"So," Milo said as he circled around the edge of the table that Vasan sat near, "you understand now, don't you?"
The young man shifted his eyes over to Cassandra, who stood beside the wall, quiet as ever. Opposite of her was Lia – equally as silent. The last fifteen minutes had been terribly awkward for everyone in the room – Vasan most of all, as he had to catch up with the reality that the rest of them had contended with.
"I still can't believe it." He took a breath before gently gracing the fresh split she had created on his lip. Her touch was no mere scientific theory. She was real and so was everything that she had done to him – and for him.
"What don't you believe?" Milo's voice was heavy with impatience. It appeared that the entire ordeal was the worst thing that could have happened to him. He had to re-iterate every sentence over the course of the discussion, as Vasan continued to demonstrate a hard time grasping the concept.
Vasan looked over to the woman who had captivated his mind ever since he encountered her just a few days ago. The woman with who he had spent the day's afternoon and to whom he had confided his deepest life problems. The same one who also shared a glimmer of her sadness in what may have been the closest she's ever come to in such acts.
To imagine that she was never from this universe, to begin with, sounded like pure madness.
But, against all odds – it was true.
"You're not from this world? You're from somewhere else?" He asked her.
Her long eyelashes concealed most of what was visible in her eyes as she hung her head, back against the wall and arms crossed. The brunette was completely disappointed in everything that she had done thus far and now she felt like a massive lair to someone who trusted her.
"Yes," she replied, softly.
Vasan squinted his brow as he eyed the large scar on her chest. Cassandra took notice of his focus and promptly adjusted the height of her breast cups. "No," he reassured her. "Sorry. I mean…you died? You died and came back to life?"
She shrugged her shoulder, not knowing what else to say.
Milo stepped in, hoping the boy would finally see his point. "You must understand this, Vasan: Cassandra's safety lies in your hands. We cannot have everyone know where she is from. I can't promise that someone may try to hurt her or whatever may happen if panic sets in. If you care about Cassandra as much as you say you do; you will tell no one."
He looked at Cassandra again, seeing a broken woman who was farther from home than he could ever imagine. It all began to make sense to him now. She was full of secrets for good reason. Most of all, she had the right to be afraid. She was alone and in a situation that no one else in this world had ever found themselves in before.
He could not – he would not – be the one to drag her down even more.
"I promise all of you; what you have told me will not leave this castle – or my mouth." Vasan sat back in his chair, pushing his stray strands of hair away from his brow. He still needed some more time to weigh everything as the disbelief slowly seeped from his mind. "I must know, Cassandra: what is your world like?"
Lia immediately chimed in with her aggressive opinion. "Horrible." She stared at Cassandra, who only momentarily shot her a cold glance before lowering her head again.
Milo groaned before he turned his head over to the fawn. Her continued jabs at Cassandra had worn thin his patience with her. At this point, he thought that she was simply looking to pick a fight. "Lia, enough. No one has said anything that warrants this. Please, stop."
She huffed a sharp pout through her nostrils before returning to silence. Milo brought his hand to his face, caressing his forehead to alleviate some of the stress he underwent. It had been a tumultuous day that had shown great promise at the start. In mere hours – it seemed that the progress that had been made had fallen apart and new complications arose.
"Vasan, our understanding of the realms is based only on what is written. We have only scratched the surface of what truly exists around us and Cassandra is the greatest event in our scientific history."
Lia rolled her eyes, annoyed that she had to sit through that line once again. She didn't believe it one bit, whether it was true or not. For the sake of not starting another argument, she withheld her tongue and looked away.
Milo placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm trying to protect her." A phrase that only seemed to irritate Lia more.
With a sigh, Vasan nodded in agreement. "I understand. I swear. It's just…she's –" He stopped and affixed his eyes toward Cassandra. "You're the closest thing I've had to a friend ever since I moved here. I know you hate to hear this and you've made your opinion very clear, but I wouldn't want to be with any other woman. If my heart desires you so much, then maybe I am in the wrong realm too."
Lia couldn't take it anymore. She vigorously shook her head back and forth as her hands clenched around her ears. "I'm leaving this room. I've had it with this insanity." She quickly waved her hands across the air and cast a blue field around her body that instantly took her away.
Milo glanced at where the fawn had once stood and curled his lips with closed eyes. Cassandra finally broke from her subdued persona and lifted her head.
"Look, I didn't mean the horrible things I said to you. I'm sorry that I hit you." Her brows furrowed with regret; knowing the pain she had voluntarily inflicted upon him during his weakest of moments. There was such concern in her eyes that even Milo could see how much she cared.
"Believe me when I tell you that I am trying my best. It's just that I don't think my best is good enough." She turned her attention toward Milo, hoping to get his opinion. "I want to do better. I do. I just feel like I can only create so many things I need to apologize for before I must give up – or before everyone must give up on me."
Milo disagreed, happy to see that Cassandra was still trying to come around. "No. We all have our difficulties in these lives of ours. If you keep trying to do better – trying to do the right thing – no one has given up."
