A beautiful woman with long, flowing red hair leaped down from the stairs, her eyes blazing with fury. She wore pajamas adorned with flower patterns, a stark contrast to the deadly fire swirling around her arms.

“Damn it, you bastards woke me up! I’m gonna burn you motherfuckers!” she screamed, her voice echoing through the room like a death knell.

Her arms erupted in flames, and she began hurling fireballs indiscriminately. Some of the passed-out bandits jolted awake, their screams piercing the air as they were engulfed in flames. The room quickly descended into chaos.

Yuen and Miguel ducked for cover behind overturned tables and broken furniture, desperately trying to avoid the fiery onslaught. The intense heat from the flames made the air nearly unbearable, and the once rowdy room now felt like an inferno.

“Relax, Cinder!” Mendoza shouted, his voice struggling to rise above the din. He stepped forward, trying to calm the enraged woman. “It’s just a misunderstanding!”

Cinder’s eyes narrowed, and she fired another volley of fireballs, scorching the floor around Mendoza. “Misunderstanding? You idiots woke me up for this?” Her voice was a mix of anger and exasperation.

Max, Samantha, and Sabir huddled together, trying to avoid the flying flames. The oppressive heat and the chaos around them made it difficult to think. Sabir’s mind raced, trying to figure out how they could escape this madness.

“Cinder, please!” Mendoza pleaded, his tone softening. “It was an accident. Besides, these kids ended up here, seeking our help.”

Cinder’s flames flickered for a moment as she considered Mendoza’s words. Her fiery gaze shifted to the trio, who were staring at her with a mix of fear and desperation.

“What the hell do they want?” she asked, her voice still tinged with anger.

Mendoza nodded. “They want a way into Havana. This is a good test for you as a leader to test your insight, discern their intentions and decide what to do with them. Because you are the boss.” Mendoza said slowly enunciating the word boss for emphasis.

Cinder’s flames began to die down, the heat in the room lessening slightly. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Alright,” she said finally, puffing her chest in pride. “This seems like only a job that a dependable leader would do, so I'll decide what to do with those kids.”

Mendoza let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Cinder.”

Cinder turned her gaze back to Sabir, Max, and Samantha. “You kids bring your asses to my office.” She said while clicking her fingers moving back towards the stairs.

Sabir, summoning his courage and ignoring the pain, stepped forward. “Guys, get up.” Samantha and Max looked at each other in helplessness. They couldn't walk with all the pain from the knife that was dislodged in their knee.

Cinder looked at the trio, noticing their injuries. Her expression darkened as she turned to Yuen. “Yuen, why did you use your knives on some kids?”

Yuen shrugged, his tone blunt. “I thought they were spies, boss.”

Cinder rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Ugh, all you’re good for is killing. LINA, get down here!” she yelled.

Lina, a young woman with a wiry build and short, spiky hair, descended the stairs quickly. Her round glasses glinted in the dim light. “What’s up?” she asked, her voice sweet and cheerful.

“Heal these three kids for me, please,” Cinder instructed.

“Sure thing, Cinder.” Lina agreed with a smile as she approached the trio.

Starting with Max, she knelt down and gently grasped the hilt of the knife lodged in his knee. With a swift, practiced motion, she pulled it out and tossed it to Yuen, who caught it effortlessly. Placing her hands over the wound, her eyes began to glow a soft, soothing blue. Max felt a warmth spread through his leg as the blood stopped flowing and the wound closed up, leaving only a faint scar.

She moved to Samantha next, repeating the process. Samantha winced as the knife was removed, but Lina’s glowing hands quickly eased the pain, sealing the wound with the same comforting light. Samantha let out a sigh of relief, nodding her thanks to Lina.

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Finally, Lina approached Sabir. She noticed he had already pulled the knife out himself; he wasn't bleeding. “Jai, can you give me the first aid kit, please,” she called softly.

In an instant, the small, brown-skinned man appeared, crouching beside her and handing over a first aid kit before vanishing again in a trail of smoke. Lina worked swiftly, her hands deftly bandaging Sabir’s knee. He watched her closely, noting the precision of her movements.

Once she finished, Lina stood and faced Cinder. “They’re all fine now,” she reported, before heading back upstairs.

