Cassandra rotated her body and sat down on the ground; legs extended with her back against the boulder. As she brought her left knee up, her head tilted up, gazing up at the trees above. From what Leta could see, she appeared despondent – no longer the arrogant bully she had been less than a minute ago.

Leta continued to slowly approach her, cautious if she was about to snap again. However, Cassandra looked more depleted rather than ready to attack. Feeling confident that everything was safe, the young fawn slowly took her place beside her, scooting down to the grass below and resting on the rock. Cassandra didn't spare a glance, though she was well aware of her presence. Leta saw her hand come up and adjust the hood on her head; angled away toward the left – away from her.

"Can we talk?" Leta asked.

After a short exhale, Cassandra sat quietly before expressing her thoughts. "There is nothing to talk about," she said as her breathing started to slow down.

Hoping to find some way to reach her, Leta continued to press on. She knew that there had to be light within Cassandra's heart. She couldn't be as bad as she said she was. "Why are you so angry?"

Cassandra brought her head back to the front, lowering it down while pressing her hand to her forehead. Between her hair, fingers, and the hood on top, Leta could barely see her face. It had to be intentional, she figured.

"Miss Cassandra?"

Her voice grumbled, "I said I don't want to talk about it…"

Leta nodded to herself, seeing that prodding away might only make the situation worse right now. She did not know the extent of Cassandra's anger – nor her restraint. The woman was clear in her words and the threats embedded in them. There was no need to stress her out further.

Truth be told, the child had never encountered someone like this before. Lia and Milo were often composed and in control of themselves. It could be dangerous to go as far as she was, but she could not find it in herself to walk away.

Cassandra wanted to be left alone, but, was that the best thing for her?

"I've seen Lia get angry. We've fought before." She opened up about her personal life, thinking it would help to shift the spotlight for a moment. At the very least – the woman wouldn't drown in whatever thoughts it was that she was swimming in.

Cassandra didn't say a word, but it was clear that she was listening.

"Sometimes, when she was teaching me how to do enchantments, she'd get angry whenever I wanted to do something else. I'd get mad because I was tired of training and because she was yelling at me. We've had some really bad fights." Leta rested her head against the large stone, taking the time to expel some of her own negative energy as well.

"She'd tell me, 'You can't spend your whole life playing outside. You have to learn these skills.' I'd tell her that it was too much; that I couldn't handle it all at once. I thought it wasn't fair that I had to waste my day learning these things. I told her that I wasn't the fawn that she was and that I didn't want to be. That really set her off and Milo had to pull her away from me." Leta's voice took a somber tone as she recalled that terrible fight. "It wasn't a good day."

Cassandra continued to stay silent. Her hand still pressed against her face, moving slightly as she seeped strings of air in through the cracks of her fingers.

"She stopped training me for the rest of the evening and all I wanted to do was be away from her. I was so upset but then I began to think she was the one who truly felt hurt." Leta paused to take a breath, having already said a mouthful. For a kid, she was articulate in her words and confident enough to speak them like an adult.

Could she be naïve? Perhaps. Was she smart? Yes.

"Milo explained to me that Lia was what our people called a 'surge.' It means that she can do more with her powers than most fawns, but at the cost of her health. The problem is, a surge has to learn to control their powers or they risk inadvertently killing themselves. I learned that she never got to enjoy her childhood because the emphasis was on her learning how to not die. I didn't realize that she was worried that I was a surge too and didn't want me to die." Leta had another tear trail down her cheek as she wrapped up her story.

"She did it out of love. If she didn't care, she would have let me play all day."

Cassandra finally took her hand off her face and spoke, her voice low. "Can you stop talking?" She still wouldn't look at her.

Leta felt the comment hit her soul. She tried to hold back any additional tears that would come out. To hear such a cold, uncaring response tested her fragility. She wanted to get up and run away, back to where the road was. What was the point of trying? If this woman wanted to be angry and miserable all day, then so be it. Let her stay in the woods.

