Nobody touched the stone again after Victor set it back down, though every eye in the chamber remained fixed on it, like it might do something unpredictable the moment attention wandered.
"We need to document everything before proceeding further," Ashworth said, already directing her specialists toward the pedestal with careful, measured instructions. "No physical contact beyond Victor's initial handling until we understand what we're actually dealing with."
"Too late for that," Corvin muttered, though he moved to comply without further argument.
The documentation process took hours, researchers photographing every surface of the chamber, cataloguing the carvings along the walls with the same meticulous care Ashworth's team had shown at the Dark Forest site. Seraphina worked alongside them, comparing symbols against her own notes with growing excitement that cut through her usual careful reserve.
