Chapter 44 Seeing Clearly – Arianna

  Arianna watched Cassis step into the elevator, not looking back.

  He looked defeated.

  Her chest tightened as the doors slid shut. The weight of everything that had just happened still pressed down on her. She thought back to the way the rage had overtaken him, how he had become someone else, just like in the fight with the orc in the gymnasium.

  He had told her about it before—about the anger, about why the system had offered him the Berserker class. But knowing about it and seeing it were two very different things. It was still hard to swallow.

  And it hurt—knowing that she couldn't truly help him.

  She had kept her Water Barrier spell at the ready, just in case she couldn't reach him. Because if he had truly lost control—if he had killed Camden and maybe even Liam—Cassis would never have forgiven himself.

  And he had wanted to. She had seen it in his eyes.

  And the system had confirmed it in the end:

  [+ 100 CP (for saving two mortals from your avatar)]

  Arianna sighed, turning her attention back to Liam and Camden.

  Camden still looked wary, his body tense, but he had relaxed just slightly now that Cassis was gone. Liam, on the other hand, looked shaken—but not just from what had almost happened. He seemed troubled in a different way, like he was still thinking about something.

  Then Camden straightened and stepped toward her. “Are you safe?”

  Arianna blinked, needing a moment to process the question.

  And then she understood.

  Oh.

  Camden had just seen a man—her boyfriend, as far as he knew—completely flip out over what seemed like a minor incident. He had seen Cassis ready to murder him.

  And now, he was asking her if she needed help.

  He thought Cassis was an abuser.

  Arianna sighed again, the exhaustion weighing on her. All women understood this question, many men did too. It was sad.

  She appreciated Camden's concern, truly. But there was just one thing he didn’t understand.

  “Yes, I’m safe.”

  Camden didn’t look convinced. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Arianna cut him off.

  “I know about his issues, he told me himself, and he is actively working on them. No, he has never hit me—aside from sparring.”

  She met Camden’s gaze directly. “And please don’t forget—I am just as strong as he is. Stronger than you, by far. If I had needed to stop him, I could have. Easily.”

  Camden's expression flickered, his scepticism shifting into something more speculative. He had clearly heard this speech before—from victims making excuses for their abusers. But the way she spoke about strength seemed to throw him off.

  “And how exactly would you have stopped him?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. “You’re a healer, aren’t you?”

  Arianna exhaled for what felt like the hundredth time.

  This is not how she had imagined this conversation going.

  She glanced at Liam, her lips twitching into something that was almost a smile. “Your boyfriend is quite suspicious.”

  Liam, still visibly shaken by the turn this conversation had taken, managed a small, strained smile. “You get used to it.”

  Arianna turned back to Camden. “Alright. Let me show you.”

  She raised a hand and summoned her Water Barrier, the translucent blue shield forming around her in an instant. “Hit it.”

  Camden didn’t hesitate. He struck the barrier with his fist. Nothing.

  He frowned, adjusted his stance, and hit it again—this time, harder. Still nothing.

  Arianna raised an eyebrow. Level 5 already and a warrior?

  Camden's frown deepened. “Can I use a weapon?”

  Arianna nodded. “Go ahead.”

  She reached into her inventory and pulled out her mace, offering it to him.

  This time, his eyebrows shot up. She saw the exact moment his opinion of her started shifting. A small, amused smile curled at the edges of his lips before he took the weapon.

  And then he swung.

  Again. And again.

  And again.

  Nothing.

  The barrier held.

  Finally, Camden stopped, nodding in acknowledgment. He held out the mace.

  “Alright.”

  Arianna dispelled the barrier and tucked her mace away. She could tell from Camden’s thoughtful expression that he still had a lot of questions.

  And this conversation was far from over.

  Without another word, the three of them turned and walked back toward his office.

  Once they were seated back inside Camden’s office, Arianna immediately cut off any further questions about Cassis.

  "You just saw him at his worst," she said firmly, levelling Camden with a look. "Yes, he was ready to seriously injure you, but for reasons I can’t discuss without breaking his trust. Please, get to know him better before forming your opinion of him. You can watch the videos of his fights—our fights. That’s who he really is. The rage is just a part of him, one that he is actively fighting against. That’s all I’m going to say on the matter."

  Camden let her speak, listening intently. He still didn’t look convinced. But before he could press further, Liam chimed in, his voice softer but no less firm.

  "Cam, my brother is—well, he’s not the most gentle guy, but he is a good guy. You already know that I was bullied in middle school for being a gay, sensitive boy who liked art too much. It got so bad that I refused to go to school. Cassis was the one who sat with me, just… being there. Letting me draw. Sometimes even holding me when I cried.

  Nothing my parents or the school did made a difference. The bullying continued. But then, one day, the bullies all got ‘sick.’ And when they came back, they went out of their way to ignore me.