Only, she couldn't do that. Not only because she was expected to return with Cassandra, but because seeing someone walk away would only hurt the woman more – whether she admitted it or not. Leta understood giving someone their space, but not abandoning them.

The way she replied wasn't threatening. There were no growls of rage or any sneers mixed in with her words. She sounded tired; drained. All she said was to stop talking.

She never told her to leave.

Leta kept herself composed, choosing to remain silent. Meanwhile, Cassandra put her hand back to her face and turned her head away. A sigh could be heard escaping through the woman's lips as she stared at the trees nearby.

As the seconds turned into a few minutes, Cassandra had not wavered from her position. Leta could not tell what exactly it was that she was thinking about. It had to be either their fight or whatever bad memories she blamed herself for at home. There had to be something that would cheer her up.

Scanning around the area, the girl spotted a small flower bush not far away, prompting an idea to come to mind. She got up from the rock, prompting a small tilt from Cassandra's head before it immediately went back. Trotting over to the flowers, Leta knelt down and began carefully plucking them.

As Leta occupied herself, Cassandra kept her eyes on the sky. The distance from her home was beginning to hit her. She reflected on how angry she had gotten with her sisters and how none of that mattered any longer. All she desired was to be with them and see that they were still safe and sound – no matter how debatable that had become.

I shouldn't be here. There is so much that I still have to do. Why did this happen to me?

She replayed the images of Daniela cowering on the floor over and over in her head. The immense power and gratification that she held at that time were now impossible to relive. All she could feel now was the sting of how she failed her sister so terribly. They lived their entire lives together and in a moment of rage, it all went to nothing over some broken hunting trophy.

She had been so worried about Ethan harming her and now all she could think about was how she was no different. The mental damage that she had inflicted was great. Daniela had not been the same since their fight in the library and it was all her fault. After all the insults and the yelling, there was still a chance to turn it all around.

Daniela cared. If the brunette had taken a moment to breathe and explain why she was so mad, they could've talked about it. But, Cassandra just couldn't do that. It was easier to swim with the waves rather than against them. Not only did she let her rage lead to her assaulting Daniela, but she also continued to bask in the glory of what she did during dinner like she didn't care.

To replay the memories of that night again in her head was sickening. She knew that wasn't what sisters were supposed to do to each other.

Now, there was a pattern that she could not ignore; responsibility. Whether it was Daniela or Leta; she had been entrusted with the safety of both these people and reduced them into fear and sadness. Why wouldn't her family look down on her if all she ever did was constantly fail them? Why should Milo help her after her actions towards Lia and Leta?

Even in another realm – an entirely different world – she couldn't stop falling victim to her ways.

You're so selfish. So caught up in your anger.

With another groan, she brought her fingers against her brow, massaging it to dull out the strain that all these thoughts placed on her brain. It would have been easier if she was among the servants in her castle. At least that way she wasn't expected to be kind. She could simply blend in with the mask of nobility as an excuse to take her problems out on others.

She could pretend that there wasn't something wrong with her. She could just play the part of someone who was better than others. She wouldn't have to feel so low inside whenever mistakes were made.

"Miss Cassandra?" She heard that girl's voice calling out to her again. She was in no mood for any more stories. All they had done was make her feel worse, regardless of whether they related to her or not. She wanted to tell Leta to stop, but staying silent was the easy way out.

She was worried about how much more wrath would spill from her lips – whether she intended it or not.

When she did not respond, Leta addressed her a second time. "I made you something."

Huh?

Cassandra's head glanced over to where the girl was. Sure enough, there was Leta, standing beside her with both arms out; a crown of flowers atop her palms.

It was a beautiful little craft; each one positioned atop intertwined vines. In all – five bright pink flower heads adorned the makeshift piece of headwear. Leta bore a proud smile on her face as she waited for Cassandra to accept it. That expression – she was still trying to make her happy despite everything she had done.

"For me?" Cassandra's eyebrows raised in a confused posture as she looked up at the child.

"Yeah, it didn't come out exactly how I hoped but I tried my best."

It looks…beautiful.

