Cold mist curled around their boots as Aldric stepped up to the golden-lit tube. His fingers danced over the control panel on its side—precise, deliberate. The hum deepened, the glow inside shifting to a warmer hue.
A low hiss escaped as the seals unlocked, followed by the heavy sound of fluid draining away through unseen vents. The man inside slowly lowered until his bare feet touched the base of the tube.
With a dull mechanical click, the front glass split down the center and slid aside. Steam poured out, curling like ghostly tendrils around the figure.
The man stumbled forward, knees hitting the floor first, palms next. His breathing was ragged, his head hanging low, hair dripping with the remnants of the suspension fluid.
