Friend

As Alexander stirred back to consciousness, the world around him slowly came into focus. Vincent, a soldier with a reassuring presence, helped him to his feet. The chaos of the battlefield was still palpable, the air thick with tension and the scent of blood.

"Take it easy, Alexander," Vincent said, his voice a steady anchor in the turmoil.

Before Alexander could respond, Kane dropped down from a cliff, his eyes locked on a fleeing figure—Ty—disappearing into the forest, an arrow embedded in her bloodied shoulder.

"She's getting away!" Kane roared, his face twisted with rage as he prepared to chase her. "We can't let her escape!"

Reacting quickly, Alexander reached out and tapped Kane on the shoulder. "Wait!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Kane spun around, his fury palpable. "What the hell are you doing, Alexander? Why are you stopping me?" he yelled, his voice trembling with rage. "She's a traitor! We need to chase her down!"

Alexander met Kane's gaze with a mix of pain and determination. "Ty is my friend," he said, his voice intense. "She was recently infected by a poison that turned her into a vampire. I'm not going to kill her."

Kane's eyes widened in shock, his anger momentarily giving way to disbelief. "A vampire? And you want to let her go?" he shouted. "The Frontier needs to make an example out of her!"

Alexander's expression hardened. "We can't let our fear drive us to kill our own. Ty didn't choose this."

Kane's fists clenched, his face contorted with frustration. "You don't understand! She's a threat to all of us!"

Suddenly, Alexander's eye glowed with an unnatural light, revealing his demonic nature. Kane's anger turned to shock, but before he could react, Alexander sucker punched him, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Kane scrambled to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury. "You bastard!" he spat, launching himself at Alexander.

In the ensuing scuffle, Alexander narrowly dodged a knife thrown by Vincent, who had also drawn his weapon. With a swift, calculated move, Alexander teleported past them, his form blurring as he disappeared into the forest after Ty.

The confrontation ended as abruptly as it had begun, leaving Kane and Vincent stunned and reeling from the encounter.

Kane got up, stripped his gun off his arm and re-engaged with a fierce roundhouse.

Ty was seen walking through a small number of undead. She nervously walked past them but they paid her little notice as she had the appearance of a vampire.

Vincent, on the other hand, learned that Ty went through a cave and rebuilt a portal to follow her. Alexander won against Kane once more but showed sportsmanship in helping him up before they both went after Vincent & Ty...

Inside the cave, Vincent had killed all the undead and proceeded with a sinister smirk on his face...

Ty stumbled into the campsite, her breath ragged and her shoulder burning with pain from the arrow embedded in it. The area was eerily silent, the remnants of a struggle evident around her. Her eyes fell on the lifeless body of Djinn, and a pang of sorrow and guilt gripped her heart.

"Ty," a voice called out, filled with cold determination. She turned sharply to see Vincent standing there, his weapon drawn and eyes filled with anger.

"You led us on quite a chase," Vincent sneered, stepping closer. "It ends here."

Ty, still weakened, raised her weapon defensively, her eyes locked onto Vincent's. "I didn't choose this, Vincent," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "I didn't ask for any of this!"

Vincent's face hardened. "You became a threat the moment you turned. We can't afford to let you live."

With that, he lunged at her, and Ty barely managed to parry his strikes. The clash of steel echoed through the campsite as they engaged in a brutal dance of life and death. Ty, using every ounce of her remaining strength, fought back fiercely but was clearly outmatched.

Just as Vincent prepared to deliver a killing blow to her head, something inside Ty snapped. A surge of raw power flowed through her, and with a scream of desperation, she unleashed her newly discovered telekinetic abilities. Vincent was hurled backward, slamming into a tree with bone-crunching force. His body pinned by Ty's arcane blade, he struggled but couldn't free himself.

Ty, panting and wide-eyed at the unexpected surge of power, glanced one last time at Vincent before turning and fleeing into the forest. Moments later, Alexander and Kane arrived at the scene.

"Vincent!" Alexander shouted, rushing to his comrade's side. He assessed the situation quickly, his hands moving to free Vincent from the tree.

"She... she has telekinesis," Vincent gasped, his face twisted in pain. "We underestimated her."

Alexander nodded, his expression grim. "We'll deal with that when we find her. Right now, let's get you out of here."

As Alexander worked to free Vincent, Kane stood nearby, his face a mask of conflicting emotions. "You still think she's worth saving?" he asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.

"She's still one of us," Alexander replied firmly, finally managing to pull Vincent free. "We don't abandon our own."

Kane's eyes narrowed. "Let's hope she feels the same way when we find her again."

Alexander helped Vincent to his feet, casting a determined look in the direction Ty had fled. I'll find her, and will save her."

With Vincent leaning on Alexander for support, the trio moved away from the campsite to continue .

Ty's breath came in ragged gasps as she stumbled through the dense forest, her mind racing with the events that had just transpired. She finally collapsed to her knees in a small clearing, exhaustion overtaking her. As she looked around, her eyes fell on Persephone, lying motionless on the ground.

"Persephone," Ty whispered, her voice choked with emotion. She crawled over to the fallen figure, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Persephone's eyes flickered open, the last remnants of life glowing faintly. Ty gasped, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Ty..." Persephone's voice was weak but filled with a strange calm. "I can... help you."

Ty shook her head, confusion and fear warring within her. "What do you mean? How can you help me?"

With a final, determined effort, Persephone placed her hand on Ty's chest. "Vampire... Reversal," she murmured, channeling the last of her energy into a spell. A soft, warm light enveloped Ty, and she felt a profound change taking place within her. The vampire curse that had twisted her soul began to lift, leaving her feeling more like herself than she had in what felt like an eternity.

"Thank you," Ty sobbed, tears falling freely as she held Persephone's hand. "Thank you so much."

Persephone's eyes closed, a peaceful expression settling on her face as she took her final breath. Ty, still weeping, gently placed a flower on Persephone's chest, mourning the loss of her savior.

In the distance, Alexander, Kane, and Vincent saw four white beacons rising into the sky, their light piercing the gloom of the forest. Without a word, they headed towards the source of the light, their pace quickening as they drew nearer.

As they entered the clearing, Alexander's eyes widened as he spotted Ty. "Ty!" he shouted, his voice filled with relief and urgency. He broke into a run, racing towards her.

Kane reached out to stop Vincent, who looked ready to charge ahead. "Wait," Kane said, his voice firm. "Let Alexander handle this."

Ty looked up, her eyes—now free of the vampiric taint—widening in surprise as she saw Alexander running towards her. For a moment, they locked eyes, and Ty saw the determination and care in his gaze.

"Alexander?" she whispered, barely believing what she was seeing. "You followed me?"

He dropped to his knees beside her, his breath coming in heavy gasps. "Of course I did," he said, his voice raw with emotion. "I told you, we don't abandon our own."

The intense emotions of the moment hung heavy in the air, the forest around them silent as if holding its breath. Alexander reached out, gently taking Ty's hand in his. "We're going to get through this," he promised, his voice filled with sincerity.

Ty nodded, her eyes still wide with surprise but now also filled with a glimmer of hope. "Together," she echoed.