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Mara glanced at her, her voice hushed. "Are we walking into a friend... or a foe?"

Cassandra didn\'t reply immediately. Instead, she raised her hand, and her green slime emerged, wrapping around her arm and forming into a large, menacing gauntlet. The faint glow of the slime reflected off the carvings, making the room feel even more surreal.

"I\'m not taking chances," Cassandra said finally, her tone firm.

Mara\'s eyes lingered on the gauntlet for a moment, then she reached out to run her fingers across the carvings on the wall. The smoothness beneath her touch was oddly comforting, a small distraction from the weight of their mission.

As they continued forward, both of their eyes caught on something on the floor ahead—a patch of red slime.

"That\'s Zafron\'s," Mara whispered, her voice tight with emotion as they knelt beside it.

Cassandra brushed her fingers over the slime, its texture familiar and distinct. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "We\'re close," she said, standing and scanning the area with renewed vigilance. "Be ready for anything."

Mara\'s heart raced as she tried to summon make her own slime bigger, concentrating as hard as she could. But nothing came. She stared at her hand, frustration welling up inside her. \'Why can\'t I do it?\' she thought. \'Why now, when I need it most?\'

"I can\'t just stand here helpless," Mara muttered under her breath. "I need to—"

Cassandra, already on high alert, interrupted her. "Stay behind me." Her stance shifted, her body tensed as she advanced.

Mara swallowed her frustration and followed closely. As they moved forward, Cassandra\'s foot pressed against something that shifted under her weight. The floor depressed slightly, almost imperceptibly, but Cassandra froze instantly.

Her sharp eyes darted down. "A pressure plate," she said in a low voice.

Mara stopped, her breathing shallow. "A trap?"

"Or an alarm," Cassandra said grimly. "Either way, they know we\'re here now."

The sound of movement ahead—soft, swift, and deliberate—confirmed her suspicion. The noise stopped abruptly, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.

"They\'re waiting for us," Cassandra muttered, glancing at Mara.

Mara wasn\'t exactly scared, but the uncertainty of what lay ahead left her on edge. She tightened her grip on the red slime, her knuckles whitening.

Suddenly, a figure darted across the pathway ahead, moving with inhuman speed. Its tail flicked behind it, vanishing into the shadows as quickly as it appeared.

Mara\'s breath hitched. "Did you see that?"

"It\'s her," Cassandra said, her voice steely. "The cat girl."

Mara nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "What does she want with Zafron? Why did his slime bring us here?"

They exchanged a tense glance before Cassandra called out, her tone sharp and commanding. "Show your face. Are you that scared of facing us that you chose to run and hide behind walls?!"

Her words echoed down the corridor. For a moment, there was no response. Then a voice, smooth and mocking, broke the silence.

"You have no idea whose land you\'ve trespassed on," the voice said. "There\'s no turning back now. Either you kill... or you\'re killed." Discover hidden stories at m,v l\'e-NovelBin.net

The taunt sent a ripple of unease through Mara, but Cassandra\'s expression hardened. She adjusted her stance, her gauntlet glowing faintly as she prepared for a fight.

"Is that so?" Cassandra said, her tone almost bored. "Let\'s get this over with, then. And after that, you will have to explain why Zaf..."

Before she could press further, the figure shot forward with incredible speed, barreling straight into Cassandra.

They both tumbled to the ground, the impact sending a shockwave through the corridor.

Mara gasped, stumbling back as the two figures struggled. Cassandra grunted, pushing against the attacker\'s weight.

Sakura, now with elongated claws and sharp, glowing eyes—was the first to recover. She rose to her feet in a single, fluid motion, her claws extending even further as she prepared to strike.

Cassandra braced herself, her gauntlet raised defensively. But before either could make another move, a voice rang out from behind them.

"Stop! Both of you, stop!"

The shout froze them in place. Mara turned, her heart skipping a beat as she recognized the voice.

"Matilda?" she whispered.

The tall, imposing figure of Matilda stepped into view, her expression a mix of authority and disbelief. Her gaze swept over the scene before settling on Cassandra.

"Cassandra? What are you doing here?" Matilda demanded, striding forward.

Sakura, the cat girl, hissed softly, her claws retracting. "You know them?" she asked, her tone wary.

Matilda\'s brows furrowed. "\'Them\'? What do you mean, \'them\'?" Her eyes scanned the corridor, and then they landed on Mara.

For a moment, it was as if the world stopped. Matilda\'s face paled, her mouth opening slightly in shock. Her hands clenched into fists, then released as if she didn\'t trust what she was seeing.

"Mara?" she said, her voice barely audible.

Mara took a hesitant step forward, her lips trembling. "It\'s me, Matilda."

Matilda\'s eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief and emotion. She closed the distance between them in three long strides, pulling Mara into a tight hug. "I thought you were dead," she said, her voice breaking. "I saw you die. How are you... how is this possible?"

Mara hugged her back, her own voice shaking. "It\'s a long story, but I\'m here. I\'m alive."

Cassandra watched the reunion silently, her gauntlet dissipating as the tension in the room eased. Sakura, meanwhile, observed the exchange with a curious expression.

"I\'ve heard of you," Sakura said to Mara, her tone less hostile now. "The girl who died fighting for the noble cause." She inclined her head slightly. "It\'s an honor to meet you."

Mara offered a small, hesitant smile. "Thank you. I didn\'t expect to... be back."

Cassandra cleared her throat, stepping forward. "Now that we\'ve cleared that up, we need answers. Where is Zafron? And why is this place such a mess?"

Sakura\'s eyes flickered with brief surprise before settling into a guarded expression. "We knew they\'d come for us," she said simply. "That\'s why we\'re down here. We\'re hiding until Zafron wakes up."

The mention of his name made Mara\'s heart lurch. "Wake up?" she repeated, her voice rising with worry. "What happened to him? We heard stories—about Steele—about him being killed. Is it true?"

Matilda stepped forward, her expression grim. "Zafron fought Steele. It didn\'t go well, but he\'s alive. He\'s recovering. Come with us. We\'ll explain everything."

Mara exchanged a glance with Cassandra. Relief flooded her features, though it was tempered by lingering concern.

"All right," Cassandra said. "Lead the way."

Sakura and Matilda turned, guiding them deeper into the vault. The heavy air of the corridor seemed to shift slightly as the group moved forward, the promise of answers waiting just ahead.