She stewed on his words. They were the encouragement that she thought she'd never hear from him again, but he still believed in her. Cassandra felt like she had failed greatly in letting her anger manifest inside her to such levels. The hope that Milo and the others provided was the reminder she needed that such was never the way to go.
She had to keep moving in the direction that would free her from the endless torment she carried. It could no longer be allowed to evaporate the warm feelings of joy that she felt when the other parts of her sought to come out. Ever since she had arrived here; something was different. Something was changing, but she couldn't understand what. All she knew was that her mind was opening to new approaches that it had never considered before or wanted.
A rose beginning to blossom – no longer contained in the ground.
"Vasan," she said as she breathed, "thanks for everything today. I would do it all over again."
"And I'm sorry if I set you off," he stated. "I just wanted you to get that weight off your chest."
"It's alright." Cassandra gulped. "These are things that I need to sort out. I can't keep running from them as it's only led to things like that. You're a good man, with a good heart. I'm sorry about your brother. I don't know him, but if I did; I'm sure he would have been proud to see you trying to help others as he did."
Vasan shuddered as he fought to retain the sobs that desperately tried to burst from his chest. A tear welled up along his eyelid before he nodded his head. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she told him with a smile.
Cassandra had elected to pass on the night's dinner. Her reasoning was that she had eaten enough during the course of the day and did not feel hungry. Milo had also inquired if the presence of Lia was another reason why. She simply reiterated the mention that she wasn't hungry before she had departed. After Vasan left, it seemed as though she needed some time to collect her thoughts.
She would not discuss much with Milo, fearing that her uncontrollable anger would emerge once again and damage what progress remained. For the man, he understood that such matters required time and that it was best not to press them. He had accepted her request and allowed her the solitude that she needed.
He approached the table, whose only occupants were the two fawns. With Cassandra absent, Leta was allowed to sit across from Lia instead of being by her side. Milo retained his place at the head of the table, though he appeared slightly disheartened at the lack of their visitor's company.
Tonight, a dish of hikan had been prepared with extra vegetables to go along with it. Leta gazed around the table, taking note of the lack of a fourth chair. "Where is Miss Cassandra?" The girl asked.
Milo was about to answer when Lia beat him to it. "She's full," the fawn said quickly. "She won't be eating with us tonight."
Leta's expression sank in an instant as she was visibly disappointed. Lia glanced at her sister but said nothing as she stood up to help Milo set the plates and utensils. Seizing upon Lia's silence, Milo sought to lift the child's mood. "She was out all day enjoying her time in Acomb. There is much food to be had. I imagine she probably had a bit too much. I remember you doing the same thing, once."
Leta gave a small smile with a chuckle in tow. "The pastries they make are always so delectable."
"Exactly." Milo grinned. "Let Cassandra rest. We'll see her again soon."
Lia huffed a small breath as she finished setting down the last of the forks. Milo turned to her, but she would not look at him. There was no question that she was aware of his attention being on her, but her dismay overcame any inclination to address it. She had established her point and that was all she wanted for now.
He turned back to Leta, hoping to keep her away from the tension that had been growing between everyone else. "I made you your favorite food, so, good thing you didn't spoil your appetite."
She inhaled a long draw of the delicious aroma, returning with a sharp nod. Milo smiled as he moved toward his seat and sat down. Lia ceased her task soon after and took her spot as well. As per tradition, Milo began with the opening statements.
"As the head of the table and the host of tonight's meal, I ask; is there anyone who wishes to speak first before we begin?"
Lia and Leta both remained silent.
"Very well." Milo stood up and joined his hands together. "Today, I studied and learned more about the realms that exist around us. I am furthering my understanding of them day by day. I believe the circumstances we have found ourselves in may be the greatest gift we could have been given."
Lia's fingers curled around her fork, which she began to dig into the table with. She had heard those words uttered too many times today, in her opinion. The concept of Milo truly believing that bothered her to no end.
"Tomorrow, I plan to continue my studies, learning more about the laws that govern the barriers of these realms and how we can circumvent them. Sharing this meal with you all tonight is a reminder that the future holds great things in store for us." He sat down after, opening the floor to Lia.
The fawn ceased her motions with the fork before pausing for a couple of seconds. She slowly rose from her seat, straightening out her long dress as she switched between Milo and her sister. "Today…I spent my day studying," she said with slight irritation. "I'm working to understand how my powers can best be used to get that woman home. In the meantime, I had to help clean up some messes before I was able to return to my studying. Tomorrow, I plan to not have any interruptions and to make some progress. Sharing this meal with you all tonight is a reminder of the way our lives were."
Without any further words, she returned to her seat, leaving Milo caught in the middle of her passive-aggressive wake. He could tell how infuriated she was at Cassandra and how much it had grown since she returned to consciousness. In all her days, Lia had never been so wrathful. While she was always one to hold onto a grudge, the sheer contempt that she held for the woman was astonishing.
He could not imagine her being happy at all.
"Leta," Milo said as he gestured toward the girl, "your turn."
