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

Cassandra and Mara followed Matilda and Sakura through the pathway, their steps echoing softly against the metallic floor.

The air grew cooler and cleaner as they descended, the faint hum of distant machinery filling the silence. When they finally emerged into the main chamber, both women stopped, their eyes widening slightly.

The space was clean, organized, and well-lit, entirely different from the chaos outside. The polished floors reflected the soft glow of overhead lamps, and the walls were lined with shelves containing tools, supplies, and various salvaged items. In one corner, there was a sitting area with mismatched but comfortable-looking furniture.

"This is... impressive," Cassandra remarked, her gaze sweeping over the room.

"It's better than upstairs," Mara said, her voice tinged with awe. "You'd never guess this was here."

Sakura smiled faintly. "We like to keep it that way."

Matilda gestured toward the sitting area. "You can sit, gather yourselves—"

"Later," Cassandra interrupted, her tone firm. "We need to see Zafron first."

Matilda nodded and led them to an inner room. The atmosphere shifted immediately—it was quieter, almost reverent. In the center of the room lay a cocoon of pulsing red slime. Zafron was inside, his eyes closed but his face twitching slightly as if caught in a restless dream.

Mara's breath caught the moment she saw him. She rushed forward, her hand brushing gently against the cocoon's surface. "Zafron," she murmured, circling it slowly, her eyes scanning his features. "He's alive," she whispered, her voice filled with relief.

Matilda nodded, stepping closer. "He'll be shocked and happy to see you alive and healthy, Mara. He always cared about you."

A soft smile broke through Mara's worried expression. "I can't wait to feel his warm embrace again," she said, her fingers lingering on the slime.

Cassandra approached the cocoon, her expression unreadable. She studied Zafron for a long moment before turning to Matilda. "How long has he been out?"

"Days," Sakura replied, crossing her arms. "We were at risk of being found if we stayed upstairs, so we dragged him down here. It wasn't easy, but we had to protect him—and ourselves."

"Does anyone know about this place?" Cassandra asked, her voice sharp.

Sakura shook her head. "No one. In fact, no one even knows this room exists. I built it myself, out of curiosity. Guess it paid off."

Cassandra chuckled softly. "Curiosity and cats. Fitting." She gestured around the space. "I have to admit, I'm impressed by the setup."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Clearly not impressed enough, considering you cracked my puzzle."

Mara glanced at Cassandra with a small smile. "She has a point."

Cassandra waved off the comment. "The puzzle was perfect. No one would have known there was something here unless they had help." She glanced meaningfully at Mara. "The slime guided us to the house, and that's the only reason we found the secret room."

Sakura's lips tightened, her eyes flickering with doubt. "If that's the case, maybe it wasn't perfect after all," she said softly.

Cassandra's expression turned serious. "It was perfect. You're just underestimating what we've got on our side. Without Mara's slime, we'd still be upstairs trying to figure out who trashed the place."

Sakura nodded, though her expression remained contemplative. "Fair enough."

Cassandra's gaze sharpened. "Speaking of which... was anyone after you before this? Apart from Steele?"

Sakura exchanged a look with Matilda before shaking her head. "No. We've been careful. No one should know we're down here."

"Then you need to hear this," Cassandra said. She recounted the encounter with the two stalkers who had followed her and Mara from the Scrapyard. "We managed to outrun them, but they were determined."

Sakura's expression darkened. "It wasn't Steele," she said firmly. "His counterpart is Maze—a woman. These men are someone else entirely. Maybe they're responsible for trashing the house."

Cassandra tilted her head, her mind racing. "Or Steele might've tipped off the Enforcers."

Sakura's jaw tightened. "It's possible. Whatever the case, we need to stay hidden until Zafron is back on his feet."

Mara, still beside Zafron's cocoon, brushed a hand against the slime as she spoke softly to Matilda. "I still can't believe I'm here," she said. "And that he's alive. It's... a lot."

Matilda smiled gently. "I know. He'll be so happy to see you. You've always meant so much to him."

Sakura approached, her gaze softening as she addressed Mara. "I've heard stories about you," she said. "How you fought, how you died... and how much Zafron cared for you."

Mara turned, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Thank you. I just wish I could've done more."

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Matilda placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're here now. That's what matters."

Cassandra, her arms crossed, cleared her throat. "Speaking of what matters... once Zafron is back, we'll need to get out of here. I have someone on the outside—an Enforcer I trust—who can help us."

Sakura's expression turned stormy. "An Enforcer?" she said, her voice laced with disbelief. "I thought you had a good plan until you said that. How can you be sure they won't turn us all in?"

"I trust Officer Chen," Cassandra said firmly. "She's risking as much as we are. You don't have to worry."

"I don't have to worry?" Sakura said, her tone rising. "You want me to gamble my life on an Enforcer? Thanks, but no thanks. I'll stick with the plan we were working on—grabbing power from Raxus and bolting with the cart."

Cassandra's eyebrows rose. "Where did you manage to get a cart down here?"

Matilda nodded. "It is the one you gave us when we were leaving. We've had some issues with it, but it's fixed now. All we need is the power source. The crystal."

Cassandra tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, you don't have to choose one plan over the other," she said. "Chen's involvement is for backup, just in case. Once we're out of the wasteland, she'll help us disappear. And for Zafron... we'll prove his innocence."

Sakura scoffed and leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. "You think it'll be that simple?"

"It won't be," Cassandra admitted. "But sitting here waiting for the next attack won't help either. We need options, and Chen is one of them."

Sakura didn't respond immediately. Her gaze was distant, her mind clearly weighing Cassandra's words.

Matilda approached her, speaking softly. "Sakura, think about it. If we can't find Raxus's staff, Cassandra's plan might be our only chance. You can't stay here forever, not when they're already looking for us. And if you're with Zafron, you'll be hunted too."

Sakura's jaw clenched, her tail flicking irritably behind her. But she didn't argue.

Cassandra and Mara took seats nearby, their exhaustion finally catching up to them.

Matilda placed a hand on Sakura's arm. "I know it's not easy," she said gently. "But we'll figure this out. Together."

Sakura sighed, her tension slowly ebbing. "We'll see," she muttered, though her tone carried a hint of resignation.

As the room settled into a tense silence, the faint pulsing of Zafron's cocoon served as a reminder of the battles ahead.