Cassandra threw her torch across the room, hoping that it would help obscure her location from the fawn. The yellow glow of the fire tickled away as it rolled across the ground, leaving only the silhouettes of the columns around her visible. The rest of the room was shrouded in complete darkness.
She took refuge behind the column nearest her; her back against it as she sought to quell her shaky breathing. It was like picking off pieces of glass from the floor, hoping that the shattered mirror could somehow still be repaired. Her presence in this castle had inadvertently been revealed, and now, she was at the mercy of the killer on the other side of the room.
Falena chuckled as she watched the torch fly across the area. The game had already started and she would play her part. The blonde's fingers lit up with a blue aura as she held her book at her side.
"Clever," she said in a playful tone, allowing the light of her powers to brighten. "Or, not? It is awfully dark in here, you know?"
Cassandra would not answer.
"Hmm…okay then." Falena took a breath before she began to walk ahead slowly. Step by step, the blonde's feet tapped the stone ground. The dragging of her sandals across the gravel that lay on the slabs echoed around her. It was a passive way of building tension, and she relied on it for maximum effect. "I guess I'm all alone in this room."
I need to move further back. Damn it! I can't see a thing!
Falena paused as she sensed the essence all around her. She took a deep breath and extended both arms to her sides. Upon exhaling, she opened her eyes and gently set her book down on the ground. With a giggle grumbling inside her throat, the young woman fluttered her brightly-lit fingers around her hips.
"It's never a good feeling, you know?" She began to advance further toward the center of the room. "To be alone. It rots you from the inside out. You feel like you don't belong; like the entire world is against you."
Why is she saying this?
Falena spoke casually as she walked along, her fingertips highlighting her surroundings as she approached them. "Clairvoyance is a unique fawn trait, as our elders used to tell us. Only very few possess it. I wish it would have worked on my sisters, but, alas, I am left to discover their feelings the natural way."
She approached one of the columns, giggling some more as she placed her left hand on it. "You can tell a lot by looking at somebody, at least, when they allow their emotions to show. I saw you in Acomb. You stood out. I thought nothing of it at the time, as I was too invested in Lia and her sister."
Falena scoffed. "Foolish me. I should have paid more attention." She started to walk again, deeper into the confines of this dungeon.
Cassandra could hear her as she drew closer. The fawn had to be just a few columns away. If a quick decision couldn't be made on her part soon, they were about to come face to face.
The blonde hummed as she continued to wave her hand around, particles trailing off of it as she lit her way. "You're not a poil. I can sense it. You're something else, but, what?" The light from her palms glowed brighter as she scanned around the room. "I think you got the darkness in you. You're not a pure soul. To tell you the truth: I believe purity is a lie. No one is pure, even if we lie to ourselves and pretend to be."
She's closing in on me.
"You're not from this world, are you?" Falena asked.
How does she know?
The fawn glanced at the fluctuating essence that emanated across her fingers, down into her wrists. "What is your world like? Is it dangerous? I want to believe in a world where I can be happy. One where I don't have to fear tomorrow. Unless…"
Falena sighed as she halted her walking. "Unless there is no such thing as a safe world. Yours heralds violence, does it not? I can feel it. The monsters we brought through that window are just a piece of your realm. I've never witnessed anything like them before. Frightening, they are."
Cassandra could not see much of what she was facing. The torch was on the opposite side of the column nearby, and she feared that if she poked her head out, Falena would see her immediately. She had to remain quiet and still. All it would take was just one bad move and she would be dead.
The blonde listened for a response but shook her head when she did not receive one. "I guess I am alone." The magic that swirled around her digits sparked across the ground as it trailed around her, illuminating her surroundings in a brief display of blue. Her senses were reaching further. Cassandra could feel the warmth as it crept around the column that she hid behind.
She feels so close!
Falena powered down her abilities as she resumed her walk. "Clairvoyant fawns are among the best hunters, you know? We are taught not to kill, but some fawns through the years assisted poils in their pursuits. Oh, how foolish we were back then. Yet, one cannot ignore where they excel. A fawn like me can sense a dhin from a mile away and know if it is on the hunt."
She mumbled a small laugh, followed by an exaggerated sigh. "Narratha is a little jealous, I'm sure. Even she cannot decipher such emotions."
The silence between them persisted. Falena was beginning to shed her patience.
"I guess my words have fallen on deaf ears," she said. "You do not seem to understand, do you?"
What is she getting at?