"Of course." She got up from her seat and respectfully nodded as she prepared to address the room. "Today, I trained with Lia and Miss Cassandra before returning to my room to study the teachings that my sister had handed to me. It was a long day, but the knowledge I learned has been great. Tomorrow, I plan to continue my training and spend some time with Lia. I also hope to be able to speak with Miss Cassandra and see how she is doing as well."
In that instant, Lia's voice pierced the air and shattered the girl's ambitions. "You will do no such thing."
Leta's eyes widened as she looked toward her sister, shocked at what she had just heard. "What?"
"You heard me," Lia affirmed.
"But…" Leta tried to reason with her. "If I accomplish all my tasks beforehand and have some time left –"
"No." Lia cut her off. "My decision is final. You will not associate with her. She is only here for a short time, and I will not allow it to interfere with your studies."
"If I finish everything that I must do –"
"What don't you understand, Leta?" Lia began to lose her patience, raising her voice as her anger mounted. "I said 'no' and that is the end of it!"
The girl looked over to Milo, hoping that he would be able to help her out. The man breathed a slow breath as he watched the two fawns. "Lia," he said, "she's bound to see Cassandra at some point during the day."
"I don't care," Lia stated with a mean glare toward him. "She is my sister and I know what's best for her."
Leta continued to plead for the allowance of such interaction. "Please, she and I have a lot of fun. She's never distracted me." There was a hint of sadness on the girl's face, evidenced by her crinkled forehead. Her hands cupped together, resting under her chin like a desperate puppy.
Lia shook her head; not giving the request the slightest bit of second thought. "No. I will not say it again."
The girl's face began to turn a shade of red and her eyelids scrunched up. A tiny trail of tears saturated the orbs behind them – spilling down her cheek as soon as she let out a small whimper. Lia sat back in her seat, looking up to the ceiling and tapping her fingers against the wooden table.
Milo tried to defuse what he could tell was about to be another argument in the castle. "Leta…it's okay. Just relax. I'll talk to Lia and see if we can sort –"
"Ugh!" Lia sat forward and smacked one of her hands against the table, shaking it near her jaw as it recoiled upward. The strike rattled the cups and plates when the vibrations reverberated around. "Enough! There is no compromise, Milo." She turned her attention back to her sibling. "And Leta; crying will not get you what you want. You are ten. Grow up."
Her stern voice shattered what was left of her sister's fragile composure. Leta broke into a sob as she stood there. Working through the tears, she continued to fight for what she had asked for. "You think something bad is going to happen, but it's not!"
Lia rose from her seat, staring her sister down. "I know more than you do, Leta. You are a kid, and you don't know anything about this world – or hers. I'm looking out for your safety."
"You're always worrying about me!" Leta screamed. "I don't need you to worry."
With both hands pressed against the table, Lia leaned in, her face rich with tension. "Do you know how much I've sacrificed for you?" Her voice began to rise again. "I've spent half of my life raising you! Does that not matter? I don't get a choice, Leta. I need to make sure you are safe!"
Leta wiped her face, still releasing more tears as she did so. She wanted things between them to be better, but it seemed as though her sister was stuck in her ways. The endless routines of studying and hardly being able to venture outside had long taken their toll on the child who simply wanted to enjoy her life. She wanted Lia to see things the way she did, but sadly, that would not happen.
She cried as she bowed her head. "You're always yelling at me."
"Because you don't listen…"
She poked her head up; a growing defiance growing in her heart. "Cassandra at least apologized to me when she yelled. You never do that! You're always making me feel like I can never do anything right! Like I'm not good enough!"
Lia's brow curled as she bared her teeth. "I am your older sister, and you will not talk to me like this!"
"I don't want a big sister! I want a friend!"
The room went quiet as Lia found herself speechless; her grimace of rage reduced to a slowly softening expression. However, the relaxing of her facial muscles lasted only a few seconds before she tightened up back to the way she was.
Leta could no longer stand to look her in the eyes. The argument had already stirred too many deep-seated emotions. The girl removed herself from her seat and immediately ran away; the sounds of her sobs trailing off as they disappeared down the hall. Milo rested his head against both his hands, while the remaining fawn at the table sat back with a small groan.
Lia said nothing as she plopped down into the chair, shook her head, and stared up at the ceiling, tapping her fingers restlessly against the table yet again. She pressed her lips and heaved a long breath through her nostrils. It was held for a second before a loud release drained her lungs.
The fawn closed her eyes. "She knows nothing."
"Don't you think you're being too harsh?" Milo asked her.
With a flick of her brow, Lia snapped her sights open and craned her neck at him. "No, I don't! She is my sister; no one else's. I will not risk her life for any reason!"
Milo's eyes met with her own. He stared at her with a look that only could be given by someone who cared deeply about the other. There was no hierarchy of authority in his expression, only the gaze reminiscent of a concerned father. "I've never seen you like this before, Lia. I'm worried about you."
Resistant to his attempt at reaching her, Lia took his comment as an attack on her stability in contrast to the brunette who resided alongside them. "Oh, I'm the bad one, aren't I?" She waved her arm toward the hall leading to the stairs. "You have this monster – this murderer – who freaks out on everyone and yet, you're worried about me?"