Cassandra reached out and plucked the crown with two fingers before cradling it in both of her hands. Inspecting it, she marveled at Leta's talent for crafting – something that she herself could never replicate. The vines and stems streamed along each other in a perfect spiral column. The pedals were long and round, each head containing multiple pieces like a rose. The fawn paid extra attention to detail and saved the biggest one for the center.

"Why did you make me this?" Cassandra asked.

"When I first heard that you lived in a castle, I thought we might have been a queen," she smiled. "Well, I figured, if you're not, then you could be one here. Every queen deserves a crown."

I don't deserve this. Why is she being so nice to me?

Cassandra stared blankly at the crown of flowers in her hand. Her eyes would not move one bit, her fingers rotating the craft around almost robotically.

Leta finished with one final statement, "I think 'Queen Cassandra' has a nice ring to it."

Cassandra's eyes squinted and her mouth winched. She lowered her hands, gently setting the crown down on the ground beside her hip. "I don't want it," she quickly muttered, lifting her knees and burying her head into her arms.

Leta felt her heart break apart again. It was another attempt at kindness met with cold disregard. She felt like bursting out into tears at that very moment, wanting to take the crown and throw it at her. Was it something she had done wrong, she wondered? Or, was Cassandra just so uncaring that no good deed would phase her?

Before Leta could shed another droplet, she already had her answer: neither.

The only thing that prevented those reactions was that this time; Cassandra's response lacked her typical, cold overtone. Instead, she sounded as if she was giving it up and was disappointed to do so. The woman was too afraid to accept the gesture for whatever reason – something Leta wanted to understand more.

"Why don't you want it?"

With her face still concealed under her forearms, Cassandra's voice was muffled but still weakened. "Does it matter?"

Leta remained determined to get to the bottom of what was going on. She could not just go and leave things the way they were – for both of their sake. This was a side of Cassandra that she had not seen before and the woman was actively trying to reel it back in.

Testing the waters, the girl took a more direct approach, hoping to lift Cassandra's gaze out from her arms. "Do you have friends back at home?"

Sure enough, those amber eyes rose up, glaring right at her. Success.

When Cassandra did not respond with words, Leta decided to re-iterate the question. "Are you afraid of making friends?"

Her brows furrowed, and her nose and lips curled into a snarl. "What?" Her voice grew in wrath. The confrontational nature of the question was enough to rile her up.

Leta hesitated for a couple of seconds – fearing that she may have gone too far. Cassandra had already demonstrated that her explosive tendencies did not have a clear-cut activation. The woman was a field of landmines and one would never know where the next one lay until they stepped on it.

Sticking to her choice, Leta expanded on what she had asked, not withholding staring back at her as she did. "I don't believe that you're the heartless person that you make yourself out to be."

Cassandra openly gritted her teeth after hearing the way the girl spoke to her. What did she know? Nothing. She knew nothing about her home or what she did there. She was just an adolescent from some other world who was too curious and talkative for her own good.

"If you don't walk away right now –" Cassandra warned but Leta immediately cut the act short.

"Hurting me won't make you feel better."

Cassandra's face dropped briefly before a grim smile suddenly appeared. "Oh, it will. You don't know me, child. Walk on my nerves and broken legs will follow."

"I don't know you because you won't let me."

Cassandra wouldn't say a word. All she did was glare at her while keeping her arms nestled against her knees. She didn't know how to respond. As much as the girl's constant questions inflamed her instability, she knew they were valid.

"We don't have to be friends if you don't want to be," Leta stated. "I just want to know why you're forcing yourself to be this angry, hateful person?"

With a long breath, Cassandra buried her face in her arms once more, bringing her feet closer to her body. She had finally had enough and was exhausted. Screaming and scaring the girl away wouldn't do anything for her. Realistically, it would only back up her theory about herself even more.

Leta wanted an answer – she would get one.

"I'm not pretending," Cassandra confessed, her voice not as muffled as before. "I want you to know that. I am always angry. It doesn't matter who or what. So far, it's gotten in the way of me getting back home to my family. So, yeah, I'm not just angry that I'm stuck here; I'm angry at myself for prolonging it. Does that answer your question?"

