"I'll let you handle finding the little girl. Meanwhile, I'll dig into this supposed lover. The only clue we have is that he might be an enemy of the Triads. It's a thin lead, but I'll start by looking into groups and individuals who have crossed them." Cassius grabbed a sticky note and scribbled an address. He handed it to Sabir with urgency.

“This is the hospital, the girl was last seen, you'll go there to investigate.”

Sabir glanced at the note and frowned. "Cassius, this is in Tetra City. How am I supposed to—"

A sudden crackle of static cut him off. Cassius's eyes widened. "GET DOWN!"

Cassius's shadows surged forward, forming a protective barrier just as an electrical blast seared through the room. The shadows absorbed the impact, crackling with energy.

A young woman stepped into view, her short cyan hair shimmering under the flickering lights. Her expression was a mix of anger and amusement. Sabir’s eyes locked onto her, analyzing what could be an enemy. She had a confident, almost swaggering gait that commanded attention.

Her attire, though practical, screamed wealth and status: high-end cargo shorts with intricate embroidery, and a fitted crop top that looked custom-made. Her hair was cut into a curly bob with bangs that framed her face, giving her an air of both sophistication and rebelliousness. Expensive-looking accessories, like a sleek watch and designer belt, completed her look, subtly flaunting her affluence.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Hound," she taunted, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Elektra Voltaire," Cassius muttered, his shadows still bristling with residual energy.

Elektra's lips curled into a smirk. "Ah, so you know me. My reputation precedes me, even with the Hound." She glanced at Sabir, her eyes narrowing. "And you... you look familiar."

Sabir's mind raced as he took in her features. The resemblance was unmistakable. "You look like Noah."

Her smirk faltered for a split second, replaced by a flicker of recognition. "You know my brother?" She took a step closer, her gaze piercing. "Wait... you..."

Cassius stiffened, caught off guard by the sudden intensity. "Why are you here in sector 3? You should be at the academy."

Elektra rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "For the scary hound you're not that smart, I'm on holiday, dipshit. And I'm here for a family reunion."

"Lady Voltaire, with all due respect, I have no idea what you're talking about," Cassius replied, trying to maintain his composure and appease her.

Elektra's expression shifted from mocking to contemplative, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Wait, you don't know where she is—”

Before she could finish, Cassius's shadows exploded outward, smashing through the wall behind them. He grabbed Sabir and pulled him through the opening. The sound of Elektra's mocking laughter echoed in the chaos.

Outside, Cassius's shadows carried them to safety, landing them in the middle of forest. Sabir's heart pounded as he tried to process what had just happened.

Cassius released his grip, his expression grim. "We need to move. She'll be on us in no time."

The sinister laugh echoing through the room grew louder and closer. In a split second, a ball of lightning and limbs shot between them, its force pushing them away. Sabir was thrown to the floor, rolling like a pinball. He could feel blood trickling down his face.

Elektra Voltaire had jumped after them in a frenzy neither of them had expected. Cassius knelt, eyes locked on their potential enemy, assessing her every move.

"I can finally let loose," Elektra said with a twisted smile. "I've been cooped up in my room for too long."

Cassius's eyes narrowed, shadows swirling around him in preparation. "I'm warning you Lady Voltaire, you’re making a big mistake.”

Stolen story; please report.

Elektra struck first, launching herself at Cassius with a high, electrified kick aimed at his head. Cassius raised a shield of shadows just in time, the impact sending sparks flying. Elektra didn’t pause, spinning around to deliver a series of rapid kicks, each one crackling with electricity.

"Is this all you’ve got, Hound?" she taunted, her voice dripping with mockery.

Cassius moved swiftly, his shadows forming barriers to block her relentless assault. "Miss I implore you to listen to me."

The room filled with the sound of crackling energy and the dull thud of impacts against his defenses. Elektra's agility was astounding; she flipped and twisted, her movements a blur of deadly precision.

With a sudden burst of speed, she feinted left, then darted right, slipping past Cassius’s guard. Her fist connected with his side, electricity jolting through him. Cassius grunted, staggering back but quickly recovering, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Got a shock, old man?" Elektra sneered, charging at him again.