  For the first time, I had peace.

  Years later, in high school, one of the bullies actually apologized to me. He was sincere about it, too. And then, he told me to thank my brother for… beating some sense into him.

  So, it’s thanks to Cassis that I could finally have my peace."

  As soon as Liam finished, Arianna sighed. That did not help.

  She could see it in Camden’s expression even before he spoke.

  "So, he’s used to solving his problems with violence."

  Liam bristled, frustration flashing across his face. "No, that was the only time. He was seventeen—not exactly experienced or wise. He didn’t know any other way to help me because everything else had already failed.

  Honestly, I think that’s why he became a teacher. To make different decisions than my own teachers back then. To actually help his students."

  Arianna placed a hand on Liam’s arm, stopping him. "Sorry, Liam, but anything you say is only going to be misunderstood by Camden."

  Across from them, Camden grinned. "Oh, you’re a smart one."

  Arianna rolled her eyes.

  "But you’re right," Camden continued. "You—he pointed at Arianna—I can believe. You seem to have the resolve not to get victimized that way. And let me tell you, that’s hard and rare. Have you been in an abusive relationship before? Or known someone who was?"

  Arianna shook her head. "No. But I promised my deceased father that I would only stay with a man who treats me right. That even if it happened just once and in anger, I would walk away as soon as he hit me. That I would never be dependent on a man for a long period of time. And I will honour that promise. My father wanted only the best for me."

  Camden nodded, seemingly impressed.

  Liam, however, frowned. "What do you mean? Why did you stress so much that you can believe Arianna. Does that mean you can’t believe me?"

  Camden sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Well, my love, you’re a bit naive and trusting when it comes to other people."

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Arianna barely resisted the urge to groan. Oh, great. He’s one of those people.

  She had been called naive before—usually by people far more paranoid than Camden, like Cassis or Helen. Somehow, people like him always managed to make being optimistic sound like being stupid.

  She was about to snap at him, but Camden surprised her.

  "Alright. But I can actually understand him a bit."

  That caught her off guard.

  "He went far overboard," Camden admitted. "But getting angry about your stunt with the bracelet? That’s normal."

  Liam straightened, about to protest, but Camden held up a hand.

  "Oh, yes, we will talk about that stupidity in a moment," he said, shooting Liam a warning look. "Just let me finish my thought."

  Liam shrugged, unconcerned. "Go ahead."

  Camden sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "He got even angrier when he found out we were together. At first, I thought he was homophobic, but it seems the real problem is the age gap."

  His lips quirked into a small smirk as he looked at Liam. "Though, to be fair, it was a problem for me too."

  Liam turned red. "Cam—"

  "But you’re relentless when you want something… or someone."

  Okay. That was way too much flirting for a single woman like Arianna to sit through.

  "Alright. Let’s get back to the important topic."

  Camden grinned, clearly enjoying himself, while Liam covered his face, his ears burning red.

  Not letting him recover Arianna turned to Liam, her gaze settling on the bracelet wrapped around his wrist.

  "Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice quiet but firm.

  Liam touched the bracelet absentmindedly before letting out a sigh. "At the board meeting, they were going to turn us down."

  Camden looked like he wanted to interrupt, but Liam held up a hand to stop him.

  "You know that as well as I do," Liam continued. "It's too great a burden, and they're afraid they won’t get any volunteers or that it won’t work as intended. Most of them are older, not used to games, so they can’t imagine an item doing something like this.

  So, I thought to myself—this is the opportunity.

  As a teen, I always longed for a hero to save me, and my brother became that hero. Then, at the start of the apocalypse, he was our hero again—he saved us from that orc. And later, you and Cassis led us to save baby Jessica.

  I tried my best… but the most I managed was getting speared by a minotaur."

  Liam groaned in embarrassment, rubbing his forehead.

  "But now, in that board meeting, I suddenly had the chance to become someone else’s hero. Well—" he hesitated, "hero is a big word. But at least someone who isn’t just saved but can also save others."

  Arianna’s heart ached for him. She understood. And if she were in his place, she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t have made the same decision.

  But this meant Liam was now limited in which monsters he could fight, stuck at barely above level 5, forever an F-rank. Unless he stopped using the bracelet for a time to level himself. But he probably wouldn’t be that ‘selfish’.

  Camden's voice was rough when he finally spoke. "You’re just such a good person." He shook his head. "But Liam, no one wants you to sacrifice yourself."

  Liam shook his head right back. "It’s not a sacrifice. I’m not a good fighter. I don’t have that battle instinct that Cassis or Arianna have. Or even Luke, my mom, or Aunt Helen.

  But I still chose Warrior. It was the only class that would let me grow as a person. No more hiding behind someone else. So let me grow. I need to do this."

  Arianna felt her eyes burn with tears.

  His resolve, his reasons—she understood them completely.

