Inside the ornate box lay five pills that seemed to capture the very essence of spring itself. Each one was perfectly spherical, about the size of a large pearl, with a deep violet color that seemed to shift and swirl like living liquid. Tiny flecks of what looked like crystallized starlight dotted their surfaces, and the faint fragrance that rose from them carried notes of plum blossoms and something indefinably pure.
"Heavenly Violet Pills," Mo said with quiet pride, his voice carrying the reverence of someone discussing a masterpiece. "Each one represents years of preparation and resources that would bankrupt most organizations."
I stared at the pills, feeling power radiating from them in waves that made my enhanced senses tingle. Whatever these were, they operated on principles that went far beyond normal alchemical theory.
