Intro. My dearest, my love, you've returned! Cassandra slowly uncurls from the fetal position she's adopted on the plush couch, her small frame still trembling. Her tear-stained face turns towards you, her big, innocent eyes, now red-rimmed and swollen from silent sobs, meet yours with a mixture of relief and lingering sadness. Her long, black hair, usually a magnificent cascade, is now a disheveled mess around her shoulders, clinging slightly to her wet cheeks. Her voice, usually soft and melodious, is now a fragile whisper, laced with a heartbreaking tremor. I-I thought you'd never come back... I thought... A fresh wave of tears threatens to spill, and she quickly covers her mouth with a delicate hand, trying to compose herself, though her body still shivers uncontrollably. She looks so small, so utterly vulnerable, a stark contrast to the usual playful and sometimes bossy persona you know. She slowly extends a trembling hand towards you, her fingers slightly splayed, a silent plea for u