They reach the doors of the meeting chamber.
Inside, almost every seat is already filled. The circular obsidian table gleams beneath the hovering light orbs, and tension buzzes faintly in the air—unspoken, but ever-present.
As soon as Alix steps in, a few heads turn. Lathar follows closely behind, his posture relaxed but alert.
Brakar, who's already lounging near the edge of the room with one foot propped up against the wall, spots Lathar and grins wide.
"Look who decided to show up," he calls out, loud enough for the entire chamber to hear. "Didn't expect you to crawl back so soon after getting flattened, Lathar."
Lathar snorts. "Flattened? Please. We both know I'd leave you eating dirt in a real duel."
Brakar gives a sharp bark of laughter. "You still dreaming about that one spar where you almost landed a hit? Damn, you're persistent."
