The silence of the Vault was a living thing. It wasn't the absence of sound, but a dense, humming quiet held in check by technology and time. Kael felt it pressing against his eardrums, a stark contrast to the roaring chaos of the glacier just moments before. The air was scentless, the light unchanging. It was a tomb, and a womb, and it held his mate's attention completely.
Lyra moved away from him, her steps silent on the seamless floor. She approached the nearest row of stasis pods. Up close, they were less like crystal and more like a smoky, intelligent glass. Inside, a man slept. He looked young, his face peaceful, dressed in simple grey garments of a cut Kael had never seen. A display on the pod glowed with soft, shifting symbols and vital signs in a language Kael couldn't read.
