In the Pyra Empire, inside the laboratory where the air always smelled faintly of metal and sterilised blood, Xara stood with her arms crossed, watching Thalia with narrowed eyes.
Pale light from floating alchemical panels cast shifting reflections over the headless, skinless body lying on the blood pool.
Thalia had appeared without warning and was now crouched beside the grotesque body, pressing her Origin Card against its chest.
"Are you planning to explain what exactly you're doing," Xara asked, "or should I just assume you broke into my lab for entertainment?"
Her fingers tapped against her elbow in restrained irritation.
Thalia did not respond immediately. She leaned closer instead, tilting her head slightly as though studying a puzzle... The Origin Card glowed faintly between her fingers as she pressed it harder against the creature's exposed muscle.
Slucckk... Slucckk...
The wet sound echoed obscenely in the quiet chamber.
