echos of the crimson vows

Austin’s hands trembled as he closed the book. His breath came in shallow gasps, his chest tight with unease.

This… this was too much.

The way Romeo spoke. The way his love twisted into something dark and possessive. The way he killed everyone in his path, convinced that only he and Seraphina were meant to be together.

It was exactly like Cassian.

Austin’s pulse pounded in his ears. He had always known Cassian was intense, but this? This was something else.

“The way he talks, the way he looks at me, the way he… acts.” Austin swallowed hard. “This is just like Cassian.”

His fingers tightened around the book’s worn edges.

Was this really just a coincidence? Or was something far more terrifying at play?

Austin barely slept that night. His mind was plagued with images from the book—Romeo’s golden eyes, the blood, the haunting proposal. No matter how much he tried to convince himself it was just a coincidence, the eerie similarities between Romeo and Cassian refused to leave his thoughts.

When the morning sun finally peeked through his blinds, he forced himself out of bed. His body felt heavy with exhaustion, but he had work to do. He went through his morning routine in a daze—showering, dressing, grabbing a quick cup of coffee—yet his thoughts never strayed far from The Crimson Vow.

By the time he arrived at work, the usual hum of the office felt distant. His focus was elsewhere.

Then, he saw him.

Cassian.

His boss stood near the entrance, dressed impeccably as always, his sharp golden eyes scanning the room. But today, those eyes sent a shiver down Austin’s spine.

He hesitated before stepping forward. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

He had to know.

“…Are you Romeo?” Austin’s voice was barely above a whisper, but he forced himself to meet Cassian’s gaze. “From The Crimson Vow?”

For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then, slowly, Cassian’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Well,” he said, his voice smooth as silk. “You do remember, my love.”

Austin’s blood ran cold.

Austin’s breath was shaky as he stared at Cassian, his mind still reeling from the flood of memories. His pulse pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else.

Cassian took a slow step forward, his gaze never leaving Austin’s. “Tell me,” he murmured, voice like silk. “How did you feel when you read The Crimson Vow?”

Austin stiffened. His stomach twisted.

How did he know?

His eyes darted to Cassian’s face, searching for some kind of trick, some explanation. But Cassian only watched him with quiet amusement, waiting for an answer.

Austin swallowed hard. “How do you know I read it?” His voice came out hoarse, unsteady.

Cassian’s smirk widened. “Because, my love… I felt it too.”

Austin took a step back, his breath caught in his throat. I felt it too? What did Cassian mean by that?

His boss—no, Cassian—watched him with those golden eyes, the same ones from his dream. The same ones from the story.

“This—this isn’t possible,” Austin whispered. “That book… it’s just a story. It’s old, banned. How do you even know about it?”

Cassian chuckled, tilting his head slightly. “Because, my love,” he said softly, “it’s not just a story.”

Austin’s blood ran cold.

Cassian took another step toward him, closing the distance. “You don’t remember, do you?” he murmured. “You don’t remember us.”

Austin clenched his fists. His heart pounded against his ribs. “What are you talking about?”

Cassian sighed, as if disappointed. “You’ve forgotten, but I haven’t. I could never forget you.”

Austin’s head spun. This had to be a joke. A sick joke.

But deep down, something inside him knew.

The dreams. The way Cassian looked exactly like Romeo. The way he felt when he read The Crimson Vow.

Cassian reached out, gently touching Austin’s wrist. His fingers were warm, firm. “You felt it, didn’t you?” he whispered. “That ache in your chest. The familiarity. The fear.”

Austin yanked his hand away. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “This isn’t real.”

Cassian’s gaze darkened. “It is real,” he murmured. “And soon, you’ll remember everything.”

Austin’s breath came fast and uneven. His mind screamed at him to run, to get away.

But his body wouldn’t move.

Because deep down, a terrible, terrifying truth was clawing its way to the surface.

He did remember.

Not fully. Not completely.

But the echoes were there.

And if Cassian was telling the truth…

Then Austin wasn’t just reliving a nightmare.

He was trapped in it.

Again.