Shadow Slave - One Shots

this chapter is a birthday gift to a someone 

happy birthday

Cassie sat in silence, her blindfold resting loosely over her eyes.

She didn't need it, there was nothing to see.

But in the darkness, the voices remained.

'He will never forgive you.'

'You ruined everything.'

'You betrayed him.'

The same words, whispered over and over again, sinking into her bones, wrapping around her like chains.

Cassie hugged her knees to her chest, her fingers gripping the fabric of her sleeves. She had known this moment would come. Had seen it, over and over, before it even happened.

And still, it hurt.

She had chosen.

She had chosen for Neph to say his True Name.

Sunny was gone.

And she was still here.

Her breath hitched, her shoulders shaking as she buried her face in her arms.

For days, she had held back the tears, forcing herself to be strong, to pretend she didn't feel like she was breaking apart. But in the silence of her room, with only the ghosts of her own regrets whispering in her ears, she could no longer pretend.

And so, she cried.

Not because she was weak. Not because she regretted her choice.

But because she loved him.

And love had never felt so cruel.

She sobbed quietly at first. Gentle, broken cries that barely made a sound.

But the voices did not stop.

'He will never forgive you.'

'You ruined everything.'

'You betrayed him.'

They grew louder. Louder.

'He will hate you.'

'He will loathe you.'

'He will never look at you again.'

Cassie clenched her hands over her ears, as if that would help. As if she could drown them out. But the words weren't coming from the outside. They were inside of her, twisting through her mind like rot, like thorns burrowing into her skin.

She gasped, her breath coming in ragged shudders. The walls of her room felt smaller, the air thinner. It was as if she were sinking, dragged beneath an ocean of her own thoughts, her own choices, her own failure.

She had always known she would have to make the choice.

She had always known it would end like this.

But knowing did not make it hurt any less.

Her body trembled violently. She could barely breathe. The voices were screaming now, deafening, suffocating.

'Thief.'

'Monster.'

'Liar.'

Her head pounded. She wanted them to stop.

Just stop.

'stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.stop.'

Just-

Cassie gasped, sucking in a deep, shuddering breath. She pressed a hand to her chest, willing herself to feel something real. The cold fabric of her nightclothes. The faint, steady beat of her own heart.

She was here.

She was real.

The voices were just that. 

Not the truth.

Not all of it, at least.

She exhaled slowly, letting the tremors pass. She was exhausted. Her throat ached, her face was wet with tears, but she was still here. She had survived.

Just like she always did.

And she would keep surviving.

For him.

For the one she loved.

Even if he would never love her again.

----------------------------------

The next day went in a flash for some people. But not for Cassie.

She had spoken to Nephis earlier, telling her she wanted to talk that night - about something important. But waiting, waiting was unbearable. Every second felt like a lifetime, every breath felt heavier than the last.

She couldn't handle it.

Nephis opened the door to Cassie's room and stepped inside, closing it quietly behind her.

"You wanted to talk?" she asked, her voice calm as ever. She took a seat next to Cassie's bed, watching her with those sharp, knowing eyes.

Cassie froze.

The words she had wanted to say, the ones she had spent all day preparing, caught in her throat. She thought she was ready. She thought she had the strength.

But sitting here, in front of Nephis, face to face with the one person who might understand—she wasn't so sure anymore.

She swallowed hard.

"I…" Her fingers curled into the blanket. "I need to tell you something.

Nephis didn't react. She simply watched, waiting.

The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Cassie felt exposed, vulnerable. Like she had just torn open her chest and shown Nephis the bleeding mess inside.

And then - Nephis spoke.

"Tell me everything."

Cassie hesitated, then took a deep breath.

"I saw something," she whispered.

Nephis didn't move. She remained still, listening. Waiting.

Cassie exhaled slowly, as if forcing herself to speak. "Remember.. In my vision… I saw darkness swallowing the light. A shadow devouring the last flicker of flame. And then - nothing. Just silence."

Nephis remained silent, but Cassie could feel the tension in her.

"You know what it means, don't you?" Cassie pressed, her voice trembling just enough to sound genuine. "Sunny… he's dangerous. He's always been dangerous."

Something in Nephis's expression shifted. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Cassie felt it. A crack in her resolve. A sliver of doubt.

Cassie lowered her head. "I don't think he even realizes it himself, but if we let him stay in the Spire too long… if he gets stronger, if that shadow fully takes over…" Her hands clenched into fists. "He might leave us all alone. Or.. you alone."

Nephis still didn't speak.

Good. Let her think. Let her doubt.

Cassie forced herself to tremble slightly, just enough to sell it. "If things get bad - if you're about to die - then use his True Name. Leave for yourself and leave him behind.. Because if you don't, neither of us are leaving that place alive."

The words settled between them like a heavy weight.

Cassie swallowed hard, lowering her head even more, letting her voice grow softer. "I… I just want us to survive."

Nephis stared at her.

Cassie felt the weight of her gaze, sharp and calculating. For a moment, she worried. Nephis was not a fool. She would be suspicious. She would analyze every word, every movement, searching for deception.

But in the end, Cassie wasn't lying.

Not really.

She did want them to survive. She did see a vision of the shadow devouring the light.

She just didn't tell Nephis the part that mattered.

That she was relieved when she felt it.

That, in that final moment, she wasn't afraid - because she knew.

Knew that if Nephis truly cared about Sunny, then when the time came…

She wouldn't use his True Name to banish him.

She would use it to save him.

Cassie forced herself to smile weakly. "Promise me, Nephis. If it comes to that… you'll do it."

A long silence.

Then, finally-

"I promise."

Cassie let out a quiet breath, her hands loosening in her lap.

She had done it.

She had manipulated her close friend in sacrificing herself to save the Shadow.

She had made a deal with the devil and gambled with 2 people's lives on the line.

All for her love.

All for him.