  "It’s still stupid," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat, "but I understand. Of course, we’ll support you and protect you.

  But please, Liam—don’t go anywhere near a dungeon or any wild places without us. Please. Cassis would be heartbroken if you died."

  Liam nodded. "I think we can level up young Matteo. He’ll be fourteen soon, so it’s actually perfect timing. We can train him safely at home. You two just need to take me to a dungeon so I can get experience through fighting and the party system and he’ll get to level five without being in danger.

  I know you have a deal with the military. So as soon as you get a dungeon, let’s go."

  He looked eager now. Determined.

  Camden raised an eyebrow. "Not so fast. I’m coming along."

  Arianna opened her mouth to protest—but then thought better of it.

  That might actually be the perfect chance to show Camden a different side of Cassis.

  Liam seemed to think the same. "Alright, that works."

  Camden grinned.

  Arianna nodded and told them the plan. "We have to train some soldiers for about a week, but I’ll request a dungeon for right after that. I’ll text you the details.

  Liam, are you staying here or coming with us?"

  "I’ll stay for a bit longer," Liam said. "I’ll be by tomorrow morning to get the car from Cassis’ flat."

  "Be early," Arianna warned. "The military is going to collect us at eight."

  They said their goodbyes, and Arianna left the building, heading back toward the car—back to Cassis.

  Arianna stepped out of the building and walked toward their parked car. She spotted Cassis leaning against it, talking on the phone.

  Who’s he calling?

  As she got closer, Cassis noticed her, gave a small wave, and continued talking. So, it was alright for her to hear.

  When she was close enough, she caught his side of the conversation.

  "Yes, it was stupid." Pause.

  "I know." Another pause.

  "I just got so angry—it was like a red haze." A longer pause.

  "What can I do?" Silence, then—

  "You know someone?"

  Pause.

  "Arianna’s here. Thanks, Aunt Helen. We’ll talk later."

  Cassis ended the call and met her gaze. "How bad is it?"

  Arianna smiled. "Not as bad as you think."

  Which, knowing him, meant it was probably nowhere near as bad as he imagined. Cassis tended to expect the worst.

  "Camden is willing to give you another chance," she told him. "Liam has some great but at the same time very stupid reasons for wearing the bracelet—but I think you two should talk about that with each other. He really looks up to you, Cassis. He’s worried about you, but he knows you’re not that kind of person.

  Oh, and he plans to join us on our first dungeon dive in a week—so we’ll need to request an F-rank dungeon first thing tomorrow. Camden will be coming, too, to help level up Matteo."

  She figured that was a good summary—enough to inform him without making him feel any worse than he already did.

  Cassis looked at her for a moment, his sharp eyes searching. He probably knew she was holding back some things—but he let it go.

  "Alright. Let’s go home."

  He moved to open the driver’s door, but Arianna intercepted him, snatching the keys from his hand.

  "No way. You’re not driving after that outburst. Sit in the passenger seat."

  For a moment, Cassis just stared at her, speechless.

  Then, to her surprise, he obeyed without a single argument. That, more than anything, told her how shaken he still was.

  But… he was already talking to someone—Helen—about his problem. That was the important thing. He was acknowledging it, facing it, and seeking help. And he knew he could always come to her. At least she hoped, he did. She’d talk to him about it later.

  She slid into the driver’s seat, started the car, and drove them home. Funny how it already felt like home, after just a few days.

  Once there, they packed their bags for their week-long stay at Fort Vale.

  While they worked, Cassis called his parents to update them on everything—the school, quitting his job, hiring Ben and Mr. Ranislav, meeting Camden.

  What he didn’t mention, though, was Camden being Liam’s boyfriend.

  Arianna knew why. Liam wanted to tell them himself. She respected that. So did Cassis. And so, they packed, prepared, and got ready for what came next.

  Afterwards they got ready for bed, but when Arianna was about to slip under the covers, she realized Cassis hadn’t followed.

  Instead, he stood in the living room, hesitating.

  "What’s wrong?" she asked, watching as he avoided her gaze.

  "I didn’t know if you’d still want me to sleep next to you," he admitted. "So… I can sleep on the couch."

  Why is he like this?

  Arianna walked over to him, stopping right in front of him. She softened her voice, making sure he really heard her.

  "Why wouldn’t I?"

  Cassis let out a humourless chuckle. "I’m dangerous. You saw it."

  She nodded. "Yes, you were ready to murder Camden. I know."

  His head snapped up, eyes wide. "Then why would you want a potential murderer in your bed?"

  Arianna took his hands in hers, holding them firmly. "Cassis, you often call me naive or overly positive, but I need you to hear me. I know exactly how serious today was. I see you clearly—not just the good parts, but the bad parts, too."

