Through Time and Light [Cayde-6 Fanfiction]

Chapter 28 The Edge of Dispair

Liv’s heart pounded as she stared at the spot where the shadowy figure had stood. Its words echoed in her mind, sowing more doubt and fear. The line between reality and illusion had blurred, and now, more than ever, she wasn’t sure what was real. Cayde’s warm reassurances, her fireteam’s loyalty, even her own memories—everything felt fragile, ready to shatter at any moment.

But she couldn’t afford to break. Not now.

The Darkness was growing stronger, pressing in from every side, and she knew the next confrontation would be the final one. Whatever this entity was, it was toying with her, pushing her toward the brink. And the longer she let it, the closer she came to losing everything, including Cayde.

Liv tightened her grip on her weapon, her knuckles white. She couldn’t give in to fear. She couldn’t let the Darkness win.

As she stood alone in the Tower’s courtyard, Cayde returned, his face grim. “Zavala’s got something big. We need to move. Now.”

Liv nodded, pushing down the lingering doubt and fear. “I’m ready.”

Inside the Vanguard’s chamber, the tension was palpable. Zavala stood at the central table, reviewing the mission data, while Ikora hovered nearby, her expression tense. Faelyn was there too, silent but focused. Liv’s stomach twisted as she remembered the illusions—the visions where these people had turned against her, condemned her, even attacked her. But she forced those thoughts down. This was real. It had to be.

“We’ve tracked the source of the Darkness entity,” Zavala began, his deep voice commanding the room’s attention. “It’s on the outskirts of the Dreaming City. We believe it’s trying to gain control of a powerful artifact—a relic that could tip the balance of the war in its favor.”

Liv’s pulse quickened. The Dreaming City—the heart of so many mysteries and dangers. It made sense that the Darkness would go there to consolidate its power. But the thought of confronting it, especially in her current state, filled her with unease.

“We go in, we hit hard, and we don’t give it a chance to strike first,” Zavala continued, his gaze sweeping over the team. “This is our last chance to stop it before it reaches full strength. We can’t afford to fail.”

Liv caught a glimpse of Cayde out of the corner of her eye. He gave her a small nod, a silent reassurance that they were in this together. But Liv still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, that the Darkness had one final trick up its sleeve.

Ikora stepped forward. “Liv, you’ve been at the center of this from the beginning. We’re counting on you to finish what you started. Whatever this entity is, it’s been targeting you for a reason.”

Liv swallowed hard, nodding. “I won’t let it win.”

But as the words left her lips, a cold dread settled in her chest. She wanted to believe she could defeat this entity, but after everything it had shown her—after the nightmares it had forced her to live through—she wasn’t sure if she had the strength to face it.

Zavala’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Let’s move.”

The journey to the Dreaming City was quiet, the air inside the ship heavy with tension. Liv sat across from Cayde, her eyes focused on the stars outside the viewport, but her mind was far away. She could feel the weight of the final battle pressing down on her, and the closer they got to their destination, the harder it became to keep her fear in check.

Cayde broke the silence, his voice gentle. “You alright?”

Liv blinked, pulling herself back to the present. She met his gaze, searching his face for any sign of the cruel Cayde from her visions. But all she saw was the same caring, reckless Exo she had grown close to, the one she had fought for and would keep fighting for.