Chapter 123 Aftermath – Cassis

  The pain in his chest from Bryce’s sword didn’t hurt nearly as much as the pain in Arianna’s eyes. She stood inside her own water barrier, ordered to plunge the knife into her own throat if he so much as moved.

  He had been arrogant. He had listened to her plan because he knew that, despite Faith’s betrayal, Arianna would never leave her alone with Keith. She was too kind for that. So he and Helen had revised their plan of razing the villa to the ground. Arianna’s idea had still carried the lowest chance of failure, or so he had believed.

  But Keith had felt that something was off. Of course, he had. A man like him, in his position, was always prepared. Cassis should have known.

  At least Cassis had insurance. The phoenix blessing would bring him back to life, eventually. He didn’t know how long it would take, but the surprise alone could give him the opening he needed. As long as he killed Keith, Arianna would be free. Keith might not have been the official master of the slave collar, but he was the one pulling every string behind the scenes. Kill him, and everything would unravel.

  Bryce twisted the sword. Cassis felt his life slipping away. This wound would kill him.

  Then Bryce pulled the blade free. Cassis kept his gaze fixed on where Arianna stood, even as his vision blurred, trying to reassure her. He would make up for this error in judgment. He would save her.

  His knees gave out. He collapsed, unable to muster the strength to remain standing. Even kneeling became too much. He sank fully to the ground, his sight dimming until he couldn’t see Arianna anymore.

  The last thing he saw was Bryce, looking at him with something like… sadness.

  How utterly ridiculous.

  Cassis was aware that he was dead.

  He couldn’t move, and everything felt muted, distant, as if wrapped in thick cloth. His eyes were still open, though, and he could still see Bryce. If he had known this would happen, he would have tried to keep Arianna in his line of sight.

  Bryce hadn’t moved an inch. He was just standing there, sword lowered, waiting for more orders.

  Then Cassis heard a voice.

  “Not as devastated as I expected.”

  A pause.

  “Could it be…?”

  Who was that again? Ah. Yes. Keith.

  Cassis’s thoughts were sluggish, heavy, but he was grateful he could still think at all.

  “That makes more sense,” Keith continued. “It would be stupid to sacrifice his life for a woman.”

  Cassis wanted to laugh at that, but he couldn’t even blink. If the woman was Arianna, there was nothing stupid about it. But he’d rather live with her, than die for her.

  Then Keith said something that made actual panic flare through Cassis’s faded awareness.

  “Yes. I think he has a way to revive. How delightful. Then I can show you how he dies twice. Faith, order Dan Bryce to kill Cassis again the moment he revives.”

  No.

  That was insane. How could someone who hadn’t even been in the system for long make that leap? Even in the other timeline, Cassis had never heard so much as a rumour about revival abilities.

  But Faith gave the order.

  Shit.

  If Bryce killed him again, it would really be over. No second chance. No saving Arianna. No protecting her. That couldn’t happen.

  He had to think.

  Then he felt it.

  Mana was gathering inside his body. Slow at first, then steadily increasing. His revival was close.

  Could he move faster than Bryce?

  Cassis dug through his memories. If Bryce had already shown most of his strength in the dungeon, then yes, Cassis could move faster. He could kill him, if he revived at full strength.

  Then another thought struck him like ice.

  Did Arianna’s orders still stand? Would she die the moment he moved to save himself?

  He didn’t know.

  The mana continued to gather. Sensation crept back in, weight, pressure, the cold ground beneath him. Bryce’s figure sharpened, his features becoming clearer again.

  The man wore a mask. No emotion.

  Cassis had no problem killing Bryce. None at all.

  But he couldn’t risk Arianna.

  So he would take the hit.

  With the shock of his revival, maybe Helen could act. She wasn’t bound by any order. She would have a chance. Thankfully, she also knew about the phoenix blessing.

  Clinging to that thought, Cassis focused on defence. If he could avoid an instantly fatal blow, Arianna could heal him once she was free.

  There were too many assumptions. Too many unknowns.

  But he wouldn’t give up.

  He had miscalculated. He had underestimated Keith, certain that raw strength would be enough. And the irony was bitter, Cassis was stronger than Keith, stronger than any of his guards.

  But what did that matter, when they had Arianna?

  So he would gamble everything on Helen.

  The mana surged higher. It would be soon now.

  And then Cassis felt it, a horrifying premonition. Something terrible was about to happen. But what?

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  The moment Cassis revived, a black object landed next to him. Then a sword clattered to the ground, and Bryce was gone.

  Cassis surged to his feet.

