Robert's presence filled the room, the air seeming to grow heavier with every step he took. His gaze swept across them and when it landed on Tia and Danny, they both recoiled.
Danny, paralyzed by the weight of Robert's stare, couldn't meet his eyes, his gaze dropping to the floor as his body trembled, while Tia stood frozen, her fiery demeanor replaced by rigid stillness, her face pale as she desperately avoided his gaze.
Then, just as the silence became unbearable, Robert's gaze snapped to Zach, and the tension exploded into its darkest form.
Zach, who had commanded the room moments before, now shrank back, his shoulders sagging as Robert's eyes seemed to drain the last ounce of defiance from him.
Robert stepped further inside, his polished boots clicking against the wooden floor. He didn't say a word, but the atmosphere was charged with a clear, unspoken authority.
The three of them looked away—out of fear, guilt, and shame. Robert's gaze lingered on each of them in turn, as though peeling back the layers of their thoughts and exposing their secrets.
Finally, he broke the silence, his voice low and steady.
"Well," he began, his tone deceptively calm, "seems like you've all had quite the day."
The words hung in the air like a blade, sharp and ready to cut.
None of them dared respond, knowing full well that Robert had no patience for lies—or excuses.
Robert's voice carried a calm weight as he asked, "So, is everyone alright?" He began pacing slowly, his presence filling the room like a gathering storm.
Zach forced a tight smile, his voice strained.
"Never better," he muttered, avoiding Robert's gaze.
Tia and Danny kept their heads down, silent and trembling.
"Good," Robert said, his tone sharp enough to cut. His eyes swept over them, each glance pressing down like a heavy hand.
"Then I don't suppose you can explain why I'm hearing about an explosion in Valthar. And why, at its center, there's a girl's corpse?"
The air seemed to vanish from the room. Zach, Tia, and Danny froze, their faces pale, as if Robert's words had ripped the truth from the shadows where they had tried to bury it.
"Three children of Vargath," Robert continued, his voice now edged with steel, "fled Valthar after trying to… rob."
Robert's eyes blazed with anger when he said the word—"Rob!"
The silence that followed was suffocating. None of them dared speak.
Robert's gaze hardened, his anger barely contained.
"What the hell were you all thinking?" he demanded, his voice booming.
Tia flinched, her words spilling out in a panicked rush.
"We just wanted to grab some things and get away, but Matilda—" Her voice broke as she mentioned the name, her eyes filling with tears.
Robert's glare silenced her instantly.
"Shut up!" he snapped.
Tia's sobs dissolved into soft hiccups. She stood frozen, small and terrified, like prey before a predator.
Robert turned his piercing gaze to Zach. "You. Tell me."
Zach pushed himself to his feet, meeting Robert's eyes with defiance, though his voice wavered.
"We thought we could handle it. Just grab some things, a quick in-and-out."
Robert's voice sliced through his explanation. "You blew up a building!"
"That wasn't part of the plan!" Zach shouted back, his frustration breaking through.
Robert's rage erupted.
"Did you even stop to think about what could've happened to any of you?" His voice echoed in the room, rattling their nerves.
"No, you didn't! And that's why Matilda is dead!"
The words hit like a hammer. Zach sank back onto the sofa, his defiance crushed.
Tia's tears spilled silently now, and Danny stared blankly at the floor, guilt etched into his face.
Robert wasn't finished. He loomed over Zach, his voice dripping with fury and grief.
"Do you realize the danger you put everyone in? Not just yourself. Matilda is gone because of your recklessness!"
He paused, his voice dropping to a cold whisper that somehow carried more weight than his shouts.
"Who's next? Tia? Danny? Me? Or maybe the whole of Vargath when your stupidity gets out of hand?"
With that, he turned and drove his fist into the wall beside him. The impact sent splinters flying, revealing the next room. The sound echoed like a gunshot, leaving the room in stunned silence.
The silence stretched on, heavy and oppressive, as Robert stared at the hole in the wall, his chest rising and falling with the effort to contain his emotions.
Robert's intense gaze shifted to Danny, who visibly shrank under the weight of it. His voice was quieter now, but no less cutting.
"Danny," he asked slowly, "have I ever taught you to rob people?"
Danny shook his head in silence, unable to meet Robert's eyes.
Robert exhaled, trying to rein in his simmering anger. "Then tell me—who gave you the information about that place? Was it Lily?"
Before Danny could respond, Zach shot up from the sofa, his voice firm. "I took them there! It's on me, not anyone else. If you're mad, be mad at me."
Robert's eyes darkened, but before he could speak, Zach continued, his words growing sharper.
"It's not like we're doing anything wrong by stealing from those Valthar scum! They've got more than they'll ever need."
Robert's glare could have turned stone to dust, but Zach wasn't done. He jabbed a finger toward Robert, his voice rising with every word.
"You always say, 'We stay out of Valthar.' Stay out of Valthar? Why?" He laughed bitterly.
"Valthar's got everything, while we in Vargath have nothing! We're scavenging scraps, calling their trash treasure. And you're fine with that? Fine with letting us rot here?"
Robert's fists clenched at his sides, but Zach's next words hit harder than any blow.
"You didn't care about my mom, did you? You let the Sentinels take her. And now you want to lecture me about doing what it takes to survive?"
For a moment, Robert's expression faltered. His eyes softened briefly, as memories—painful, raw, and unresolved—surfaced.
The glimmer of moisture in his eyes was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a storm of fury.
"Enough!" Robert's voice thundered through the room as he spun to Tia and Danny.
"Both of you—get out. Now!"
Danny bolted, not daring to hesitate, his footsteps echoing down the stairs.
Tia, though, lingered.
She stepped out but pressed her ear against the door, her heart pounding as she strained to catch the conversation inside.
...
Inside the dimly lit room, Robert's voice was low but sharp. "What did you just say?"
Zach hesitated, his bravado faltering. "I—I didn't mean it like that," he stammered, avoiding Robert's piercing gaze.
"Sit down," Robert commanded, his tone like iron.
"I really didn't mean—"
"Sit. Down." The words cracked through the air like a whip.
Zach reluctantly sank into the worn sofa, his posture tense.
Robert grabbed a leather chair and dragged it across the floor with a deliberate screech, placing it directly in front of Zach. Sitting down, Robert leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his gaze locking onto Zach with unyielding intensity.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the faint silence. Then, Robert exhaled a heavy sigh and shook his head.
"Do you even realize how many people look up to you?" Robert asked, his voice heavy with both frustration and concern.
"I know," Zach replied, his tone dismissive. He leaned back, rubbing his temples, clearly bracing himself for another lecture.
"You know, but you don't understand," Robert shot back, his voice firm.
Leaning closer, Robert continued, his tone now low and cutting. "When people look up to you, you don't get to make stupid decisions. You don't get to be reckless."
"Let me make myself perfectly clear."
"When I say, 'Come,' all of Vargath will come—without question, without delay."