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

Sakura\'s ears perked up, her enhanced senses picking up the faintest of movements within the glowing shell.

Carefully, she leaned in, narrowing her eyes as she peered through the semi-translucent surface. "He\'s... turning his head," she breathed, a hint of wonder in her voice.

Matilda stepped closer, her own gaze fixed on the cocoon. "Is he awake?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sakura shook her head slowly. "I don\'t think so. It\'s almost like he\'s..." She paused, searching for the right words. "Responding to something. Or someone."

The two women fell silent, watching the gentle shifts and pulses of the cocoon, as if it were a living, breathing thing. Sakura\'s tail swished back and forth, betraying her intense focus.

After a long moment, Sakura placed a hand on Matilda\'s shoulder. "We shouldn\'t disturb him," Sakura said, her voice soft but firm. "Whatever\'s happening, he needs to rest. We can\'t risk interfering."

Matilda sighed, a flash of frustration crossing her features. "But what if he\'s in trouble? What if he needs our help?" She glanced back at the cocoon, her eyes narrowing. "I can\'t just sit back and do nothing."

Sakura squeezed Matilda\'s shoulder gently. "I understand your concern, Matilda. But look at him - he\'s not in pain, not struggling. This..." She gestured at the cocoon. "This feels deliberate, like he\'s choosing to be in this state. We have to trust that he knows what he\'s doing."

Matilda\'s brow furrowed, Sakura could see the conflict warring within her - the instinct to protect, to help, versus the pragmatic need to wait and observe.

Finally, Matilda let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"You\'re right," she admitted, her voice laced with reluctance. "I just..." She shook her head, her gaze returning to the cocoon. "I\'ve never seen anything like this before. It\'s..." She paused, searching for the right words. "Unsettling. Fascinating. I can\'t help but wonder what it all means."

Sakura offered her a sympathetic smile. "I know. Believe me, I\'m just as curious as you are." She let her hand drop from Matilda\'s shoulder, moving to stand beside her. "But for now, we wait. And we watch. Maybe in time, the answers will become clear."

Matilda nodded, her expression pensive. "I just hope he\'s alright in there," she murmured, her eyes fixed on the gently pulsing cocoon. "He\'s been through so much already. I\'d hate to see him..." She trailed off, unwilling to voice her fears.

Sakura placed a reassuring hand on Matilda\'s arm. "He\'s strong, Matilda. Stronger than any of us could have imagined. Whatever\'s happening to him, I\'m sure he can handle it."

Matilda\'s lips quirked into a halfhearted smile. "I guess you\'re right." She let out a soft sigh. "Still, I can\'t help but worry. He\'s..." She paused, biting her lip as she searched for the right words. "He\'s important to me. To both of us. I don\'t know what I\'d do if something happened to him."

Sakura nodded, understanding dawning in her eyes. "I feel the same way," she admitted, her own gaze turning back to the cocoon. "He\'s been through so much, and yet he still fights on. He\'s..." She paused, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "He\'s special, in a way I can\'t quite explain."

The two women fell silent, their attention fixed on the pulsing cocoon, each lost in their own thoughts and worries. The air around them seemed to thrum with a subtle energy, as if the very fabric of reality had been altered by Zafron\'s transformation.

****

Few distance away from Sakura\'s house, Maze was seen rushing towards them. Her heart raced as she hurried towards them, her mind whirling with a thousand thoughts.

She had just come from the Rusty Nail, only to find it eerily empty.

\'Please, let them be here,\' she found herself silently pleading, her footsteps quickening. \'I have to talk to them, I need to know what really happened. I don\'t like Steele\'s approach.\'

As she neared the door, Maze glanced nervously over her shoulder, making sure she wasn\'t followed. But the streets were mercifully empty, save for a few wary onlookers who quickly averted their gaze.

Reaching the entrance, Maze hesitated, then leaned in, her ear pressed against the weathered wood.

Voices – low and urgent. Sakura and Matilda, by the sound of it. Maze\'s breath caught in her throat, her mind racing. \'They\'re here,\' she realized, a surge of relief washing over her. \'Now I just have to–\'

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of a knock, the sound sharp and insistent. Maze froze, her heart pounding in her ears. For a moment, there was only silence, and then–

Silence. Maze held her breath, straining to hear any sign of movement from within. Had they heard her? Were they even now arming themselves, preparing to confront this unexpected visitor? The uncertainty was agonizing.

