Chapter 20: Trust Fall
Cassius plummeted through the night air, his heart racing as he watched his bedroom window grow more distant. The heat from the flames still warmed his face even as the cool night air whipped past him.
'I'm going to die again, aren't I?' The thought crossed his mind as he fell. It would be ironic to die from a fall twice, though this time it was his own doing rather than Nathan's.
[Calculating...]
'Now what?' Cassius thought irritably as Kar's message appeared.
[Impact in 2.1 seconds. Analyzing survival options...]
[Option found. Brace for impact.]
Just before Cassius could hit the ground, a thin layer of golden light spread beneath him, slowing his descent just enough that when he finally struck the earth, he merely had the wind knocked out of him rather than splattering across the courtyard.
"Thanks," Cassius wheezed, struggling to catch his breath as he lay on his back, staring up at his burning room. The flames casting an orange glow across the night sky.
[That was close. The barrier's automatic deactivation nearly got you killed.]
"Nearly?" Cassius coughed, sitting up slowly. "What was that light?"
[Emergency protocol. It used the residual energy from the deactivated barrier to slow down your fall. Speaking of which...]
Cassius felt his chest tighten as he quickly remembered everything that had just happened, for a moment he had forgotten all about Anna's betrayal.
[Cassius, I know you feel betrayed, but to live your life without trusting anyone is a ridiculous human fantasy.]
"Are you saying I should try and trust people again?" Cassius sighed, the idea seemed ridiculous, like something out of a romance novel.
[No, I'm saying you're going to need to try a lot harder than you think if you want to achieve this ridiculous human fantasy.]
"What?"
The sound of shouting drew Cassius's attention. Guards were rushing towards the burning wing of the mansion, servants carrying buckets of water behind them.
'I need to come up with a story fast.' Cassius thought, his mind racing. He had to explain Anna's disappearance, the fire, and why he was outside. All while appearing to be nothing more than a scared 10-year-old boy.
[Your clothes are singed and you smell like smoke. Use that.]
Cassius nodded slightly, recognizing Kar's suggestion. He could play the victim - the poor child who barely escaped with his life. It wouldn't be entirely untrue.
"Young master!" A guard spotted him and rushed over. "Are you alright? What happened?"
Cassius let his legs shake slightly as he stood, making sure to appear appropriately traumatized. "I-I woke up and everything was on fire," he stammered, letting his voice crack. "I couldn't find Anna anywhere and the door was so hot..."
[Good. Keep it simple. Let them fill in the blanks themselves.]
"The window was my only choice," Cassius continued, his eyes welling with tears. Not entirely fake ones either - the smoke had irritated them quite effectively. Yes, It was definitely the smoke that was making him cry.
More guards and servants gathered around, all expressing shock and concern for him. one wrapped a blanket around his shoulders while another went to fetch his father.
As they fussed over him, Cassius couldn't help but notice how genuine their concern seemed. Was it real?
[See what I mean about trust? You're probably already wondering if their concern is real, aren't you?]
'Shut up.' Cassius thought back bitterly. 'This isn't the time for philosophy.'
But as he watched the flames consume his childhood bedroom, along with any evidence of what had transpired there, Cassius couldn't shake Kar's words from his mind. Was it really impossible to live without trust? Or was he just too weak to manage it?
The sound of rapid footsteps announced his father's arrival, and Cassius steeled himself for the performance ahead. He would need to be perfect - the scared child, the fortunate survivor, the son still worthy of his father's conditional love.
But deep inside, a part of him wondered how much of his act was actually fake.
[Your barrier is ready again. Just in case anyone else decides to try killing you tonight.]
"thank you," Cassius whispered.
[Did you notice that feeling? You trusted me. ]
Cassius ignored the message as his father approached, schooling his features into an expression of relieved tears and lingering fear. He had a role to play, after all.
"F-father" Cassius shook, looking up at the duke.
"I hear you fell through the window." the duke stared down coldly at Cassius's legs. "How did you manage to get away nearly unscathed?"
"The light!" Cassius replied quickly and loudly as if to make it more convincing, before putting his hands over his heart romantically like he was in a tragic play, "The light, It saved me. "
"Is that true?" the servants whispered.
"But that would mean…"
"Could it be?"
"A light?" The duke's eyes widened and he immediately held Cassius's shoulders. "Was it a blue light?"
"Yes!" Cassius grinned. " It was a very blue light."
"Aura!" The duke exclaimed cheerfully raising his hands in the air. "My son can already use his sword Aura!"
"Our young master is truly a genius." The servants started clapping.
And just like that, Cassius barely managed to get away without arousing suspicion.
"To think my son would awaken with such control over his aura," the Duke boasted proudly to the gathered servants. "We must celebrate this momentous occasion at once!"
Cassius maintained his innocent facade despite his exhaustion. It had been nearly three days since he'd slept, and the events with Anna had drained what little energy he had left.
[You need rest. Your current body has limits.]
"I can't rest. Anna's master could send someone else-"
[They won't act tonight. The mansion is in too much chaos.]
The certainty in Kar's tone was strange, but Cassius was too tired to question it.
"Where is Anna?" the Duke's voice cut through his thoughts. "She should be here attending to Cassius."
"She... she wasn't in my room when the fire started," Cassius said, letting his voice waver. "I was worried about her..."
[Good. Let them draw their own conclusions.]
"Search the mansion," the Duke ordered. "Find Anna immediately."
As servants scattered, Cassius swayed slightly. This time, he wasn't entirely acting - exhaustion was truly setting in.
The Duke noticed and his expression softened marginally. "You've had quite an ordeal, son. Perhaps celebrations can wait until tomorrow. For tonight, you'll stay in the guest wing."
"Yes, father," Cassius replied meekly, though his mind raced with tactical concerns about the unfamiliar territory.
[The guest wing is secure enough. Focus on recovering your strength.]
'Sometimes, it's as if Kar can read my mind.' Cassius yawned, feeling the tiredness set in.
As a servant led him to his temporary quarters, Cassius couldn't help but look back at the still-burning wing of the mansion. Somewhere in those flames lay the ashes of his last illusion of trust.
'Goodbye, Anna,' he thought. 'Thank you for teaching me one final lesson.'
He just wished the lesson hadn't hurt so much.
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