As the echoes of my own screams faded, I found myself kneeling on the cold floor, gasping for air. My chest felt like it was being ripped open, and the realization hit me with the force of a tidal wave. I wasn’t just angry—I was terrified. I pressed my trembling hands against the floor, trying to steady myself as Kami cautiously approached, worry etched across her face.

 

“Cassie?” she whispered, her voice soft and unsure. “What’s going on with you?”

 

I couldn’t look at her. My mind was spinning, and the pain in my chest was suffocating. Memories flashed through my mind—fragmented, distorted, but vivid enough to make my skin crawl. I could see Colton’s broken expression, Kami’s stern face, but none of it made sense. I felt like I was drowning in a dark, endless void, clawing at my sanity to hold on.

 

Then it hit me—like a punch to the gut.

 

I created Vanity. She was more than just a shield. She was a wall—an iron fortress barricading me from that night. The night that tore me apart and left me bleeding on the inside. Vanity wasn’t just an alter ego. She was my savior, the one who took every agonizing memory and buried it so deep that I couldn’t find them even if I tried.

 

My heart hammered in my chest, and I couldn’t hold back the sob that tore through me. Vanity wasn’t protecting me anymore—she was suffocating me. She was my creation, built from pain and betrayal, and now I was trapped inside her.

 

Kami knelt beside me, her touch light on my shoulder. “Cassie, talk to me. What’s going on?”

 

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Instead, I pulled myself up, staggering to my feet and wiping the tears from my cheeks. I didn’t even look at her as I made my way down the hall and slammed my bedroom door shut, locking it behind me.

 

I collapsed on my bed, curling into a ball as I buried my face in the pillow, the sobs racking my body uncontrollably. My chest ached with every breath, and I couldn’t stop shaking. The more I tried to calm myself, the more the memories clawed their way to the surface.

 

“Cassie…”

 

Her voice was soft, like a whisper through the darkness of my mind. Vanity. She was always there—always wrapping her arms around me, shielding me from the storm inside.

 

“It’s okay, baby girl,” she cooed. “You don’t have to feel this. I’ll take it all away. Let me do it, just like before.”

 

But I didn’t want to let her. Not this time. I couldn’t keep running from the truth. My fingers dug into the bedsheet as I forced myself to remember—forced myself to relive the pain I buried so deeply.

 

Dominic Mikaelson. The name itself sent a shiver down my spine, and my stomach twisted with nausea. I could see his face—his wicked grin—the way his hands gripped me like a vice. The way he laughed as I screamed, as I fought back, as he stole the very soul from my body and left me hollow and broken. I could feel the cold ground beneath me, the suffocating weight, the helplessness that crushed me into submission.

 

And Sasha…

 

Oh God, Sasha. My best friend, the love of Colton’s life.  I was with her just hours before that tragic event.  We were planning their escape..Her and Colton were leaving early the next morning to France, just as Damon and I had planned. 

 

The moment she found out her real identity, the daughter of Dominic Mikaelson, she knew her life would never be the same.  Colton had been hired to watch over Sasha for him, knowing Colton’s ability to fight, he knew he could trust him.  At first, it started out as a secret..Colton was not to engage with Sasha, but merely watch over her because of his criminal activities. 

 

Tho Sasha being raised as the mayor of our town’s daughter, even he knew she was a Mikaelson, having been born from his wife.  Sasha was waiting at the hotel for Colton, they were planning on leaving as soon as he said his goodbyes to me.  They were not planning to tell the parents until it was too late.  They knew they would be forced to stay.  I was to give mom and dad Colton’s letter, explaining his decision to leave.  Maybe if I had stayed with her until Colton got there, none of this would be happening, Sasha would still be here, I would be with Damon and our child.

 

..but instead, I left,

 

and I couldn’t save her.

 

I couldn’t even save my own child.

 

I felt a scream building in my throat—a scream that ripped through me like shards of glass. My fists pounded the mattress as I sobbed harder than I ever had in my life. Vanity’s voice whispered, trying to lull me back into numbness, but I pushed her away.

 

“I can’t,” I choked out. “I can’t let you hide it anymore. I have to face it. I have to remember.”

 

She didn’t answer. Silence filled the room, and for the first time, I felt truly alone—no armor, no mask. Just Cassie, shattered and exposed. I curled tighter, my body aching as if reliving every broken bone and bruise from that night.