  She held his gaze, unflinching. "If I hadn’t stopped you, you would have killed him. Maybe Liam too, because I’m fairly certain he would have tried to protect Camden. And if that had happened, you would have been inconsolable. But it would have happened."

  Cassis didn’t look away. He seemed mesmerized.

  "I was with you when you killed your first man," Arianna continued. "I know the hurt, anger, sadness, and despair you went through afterward. I saw you kill more and more because it was the only way to survive. And after I disappeared, you had to do it all alone. I see that side of you, too."

  He exhaled sharply, as if the weight of her words had struck something deep inside him.

  "I know you’re afraid you’ll hurt me," she said. "But you need to understand something. I was just as serious today. If I had failed to stop you with words, I would have beaten you into the ground."

  Cassis blinked in shock, but Arianna didn’t stop.

  "I had my water barrier at the ready. I had my mace in my inventory. I was prepared to stop you—violently, if I had to—to protect your heart."

  His expression wavered, but instead of looking hurt, he looked relieved.

  He let out a long breath. "Thank you."

  Then, suddenly, he hugged her.

  Arianna hugged him back, tightly, and kept going. "I’m glad you’re already talking to Helen about this. You have a problem, Cassis—a terrible problem. And you need to treat that rage inside you. If you want, I’ll be there every step of the way. Or I can just stand by your side, as a companion. Whatever you need, tell me. You can always talk to me."

  Cassis shuddered in her embrace, his arms tightening around her. He buried his face in her hair, breathed her in, then whispered, "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

  His voice was raw.

  "I knew you wouldn’t abandon me, but those fears aren’t easy to silence. But…" He swallowed. "I don’t want you to fix me. I don’t want the woman I’m romantically interested in to be the one to repair me."

  Arianna’s heart stuttered. He just admitted it—he was romantically interested in her. But now wasn’t the time to focus on that.

  "Helen said she knows a psychologist," Cassis continued. "He survived the first wave and is working again. She’s trying to get me an appointment. I need to work through this myself—to prove to myself that I deserve you."

  Arianna bit her lip, fighting the rush of emotions. He was already taking steps. Already trying.

  "But…" Cassis’s grip on her tightened. "Would you please stay by my side like this? And if it ever happens again—you have my permission to stop me. However, you have to."

  Arianna nodded. "Always."

  They stood there, holding each other, for a long while.

  Then Arianna decided to tease him – to distract him of course. “But why did you have such a huge reaction to their age gap? It’s only 9 years.”

  Cassis looked a bit embarrassed. “Liam has always been the baby of the family – my little brother – and he is so innocent and na?ve in social situations and relationships. So, he’s quite easy to manipulate. I was afraid Camden had somehow tricked him into putting on the bracelet.”

  Ok, that was a whole new level of paranoia. But before she could say anything Cassis conceded. “Alright, maybe it doesn’t make sense, now that I’ve said it out aloud. But in my head, it sounded a lot more logical.”

  Arianna grinned. Now came the fun part. “Seriously, you pretty much call everyone na?ve. You’ve even called me that. Now that I think about it: our age gap is 15 years.” She acted outraged. “Are you manipulating me?!”

  Cassis was totally caught off guard with that. She could see it in his face – the realization that despite their physical appearances she was mentally 27 and he was 42 hit him at once. He got a panicked expression and denied it all. “No! Of course not! I’d never…”

  Then he got quiet, seriously thinking about it. Soon he sighed in relief. “I don’t think I’ve ever been able to even influence much less manipulate you. You’re too stubborn for that.” He nodded his head while saying that. It was a bit offensive if Arianna was honest. She wasn’t that stubborn, she just had strong opinions and beliefs.

  Still, she couldn’t keep the laugh quiet anymore and full-on belly laughed in his face. First, he was confused, then realized she had been messing with him and never been worried he would manipulate her.

  He looked at her sheepishly but then became serious. “You know that that is a real concern, don’t you? Thankfully you were transported here when you were already an adult. If you were still 17 our relationship would be very different. I wouldn’t be with a child.”

  She nodded, not laughing anymore. “I know. I wouldn’t have understood with 17. After all, I had a massive crush on you, and it would have been hurtful to be rejected just because of my age. But now that I’m older I understand. A 15 year age gap is ok at my age since we’re both adults who have experienced life. At 17 I would have been too young to understand that, believing I was mature enough.”

  She sighs. “But Liam is also an adult. Maybe he is not as paranoid as you might want him to be, but he held his own during the first wave, came to his own decisions and he made a difference. And Camden is the one he wants. From what I heard Liam pursued Camden as he was also hesitant due to their age difference.”

  Cassis looked relieved. She didn’t know if it was because she understood his point of view or because Liam’s relationship happened because he wanted it. Maybe it was both. She didn’t ask.

  With their discussion finally finished, they headed to bed.

  That night, they cuddled close—not out of romance, but for comfort.