Cassandra's abrupt honesty came as a shock to Leta; who wasn't expecting such an immediate answer after all the effort spent going back and forth with her. This woman looked like she hardly – if ever – opened up to anyone, and she didn't want to squander the opportunity to learn more about her.

"I understand that you're not happy here."

With a small, condescending laugh, Cassandra kept her face obscured. "No. No, you don't."

"You're right." Leta returned to her previous spot against the rock, right beside her. "I don't. May I understand?"

"I know what you're doing." Cassandra's head turned ever-so-slightly toward Leta, the amber iris of her right eye staring at her from underneath her hair and hood. "Your little word games won't get you anywhere." She quickly locked herself away, trying to avoid the conversation again. It was never-ending. Leta had one more thing to say before she would put it to rest. She had gotten Cassandra to open up a little so far. There was credit to that.

"I think that you'll still be just as unhappy in your realm as you are here. If there is no one that you can talk to there, at least let someone here listen to and understand you."

Cassandra's troubling glare morphed into a stare of realization. She knew the girl was right. She could forget about this place once she was back inside her castle, but it wouldn't change how she felt about her reality. Leta was giving her the chance to talk about these troubles – something that she and her sisters couldn't do until other problems were sorted out first.

She closed her eyes as she slowly shook her head. "You're not going to stop asking, are you?"

"I have to try."

"Why do you care? I'm not even from this world. My problems aren't yours."

Leta picked up the crown that she had made off of the ground, thumbing through the pedals. Cassandra brought up a good point; why should she care? It wasn't like they'd ever see each other again nor had the woman been particularly friendly to her since she got here.

Beneath all of Cassandra's negativity about this world and her circumstances, there had been glimmers of excitement and joy in the woman's emotions. From their semi-casual conversations to the fun race that they shared on the way to Acomb; there peeks at who she could be.

Most of all; Leta understood what it was like to have someone else reach out and ask about what was wrong. Lia and Milo would often check in on her if they felt something wasn't right. It wasn't always perfect and there were moments when she didn't want to discuss her problems.

Sometimes the simple reassurance that she wasn't alone was enough to bring about the strength to move on. With being in a world that was not her own, Leta feared that Cassandra was already more isolated than anyone else could possibly be.

"Because we'll still think about you even after you leave. We want you to be okay."

Cassandra's eyes opened right after she heard that. Floating over at Leta, a question of sincerity breathed through her mouth. "Is that true?"

"Yes, we're not going to forget you. We don't want you to forget us either."

Feeling the warmness of the girl's words radiate into her chest, Cassandra lifted her head from her arms and sat up, her eyes moving from Leta back to the trees above her. "I can't say that I will," she said as she gazed at the Specter Moons as they shined through the various branches. "I'll remember all of this."

"Same," Leta flicked her locks of curly hair over her shoulder. She subtly got into a more comfortable position, expecting that they weren't about to just get up and walk back to the castle. Cassandra certainly had a lot on her mind and seemed willing to talk about some of it.

For the brunette, the forest offered a sense of peace and privacy. The glow of the orange sunlight was more comforting than the dim shadows of a dreary old building. She preferred the fresh air over the moist smell of stone any day of the week too. As she looked at the young fawn next to her, she figured that now may be the time to let go – if not just a little.

I should talk to somebody.

"I am happy sometimes," she admitted with a faint smile, eyes toward the trees. "Whenever I'm out in the forests hunting or working on projects at home, I'm not always so negative. There are things that I can't change, and things that I need to change. I made some mistakes before coming here and I have to get back so I can fix them." She glanced down at the scar along her breast, curling her bottom lip in thought. "It's all been on my mind ever since."

Hearing Cassandra open up about herself brought Leta comfort and interest. She had managed to do something that may have hardly ever happened – given how reserved this woman was. She did not look away, giving her the attention that she deserved. With a considerate nod, she gave feedback on what had been said.