Falena took a couple of steps forward. "I know you're standing behind that column twenty feet away from me. I can sense your presence so accurately. In my kindness, I offer you the chance to face me on your terms."
The fawn halted her movement again, shrugging her shoulder in the process. "Or – I can force you out. You make the choice. What is your name, by the way?"
The brunette was left with no other option. "Cassandra!" She called out.
Falena responded with a short hum before her green eyes fixated on the column where the intruder stood. "Cassandra…a fine name. Step out, Cassandra."
I have no other choice, then…
With a sharp breath, Cassandra appeared from the side of the column. The two women were locked in a staring contest as they faced each other. Falena was shorter than Cassandra by almost a foot. Nonetheless, her small frame was not to be overlooked. The magic she wielded was visibly strong. Her fingers twiddled with the might of a surge's power.
She could end the brunette with a single move.
Falena tilted her head as she squinted her sharp eyes. "I was right about the darkness," she said.
With the torch in between the two of them, Cassandra could only rely on the fire and the glow of the fawn's magic to keep the area lit. This was the most dangerous environment for her to fight in. Falena's powers already put her at a massive advantage. It only made things worse that the two of them were otherwise surrounded by shadows.
"Please," Cassandra begged, "I came here for Leta. That is all."
"Hmm…" Her gaze tightened as she narrowed in on the pale woman across from her. "How did you find your way here?
Cassandra hesitated.
"Don't lie…"
"An elder fawn brought me here," the brunette confessed. "She's dead. Too many fawns have died."
Falena's expression loosened as she thought about the gravity of those words. This room was an extension of the torture chamber that Narratha had kept the others in. If it wasn't the fresh bodies of murdered fawns that decorated the floor, it was the bones of ancestors from ages long past.
She wasn't wrong. Locwitary was full of death, and it was the fawn population who had to pay the cost of war.
"You made a big mistake coming here," Falena warned her, reverting to her previous tone.
"Falena, right?"
The blonde just kept staring at her. "Correct."
"I've never done anything to you," Cassandra stated, hoping that she would see the light and come around. "You're hurting people who you don't even know. Hasn't this world seen enough death?"
"Too much," Falena sighed. "But, Narratha is right. There is no way we can coexist with poils. There may be peaceful days, but in the end, fawns suffer. Until then, we have to remain strong."
She still wouldn't break away from the mindset she had. Cassandra needed to be more direct. It was the last option that she had.
"Narratha?" The brunette asked. "The same fawn who murdered her own sister?"
Falena gulped as soon as she heard that. "What was done had to be done," she affirmed with a strong voice. "Nackia's beliefs were a detriment to our safety. It was only right that Narratha ended her life so that fawns who believe may prosper. If we do not fight for –"
"Do you truly believe that?"
The blonde was silent.
Cassandra called out to her again, "There are fawns chained up back there with broken hands. They are hurt and they are scared. How does she fight for fawns when that is what she is doing to them?"
"You…" Falena's eyes shifted around the room. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Lia was a loving sister, who cared for Leta more than she cared about herself. Because of Narratha, she is dead." Cassandra found the courage to take a couple of steps closer to Falena. She knew that it was risky, but the way the fawn started to react gave promise that the truth was working. "You're a young woman. You must have a sister out there. At the very least, you had a mother who loves you."
Falena's brow began to tense up. "Stop."
"Those other fawns are mothers and sisters, and you weren't born to be the kind of monster who –"
"I said stop!" Falena's body lit up in a ferocious display of blue energy. Her eyes flashed with a brief turn of the power that coursed within her. Her hands were engulfed in flame, ready to tear apart Cassandra at a second's notice. "This conversation is over."
She's not going to listen…
Falena stuck her hand out, preparing to crush the brunette's body in its place.
"Wait! I wish to present you with my weapon before you kill me!"
The blonde's eyebrow raised, but so did her curiosity. "What?"
Cassandra held out her sickle in front of her. "It is a tradition, in my world. In battle, the victor takes the spoils. You would have taken this off my corpse, but in my show of respect, I offer it to you beforehand. If you can do me this one thing, please allow me to die with some honor."
The fawn was slightly impressed, though the end state remained the same. If the woman wanted to die on her terms, then so be it. Either way, Narratha would surely be impressed. "As you wish…but slide it over to me. I will not trust you to get closer."
"Very well," Cassandra said. "Thank you."
Falena giggled.
