For several seconds, she could only sit there in the dark, clutching the blanket while her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
The room was quiet.
Only moonlight through the curtains, the faint sound of someone walking in the distant hallway, and her own shaky breathing.
But the dream remained.
Not as scattered images this time, but as a path.
If she did nothing, someone would touch the sword again. The result would be worse than Hyakinthos's rejection, and though Rayleigh would stop the worst of it, someone would still be hurt because she had chosen silence.
Cassandra pressed a hand against her chest.
'I don't want to go.'
The thought was honest.
She was afraid of the sword.
She was afraid of Apollo's interest, afraid of Daphne getting angry because of her, afraid of Rayleigh looking at her and seeing everything she had tried to hide.
More than anything, she was afraid that even if she stood in front of the sword, it would reject her too, proving that her dreams were nothing but a curse without meaning.
But if she stayed here, the dream would happen.
She knew it.
She always knew.
Cassandra slowly pushed the blanket aside and got out of bed.
Her legs felt weak, and the cold floor made her shiver, but she forced herself to cross the room and take her cloak from the chair.
Her hands were still trembling when she tied the ribbon.
She wanted to wake Daphne first.
But the moment she imagined Daphne's worried face, her firm voice, and the way she would immediately try to stop her for her own good, Cassandra hesitated.
If she waited too long, she might lose what little courage she had.
"I'm sorry, Daphne-san," she whispered.
Then she opened the door.
...
She made it three hallways before someone grabbed the back of her cloak.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Cassandra froze.
Her body stiffened so hard that she nearly squeaked.
Behind her, Daphne stood in her nightclothes with her hair loose and her expression so flat that Cassandra instantly felt the urge to apologize ten times in a row.
"D-Daphne-san..."
"Don't 'Daphne-san' me with that guilty face! Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"I'm sorry."
"Of course you are. That's your default setting."
Cassandra lowered her head.
Daphne released her cloak and rubbed her forehead with the exhausted air of someone who had expected this and was still annoyed it had actually happened.
"I knew it. I knew you'd try to sneak out if I took my eyes off you. Honestly, why do I even bother sleeping?"
"I didn't want to worry you."
"You sneaking out at night to touch a cursed sword worries me more!"
Cassandra flinched.
Daphne immediately clicked her tongue, though her voice softened after that.
"Sorry. I'm not shouting because I hate you. I'm shouting because you're doing something terrifying with the face of someone asking permission to borrow sugar."
"That comparison is strange..."
"It fits!"
Cassandra almost laughed, but the emotion caught in her throat and turned into something closer to a sob.
Daphne noticed.
Her expression changed.
"Cassandra."
"I saw it again."
Daphne's annoyance faded.
Cassandra gripped the edge of her cloak with both hands.
"If I don't go, someone else will try, and something worse than today will happen. I don't know everything, but I saw enough. There was mist in the shop, people shouting, blood on white cloth, and Rayleigh-san stopping the sword before it became worse."
Daphne listened without interrupting.
That alone made Cassandra's chest tighten.
"I know you don't fully believe me. I know no one does. But I can't stay here and pretend I didn't see it. If I do that, then I'm the same as someone closing her eyes while people walk toward a pit."
Daphne was silent for a long moment.
Then she sighed so deeply that Cassandra almost shrank.
"You really are impossible."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not finished."
Cassandra closed her mouth.
Daphne crossed her arms and looked at her with a serious expression.
"If you go alone, Apollo-sama will find out, and then everything becomes worse. If you touch that sword alone, I won't know whether you're alive, dead, cursed, or trapped in some weird Yōtōsai nightmare. And if you collapse in the street because you panicked halfway there, I'll have to explain to everyone why my friend is lying face-first on the road in her nightclothes."
Cassandra blinked.
"That last one probably won't happen."
"Probably isn't good enough!"
Daphne exhaled again, then reached out and adjusted Cassandra's cloak roughly, though not unkindly.
"We're going together."
Cassandra looked up in surprise.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I said I'd stop you first, and I'm doing that now by telling you this is a terrible idea."
"Then—"
"But if you're still going after hearing that, I'm coming with you."
Cassandra stared at her.
Daphne looked away, annoyed by the gratitude already forming on Cassandra's face.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not supporting the sword touching. I'm supervising your bad decision."
"Daphne-san..."
"If you cry, I'm dragging you back to bed!"
Cassandra quickly rubbed her eyes.
"I'm not crying."
"You absolutely are!"
"I'm not."
"You are! At least lie better!"
The small exchange loosened something in Cassandra's chest, and although the fear did not disappear, it became easier to breathe with Daphne beside her.
...
They did not leave through the main entrance.
Daphne knew the patrol pattern inside Apollo Familia's home better than Cassandra expected, and after borrowing a plain cloak for herself, she led Cassandra through a side corridor, down a servants' stairway, and out through a small garden gate that was usually used by delivery workers.
Cassandra looked at her in surprise.
"Daphne-san, how do you know this route?"
Daphne did not look back.
"Because unlike someone, I plan ahead before doing suspicious things."
"That sounds like something you've done before."
"Cassandra, do you really want to ask me that right now?"
"No..."
"Good."
They walked quickly through Orario's night streets.
The city was quieter than during the day, but never truly silent.
Taverns were still open, drunk adventurers laughed too loudly in alleys, and Magic Stone lamps glowed softly along the main roads.
Every time someone looked in their direction, Cassandra's shoulders tensed, but Daphne guided her away before anyone could pay too much attention.
When Hephaestus Weapon Shop came into view, Cassandra's steps slowed.
The building looked different at night.
Without the crowd surrounding it, the shop seemed calmer, almost solemn, but Cassandra could still feel the sword inside.
The sensation was clearer now, like a faint pressure behind her eyes.