"Everyone makes mistakes. You can't punish yourself for what you did."

I wish I could believe that.

Cassandra's eyes and mouth began to twitch before she breathed a sharp breath, regaining control of her emotions. She shook her head, breathing again and turning her fixation back on the trees that had become an outlet to distract her from losing focus.

"My mistakes go deeper than simple missteps," she elaborated. "I did things that I can't just turn around and apologize for. I've hurt those close to me. I get so angry that I feel better when everyone around me is in pain." Her fingers tightened ever-so-slightly around her skirt.

There were many things that Leta could say – that she wanted to say. She had to choose the right response; for both her and Cassandra. There were signs that the woman was tip-toeing on something bigger than she let on and it wouldn't be wise to push her headfirst into it.

Picking a small flower out from the ground and twiddling it between her thumb and forefinger, Leta's soft voice threw warmth into the cold outlook that the lady had. "It's never too late to turn things around. It may take a long time, but it's shorter than dwelling on your troubles and letting them grow."

With a friendly huff, Cassandra grinned out of the corner of her mouth. "You speak such intricate words for someone your age, you know?"

"Lia told me that once," Leta laughed. "All the credit goes to her."

"Still…" Cassandra straightened out her legs for a moment and re-adjusted her back. "You put a lot of thought before you talk. You're not as simple-minded as most children."

"Lia taught me a lot; especially proper communication. Fawns are supposed to be concise. Besides," she laughed again, "I'm almost eleven."

"Still a child." Cassandra let out a short giggle.

"Ugh, whatever you say…"

"Hmm," she gave one more chuckle before her thoughts rotated back to the topic at hand. "I guess you're right – about the 'turning things around' bit. I might be able to fix things, but before I do, I have to get back home and fix everything else."

Leta stopped twirling the flower. "Like what?"

Cassandra lowered her head one more time, running her forefinger along her scar. The result of the fight that she would never forget; a constant reminder of what must be undone. Ethan Winters needed to die. While she still lacked the answer to the safety of her family, his death was inevitable in her eyes. She'd avenge them if she had to, even though she hated to imagine that he succeeded in killing them all.

There was absolutely no way he could have bested her mother. The woman was as powerful as the heavens. She'd have diced him with a single swipe before he could even blink.

Such a likelihood should have been reassuring enough to assuage such fears, but it was what she saw during her fight with the man-thing that caused an unending worry. He had been cut, hooks sent through both of his palms, visibly battered throughout his time navigating the castle. Against all that, he was in good shape when they came to blows in the armory.

The man might as well not have taken a single bit of damage to his skin before they matched up. It was eerie. She had even managed to snag a bite of his neck during her chase of him on the second floor of the Main Hall. Those teeth marks were perfectly healed by the time they met again after only an hour.

It was unexplainable.

Her mother had instructed all three of her daughters after they left her chambers that he was of great interest to Mother Miranda for reasons left out. At the time, all she and her sisters could think about was when they would finally get to feed on him. Cassandra had not paid much mind to when her mother remarked that he had escaped from Lord Heisenberg.

That creepy uncle of hers was arrogant and foolish, yes, but his games were notoriously violent and chaotic. She had heard many stories from her mother about them. Surviving was one thing. To make it out in roughly one piece was profound. She chalked it up to pure luck when she saw her mother rise from her chair and advance toward the captured man.

He looked so weak and pitiful when they had him. She never thought about how much luck he truly had.

Could that have given him a chance against her mother?

"I need to sort out a mess that was left in my castle, let's leave it at that." She shook her head before re-joining Leta's gaze. "When I do, I can focus on what must come after."

"Milo told me that Lia was able to project your home in a window. He said it looked like some sort of battle between people and monsters."

She bit her lip, pausing any further breath until she could steady her mind. That chaotic scene – just right outside her castle. It didn't look good for her family. None of it did. Whoever it was that was descending upon her village, they were winning. Mother Miranda must've been throwing all she had at them but it still wasn't enough.