Without wasting a second, Maze raised her hand and knocked again, louder this time. The sound seemed to echo in the stillness, and she winced, half-expecting the door to be flung open, a barrage of questions or accusations hurled her way.

But the door remained shut, the only response a muffled murmur from within. Maze\'s brow furrowed in confusion. Were they deliberating? Deciding whether or not to open the door?

Clearing her throat, Maze raised her voice, calling out through the door. "Hello? It\'s Maze – Steele\'s partner. I know you\'re in there. I need to speak with you, it\'s important."

Silence.

Maze\'s heart sank, her shoulders slumping in defeat. \'They\'re not going to let me in,\' she realized, a wave of despair threatening to overwhelm her. \'They think I\'m here to fight, to–\'

But then, a sound – the creak of a floorboard, the faint scrape of a chair being pushed back. Maze straightened, her pulse quickening with renewed hope.

After a moment, a voice – Sakura\'s – called out, cautious but clear. "Maze or whatever you call yourself...What do you want?"

Maze took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm and collected. "I\'m not here to fight," she replied, her tone as reassuring as she could manage. "I... I need to talk to you. To Zafron, if he\'s there. It\'s urgent."

More silence, and then the sound of muffled voices, too low for Maze to make out. She waited, her nerves fraying with each passing second.

Finally, the door creaked open, just a crack at first, then wider as Sakura peered out, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How do we know we can trust you?" she demanded, her tail twitching agitatedly.

Maze raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I understand your skepticism," she said, her voice soft and even. "But I promise, I\'m not here to cause trouble. I..." She paused, biting her lip. "I need your help. I need to speak with Zafron."

Sakura\'s expression didn\'t change, her gaze unwavering. "Why should we help you?" she asked, her tone guarded. "After what happened with Steele..."

Maze felt a pang of guilt, her shoulders slumping. "I know," she murmured, her eyes downcast. "And I\'m so sorry. I never wanted–" She broke off, shaking her head. "It doesn\'t matter. What matters is that Zafron is in danger, and I need to understand something before I can help him."

Before Sakura could say a word, Matilda stepped forward, her expression wary. "Hold on a moment. How did you even know we were here?" she asked, her gaze narrowing. "And how can we be sure Steele isn\'t behind this?"

Maze held up her hands in a placating gesture. "I understand your skepticism," she said, her voice measured. "But I assure you, I\'m not working with Steele. In fact, I\'m here despite him."

Sakura and Matilda exchanged a puzzled glance, their postures still guarded. Maze took a deep breath, knowing she needed to tread carefully.

"After the fight, I stayed behind to tend to Steele\'s wounds," she explained, her brow furrowing. "But something about him... it didn\'t sit right with me. The way he was behaving, the things he was saying – it was like he wasn\'t the same person I knew."

Sakura\'s ears twitched, her tail swishing back and forth. "And how exactly did you find us?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

Maze offered a small, wry smile. "Let\'s just say I have my ways of... greasing the right hands," she said, a hint of pride in her tone. "Steele may have the muscle, but I have the brain."

Matilda\'s brow furrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Even so, I\'m not sure we should–"

"This is in the best interest of Zafron," Maze interrupted, her voice tinged with urgency.

Sakura and Matilda exchanged another loaded glance, the silence stretching on.

Finally, Matilda sighed, her shoulders slumping in resignation. "Even if we let you in, Zafron is resting. We don\'t want to disturb him."

Maze nodded, a spark of relief flickering in her chest. "That\'s fine," she said, her voice calm and steady. "I\'ll wait, and I\'ll ask you the questions instead."

Matilda\'s brow furrowed, her expression skeptical. "What kind of questions?" she asked, her tone wary.

Maze took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation to come. "I need to know everything – about Zafron, about what happened at Drakoria, about everything. I have to understand what\'s going on."

Sakura and Matilda shared another weighted look, the tension in the air evident.

And then, just when Maze was about to speak up again, Matilda\'s voice cut through the tension.

"Alright, Maze," she said, her tone grave. "Tell us what you want to know."