Chapter 30: A Gift of the Unknown

 

Light. Blinding. All-consuming.

 

It swallowed him whole, pulling him under like an unseen tide.

 

For a brief moment, Cassian felt weightless—drifting in that strange, endless void between consciousness and something deeper. A place where time unraveled, where his thoughts stretched thin like whispers lost in the wind.

 

Then—

 

The world lurched back into place. Cassian's eyes snapped open.

 

Morning.

 

The soft, golden glow of dawn filtered through the window, casting long shadows across the room. The warmth of another body pressed lightly against him, and as he glanced down, he found Sky still curled up in his lap, breathing evenly.

 

For a second, everything was still. No strange voices. No cryptic messages. No celestial interference. Just silence.

 

Cassian let out a slow breath, lifting his wrist to glance at the virtual time display on his watch.

 

6:00 AM.

 

The academy day would begin soon.

 

His mind flickered back to the last thing that presence had told him.

 

"A present."

 

Cassian frowned, scanning the room.

 

'There was nothing.'

 

No signs of anything new.

 

No weapons. No strange artifacts.

 

Just the same dimly lit space, Sky sleeping soundly, the faint hum of the screen still buzzing from where they had left the game on the night before.

 

'Was he lied to?'

 

A flicker of irritation curled in his chest.

 

"That cryptic bastard—"

 

Thud.

 

Cassian stiffened.

 

Something appeared in front of him.

 

Out of nowhere.

 

A book.

 

Cassian's pulse spiked. His fingers instinctively twitched toward his dagger, but he forced himself to stay still, eyes narrowing.

 

The book floated there for a brief moment before it landed gently in his lap—right next to Sky’s small frame.

 

What the hell?

 

His breath slowed, his mind shifting into sharp focus.

 

Cautiously, he reached forward and picked it up.

 

The cover was a deep shade of black, almost void-like, absorbing the light instead of reflecting it. No title. No markings.

 

Slowly, he flipped it open.

 

Blank.

 

Every single page.

 

Cassian’s brows furrowed.

 

Was this a joke?

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

 

His fingers curled tightly around the edges, irritation creeping up his spine.

 

"That presence is messing with me."

 

"How the hell is an empty book supposed to help me?"

 

He fought the urge to rip the damn thing apart.

 

Then—

A soft stirring.

 

Sky shifted against him, blinking sleepily as he lifted his head from Cassian’s lap.

 

For a moment, those blue eyes were hazy with sleep, unfocused. Then, they settled on Cassian.

 

“Brother…” Sky mumbled, voice thick with drowsiness. “Good morning.”

 

Cassian pushed his thoughts aside, closing the book with a quiet thud.

 

“Good morning, kid.”

 

Sky yawned, rubbing his eyes with tiny fists. “What time is it? We can't be late for academy?”

 

Cassian glanced at his watch again. “6:10. We won’t be late.”

 

Sky hummed in approval. “Good. Then… let’s go.”

 

Cassian raised a brow. “Go where?”

 

Sky gave him a blank stare, then sighed dramatically, as if Cassian was the dumbest person alive.

 

“You forgot? I told you I can’t take a bath by myself yet! I’m a kid!”

 

Cassian blinked.

 

Then snorted.

 

“The way you talk makes me forget you’re a toddler.”

 

Sky huffed, puffing his cheeks in indignation. “I am not a toddler! I’m three years old!”

 

Cassian tilted his head. “You sure? I assumed two.”

 

“Three!” Sky insisted, glaring up at him. “Remember that! I am not two! I’m a whole year older than that!”

 

Cassian chuckled, leaning back against the couch. “Alright, alright. Three years old, got it.”

 

Sky nodded, satisfied.

 

Cassian smirked. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re still a baby.”

 

Sky gasped, looking genuinely offended.

 

He crossed his arms, pouting. “This baby needs help. Bath me now! You have to, Brother.”

 

Cassian sighed, dragging a hand down his face.

 

This kid…

 

First, cryptic voices and strange, empty books.

 

Now, this.

 

His life was truly cursed.

 

But still—

 

A part of him… didn’t mind.

 

Not really.

 

There was something unsettlingly natural about this—waking up with Sky, exchanging small moments of ridiculousness, listening to the child’s endless chatter. Normalcy. Something Cassian had barely ever experienced in his seventeen years of existence.

And yet, here it was.

Creeping in.

Uninvited.

A smile—faint, barely-there—curved on his lips before he even realized it.

Sky, ever observant, caught it immediately.

The toddler tilted his head, silver eyes gleaming. “Brother… are you smiling?”

Cassian blinked, caught off guard. The expression vanished as quickly as it had come.

Sky huffed. “You were! I saw it!”

Cassian scoffed. “You’re imagining things, brat.”

Sky puffed his cheeks but didn’t argue. Instead, he took a step forward, intending to grab Cassian’s sleeve and pull him out of whatever daydream had stolen him away.

They didn’t have time for this.

They had an academy to prepare for.

Sky reached out—

Cassian moved before he could think.

A sharp step back.

A violent flinch.

And then—

"DON’T TOUCH ME!"

The words erupted before he could stop them.

Loud. Abrupt.

Sky froze.

Cassian froze.

For a second, the air stilled, thick with something unspoken.

The moment stretched unbearably long.

Then—

Cassian’s shoulders sagged, and his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. His pulse still raced, an instinctual reaction that shouldn’t have been this strong—but it was.

Damn it.

He exhaled sharply, looking away.

“…Ah,” he muttered, his voice quieter now. “Sorry, kid. I—”

Sky blinked at him, wide-eyed.

Cassian sighed, pressing his fingers against his temple.

“Sorry for shouting.”

Sky didn’t say anything right away.

Then, he dropped his hand, looking at it thoughtfully.

“Did I scare you?”

Cassian stiffened.

“No.”

Sky’s lips curved, but it wasn’t his usual smirk. It was something quieter. Something that saw too much.

“You don’t like being touched,” he murmured, almost to himself. “But you touched me last night.”

Cassian swallowed.

That was… different.

Ruffling someone’s hair—his choice.

Someone reaching for him—not.

He didn’t answer.

Sky just watched him for a moment longer before shrugging. “Okay.”

Cassian glanced at him warily. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Sky repeated. He clasped his hands behind his back, rocking on his heels. “I won’t touch you unless you touch me first.”

Cassian felt something twist in his chest.

Sky said it so simply.

As if he wasn’t offended. As if he wasn’t upset.

As if he just understood.

Cassian swallowed down something unreadable. “Alright.”

Sky grinned. “Now, bath.”

Cassian groaned, running a hand through his hair.

This kid…

His life was truly cursed.