Tristan's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. Roland's smile, his demeanor, it all clicked into place. Roland had betrayed Cisco. He had set him up.
"You," Tristan growled, his fists clenched. "You're behind this, aren't you? You're the one who betrayed Cisco."
Roland's smile returned, wider and more sinister than before. "Let's just say I'm looking out for myself," Roland said, his voice dripping with deceit. "Cisco was getting too big for his britches. He needed to be taken down a peg."
Tristan's anger boiled over, and he took a step forward, his fists clenched. But before he could do anything, Roland turned and walked away, leaving Tristan seething with rage and determination.
-----
Frudi slowly opened her eyes, her head pounding and her mind foggy. She was lying on a bed, in a room that looked like a furnished bedroom. But the lights were off, and an eerie silence filled the air.