Nadir

In an empty and cold room, a pod stood alone with flashing lights. Beeping periodically.

The room was heavily guarded for many reasons. With armed guards standing outside it, it seemed that the government had a vested interest in keeping whoever this was alive and protected. 

A young woman laid within the pod as if it were her coffin. Dead to the world, her white and silver hair remained lifeless. One could not even hear her breath through the glass of the pod. 

Aldric walked into the room with measured steps. Taking no effort to conceal his steps or hide his presence. 

With the interviews having been done for all the returned awakened, it seemed that his true feats were made public knowledge. Tales of leading the front line and being the strongest known sleeper behind Nephis in the Dark City. With him saving many lives during the siege and holding back a nightmare creature that was on the same level as the Crimson Terror. Building his fame and notoriety.

All it took was him being identified to be let in the guarded room.

Coming to a stop in front of the pod, he placed his hand on the glass while watching the vulnerable girl. 

'I truly hope that your stay there will teach you something.'

Aldric thought with no malice in his heart. With just a hint of altruism and a pinch of smugness.

Similar to when you want your friends to do well in a new challenge or goal that they are facing.

Aldric truly hoped that her journey alone in the dream realm would teach her the value of life and, more importantly, that the world did not revolve around her and her ambitions. 

But that was neither here nor there.

It was then that another person entered the guarded room. 

"They told me that you were here."

A feminine voice spoke.

Standing beside the door was a dainty young girl. With cascading golden hair, she was adorned in clothes that were distributed to all of the returned awakened. 

Porcelain skin without an imperfection. Azure blue eyes that shimmered like gems in the night sky. She was a beautiful sight. All emboldened by the ethereal nature of an awakened.

All ruined by her current expression. 

An expression of loss. As if her worldview had been shattered. 

"I knew you would make it. I couldn't see it, but I knew that you would."

Cassie spoke out in an odd voice. With hints of sorrow and confusion, it was clear that she was attempting to mask her feelings. 

But Aldric could see right through it. From the dried tears from beneath her eyes to the way she was gripping her hands together. 

"Do you remember what I told you that night in the castle? When I spoke to you about how your Destined attribute affected my visions.

Her voice began to get incrementally louder as she spoke each word with emotion. Getting slowly closer to him as well.

Each step was sharp and filled with an array of emotions. Clearly reflecting what she felt on the inside.

Finally facing him, an arm lengths apart.

"So tell me Aldric!"

Cassie shouted with tears finally streaming down her porcelain face. 

"What is the point of you being here if you can't change what I saw?"

She continued shouting, losing coherence and structure with each word. 

"You weren't meant to fight that nightmare creature when we entered the spire. Why did you volunteer to stay? We could have defeated it together, and you could have stopped what was going to happen between them."

She was now rambling. 

"Now it's my fault. It's my fault she's still there. It's my fault for what happened to Sunny. It's all my fault."

Given the act of admitting her wrongdoings, one would think that she would extend her line of thinking to taking responsibility for her mistake. But that was not the case. 

"I told you what was going to happen, and you didn't change a single thing!"

She finished, slamming her balled-up fist against his chest. 

'She genuinely expected me to fix all her problems. She was really counting on me after that night, huh.'

The young man watched with his mouth formed into a hard line.

Aldric began to think to himself. All as the young girl in front of him cried her heart out. 

For her friend that was lost.

For the friend that she lost.

With a hint of sadism, the situation was funny to Aldric. The fact that she expected him to solve all her problems. All without even telling him the full story. Without trusting him with it.

The fact that she had this entitlement to him. That he was her weapon to fight against her own visions. The visions that did not fit the future that she wanted.

'I'm not your pawn Cassie.'

And Aldric could genuinely tell that she expected him to give her the future that she wanted. As she looked at him with a look of betrayal—the kind of look when someone doesn't act the way that you wanted them to. 

Thoughts began to rush through his head.

'How can I trust you? After what you've done to Sunny in the Forgotten Shore and during the third nightmare? After all the decisions that you made to reach your goal of forging a weapon against fate.'

This was something that Aldric could see for what it was. Beyond the smiles and the empty promises. 

From going through all the trials that she and Sunny went through in the Night Temple. To freeing Mordret. Through the subtle manipulations she had done all throughout the third nightmare. It was all planned methodically. 

When she had offered Sunny the chance to reclaim his freedom in the estuary, she knew. 

She knew what it would cost.

The cost of everyone forgetting his very existence. 

It was here that she lied by omission. Omitting the truth of what kind of life awaited him after visiting the estuary. 

It was sad to learn about, but Aldric himself did not care for Sunny's situation all that much; however, it would be stupid not to learn from his situation.

After all, a wise man learns from the mistakes of others, while a fool learns from his own.

Why would he expect Cassie to treat him any differently and any better than Sunny? Someone who had saved her life many more times than he did. Someone that she had known for much longer. 

It seemed that no one but Nephis would have her undying loyalty. 

From just how hurt she looked, Aldric could tell that she had already spoken to Sunny and had fallen out with him. 

This was most likely where she would be the most vulnerable in her entire life. Comparable to when she was sent to the Forgotten Shore alone and blind. 

The question was, how could he make the most of this current situation?

And, should he?

**********

Thanks for reading.

What do you think will happen next?

Till next time.