Ryder was devastated by Aurora's death. He had loved her deeply, and he couldn't bear the thought of living without her. He was consumed by grief and anger, and he struggled to make sense of what had happened.

As he sat alone in his chambers, he heard a knock on the door. He hesitated for a moment before calling out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Xavier," came the reply.

Ryder felt a surge of anger as he realized that Xavier Nightshade had come to see him. He got up from his chair and opened the door, his eyes blazing.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

Xavier looked at him, his...