CASSIUS

When dusk fell upon Ojak, Cassius was busy with a plan. He planned to find the truth, and he would stop at nothing. His father had given him a harsh warning more than once, but this was worth the risk. His life had been put in danger, he had almost been killed, and Atria Zamet had foreseen it.

Prince Cassius was dressed in his darkest attire and his most casual attire at that. He wore a dark hooded shirt and dark pants with dark shoes that had soft soles, shoes that allowed him to move without much of a sound. Needless to say, Cass looked nothing like the prince he was. His identity was well hidden underneath it all, which is exactly what he needed for this to work.

Just as he was about to take his leave, a knock upon his door startled him to attention. Cass approached the door with quiet caution. The last thing he needed was to be caught by someone who wasn't exactly trustworthy. The heir looked through the small peephole, his eye looking to see who was on the other side of the door. The worried tension in his chest was released when he saw it was only Atlas...with Orion?

Cassius unlocked the door, twisting the cool metal doorknob and opening it slightly. He looked between the both of them. "Did anyone follow you?" Cass asked Atlas, his eyes flickering down the dimly lit halls.

Atlas shook his head, his blonde curls bobbing as he did so, "No. Now, can we come inside before someone notices?"

Cass gave a quick nod and sidestepped, opening his door wider to let Atlas and Orion pass into his room, swiftly closing the door shut behind him and locking it for extra measure.

Now, Orion was a broad-shouldered young man only a few years older than Cassius and Atlas. He had tawny skin and thick dark hair that was cropped to his head most of the time, short and militaristic. However, Orion had nothing to do with the true military. He was Cassius' personal royal advisor. Because of this, the two knew each other quite well; they weren't strangers, that was certain.

However, Cassius hadn't expected Orion's presence, and this was apparent as he fixed his royal advisor with a curious look. "Why are you here, Orion?"

Orion fixed the prince with a steady gaze and shrugged, "Who do you think had to find the information Atlas requested? I wanted to know what it was needed for, and Atlas informed me."

Cass cast Atlas a glance and his friend merely gave an apologetic shrug. Before the prince could even speak, Orion was already talking again, "You know, this is a terrible idea. A reckless idea like this will surely get you caught and if it doesn't, you're risking a lot. You do realize that your father isn't too fond of your rebellious antics, Cassius? Shouldn't a future prince consider his future as a monarch? Why should you have to worry over something so...unimportant? Why would you worry yourself with the whereabouts of strange commoners?" His tone was laced with that sense of authority. Orion always talked down to Cass, even though he wasn't much older. However, the royal advisor had far more knowledge than anyone could argue with. While young, Orion had a wise soul. In this moment, he acted like a parent belittling a silly child.

Cassius frowned, "I understand that it's not the smartest plan, and I'm aware that it's reckless, but that doesn't mean that it won't succeed. Besides, my motives are to be known by myself only. You shouldn't concern yourself with it, Orion."

Orion gave the prince a skeptical look, but he didn't question him further, "Just know that if you get caught for this, I'm not going to associate myself with your schemes. This is on you, and I don't intend to back you up on this."

In the past, Orion had been loyal to Cassius and often got the prince out of worse trouble. He had made sure to keep Magnus' anger at bay and found ways to protect Cass. However, it seemed like Orion's patience was running thin and he didn't plan to weasel the heir out of trouble this time. Cassius considered this but he shrugged, "Fine, do what you please," he said in a nonchalant tone. Cass had calculated everything and granted that it all worked out, nobody would ever have to know what he was about to do.

Atlas glanced between the two of them and sighed, "Cass, just...whatever you're planning to do, be careful and keep yourself safe," he nodded whilst handing Cassius the piece of paper with the address he had requested. His words and actions signaling to the prince that he ought to take his leave before it was too late. The night wouldn't last forever. Even though Atlas hadn't a clue what Cassius had planned, why he needed that address, his loyalty to his best friend remained, always.

"Of course," Cass replied with a curt nod. With that, he turned towards his balcony and the darkness that enveloped the red planet of Ojak, his home. Darkness washed over the glorious palace and that desire for answers gnawed at him. Without another word, Cassius went out onto his balcony and climbed his way down to the ground before disappearing amongst the shadows.

✩✩✩

With the paper crinkled in Cassius' pocket, he approached the dark house before him, the one who held the address that was scrawled on that paper. He could turn back now, not having to risk it, but he knew that he'd forever carry that burden of regret. Reckless or not, he sought the truth, craving answers. He couldn't turn back when he had made it this far. He didn't need to alert the whole household of his presence so he circled the building hoping to find the window to a room that seemed like the one he was looking for. He spotted a window that was illuminated by a dim light on the inside. Cass approached the window, peering in through the gap in the curtains. It seemed luck was on his side because sitting by the dim light, reading an ancient looking book, sat Atria Zamet.

He lightly knocked on the window, hoping to catch her attention. Her head snapped up quickly, her hazel eyes wide and frightened, like a deer caught in the headlights. Cassius could only imagine what it must be like to see a looming shadow of a dark clothed figure waiting outside your window, lurking and requesting access into your home.

He took her for a coward, the Zamet girl. So when she got to her feet and approached the window with a brave look in her cautious eyes, he had to swallow his pride and admit that perhaps she wasn't as hopeless as he originally thought. Brushing the curtains back, Cass watched as Atria's eyes landed on him with surprise, awe, and scrutiny.

