Cabdan: "W-wait, please...!"

  The once-proud and ruthless businessman now lay sprawled in the dirt, reduced to a sniveling mess. Tears and snot ran freely down his bloated face, his trembling hands grasping at the ground as if he could dig his way out of his predicament.

  Rel: "Look at you now, Cabdan. A grown man reduced to this pathetic state."

  Rel's voice was sharp, almost disgusted.

  Rel: "You've dealt in death your whole life. Seen it, caused it, reveled in it... And now, when it's your turn, you're just as terrified as the people you've tortured and killed."

  Tyssa's blade trembled in her hand, though her grip was unrelenting. Her fury burned brighter than any fear she might have had.

  Tyssa: "I wish I could tell you this would be quick and painless."

  Her voice cut through the air like a whip. She stepped closer, her sword's point mere inches from Cabdan's face. He froze, staring down the blade's gleaming edge.

  Tyssa: "... But it won't."

  Her words were cold, calculated.

  Tyssa: "First, I'll sever the tendons in your legs so you can't run. Then, I'll take your fingers -- one by one. And when the mob gets here... Well, I'll let them finish the job. Maybe they'll have some creative ideas."

  Rel's eyes widened at the venom in her voice, his own words momentarily caught in his throat.

  Rel: "T-tyssa..."

  But she didn't acknowledge him. Her focus was singular. She grabbed one of Cabdan's legs, ready to follow through with her threat.

  Cabdan screamed, his hands darting toward the inside of his filthy shirt. Tyssa instantly released his leg, her instincts flaring at the prospect of another hidden weapon.

  Cabdan: "D-don't kill me... I beg you...!"

  From his pocket, Cabdan pulled a small cloth bundle, which he unwrapped with trembling fingers. Inside was a slender glass vial filled with a translucent blue liquid.

  Cabdan: "Faya... She's alive, isn't she? I've heard the whispers...!"

  Both Tyssa and Rel froze, their gazes locked on the fragile vial in Cabdan's hands.

  Cabdan: "This... This is the antidote to her poison. Help me escape, and it's yours."

  Behind them, the sound of the mob drew closer, a wave of fury threatening to crash upon them.

  Cabdan: "Quickly, before they rip me to pieces!"

  Rel extended his hand cautiously.

  Rel: "The bottle -- hand it over first."

  Cabdan clutched the vial tighter, shaking his head frantically.

  Cabdan: "N-no! I'll hold onto it until I'm safe. Once I'm free, I'll make sure it's delivered to you. You have my word!"

  Tyssa glanced over her shoulder at the approaching mob, her breathing unsteady. When she turned back to Rel, their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them.

  Rel: "... I'll hold them off."

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  Rel turned and sprinted toward the crowd, his armor catching the dim light as he prepared to block their advance. Tyssa stayed behind, locking eyes with Cabdan. She sheathed her rage momentarily, just enough to extend her hand toward him.

  Tyssa: "... Come."

  Cabdan grabbed her outstretched hand, pulling himself to his feet. Relief washed over his face as a crooked smile began to form.

  Cabdan: "Thank you, dear Tyssa... Thank you! You've made the right choice, I assure you --"

  His words were cut short as Tyssa's blade thrust into his right eye socket. The sickening pop of ruptured flesh and the splatter of blood painted the ground beneath him. Cabdan screamed in agony, collapsing to his knees as he clutched his ruined face.

  Tyssa: "Just who do you take us for...?"

  Her voice was cold, devoid of pity.

  She pulled the blade free, and Cabdan toppled forward, his body hitting the dirt with a wet thud. From his pocket, the small glass bottle rolled out, its precious contents shattering against the ground. Wasting no time, Tyssa tore a strip from her shirt, wrapping it around the largest unbroken shard of glass that still held a few drops of the liquid still within.

  Cabdan's cries of pain continued as blood poured freely from his ruined eye socket.

  Cabdan: "HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?! Y-YOU'RE AN ANIMAL! YOU'RE --"

  Before he could finish, Tyssa lunged at him, the sharp edge of the broken bottle in hand. Cabdan panicked, his hands flying to his mouth to shield it, but Tyssa was faster. With a vicious drive, she plunged the jagged shard deep into his empty eye socket. Cabdan's body convulsed violently as an inhuman scream ripped from his throat.

  The translucent liquid seeped into his system, burning its way through his tear duct and down his throat. Cabdan's body twisted in sheer torment, his hands clawing at his throat as his face turned red, then purple.

  Tyssa: "... Your worst nightmare, Cabdan."

  Her voice trembled with fury as she towered over him. Cabdan writhed, gasping for air, his bloated neck swelling grotesquely.

  Tyssa: "I know you better than anyone... You never let us win. Any time we thought we had a victory, you turned it into a defeat. That's how you treated everyone in the slums, wasn't it? You always *had* to come out on top."

  She reached down, picking up his battered top hat. She held it up to the fading sunlight, her voice laced with scorn.

  Tyssa: "You're too proud. Far too proud. Did you really think I'd believe you'd hand us the antidote so easily? No... I knew better. That wasn't medicine -- it was just more poison... Right?"

  Cabdan's body began to seize as the poison ravaged his nervous system, robbing him of control. His swollen, bloodshot eye fixed helplessly on her.

  Tyssa: "In the end, you were beaten by the very people you thought you could control forever. A little girl, no less. The same girl you tried to exploit, to use, to line your pockets with gold... How does it feel, Cabdan?!"

  She knelt beside him, placing the top hat on the ground next to his head. Her voice softened to a whisper, dripping with venom.

  Tyssa: "I guess you couldn't answer even if you wanted to. But let me tell you how it feels... From my perspective."

  With deliberate motion, she stabbed her blade through the crown of the top hat, pinning it to the ground like a gravestone. She leaned closer to his ear, her voice low and unrelenting.

  Tyssa: "Pretty. Fucking. Good."

  As she stood, using the sword for balance, Cabdan's broken body writhed with ever-increasing stillness. Behind her, the mob finally surged forward, unable to contain their fury any longer. Tyssa turned away, her face streaked with tears, though her expression betrayed the faintest smile of vindication.

  Jargen: "It's... done. It's finally over."

  Farther behind, Jargen and Punjo watched the scene unfold in grim silence. During the chaos, they had managed to knock out and capture one of Cabdan's men. With their employer dead, they hoped the captive might offer some useful information about Cabdan's dealings -- something that might help the slums rebuild.

  Rel hurried to Tyssa's side, taking her gently by the arm.

  Rel: "Come on... Let's get you back inside."

  Tyssa nodded faintly, allowing herself to be led back to the orphanage. Behind them, the mob descended on Cabdan's almost lifeless form, venting years of suffering and anger on what remained of the man who had tormented them for so long.

  That night, the slums breathed a collective sigh of relief. For the first time in years, they celebrated their newfound freedom. The orphanage became a sanctuary of hope, its halls filled with laughter and the smell of shared food. Though the wounds of Cabdan's reign still ran deep, the people of the slums chose not to dwell on the weight of the future.

  Rel, Jargen, and Punjo took it upon themselves to bury Anya's body in the orphanage garden. Beneath the earth she now rested, her grave marked with a simple wooden cross. The three men sat beside her resting place, sharing a quiet drink under the moonlight.

  Rel: "... Do you guys think he'll ever come back to us?"

  Jargen sighed, staring into his cup.

  Jargen: "Virno...? Who knows, kid. Wherever he is... I hope he knows he has a place here. We'll rebuild. We'll grow. This place will be better... It has to be."

  The three clinked their cups together in silent agreement, their eyes drifting upward to the stars. For one night, the slums were at peace.