"Mira, where the hell are you? The corruption sensors are going crazy," a male voice urgently whispers.
A woman of medium height lay on the ground, gasping for air. Her foot is twisted at an awkward angle, but she barely pays it any mind, completely occupied by the more important issue at hand. A monstrous creature that resembled a great elk stares down at her, piercing red eyes burning with murderous intent, like the fires that consumed all in its path. Its pitch-black horns gleam in the dim light of the cave, like a blade thirsting for death.
The woman, Mira, staggers to her feet, leaning heavily on her uninjured side. A blade of light extends from her right hand and she brings it up in front of her in an attempt to deter the creature.
"Finn, I'm sorry but I don't think I'm making it out of this," Mira whispers quietly into the transmitter, a sad smile laced with pain spreading across her features. "It's a rank 3 Hiisi. I can't beat that."
"Stop it. Don't give up, what about your family? You can't-"
"Finn," Mira cuts off the man, Finn's, panicking voice. She eyes the demon, its lumbering form slowly approaching her. She's not even a threat to it, it's playing with her she realizes with a start. "I don't have much time. Please remember to take care of my family, alright? They deserve to live without the worry of dying every day."
Before Finn can say another word Mira cuts off the transmitter, severing the connection. The elk, seemingly finally getting impatient, charges. The world slows down around Mira, her eyes tracking the approaching elk like a deer caught in headlights.
500 feet. Mira accelerated the circulating mana through her body, a light glow emitting from within her.
300 feet. The mana revolves at an impossible speed like a particle accelerator speeding up faster and faster. Mira grits her teeth as her body catches fire.
100 feet. Mira was shining now like she was in the center of the sun. The elk, finally noticing the danger tried to slow down but it was already moving much too fast, its momentum forcing it closer and closer toward the ball of pure energy.
50 feet. Mira felt her body burning now. Her flesh flaked off in black ash.
10 feet. The world was blinding white, and Mira's failing brain looked out. She smiled, seeing a fuzzy outline in the distance. She reached out an arm, towards the figures, her arm crumbled to dust as she reached out. Her parents. They were waiting in the distance, a warm smile on their face. A single tear fell down her cheek.
3 feet.
2 feet.
1 foot.
0
The world faded to a blissful white.
..
….
[energy threshold reached]
[Executing PROTOCOL_PHEONIX]
….
My stomach lurched as I found myself tumbling through the air, the ground coming up towards my face at an alarming rate. I barely got out a yelp before face-planting into the dirt. Groaning in pain, I slowly sat up, looking around my surroundings in utter confusion. Where the hell was I??