Chapter 5: The Weight of a Resolution – Cassis

Cassis’ legs gave out.

The moment Arianna whispered, “I don’t have enough points,” his body felt like it had turned to stone. His knees hit the cold floor of the kitchen; his breath ragged. The world blurred, everything around him fading into the background.

Too weak. I’m too weak. Again.

His father lay before him, bleeding out. Just like before. No matter how much he tried, no matter how much he fought against fate, things were repeating. He had been given a second chance, a miraculous opportunity to fix everything—and yet, here he was, kneeling in failure.

You thought you could change the past? A cruel voice in his head sneered. How pathetic. You’re just a fool grasping at dreams. Everyone you love will die. Just like before.

Arianna would die, too. Because of him. Because he had brought her here.

His breath came in short gasps. He felt like he was drowning, dragged deeper into a sea of despair. Even as his mother sobbed over his father, even as his brother knelt frozen in shock, he could only hear his own self-loathing whispering to him. In the distance he could hear a woman faintly screaming. Arianna? Yes, she too would die screaming. It was all his fault.

Then, through the fog of his mind—

“Cassis!”

His head snapped up.

“The potion!” Arianna shouted, throwing a small vial towards him.

Time seemed to slow. His instincts kicked in, and he caught it just before it could hit the ground. His fingers tightened around the smooth glass. A healing potion.

Without wasting another second, he yanked the cork off with his teeth and tilted the vial against his father’s lips. The glowing liquid poured into his mouth, and a golden light enveloped his father’s severed arm. The bleeding stopped, the wound sealed over, and his face eased into unconscious, painless sleep.

Relief slammed into Cassis like a tidal wave, his body trembling. His father was alive.

Then, his mind snapped back to the present.

How had Arianna bought the potion? She had just said she didn’t have enough points.

He turned to her—and his heart stopped.

She was covered in blood.

Bite wounds marred her left arm and right leg, and long, shallow scratches stretched across her stomach. But she was smiling, standing there as if everything was fine, watching him with exhaustion and satisfaction.

Her screams.

Had they been real?

She had left to fight. She had thrown herself into danger alone, just to save his father. The realization sent a painful twist through his chest. He wanted to say something, wanted to ask what the hell she had been thinking—

But then her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.

“Arianna!”

He was just fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground. His arms wrapped around her limp body, her weight unfamiliar but not unwelcome. He pressed his ear to her chest—her heartbeat was still there. Her breaths were shallow, but steady.

She would live. She was an awakener, and she would recover.

Cassis clenched his jaw, looking down at her bloodied, unconscious face. He had almost lost her. Because he had hesitated. Because he had given up. And she had stepped up in his moment of weakness. She had born the harshness of a fight instead of him.

Never again.

His grip on her tightened as he made his resolution. He had been weak, lost in his despair, but no more. He would protect her. He would change the past. He would fight, no matter how impossible it seemed.

Lifting her carefully, he carried her to the couch in the living room, ignoring the lifeless corpse of the orc and the quiet sobs of the young girl in the corner. His mind was clear now, sharp with purpose. First, they needed to secure the house.

“Barricade the door,” he ordered his mother and brother. They were still dazed, frozen in shock, but his voice jolted them into action.

They rushed to lift the broken door, then dragged a table and some heavy plastic storage boxes in front of it. They fixed most of the door with some duct tape. It wouldn’t hold against stronger monsters, but for now, it was the best they could do.

Cassis focused on the next immediate problem—treating Arianna’s wounds. He ran to the kitchen, grabbed the first aid kit, and found a pair of scissors. When he returned, his mother and brother were watching him, but he ignored their questioning gazes.

Methodically, he cut away Arianna’s torn clothes, leaving her in her underwear. Her skin was smeared with blood and dirt, but it was the wounds that made his stomach clench. The bite marks on her limbs were deep, the scratches across her stomach still sluggishly bleeding.

This is my fault.

He shoved the thought away and focused on cleaning her wounds. He poured alcohol over them, watching as her face twisted in unconscious pain. His heart ached, but he kept working, disinfecting and bandaging her injuries one by one. When he was finished, he covered her with a blanket.

