Cassandra's POV
I wake up angry.
Not confused. Not scared. Just pure, burning rage.
I'm lying on soft grass that glows blue. The strange forest surrounds me, trees shimmering silver in the weird light. My whole body aches like I've been hit by a truck.
"You're awake."
Lucian sits a few feet away, watching me. He looks tired—shadows under his eyes, shoulders slumped. Good. He should look tired.
"Don't talk to me," I say.
"Cassandra—"
"I said don't." I sit up, and the world spins. "You lied. About everything."
"I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you—"
"That's the same thing!" My voice echoes through the forest. "You knew the bond would kill us. You knew, and you tricked me into signing anyway."
"Your mother was dying—"
"So you let me trade her life for mine?" I'm on my feet now, shaking with fury. "Did you think I wouldn't care? That I'd just accept being a sacrifice for your war?"
Lucian stands too, his jaw tight. "It's not like that."
"Then what's it like? Explain it to me. Make me understand why you thought using me was okay."
"Because I'm desperate!" The words burst out of him. "The Void is waking. Malachi is getting stronger. I've been fighting this war for three thousand years, and I'm losing. When I found you—when I felt your bloodline power—you were the first hope I'd had in centuries."
"So I'm just a tool. A weapon."
"You were supposed to be." His silver eyes burn into mine. "But then you fought back at the hospital. You saved Zara during the attack. You stood beside me against Malachi like you weren't terrified." He takes a step closer. "You became more than a weapon, Cassandra. You became—"
"What? Your friend? Your partner?" I laugh bitterly. "I'm dying because of you. We're both dying. How is that partnership?"
"I'm trying to fix it!" His voice cracks. "Raphael is researching. There might be a way to break the bond without killing us. Or to change it. Make it sustainable."
"Might be. Great. So we're both gambling on a maybe."
"Yes." He doesn't look away. "I'm sorry. I should have told you from the beginning. Should have given you a real choice. But I was afraid you'd say no, and I needed you too badly to risk that."
The honesty hurts worse than the lies.
Because I understand. Desperation makes people do terrible things. I got in his car knowing it was dangerous. I signed that contract knowing something was wrong.
We both made bad choices.
"How long do we have?" I ask quietly.
"Raphael says six months. Maybe less if we keep using the bond in battle."
Six months. Half a year. That's all the time I have left.
Unless we find a solution.
"Where is Raphael?"
"Searching for answers in the ancient texts. He built us a shelter on the other side of the forest." Lucian gestures behind him. "Kieran and Zara are there too. Waiting."
"For what?"
"For you to decide if you still want to fight. Or if you want me to break the bond now, take your chances with whatever happens."
I stare at him. "You'd do that? Break it, even if it kills you?"
"Yes." No hesitation. "Your life is worth more than mine. I've lived three thousand years. You deserve to live yours."
Something shifts in my chest. The anger is still there, but underneath it, something softer.
He's not Marcus. Marcus would never sacrifice himself for me.
"I'm still furious at you," I say.
"I know."
"And I don't trust you."
"I know that too."
"But I'm not giving up." I cross my arms. "If I only have six months left, I'm not spending them running scared. I'm going to fight. I'm going to stop Malachi. And I'm going to find a way to save us both."
Lucian's expression shifts—surprise, then something that looks like hope. "You mean that."
"Of course I do. I'm not a quitter." I start walking toward where he pointed. "Now come on. We have work to do."
He catches up to me, and we walk through the glowing forest in silence.
Finally, he says, "For what it's worth, I didn't expect you."
"What do you mean?"
"I've made hundreds of contracts over the centuries. Some people became weapons exactly like I planned. Others broke. A few ran." He glances at me. "But you're the first one who decided to save me instead of just yourself."
"Maybe I'm stupid."
"Or maybe you're exactly what this world needs."
We reach the shelter—a small house made of the same silver wood as the trees. Inside, Zara is cooking something that smells amazing. Kieran sharpens weapons at a table. Raphael sits surrounded by ancient books, reading with intense focus.
They all look up when we enter.
"She's alive!" Zara rushes over and hugs me. "Thank God. We were worried."
"I'm fine. Angry, but fine."
Kieran smirks. "Angry is good. Angry people fight harder."
Raphael stands, studying me carefully. "How do you feel? Any pain? Dizziness? Strange visions?"
"Just tired. And really mad at your brother."
"Understandable." Raphael actually smiles. "For what it's worth, I told him the bond was a terrible idea. He didn't listen."
"I never do," Lucian mutters.
"Found anything useful?" I ask, nodding at the books.
