The man remained silent for several seconds.
Only the sound of the candles crackling, small flames dancing atop the wicks, casting shadows that moved slowly across the wooden walls, filled the room.
Outside, the wind had died down. The herb garden had fallen silent.
His eyes remained fixed on the small dark box.
Then, slowly, he reached for the wooden lid.
Click. The lid opened.
At that exact moment, a strange sensation spread throughout the room.
It was not a shockwave. It was not an explosion of energy. It was something more subtle, as though the air had grown heavier, as though the light had dimmed, as though the very environment itself was reacting to the presence of whatever lay within.
Kyrian frowned. An unfamiliar Qi leaked from inside the box. It was extraordinarily weak. Almost nonexistent.
Yet, at the same time... it felt overwhelming. It was contradictory. Like a drop of water carrying the weight of an ocean.
Along with that Qi came an unpleasant odor.
