This is a vast hall.
The light is dim, and it is quiet.
In the immense hall, there are only four or five figures clad in black robes, wearing Raven Masks on their faces, standing around an experiment table in the center, busily conducting experiments.
Above them gathers the only light source in the hall, a few Alchemy Shadowless Lamps, encircling like flowers, casting a dense, clear white light.
In the white light, on the experiment table, lies a two-headed monster, unconscious, its neck, wrists, and ankles bound with Dragon Skin Belts. Its chest has been cut open, with two rows of tongs emerging from both sides of the table, gripping the edges of the incision, forcibly pulling them apart, exposing the slowly writhing innards of the creature.
