The fire struck the lizard's eyes. Normally, that would have been enough to hurt or distract a beast. The lizard only shook its head, as if it had to throw off an annoying insect without stopping its approach.

Its claw smashed against Greg’s shield with full force. The crackling sound shook us right in our cores. We had witnessed many attacks on Greg and his defense before. In some rare cases, they were dents in the shield or even small fissures, but never had the metal uttered this noise. The fragments flew apart, yielding to the claw's sheer force and sharpness. 

Greg's fast movement saved his life. The claw teared through his clothes, leaving deep scars on his chests. My spell engulfed Greg, soothing the deep cuts on his skin.

Charles tried to use the beast's attacked as an opening for his counter. As his blade managed to slide between two of the monster’s scales, we felt a relief.

At least, until the sword wouldn’t move another inch, stuck between the scales. The lizard shook its body with enough force for Charles to lose his grip around the blade’s hilt. 

“Charles, get back!” I screamed at him, but he didn’t get up in time.

Pam tried to catch the beast’s attention with another fireball, that fizzled out on its scales. The giant jaw sprang at Charles. His scream echoed in our minds and bodies alike.

It only took a second in reality yet never seemed a sound to fade away slower. The shock was on all of us, but we needed to act. We needed to defend ourselves! 

“Pam, Greg, get back here!” My words fell on deaf ears.

Pam tried to create another giant fireball with all the strength she could muster. Did rage hold her in its grip? Was it fear?

Greg reacted, throwing himself in front of her right when the next claw tried to strike her. I gripped my staff, hoping to heal the injuries he’d suffer. The claw tore through his skin and bone without restrain, beheading my friend instantly.

I could heal injuries — but only as long as the injured person was alive. There wasn’t a single healer in all the world who could revive a dead man. 

Fear held me in its palm. I wanted to shout one more time at Pam, wanted to tell her, she should run, get as far away from the beast as possible. 

A part of me hoped her giant fireball would make a difference. I couldn’t stop watching as the large fire mass flew toward the lizard. The beast shook itself stronger, as the smoke ascended. Nonetheless, its skin didn’t show a single scorch.

The lizard’s jaw snapped forward, engulfing Pam as a whole, yanking her up. Pam’s screams died when the beast swallowed her. Realization came to me.

My last friend died right before my eyes. All happened so fast I could barely process what was going on. Nor did I have another chance to turn and run. Maybe I could have escaped if I’d abandoned the others. But for me, survival on the cost of them would have never been an option. 

I prayed. For the first time after a long silence I screamed for someone, something to save me. Not that I ever expected to hear an answer. Why would an omnipotent being, that never cared for its children, answer me now? Of course, there was no wonder occurring.

So I started to curse the god, started to let all the thoughts out, that were piling up in this instant. It’s strange how fast your thoughts start to process once death is reaching out for you.

Maybe, so I thought to myself, that’s the reason people say they saw their life flash before their eyes. They simply thought fast enough to have to time to regret every single opportunity they missed. Or to think of all the people they’d leave behind.

In my case, at least, all the people who mattered died before me. As much as I’d wished to be the only casualty, that was no longer possible. 

So, when I heard a voice that was reaching out to me, the only explanation seemed to be my sanity broke along with my friends. What else could it have been? It seemed strange to feel foreign eyes upon me.

At first, I thought it was the monster’s gaze that wanted to enjoy the last part of its hunt, but soon I realized that was not the case. The strange sensation of being watched was the first thing to unsettle me. As the beast approached, I noticed the strength had left my hands and the staff had fallen before my feet.

There was no further use in picking it up either way. I expected death to grip me any second. I regretted that I couldn’t save any of them, regretted, that I couldn’t get them to run when the beast appeared. If we did, maybe at least a few of us could have survived. 

I threw back my head as if trying to face heaven. Not that heaven was anywhere near us. All I could see was the stone ceiling of the cave. A dark, jagged surface that might as well have been another jaw.  

“Did you enjoy the show, god?” I screamed towards the heavens to let out the agony. My whole body shook, tears dwelling up as my fist shook more violently. I wanted to scream so much more, but no more sound wanted to escape my lips. All I could do, was cursing him further within my thoughts. 

I wonder, god, can you hear me? Do you like to watch your creations struggle while you wondered who of them would prevail in the face of all this madness? Did you smile while Greg's shield shattered to tiny pieces? Did you laugh as Pam's Fireballs extinguished? Were you thrilled as Charles’ sword remained stuck in the enemy, rendering it useless? Did you hold your breath in anticipation when the monsters chopped their heads off? 

I swear I could feel his gaze on me. Waiting for my life to be lost like all the others before me.

Even if I could get another grip upon my staff on the ground, it was too late. As a healer, I was unable to accomplish much in a fight against the monsters. The only damage spells I knew were weaker than Pam’s Fireballs, and even those hadn’t been able to do as much as scorch this beast’s skin. If only I could have healed at least one of them. We may have had a chance if we started to run together. 

Do you want to save your friends? 

A somber voice resonated through my thoughts and made me wince. It reached so deep in my conscience that ignoring it was impossible. I couldn’t believe it. 

After all the unanswered prayers for all these years, during all the terrible ordeals that we had to endure, you finally decided to answer me? In any other situation, I wouldn’t have known what to make of a foreign voice that resounded within my mind. But after I just cursed the creator, it somehow seemed to make sense. 

Just as I am about to die, I can finally hear your god-damned voice? Are you mocking me, god? Is that your final enjoyment for the last episode of my life? 

I am not god. 

I must have been imaging things, right? Or was I suddenly speaking to the devil instead? The beast's claw painfully dug into my chest and pressed me to the ground. Did it even matter at this point? Who cared if I’d gone mad? My life would be snuffed out in a few seconds. There was no other outcome than madness awaiting me within the fear that had taken a hold of every thought in my head.

I’ll ask you one more time. Do you wish to save your friends?

Of course, I want to save my friends! What was the matter with this cursed question? Who in their sound mind would say no to that? If only there was a way to save them, I would do so right away. But there wasn’t. The dead cannot be brought back. Was this a new way to torture humanity? To give us false hope and rip it apart? A devil’s tongue indeed. 

I am not the devil, either. But I don’t care what you might call me. Your consent was all I needed, pitiful thing. I shall grant your tiny, insignificant wish. 

What? My wish shall be granted? There was no way that was even possible. But I didn’t even get another chance to think it through. A sharp sting ran through my body. I gasped for air, as heat began to entrap me. I couldn’t comprehend what was going on. This feeling was not like anything I’d ever experienced before. What was happening to me? Was this more than the imagination of a dying man? There was no way anything actually answered my thoughts or prayer, was there? Was it foolish to have another glimmer of hope? I wished with all my heart that this strange phenomenon would be reality, that the promise that my friends would be saved could become reality. 

Please, I couldn’t care less if you are god, a devil or whatever in between — save them! None of them deserved to die, and I couldn’t save them. So, please, save them. 

If only I’d known that right at this moment, a part of a foreign soul had merged with my own. My thoughts no longer were mine alone, and nor did my future belong to me.