Chapter 28: Reconciliation

Just as he was beginning to think he'd reached the peak of his tumult, a knock on the door shattered the silence, a sharp echo in the quiet room. His silent guardians responded to his heightened emotional state. Like twin flashes of lightning, they burst forward, piercing the solid door before retracting swiftly, leaving two clean holes in their wake.

In the ensuing silence, the door creaked open to reveal Thane. He studied the punctured wood swallowing hard. "Glad to see you."

"Not as glad as I am." Roderick spat out, petting the twin swords laying with their blades on his lap like purring kittens.

"Roderick, I know right now you don't wanna hear it, but we are friends-" Thane began, hoping to mollify the enraged magician.

Roderick spun around, his chestnut eyes ablaze with a wild anger. "A friend would never stab me in the back like that, Thane."

Thane sighed, wrestling with his emotions as he met Roderick's searing gaze. "We need to settle this."