Despite Cassius's warm and inviting tone, Darius remained utterly unresponsive.
He simply stared at Cassius, occasionally glancing up at the grotesque parade of bodies swaying gently above him.
Blood dripped steadily from the corpses, nourishing the garden below with a dark, crimson rain.
Cassius himself paid the grisly spectacle no mind.
He leaned forward in his chair, his expression shifting to one of cheerful reminiscence.
"You know, Darius." Cassius said, his tone conversational, almost lighthearted. "Last night, when I spotted your carriage rushing away from the festival grounds, I genuinely thought all my plans were going to ruin."
He grimaced slightly at the memory, shaking his head.
"I was certain that after the warning I gave you, you'd be smart enough to rush home, evacuate your entire household, and pull a vanishing act into deep hiding."
