Around an hour slipped by in heavy silence.
Then Camilla stirred. She activated her hovering jade bed on the far side of the room, its surface glowing with a soft, pearlescent light. Turning toward Stan, her crimson eyes caught the lamplight and seemed to flicker with an inner glow as she spoke, her voice calm and detached.
"I've erected a Qi wall around myself, my aura, my presence, everything is completely sealed. They won't see, sense, or hear me. Whatever you do with them is none of my concern."
Stan glanced over and saw it at once: a transparent, glass-like barrier of shimmering Qi enveloping her bed like a flawless crystalline box, isolating her entirely from the rest of the room.
He frowned. "Who are you talking about?"
Before Camilla could answer, a firm knock echoed through the chamber.
Stan rose from the bed, heart quickening with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. He crossed the room and pulled the door open.
