As Lory settled onto the capsule bed, the machinery stirred with a low mechanical sigh. From a hidden slot beside her head, a device slid forward, thin, jointed, and eerily serpentine. Its smooth metallic surface caught the cold blue glow of the chamber lights as it arched above her like a waiting predator.
Lory's body jerked at the sudden sting, a sharp flick of pain that lasted only a heartbeat yet sent an involuntary tremor through her. It wasn't severe; Lory didn't even make a sound, but the sight of it was still able to drain the color from Zhao Li Xin's face. His composure cracked in an instant, fear slipping through before he could hide it.
Zhao Li Xin subconsciously pressed his palm against the capsule's glass. His eyes widened, breath catching in his throat, frozen between fear and anxiety.