  Then he felt it.

  A horrifying amount of mana was gathering nearby. What was going on?

  He took a step, about to sprint toward Arianna, when the scene finally came into focus.

  Arianna stood at the centre of a maelstrom, her fully activated mana pattern blazing. The pull was so strong he could see mana being torn from the air itself, drawn violently toward her. She was gathering it in a way he had never seen before, unprecedented, reckless, terrifying.

  And at her feet…

  Faith. Dead.

  A knife was buried in her throat.

  What had happened in the short span he’d been incapacitated? There was no time to think. Keith was already sprinting away.

  Cassis used Dash. Killing Keith was the best he could do in this situation. As long as he lived, Arianna wouldn’t be safe. Not after what she had told him. And he knew she hadn’t told him everything, not wanting to worry him.

  He barely made it three steps before the mana detonated.

  A wave of water mana exploded outward. Just before it reached him, a water barrier rose around his body, keeping him safe.

  The mana of the explosion wasn’t water, not truly. It was raw water mana made visible, violent enough that even those without mana sight could see it.

  Fear clenched his chest. Arianna was using far too much.

  He tried to move toward her, but the current was overwhelming. The wave tore through the guards, flinging them like dolls. Some suffocated. Others slammed into walls, into stone, into each other, their bodies breaking on impact.

  From what Cassis could sense, everyone around him was dying, everyone except Helen, Bryce, Faith, and Shari.

  Please stop he thought desperately. This couldn’t be good for her.

  Finally, the tsunami ended.

  Arianna collapsed.

  Having lost Keith in the chaos, Cassis sprinted toward Arianna, ready to intercept Bryce if he moved first, but he didn’t need to. Helen was already there, standing protectively over Arianna’s fallen form.

  And Bryce… Bryce ignored them entirely, dropping to his knees beside Faith’s body, his hands trembling as he touched her.

  Shari collapsed next to him, sobbing. “Faith! Faith!”

  Cassis didn’t care.

  Arianna was his priority.

  When he reached her, his mind went blank. Where did he even start? She was unconscious, but there were no visible injuries. Still, the sheer amount of mana she had drawn in and expelled in one instant was dangerous, catastrophic, even.

  At least she was breathing.

  Carefully, he gathered her into his arms.

  Helen remained on guard without a word. The moment he had arrived, she had shifted seamlessly into a defensive stance, watching the surroundings with lethal focus.

  Cassis rose to his feet with Arianna in his arms.

  There were still things that had to be done. He and Helen needed to confront Bryce, confirm Keith’s fate, and secure the original slave collar. But he wouldn’t leave Arianna lying on the ground, unconscious and defenceless, not for a second.

  He would carry her until she woke up, or until they were somewhere safe.

  When he reached Helen’s side, he asked quietly, “What happened?”

  He needed to understand before he made his next move.

  Helen’s mouth curved into a grim smile. She glanced at Arianna, her expression a strange mix of pity and pride. “She killed Faith. Freed herself. Then she made that explosion.”

  Arianna had… killed Faith.

  Cassis stiffened. “That should be impossible. Faith was the slave master. Even without an order, a slave can’t harm their master.”

  Helen nodded. “And yet, she did.” After a pause, she added softly, “She suffered for it. It looked like blinding pain, but the moment Faith died, it stopped.”

  Cassis tightened his hold on Arianna.

  She had endured far too much in the last week. Far too much since coming to this world at all. He should have protected her better. He should have seen this coming.

  Then he turned to Bryce.

  The man’s answer would decide whether he lived.

  “Do you want revenge?” Cassis asked flatly.

  Bryce had been staring at Faith’s body without blinking. Now his gaze snapped up, flicking briefly to Arianna and back again. A murderous aura poured off him, thick and suffocating.

  “Yes.”

  He was still on his knees, but Cassis was already preparing to strike until Bryce spoke again.

  “I will kill Keith. For everything he did to Faith, to Miriam.” His voice shook. “He killed them.”

  Cassis halted.

  Helen frowned. “But Arianna was the one who—”

  “No.”

  Shari’s voice cut through the air.

  They all turned to her. The girl’s face was streaked with tears, but her eyes burned with a fury far too old for her age.

  “It was Father who made her do it,” Shari said, staring straight at Cassis. “He probably didn’t die.”

  Then she looked at Bryce.

  “We need to kill him,” she said with terrifying certainty. “He did so many evil things to Faith. He needs to die.”

  The rage in her was brighter than fire.

  Bryce nodded without hesitation.

  Cassis believed them. Completely.