Those men and their aircraft. The unending automatic gunfire. Castle Dimitrescu wouldn't stand a chance. They could blow a million holes through it and level that fortress to the ground if they wanted.

Ethan had to have made it out and sent for help.

"That 'window' that your sister showed me, I'm trying to find out the answers to it." Cassandra picked at her fingers. "I wish I could tell what was happening there, but I don't know. That's why I need to get back."

Leta was visibly concerned, seeing that what Cassandra held near and dear to herself was in possible danger. It was no wonder why she was so desperate to return. The seconds that she spent here must have been agonizing. It made sense as to why she was always so tense around everyone.

"If it makes you feel better…" Leta mentioned. "Time is theorized to move differently through realms. Milo thinks that we may be able to bring you back to a moment before you were sent here."

In a second, Cassandra's head perked up and her wide eyes locked on the girl across from her. Her lips split, surprised as ever.

"Wait…you can do that?"

"Possibly." Leta raised an eyebrow in a display of uncertainty. "It's a theory, but then again, we've never had anyone actually cross realms. Milo's been working on mapping out the time period that we thought you lived in and comparing it to everything that you've told us. He's very excited to learn the truth."

"What does that mean?"

"He thinks time between realms goes back and forth, kind of like a fire's flames. If we can get you back, we might be able to do it before what you saw happening took place," Leta said. "I don't know much about this science stuff. Milo is in love with it."

"Like Bela," Cassandra remarked to herself.

"Your sister?"

"Yeah. She's very interested in those things."

"She studies the other realms too?" Leta asked.

"Uhm, no. More like metamorphosis and chemical reactions and blah blah blah…"

"Huh." Leta leaned forward; hands placed on her knees as she crossed her legs. "I wonder what your world knows about the universe around it. It's certainly amazing to think how all the different things you could find out there."

"I once heard about someone leaving our planet and setting foot on our moon, once," Cassandra stated, much to Leta's amazement.

"What?!" Her eyelids expanded at the mere mention of such a feat. "That's impossible!"

"I think so too," she laughed. "However, the Duke swore by it."

"Who?"

"That's the weird merchant that I told you about earlier," Cassandra elaborated. "He seems to know everything – for better or worse."

"Your home sounds very interesting. I wish I could see it for myself."

No. No, you don't…

"You're not missing out, I promise. This place is safe for you."

Leta seemed perplexed, having caught the tail end of her sentence. "Is your place not safe?"

Cassandra rolled her shoulder, curling the side of her mouth as she responded nonchalantly to the question. "Probably not for a young kid." She flicked her tongue and decided to change the subject. "Never mind that. It's not important. I just want to say thanks for listening. I needed that."

Hearing those words brought Leta a tremendous feeling of accomplishment and happiness. She kept most of the satisfaction to herself – bearing only a simper. She could see how reserved Cassandra was and she didn't want to press the matter more than she had to. Her companion had lightened up, no longer at the edge of what could have been a mental breakdown.

There was a lot Leta had yet to understand about her. Things that she could never imagine or make sense of unless Cassandra explained them. It would be best to let her make those choices when the time was right. Until then, she wanted the brunette to know that she wasn't alone in Locwitary.

"That's what friends do," she said as she offered the crown of flowers to Cassandra again. A smile broke out on the woman's face as she looked at the girl, taking possession of the craft soon after.

As Leta reflected on their conversation, Cassandra huffed a small giggle to herself before she glanced over at the rock behind her. The girl reared her head up, curious as to what she was about to say.

"I have an idea…" Cassandra teased.

"What is it?"

"Do you want to play a game? It is a nice day after all."

"Yes!" Leta nearly jumped up from the ground.

Cassandra smiled, pushing herself onto her feet. "Come, take a seat next to me," she propped herself up on the boulder. The front of her shoes graced the edge of the turf. It was as comfortable as she would get, but it would do. The rays of the moons shined through the cracks above, highlighting the grass around them.

Leta quickly hopped aboard, taking her spot inches away from Cassandra's side. Her legs rocked back and forth; mirroring how giddy she was that this was now an option.

