Chapter 982 — 982: Dark, Empty, and Silent

Cassie opened her eyes in the darkness.

For a few moments, she was disoriented by the onslaught of colors and sensations.

She was looking at the bright blue sky and the sea of white clouds rolling beneath the Ivory Tower. Sunlight was caressing her skin, and gentle winds were singing into her ears.

She was enveloped in heat, red sparks flying from a crucible where molten steel was shining with an incandescent glow. A tired voice was chanting something in an ancient language, the alien words drowning in the clamor of the forge.

She was locked in a small office, reading a document. The paper was cold to the touch, and smelled of fresh ink. Her vision was blurry from the lack of sleep, and her heart was heavy. The contents of the document were grave…

There were other places, other people. It took her some time to find herself among the strangers.

Cassie's was the only world that had no colors, and no shapes. It was dark, empty, and silent.

She could feel the soft fabric of her pajamas touching her skin, and the warmth of her bed. The smell was all wrong, though. Wrong, but nice and familiar.

'...Where am I?'

She frowned, and then remembered. These were not her chambers in the Ivory Tower. She had returned to the waking world, and was now in her room.

She was home…

Cassie allowed the perspectives of various people marked by her Ability to fade into the background, and concentrated on her own.

She rose from the bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The layout of her room was orderly and familiar, and she was careful to keep everything in its proper place. That was why she could orient herself without problem here, not needing any help. This darkness was safe.

It had not always been that way, however. For the first few weeks after receiving her Flaw, Cassie had been a walking collection of bruises.

…And then, the solstice was upon her.

After a short, but pleasant shower — way better than anything they had been able to arrange in the Ivory Tower — she walked over to her wardrobe and got dressed. Her clothes were organized according to a strict system, with a tactile script tag added to each hanger to label colors, so Cassie could find anything she wanted quickly.

Finally ready, she left her room and headed downstairs.

Outside of her own space, she felt less confident. Her parents tried to be mindful of her Flaw, but it was still something unfamiliar to them. In the years after becoming blind, Cassie spent most of her time someplace else, after all. How could they have grown accustomed to it?

She was almost sure that there would not be a piece of furniture moved, or a random item left carelessly in the way. But the mere possibility of stumbling into something or falling down made her feel tense. Cassie felt… felt like a stranger in her own home.

She hated that feeling.

Of course, nothing here could really harm her. Her Ascended physique was beyond being bruised by a mundane accident, but today was a special day. She wanted to make it perfect.

Cassie hesitated for a little, and then activated her Awakened Ability. With so many perspective mediums out there, her essence was in a state of delicate equilibrium. She had to be mindful not to spend more than she could passively replenish, and indulging herself without a real reason was not very responsible.

'...Just for a little bit.'

Immediately, the world changed.

Cassie was standing near the stairs, but she was also cautiously descending them. One step, two steps, three steps…

Cassie lowered her foot to the first step, but she was also on the fourth step.

Cassie reached the fourth step, but she was also on the landing.

Her hand was sliding along the banister, but it was also hanging by her side. She did not smell anything in particular, but she could also feel the scent of her mom's shampoo and… flowers?

Cassie was still on the stairs, but she also felt a pang of pain as her shin slammed into something hard, followed by the sound of a glass vase shattering as it hit the floor.

'There was nothing there before…'

Cassie moved to the side, avoiding the unfamiliar stand, and leaned forward a little to smell the flowers. The vase was standing still, and perfectly whole.

At the same time, there was the sound of an opening door, and her mother's scent became stronger.

Cassie turned to the closed door.

The door opened, and her mother walked inside from the street.

"Ah! My baby is awake!"

Cassie smiled and released her Awakened Ability. Instead, she sent her essence forward and substituted her sight with her mom's. Immediately, the full room came into view, including an unfamiliar wooden stand with a beautiful vase of natural flowers on top of it.

…She saw herself, too.

Cassie could see her own face, but not that of her mother.

She frowned a little.

'My skirt is wrinkled…'

"Happy Birthday! I can't believe it, my lovely daughter is turning twenty!"

Cassie smiled. She didn't feel like she was twenty… she felt like she was two hundred.

Before she could say anything, her mom enveloped her in a hug.

"I am so glad that you managed to come! Work is work, but a young lady like you should not forget about her poor, old parents. Would it kill you to visit more often? Ah, what am I saying? Visit, what visit? This is still your home, you know!

You live here!"

Cassie's smile widened.

"I know."

"And where are these friends of yours? What do you mean, no one is coming to the party? I get it that Lady Nephis might be busy, but what about the others? That young man, Sunny, the one you always mention? Where's he?"

Cassie remained silent for a while.

"...He's busy, too."

"Ah, that daughter of mine is too nice. If it were me, I'd give these so-called friends a piece of my mind… missing a birthday party is never okay!"

Cassie just hugged her mom tighter. She couldn't help but cling to her a little longer than she should have.

...That was because Cassie knew exactly how many more birthdays they would be able to celebrate together.

She knew when her mother would die, and how.

She knew when her father would die, too.

She even knew the day of her own death, and where she would be entombed.

Cassie knew a great number of things, and because of that, she felt sorry.

Fate was not easy to break, and it could not be broken without paying a price.

"Alright, baby, let me go so that I can cook you a very special birthday breakfast."

She reluctantly ended the hug and sighed.

"I am not a baby, you know. I am an Ascended already."

Her mom laughed.

"Who says that an Ascended can't be a little baby? Now tell me what you want for breakfast!"

Cassie masterfully hid her sorrow and put a big, bright smile on her face.

"How about eggs? With bacon?"

Her mother was already walking to the kitchen.

"No problem! We only have synthetic bacon, though. Will that be alright, Miss Ascended?"

Cassie followed, careful not to smash into anything else.

"That's the best kind!"

There was a digital clock in the kitchen, and when her mother glanced at it in passing, the time was ten in the morning.

Cassie quietly sat down and turned to the clock, even though she could not see it.

A few minutes later, when a delicious smell filled the kitchen, she sighed and stared into the distance, as if able to see something far, far away.

Her smile faltered a little.

'It is starting, then…'