She would survive.

Only then did he turn his attention to his mother and brother, who were still watching him. They had questions—he could see it in their eyes—but he wasn’t ready to answer them yet.

Instead, his gaze landed on the unknown girl still huddled in the corner, hugging her knees.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Who is she?” he asked.

His brother, Liam, hesitated before answering. “We don’t know. When the monsters first came, we hid in the house, but then we saw her and her mother being chased by that monster.” He gestured toward the dead orc. “We couldn’t just let them die. Dad opened the door and shouted for them to come inside. The woman pushed her daughter toward us, but she didn’t make it.”

Liam swallowed hard, his face pale. “She… she jumped at the monster to buy her daughter time. Dad tried to save her, but… it swatted her body away like a fly. I think she landed somewhere in the Miller's garden. Dad barely managed to grab the girl and get back inside before the monster came after us.”

So that was why the orc had entered the house. The first-wave monsters were usually stupid, only breaking into homes if they saw movement or heard loud noises. Cassis had survived in the past because of that fact.

His mother slowly approached the girl, her voice soft. “Hi there, sweetheart. I’m Danielle. What’s your name?”

The girl didn’t respond. She just sat there, unseeing, lost in shock.

Cassis sighed and grabbed another blanket, handing it to his mother. “Keep her warm, but don’t touch her. If she screams, it’ll draw more monsters.”

His mother looked heartbroken, but nodded, gently draping the blanket over the child’s small shoulders.

Then, suddenly the young girl said:” My mommy’s not dead!”

The girl's small frame trembled as she clung to Danielle, her tiny fingers digging into the fabric of her shirt. "She’s not dead," the girl whispered. "She’s not dead!" Her voice grew in volume, rising into a wail, repeating the words over and over again. She sobbed uncontrollably, her body wracked with shudders as she buried her face in Danielle’s arms.

Danielle cradled her, whispering soothing words, but the girl was inconsolable. Her pain was raw, unfiltered, and it echoed within Cassis. He watched her, his jaw tightening.

He had seen loss before. He had lived through the horrors of the apocalypse once already. And if there was one thing he knew, it was that letting emotions consume you would lead to death. Yet, looking at her, he couldn’t bring himself to dismiss her grief. He understood it.

And maybe… just maybe… her mother wasn’t gone yet.

The old Cassis wouldn’t have tried. He wouldn’t have risked himself for a stranger. But he had already decided—this time, things would be different. If he wanted to change the past, he had to start here.

He took a breath and made his decision.

“We’re going to look for her,” he said, his voice firm.

Liam snapped his head toward him. "What? That’s insane! She was thrown across the street—"

Danielle looked between them. "Cassis—"

“I know.” He cut her off. “But I can’t ignore the possibility that she’s alive. And if she isn’t… then at least the girl will know for sure.”

Danielle hesitated, glancing at the crying child in her arms. Finally, she sighed. "Seriously, you’re just like your father. Always being a hero. If you go, be careful. Please."

Liam scowled but relented. "Fine. But if we do this, we do it fast. No unnecessary risks."

Cassis nodded. "Agreed."

The girl sniffled, lifting her tear-streaked face. "You’ll really find my mom?"

“I can’t promise,” Cassis admitted, “but I’ll do my best.”

Her lips trembled, and for a moment, she looked unsure. Then she whispered, "My name is Violet. Thank you."

Cassis turned to gather supplies. He grabbed the poker Arianna had used, while Liam picked up his baseball bat and their mother’s knife. They didn’t dare use the front door—it was too exposed. Instead, they climbed out through the kitchen window.

The sun had started to set, draping the world in deep shadows. The less light, the better. It made it easier to move unseen. They crouched low in their backyard, inching toward the street. Every sound felt deafening in the eerie silence.

Liam pointed toward the Millers’ garden. Cassis nodded, and they moved, darting across the street and into the cover of the bushes.

That was when they saw her.

A blonde woman lay among the shrubs, her body still, face pale in the dim light. Cassis felt his stomach tighten. Was she already gone? He knelt beside her, pressing two fingers to her neck.

A faint pulse.

“She’s alive,” he whispered, barely believing it himself.

