Cassius, oblivious to their gazes, smiled warmly at the group of children huddled before him.
"Alright, everyone." He said, clapping his hands lightly to get their attention. "Listen carefully. See that big sister over there?"
He pointed toward Skadi, whose ears immediately perked up in surprise.
"The one with the fluffy tail? She's going to break open every single one of your cages and lead you out. So I need you all to take a few steps back—don't touch the bars, okay? I don't want anyone getting hurt."
The children immediately obeyed, their fear replaced with the trust he'd built in minutes.
They hurriedly shuffled back from the iron bars, clutching one another but looking hopeful now.
Cassius nodded in satisfaction and looked toward Skadi. "Go ahead."
Skadi straightened her back, cracking her knuckles with a grin.
"Yes, Master!" She barked.
Then she dug her claws into the metal, her arms flexing as she ripped through the cages like they were made of paper.