A curl of disgust formed along her lips. "That's the problem, Milo: you don't see the truth."
His eyes drifted down to his weathered skin; wrinkled by the years that have flown by him so quickly. They then returned to the woman who sat nearby, thin in frame and strong in intellect. The woman, once a young girl who looked to him for a reminder that the world was not all bad. She was the same woman who was now an adult and had been touched by the fires of hate. He could see it in her glare that cut through him, waiting for an answer that they both knew she would never accept.
"I see us all at a crossroads to our future," he said. "This is where we make the choices that define us for the rest of our lives; Cassandra included."
"I know what kind of choices she is going to make when she returns to her world, Milo. Now, I ask, what choice do you expect me to make?"
"To forgive and to let go."
Lia stood up from her seat without a second thought. She pushed her plate closer to the center of the table, making it clear that she would take no further part in tonight's meal. "Have you?"
"I have."
She disagreed with a firm shake of her head. "Tell that to the dead."
With that said, Lia walked out of the room, leaving Milo all alone. The man breathed a sigh as he looked over at the food that he had prepared for everyone tonight. It wasn't the waste of resources that plagued his heart. He could've cared less about such things.
He and Lia have had their share of fights over the years. He didn't blame her for the way things were between them early on. It all made sense back then. After a while, their relationship had begun to improve, and he started to believe that there truly was an 'after' in the wake of the past. Ever since Cassandra arrived, the anger that the fawn held inside her soul had started to reemerge.
He could see the downward spiral taking its first swirl. He wanted there to be a clear-cut solution and as much as Lia blamed Cassandra for everything; he knew she wasn't the cause.
Their visitor from a different realm may have been the trigger – but she was not the ammunition.
As Milo packed up the dinner arrangements with a cloud of gloom over his head, he couldn't remove from his mind the tragedy that was taking place around them. When Cassandra was gone; Lia's problems would remain. And as they did, so did the rift between the three of them as it continued to widen.
Lia had refused to forgive, and the consequence of its absence was punishment. To lose another family was the greatest punishment of all.
Cassandra could hear the cold wind whipping against the castle walls. The Main Hall was not exempt from the sky's powerful cries against her home. The addition of the whirls intensified her frantic drive to find her sisters. The promise of death offered by the gusts outside served as a constant reminder of where their fates may lie.
In a desperate cloud of flies, she soared to the second-floor level above the curved staircase. They had to be here, she thought.
She fluttered past the wine room, eyes shifting around the narrow balcony that turned a sharp ninety-degree angle as it led to the next section of the fortress. The man-thing had been loose inside the castle for nearly an hour, and she had still yet to uncover any clues as to his whereabouts.
The more time he gathered, the more he could devise a means to escape – or worse.
She approached the prioress door that guarded the decorative rooms ahead. The cyclops nun's frozen face of fear stared at her as she came upon it. The wooden carvings inspired a feeling of dread that until this time; only the maids could have felt. Standing in front of it now – Cassandra now knew the same heartache of someone in the throes of a terrible future.
She needed to get past that door.
Where is the eye? I need it to get through!
Part of her was aware that she could use her flies to crawl under the door and bypass its puzzles, but something kept her actions from doing so. She was a prisoner in her own body. A body that would fall victim to the power of weakness in the face of terror.
Where is it?! Why did mother hide it? I need to find my sisters!
A rumble could be heard in the far background, behind the door that was in front of her. Cassandra pressed her ear against the barrier, listening intently for any sign of who it could be. The echo was that of a sharp thrashing that played out with no discernable sequence. Its rhythm was random – chaotic.
It sounded like a fight.
No – she thought – not a fight.
A violent beating.
That was when the door at the end of the hall ahead could be heard as it burst open with a loud boom. The trashing had picked up in amplification, coupled with the sounds of two women screaming. Whatever was taking place on the other side was nothing short of brutal. The commotion intensified with the sound of kicking as someone could be heard being dragged along the floor.
A high-pitched whimper cried out as the voices grew closer to the door.
"Bela! Daniela!" Cassandra shouted as she feared her sisters were on the opposite side and in great distress. A loud, angry male grunt broke through the feminine cries as the beatings escalated.
Cassandra pounded against the door, fighting as hard as she could to tear it from its frame but to no avail. The slamming of her fists did little to drown out the carnage that was playing out mere inches away from her – though she could not see it.
Another yelp pierced the air before a loud thud struck the door. Suddenly, Bela's hysterical voice could be heard screaming at the very end of the hall. Cassandra's heart immediately froze. She had never heard her older sister so terrified before in all her life.
"Get off of her!" The blonde cried out.
Cassandra pulled against the door but it would not budge. "Bela! What is happening?!"
Blow after blow from what had to be a closed fist connected with the recipient on the other side of the wooden obstacle. A frantic cry for mercy wailed out, muffled only by the repeating onslaught of the ferocious melee. Cassandra knew it had to have been Daniela.
"Daniela! I'm coming!" The brunette shouted but with no acknowledgment.
I have to get through! I have to save my sisters!
