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When Cassandra grabbed the moonstone, all she felt was pain. That was to be expected from one of the most powerful magical objects in the world, but nothing could have prepared her for the sheer severity of it. She remembered the experience vividly, the memory clear as day despite her efforts to shut it out. It all happened in an instant. The horribly familiar burning sensation crept up her arm before exploding into something more intense, like the moonstone was trying to claw its way through her hand. Moments later, the feeling spread across her entire body while jet-black armor encased her, and then it was over. Just as suddenly as it started, the transformation stopped. The moonstone embedded itself in her chest, fusing them together and giving her its power. Pain was the price Cassandra had to pay for this power, and she could accept that. Still, she wondered if taking such a dangerous relic was worth it. There must have been another way to show everyone that there was more in her than they thought. All she needed to do was find it and leave the ghost girl who kept following her around. If only she knew where to look...
"Trying to outrun destiny, are you?"
"You little-" Cass started, stopping herself before she said something she'd regret. Of course she'd accidentally muttered her thoughts under her breath, just barely loud enough for that goblin to hear.
"No matter what you do or where you hide, fate will always find you and drag you back into its clutches," the demon continued, moving towards Cass with a sadistic grin on her face.
"I don't care!" Cass shot back, "You made me take this stupid rock and now it's eating me alive!" Maybe "eating her alive" wasn't the best description of what the moonstone was doing, but she didn't have a better one in store. Right after she stole the moonstone, she realized her burned arm felt strangely numb, the dull ache that she'd grown accustomed to completely gone. Soon, she couldn't feel her right hand at all. She didn't know if she still had a right hand. She was terrified of the answer. Over time, the numbness had spread to the rest of her body, which raised more questions, each more gruesome than the last. Was the moonstone constantly devouring her? Would it eventually finish her off, leaving nothing but a rotting skeleton? If so, how long would it take? Despite the mess of thoughts swirling in her head, she tried to remain calm, making sure Zhan Tiri couldn't see her fear.
"Oh, Cassandra, I didn't make you steal the moonstone. You did it of your own volition. I simply nudged you in the right direction," Zhan Tiri laughed. "And you think you're being eaten alive? That's simply ridiculous. How could a stone do such a thing?"
Cass hated to admit it, but she didn't have a witty comeback. She stayed silent, and Zhan Tiri took her silence as an invitation to keep talking.
"How will you ever defeat Rapunzel if you can't handle a little pain and suffering?" She taunted. When Cass still didn't reply, the demon finally lost interest. She retreated to a secluded part of Cassandra's stronghold without a word, leaving her to stew in her fear.
Cassandra knew her companion was right. She had to forget her doubts and regrets and step into her role as the villain. This was her identity now, and she couldn't let weakness consume her. The moonstone wasn't slowly eating away at her. She was fine. Everything was fine.