Is Cayde-6 the Guardian's nightmare? Exploring the possibilities of the characters' return in Destiny 2 Season 18

Destiny 2 is a game that is stacked with interesting characters. From Eris Morn, a Guardian obsessed with the Hive, to the Drifter, a Guardian obsessed with the Darkness, the game has it all. In the Season of the Haunted, Guardians faced the nightmares of some of the prominent characters in the game. However, the one thing that Guardians haven't faced is their own nightmare.

Destiny 2: Season of the Haunted revolves around the Guardian's quest to sever the nightmares of Uldren Sov, Safiyan and Dominus Ghaul from Crow, and Zavala and Caitl. Severing these nightmares is a part of the seasonal questline of the current season. However, there's a chance that this theme will continue in the upcoming season.

Note: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

Could Cayde-6 be the Guardians' nightmare in Destiny 2 Season 18?

There are a few hints of Cayde-6's return in Destiny 2 Season 18. While this is purely speculative for now, Calus' return was predicted in a similar fashion before the Season of the Haunted. Considering the evidence that is currently available, everything points to Cayde's return in the upcoming season.

Cayde-6 could be the Guardian's nightmare because they were responsible for his death, albeit in a weird way. The former Hunter Vanguard chose to descend into the depths of the Prison of Elders without waiting for backup. Although the Guardians got to him, they got there very late. Had they been able to reach Cayde earlier, he'd have lived.

Although the Guardian avenged Cayde's death by eliminating Uldren Sov, the one who murdered him, the guilt of Cayde's loss still haunts the Guardian's conscience in Destiny 2. The conclusion of the Season of the Haunted Questline in Destiny 2 brought forth some really interesting details. The Drifter is currently in the Reef on his own mission. While Eris knows about the mission, no one else on the Vanguard does. In fact, she even asked the Drifter to keep the details of the mission to himself. Moreover, she also agreed to meet with the Drifter to discuss the secrets she discovered within the Lunar Pyramid.

Since the beginning of the Season of the Haunted in Destiny 2, Eris Morn has always wondered what the Guardian's nightmare would look like. The Drifter being on the Reef is no coincidence at all, as the Prison of Elders was also on the Reef. There's a high chance that Cayde's nightmare could be hiding somewhere within the Prison of Elders. Moreover, the Reef is the place where the Drifter first found Egregore.

Egregore is a strange fungus that has been associated with Darkness for a while now. This fungus was seen on the Glykon and can now be seen on the H.E.L.M and the Derelict Leviathan as well. Whatever the Drifter ends up doing on the Reef could be the prime reason for the Guardians to come to his aid. Moreover, while working on their mission, there's a chance that the Guardians could venture into the Prison of Elders where they might end up facing the nightmare of Cayde-6 in Destiny 2 Season 18.

As mentioned before, all this is purely speculation for now. There's a lot of time before the current season comes to an end. It'll be interesting to see how everything pans out for the Vanguard and the Guardians in the days to come.