The repetition of the swings and kicks increased while Bela's voice drew closer. Cassandra imagined that she had to have been running to her sister's aid. "Ethan!" The blonde screamed at the top of her lungs. The frantic squeal in her pitch sent a cold chill throughout every nerve in Cassandra's body.
The sound of the man-thing's angered breaths rose as he collided with the eldest sister – enveloping her in his murderous frenzy.
"Bela!" Cassandra fell into pure desperation and began to strike the door with her shoulder, not knowing anything else that she could do. The blonde continued to yell as she was heard getting beaten to the ground.
"Let us go! Stop!"
Cassandra felt her strength deplete as her sister's tearful pleas fell under a heavy barrage of strikes against the wall. The bashing of her skull against the panels was so audible that the cracking of her cranium rang like a dinner bell. Daniela's agonal whimpering littered the floor, likely drawing in her final breaths as she watched her eldest sibling meet a violent end.
Ethan's aggression peaked with a loud scream as he was heard reigning down on the redhead below. Punch after punch until the sounds of a lifeless body being pummeled against the door were the only things left for Cassandra to hear.
In a fit of tears, she slowly slumped down to the ground, hands pressed against the door that she could not open. Wailing uncontrollably, her broken voice called out to the man who would not answer her.
"Why? What did we do to you?!" Her face fell into her hands as she curled around, turning her back to the death behind her. "Those were my sisters…why did you take them?"
A pool of blood began to seep out from under the door, running along Cassandra's hips as it trailed around her. She peered down at the sanguine mess, knowing that her siblings were long gone from this world and there was nothing she could do about it now.
Her head tilted back against the door; eyes peered up toward the nun without an eye. "I just want my sisters back."
In an instant, the door opened, and Cassandra found herself falling back onto the ground. A soft blow cushioned her spine as the cold touch of snow made its presence known. The interior of the castle that she once called home all of a sudden vanished. In its place was a crowd of trees that circled around her. The grey skies of that frozen morning hovered above them, ripping the fabrication of safety from her mind.
The brisk wind chilled her skin to its core and the flurries intertwined with the currents kicked across the landscape. The air's howls struck her ears as she realized that she was now outside.
Outside – and vulnerable to death.
The cawing of crows pierced the sky's cry as Cassandra felt a sharp force invade her chest cavity. She glanced down and could see the Dagger of Death's Flower's embedded inside the center of her. A sting akin to a lightning bolt ran across her entire being before the cold hell she found herself in turned to black.
Cassandra shot up from her bed. A short-lived gasp broke the stillness of the night air as she searched around the room with her eyes.
Where am I? I need to find Bela and –
It began to click that she was back in her room in Locwitary and that everything had simply been a dream. Her respirations slowed – ever so steadily. It would take a minute before she could return to any semblance of calm. Her heart rate was still rapid, her pulse bounding.
These nightmares…I can't keep going like this.
She exhaled a deep breath before she brought her hand up to her forehead.
I'm sweating. Ugh…
She readjusted her posture as she sat forward. Cassandra buried her face into her hands as she sought to collect her thoughts, wiping off the rest of the sweat as she did so. Stress had been her closest friend during the last twenty-four hours. At this point, she had started to lose faith in the promises of tomorrow.
What good would it bring, she thought? At the rate she was going, it'd only offer more troubles.
I want to go home.
She ran her fingers through the bulk of her hair on her right side, pulling down on her locks as her hands reached the end. Another sigh.
They have to be dead. There is no way that man left them alive. I don't know what I'm expecting anymore.
She laid her head back down on her pillow as she gazed up toward the dark stone ceiling – more awake than ever. Sleep was something that she desperately needed and now, it seemed to be yet another thing that she would be stripped of. She had no indication of the time and morning could have been hours away.
All that time to ponder every mistake that she had ever made – yet again.
Just as she began to delve into the past, a series of knocks on her bedroom door pulled her from such action. Cassandra turned her head, glancing at the door surrounded by shadows.
Huh?
Another soft series of taps. It wasn't another dream. Someone was there.
She rose from the bed and retrieved the white head wrapping that she had previously in lieu of her black robes. Cassandra tied the makeshift hood around her cranium and turned toward the door. She went to open it and as soon as she did, she discovered Leta standing right in front of her – a pillow in her arms.
"Leta?" Cassandra tilted her head in confusion. "What are you doing up at this hour?"
The young girl was sheepish in her response, both nervous and slightly embarrassed to be there in the first place. "I had a bad dream and I'm afraid to go back to sleep."
"What? A bad dream?"
"I dreamt that a dhin was in the castle and that he was chasing me around." She paused as she looked around, growing increasingly anxious as the hall around her was nearly pitch black. "I know it's not real, but I just don't want to be in there by myself."
Cassandra took a breath and knelt down to talk to her on her level. "What did your sister say when you told her this?"
Leta's eyes, illuminated by the moonlight through the window, averted Cassandra's as she prepared to answer. "I…I didn't tell her. I came to you first."
Cassandra's brow peaked. "Why?"
"I wanted to see you. I knew you wouldn't get mad at me, I hope."