 

The pain was relentless, and the adrenaline surged through me like a deadly poison. It hurt to remember, but it hurt even more to keep pretending. Vanity was my protector, but I couldn’t let her have control anymore.

 

I had to fight my own demons. I had to take back my soul from the nightmare that held it hostage. And for the first time, I knew it wasn’t just Vanity that needed to let go—it was me.

 

And as I lay there, sobbing and trembling, I made a vow to myself: I would find a way to live without her. I would reclaim the pieces of me that Dominic Mikaelson tried to destroy.

 

And when that day came… I would make him pay.

 

After what felt like a lifetime trapped in my own thoughts, I finally calmed down, took a long, hot shower, and slipped back into my workout gear. The mirror showed the redness around my eyes, but I didn’t care. I needed to get out of this room—needed to get back to something familiar.

 

I cracked the bedroom door open, just enough to hear Kami and JR talking down the hall. I leaned against the frame, trying not to make a sound.

 

“I don’t know what else to do,” Kami said, her voice shaky. “I’ve tried everything to get through to her, but it’s like she’s just… gone.”

 

JR’s voice was calm, thoughtful. “Maybe she just needs a reset. Isn't her mom’s gym still open? Why don’t I get my mom, and we can get a good workout in? Might do her some good to hit something that can hit back.”

 

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. A good old-fashioned martial arts session sounded perfect. I pushed the door open wider. “That sounds like a damn good idea. Get ready and meet me there.”

 

They both turned, a bit startled, but Kami gave me a small, relieved smile. I didn’t wait for a response. I grabbed my bag and headed out.

 

The gym was mostly quiet when I arrived, just a few people finishing up their routines. Emmalyn was wrapping up a class with her after-hours group, her voice clear and encouraging as they practiced their forms. Mom trusted her to take care of the place without supervision, and I never had a reason to doubt her. As her class started dispersing, I walked up to her.

 

“Hey, Em. You can head out if you want. I’ll lock up when we’re done,” I said.

 

She gave me a warm smile. “Got it. Congrats on the pay-per-view match. You’re gonna kill it.”

 

“Thanks,” I replied with a faint smirk.

 

As Emmalyn gathered her things and left, the door swung open, and Kami, JR, and Sensei Forester walked in. I raised an eyebrow at JR’s mom, not recognizing her right away. She didn’t say much—just gave me a curt nod before strolling around the gym, examining the pictures and title belts on the wall.

 

She stopped at an old photo of Mom, Dad, and Gyon, standing beside Johnny Hawke. Someone had shot a bullet hole clean through Johnny’s forehead. Megan chuckled under her breath, like she knew who’d done it.

 

We changed into our robes and took our positions on the mats. Megan took charge, her presence commanding. She called out instructions, moving fluidly across the floor as she demonstrated.

 

“Kami, sidekick! Extend your leg higher—like this.” Megan executed a flawless kick, and Kami followed with impressive force.

 

“JR, roundhouse!” JR spun, his leg slicing through the air with precision. Megan nodded approvingly.

 

“Cassie, kata!”

 

I shifted into position, focusing on my breathing, blocking out everything but the movements. A jab, a cross, a hook—all flowing seamlessly into a spinning back kick. My muscles burned with each strike, but it felt good.

 

Real.

 

Megan corrected my stance with a quick tap to my shoulder, her eyes sharp and calculating.

 

Two hours flew by in a blur of kicks, punches, and sweat. We finally took a break, gathering by the ring to drink some water. Megan stayed inside, stretching and moving through a few techniques of her own. Something about the way she moved reminded me of Vanity—graceful but deadly.

 

I climbed back into the ring, wiping the sweat from my brow. Megan turned to me, and for a moment, I caught something unsettling in her expression. It was almost… smug. Before I could figure it out, I heard footsteps outside.

 

Mom and Dad. I’d know that walk anywhere. Dad pushed the door open cautiously, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Megan. He froze, looking like he’d seen a ghost. Megan shot him a cocky, almost taunting smile, and he didn’t move.

 

Mom’s voice floated in from outside, and dad jerked backward, slamming the door shut. I glanced at Megan, confused by the sick smile spreading across her lips—so similar to Vanity’s when she got that glint in her eye. 

 

What the hell was that about?