She quietly opened the window, her lips pressed in a flat line, "What the hell are you doing here?" she whispered, but the words came out as a bold and sharp demand, something Cassius wasn't exactly expecting.

"Let me in before someone sees us--"

"Oh no, no, no. My parents will kill me if they find an unknown man in my room, and especially the heir to the Ojakian throne--"

Cassius rolled his eyes and huffed. His following tone was entitled and arrogant, as any royal would be, "As your future monarch I demand that you let me in." He then thought to add a bit of reassurance to her, as if to persuade her, "My intentions are pure."

Atria hesitated as if trying to determine whether to not to trust him. Finally, with a sigh of defeat, she motioned for him to climb in through the window, "You had better be quick and be gone before Unis rises and bathes Ojak in light," she gave a small scoff, not seeming too pleased with all of this.

Cass nodded briskly before he climbed into her room through the window, landing on the ground with the nimbleness of a cat, not a sound waking the Zamet household. Nobody would know of his presence here, and he would be back to the palace before anyone would realize he had ever been missing. Once inside, he closed the window behind him and pulled the curtains shut, for added reassurance that all evidence of his presence here was concealed to the outside world.

"So, what's so important that the mighty Prince Cassius Ignis turned up and crawled through my window into my room?"

He simply rolled his eyes at the comment, "You make it sound worse than it is," he scoffed.

"Oh? And how exactly doesn't this look bad?"

"It's not important. Just...I need to know how the hell you foresaw what happened today. That's impossible!" Cass asked, his voice quiet.

Atria blinked in surprise and gulped, looking down towards the floor, "I don't know how, or why, but I've just always been able to--"

"You're lying, surely. There's no way that you can be a Seer when Orpheus lives. Your ability destroys the foundation of the Vectreon Galaxy. No planet has more than one. You must be using some sort of twisted trickery, magic, science--"

"I'm telling the truth! I don't know why I have this! Only Unis knows why I was given this...ability. I don't even understand it myself, so don't you for one second start judging my character! I would never lie to my monarch."

"That's a weighty promise you just threw out, acting like it means nothing. But if you are being honest with me, then why would Unis..." Cassius trailed off and shook his head. It didn't make sense to him. This couldn't be right. There was one Seer per planet, this was the Vectreon law. This did not change. This foretelling ability was divine and it was never wrong, never crossed, and certainly not imbalanced as it was now.

Atria rolled her eyes and huffed, "I told you already: I don't know."

Cass had gathered that much. She obviously didn't know much else, other than she could foresee the future just like the Seers. "Your ability is dangerous you know."

"I'm quite aware. I don't usually tell people about it, about my visions. Except I let it slip to you. But you deserved to know what was coming," the Zamet girl told the prince, her hazel eyes flickering up to meet his.

Cassius met her intense gaze and nodded, "Well thank you. I appreciate the warning," he responded. A small stretch of awkward silence followed but the prince was quick to fill the void with a new question. "How often do you have these visions?"

She shook her head and shrugged, "I don't know. It always depends, it's never constant."

"How are you able to see these visions?"

"Contact. Usually I have to either physically touch someone or something to see, but sometimes, if my emotional and spiritual connection with someone is strong enough, I don't need to physically be with them to read their immediate futures," she explained, her voice suddenly sounding small and she shuffled her feet a bit, "In your case, when you gave me the shillings, you finger briefly caught my hand."

Cassius listened to this, letting the words process within his mind. He was no genius, and he wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, but he wasn't an idiot. He wasn't a warrior without a brain. He was a warrior who often used his head, far more than he ought to. However, he was no Lypnian, in terms of how strong he was mentally. "I see..."

Atria simply nodded slowly, her lips pressed into a flat line as if she wasn't sure what else to truly say. Cassius still couldn't fathom the possibility of her abilities, but here she stood, explaining it to him.

"Get out your transmitter," the prince demanded, grabbing his out of his cloak.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm giving you my information so that you can contact me about your visions without me having to risk my life to figure it out," he grumbled, shaking his head like it should've been obvious.

She gave him an odd look, a curious look even, before she grabbed her transmitter and held it in her hand. Their devices quickly exchanged the information, registering the other within the index of contacts.

"Contact me if you have another vision, no excuses. I want to know what's coming," he told her, insistent as ever, and a demanding, arrogant entitlement lacing his tone as he gave her the order. After that, Cassius returned his transmitter to its rightful place and gave a brief nod. "Thank you for your time and information. It will be guarded. Now, I must be on my way or I'll have to face the repercussions of my actions," he told her, his voice noble and stoic, sounding just like any man who was raised a royal.

Carefully, Cass made his way across her room, back towards the window. He drew back the dark curtains and opened the window, beginning to climb out of the room. He dropped down onto the soft earth on the other side, his dark eyes searching the night with calculated caution.

Atria watched the prince take his exit, still a bit baffled by the entire encounter. Then, before he was gone, she went to the window, leaning out over the edge so that he could hear her before he blended with the darkness. "Why do you care so much about all of this? Why risk everything for information on my ability?"

He paused and turned his head to glance over his shoulder, his eyes meeting vibrant hazel orbs that seemed to glow in the darkness. Her auburn hair like a flame with the dim light of the room spilling out around the obstruction of her figure. He shrugged, his answer as simply honest as it could be, "Because, Atria Zamet, Unis bestowed you with this gift for a reason, that much I am certain of. Besides, a power like yours could change everything." And with that, Cassius turned and fled, disappearing into the darkness that bore down on Ojak. All that remained was the weight of his words lingering within the coolness of the night.