Cassandra's eyes fell to the ground before she brought her hand to the bridge of her nose and steadied her face. "No." She shook her head. "I'm not mad. It's okay."
"Can I stay with you?"
There was a pause in the air. Cassandra could feel her heart take a strong beat as she realized what was being asked of her. Without hesitation, she offered Leta a comforting smile. "Of course."
As soon as the girl stepped in, the brunette shut the door behind her and the two made their way to her bed. Leta crawled on top of the mattress and took her place at the edge opposite the wall. Cassandra followed in tow, seating herself beside the large array of stones to her left. With the addition of the girl, the bed offered little space to move around, but she didn't care.
The need for comfort was not hers anymore.
"Is that better?" Cassandra asked.
"Yeah." Leta turned and faced her as the two lay down together. Cassandra pulled the blanket up and shielded their bodies with it. "You weren't as sleepy as I thought you'd be."
"I was having a bad dream too."
"What was yours about?"
Cassandra sighed as she fluffed her pillow. "Things I can't do anything about. Things I should've done. I woke up right before you came to my door, so it was short-lived."
Leta's small voice soothed the quiet air. "Do you always have bad dreams?"
"No." Cassandra pulled the fur blanket over her shoulder. "At least not ones like this. What about you?"
"Sometimes. I try to be brave and go back to sleep but there are nights when I'm too scared."
"It's okay to be scared," Cassandra said as she dropped her eyes for a brief bit. "I get scared. Everyone does."
"What is Cassandra afraid of?"
The girl's question initiated a moment of consideration for the brunette. She thought back to her exchanges with Vasan earlier in the day – good and bad. She recalled the way she felt when she was left alone on the grass by her own doing. She remembered the relief of holding him in her arms as he cried – as she cried with him.
The dissemination of her emotions and the truths that bound her soul was almost euphoric, had it not been for the immense pain that came with delving into them in the first place.
Replaying the last days of her life with her sisters shook her to her very foundation. The memories of how she treated them brought forth so much trauma. Confronting it in any form proved to be an adversary greater than any she had ever known. It was too much at that moment, even though she felt happy to let go. In keeping with her tradition; she made another mistake and punched him.
For a brief second; getting angry seemed like it would be the best shield against the fire that sought to engulf her. Little did she know at the time that there was no running away from the heat of the flames. One could try, but they were destined to be burned.
And burned she was.
As soon as Cassandra inflicted her own pain on Vasan, he was able to bring it right back to her by continuing to confront her with forgiveness and compassion. Those actions – practiced by many in this world – had been steadily picking apart her once impenetrable armor. There was no one else to blame but herself.
Hurting someone else no longer took the misery away – it only added to it now.
Cassandra had been long aware of what her greatest fear was throughout the years. But, until the last few days, she had never known how prevalent it truly was.
"I'm afraid of myself," she replied with a somber voice.
Leta turned her head as she shifted to her left. "Why?"
"Because, for some reason, I know when I'm about to do the wrong thing, and as much as I want to turn away, I still find myself doing it." Cassandra rolled over and stared up at the dark ceiling above her. Her fingers traced along the ridges of her knuckles, recalling the hurt they had inflicted on those she cared for. "So many mistakes. I just want them to stop."
Leta reached out and placed her small hand on Cassandra's shoulder. "You can always do the right thing."
Cassandra inhaled a sharp breath, feeling a whimper brewing inside her lungs. She shut it down, pressing her lip before letting out a slow pass through her mouth. Her arm reached over and gently held the top of Leta's fingers. "Thank you."
Leta replied with an optimistic pitch, "You're welcome."
Through the faint light offered by the outside that shined through the castle window, Cassandra's smile could be seen as it pulled slowly along her face. There was contentment in her soul as she lifted the blanket to Leta's small shoulders, ensuring that she was warm as could be.
Amidst the hospitality, the girl had another request to be asked, "Could you tell me a story?"
Huh? A story?
Cassandra paused – puzzled at what that could have meant.
A story about a hunt? Does she want to know about my sisters?
"Uhm." She needed clarification. "What do you mean?'"
"Something fun to listen to. Lia would tell me tales of a young fawn who encountered various talking creatures."
Oh…fairytales.
"Of course." Cassandra nodded, rolling her lips as she worked to conjure up whatever she could think of that would satisfy her friend. It didn't take long for a distant memory to return to mind. "Alright," she spoke, "ready?"
"Yes!" Leta replied with quiet eagerness.
Cassandra smiled as she prepared to start. "Long ago, a young girl went with her mother to pick berries for her father who was hard at work. But the forest greeted them with a dark, cold silence, the bushes empty. Yet, determined to find the berries, the rascal broke free from Mother's grasp and vanished into the trees."
Leta lifted her head up from her pillow in amazement. "She ran from her own mother? How could she have managed to get away?"
"Sometimes children can be fast and not all of them like to listen. Sometimes the forest is dense and only the littlest of creatures can crawl through its barriers," Cassandra explained. It prompted an inquisitive nod from Leta, who seemed satisfied with her answer.
