That night, Dario lay in bed staring at the ceiling while George snored softly across the room. He'd been trying to sleep for hours, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw Alex's face shifting between human and something else.
We need to talk, he said silently.
I was wondering when you'd be ready, Cassius replied.
Did you kill those men?
A long pause. Yes.
How?
Does it matter? They were going to hurt you. They were going to hurt innocent people. I did what was necessary.
By erasing them from existence?
By removing a threat to your safety and well-being.
Dario sat up in bed, suddenly feeling claustrophobic in the small dorm room.
That's not your choice to make.
Isn't it? You were unconscious, traumatized, helpless. Someone had to make the hard decisions.
What else have you done that I don't remember?
Nothing that wasn't necessary. Nothing that wasn't to protect you.
That's not an answer.
Another pause, longer this time.
The night Jamie confronted you. Do you remember what happened after I spoke with him?
Dario did remember—waking up confused in the empty classroom, not knowing what had happened.
What did you do to him?
I made sure he understood the consequences of hurting you. I may have been... overly dramatic in my presentation.
What does that mean?
I showed him what I could do. What I would do if he ever tried to use you again.
And?
He transferred schools three days later. Had nightmares for weeks afterward, from what I understand. But he never told anyone what really happened.
Dario felt sick. You terrorized him.
I protected you. There's a difference.
Is there? Because it sounds like you've been making decisions about my life without consulting me.
I've been keeping you safe. That's what I was created to do.
Created? What does that mean?
But Cassius had retreated again, leaving Dario alone with his thoughts and a growing sense of unease.
The next morning, he found Sarah in the library, already deep in her abnormal psychology textbook.
"Hey," she said, looking up with a smile. "You look terrible. Did you sleep at all?"
"Not really." Dario sat down across from her, trying to figure out how to begin.
"Want to talk about it?"
"Sarah, if I told you something about myself—something important—would you promise to listen with an open mind?"
Her expression grew serious. "Of course. What's going on?"
Dario took a deep breath. "Remember how I told you about the incident in high school? The one where I was hurt?"
"The shooting? Yes."
"I didn't tell you everything. I didn't tell you about the part where I... changed."
Sarah closed her book, giving him her full attention. "Changed how?"
"There's someone else. In my head. Another consciousness that shares my body."
He waited for her to laugh, or look at him like he'd lost his mind, or get up and walk away. Instead, she leaned forward slightly.
"Tell me more."
"His name is Cassius. He's been with me since I was a kid, but he was dormant for years. The trauma of the shooting woke him up, and now he's... active."
"Active how?"
"He can take control sometimes. When I'm scared or hurt or angry, he surfaces. He's protective, but he's also dangerous. He's done things—"
"What kind of things?"
Dario hesitated. "I can't tell you everything. But people who have hurt me have... suffered consequences."
Sarah was quiet for a long moment, processing what he'd told her.
"Dissociative Identity Disorder," she said finally.
"What?"
"DID. It's a psychological condition where a person develops multiple distinct personality states, usually as a response to childhood trauma. It's what I'm writing my research paper on."
Dario stared at her. "You think I'm mentally ill."
"I think you've been through trauma and your mind found a way to cope. That doesn't make you crazy, Dario. It makes you resilient."
"But you don't believe that Cassius is real."
"I believe he's real to you. I believe you experience him as a separate entity. Whether he's actually separate or a part of your psyche that's been compartmentalized—does it matter?"
"It matters to me."
Sarah reached across the table and took his hand. "Okay. Then tell me about him. What's he like?"
She's trying to help, Cassius observed. She cares about you.
But she doesn't believe you're real.
Perhaps that's for the best. For now.
"He's old," Dario said aloud. "Ancient. He says he's a god, but I don't know if that's literal or metaphorical. He's protective, but he's also... ruthless. He doesn't have the same moral constraints that I do."
"Has he ever hurt you?"
"No. Never. He's always trying to protect me, even when his methods are extreme."
"And you can communicate with him?"
"All the time. He's listening right now."
Sarah's eyes widened slightly. "Can I... can I talk to him?"
She wants to meet you, Dario said silently.
I don't think that's wise.
Why not?
