[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/OosOLRj.png[/img][/center] [hr][center][h2][i][color=LightSteelBlue]Flashback: Cassius Vael[/color][/i][/h2] [h3][i][color=LightSteelBlue]The City of Erwynn; 13 years ago[/color][/i][/h3][/center] [hr] [color=lightgray] The warm, sunlit streets of Erwynn buzzed with life, filled with vendors hawking their goods, children playing, and the scent of spices hanging thick in the air. It was the kind of place that set Cassius’s blood on fire, the kind of place where freedom felt tangible. The city seemed to hum with energy, inviting him to explore its corners and crevices. Cassius, all lanky limbs and restless energy, stood at the mouth of the alley with his back against the wall, his storm-gray eyes scanning the crowd with excitement. But that excitement faded fast as his mother approached, her soft voice pulling him out of his daydream. [color=MediumSlateBlue]“Little Bear,”[/color] Meredith’s tone was gentle but firm, her fingers brushing through his hair, trying to tame the wild mess as best she could. Cassius rolled his eyes, ducking his head a little to avoid the fussing, but there was a small smile on his lips. He loved his mother, but he wasn’t a child anymore. [color=MediumSlateBlue]“I need you to take Dom with you today,”[/color] she said, her words slicing through his excitement like a blade. [color=MediumSlateBlue]“He’s younger, and his mother needs help with him while the rest of us are setting up for the show.”[/color] Cassius groaned, already seeing the day slipping away from him. [color=lightsteelblue]“But Mom, I..."[/color] [color=MediumSlateBlue]“No buts, Cassius,”[/color] she interrupted, her voice softening as she cupped his face in her hands, her thumb brushing over the scar forming across his brow. [color=MediumSlateBlue]“You’re getting older now. It’s time you started looking out for others, not just yourself. I know it’s not always fun, but responsibility isn’t always supposed to be fun.”[/color] She smiled at him, warmth in her eyes. [color=MediumSlateBlue]"You’re rough around the edges, you know that as well as I do, but we both know that you're a good boy. I trust you to keep him safe. That means something, son."[/color] He huffed, still not thrilled, but there was something about the way she said it that made him straighten his back a little, even if he didn’t want to admit it. [color=lightsteelblue]“Fine, fine. I’ll take him. But if he can’t keep up, it’s on him.”[/color] Meredith chuckled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to leave. Cassius ran a hand through his already messy hair, muttering under his breath as he made his way toward where little Domino was playing, his small form crouched over, examining a line of ants on the ground. [color=lightsteelblue]"Dom!"[/color] Cassius called out, a hint of impatience in his voice. [color=lightsteelblue]"Let’s go. You’re coming with me."[/color] Domino, the little Alidasht boy with dark, eager eyes and a smile too big for his face, practically jumped up, running over with his sandals flopping against the cobblestones. [color=YellowGreen]“Where we go, Cas?”[/color] His thick accent twisted the words, but the excitement was more than clear in his voice as he looked up at the older boy. [color=lightsteelblue]"Wherever I go, kid. But you better keep up, alright?"[/color] Cassius shot him a half-hearted glare, already turning to stride off into the crowd. Dom practically danced after him, struggling to match his pace, his small legs pumping hard to keep up. Cassius tried to act annoyed, but there was a part of him that found the kid’s boundless enthusiasm amusing, if not a little endearing. Dom didn’t speak much of the common tongue, but he managed to talk Cassius’s ear off about anything and everything as they walked. Each new sight and sound seemed to fill him with wonder...every stall, every shout from a vendor, every new corner they turned. [color=lightsteelblue]"Stop lagging behind, Dom,"[/color] Cassius grumbled when Dom paused to look at a stray cat slinking through the shadows. He kept walking, his long legs carrying him swiftly ahead, though he couldn’t stop the small smirk that tugged at his lips when Dom scampered after him, almost tripping over his own feet. They wandered through the city’s winding streets, Cassius showing Dom how to move through the crowds without drawing attention, how to swipe a piece of fruit from a stand when the vendor wasn’t looking. It was a game to Cas, one he’d perfected over the years. Dom tried to mimic him, his small hands clumsy at first, but his determination shone through. After a few attempts, he managed to snag an apple without anyone noticing, and Cassius clapped him on the back, more proud than he let on. [color=YellowGreen]"I do good, Cas?"[/color] The kid asked, obviously eager for Cas's approval [color=lightsteelblue]"Not bad, Dom,"[/color] Cassius said, biting into his own stolen fruit. [color=lightsteelblue]"You might just survive the day after all."[/color] Dom grinned, beaming up at him like he’d just won the biggest prize in the world. But just as they turned into a narrow alley, the tone of their day shifted. It was subtle at first, the way the shadows seemed to grow longer, the air colder despite the sun still hanging high. Cassius noticed a figure standing at the other end of the alley, waiting. A man with dark eyes and a twisted smile. [color=Chocolate]"There’s my boy!"[/color] the man called out to Dom, his voice sickly sweet. [color=Chocolate]"It’s time to come home, son."