232. THEME SONG OF DEATH

232. THEME SONG OF DEATH


~DAHLIA

As our bodies got thrown into Cassius' prison, I felt myself being dragged into a different section.

Confused, my eyes opened to find Odette.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed, “We were about to save Cassius—”

“Yes, I know and I am here to warn you!” She snarled, glaring at me like my impatience had no place before her.

Rather than focus on her attitude, I ignored it and listened instead to the message.

“No matter what happens in Cassius’ prison, do not get separated. All of you! Stay together or all this would have been in vain…”

“I don't understand.” I blurted.

"There is no time to explain! Go back!" She pushed me and darkness instantly consumed me!

I felt my body being dragged again. And this time, when I opened my eyes, I was back with the boys.

We were still in the temple… Only this one looked different.

It looked darker and the blood that flowed around us was fresh and thick...

And Cassius— he was conscious.

My eyes widened as I picked up his chants;

“For Vlad…” he yelled before stabbing himself. “For Orion…” ; “For Dahlia!”

He was crying, begging, screaming our names and stabbing himself… all at once…

My heart fell.

I could not believe my eyes. This was not the Cassius I knew. It couldn't be him.

To be sure I wasn't the only one seeing this, I looked around me and I found Vladimir and Orion were also by my side— but just like me, they were also too stunned to move or even speak.

This wasn't right. Yet, the more I watched the scene, the more it wrecked me.

Because how could Cassius, who held all of us together become like this?

"No… this can’t be him… he just needs… he just needs to remember…” I mumbled to myself.

But watching him stab himself over and over like a twisted sort of torture broke me in ways I couldn't even define.

Hearing him chant our names like the song of his death was my undoing.

I tried to be strong. I tried not to fall apart but I failed…

Tears streamed down my eyes and all the strength I thought I had vanished.

My knees weakened and I felt myself drop to the ground.

He was the one falling apart. Yet it was me who died… I couldn't face his pain, it was killing me.

“Cassius!” Vladimir called, unable to bear the scene anymore.

"Cassius, please, stop hurting yourself," Orion echoed.

But it was as if his ears were blocked. He couldn't hear us. He just continued stabbing himself like that was the cure to whatever horror he faced.

“We should try to get to him!” Vladimir suddenly let out, taking charge.

He and Orion rushed towards him. But as soon as they got close enough, they got pushed back by an invisible barrier that kept Cassius away from their reach.

“Cassius, look at me— look at us! We are here!” Orion cried. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

But Cassius' response remained the same. Our names on his lips and his death in his hands.

"Cassius, please..." Orion yelled, his broken voice tearing me open even more.

It was as if his own worry and pain transferred back into me in a thousand folds. So that I wasn't just feeling Cassius's pain, but also Orion... Vladimir and my own.

It filled my chest, hurting like broken bottles were being forced down there.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. My whimpers and ragged breathing were the only sounds leaving my lips.

And to make it worse, Orion turned back to look at me with a tear-stained face.

“Dahlia," he sobbed. "Speak to him... I beg you— try to reach out to him the way you did with me! Say something, maybe he will listen! Maybe he will stop!”

The tremors rumbled through me at his words. Because it was then it struck me that my head had long gone blank.

I couldn't speak nor think. But even if I did, what could I possibly say when I saw Cassius's guilt so heavily?

How was I supposed to rescue the one who always rescued me— who rescued all of us?

“Dahlia, please try….” Vladimir also joined in and I just couldn't stop crying.

"I don't know what to do..." I whimpered, my vision too blurry to even focus. "All these... It isn't even his fault... He was only being manipulated..."

"We know that Dahlia," Vladimir agreed. "And we have forgiven him for the mistake he made. But he won't listen to us! He wouldn't stop!"

"We can't let him keep doing this... We just can't..." Orion let out.

Somewhere between their words and the pain tearing through my soul, courage soared.

We couldn't let Cassius continue like this. There had to be something we could do.

My numb brain suddenly jumped into life and I started searching around the temple.

If our words couldn't get to him, then it had to be something else... Something that we weren't—

Before my thoughts could even become complete, I saw it. The blood trail.

It flowed around the barrier, creating different paths, just like it had been when we touched his lifeless body outside his prison.

My mind clicked.

"W—we need to stand on the blood paths again," I stuttered, slowly rising to my feet.

The boys quickly did as I instructed. And I wasted no time in joining them.

"We should— hold each other and then— the barrier—"

Vladimir frowned but he didn't question it. He took my hand and signalled to Orion to do the same.

Then with our free hands, we all held the barrier.

As if pushed by something internally, we all yelled his name at the same time; "Cassius!"

Silence suddenly descended over the temple and Cassius's hand stopped moving.

Even his mouth stopped chanting as he slowly looked up from his position... And he saw us...

He really saw us.

"Cassius..." I muttered, my voice too low to be heard.

Then he smiled. "Hey, guys..."

The tears I thought I couldn't produce, increased into buckets and my throat constricted with even more pain.

"Please don't— don't cry for me," he let out and my soul froze. "I deserve this... I am a sinner and— you all are better off without me."