/PX3xqJdZMY
The Price of Victory
The Demon Gate shivered and shook, releasing chaotic flares of mana every few seconds. The center of the swirling mass had long since reached the peak of the mountain, but there were no demons in sight. Instead, dozens of long, black lines ran through the gate, a sign of its impending collapse.
The archon's eyes flitted over the scene, taking in the me, the collapsed soldiers, and the broken gate. "Where are the others?" he finally asked.
My body was heavy with exhaustion, but I mustered the strength the shake my head. "We couldn't find them."
His eyes widened, dancing with a spark of anger. "They're still in there? Are they alive?"
"I think so," I muttered, dropping my eyes in shame. "T-They fell into a trap with most of the army, leaving us behind. By the time we destroyed the Gate Core, they still hadn't come back, and it was too dangerous to look for them."