Cassius moved swiftly through the bustling Commons, his mind laser-focused on a single mission: finding Sabir. The authorities swiftly cleaned up the aftermath of the chaos in Sector 3 within a day, but Cassius still deeply stung from the reprimand he received from his superiors for laying hands on a noble. His superiors stripped him of his access to government facilities and deprived him of their resources, bringing his search for the Triads and Cynthia Quinn’s lover to a frustrating and grinding halt. The only productive option left to him now was to track down Sabir.

He recalled Maize’s parting words with unsettling clarity. She had “played” with Sabir and then unceremoniously dropped him off at The Commons. Cassius had clung to the hope that Sabir would be lying low, overwhelmed and unsure of his next move. Yet, after hours of relentless searching, Sabir was nowhere to be found. His frustration intensified as every moment slipped away, the bustling crowd around him blurring into a sea of meaningless faces as he scoured every corner and shadow of The Commons.

Cassius weaved through the clumps of people, his eyes scanning every nook and cranny, his senses heightened. He noted the varied expressions of the passersby—some weary, others hurried, but none familiar. The market stalls, with their colorful displays and haggling vendors, seemed an unlikely place for Sabir to hide, yet Cassius scrutinized them. He checked the alleys, the dimly lit corners, and the crowded plazas, each turn of his head fueled by a blend of hope and desperation.

The weight of his recent failures pressed heavily on his shoulders. He had been so close to breaking through, to finding the information he needed to take down the Triads and uncover the truth behind Cynthia Quinn’s lover. But now, with the government’s resources out of reach, he felt like he was floundering in the dark. The thought of Sabir, the only tangible lead he had left, slipping through his fingers was almost unbearable.

Just as the frustration threatened to boil over, a distant, piercing scream cut through the din of the Commons. Cassius’s head snapped toward the sound, his heart pounding. Smoke billowed from the direction of downtown, where the great wall that spanned Havana was now visibly ablaze. His eyes widened in disbelief. The walls of Havana, steadfast and impenetrable, had never been breached or damaged, not even by the monstrous threats lurking outside.

Driven by a surge of adrenaline, Cassius sprinted toward the chaos, his thoughts of Sabir momentarily eclipsed by the urgency at hand. He navigated the panicked crowd with practiced ease, his movements fluid and purposeful. Using his shadows as hooks, he swung himself to a higher vantage point, landing on a rooftop that provided a clear view of the unfolding disaster.

From his elevated position, Cassius surveyed the scene below. Amidst the wave of people flooding through the breached threshold, he spotted them: a young woman with fiery hair and an old man, both attempting to blend into the chaotic crowd. His breath caught in his throat. Blaze, the new leader of the Triads, and Mendoza. The very people he had sworn to kill.

Without hesitation, Cassius leaped from the building, his shadow tendrils lashing out toward his targets. Blaze and Mendoza moved with practiced agility, dodging his initial assault. His tendrils struck random bystanders instead, sending bodies flying and adding to the chaos.

“Damn it,” he cursed, retracting his shadows and refocusing on his real targets. The people’s panicked screams only fueled his determination.

The battle intensified rapidly. Blaze’s flames erupted around her, creating a scorching barrier. Cassius dodged and weaved, his shadows forming a protective shield against the searing heat. He countered her fiery blasts with sharp, precise strikes, using his shadows like spears to pierce through the inferno.

Blaze twirled and manipulated the flames with deadly grace, each movement fluid and calculated. Cassius had to stay light on his feet, narrowly evading jets of fire that threatened to engulf him. His mind raced, calculating her patterns, looking for an opening.

Meanwhile, Mendoza was a storm of fury. His blade cut through the air with terrifying speed and precision. Cassius blocked and parried, but every clash sent jolts of pain through his arms. Mendoza pressed forward relentlessly, forcing Cassius to give ground. The old man’s eyes were cold, his face hiding a display of ruthless determination.

Cassius knew he had to break the rhythm. He feigned a retreat, luring Mendoza into a trap. As Mendoza advanced, Cassius lashed out with a shadow tendril, catching Mendoza off guard and landing a solid hit that sent him crashing into a nearby wall. Mendoza slumped to the ground, momentarily winded and out of the fight.

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Seizing the opportunity, Cassius turned his full attention to Blaze. He moved with swift, calculated steps, closing the distance between them. Blaze hurled a torrent of flames in his direction, but Cassius was ready. He dodged to the side, his shadows slicing through the fiery wave, and lunged forward.

