Now everyone knows...

Back in reality

I sit on the floor. Then Knox, Sisli, and Caspian wake up one after another.

"You are awake. I was worried that you would remain trapped in illusions," I shout happily.

"Who would be fooled by this crap?" Caspian says confidently.

"Haven't you seen illusions with what you wish for?" I ask, irritated.

"Just unbelievable crap!" Caspian says.

"Not what I wanted," Knox says.

"The Illusion only showed us one perfect future. But the Dreamwalker doesn't seem to be able to know everything about us. Seems like he was not able to see what we truly wish for in our hearts." Sisli says.

I guess our hearts are probably too good for such a demonic creature to gain access to them.

"But why is Lionel still unconscious?"

Lionel, please come back to me. We need you for this battle. Suddenly he opens his eyes.

"You are awake!" I shout and jump around his neck.

When I realize my reaction, I want to jump back, but the others also jump on him. They were probably just as worried as I am. We seem like a real team. Before I knew it, they had become more to me than just characters in a book. I'm already hurt when I think about the fact that I have to leave soon.

"We were worried about you!" I say, trying to act more composed.

"Why did you take so long?! You were the last one to wake up!" Caspian asks.

"Were you worried about me that much?" Lionel asks, slightly grinning.

"No..." Caspian says and stands up.

Then the rest of us stand up. I look around. We stand in front of a big massive door. As far as I know, behind this door should be the last level before the showdown with the mage of the north. The final battle is near. I look around. Lionel looks at me. Our eyes meet. I don't know what to say, and I am not really able to tell what he thinks. Our ways will part soon anyways, and he will have his happy end. I just smile at him with emotions of joy but also with a little sadness. Then I look to the door.

"That should be the last obstacle before we meet the magician!" I say.

"Then let's go! After all the levels, I really just want to get it over with!" Caspian says more or less motivated.

Knox slowly opens the massive door. A portal appears behind the door.

"Yes, let's go!" Sisli shouts as she jumps with Knox into the portal.

Caspian jumps close behind them. I also want to jump through the portal, but Lionel grabs my hand. I look at him.

"I want to thank you for freeing me from the illusion." Lionel says.

"That can't be true. I wasn't able to do anything!" I say.

"And yet you helped me. I want to tell you something. But I think I won't be able to tell you until we defeat the magician. Please wait until I can tell you," Lionel says seriously.

I am not quite sure what he wants to tell me. But probably I will tell him everything before I leave.

"Ok. But promise me that you will listen to me too!" I say and jump into the portal without waiting for his answer.

Lionel jumps behind me. Now we all stand in some kind of round stone arena on a large pillar. The area around plunges into the depths without even a hint of the ground being visible.

In front of us stand three big stone statues. They stand there lifeless. But any idiot can guess what's about to happen next.

"Wow, they are at least 4 meters tall," Knox says, fascinated.

A dark figure appears in the middle of the arena.

"It's been so long since we've had challengers. Anyone who wishes to reach the mage must pass this final test. Defeat the guardians of the door and you can enter the eighth and final level. Or expect a gruesome death!" the figure says.

"As if we have any choice!" I say.

"The battle begins!" the figure says and disappears in dark smoke. Now the gaps between the stone limbs of the statues begin to glow dark blue. The statues rise up and stare at us with red, gloomy eyes.

"Those are golems!" Sisli shouts.

That means that we have to destroy the object inside the golems that contains their life energy to defeat them. That might be difficult.

"And what does that mean for us?" Caspian asks.

"That means that we have to destroy the object inside the golems that contains their life energy to defeat them. That might be difficult," Sisli shouts.

Wow... That's exactly what I thought...

"Then let's go!" Lionel shouts, and everyone grabs their weapons.

The golems storm in our direction.

The golem in the middle hits the ground in front of us. The ground splinters, and we jump to the side to avoid being hit. Lionel charges at the right golem, while Knox charges at the left.

Caspian tries to keep the middle one at bay by shooting arrows. But the golem throws stones at us. Caspian makes a dodge roll to the side but is still hit by some baseball-sized stones. He bleeds and is visibly hurt but still stands up again. Meanwhile, Sisli tries to encircle the golem in the middle with her vines. But the golem tears the vines apart.

