I, the slave boy, awaken with the most potent seed!!

Cassandra stood motionless, her breathing heavy and her fists clenched, as the man with the cybernetic eye took another step closer.

"Relax," Hector said, his tone calm and disarming. "I'm not here to hurt you. My name's Hector, and this—" he gestured toward the robot, "is ARIA."

Cassandra took a cautious step back, her muscles coiled like a spring. She kept her distance, her sharp gaze fixed on the pair. "I don't know you," she said flatly, her tone laced with suspicion.

Hector raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Fair enough. But you should know I'm a friend. I've worked with Zafron before. Any friend of a friend is a friend, right?"

Cassandra didn't respond immediately. Her mind churned as she evaluated his words. 'He says he's a friend of Zafron, but that doesn't mean I can trust him. He could be lying.' She tightened her grip on her weaponized slime. "You'll have to do better than that," she said coldly.

Hector chuckled softly, folding his arms across his chest. "I get it. You don't trust me. That's smart, actually. But I did just stop you from getting yourself killed, so maybe cut me some slack?"

Cassandra remained silent, her expression unreadable. 'He's too calm,' she thought, narrowing her eyes. 'What does he really want?'

Hector sighed, his tone shifting from casual to serious. "Look, I understand you're upset about Matilda. But charging in head-on like that? It wouldn't have ended well for you—or her."

ARIA tilted its head slightly, as if echoing Hector's sentiment. The robot's smooth movements made Cassandra uneasy, but she forced herself to focus on Hector's words.

"You might be strong," Hector continued, "but those men outnumbered you, and they're better armed. Plus, you'd be fighting blind. If you'd gone in, they'd have taken you down, and no one would've known what happened. Sometimes you have to live to fight another day."

Cassandra clenched her jaw. She hated to admit it, but he was right. Her anger had clouded her judgment, and she had been moments away from making a reckless decision. 'If I got captured too, no one would've been able to warn the others. Someone has to go back and tell them what happened.'

She let out a slow breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Maybe you have a point," she muttered reluctantly.

Hector smiled faintly. "Glad to hear it." He paused, his sharp eyes studying her carefully. "Now, what about Zafron? How's he doing?"

The question made Cassandra stiffen. She didn't trust Hector enough to reveal the truth, and she wasn't about to start now. "He's fine," she said curtly.

Hector's expression shifted, his cybernetic eye whirring softly as it adjusted focus. "Is he? Because the Zafron I know wouldn't be hiding while people are hunting him down. And he wouldn't go this long without updating me on our deal. Something's wrong, isn't it?"

Cassandra's heart skipped a beat. His perceptiveness was unsettling, but she wasn't ready to give him the satisfaction of an answer. 'Is he bluffing, or does he actually know something?' she wondered. Her voice was firm as she repeated, "He's fine."

Hector tilted his head, his smirk returning. "You're stubborn, I'll give you that. But fine. Keep your secrets." He took a step back, gesturing toward the path behind her. "Go on, then. Head back and tell the others what happened. Don't worry—I didn't put a tracker on you. I respect people's privacy."

Cassandra hesitated for a moment, studying him carefully. Despite her wariness, she couldn't sense any immediate danger from him. "Thanks," she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Hector nodded, his expression unreadable. "Oh, and one more thing," he said as he turned to leave. "Tell Zafron I'm still waiting for an update on the crystal staff."

Cassandra's eyes narrowed at the mention of the crystal, her mind flashing to Matilda's earlier comment about needing one for her cart. She didn't press him for details, though. Instead, she watched silently as Hector and ARIA disappeared into the shadows.

---

Matilda knelt on the cold, polished floor of Raxus's opulent mansion, her wrists bound in front of her.

The room was dim, the walls adorned with beautiful carvings and trophies from past conquests. Two figures stood before her: Xylar, and the Governor.

Xylar was the first to step forward, his boots clicking softly against the floor as he approached. He circled Matilda slowly, his gaze sweeping over her with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

"Well," he said, his voice smooth and mocking. "I never imagined my bounty would be this beautiful." He crouched slightly, his face level with hers. "But don't think for a second that your looks will sway me. I'm not moved by pretty women."

Matilda met his gaze with defiance, her jaw set and her eyes blazing. 'I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me afraid,' she thought. She said nothing.

The Governor chuckled darkly, his deep voice rumbling through the room. "I've always known her to be pretty. But I can't help but wonder—what led someone like you to get tangled up in this mess? Was it loyalty? Or stupidity?"

Matilda remained silent, her mind racing as she tried to formulate a plan. 'Keep quiet,' she told herself. 'Don't give them anything.'

Xylar straightened, folding his arms as he looked down at her. "Enough games. Where's Zafron?"

Still, Matilda said nothing. Her silence only seemed to irritate Xylar further.

The Governor sneered, stepping closer. "Ah, Zafron," he said, his tone dripping with contempt. "I've hated him from the very start. Always winning, always so... untouchable. It'll be a pleasure to see him suffer."

Matilda's fists clenched against her bindings, but she refused to rise to the bait. 'They can taunt me all they want. I'm not giving them anything.'

Xylar's patience snapped. He raised his hand, his expression dark with anger. "Enough of this. If she won't talk, I'll make her."

Matilda braced herself, refusing to flinch. But before Xylar's hand could come down, a booming voice echoed through the room, freezing everyone in place.

"No one dares lay a hand on her!"

The voice was deep and commanding, dripping with authority and menace. Raxus stepped into the room, his towering figure casting a long shadow across the floor.

His presence was enough to silence even Xylar, who lowered his hand reluctantly, his expression a mixture of anger and confusion.

Raxus's cold gaze swept over the room before landing on Matilda. "She is not to be harmed," he said firmly. "Anyone who disobeys will face the consequences."

The Governor raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Xylar, though clearly displeased, stepped back, his jaw tightening.

Raxus approached Matilda, his movements slow and deliberate. He stopped just in front of her, his piercing eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, the room was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

"You're valuable," Raxus said finally, his voice low and even. "And I don't waste valuable things. But don't mistake my mercy for weakness. If you don't give me what I want..." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You'll wish you had."

Matilda met his gaze with unwavering resolve. She said nothing, her silence a quiet act of defiance.

Raxus straightened, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Take her to the holding chamber," he ordered, his voice echoing through the room. "And make sure she's comfortable. We'll continue this conversation later."

Two guards stepped forward, grabbing Matilda by the arms and hauling her to her feet. She kept her head high, her expression stoic, as they led her out of the room.

As the door closed behind her, Raxus turned to Xylar and the Governor, his smirk fading into a cold, calculating expression. "Now, gentlemen," he said, his tone icy. "Let's talk about how we're going to find Zafron."