The peaceful silence did not last. The next morning, the heavy steel doors of the fifth-floor work chamber were flung open with an unceremonious bang, making the glass instruments on the shelves rattle.
Kale quickly commanded Neo to retreat into his shadow, his hand instinctively dropping toward the hilt of his daggers as he turned to face the intrusion.
Lazek Oberon marched into the room, his dark grey cloak billowing behind him. The Grandmaster's pale face was set in a deep frown, his black eyes shimmering with an annoyance that was hard to ignore.
He did not offer his usual lazy greeting. Instead, he walked straight toward his desk and tossed a heavy, gold-embossed scroll onto the wood. The scroll landed with a definitive, metallic thud, the imperial seal of the royal family gleaming under the specialised lamps.
"You certainly have a knack for making my life difficult, kid," Lazek said, his voice carrying a dry, irritated rasp.
