LU 233 - Space 43

Today was finally the day that the trees die. After getting to the castle and working out a plan with the group, we all made our way to Slumber. There, we found four stone platforms with pressure plates that was shaped very similarly to the layout of the shard machine. I began to panic and stepped back from the platforms.

Then, Slumber showed up and a fight broke out just like every other one. We killed him, and he faded away after mentioning a person named "Sephira". Confused, the group and I continued towards the tree and watched in awe as giant void spikes exited out of the tree. Incredibly intimidated, we made out way into the tree to end this once and for all.

We found a portal just like the one Amathis opened, accompanied by some lady who called herself the anti-god; I had to assume this was Sephira. She talked about how she was born by Slumber to kill the gods, and we were in her way.

We went to go fight her, but we were all knocked to out feet alarmingly swiftly. We were going to charge in for another go at Sephira, but Zinnia offered to help; she did something to Sephira, causing her to grow weak. We took this chance to kill her, with Jeremy dealing the final blow.

Before we could recover from this fight or celebrate, Nat appeared to tell us his plan with Zinnia- he was going to blow up the core with Zinnia's help, which would kill them both. Edelle began to panic, and begged him to not do this. They had a painfully long heart to heart which made me shed a tear, then he descended into the void after saying his goodbyes.

Zinnia was next, which Edelle and Illios were equally unhappy about seeing leave. However, there was an issue- they couldn't pull this off unless one of us died with them to help activate the explosion. We all debated who should go, then Illios volunteered. I froze, then started to beg her not to go.

My mind began to spin with negative thoughts, the main one being that Illios was the last person alive I genuinely cared about. I cried as I begged and begged her not to go, but she was stubborn about doing this.

She tried to reassure me, but she only added fuel to this miserable fire. I had a breakdown in front of everyone, silently being Katharos that Illios wouldn't do this and that I wouldn't lose the last person I cared for.

Alas, even after I poured my heart into trying to save her, Illios was determined to do this. So... I asked her to tell Ajan and Fallen that I wanted to say goodbye, since I never got to when they died. She agreed to, when I watched in horror as she went with Zinnia into the void.

I stood there for a minute, simply crying and shaking furously. She's gone. I lost my last true friend. I... have nothing left to care about, especially since it hit me that Amathis was now gone in the void as well.

I left the tree, telling the others to follow me before they died in the explosion. I got out and just stood there as I watched the tree get blown to dust by Zinnia, Nat, and Illios.

It was a gorgeous and fulfilling sight, but the price to pay was painfully high. I... can't let anything like this happen again; for my own, Fallen, Ajan, and Illios' sake. I can't let anyone else suffer. I told this to the group, who silently agreed. From here, we all just stood in silence and stared at the crater the tree left.

I eventually tried to break the silence with talk about the red mass, but Edelle rightfully told me to save it for later. I sat and muttered to myself for a good while before finally leaving and returning to my office. I sat there in painful silence, just writing away on my documents and whatnot.

Then some joyful little clown named Vincent walked in to get a tour of Spawn. I wasn't up for it, but didn't want to look weak or incapable. So, I toured the kid around Spawn, then hired him as a public entertainer.

He left to go pursue his new job, and I went back to doing my job in silence.

I've lost everything. My power, my friends, *everything*.

**I have nothing left...**