—Arceus!
I opened my eyes abruptly as a torrent of tears continued streaming down my cheeks. Memories I thought buried in the depths of my consciousness paraded before me like an unstoppable whirlwind.
The room was still blurry through my tear-filled eyes, but I recognized the communal bedroom where half the orphanage children rested.
I felt the rough sheets beneath my vulnerable body as I lay in my narrow bed, my breathing ragged and uneven. The remnants of a painful dream lingered in my mind like wisps of fog at dawn, while my left hand instinctively clutched something soft and warm.
—Arceus! —insisted that familiar voice, acting as a balm for my tormented spirit.
I slowly turned my head and blinked to hold back the tears still struggling to spill. There, sitting beside me on the edge of my bed, holding my hand in hers, was Cassie.
Her crimson hair fell messily over her shoulders like a cascade of fire, and her garnet-colored eyes, usually brimming with vitality, were now swollen and red. Tears had traced visible paths on her pale cheeks.
—Cassie —I uttered her name with a hoarse voice, like sandpaper against stone.
—Why are you crying?
—Fool —Cassie stifled a nervous giggle as she smiled through the tears still sliding down her face—. I could ask you the exact same thing.
I kept my gaze fixed on her, watching as she smiled and even laughed with a mix of relief and shyness while clumsily wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
It was the first time I'd seen her since our heated argument—she had passionately defended the idea of rescuing all the children while I had coldly argued the need to abandon the weakest—though, in truth, not much time had passed since our last bitter encounter.
—How are you feeling, Arceus? —she asked, genuine concern reflected in every line of her youthful face.
—Never been better. Why do you ask?
—If you have the strength to reply with that sarcasm of yours, I'm sure you'll recover —she retorted with a laugh, though her sad eyes didn't match the gesture—. I don't know if you remember, but… Emilia found you unconscious in one of the forest caves.
I smiled bitterly, furrowing my brow, immediately detecting the discrepancy between what I knew before losing consciousness and what I'd just heard from Cassie's lips.
—Wait, how much time has passed since I fainted?
I found it impossible to gauge the duration of my unconsciousness; my stay in the tower had felt like an eternity suspended in a void. Sensing my somber expression, I noticed Cassie wanted to ask more questions but held back out of consideration for my fragile state.
—A whole day —she finally replied—. You had us all worried sick.
—Don't frown so much, Cassie —I murmured—. You'll wrinkle that pretty face before your time.
When strength left my arm, I let it fall heavily onto the mattress and inhaled deeply, trying to calm the turmoil within me.
My attempt to lighten the mood worked momentarily, but I sensed there was something more in Cassie's gaze, an unusual gravity that contradicted her forced smile.
—Arceus… —she began, releasing my hand and straightening her back with determination—. I need to tell you something important.
The shift in her tone made me sit up slowly, ignoring the sharp pain pounding in my temples. I knew that expression well; it was the same one Cassie wore when she was about to share something momentous.
—I've been thinking deeply —she confessed, nervously fiddling with the frayed edge of her dress—. And I completely understand why you oppose the escape plan. I really do.
—But I'm going to try it anyway. —Her eyes met mine, steady as steel.
This revelation didn't surprise me at all. Instead of reacting, I studied her face closely, searching for any hint of hesitation or fear. I found none.
—Are you absolutely sure?
—More than sure —she affirmed with unshakable conviction.
What circumstance had inspired such confidence in her?
—Actually, I've already devised a plan —she added, a special glint in her eyes.
—What gives you such certainty? —I questioned, my voice sharper than intended, though, as usual, Cassie wasn't fazed by my incisive tone.
—I found something —she replied, evident sincerity vibrating in every syllable.
I watched her lean toward me with one of her enigmatic smiles, the kind that invariably set off all my internal alarms.
I remained silent, meticulously analyzing every nuance of her expression. Was she really going to reveal her secret? I knew her well enough to understand that secrecy wasn't in her nature, at least not with me.
The ensuing silence grew heavy, laden with unanswered questions and half-revealed truths. I watched as Cassie internally debated how much information to share.
—Yesterday… —she began in a whisper charged with barely contained emotion that reminded me why she was so different from the others— During recess, while I wandered lost in thought about what to do, I found this exploring the orphanage grounds' boundaries.
—At first, it seemed like just a metallic fragment covered in dirt, I even thought it was abandoned trash, but…
She stopped abruptly, and I noticed her eyes, suddenly cautious, dart toward the door. Her wariness didn't surprise me; since I'd been unconscious, most of the children were outside helping Emilia with daily chores, giving us a rare opportunity for privacy.
—It was a medallion —she finally revealed.
I raised an eyebrow as my mind rapidly calculated probabilities and analyzed the implications of such a find.
—A medallion? —I repeated, keeping my tone neutral though my curiosity had awakened like a ravenous beast.
I watched, fascinated, as Cassie bent down to retrieve the object she'd cleverly hidden inside her worn boot.
—You couldn't have hidden it in a more original place —I commented, allowing a mocking smile to curve my lips.
As expected, Cassie reacted with a pout, puffing out her cheeks in a feigned indignant gesture that I found oddly comforting in its familiar spontaneity.
—You know perfectly well I had no other choice! —she protested, crossing her arms and glaring at me.