Morning light streamed through the skylight, casting a checkered pattern of light and shadow on the blue-gray stone slabs.
A potent aroma of medicinal herbs filled the laboratory.
Ian stood before a constant-temperature cabinet, his fingertips brushing across a row of newly delivered crystal boxes.
The lids of the boxes were transparent, revealing neatly arranged extracts, crystallized powders, and biological tissues soaking in preservative fluid.
Dark silver, dark gold, ink green...
They shimmered with different lusters under the light of the Crystal Stone Lamp.
Aidele had somehow used her connections to procure a full twelve sets of materials in just seven days.
"This is the third batch," he muttered to himself, opening the leftmost box.
Inside were twelve thumb-sized crystal tubes, neatly arranged. The tubes contained a viscous, milky-white liquid.
Tiny golden specks of light floated deep within the liquid, as if countless miniature stars were sealed inside.