"So, what game did you have in mind for us to play?"

"We don't need anything for this game," Cassandra said. "Here's how it goes: I state three different things. Two of them are true, one is false. You have to figure out which one is a fabrication. The first one to correctly identify the lie amongst the truths is the winner of that round."

It was a game that Daniela created for whenever they were at the dinner table and the food was running late. While they had not played it in years, the memories of it were quite enjoyable. It was one of those rare things that Bela was not good at, while Daniela knew her sisters well enough to pick out the truths on the spot.

Their mother wouldn't partake in it, choosing to watch instead. She'd often smile at their answers – whenever they weren't something that she believed she should have known about.

It was worth a shot, Cassandra decided. The premise was easy and required little to no effort at all. She stretched her legs out and arched her back for a second before adjusting her position upon the rock.

Leta's hands shook with pure eagerness at her sides. "This sounds so fun! Please, let's play!"

"Alright," she said. "You first."

"Okay..." Leta began to cook up whatever it was that she would say. It didn't take long before the sentences started to spill out. "I can read at an adult level. I once tried to fish but caught nothing," she paused, "and…Ginyols aren't afraid of me."

So easy…

"The lie is the Ginyol one," Cassandra guessed.

Leta gave out a small groan, curling her lips. "How'd you know?"

"Because you a while to come up with the last one," she smiled. "It was pretty obvious. Plus; you all keep talking about how Ginyols are hard to catch. They'd never just approach someone, right?"

"Yeah, you're right…"

"One point for Cassandra." She rolled her head back and began to think up her own ones to throw out. "Hmm, okay, here's a few: I've hunted every beast you can imagine in my world. My favorite hobby is gardening, and my mother is twice as tall as me."

Without a second thought, Leta jumped at the chance to answer the question. "The one about your mother is a lie!"

"Wrong," Cassandra laughed, much to Leta's bewilderment.

"How?"

"My mother has been growing since I was born. Steadily, yes, but she's over nine feet tall." Her fingers gently caressed the amulet around her neck. "Quite a sight."

"I don't believe you." Leta held firm.

"Believe what you want. I'm only telling you one lie, no others."

"Fine," she relented. "It's still unbelievable."

"You'd be surprised what goes on in my realm," Cassandra chuckled,

"What was the lie?"

"I hate gardens," she replied. "Now, your turn."

Leta took her time with this one. She didn't want to make anything too obvious. Cassandra didn't know much about Locwitary either, so she figured anything out there could work. "So, I can only view other worlds when connected to my sister. I have lived in two of the three regions of Locwitary, and though I am young, I can predict when the next Specter Moon eclipse will come."

Uhm…what? Huh, this should be easy.

"You can't predict the eclipse thing that you just said."

"Nope, wrong," Leta smiled, spurring Cassandra to purse her lips.

"Wait, so you can do that?" She asked.

"Yes, most fawns can detect the alignment of the Specter Moons. Long ago, before the poils developed ways to plot their movement, they relied on the fawns to tell them what they felt. It's mostly useless now, but the light they feed the world also sends a signal into our bodies that give a direction when we focus on it," Leta said as she explained their nature. "You should see the eclipse someday. It's beautiful."

It was an interesting fact that highlighted how much the fawns were seemingly bound to the world around them. If they were so useful in the past, why were there so few remaining?

"So," Cassandra tilted her head, "what was the lie, then?"

"I've only ever lived here, in the region of Joulin. I've never set foot near Deas or Tyillioum."

"How big is this world?"

"Not as large or vast as yours," Leta stated. "I've seen glimpses of your world in its universe from Lia but Locwitary is a third of its size. There are three masses of land, all connected. We're in Joulin; which is where most of the poils live. Tyillioum used to be a mix of everyone but now it's a few communities of poils, but mostly uninhabited. Deas is – well, I really don't know. Milo and Lia said they haven't been to that region before either."

This world sounds as remote as the village that I knew. If this place is more populated than that other one, there must hardly be anyone left in it.

