Episode 7

Everything around me was ablaze, a silver bomb had been set and exploded at the entrance to my home, my father releasing my neck just before the blast struck, all to shield my mother. Debris rained down upon us, and the wolves that had come to warn us about the impending attack were now reduced to nothing.

Before succumbing to unconsciousness, I swore I heard Cassandra's laughter ringing in my ears, and as darkness took hold, I could feel her slender fingers brushing through my black hair.

"Open your eyes, child," a sweet, harmonious voice beckoned, a warmth touching my skin, embracing me with its pleasantness.

"I said open your eyes!" the same voice demanded, and at that moment, I startled awake to find a beautiful woman before me, with long, dark hair, green eyes, and full lips, bearing a strikingly familiar appearance.

This woman sat upon a lavishly decorated throne, with a second, empty throne beside her. As I took in more of my surroundings, it became evident I was no longer within my own home.

"W-what?" I stammered, still trying to make sense of how I arrived uninjured, when that laughter filled my ears once more, prompting me to search for its source, which I was sure belonged to Cassandra, though I couldn't recall hearing her laugh often, especially not in the past three years.

"Well, look who's awake. Tell me, dear, does he yet grasp what's unfolding?" A man strode past me towards the vacant throne, prompting a frown as I observed the way he kissed the woman's hand, igniting a blush in her cheeks. A pang of envy filled my chest as I watched the pair; I longed to be the one seated on that throne, kissing those hands, causing her to blush under my touch.

"Where am I? And who are you?" I finally asked, pushing the feeling back into my chest.

"Zedekiah Vasile, what right do you think you have to spurn a divine gift?" The woman finally spoke after gazing at me intently.

"I would know if I'd received a divine gift..." I began, only to be interrupted by the man's laugh.

"You can't tell gold from gilded, what makes you think you could recognize a gift from the gods?" The man leaned forward in his throne, eyeing me coldly, his lengthened canines bared. The woman gently touched his shoulder in an attempt to soothe him.

"Cassandra Baumer, she was my gift to you... And to witness how you've desecrated and rejected my offering..." he began, gripping the armrests of his throne, the gold denting under his grasp. The woman rose calmly and approached me, and in that moment, I felt diminutive as my mind finally grasped that I stood before deities.

"I apologize!" I exclaimed, falling to my knees in front of them, which drew laughs from their lips.

"You needn't bother with apologies... We haven't yet reached the climax of the spectacle," the goddess spoke, stopping before me. Even prostrated, I could see her feet, her toes small and gleaming.

"Every atrocity, every calamity that befalls your family, it will be your fault," the god spoke from his throne, and at that, I stood to face him.

"Is this a punishment?" I asked, disbelief in my voice as I regarded both.

"Punishment? Oh no, no... This is a sentence," the woman declared, touching my chin with her fingertip, and in that moment, my body ached with a sudden tug before I collapsed back to the ground.

(...)

My eyelids were heavy, but I fought to lift them; blood saturated my clothing, and my father's screams filled the air as he cradled my mother in his arms. Wolves dashed about, and I struggled to sit up.

"He's awake! Quick, save Luna Lydia!" I heard Safira shout amidst the ruins that once were my home. My head throbbed as I hauled myself to a sitting position, my father's howl of despair catching my attention.

"Your mother isn't hurt," Safira declared before darting away to assist the healers.

Wobbly, I made my way to what had been the main entrance; my home was now mere ruins that surrounded me. Another explosion called my attention, and as I looked up, the old tower where I had kept Cassandra imprisoned crumbled. I wanted to feel relieved because she couldn't possibly survive the blast.

The scene around me was one of devastation, yet the faint smile curving my lips revealed that perhaps, I could use the situation to finally rid myself of Cassandra Baumer.

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