"Gifts?" Dax scoffed lightly, his lips curving beneath the shadow of his mask. "Those ornaments scattered around the room? Mere curiosities. Trinkets at best. They hardly befit someone of your distinction, Ms. Mindy Lane. No—I have prepared something far more worthy of your status."
As he spoke, Dax raised his arm and brushed his fingers across his storage band. A soft chime sounded, and moments later, six crystalline vials materialized in the air between them.
Each vial shimmered with an inner radiance, their surfaces etched with impossibly fine runes. Even before they were opened, their value was unmistakable. The packaging alone—crafted from rare alloys and luminescent seals—suggested extravagance beyond imagination.
Mindy's breath caught. Her eyes fixed on the floating vials, curiosity blooming into awe.
"What… what are those?" she asked softly.
