We stepped out of the portal and into the stark, white expanse of the lab. The abrupt shift from the vibrantly lit Citadel to the sterile, almost blinding whiteness of the lab was jarring. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the harsh lighting.
Kunlan and I came to an abrupt halt as we spotted a figure at the far end of the room. A young woman was perched on the edge of a table, her attention fully immersed in a bowl of noodles. She was calmly slurping them up, a serene bubble of normalcy amidst our dramatic entrance.
We exchanged a glance. The Brushsquirrel, far more interested in the prospect of food than the strange situation, jumped from my shoulder onto the table. It nosed at the noodle bowl, its tiny pink tongue darting out to taste the contents. Xu Wen'an smiled, sliding the bowl towards the little creature.
