Cassandra Cain moved through the shadows with practiced precision, her senses razor-sharp as she approached the room where her lover was held. The bitter scent of fear toxin clung to the air, and her stomach tightened. They were close, but Scarecrow’s presence still lingered in the shadows, a reminder that time was running out.

Her heart pounded as she rounded the corner, her eyes locking on the figure slumped in a chair. There was no mistaking it. Her lover. Trembling, their skin pale, eyes wide with unblinking terror. The fear toxin had already sunk deep into their mind, leaving them trapped in a waking nightmare. Her fists clenched, the cold fury of helplessness gnawing at her.

She dropped to her knees beside them, her fingers brushing their cheek. They didn’t even react, their eyes distant, as if they were already lost. Cassandra swallowed her emotions, knowing they wouldn’t help now. She had to act. She wasn’t going to lose them. Not like this.

“Stay with me,” she whispered, her voice steady despite the panic surging within. She reached for their face, her hands trembling slightly as she gently cupped their cheeks. The feel of their skin under her fingertips sent a sharp jolt through her, and for a moment, the world outside disappeared. All that mattered was getting them out of here.

Their eyes flickered, but it wasn’t enough. The fear toxin had a hold on them, warping their reality. Cassandra knew this feeling too well. She’d seen it in the eyes of countless victims, but this was different. It was them. The one person who had ever gotten past her walls. And now they were slipping away.

Her voice was low, more insistent this time. “Don’t give in.” Her thumb brushed over their cheek, a gesture she hoped would pull them back to her. She couldn’t stop the trembling in her hands, but her gaze never wavered. She was their anchor. And she wouldn’t let them drown.

“I’m here,” she murmured, her words firm, a promise. “I’m not leaving you.”