Blaze’s eyes widened in surprise as Cassius’s shadow tendrils wrapped around her, the inky blackness extinguishing her flames in an instant. She struggled against the cold, constricting shadows, but Cassius only tightened his grip, his eyes burning with grim determination.

The shadows crept up her body, their touch icy and unyielding, suffocating her fire with each passing second. Blaze’s fiery hair whipped around her face, her breath coming in short, frantic gasps as she tried to summon her flames once more. But the shadows were relentless, absorbing her energy and leaving her powerless.

Cassius loomed over her, his expression a mask of steely resolve. He had come too far, sacrificed too much to let her escape now. The final blow was within his grasp, and he wouldn’t let anything stand in his way.

“It’s over, Blaze,” he said, his voice low and menacing. The tendrils tightened further, pinning her arms to her sides and immobilizing her completely. “This ends now.”

Blaze’s eyes flashed with defiance, even as fear flickered in their depths. She fought against the shadows, but they held fast, unyielding as steel. Cassius could see the desperation in her eyes, and he realized that she was truly trapped.

With a grimace, Cassius summoned all his strength, focusing on the tendril aimed directly at her heart. It pulsed with dark energy, the tip sharp and deadly as it hovered inches from her chest. He could feel her heartbeat quicken, the frantic thrum of her life force resonating through his shadows.

“This is for all the lives you’ve ruined,” Cassius whispered, his voice cold and devoid of mercy. He steeled himself, ready to plunge the tendril into her heart and end her reign of terror once and for all.

But just as the tendril shot forward, a flash of speed caught Cassius’s eye. Out of nowhere, a figure lunged between them, shoving Blaze out of the way. The tendril missed its mark, embedding itself in the ground with a resounding thud.

Cassius stumbled back, shock and confusion freezing him in place. He looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief as he saw who had intervened.

“Sabir?” he gasped, seeing the familiar face of the young man now standing protectively in front of Blaze. The disbelief and confusion twisted in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Sabir’s face twisted in anger. Cassius’s mind raced, struggling to understand why Sabir would intervene, especially to protect the leader of the Triads. The moment of hesitation was all it took for the battle to take a new, unexpected turn.

Sabir’s eyes blazed with an intensity Cassius had never seen before. Fury and heartbreak mingled in his gaze, and his voice trembled with barely contained rage. “Why did you kill Mrs. Norris?” he shouted, the words cutting through the chaotic noise around them.

Cassius blinked, taken aback by the raw emotion in Sabir’s voice. Memories of the old woman’s dying words and her pleading eyes flooded his mind. He had promised her to look after Sabir, to protect him. “Sabir, listen to me,” he began, trying to reach out, but Sabir’s voice, filled with anguish, cut him off.

Cassius took a deep breath, burdened by the weight of the situation. “Sabir, I can explain,” he uttered, his voice softening as he took a step forward. “The old lady... she asked me to look after you. She knew—”

“She knew nothing!” Sabir spat, glaring up at Cassius with a mixture of fury and sorrow. “You killed her. You killed an innocent woman!” Each word he uttered carried a painful reminder of loss, piercing Cassius’s heart like a dagger.

“You don’t even know her name!” Sabir screamed, the pain in his voice piercing through Cassius like a knife. Without warning, Sabir charged at him, his movements wild and fueled by blind rage rather than any actual skill.

Cassius nodded, the reality of the situation settling in. He knew there would be no reasoning with Sabir now, not while the wounds were still so fresh. But he couldn’t let Sabir fall into the hands of the Triads, either.

Cassius barely had time to brace himself before a blur of movement intercepted Sabir. A flying kick struck Sabir square in the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Cassius’s heart lurched as he watched Sabir hit the ground hard, a mixture of shock and relief washing over him.

Elektra landed gracefully between them, her eyes scanning the scene with a cold, calculating gaze. “I’ve been looking for you for two days,” she said to Sabir, her voice icy and lacking in emotion. The sight of her sent a shiver down Cassius’s spine.

Sabir groaned, struggling to sit up, his face a mask of pain and confusion. “Elektra?” he mumbled, wiping blood from his lip. The fiery anger that had consumed him moments before was now replaced with a look of confusion and annoyance.

Cassius exhaled, trying to make sense of the situation. The fight had taken an unexpected turn, and he needed to regain control. Blaze was getting back on her feet, Mendoza was recovering, and now Elektra was here, too.

“Stay out of this,” Cassius warned Elektra, his shadow tendrils rising again.

Elektra glanced at him, her expression unreadable. “I’m not here for you.” Her focus was solely on Sabir.