Golden sparks showered the room in a cascading waterfall of divine light, each one fading into nothing before it touched the sterile hospital floor. In their wake, floating in the air with impossible stillness, was a simple bronze key.
It looked ancient—impossibly, incomprehensibly ancient. The metal had gone green with age, patina coating its surface in patterns that suggested millennia of existence. Symbols were carved into its shaft and bow, intricate designs that seemed to shift and change as I looked at them, rearranging themselves into new configurations that my mind couldn't quite hold.
"A key," I said flatly, disappointment and confusion warring in my voice. "I spent one thousand SP on a fucking key."
Apollo's laughter boomed through my consciousness, resonant with divine amusement. "Oh, Satori. So quick to judge. So eager to be disappointed." His voice carried warmth now, genuine pleasure at my reaction. "This isn't just any key."