Daphne stopped beside her.
"Still want to go in?"
Cassandra's fingers tightened.
"No."
Daphne looked at her.
Cassandra swallowed.
"But I think I have to."
Daphne stared at her for a moment, then gave a reluctant nod.
"At least that answer sounds like you."
They approached the side entrance.
Before Daphne could knock, the door opened.
Rayleigh stood inside, wearing a dark coat over his clothes, his eyes were calm but not surprised.
Cassandra froze.
Daphne immediately stepped in front of her.
"Rayleigh-san."
"Daphne-san. Cassandra-san."
His gaze moved briefly over their cloaks.
"Sneaking out at night?"
Daphne's face stiffened.
Cassandra lowered her head.
Rayleigh looked at them for a moment before stepping aside.
"Come in. If you stand outside too long, people will start making rumors!"
Daphne's eyebrow twitched.
"People will make rumors anyway."
"True."
"Then don't say it like you're being considerate!"
Rayleigh paused, then nodded seriously.
"I'll reflect on my poor wording."
"You absolutely won't."
"Nah."
Daphne stared at him.
Cassandra, despite everything, nearly laughed.
Rayleigh's gaze softened slightly when he saw that, though he did not comment on it.
Instead, he looked at Cassandra.
"You saw something again."
It was not a question.
Cassandra's smile faded.
"Yes."
"And you came before Apollo could turn it into a stage."
Daphne's eyes narrowed.
"You expected this?"
"I thought it was possible."
"Then why didn't you stop it earlier?"
"Because if I pulled Cassandra-san into this by my own decision, the sword would reject the whole process."
Daphne wanted to argue, but the words stopped halfway.
Rayleigh continued calmly.
"This sword does not want someone ordered forward by a god, dragged forward by me, or protected from every choice by a friend. If Cassandra-san stands before it, then at least part of that decision has to be hers."
Cassandra lowered her gaze.
Daphne turned slightly toward her.
"Are you sure?"
Cassandra's hands trembled beneath her cloak.
She was not sure!
She was afraid, confused, and painfully aware that the sword waiting below might tear open every dream she had tried to bury.
But she had come here.
Not because Apollo ordered her.
Not because Rayleigh called her.
Not because Daphne dragged her.
She had come because the dream would not leave her alone, and because closing her eyes had finally become more frightening than opening them.
Cassandra took a slow breath.
"I'm scared."
Rayleigh nodded.
"That's normal."
"I don't know if I'm ready."
"Most people who say they're ready are lying."
Daphne muttered, "That is not comforting."
"It wasn't meant to be."
"Then what was it meant to be?!"
"The truth."
Daphne stared at him as if she wanted to kick him.
Cassandra's lips curved faintly, but the expression soon faded.
She looked toward the stairs leading down into the testing room.
"I still want to try."
Daphne closed her eyes for a second.
When she opened them again, her voice was quieter.
"Then I'll stay with you until the door."
Cassandra looked at her.
"Thank you."
"I said until the door. If the sword starts doing weird things, I'm blaming him."
Daphne pointed at Rayleigh without hesitation.
Rayleigh nodded.
"That's fair."
"It's not fair. I'm just angry!"
"That's also fair."
Daphne's expression twitched.
"Why are you so hard to argue with?"
"Skill issue."
Cassandra let out a small breath that was almost a laugh.
For the first time that night, the fear inside her did not feel quite so lonely.
...
The underground testing room was colder than Cassandra remembered.
Rayleigh unlocked the seals one by one, while Daphne stood beside Cassandra with her arms crossed.
No Guild observer was present at this hour, and no Apollo Familia representative had signed anything, which made Daphne frown almost immediately.
"Is this even allowed?"
"Nope." Rayleigh answered too quickly.
Daphne stared at him.
"Rayleigh-san."
"Officially, no trial is happening tonight. Unofficially, the sword has been calling her, and waiting until morning might make Apollo interfere."
"That sounds like something Hephaestus would get angry about."
"She will."
"And you're still doing it?"
"I'll apologize properly."
Daphne looked at him with open suspicion.
"Have you ever apologized properly in your life?"
Rayleigh thought for a moment.
"Yes."
"Why did you need to think?!"
Cassandra covered her mouth with one hand, and this time the small laugh escaped before she could stop it.
Daphne looked at her, then sighed.
"Fine. Laugh while you can. I'm still angry."
Rayleigh opened the final seal.
The black floral Zanpakutō rested on the stand.
Cassandra's laughter faded.
The room seemed quieter now, though nothing had actually changed. The sword did not move, but Cassandra felt its attention settle on her with frightening clarity.
Rayleigh stood beside the weapon stand and looked at her.
"Cassandra-san."
"Yes."
"If you want to stop, stop now. Once you touch it, I can pull you away if your life is in danger, but I can't decide what you see."
Cassandra nodded slowly.
"I understand."
Daphne reached out and squeezed her hand.
"Come back properly."
Cassandra looked at her.
Daphne's face was stern, but her fingers were trembling too.
That was when Cassandra realized Daphne was also afraid.
Cassandra squeezed back.
"I'll try."
"That's not enough."
"I'll come back safely."
Daphne held her gaze for a long moment before letting go.
Cassandra walked forward.
Each step felt heavier than the last, but she kept moving until she stood in front of the black floral Zanpakutō.
Rayleigh lifted the sword with both hands and offered it to her.
Cassandra stared at it.
The golden flowers on the scabbard looked beautiful under the cold light, and for a moment she understood why people had mistaken the sword's danger for romance.
Beautiful things were easier to trust.
That was why they were dangerous.
Her fingers closed around the scabbard.
The room disappeared from her vision.
And this time, Cassandra opened her eyes inside the dream.