The brunette continued with her tale. "Mother's worried cries faded fast as the girl ran on; over vine, under branch, and into the forest deep. Feeling strange eyes upon her, the girl recalled Mother's scary bedtime tales and her throat became bone dry."
"Scary bedtime stories?"
"Then the Bat Lord appeared!" Cassandra exclaimed, unleashing a small gasp from Leta. "He greeted her warmly and bit his own wing. "Come, child. Quench your thirst," he said."
"Oh," Leta asked, "he is friendly?"
"He is."
"Please, continue!" Leta smiled in excitement.
"So, she drank the thick, dark blood and smiled with joy. Passing through a graveyard, menacing storm clouds loomed and the air turned bitingly cold. The girl was shivering in her thin clothes. Then a Dark Weaver appeared, and with a click of his fingers, crafted mist into a beautiful dress. "Come, child, warm yourself," he coaxed. So, she clothed herself and smiled with joy."
"This 'Dark Weaver' sounds so skilled in his craft," Leta remarked. "Creating garments out of the mist? It is truly a wonder of what this world holds!"
Cassandra once again adjusted the blanket around the girl's body, for seemingly no reason. "Always the observant one, aren't you?"
"I've been told," she grinned.
After a small laugh, Cassandra returned to the next portion of her tale. "Across waters deep and ominous she went, hoping a boat she found would carry her home. But hunger's grip tightened and her heart grew heavy. Then the Fish King appeared and offered one of his many fins. "Come, child. Eat your fill." So, the girl ate and smiled with joy once more."
Leta fluffed her pillow before resetting her head upon it. "Her mother must be worried about her, yet, the girl is being shown such kindness by these forest dwellers. They could have harmed her, but yet, they have fed and clothed her. Has this ever happened in your world?"
"It reminds me of people, but not their actions. Trust me, we're almost done." Cassandra cleared her throat, which was growing dry from the constant talking. "Continuing on, she soon entered the forest's dark heart. Then an Iron Steed appeared, bearing a beautiful, golden gear."
"An 'Iron Steed?'"
"You have metal in your world, correct?" Cassandra asked.
"Yes, some."
"Imagine a dhin or ginyol made completely of metal."
The girl's eyes widened in amazement. "Impossible!"
A small giggle from Cassandra leaked out as she cupped her mouth. "Such things do not exist in real life, I assure you."
"Sorry." Leta beckoned her to continue. "Go on. I just wasn't sure."
"The creature said nothing as the girl approached…and snatched what she thought was another gift. The horse grew angry and summoned the other monsters. Terror filled the girl's heart as a wild wind rose about the beasts." Suddenly, a witch appeared – dark, yet regal."
Leta was beginning to grow worried as the story neared a darker turn. She pulled the blanket up to her eyes, fearful of what was to come. "Why are they angry at the little girl?"
"Suddenly, a witch appeared – dark, yet regal. "Gifts we gave, but more you took," she snarled. "So more, in turn, is due." In a blink, the girl was trapped inside a mirror."
"But," Leta interjected, "they offered her those gifts. They were helping her."
"The Iron Steed did not," Cassandra explained. "He offered her nothing, and yet, she assumed that he would. She stole from him, and in doing so, she turned the whole forest against her."
Leta was getting scared. "I don't know if I like this story."
"It's almost over." Cassandra stretched her neck. "Her parents, though, had searched all day and, at last, arrived. With rampant rage, Father fought the Witch while Mother's loving touch shattered the dark enchantment. But the Witch was strong and Father yelled, "Save our daughter!" So, Mother bore their child to safety as the forest was consumed. Even now, the burnt forest is a grim reminder of Father's sacrifice. To this day, any child who stares too long into the charred wasteland will be haunted by nightmares of getting lost while picking berries."
Leta dug her face under the blanket, her eyes poking out from the fur-lined cover. "That didn't have a happy ending…"
Cassandra pondered its conclusion to herself for a second; realizing that the story did end on a tragic note. "I'm sorry. I don't know too many stories. Mother Miranda once read that book to us years ago. My mother would sometimes read it, at Daniela's request. I guess it was my favorite story – my only story."
"I had a nightmare that I lost you and Lia," Leta admitted without any warning.
"What?"
The girl rolled onto her back, turning her head away toward the door as the tone of her voice sunk into her chest, "I don't remember everything, but, it was another dream after the dhin one. I saw myself walking into the library and you and Lia are just lying there, dead. Milo was sitting at his table, looking at the ground. I tried begging him to help you two but all I could see were tears in his eyes. Blue fire was everywhere and…and…"
Cassandra intervened at that moment. She would not allow Leta to get choked up and wallow in such despair. "Hey! It's alright. I'm here. Lia's okay. None of that is real, understand? It was a horrible dream and that is all it will be."
She heard Leta breathe a tiny sniffle as soon as she finished her words. Something about the girl being brought to the point of tears initiated something inside of the woman. It was the same kind of compulsion that she had when she witnessed Vasan at the edge of his troubles. A certain desire that until recently, had never existed inside her soul.
The desire to provide comfort to the broken and the scared.