Cinder studied them for a moment, then nodded. “Good job, Lina. You're free to eat some of that cake I left in the fridge.” She turned to Yuen and Miguel, who were still cowering behind cover. “And you two idiots, clean up this mess!”

Yuen and Miguel scrambled to their feet, hastily nodding their compliance. The room began to settle back into an uneasy calm, the immediate threat of fire now gone.

Cinder nodded in approval, then wagged her finger, signaling for the trio to follow her. They exchanged anxious glances before falling into step behind her, their injuries now healed but their nerves still on edge. Sabir, however, was lost in his thoughts, his mind churning with plans for revenge. If these people were guilty of killing his sister, he vowed to make them pay.

“Don't reveal your intentions too soon, Sabir, bide your time and wait for the opportune moment,” Sabir told himself as if it were a mantra.

As they followed Cinder deeper into the base, the tension between the three grew palpable. Each step they took seemed to echo with unspoken fears and unvoiced suspicions, the future uncertain but the present demanding their full attention.

Sabir noticed the numerous rooms on the upper floor as they followed Cinder through the winding corridors. The flickering lights and the occasional sound of a bandit stirring added to the uneasy atmosphere. Eventually, Cinder led them into a modest office. The room was sparsely furnished, with a simple desk and a few chairs. The walls were bare, and the only decoration was a map of Havana pinned to the wall.

"Sit down," Cinder instructed, taking a seat behind the desk. As they settled into the chairs, she introduced herself. "I’m Cinder Blaze. If you don’t know already, we’re the Triads. We’ve been…borrowing this hideout for a couple of months now."

Max shifted in his chair, clearing his throat before speaking up. "I'm Max Crawford," he said, his voice steady. "And these are my friends, Sabir Quinn and Samantha Hart." He gestured to each of them in turn. "We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us, Cinder, and not burning us when you had the chance."

Cinder nodded, her eyes flicking to Sabir and Samantha as she sized them up. "Nice to meet you all," she said with a smile.

The trio exchanged nervous glances. Cinder seemed to sense their fear and tried to put them at ease. “There are a lot of misconceptions about the Triads,” she said. “Our main goal is the absolute dissolution of the Seven Noble Families. We’re not just mindless criminals.”

Max, still visibly tense, asked, “Why have you been hiding out in the Limbo?”

Cinder’s expression darkened. “Our hideout was breached because someone betrayed us.”

“Have you gotten revenge on the person who betrayed you?” Max asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Sabir’s ears perked up at the question, the memory of his sister’s death resurfacing.

Cinder shook her head. “We don’t know where the mole is hiding. But once I get my hands on him, I’ll burn him to a crisp.”

Samantha, sensing the escalating tension, quickly interjected, “We just want a way through to Havana. We can leave and find another way.”

Cinder looked at them thoughtfully. “Don’t bother. You guys seem weak, but I’m sure we can take you with us through Havana.” Her gaze lingered on Sabir, who was lost in his thoughts, his expression one of barely contained anger. “If you were stronger, I might have offered you a job,” she mused.

Trying to lighten the mood, Cinder added, “You know, you’re not that much younger than me. I’m only 20.”

Max and Samantha exchanged a glance before Max replied, “We’re 18.” He nudged Sabir, who remained silent, lost in his thoughts.

Samantha quickly added, “He’s almost 18, just a bit younger.” She hoped to prevent Cinder from thinking Sabir was being rude.

The four of them finally agreed to enter Havana together. As they stood to leave, the tension in the room lifted slightly, replaced by a shared determination. Sabir, however, was still conflicted, his thoughts a whirlwind of revenge and uncertainty. He exchanged a look with Max and Samantha, who gave him reassuring nods. They would face whatever came next together.

Cinder leaned back in her chair and sighed. "So, we’re all set to move out. We’ll leave at dawn. You three better be ready, you’re gonna see some fireworks.”

Max nodded. "We will be. Thank you for helping us."

Samantha glanced at Sabir, who was still deep in thought. "Yeah, we really appreciate it. It's not like we have many options left."

Cinder's eyes flicked to Sabir, noting his silence. "You okay there, Sabir–was it? You've been awfully quiet."

Sabir snapped out of his reverie and met her gaze. "Yeah, just... processing everything.”

Cinder stood up, signaling the end of the meeting. "Alright, let's get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day."