The Vision
Here's the rewritten scene:
The silence of the night shattered.
A scream, a raw, terrified scream cut through the darkness like a blade.
Sunny shot up, his hand already clutching the hilt of the Azure Blade. The fire still crackled, casting flickering shadows against the cavern walls. Across from him, Nephis was already moving, her body tense, eyes sharp as she scanned for danger.
But the danger wasn't outside.
Cassie was curled up, her hands digging into the sand beneath her, breath coming in ragged, gasping sobs. She trembled violently, as if caught in the grip of some invisible force.
Sunny cursed under his breath, pushing himself up and kneeling beside her. "Cassie! Hey! Wake up!"
She flinched at his voice, her body jerking, but her sightless eyes were wide open, staring at something only she could see.
Nephis knelt on the other side, silent, but her presence was steady. She reached out, hesitating for just a moment before resting a hand on Cassie's shoulder.
"Cassie," she said, voice firm but not unkind. "Breathe."
A shudder ran through Cassie's frame. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Instead, a choked noise, half a sob, half a breath, escaped her throat.
"I saw…" Her voice trembled. "I saw… something terrible."
"Hey, you're safe," he muttered, keeping his tone as steady as possible. "You're here, in the cave. No one's dying. No monsters. Just us."
Cassie let out a shaky breath, but the tension in her body didn't leave. Her fingers curled around the fabric of her tunic, gripping tightly, as though grounding herself.
Nephis, still watching, finally pulled her hand away. "Give her space," she said.
Sunny hesitated, then slowly leaned back, watching as Cassie pressed her forehead against her knees, trying to steady her breathing.
The fire crackled. Outside, the wind howled softly.
No one spoke.
Cassie wasn't ready to talk yet.
And so, they waited.
And wait they did.
Sunny sat back, arms resting on his knees, his gaze fixed on her. She wasn't just scared.
He'd seen fear before, lived with it, fought through it, but this was something else.
This was dread.
Nephis didn't speak, didn't move, but Sunny could tell she was watching Cassie just as closely.
Finally, Cassie lifted her head. She swallowed hard, lips trembling, before whispering, "It was… different this time."
Sunny frowned. "Different how?"
Cassie hesitated, gripping her hands together as if afraid to let go.
"At first… I saw a boundless darkness, locked behind seven seals." Her voice wavered, but she pushed through. "Something vast was inside. Churning. I couldn't see it, not really, but I felt it. And when I did… I knew. If I truly looked at it, I would go mad."
She shuddered.
Sunny and Nephis remained silent, letting her continue.
"The seals broke. One after another. Until only one was left." Cassie squeezed her eyes shut, voice barely above a whisper. "And then that one broke too."
Sunny felt a chill crawl down his spine.
She took a slow breath, her fingers clenching into fists. "After that, it was chaos. My mind shattered into… into a thousand pieces. Each one showed me something different. I-" She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Most of them were dark. Some, I've already forgotten. But then-"
Cassie's expression twisted, her voice breaking.
"I saw the castle again," she whispered. "Only this time, it was night. There was a single, lonely star in the sky… and under its light, the castle burned."
The fire crackled, casting flickering shadows on the cavern walls.
"There was blood. So much blood," she continued. "Rivers of it, running through the halls. I saw a corpse in golden armor, sitting on a throne. A woman with a bronze spear, drowning in a tide of monsters. An archer trying to pierce the falling sky."
Her breath hitched, and she pressed her hands against her face, as if trying to steady herself.
Sunny exchanged a glance with Nephis, who remained unreadable as ever.
But Cassie wasn't done.
"And then," she whispered. "I saw it."
She lifted her head, her blindfolded gaze unfocused, but filled with something raw.
"A colossal, terrifying crimson spire," she breathed. "At its base, seven severed heads guarded seven locks. And at the top…"
Cassie swallowed.
"A dying angel," she whispered. "Being consumed by hungry shadows."
The words hung between them, stretching the silence until it felt unbearable.
Cassie's breath hitched, her lips trembling as she forced the next words out. "I-I saw the angel bleed. And I felt like…"
She hesitated.
Sunny leaned forward slightly. "Like what?"
Cassie let out a shaky breath, her hands tightening into fists in her lap.
"…Like something precious. Something so important it can't be put into words… was taken from me."
Her voice wavered, but not from grief. Not from anger.
For a moment, she just sat there, her blindfolded gaze unfocused, her chest rising and falling as if she were trying to steady herself.
Sunny watched her carefully, expecting sorrow, dread, maybe even fear.
But instead, Cassie exhaled slowly.
And she smiled.
Not a bright smile. Not a happy one. It was small. Frail. Full of exhaustion. But there was a warmth to it, a quiet, tired sort of relief.
Sunny's brow furrowed. "Cassie?"
Her fingers twitched, as if she had only just realized she was smiling. Her expression fell, and for a moment, she looked… lost.
"I…" Cassie swallowed hard. "I was relieved."
Nephis finally stirred, her voice calm, yet edged with something unreadable. "Why?"
Cassie's hands curled into her tunic, gripping the fabric tightly.
'Because, it was you.. Sunny.' She inwardly thought. "I don't know.."
Silence.
Sunny felt something twist deep in his chest, but he didn't understand why.
Cassie lowered her head slightly, her voice softer now. "I thought I'd feel sorrow. Loss. But instead… I felt relief." She took a trembling breath. "And that's how I knew."
Knew what?
Sunny's mouth opened, but before he could ask, Cassie shuddered.
Cassie knew, what she had to do. In order to save the one who had previously saved her, she had to do something that would cost their friendship.
Her voice was barely audible, but it carried a weight that made the air in the cave feel heavier.
Nephis studied her, but didn't press.
Sunny, however, frowned. "Cassie…"
She didn't respond. Instead, she let out a slow breath, unclenched her hands, and straightened her posture, as if forcing herself to push away whatever she was feeling.
"I don't know what it all means," she said finally. "Not yet."
Sunny didn't believe her.
But he let it go. For now.
"…We'll figure it out," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Cassie nodded slightly. "…Yeah."
But the weight of what she had seen, of what she had realized, didn't fade.
And somewhere deep inside her, Cassie knew - no matter what happens, she will have to betray someone before this is over.