Just then... a knock echoed from the door.
"Nephew, this is Maxim. Are you awake?"
Lucien shook his head, trying to push away the lingering image of what he had seen earlier in his territory.
He stood and opened the door.
Maxim offered a concerned look. "Are you okay?"
Lucien paused for a second before answering, "No worries, Uncle Max."
"I heard what happened from Edric," Maxim said, stepping inside. "I apologize for my brother. He tends to go overboard when emotions take hold. He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Lucien let out a shallow laugh. "No, he didn't. Maybe I'm just worn out from the journey."
The two sat down in the nearby chairs.
Maxim didn't waste time getting to the point.
"Anyway," Maxim said, leaning back slightly, "I must thank you again for keeping your promise. My brother just broke through to Tier 8. He always believed Tier 7 was his limit."
"I didn't do much," Lucien replied modestly.