That's what they said in Daniela's story, right? And when that chapter came to a close…
The sickle spun around the ground before it ended at the front of Falena's feet. The blonde reached down to pick it up, and just as her hands graced the side of the handle, the sound of shattered glass erupted beside her. Before she knew it, a large cloud of pink mist opened up and enveloped her from all around. The particles seeped into her eyes and nose, fusing with her tissues as they entered her body.
A shriek broke out from inside the cloud as the blonde stumbled and flailed about. Smoke from the plumes trailed off her as she danced around the dark room, eyes locked on both her arms.
"Argh!" Her wild grin of flashed teeth was coupled with her enraged eyes. "You stupid bitch!"
She tried to ensnare Cassandra in the grips of her energy, but as she focused her efforts, she found her hands empty. There was no blue to be seen. Not even a spark.
Falena was powerless.
It worked!
Cassandra wasted no time. With her heart galloping faster than a cheetah, the brunette sped toward Falena with all she had. There was no telling just how long the potion from Milo's vial would last. All she knew was that the disabling of her powers was temporary and that she had to win this fight before they came back.
She hoped to get ahold of her sickle, but it was too far away. Just as she got closer, the blonde immediately shot down and picked it up, screaming as she swung it across her chest. The weapon was not long enough to reach Cassandra, who decided to pick up the torch instead.
I need to stop her!
The fiery club was an unwieldy tool, which kept its weight in all the worst places. Regardless, it was still better than being unarmed, as she knew the lethality of that sickle all too well. One good hit and it would cleave muscle from bone without issue.
Falena fought like a desperate animal, sending her arm across all directions as she tried her best to connect the blade with the pale woman nearby. Cassandra dodged each attack as best she could, relying on the distance that she kept between them to prevent injury. The blonde's swings were unpredictable, which created a strong likelihood that they would land on her if she got too close.
I need to stay away! She's too fast!
"What did you do?!" Falena screamed. But Cassandra would not answer. There was no room for talking in this fight.
The blonde shouted again, "I'm going to kill you!"
Cassandra was brought back to how she herself was during her fight with Ethan. As soon as that wall blew open and the cold air rushed in, all her composure had fallen. She had never been in a state where she was so vulnerable. In contrast to the skilled man that she faced, her movements were sloppy, spurred by a harsh, unending anger.
It was no wonder why he was able to get an edge on her. She charged at him like a feral creature, swinging with no method at all. It opened her up for so many opportunities to be shot.
Falena was no different. She was now completely out of her element and no longer in control. This was a fight between two women of equal strength, and a weapon was not going to win it for her alone. Cassandra had to think this through.
She's slow on her follow-up swings. Every time her arm comes down, she struggles with picking it back up.
Falena chopped down at her with the sickle, which caused the metal to strike the stone floor with a spark. That was Cassandra's opportunity to act, and she did not hesitate.
Before Falena could bring the weapon back up, she witnessed the yellow tinge of a flame as it hurtled toward her path. Gasping, the fawn jumped away, narrowly missing a direct hit from the dense stick of wood. However, she was unable to evade its fiery tip, which struck her along the back and burned her fur cape.
"Damn it!" Falena spun around, fighting to put down the embers before they could spread. She was getting side-tracked in her moment of chaos-induced stress. It opened her up for another move by Cassandra – which struck her against the shoulder.
The fawn was knocked to the ground, where she managed to catch herself before she could hit her head. The sickle landed with a clang, still gripped tightly in her palm. With the fire illuminating the two of them, Cassandra was able to glimpse her venomous glare. Her green eyes shined amidst the glow, which made her look like a vengeful lioness who was backed into a corner.
And a lioness she was.
"Argh!" Falena inexplicably recovered, having ignored the pain she felt. Her arm lashed out, which sent the tip of the sickle right above Cassandra's left knee.
The brunette lurched forward as the tool was ripped out from her. She could already feel the stinging agony that had been left in its wake. The warm kiss of blood upon her skin was immediate as it began to leak out. Thankfully, the wound was not too deep, as it had not unleashed a tidal wave of crimson, nor immobilized her.
But it was a hit, nonetheless.
Damn!
Falena scraped the sickle across the floor as she pushed her body back up. Cassandra countered with a swipe of her torch, which connected with the sickle as soon as the blond lifted it to block her. Interlocked, the two women were back on their feet, facing one another with a deadlocked stare.
Falena growled through her teeth, "You will not make it out of here!"
Cassandra kept her words to herself, reserving her strength for the matters at hand. While her opponent was small, she was no pushover. Falena was as fidgety as she was slim. The weapon in her hand only amplified the threat that she posed, and the brunette had to end it.
