Dawn came slowly.
A pale blue light filtered through the canopy, brushing over the clearing like a thin veil. The fire had burned down to embers, leaving only soft wisps of smoke rising into the early morning air.
Ryn was already awake.
He sat with his back to a tree, eyes half-closed, listening to the forest breathe. Every so often, a faint cold drifted through the clearing.
The tiger seemed to leave and come back every so often, almost like it knew what they were doing.
Jay was checking on his concoction, which seemed to solidify into a small round pill—perfectly smooth and faintly glowing, pulsing with residual Life Energy.
He turned it over in his fingers with a thoughtful hum.
"…Huh. Looks stable enough."
Ryn opened his eyes. "So it worked."
"Worked is a generous word," Jay said quietly.
"Let's call it… viable. It should trigger the exact reaction we want, assuming the tiger's physiology handles Essence the same way ours does."
Ryn nodded. "And if it doesn't?"
