Life is like a Game...

The wizard stood silently, grasping his staff. There was not much time left; he had to do it.

Now he looked at the party before him, its members scattered, their weapons lost. Slain? Perhaps, He wasn't sure. Did one of their eyes just move? Did that hand just twitch? Perhaps, but Hope was useless now.

It didn't make a difference anyway.

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"It...was a good battle, huh?" No response. Not that he expected one anyway, but still, it was nice to ask. There wasn't any time for questions later.

"...I mean, we did good right? It was a loss from the start I guess...but still, at least we tried, right?" No response.

"My fault? Perhaps...I'm not too sure. What could I have done? I wasn't fast like you, or strong like you, or smart like you. I just did what I could to fill in the gaps..."

The eyes were shut, but the face seemed to be looking at him...

"I don't know, maybe I should have focused on you guys more. It certainly seems that way now. But there was just so much to do..." Laughter? A smile?

"Haha, very funny. But its true, isn't it? Perhaps if I wasn't so focused all the time, I might have seen this coming...I might have done something..."

The memories were back now, filling his mind. A scene of five people atop a rock, laughing, drinking, the spoils of battle around them.

"But its too late now, isn't it? I think you're right. I should have just gone all the way, not bothered with the other stuff. Perhaps...perhaps I could have been strong enough."

Another memory. A figure in the corner, in the shade. Watching the rest with a slight smile, a half-daze. Snatches of their conversation float past...

"Or perhaps...I should have spent less time with it and more time with the party. With you guys. At this point, I don't think it really matters anymore." With a sigh, the slideshow ended. Silence refilled the world.

Still no response.

"Yeah, I think so too. If we had more time perhaps. Maybe, just maybe...no. This is the only way. I guess...I'm sorry. " The staff was getting heavy now; There wasn't much time.

"See you guys then. Maybe we'll meet, Maybe we won't."

"Goodbye"

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A Brillant Flash, as bright as day, filled the room. It grew and flowed over the bodies, poured over the ground. The light grew brighter and brighter, until the glow reached beyond the room, outside the dungeon, into the skies, where it disappeared forever.

Silence.

The bodies twitched. A finger moved. Slowly the party members groaned in pain. Slowly they got up, and surveyed the scene. Slowly, as one, they recalled the words of their last member;

A single tear.

And then they were gone.