"What now?" Sisli asks me. As she tries to tie down the golem.

"Let me think for a moment!" I say.

Meanwhile, Knox chops down the leg of the left golem. The golem loses his balance and falls to the ground. The ground shakes. But the golem's leg reconnects to his body with a blue glow, and he rises again. Except for the gaps of the stones, Knox's blows have no great effect against the hard stone.

Lionel faces the same problem. He fights tirelessly against the Golem, which, however, also keeps reassembling itself.

"Where is this object that we have to destroy?!" Lionel shouts.

"In the middle of its chest!" Sisli shouts.

But how should we get the object? The chest is protected by stacked stones... Wait, I think I have an idea.

"Sisli, can you get into the chest of the golem? Or can you maybe put your vines into its chest?" I ask her tensely.

"Let me try!" she shouts and rides on her vine on the shoulder of the golem in the middle.

The golem tries to hit on his own shoulder. He hits Sisli slightly, who now clings to the golem's arm.

"Sisli!" I shout in panic as the golem starts to hit a second time.

But before he can hit her a second time, she enters one of the gaps in the stone body of the golem.

That was close. I can't see what's happening inside. But suddenly moss and vines come out of the stone and grow over the rock. Then Sisli appears on the shoulder of the golem again. She points at the golem Knox is fighting against. Then the moss golem attacks the other golem. She succeeded in taking control of it. What a surprise.

The moss golem grabs the other golem and pulls the stone plates on its chest apart. The golem prepares to strike, but Knox cuts off its stone arm with a single blow. Sisli now uses the stone golem to hold the chest plates open, revealing a glowing ceramic object.

"Caspian now!" Sisli shouts.

Before the moss golem can no longer hold the plates, Caspian shoots an arrow that shatters the object into a thousand pieces.

"Hit and sink!" Caspian says and falls from exhaustion to the ground.

I don't know what to do. Three golems like them weren't in the original novel. But I have to do something.

The left golem crumbles into lumps of stone. Now all that's missing is the right golem. I look to Lionel. He also suffered a few injuries. Knox runs to him when the golem threatens to strike Lionel, but instead Knox is hit head-on and falls wounded to the ground. Sisli has not much power left. She won't be able to attack with the moss golem at the moment.

When this goes on, we will lose before the real battle has begun. I can't play the observer anymore. I throw my dagger at the golem, but it is useless. Lionel is wounded, and the golem is about to hit again. I must heal him. I have to heal everyone. I run to Lionel to get into healing rage. But the golem hits me away.

I roll over the ground. I was too careless. That hurts. But then Lionel uses his sword charged with mana and slices the golem from top to bottom, destroying both rock and object simultaneously. The golem shatters into small pieces in the sword's golden light. That was close. Now we are near to the end, but everyone is badly hurt.

"Is everyone ok?" Lionel asks, out of breath.

"Well, I am still alive," Caspian says, exhausted.

"Just a scratch, I can still fight,“ Knox shouts, but still looks wounded.

"I am fine, but I don't have much mana left," Sisli says.

"Just wait a second! I will heal all of you!" I shout.

But then, suddenly in the middle of the arena spawns a round teleportation circle. This is the way to the mage. Unfortunately the circle begins to shine brightly and teleports us into a hall. A really creepy-looking hall. Everywhere are some kind of seals written over the walls and ground. In the hall stands a big altar equipped with chains.

Not far from us stands the mage of the north. Or should I say his sealed form. He looks like a dark shadowy figure in a dark robe. 

Without hesitation he shoots a destructive energy beam at us. Everyone is injured. I didn't have time to heal them. So now it is time for my last resort.

"Nooo...!" I shout.

With one hand I fire a beam of my purple destructive magic at him. The beams meet and block each other. After a while they explode. The smoke from the explosion slowly dissipates.

"What the...?" Caspian says, irritated, lying on the ground.

"Aria?" Knox says.

But everyone is too hurt to show any more reaction. Lionel and Sisli also just stare at me.

Prepared for another attack I use all my energy to heal the others, even though they're scattered around me. It's extremely exhausting, but this way I can get everyone back to fighting shape as quickly as possible. Their bodies glow golden, and their wounds disappear.

Now everyone knows...