  That realisation unsettled him. He didn’t believe people. That was how he had survived 14 years in the apocalypse. The only exception was Arianna. Her, he could believe unconditionally.

  But those emotions, they were probably genuine.

  Still, he couldn’t be sure of it. He squeezed Arianna a bit tighter. He couldn’t afford to make another mistake due to arrogance. She couldn’t suffer anymore.

  He weighed his options in a heartbeat.

  Bryce wouldn’t be a problem. If necessary, Cassis could kill him easily.

  But Shari…

  She was twelve. A child. Helpless now, but burning with hatred. Cassis had never killed a child, never even come close.

  Still… could he risk her one day turning that fury on Arianna?

  He looked down at the woman in his arms.

  A hand touched his arm. Helen.

  “She wouldn’t want you to.”

  Helen had read him like an open book. She was telling him not to do it. And he knew Arianna wouldn’t want it either. The way she had talked about Bryce had changed. He had become something like a friend to her. Hearing that Cassis had killed him, just to be sure she was safe, would hurt her all over again.

  Then Helen added quietly, “We’re stronger than Bryce. And without the slave collar, they aren’t a threat. Keith is the real threat.”

  Cassis didn’t trust himself to make the decision right now. But he trusted Helen to make it for him.

  “Alright.”

  He turned toward Bryce and Shari, who were still sitting beside Faith’s body.

  “If you ever come after Arianna again,” he said coldly, “I’ll kill you without hesitation.”

  Bryce nodded. “That’s fair. But I promise, we won’t. She was a pawn in Keith’s game, just like us. I can’t blame her for breaking free of it.”

  His hands clenched as he spoke. Then he took a slow breath, his voice calming, already shifting into planning mode.

  “I’ll take Shari and Faith’s body. We’ll leave.”

  And that was exactly what he did. He gathered Faith’s body into his arms, and Shari rose unsteadily to follow him. Before leaving, Bryce turned back to Cassis.

  “Arianna was a good friend to Faith. Tell her that. Faith wouldn’t have blamed her.”

  He nodded once, then added quietly, “I won’t let Keith get away with it. I’ll dismantle that disgusting organisation. I’ll take away everything he holds dear.”

  With a final, bloodthirsty smile, Bryce and Shari headed for the exit.

  Once Cassis and Helen were sure they were gone, they began searching for Keith’s body. They needed confirmation. Cassis looked around at the devastation and felt a tightness in his chest. He still couldn’t believe Arianna had done this. He hoped she wouldn’t wake up to see it yet. Let her sleep a bit longer.

  At first, he clung to the hope that they would find Keith among the dead. But with every body they uncovered, Cassis’ heart sank further. He had already suspected it, but seeing it confirmed was brutal.

  Keith hadn’t died.

  He had survived. And escaped.

  Fury rose inside him. And just like the rest of the week, instead of suppressing it, trying to smother it, Cassis let it in. It was part of him. And once he accepted that, it became so much easier to control.

  When he and Helen met again, they both shook their heads.

  “No Keith.”

  “Then next,” Helen said, holding up two black chokers with a grimace, “we get that disgusting slave collar. Those things feel so wrong.”

  She shuddered.

  Cassis nodded.

  Together, they entered the ruined villa. Everything was quiet. Arianna had told him where to find the secret underground lab, and he found the way without trouble. When they reached it, they found the door already destroyed, probably by the explosives Bryce had rigged.

  More destruction waited behind the door. More bodies in white lab coats lay scattered across the floor. A modern laboratory, utterly ruined.

  Cassis and Helen split up at once, searching for the original slave collar. Drawer after drawer, shattered cases, overturned tables, but no matter where they looked, it wasn’t there.

  “Fuck.”

  The word tore out of him before he could stop it. How could the collar be gone, too? Keith should have been lucky just to survive. How had he managed to escape and take the collar with him?

  Helen snapped her head toward him. “Language!”

  He glared at her. She glared right back.

  “I’m not a child.”

  “Then don’t behave like one,” she shot back.

  Cassis dragged in a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. “It’s gone.”

  Helen nodded grimly. “This isn’t good. Either Keith has it, or someone else took the opportunity.”

  Her gaze swept over the wrecked lab. “Let’s see if we can find any research on the collars. We need to understand those repulsive things.”

  Cassis agreed immediately. He needed every scrap of information they could get their hands on.

  And then…

  “We’ll destroy the original,” he said quietly, fury burning beneath the words, “and any replicas they’ve made. We’ll destroy everyone and everything associated with them.”