With the torch being her only link between life and death, Cassandra recalled the fight with the dhins that she had encountered in the forests near Acomb. That branch kept her away from the razor-sharp teeth of the carnivorous animals, saving her from a head-crushing bite. Falena pressed forward as hard as she could, desperately trying to force the sickle around the burning handle and into her enemy's throat.
The two of them grunted vigorously as they fought for dominance. The more Cassandra resisted; the more aggressive Falena got. Aggression would breed sloppiness when not controlled, and she knew that well. The fawn's anger only set her up for failure as the brunette pushed forward some more, paving the way for her attacker to return the act.
As soon as she did – Cassandra broke her hold and jumped to the side.
Falena fell forward a second time, allowing Cassandra the chance to swing her torch at her. A strike to the back knocked the fawn off her knees. She screamed as soon as it hit her, kicking to fend the brunette off. Another blow to the back ended with a splash of yellow and orange embers that expelled into the air.
With a prolonged grunt, Falena jolted around and slashed at her again. The hook of the weapon caught the torch in its middle, which forced Cassandra to let go in fear that its edge would sever her fingers. With the momentum of her attack too much to reel in, the fawn lost her grip as both tools released from their possessors' hands.
The clatter of metal and the clunking of wood reverberated around the room as the glow of the torch rolled further down toward one of the columns. As Cassandra followed it with her eyes, she saw Falena rising back onto her feet.
She won't quit!
"Just die!" Falena screamed as she ran toward her. Cassandra braced for the inevitable impact but did not expect the fawn to jump as soon as she closed in on her. The blonde's short frame meant nothing as the two found themselves face to face.
Cassandra struggled to knock her off, ducking her chin as Falena clawed at her eyes and nose. The fawn's legs wrapped around the brunette's waist; feet digging into the sides of her hips. The constant motion was unending, which shook their balance at its foundation.
I need to get her off me!
With the glow of the torch highlighting parts of Cassandra's face, Falena went on the offensive and began to deliver a series of punches to her nose and cheeks. The fawn's bony knuckles bashed her as hard as they could. The blonde did not aim for any particular spot, seeking to land as much damage as she could while they spun around.
One lucky hit rattled the bridge of Cassandra's nose, sending a shockwave across her center as the shadows became blurry. She couldn't fight like this, and if she didn't act, Falena would likely continue to wear her down. The fawn's hair was exceedingly long, which provided a good way to re-direct her.
Grabbing Falena's wavy locks tightly, Cassandra pulled down as hard as she could. While getting a decent view of her face was not likely, the strained groans were clear as day. Falena kicked her as hard as her position would allow, rocking the brunette's gut with her knees and heels.
The air inside Cassandra's gut vacated as soon as a blow to her stomach was thrown. She felt her legs go limp and collapse. The last thing that trickled into her ears before she hit the floor was a yelp from the fawn on top of her. After that – it was a stone-hard landing that chiseled more of her strength away.
How did…
Falena seized the moment for what it was worth, having realized that she now possessed the upper hand. She rose to her knees and began to throw more punches at the sides of Cassandra's head. Blow after blow, she put all of her energy behind her fists. Once her arm tired out, she pushed herself up onto her feet, using them to bash the woman's ribs and stomach.
Cassandra's body ached with a great deal of pain. She could not believe how she had allowed herself to fall in such a manner. Fights like these were never meant to be long, and as she glanced at Falena standing above her, she could only wish that she had given more with the time that she had.
I can't let her kill me. I can't…
Rolling over onto her side, Cassandra tried to move but Falena cut her down with a stomp onto the back of her shoulder. It sent a riptide of agony that roared across her upper back, which pinned her down as her nerves continued to flare.
Huffing out loud, Falena brushed her long hair away from her face as she turned her eyes to where the torch was. She was breathing heavily and the only thing that her mind was focused on right now was the woman under her. This fight had gone on long enough.
It was time to end her life.
The fawn stumbled over to the torch, where she noticed the sickle to be embedded along the handle. She ripped it out as soon as she could, inhaling deeply as she turned her gaze onto a defeated Cassandra. The fawn had never fought like this before in her life and she was proud to come out on top.
With a long smile, she wiped the sweat from her face as her breathing echoed around her. The blonde paced herself as she playfully twirled the curved blade at her side.
"Tradition, huh?" She mocked Cassandra's lies that had allowed her to disable her powers.