[/color] Cassius froze, his stomach turning. He didn't know Dom's family well, but he knew that the kid’s dad had died a few years back, and that his mother had been raising him on her own. The man stepped forward, his gaze locked on Dom. Cassius’s instincts flared, and he shifted in front of Dom, his voice low and urgent. [color=lightsteelblue]"We need to go. Now."[/color] He grabbed Dom's hand, pulling him back the way they’d come, but the man followed. [color=Chocolate]“Hey! Stop!”[/color] he barked, his voice harsh now, the sweetness gone. [color=Chocolate]"That’s my son!"[/color] They spun, ready to flee…but another figure loomed in their path. This man was broader, his face shadowed by a cruel grin. [color=lightsteelblue][i]Trapped.[/i][/color] Cassius’s pulse quickened as he realized they were boxed in. His grip tightened on Dom's hand as fear coursed through him. They were cornered, the weight of responsibility crashing down on him with brutal clarity. [color=Crimson]"Let the kid go,"[/color] one of the men snarled, stepping forward. [color=Crimson]"You can walk away. No need for anyone to get hurt."[/color] Cassius swallowed hard, his body trembling. [color=lightsteelblue]"No,"[/color] he said, his voice weak but defiant. [color=lightsteelblue]"He’s not going with you."[/color] Dom was clinging to him now, his small hands shaking. Cassius looked down at the boy’s wide, terrified eyes, his mind racing. One of the men pulled a knife, and Cassius's breath caught in his throat. [color=Crimson]"Last chance."[/color] The man said, the blade glinting in the low light. Cassius’s hands shook as they clenched into fists, his whole body trembling from fear and adrenaline. [color=lightsteelblue]"You... you’re not taking him."[/color] He stammered, his voice cracking. He wasn’t even sure if he could fight, not with his legs trembling like this, but he couldn’t back down. His body was telling him to run, but something else…[i]something desperate and terrified[/i] kept him rooted to the spot. [color=lightsteelblue][i]Please... please go away…[/i][/color] He begged in his mind. And just like that, Cas bolted, holding on to Dom's hand for dear life. But before they could get far, the men lunged. The next moments were a blur of chaos and violence. One man grabbed for Dom, but Cassius shoved him back, kicking and punching wildly. The other man swung his knife, catching Cassius across the arm, the sharp sting of the blade barely registering through the haze of panic. Cassius flailed with desperation, arms swinging, legs kicking, barely aiming his strikes. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each one sharper than the last as he scrambled to find anything…[i]anything[/i]…to fight them off. His hand latched onto a broken bottle, and he swung it clumsily, more out of panic than skill. His heart pounded in his ears, his vision narrowing. [color=lightsteelblue][i]Don’t let them get you…don’t let them take him![/i][/color] He kicked a loose barrel, sending it crashing into one man’s legs. He grabbed a broken piece of wood, swinging it at the other man’s face. But they kept coming, the knife flashing again, cutting across his chest, then his side. Blood smeared his shirt, and pain throbbed through his ribs with every shaky breath, but he couldn’t stop. [color=lightsteelblue][i]I can’t... I can’t let them win.[/i][/color] Tears pricked the edges of his vision, blurring everything around him as he swung chaotically, fighting more like a wild animal than a human. His hands stung from where his knuckles had split open, but he barely noticed it. His whole world was a blur of panic and blood, his body moving on its own. [color=lightsteelblue][i]Please... let this end…I don’t want them to take the kid.[/i][/color] One of the men tackled him to the ground, pinning him down, the knife raised high. Cassius struggled, his arms shaking as he held the man’s wrist, trying to keep the blade away from his throat. Tears burned in his eyes, terror clawing at his insides as he felt his strength slipping. Then, by some stroke of fate, the man’s grip on the knife faltered. It clattered to the ground beside Cassius’s head. Desperation surged through him. With a scream, he grabbed the knife, and as the man lunged again, Cassius thrust the blade upward, driving it into the man’s chest. Time seemed to stop. The man’s eyes widened in shock, his body convulsing before going still, slumping forward onto Cassius. The weight of the man, of what he’d just done, pressed down on him, suffocating him. Cassius struggled to push the man off, his hands slick with blood...both his own and the man’s. The second man, realizing what had happened, took one look at the bloodied scene and bolted, disappearing into the shadows without a word. Cassius was left panting, trembling, his body aching. Every inch of him shook uncontrollably as he shoved the limp body off him. He stared at his bloodied hands for a moment, blinking in disbelief. [color=lightsteelblue][i]Did I really just…[/i][/color] A sob choked out of him, and he quickly wiped his face with the back of his arm. [color=lightsteelblue][i]Get up. Get up![/i][/color] He forced himself to crawl toward Dom, who was curled up in the corner, trembling just as badly as he was. [color=lightsteelblue]“It’s... it’s over,”[/color] Cassius whispered, though his own voice wavered, as if saying the words would make them true. [color=lightsteelblue]"Dom,"[/color] Cassius rasped, his voice hoarse. [color=lightsteelblue]"You... okay?"[/color] The boy nodded, tears streaming down his face. Cassius pulled him into his arms, holding him tightly, the weight of what he’d just done pressing down on him. He was bleeding, exhausted, terrified. But Dom was safe. And that was all that mattered. [/color]