Through Time and Light [Cayde-6 Fanfiction]

Chapter 26 Reality Fractured

Liv barely had time to catch her breath before the world around her began to shift. The ground beneath her feet felt unstable, warping and bending, and a thick, inky blackness crept over the horizon. Cayde reached out to steady her, but his touch felt distant, like he was fading away.

“No!” Liv gasped, trying to grab hold of him, but Cayde’s form flickered like a hologram, slipping from her fingers.

The voice of the Darkness figure echoed all around her, cold and mocking. “You think you can change fate? Let me show you what your defiance truly costs.”

Suddenly, Liv was ripped from the familiar surroundings of the Reef and thrown into a place that felt both real and illusory. She found herself standing in the middle of a battlefield—one she recognized instantly. It was the EDZ, just outside the Tower. Flames licked at the sky, and Fallen ships hovered overhead, raining fire down on the city below.

Liv’s heart pounded as she saw Cayde—standing alone against an onslaught of enemies.

“Cayde!” she screamed, rushing forward to reach him.

But before she could get close, a massive explosion rocked the ground. Time slowed, and she watched in horror as Cayde was engulfed in flames, his body thrown through the air. She reached out, but it was too late. He hit the ground with a sickening thud, motionless.

“No, no, no!” Liv’s voice cracked, her chest heaving with panic. She fell to her knees beside his broken body, her hands shaking as she tried to wake him. “Cayde, please…”

The cold laughter of the Darkness echoed through the smoke-filled air. “You can’t save him, Liv. This is what your future holds. No matter how hard you try.”

Tears blurred her vision, but before she could process the grief, the scene shifted again.

The battlefield dissolved into darkness, and Liv was pulled into another place—this time, she was aboard the Tangled Shore. The gritty, desolate landscape stretched out in front of her, and she could see Cayde, standing alone on a rocky outcrop, facing Uldren Sov.

Liv’s heart raced as she realized what was happening. This was the moment—the moment she had been fighting so hard to prevent. Cayde was unarmed, standing before Uldren with nothing but his wit and defiance.

“No!” Liv shouted, sprinting toward them, but her legs felt like they were moving through quicksand. Uldren raised his weapon, a cruel smile on his face.

“Cayde, watch out!” Liv screamed, but her voice didn’t reach him in time. The shot rang out, and she watched in helpless terror as Cayde collapsed, the light in his eyes dimming.

Liv fell to her knees, sobbing as she cradled Cayde’s lifeless body. The Darkness figure appeared beside her, its voice cold and taunting. “You see now, Liv? Every choice you make leads to this moment. You can’t escape it.”

She shook her head, refusing to believe it. “This isn’t real! I won’t let this happen!”

The figure’s form shimmered, shifting into Cayde’s silhouette. “But it is real, Liv. You’re only delaying the inevitable.”

Liv was yanked again, thrown into another scenario. This time, they were on Titan. The familiar sound of Hive chittering filled the air as she and Cayde fought back-to-back, clearing out the endless swarm. But something was wrong—Cayde was struggling, his shots missing their mark.

Before she could react, a massive Hive Knight lunged toward Cayde, its sword raised high. Liv screamed, raising her weapon to fire, but her bullets were swallowed by the Darkness. She could only watch in horror as the Hive Knight’s sword plunged into Cayde’s chest.