As the brunette lay on the ground, all that she could think about was her impending end. Falena was about to use the sickle to cut her throat – no doubt about it.
Bela…Daniela…I love you both. You two will always be my sisters. I'm sorry that I failed you.
Her hand brushed up against her necklace.
I wish you two were – wait.
She could feel the ornaments in her palm. As Falena closed in, she gripped the necklace and tore the chain off her.
The fawn was now standing by her side, where she peered down at her with a malicious glare. "I'll keep this weapon, yes, but, I have a little tradition of my own." She got down on her knees and grabbed Cassandra by the back of her hair. "When I end someone's life, I like to watch their eyes go stale. Yours are just the right color, and I cannot wait to see that glow fade."
She lifted Cassandra higher, placing the woman's face at chest level. The brunette's left hand landed on Falena's thin shoulder, which only made the fawn laugh. "Goodnight."
The sickle was raised in the air – and Cassandra threw her right hand straight into Falena's throat.
An explosion of blood burst from her neck as the pale woman's fist made impact with it. The fawn's green eyes lit up with an intense mix of distress and shock. She gurgled as she pulled away and stumbled back. Cassandra did not force a hold on her, as the act was already done. Spurts of red landed across the brunette's nose and mouth, which mirrored her days of darkness in her own, wretched castle.
Staggering in place and clutching her throat, Falena stared at Cassandra's hand, where she noticed several pointy implements wedged in between her fingers. The brunette opened up her palm while the fawn looked on, where her necklace and its ornaments fell onto the ground.
Cassandra's amber orbs fixated on her as she shambled backward, blood raining down her chest and stomach. It fused her white gown to her skin, while the crimson tide glistened against the fire's aura. Falena turned around and dropped the sickle. With her body weakening, she lurched forward as she made a break for the torch – the only way she would find her escape from this room.
The fawn only made it a few yards before her strength gave way and she fell to the ground several feet away from the fire.
In a triumphant pose of victory, Cassandra pushed her body up as she got back onto her feet. The brunette's eyes would not leave the fawn. They were the eyes of a hunter, ready to finish what they had been born to do. This was a fight that only one person was going to walk away from.
That person was her.
Falena turned around and tried to crawl away as Cassandra reached down and picked up the sickle from the floor. Its tip scraped against the stone one final time before she stood tall. The fawn could hear the noise of the approaching footsteps. A path of blood had been smeared from under her, draining her of any chance that she had to fight back.
Cassandra grabbed her by the fabric of her shoulder and turned her onto her back. Falena's arms broke the hold on her wound, frantically fighting to repel the woman above her. It was a futile move, as each hit and grab were too weak to do anything. The brunette's left knee pressed against the blonde's hip, pinning her down for good.
More blood leaked out from Falena's ventilated esophagus as she stared up at Cassandra with frightened eyes – the sickle in the woman's arms raised high in the air.
The two shared but a second together before Cassandra uttered the last word that the fawn would ever hear, "Goodnight."
A bubble of blood erupted from Falena's mouth as she pushed out a final scream that carried itself to every corner of the large dungeon.
As soon as Falena's breath cut out, the sickle crashed into her skull with the force of a warrior's hammer – ending her life.
.
Narratha polished down the large glass of water, but the tremors in her hands would not stop. It was yet another run of the same old problem, which had begun to become a more common occurrence over the years. Her fingers twitched as she curled them into fists, along with the involuntary quivers of her lips and nose.
Flaring up her magic used to settle it down years ago, but now, it didn't do much. She'd have to power through it. Another night of sleeplessness, she figured. What else was new?
Ignoring the convulsions as best she could, the redhead directed her mind back to Leta. The child would eventually come around, she thought. A few more days of starvation would pressure her toward food. If her freckled hand was the one who fed her, then perhaps she could grow more accepting of what she had to offer.
Narratha understood that Leta's powers would take years to mature to what Lia had before she died. The killer's impatience grew the more she thought about it. The fruit of another realm was such an enticing reward, and she wanted to have it at her disposal so that other fawns would turn to her.
After all these years of fighting, she just wanted to reach her goal of a safer world. Had she been able to feast on Lia's blood and flesh, then her powers would surely have been able to break through the barriers in her favor. Leta would be a work in progress, but a work that demanded more time than she was willing to put in.
If the child did not turn to her soon, then Narratha believed that she would have to try harder.
Killing a young fawn was not what she wanted to do. She had pledged her soul to right the wrongs that the children from her commune had suffered – namely, Balia.