"I've never left my area," Cassandra admitted. "I've always wondered what else was there. Bela used to look at this model of our world. Most of the land was separated by water."

"Yes. I have seen that when viewing it through Lia's visions," Leta responded. "Strange."

"Do you have snow?"

"What's that?"

Cassandra leaned back, glancing at the green canopies of leaves above her. "That white powder-looking stuff that comes from the sky during the colder seasons. How do you not know?"

Leta raised her brow, confused as ever. "We never had any of that. What makes that happen?"

Her words were like a bombshell to Cassandra. A world without snow? Was such a thing possible? The presence of two suns must've had some effect, though the temperature itself was not blisteringly hot. Part of her was jealous, having wished that her home world had such a characteristic to it. A place like Locwitary would have been a paradise if she could utilize her abilities and not have to worry about the lethality of the temperature.

"When the temperature drops to where it gets cold enough, moisture in the air crystallizes and it forms a soft, little flake," Cassandra explained the phenomenon. "They usually look like little stars, but you can hardly see the details. Those flakes multiply and as they collect, they form mounds upon mounds of snow, which is so cold. My land is coated in it most of the year." She shook her head in utter displeasure. "It's terrible."

"Hmm." Leta remained optimistic. "It sounds terrible, but if manageable, perhaps it could be fun?"

"It's not fun, I promise."

"You seem to know a lot about it," she remarked. Cassandra laughed to herself, one hand's fingers against her collarbone.

"This is what Bela said one time. She was so proud of herself for learning it. Wouldn't shut up about it whenever mother was around as if she didn't already know what snow was."

"Do you and Bela get along?"

Cassandra moved her eyes, taking a second to think about how she would respond. With a small sigh, she turned her gaze back to Leta. "Most times, I guess. She means well. I just think she cares more about our mother's praise instead of what Daniela and I want. Always has to be the perfect daughter…"

"So, you and Daniela are close?"

Cassandra's face began to sour. Her brows pinched and her lips parted.

Leta could already tell that there wasn't going to be a good answer. She already regretted asking the question at all. "It's fine if you don't want to –"

"I don't," Cassandra answered firmly.

"Okay," Leta responded with a restrained demeanor. She did not want to get on Cassandra's bad side, especially after all they had accomplished together.

Seeing the way the girl reacted, Cassandra raised her hand and tried to reverse it all. "It's not…your fault. I didn't mean to sound like that. That was a good question to ask. We used to be close until recently but she and Bela are all I think about."

"Lia's the only family I have in this world," Leta told her. "We've had rough periods together, but I know that if something ever happened to me, she'd be heartbroken. I don't think your sisters are any different. No matter what, deep inside…they love you too."

NOTES:

Hello everyone! Hope you all enjoyed this latest entry!

This one was more uplifting than the previous one. We now see Cassandra begin to open up about herself and find a form of comfort in this new world. She's still keeping a lot in, but this is a start. There is a softer side to her – one that just wants to belong. It looks like Leta finally broke through and we can expect Cassandra to be friendlier to her going forward.

The next chapter will see a return to Castle Dimitrescu on the morning following Cassandra's horrible actions toward Daniela. I'm sure you all will be looking forward to that, as well as what else will happen.

I also wanted to thank you all for the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the last chapter. It really warmed my heart to see such enthusiasm about how it went, though collectively it was a hard read. Still, you all make this so worth it!

There is a lot that is planned to happen in this story. It will be wholesome at times and dark in others. A slow burn towards an inevitable fire. As I've mentioned before: Cassandra will come full circle. All I will say is that I am incredibly excited to deliver this to you!

The next chapter will release on the 6th.

Follow this story on AO3 to check out all the artwork that I have created for it. There will always be one at the end of each chapter!

Leave a comment to let me know what you think of everything so far! I love reading everything you send me! Let me know what type of artwork you hope to see as I keep your suggestions in the back of my mind. As always, thank you for all the support you've given me since this started! You all are seriously the best! Have a great week and stay safe out there!