It was only then that Ren noticed the back wall.
The stone was entirely covered in runes. They were the same archaic script he had been reading during the entire descent, but the center housed something fundamentally different. It was a dense, intricately woven node.
After a moment of study, Ren recognized the architecture: it was the exact same design that powered the massive door activation mechanisms, just scaled down drastically.
As he stepped closer, the node reacted.
Matter condensed on the surface of the wall, forming a small crystal. It was circular and strangely flat, feeling more like a textured surface than a three-dimensional object.
He approached it.
He reached out and pressed his fingers against the cool surface.
The small crystal instantly flared to life. An automated scanning sequence triggered again, very similar to the massive door's protocols, as tight, geometric lines of light washed over Ren's body, mapping his internal networks.
