Chapter 11: Tempering
Dax whistled a single, soft note that vanished into the endless echo of the corridor.
He pushed open one of the doors and guided Micah inside. At the sound of his voice, the chamber illuminated automatically, its walls lined with anatomical diagrams of strange, unearthly entities labeled part by part.
In the center of the room stood a steel table scattered with research notes. Beside them, a squirming creature remained alive inside a reinforced glass container, bound by all four limbs and thrashing in a silent scream that could not pierce the glass.
Moving with practiced familiarity, Dax walked behind the desk. The chair slid back of its own accord, creating a space for him to sit.
At the doorway, Micah froze. His eyes darted from the anatomical charts to the writhing specimen in the jar, then back to the automated chair, his breath catching in his throat.
