"Here, take it."
Asmodeus passed the ornate box into Ilwoo's hands, and Ilwoo gripped it tightly.
"What's inside the box?" Ilwoo asked as the weight sank into his palms, far heavier than it looked. His fingers ran across the carvings etched into its surface. From his quick study, it was inlaid with diamonds, jewels, and an unfamiliar stone whose name slipped from memory.
"Open it, you will know," Asmodeus said, a thin smile curling his lips.
Ilwoo lifted the lid. Inside, a bottle rested on a black cushion. He drew it out and stared through the glass, within it, a crimson liquid churned and coiled as if alive.
"This is…?" Ilwoo muttered, his eyes flaring wide as he instantly recognized the bottle from old forums he once read. He fixed his gaze on Asmodeus, whose smile never faltered.
"Don't tell me this is what I think it is."
Asmodeus gave a slow nod, confirming it.
Ilwoo's eyes clung to the bottle.
