𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑| Max Mayfield [COMPLETED UNTIL SEASON FIVE]

i. home at last

Cassidy's world had condensed to the confines of her plain, age-worn room. With her knees pulled up against her chest, she became a silent observer of time. A whole year slipped by without her setting foot beyond those walls, untouched by the experimental clutches that once defined her existence.

The hum of her dormant powers reverberated through the stillness, awakened only during bouts of profound boredom. In those moments, she engaged in purposeful practice, a dance of abilities that, despite the solitude, she refused to let grow rusty. The room, a witness to her isolation, held the echoes of both confinement and the subtle resilience that manifested in the meticulous honing of her extraordinary skills.

Tangled strands of Cassidy's messy hair framed her face, and remnants of old tears left trails on her skin. As her door creaked open, Cassidy swiftly turned her head, her gaze fixing on a man—distinct from the familiar figure of 'Papa.' A new presence had entered her world, sparking curiosity and uncertainty in the stillness of her confined space.

"Cassidy, right?" the man inquired, drawing a nod from her. "You're being released; you'll get to see your family once again," he revealed. Cassidy's initial frown transformed into a radiant grin, the prospect of reuniting with her family illuminating a spark of hope in the confined shadows of her world.

Three years of separation weighed heavily on Cassidy's shoulders, each day etching deeper lines of longing for the family she had been kept away from since that fateful day in elementary school when, at the tender age of 10, her powers unleashed chaos.

As she rose from her bed, a mixture of eagerness and apprehension fueled her steps toward the door. The man's unexpected interruption injected a moment of tension, freezing her in place. The threshold of reunion with her family, once so close, now hung in suspense, as if the universe hesitated to grant her the long-awaited embrace she yearned for.

The man's caution echoed in Cassidy's ears, a stark reminder of the delicate balance she was about to navigate. He outlined the terms with a seriousness that tightened the air in the room. "You can't tell anyone where you've actually been, not about Military school," he emphasized, his words carrying the weight of consequence. The unspoken threat lingered in the shadows—disclose the truth about her whereabouts or unveil her abilities, and the prospect of reuniting with her family might slip away.

Cassidy's teeth sank into her lower lip, a physical manifestation of the inner conflict. The gravity of the situation hung palpably in the room as she hesitated before finally uttering a subdued "Yes," sealing her compliance with the imposed secrecy. The anticipation of seeing her family now intertwined with the burden of the unspoken truth she was compelled to carry.

Clothes in hand, Cassidy changed into the unfamiliar attire, a symbolic shift marking her departure from the confines of the past three years. As she was escorted to the waiting car, she climbed in with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. The weight of time spent in isolation had left its mark—while not overpowering, anxiety and a lingering sense of depression accompanied her, silent companions on the journey toward a family she hadn't seen in years.