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

"Zafron, you need to leave. The Enforcers will be here anytime soon. They might be—"

Cassandra's words trailed off as she rounded the corner, her eyes falling on the heartrending scene before her. Mara's lifeless form lay on the ground, Zafron and Matilda standing over her in shared grief.

Cassandra's face fell, the urgency in her voice replaced by a soft, pained exhale. "Oh no," she whispered, recognizing Mara from her visit to Zafron's house when he missed work.

With gentle steps, she approached the mourning pair. She knelt beside Zafron, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice thick with empathy. "I know how much she meant to you."

Zafron nodded, his jaw clenched tight as he fought to maintain his composure. Beside him, Matilda's shoulders shook with renewed sobs, tears streaming down her face unchecked.

For a moment, they all remained still, the silence broken only by Matilda's quiet weeping.

After what felt like an eternity, Cassandra reluctantly broke the silence. Her voice was soft but insistent, tinged with regret at having to rush their mourning.

"Zafron," she said gently, squeezing his arm to get his attention. "I hate to do this, but you really need to leave. The Enforcers... they'll be here any minute. We can't let them find you here."

Zafron closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. When he opened them again, there was a flicker of resolve amidst the pain.

"You're right," he said, his voice hoarse. He turned to Matilda, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Matilda, we have to go."

Matilda looked up, her eyes red and swollen. She nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of their situation despite her grief.

"What about Mara?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can't just leave her here."

Cassandra stepped in, her voice gentle but firm. "I'll take care of her, I promise. I'll make sure she's treated with respect. But you two need to go, now."

Just then, Cordelia stumbled into the room, her eyes widening as she took in the scene before her. Zafron's head snapped up, his gaze locking onto Cordelia with a mixture of anger and anguish.

"This is your fault," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "You brought them here. And look how it ended."

Cordelia flinched, her mouth opening to protest, but no words came out. Zafron shook his head, his expression softening slightly as he looked back at Mara.

"But now's not the time for blame," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

With gentle reverence, he gathered Mara's body into his arms and stood. "We need to leave. Now."

The group made their way out of the room, Cassandra, Cordelia, and Matilda falling in behind Zafron. As they walked through the mansion, the full extent of the carnage became apparent.

Matilda gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as they passed Gustavo's hanging figure. "Oh gods," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What... what happened here?"

Cordelia's face had gone pale, her eyes darting from one gruesome scene to the next.

Cassandra remained silent, her jaw clenched as she guided the others through the massacre.

When they reached the sitting room, the sight that greeted them was no less horrific. Malachi's body lay lifeless on the ground covered in his pool of blood.

Cordelia stumbled, steadying herself against a wall. "I think I'm going to be sick," she mumbled.

Matilda reached out, placing a steadying hand on Cordelia's shoulder. "Keep moving," she urged gently. "We can't stay here."

They navigated through the dead men in the compound and emerged onto the streets, where they had left their cart.

As they reached the street, Cordelia suddenly broke away from the group, darting down an alley and disappearing into the maze of the city without even saying goodbye.

Cassandra, Matilda and Zafron pressed on towards their waiting cart.

Their driver rushed to meet them as they approached. His eyes widened at the sight of Mara's body in Zafron's arms.

Cassandra stepped forward, her voice low and urgent. "Einar, we need another cart. Quickly. Go back to the mansion and bring one here. I'll wait for you in the alley off Moonstone Street. Hurry!"

Einar nodded, not asking questions. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll be as fast as I can."

As Einar dashed off, Cassandra made her way to the cart and demonstrated to Zafron how to drive it. She quickly showed him the basic controls: a small ball that could be directed simply by turning it in the desired direction.

Zafron turned to Cassandra, concern etched on his face. "Are you sure about this? Will you be safe here alone?"

Cassandra nodded, her expression resolute. "I'll be fine. You and Matilda need to go now."

Matilda climbed into the cart, her movements hesitant. "Cassandra, you could come with us. It's not too late."

Cassandra shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "I can't. My family's business is here. I have responsibilities I can't abandon. But this isn't goodbye forever."

"Where will you go?" she turned to Zafron.

'I can't exactly go back to Astoria. And leaving the empire entirely right now doesn't seem likely...at least not right now,'

"Lumina, I guess," he replied.

Cassandra squeezed his hand. "Then that's where I'll find you. When the time is right, I'll come to Lumina. I promise." She went back into the Cart and tinkered a bit with a few buttons before coming out.

"I set the course for Lumina, just in case," She said.

"It has like a map thing?" Zafron asked.

"You'd be surprised what this thing can do, really," She said, smiling for a second there before becoming serious. "Anyways, it's powered by a fuel source that's not exactly available out to the public here in Drakoria. Though it should get you to Lumina where you should find plenty of its fuel source. There should be a few thousand Thalens in the bag I left in there. Use it, start a life,"

With that said, Cassandra using her slime took Mara's body from Zafron and held it hanging in the air.

Zafron leaned in, cupping Cassandra's face gently, and kissed her passionately.

Pulling away, Zafron whispered, "Thank you, for everything."

Cassandra, slightly breathless, nodded. "Be safe, Zafron."

With a final look, Zafron jumped into the waiting flying cart. As he settled in, he turned to see Cassandra approaching Mara's body.

She gently enveloped Mara's corpse in her slime, making it easier to transport.

"I'll take care of her," Cassandra called out.

Zafron nodded, a mix of gratitude and concern in his eyes.

As Cassandra made her way down one of the empty streets, Mara's body safely contained within the slime, Zafron's mind raced with worry.

"I hope she'll be safe," he murmured to himself, his gaze lingering on Cassandra's retreating form.

As the cart began to rise into the air, Zafron took one last look at the city below, before they headed out.

*******

As the sound of Zafron's cart faded into the distance, a new figure emerged from the shadows.

Officer Steele, his face obscured by the brim of a wide-brimmed hat, moved with purposeful strides towards Malachi Vex's mansion. A cigar dangled from his lips, the ember glowing ominously in the dim light.

Steele pushed open the ornate doors, which creaked on their hinges, echoing through the now-silent halls.

The stench of death hung heavy in the air. He navigated the carnage with practiced ease, his boots leaving bloody footprints in his wake.

In the sitting room, he found Malachi's body sprawled on the floor. Steele crouched beside the corpse, his Phantom Gaze activating with a soft hum. Ethereal tendrils of energy snaked from his eyes, probing the air around Malachi's body.

After a few moments, Steele stood, a grim smile playing on his lips. He ascended the stairs, his footsteps quiet despite the heavy boots he wore.

There he found Gustavo's body hanging on the wall. Steele paused. His Phantom Gaze flared brighter, scanning the room.

As he descended the stairs, Steele's smile grew wider, more predatory. He paused at the bottom, taking a long drag from his cigar.

The ember flared, illuminating his face for a brief moment – cold eyes, a scar running down one cheek.

"No one... escapes my gaze. I will... find you," he said, his voice a low, menacing growl that seemed to reverberate through the empty mansion.

The words weren't just a statement; they were a promise – a threat to whoever had wrought this destruction.

Steele adjusted his hat and strode out of the mansion, leaving behind the massacre while the rest of the enforcers filed in to witness the carnage. Malachi Vex was dead. His mansion in disarray. Who ever was responsible for this was now an outright enemy of the city of Drakoria.

And Steele already was on their tails.