Blonde hair like strands of gold flowed over pale skin, sliding perfectly along the curves of her shoulders.
Calm eyes, a resting expression on the face of the beautiful woman.
On the outside, she was fine and stable, no sign marked her untouched face.
On the inside, however, a storm converged in her mind.
A hazy world filled with mist, the air smelling of something ancient, like an antique warehouse.
There was nothing in that place, yet Cassie could feel.
Feel an ancestral and insurmountable will, preventing her from seeing further.
That will, of course, was time itself. Her instincts, combined with her ability, stopped her from seeing things she should not even glimpse.
The ability to see both the future and the past was what made seers so valuable, but also feared like a plague.
For Cassie, the power she held had become both a blessing and a curse.
Seeing the world the way she did was agonizing. Imagine living knowing how your parents will die, or how a precious friend will begin to hate you. A torment, isn't it?
But that was how she lived.
There were also certain advantages, even if it was painful to admit.
Almost nothing escaped her sight, and many events would happen simply because she moved a piece, in a butterfly effect.
Like making a certain someone pick up a mirror and free a horrendous creature that would become an important piece in her plans.
But that was only something she could do now. When she became a Master—which she knew would happen—her power would grow even greater, and the scope of her schemes would become unstoppable.
The timeline she herself was shaping, in her own way, was already set on its tracks.
The plan was complex; however, its structure was open, ready for any contingency.
Beating the Second Nightmare, Sunless learning sorcery, Nephis' return...
Everything was going well.
Until this moment.
Something had changed, an alteration in the fate she herself was shaping.
All because of that man—if he could even be called human.
Mordret.
Cassie didn't know when, but at some point the Prince of Valor had changed.
She hadn't suspected anything at first, but some inconsistencies didn't match.
The number of screams of pain coming from behind the cell walls was lower than expected. But the condition of the guards was worse than before.
The way the man behaved also seemed to change, as if he had learned how a real human thought and imitated it perfectly.
No, it was worse. His manner conveyed the true essence of someone with feelings, which made him even more terrifying.
Those changes did not go unnoticed by her, but nothing could be done about it. After all, she herself still had no power. Not yet.
Shaking off useless thoughts, she shook her head, trying to focus on what was in front of her.
At some point, her surroundings had changed. Now Cassie found herself in an old and dark castle... No, a stormy temple fit better.
Even having never been there, she knew exactly where she was. The Temple of the Storm.
It was in that place that the Northern Saint lived, one of the chained.
In the future, Cassie would be there to serve her.
A shadow of ruin would fall over that place, consuming everyone.
The Saint would die, killed by a creature of the mist.
And along with her, many others.
In a room, Cassie was sitting on a chair, her elbows resting as she observed herself in a common mirror placed on her desk.
Dark blue robes swayed slightly in the cold breeze coming through the window, the white scarf covered the girl's clear eyes.
Golden hair flowed along her neck.
Cassie couldn't see—normally.
But here, she could.
She observed everything around her. The world, once complete darkness, expanded into colors, the way it had been before the First Nightmare.
'Another vision?' the thought came automatically, her dreams were rarely pleasant...
Looking closely, she noticed a figure in the mirror reflecting her.
Cassie was not in the mirror. Someone else was.
A pale young man, with hair as dark as jet, and an ironic smile dancing across his thin, angular face, bringing an air of curiosity and dread.
He looked at her before letting out a whistle:
"Lady Song of the Fallen, how are you? Has your stay here in the temple been good?"
Cassie said nothing, hearing Mordret's words like a recording that could be used in the future.
Then the young man continued:
"A woman and a mirror talking... Curious, that reminds me of a famous story."
His mocking tone did not draw Cassie in, who didn't care about the conversation. She only wanted to understand how this point had come to happen in the future. To, if not prevent it, at least understand it well.
"Once upon a time, there was a very beautiful woman, so beautiful she could be called the fairest of all." he began.
Cassie frowned, not understanding where Mordret was going.
"However, one day, she went to her most valuable assistant. A mirror. And asked it: 'Mirror, mirror on the wall... Is there anyone more beautiful than me?' The woman questioned her assistant." Mordret narrated with amusement, recalling the childish fairy tale.
A bad premonition took over Cassie, something deep within her screaming to stop that man from finishing that story.
"From what I see, you would be the Evil Queen, and I would be the mirror advising you, in this current situation, wouldn't I?" the young man mocked, acting like a flatterer.
Clack!
A piece of glass cracked, splitting into two. Mordret's figure split in half as well.
"No. I am not your helper, witch."
Mordret's expression turned cold and frozen, his murderous gaze falling over Cassie like a death omen.
"I'm also not your toy or puppet, for you to control and make do whatever you want." he stated firmly. Another crack echoed in the room. The cold wind from the window grew stronger, mist forming at the base of the outer walls.
"And there's no point using this conversation to try to predict me, or do you think I don't know this is one of your visions? Knowing the future doesn't make you omnipotent."
The sound of creaking and a hand slipping out of the mirror, trying to grab the seer, made her throw the mirror hard against the wall in shock. An irrational fear rose in her heart.
A figure emerged from inside the mirror.
It was Mordret of Nothing, Prince of Nothing.
He stood up with elegance, not paying attention to the terrified looks Cassie gave him.
Mordret slowly walked toward the window, planning to jump from it.
"Ah! I almost forgot!"
He turned to face her, seeing the clear sky-blue eyes reflecting his gray-silver pupils.
With a smile, he finished:
"You can see the future of everything and everyone, but..."
He gave a wink and jumped out the window.
"You can't see Nothing."
The figure, blending with the mist, disappeared, leaving Cassie frozen in place, unable to react.
———
"Why should I be your friend? Was betraying Valor not enough for you?"
The shadow's answer made Mordret force a smile, small veins bulging on his forehead.
"What is that supposed to mean, my dear Sunless?"
Sunny smiled, raising Cruel Vision toward Mordret's neck.
"Reflections don't exist on their own…
They only live when someone looks…"
A wrinkle formed, an exhale of anger came from Mordret.
"Tell me, Prince of Nothing."
There was a pause, the distant dripping of water echoing through the environment.
"Has anyone ever looked at you?"
The clash of weapons returned.