"Everyone is safe now." Cassandra brought her arm over and hugged Leta with a firm pull. The child turned her head toward the brunette, seeing her amber eyes close to her own. A small smile broke across her tiny cheeks.
"I want to have eyes like yours someday…"
What?
Cassandra's dark lips curved. "My eyes? Really?"
"Yeah, they're like the Specter Moons when they go down before nightfall. That glow is so beautiful. It's like you have a pair of your own right there."
I've never been told that before. That…makes me so happy.
"Thank you, Leta," Cassandra smiled again. "I wish I had your hair."
"Can we trade?" The girl chucked, which earned a quiet laugh from her companion.
"It's a deal."
Cassandra stared at the child in silence, not realizing how much her mind was beginning to wander off.
I've killed so many women throughout my years. How many of them were like you when they were children? I've destroyed countless lives. People I may have liked had I gotten to know them. How many would have said such kind things to me? None of them deserved to die. I wish I had felt this way sooner.
"Cassandra?" Leta's voice set her back to reality. "Are you okay?"
Her eyelids flickered as her mouth gaped in surprise. "Uhm, yes! Sorry. I guess the night is finally getting to me."
Leta moved over to offer Cassandra a hug of her own, which the brunette quickly accepted. As she held her arms around the woman's broader shoulders, she rested her head against her neck. "I am so happy to have you as a friend."
A soft kiss was planted on the top of her head as Cassandra's voice spoke happily above her. "So am I."
As the two prepared to settle in for a night with the prospect of no more nightmares, Cassandra found herself in an ocean of warmth as she rested her head. While all of her worries and troubles still existed, the presence of Leta was enough to set all that aside. The girl was the embodiment of what she could have always been, and what she had the chance to be now.
A big sister.
As the darkness consumed the room, Cassandra reflected on all of the moments of hate she had exhibited ever since she arrived in this realm. She found it so easy to be wrathful when she believed there was no one to help her. She used to be able to point her finger at the world and damn it to the fire, but that woman was gone.
After today, she saw a new side of herself that had been brought out through all the pain and hardship. Hurting others was out of the cards – and she was happy it was so. She could never find enjoyment in making Leta cry ever again. Not since their first and final argument. Never again would she strike Vasan and choke him on the ground, as he still fought for her to be happy.
Milo had earned a kind and respectful person who was thankful for his efforts. Showing her endless anger toward him was something he did not deserve. He offered her direction and it was time she took it.
Lia…
Cassandra chose not to think about the fawn any further.
I need to keep changing for the better. I don't know what will happen when I return home, but I can't go back to what I've done. It wouldn't feel right anymore. Is returning home even the best thing for me? No…it's not just about you. You have to go back. Bela and Daniela need you. So does mother. I need to make things right again. I have to fix this.
As she nestled her head on her pillow, her eyes drifted back to Leta; who appeared to find hardly any difficulty falling back into a sound slumber. The corner of Cassandra's mouth rose to her ear as she smiled at the sight.
I will keep changing, Leta. I promise.
NOTES:
Another chapter deeper into this story!
Cassandra is beginning to come to terms with her problems and is seeking to approach them from a new direction now. Lia, meanwhile, seems to be doing the opposite. I know everyone is waiting for their inevitable confrontation. However, this chapter is another glimpse at the shifting sides that these two women are finding themselves on.
I hope you enjoyed another wholesome moment between our brunette and Leta, as it was long overdue. With the intensity of this chapter and the previous one, Cass deserves a smile.
What will happen in the next chapter? Well, no one is going to be ready for that. Also, expect another flashback to Castle Dimitrescu!
The next chapter will be ready on Friday, January 6th. Sorry for the lengthy wait time, as I am taking up a second job and will be busy. Also, I have an exciting announcement for you all:
Fragmented Fears is my new, second-Dimitrescu fan-fiction starring the eldest of the three daughters – Bela.
"In the midst of their fight, Bela Dimitrescu and Ethan Winters are suddenly transported to a new world by an unknown force. Awakening in a strange, gothic city reminiscent of the Victorian era, the duo soon realize that greater nightmares exist outside of realm they once knew. With countless terrors at every turn, the two must forgo their rivalry if they are to survive the nightmares to come and return to their world.
An uneasy alliance of predator and prey; Bela may find the chance to reclaim a life forgotten as Ethan struggles to regain a life on the brink of loss.
In the city of shadows, darkness is beginning to fall."
Expect this story to go full-on horror from start to finish as the dark territory of Fragmented extends to this tale and multiples. Bela fans be excited as this is her time to shine. Don't worry Daniela fans, there are still more cracks in the glass.
The first chapter is available now! Follow these stories on Archive of Our Own to check out the latest art!
I just want to say that you all have inspired me to take on this second story and I can't wait to work on it in conjunction with Fragmented Flies. I seriously hope you all enjoy it, and at the same time, thanks for all the love you have shown so far! I've heard so much kind words from you all and it means more than you could ever know. I am so thankful to have captured your interests and to have you as faithful readers! I wish you nothing but the best and stay safe in the meantime! I can't wait to see you again!