Raphael's smile fades. "Maybe. There's a ritual—ancient, dangerous, never successfully completed. It could theoretically transform the bond from a death contract into a life bond."
"What's the difference?"
"A death contract drains both parties until there's nothing left. A life bond sustains both, creating a permanent connection that makes you stronger together." He pauses. "But the ritual requires three things. A Fallen's grace. A Contractor's blood. And—"
"And?" Lucian prompts.
"The blessing of the Void itself."
Silence.
"You want us to ask the thing trying to kill us for a favor?" I say slowly.
"Not ask. Steal." Raphael taps one of the books. "During the convergence—when the supernatural and human worlds align—the Void's prison weakens. For exactly one hour, its power leaks through. If you can capture even a drop of that essence and survive, it might work."
"Might," Lucian repeats.
"It's the best option I've found. The only option, actually."
I look at Lucian. "When's the next convergence?"
"Three weeks."
"Then we have three weeks to prepare." I sit down at the table. "What do we need to do?"
Raphael looks surprised. "You're willing to try this? Even knowing the risks?"
"I'm willing to try anything if it means we both survive." I meet Lucian's eyes. "We're in this together now. Might as well see it through."
Something passes between us—an understanding, maybe the beginning of real trust.
Kieran slams a knife into the table. "Then let's get to work. Three weeks isn't much time."
The next hours blur together. Raphael explains the ritual. Zara teaches me meditation techniques to control my power. Kieran drills me on combat moves. Lucian watches, occasionally adding advice, but mostly staying quiet.
When night falls—or what passes for night in this strange place—everyone goes to sleep except me and Lucian.
We sit outside the shelter, watching the swirling colors in the sky.
"Can't sleep?" he asks.
"Too much in my head." I pull my knees to my chest. "This morning, I woke up thinking about Mom's medical bills. Now I'm planning to steal power from an ancient evil to save my life."
"Funny how fast things change."
"Is it always like this? The supernatural world?"
"Mostly. Chaos is normal. Peace is rare." He's quiet for a moment. "Do you regret it? Signing the contract?"
I think about it honestly. "I regret that you lied. But do I regret the power? The chance to fight back?" I shake my head. "No. For the first time in my life, I'm not helpless. Marcus and Simone can't hurt me anymore. I can protect Mom. I can actually make a difference."
"Even if it kills you?"
"We're all dying, Lucian. Some of us just know the deadline." I look at him. "Besides, I'm not planning to die. I'm planning to win."
He smiles—a real smile, warm and genuine. "I believe you might."
We sit in comfortable silence until Zara calls us in for food.
Over dinner, Raphael drops another bomb.
"There's something else you should know about the ritual," he says carefully. "If it works—if you successfully create a life bond—you'll be permanently connected. Not just feeling each other's pain. Sharing thoughts. Emotions. Eventually, memories."
"Like mind reading?" I ask.
"More intimate than that. You'll know each other completely. No secrets. No privacy. For the rest of your lives."
I look at Lucian, who's staring at his plate.
"That's the price of survival," Raphael continues. "Total vulnerability to each other."
"Can we live like that?" I ask Lucian directly.
He meets my eyes. "I don't know. Can we?"
It's a good question. Can I let someone see all of me? Every fear, every shame, every broken piece?
Can I trust him that much after he lied?
"Three weeks," I say finally. "We have three weeks to decide. Let's focus on not dying first. We can worry about the rest later."
But that night, lying in my borrowed bed, I can't stop thinking about it.
A life bond. Connected forever to a fallen angel who lied to me.
It should terrify me.
Instead, it feels almost like hope.
I'm drifting off to sleep when I feel it—a pulse through the bond. Lucian's emotions bleeding through.
Guilt. Fear. And something else. Something warm that makes my chest tight.
He cares about me. Really cares, beyond just needing my power.
I send back my own emotion before I can stop myself: I'm still angry. But I understand.
His response comes immediately: I'll spend the rest of our time earning your trust.
Even if it's only six months?
Especially then.
I fall asleep with a small smile on my face.
But my dreams are dark.
I see Malachi's silver coin eyes. See the Void—an endless darkness with teeth. See myself consumed by shadow, my light extinguished.
A voice whispers: "The ritual won't save you. Nothing will. You belong to me, little Contractor. And soon, I'll come to collect."
I wake up screaming.
Lucian bursts through my door, darkness swirling around his hands. "What's wrong?"
"Just a nightmare." But my hands are shaking.
He sits on the edge of my bed. "What did you see?"
"Malachi. The Void. My death." I can't stop the trembling. "What if the ritual doesn't work? What if we go through all this, and I still die?"