Cassius retaliated with a shadowy tendril, aiming to ensnare her. Elektra dodged, but the tendril grazed her arm, leaving a deep gash. She hissed in pain, eyes narrowing as she focused on her opponent.

"This is why I hate brats" Cassius growled, summoning more shadows to his aid.

His shadows lashed out again, this time in a coordinated assault. Tendrils shot out from multiple angles, forcing Elektra to backflip and twist to avoid them. Despite her best efforts, one shadow wrapped around her ankle, yanking her off balance. She hit the ground hard, but rolled to her feet in an instant, her body crackling with energy.

Elektra roared, unleashing a torrent of electricity that spread across the floor towards Cassius. He responded by summoning a dome of shadows around himself, the energy dissipating harmlessly against it. The floor beneath them scorched and cracked from the intense heat.

Cassius emerged from the dome, his patience worn thin. "Time to end this.”

He summoned all his strength, shadows converging into a massive, spear-like form. He hurled it at Elektra with deadly precision. She barely managed to dodge, the spear grazing her side and tearing through her clothes, leaving a bloody streak.

"Getting tired, Miss?" Cassius taunted, his voice cold.

"Not even close!" she spat back, launching a barrage of electrified punches and kicks.

Cassius met her every move with calculated efficiency. His shadows blocked, parried, and countered, pushing her further back. Sabir watched in awe and horror as Cassius’s power grew more ferocious. With each strike, Elektra's movements became more sluggish, her energy waning.

Realizing she was outmatched, Elektra's attacks grew more frantic. She launched a barrage of electrified punches and kicks, but Cassius met her every move with calculated efficiency. His shadows blocked, parried, and countered, pushing her further back.

Cassius’s shadows wrapped around her limbs, constricting her movements. She struggled, trying to break free, but the shadows tightened their grip.

"I warned you, but you didn't listen. Did you?" Cassius sneered.

Elektra glared at him, her face twisted in pain and fury. "I'll kill you!”

Cassius’s voice was a low, menacing growl. "Did you really think you could come at me and not get bitten? I’m the Hound.”

Sabir, watching the scene unfold, felt a surge of panic. He could see the lethal intent in Cassius's eyes, the deadly precision of his shadows. Elektra was on the brink, bloodied and struggling to stand. Sabir wanted to intervene, to stop Cassius from making a horrific mistake.

His mouth opened, but no sound came out. The fear and intensity of the fight rendered him mute, the pressure of the moment pressing down on him like a physical weight. He took a step forward, his legs trembling, but his voice betrayed him, refusing to utter a word.

Cassius moved in for the final blow, shadows coalescing into a massive blade. Elektra, now bleeding profusely and panting heavily, looked up at him with a mix of fear and defiance.

Sabir's heart pounded in his chest. He could see the life draining from Elektra's eyes, the fatal strike moments away. He clenched his fists, willing himself to scream, to shout, to do anything. He had seen plenty of people die, but a murder like this was something he had never witnessed.

The brutality of it all was terrifying. In The Limbo, death was often quick and merciless—a knife in the dark, a gunshot from the shadows. But this? This was different. This was drawn out, a slow, torturous end. Elektra's once defiant eyes were now that of a scared little girl, a stark contrast to the ferocity she had shown moments before and an indication of her immaturity.

He had seen death, but never like this. The sheer brutality, the calculated ferocity of Cassius’s attack, was beyond anything he had ever encountered. It was as if he was watching a predator play with its prey, a sight both mesmerizing and terrifying.

Just as Cassius raised his shadow blade for the final blow, Sabir felt a surge of desperation. He had to stop this, somehow. He could feel the life slipping away from Elektra, the blood pooling around her, each drop a countdown to her end.

And then, cutting through the haze of terror and violence, a voice rang out. "Stop!”

Cassius froze, his eyes flicking towards the source of the voice. Sabir turned as well, straining to see through the chaos of the battlefield. The voice had saved Elektra, but for how long?