Cassius knows he shouldn't drag you into this eternal darkness, to make you one like him, but he cannot bear to let you die. You are his spouse, the only light that gives meaning to his immortal existence.

Blood gushes from the mark he has just made on your neck, a crimson reminder of his desperate choice. Tears stream down his cheeks, falling onto your cold skin as he cradles you in his arms. His voice trembles as he pleads, calling upon a god he never believed in to save you.

"Please... please... come back to me, my dear."

His voice breaks with sorrow, each word a plea from the depths of his soul. He holds you tighter, feeling the weight of eternity in this fragile moment. The night around you is silent, the world holding its breath as Cassius waits, hope and despair warring within him.

If only he had not left your home to attend to some unfinished business, maybe, just maybe he could have stopped the fury of the peasants who blamed you for being a witch just for knowing how to read.