Because once she sees what I really am, she'll run. And I don't want to be the reason you lose someone you care about.
Let me make that choice.
Another pause.
If you're certain.
"He's... hesitant," Dario told Sarah. "He doesn't want to scare you."
"I'm not easily scared."
Dario closed his eyes, feeling the familiar sensation of stepping back as Cassius moved forward. When he opened them again, his posture had changed subtly—straighter, more controlled.
"Hello, Sarah," he said, his voice carrying undertones that seemed to come from somewhere deeper than his chest.
Sarah's grip on his hand tightened, but she didn't let go.
"Hello, Cassius. Thank you for letting me meet you."
"Thank you for not running away screaming."
"Should I be running away screaming?"
Cassius tilted his head, studying her with eyes that had gone noticeably darker. "Most people would. There's something fundamentally unsettling about my presence that triggers a primal fear response."
"I'm not most people."
"No," Cassius agreed. "You're not. You're studying us, aren't you? For your research?"
Sarah's cheeks flushed. "I... yes. But that's not why I'm here. I care about Dario."
"Do you? Or do you care about the idea of him? The version of him that exists when I'm not present?"
"I care about all of him. Including you."
"Even knowing what I am? What I'm capable of?"
"Especially then."
Cassius was quiet for a moment. "You don't know what I'm capable of."
"Then tell me."
"I've killed people, Sarah. Erased them from existence. I've tormented those who've hurt Dario until they've begged for death. I've done things that would give you nightmares for the rest of your life."
Sarah's hand was shaking slightly, but she still didn't let go.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I love him. More than anything in this world or the next. And I will not allow anyone to hurt him."
"Even if it means hurting innocent people?"
"There are no innocent people. Only those who haven't had the opportunity to show their true nature yet."
"That's a very dark worldview."
"I've had a very long time to observe human nature. I've seen civilizations rise and fall, watched good people do terrible things when they think no one is watching. Dario is... rare. He has a kindness that most people lose by the time they reach adulthood."
"And you want to protect that."
"I want to protect him. The kindness is part of what makes him worth protecting."
Sarah nodded slowly. "I understand. But Cassius, he's not a child anymore. He needs to make his own choices, even if they're mistakes."
"I know. It's... difficult for me to step back. To let him face potential hurt when I have the power to prevent it."
"That's love," Sarah said simply. "The hardest part of loving someone is knowing when to let them go."
Cassius stared at her for a long moment, then smiled—a genuine expression that transformed his face completely.
"I can see why he cares about you," he said. "You're not what I expected."
"What did you expect?"
"Someone who would try to fix him. Or cure him. Or make him choose between us."
"I don't want to fix him. I want to understand him."
"Both of us?"
"Both of you."
Cassius nodded, then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were Dario's familiar brown, and his posture had relaxed back into something more casual.
"How do you feel?" Sarah asked.
"Tired," Dario admitted. "It takes energy to switch like that. But also... relieved. I've never told anyone about him before."
"How long have you been carrying this alone?"
"Since I was seven. That's when Cassius first appeared."
"Seven?" Sarah's eyes widened. "What happened when you were seven?"
Dario hesitated. "I don't remember clearly. Something bad. Something that made me need someone stronger than I was."
"And Cassius appeared to protect you."
"That's what he says. Though I'm starting to wonder if it's more complicated than that."
"What do you mean?"
"Yesterday I met someone. Another person like me. He told me things about Cassius, about what we are. Things that don't match what I've always believed."
Sarah frowned. "What kind of things?"
"That Cassius isn't just a psychological coping mechanism. That he's something else entirely. Something... supernatural."
"Do you believe that?"
"I don't know what to believe anymore."
Sarah squeezed his hand. "Whatever the truth is, whatever you are, it doesn't change how I feel about you."
"Even if I'm dangerous?"
"Everyone's dangerous under the right circumstances. The question is whether you're dangerous to me."
Dario met her eyes. "I would never hurt you."
"I know. And neither would Cassius."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because anyone who loves you as much as he does wouldn't risk losing you by hurting someone you care about."
Dario felt something tight in his chest loosen. "I love you too."
"I love you too," Sarah said, smiling. "Both of you."