Liam let out a breath of relief. "Now what? She’s in bad shape. Broken bones for sure. Probably a concussion. We can’t move her like this."

She needs a potion Cassis thought, grimacing. But surely Arianna’s out of points.

Liam swore. "What do we do? We can’t just leave her here."

Cassis clenched his jaw. He wasn’t going to let her die. Not when she still had a chance. And then, an idea formed in his mind. It was risky, but it could work.

“Normal people won’t survive these injuries,” he admitted. “But an awakener… even at F-rank, they heal faster. If we awaken her, she might survive."

Liam looked at him sceptically and frowned. "What's an awakener?" Cassis told him: "After you killed that orc with us you saw a blue box congratulating you for awakening. It told you that you were an F-rank awakener and that you had some abilities, didn't it? And now you feel stronger than ever and even your shallow wounds from the fight just an hour ago have already scabbed over."

Liam thought it over and it made sense, but he asked: "Then how do we awaken her? She’s unconscious. She can’t fight."

Cassis explained quickly. "The system recognizes kills and who landed hits on the monster before it died. The exp depends on how much you contributed, but just a little bit is enough to awaken an F-rank. If we make sure she lands the final blow, she’ll get some experience and awaken."

Liam hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. What do we do?"

“You stay here with her. Put the knife in her hand. I’ll find a monster, weaken it, and bring it back.”

Liam looked uncomfortable but agreed. “Hurry.”

Cassis left without another word. He had done this before. He knew how to hunt. And now he wasn't confused anymore. There was no reason the hesitate. Sure, he was weaker than before but his experience and his knowledge were still with him.

Just around the corner, he found them—two kobolds, small, bipedal dog-like creatures. He struck first, ramming the poker straight through the nearest kobold’s heart. It collapsed instantly. The second let out a yelp of panic, but he was faster. He swung hard, beating it into submission until it lay twitching but alive.

System message: [Kobold (Rank F) slain. Exp gained]

Wasting no time, he grabbed the barely-conscious kobold and dragged it back to Liam. His brother was already holding the woman’s hand, pressing the knife into her fingers.

“Put the knife here.” Cassis guided him, placing the blade over the kobold’s chest. “Its heart is lower, near the stomach.”

Liam swallowed, then forced the knife downward.

The kobold let out a weak cry before going still.

Nothing happened. No system message. No immediate change.

Then—

Color returned to the woman’s face. Her shallow breathing grew steadier.

They had done it.

Carefully, they lifted her, struggling to move quickly without making noise. They retraced their path back to the kitchen window, heaving her inside. Once safe, Cassis turned just in time to see Violet’s eyes widen.

“Mommy!” she cried, rushing forward.

Danielle caught her before she could shake the woman. "Shh, sweetheart, she’s still hurt. She needs rest."

Violet’s joy wavered into uncertainty. "Why won’t she wake up?"

Cassis knelt beside her, his voice gentle. "Your mom was hurt badly. She’s sleeping now because she needs to heal. It will take time. But she’ll be okay soon."

Violet looked at him, searching his face for reassurance. Then, slowly, she nodded.

Danielle wiped away tears. "You did good, Cassis."

He didn’t respond. He only looked at the unconscious woman and exhaled.

They had saved her.

For now. But she still needed a potion, otherwise she wouldn't wake up again. That was the problem with a head injury, even awakeners couldn't survive everything. Still, they had bought time. Once Arianna woke up, she would want to go out and get enough points to buy another potion for this woman. That's just the kind of person she was. His eyes found her, still sleeping on the couch.

He didn't like that she was going to fight. After all, she had no actual experience. From what he knew of her world it had been peaceful, according to what she had told him over the years it was almost the same as his world before the apocalypse. She wouldn't have had a reason to fight or kill. But even though he didn't like it, he was also proud of her. She had watched him fight for ten years but that was an immense difference to fighting herself. And still she had done it without hesitation. She had rushed the first goblin to protect him, had thrown herself into the fight against the orc to help him and his family and had fought alone against some monsters to save his father. That was just the kind of person she was, and he would not disappoint her again like he had done in the past. That was why he went out to find Violet's mother.