AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I could smell the aroma of gunmetal and what might have been old leather, emanating from him.
His appearance, as always, was rough as if he had just stepped from the pits.
The memories came flooding back — the countless confrontations, the unending quest for dominance, the way he ruthlessly pursued his objectives, in particular, his vendetta against Ohara.
The fluorescent lights of my office flickered subtly, casting a sheen on his pale face, emphasizing the cold, calculating glint in his eyes.
“Thillak,” he acknowledged with a curt nod.
“Druin,” I greeted with a tinge of disdain. “I hear you’ve been busy.”
He circled my desk, his movements predatory.
His sharp ears picked up the rhythmic tick of the analog clock on the wall, a relic of a bygone era. “Always, Thillak,” he smirked. “But then, we’re both men of ambition.”
I reclined in my chair, eyes locked onto his. “Your ambition needs to be checked,” I said, leaning forward. “Your vendetta against Ohara ends now.”
His laughter was cold, echoing in the expansive room. “You think you can command me?”
The soft hum of the air filtration system juxtaposed against our heated exchange.
I had planned this encounter, ready to push him to the edge. “Your obsession has become a liability. It disrupts the order, creates chaos. I can’t support it.”
His anger was palpable.
The temperature seemed to drop, and a cold draft slithered across the floor, making me momentarily regret not wearing thicker shoes. “He wronged me, Thillak,” he hissed. “You of all people should understand the need for revenge.”
“Your personal vendetta is affecting the empire. My empire.”
His eyes flashed dangerously. “Then maybe you shouldn’t be the one leading it.”
I could feel the energy in the room building. “Is that a threat?”
He growled, a low, guttural sound.
But instead of replying, I stood up and leaned over my desk, getting right into his face. “If you believe you’re fit to run this empire, by all means, challenge me.”
His nostrils flared. “You always were too arrogant for your own good,” he snapped.
The moment had arrived.
I pushed further. “And you always were a small player in a game too big for you.”
He roared, rage consuming him, and lunged at me, his fingers closing around my neck.
I let him, making sure to exaggerate my reaction, gasping and clawing at his hands as my vision blurred and darkened.
I bit my own lip, allowing blood to mingle with saliva, spitting it out for added effect.
With a final, dramatic push, I staggered backward, hitting the floor with a heavy thud, making it look worse than it was.
To the onlookers, it would seem as though he’d mortally wounded me.
My vision, intentionally half-lidded, caught his triumphant sneer.
To my guards, it appeared that their leader, their beacon, had been gravely injured.
They hesitated, uncertainty and fear in their eyes.