There had to be another way…
.
Cassandra glanced down at Falena's bloodied corpse as she retrieved the torch from nearby. With the light of the fire showcasing the devastation that the fawn's body had endured during her death, the brunette had to look away.
Taking a life was nothing new. She was only upset that it had to come down to this after all the progress that had been made. It felt like she could never walk away from being a killer.
I am so sorry, Lia. I had no other choice…
With a somber look on her face, Cassandra paced around as she contemplated what her next move was going to be. The vial had already been utilized on Falena, to great effect. As much of a success as this fight had been, that left Narratha still in the equation.
The redhead was far more dangerous than Falena could have ever dreamed of being. Taking her accomplice out did little to even the odds. In fact, Cassandra now started to fear what reprisal would come her way once Narratha learned of her companion's demise.
The only conclusion that she could arrive at was that it would be torturous and gory, assuming she even killed her to begin with. Narratha's cruelty was boundless. To her – death was a reward.
As she moved through the area where they had just fought, Cassandra quickly noticed the small book that Falena had in her hands when she encountered her.
What is this?
She picked it up off the ground and opened it up. It was another diary that was mostly empty, save for a few scribbled pages. The handwriting was very poor, yet, still legible.
"My name is Cillenna. I don't know if anyone will ever read this, but I am writing to document this horrific event. I was brought here after watching my best friend get killed and eaten by another fawn. My hands are broken, yet, I can still write. She has not taken my supplies from me.
The other two fawns who I am chained up with are scared. We do not know what to do."
"Narratha does not relent. She continues to venture down here and abuse us. It's been a few days since I was taken here, I believe. She beats us, cuts our skin, and sips on our blood. I am so afraid."
"We were violently assaulted again. The youngest of us, Falena, has been receiving the worst of it. Narratha just keeps hitting her until she's bloody in the face. I tried to lift her spirits after she left, but she just kept crying."
"I've been talking to Falena more. All of us have. She says she wants her mother. This poor sister of ours. Narratha came down and shouted at her, hitting her with such anger. She keeps trying to get Falena to agree with her views. I am beginning to worry for her, as she later told me that poils are the ones to blame for all this.
I fear Narratha is winning. I have never seen anyone so scared before."
"Narratha tortured us again. Falena is bloody and shaking. She offered Falena a chance to leave this dark room, but only if she followed her hateful ways. Falena wants to, but Narratha says she cannot go until she proves herself.
Narratha showed her a knife and said she would heal Falena's hands if she used the knife to cut my throat.
Falena did not accept, so Narratha left. She told her the offer was still there.
I do not wish to believe that Falena would harm me. None of us do, but, she has been quiet since then. She won't respond to me. I fear that she is considering it.
Why is this happening to us?"
There were no other entries to be read.
Cassandra glanced over at Falena's corpse as she held the book in her hands. This castle was one tragedy after another and it would not end until Narratha was stopped. The brunette sighed as she watched the fallen fawn lay there – blood pouring out from her wounds.
I'm sorry.
She approached her body, where she laid the book down beside her hands. It was the only semblance of peace that she could grant her in her passing. Even though she had won the fight, Cassandra took no pride in doing so. This wasn't a battle of good against evil.
Not in this room.
Cassandra could taste the familiar sensation of iron on her tongue. She realized that Falena's blood was still dripping down her chin. She wiped it away at that moment, wanting to forget everything that had just happened down here.
As she stood by with her sickle and torch, her mind could only think about Leta and what she must have endured so far at Narratha's hands. The girl could not be allowed to stay another minute here. If the drive to save her had allowed Cassandra to survive this fight, then she believed that she needed to remember why she came here.
This was no longer about her.
All regrets would have to be put aside.
As she gazed around the room, a vibration could be heard inside her ears. She set down her arms and covered them, but the noise would not cease.
What is happening?
Parts of her skin tickled in ways that they never had before. The vibrations inside her skull would not end. It was like her brain was swirling all around inside her cranium. Her throat suddenly tingled with a strange sensation. The taste of iron only heightened as it traveled down her tongue.
Cassandra coughed to try and relieve the feeling, but as she did – a fly flew out of her mouth.
NOTES:
One chapter closer to the end…
Cassandra's powers have reawakened and her mission to save Leta now stands a chance. I'll keep this note brief, as this weekend is another double release, so go enjoy the next entry!
We're almost at the conclusion of this journey. What happens in the next chapter will set the stage for the end – and there's no going back.