"Then we die fighting." He takes my hand. "But Cassandra, I don't plan to let that happen. We're going to survive this. Both of us."
"Promise?"
"I promise to do everything in my power to keep you alive. Even if it means sacrificing myself."
"That's not what I asked for."
"It's all I can give."
I should pull away. Should stay angry.
Instead, I squeeze his hand. "Then I guess we'd better make it count."
He nods and stands to leave.
"Lucian?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For trying to save me. Even if you did it the wrong way."
His smile is soft. "You're welcome. Now get some sleep. Tomorrow, the real training begins."
He leaves, and I lie back down.
Tomorrow. The first day of our countdown to either salvation or destruction.
Three weeks to prepare for the impossible.
I close my eyes and send one more thought through the bond: We're going to win.
His response comes like a whisper: Yes. We are.
I believe him.
I have to. The power keeps pouring out of me like water from a broken dam.
Footsteps pound in the hallway. Lucian bursts through the door, Kieran right behind him.
Lucian sees the light and swears. "She's manifesting already. It's too soon—she's not ready!"
"What do we do?" Kieran asks.
"We contain it before she burns the whole building down." Lucian approaches me carefully, hands up. "Cassandra, listen to me. You need to pull it back. The power is yours—you control it."
"I can't!" The light is getting brighter, stronger. Things in the room start to float. "I don't know how!"
"Yes, you do." He's right in front of me now, close enough to touch. "Feel the power. Don't fight it. Don't fear it. Just... breathe."
"That's your advice? Breathe?"
"Trust me."
I don't trust him. But I don't have a choice.
I close my eyes and try to feel the power instead of fearing it. It's like a river inside me, wild and rushing and desperate to get out.
Slowly, carefully, I imagine pulling it back. Like closing a faucet. Like taking a deep breath and holding it.
The light dims. The floating objects settle. The cold recedes.
When I open my eyes, the room is normal again except for the broken window and frost.
Lucian lets out a long breath. "Well. That was exciting."
My legs give out. Kieran catches me before I hit the floor.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I didn't mean to—"
"It's not your fault." Lucian kneels beside me. "Your power is waking up faster than expected. The attack at the hospital accelerated the process." He looks at Kieran. "We need to start her training immediately. Tonight."
"Tonight?" Zara protests. "She needs rest!"
"She needs control," Lucian says sharply. "Before her power tears her apart from the inside."
Kieran helps me to my feet. "Can you walk?"
I nod, though I'm shaking so hard my teeth chatter.
Lucian leads us down to the basement—a massive space filled with training equipment and weapons. The walls are covered in those silver lines I saw before, glowing brighter here.
"Reinforced wards," Lucian explains. "Whatever you do down here won't damage the building." He turns to face me. "First lesson: your power responds to emotion. Fear makes it wild. Anger makes it destructive. You need to learn to stay calm."
"How am I supposed to stay calm when monsters are trying to kill me?"
"Practice." He gestures to the center of the room. "Attack me."
I stare at him. "What?"
"Use your power. Try to hit me."
"I'm not going to—"
"Do it!" His voice cracks like a whip. "Or the next time Void spawn attack, you'll freeze up and die. Is that what you want?"
No. It's not.
I raise my hands, and light flickers across my palms. It feels easier this time, like the power knows what I want.
I throw it at Lucian.
He dodges effortlessly, moving faster than any human could. The light hits the wall behind him and disappears into the wards.
"Again," he commands.
I try again. And again. And again.
He dodges every single shot.
Frustration builds in my chest. I'm tired and scared and angry, and I channel all of it into the next blast.
This one is different. Bigger. Brighter.
It catches Lucian in the chest and sends him flying backward into the wall.
Silence.
"Oh God," I breathe. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"
Lucian stands up, brushing dust off his suit. He's smiling.
"There it is," he says. "That's the power I need. The power that can save the world." He walks toward me, and his eyes glow silver. "Now let's see how much more you can do."
The training lasts for hours. By the end, I can barely stand. But I can control the light. I can call it, shape it, throw it without destroying everything around me.
When Lucian finally calls it quits, the sun is rising outside.
"You did well," he says, and it sounds like he means it. "Rest today. Tonight, we train again."
I stumble back to my room with Zara's help. Every muscle screams. My head pounds.
But as I collapse onto the bed, I feel something new.
Not just power. Not just fear.
Pride.
I'm not helpless anymore. I'm not the woman Marcus and Simone destroyed.
I'm becoming something else.
Something stronger.
Maybe even something dangerous.
I fall asleep with light still flickering across my fingertips and one thought in my mind:
Let the monsters come. Next time, I'll be ready.