The alloy walkway back to his cabin was quiet, with only a handful of fellow apprentices passing by. They glanced at Kael Voss's limp with mild curiosity but said nothing—hardly surprising, as a lowly probationary apprentice rarely drew much attention in the bustling Verdant Bio-Dome. No one guessed the source of his discomfort, nor the secret he clutched close to his chest.
Once inside his private cabin, the throbbing in his right toe intensified. Kael hurried to the narrow cot, sinking onto its edge as he carefully removed his synthetic fiber boot and the thin moisture-wicking sock beneath. The sight of his injury made him wince: his big toe was swollen to twice its normal size, the skin stretched taut and glowing a vivid crimson, like an overheated alloy component.
Without hesitation, Kael reached beneath his pillow, retrieving a small cylindrical container—one of the cell-repair serum vials Dr. Mordecai Thorne had provided him. The clear, viscous liquid inside was a proprietary formula of the Seven Luminaries Tech Conglomerate, designed to accelerate tissue regeneration and reduce inflammation from genetic cultivation or physical trauma. Kael had originally stashed it away for Gareth, knowing his friend's Bio-Armor Reinforcement Technique often left him bruised and battered. He'd never imagined he'd need it first.
Twisting the vial's cap released a sharp, minty aroma—tinged with the faint metallic scent of activated nanobots. Kael poured a drop of the serum onto his swollen toe, and a cooling sensation spread instantly, numbing the pain as the nanobots permeated beneath his skin to repair damaged cells. Dr. Thorne's expertise was truly unparalleled; the serum took effect in seconds, the swelling already beginning to subside.
After wrapping the toe in a sterile synthetic bandage, Kael slipped his sock and boot back on. He tested his weight on the foot—sore, but manageable. Satisfied with his quick first aid, he turned his attention to the real reason for his distraction: the mysterious vessel that had caused his injury.
He pulled the object from his tunic's inner pocket, then grabbed a microfiber cloth from his desk to wipe away the remaining dust and needle debris. As the grime lifted, the vessel's true appearance emerged: fist-sized, cylindrical with a narrow neck, and forged from an iridescent green alloy that shimmered like liquid starlight. Etched into its surface were intricate, bio-mechanical leaf motifs—raised slightly, as if grown into the metal rather than carved. It was unlike any material Kael had encountered in the Conglomerate's databases, neither synthetic polymer nor known alloy; it radiated a faint, warm energy that seeped through his palms, a subtle vibration that resonated with his own bio-energy pathways.
Kael hefted it, marveling at its density. It was far heavier than it should be for its size, yet lacked the cold rigidity of metal or the brittle smoothness of ceramic. The green hue was inherent to the material, not a coating—deep and alive, as if the alloy itself contained biological components.
His curiosity burning brighter, Kael focused on the vessel's cap. It fit seamlessly with the neck, no visible seam or hinge, as if the entire object had been forged in one piece. He'd tried twisting it earlier on the walkway, but now—with his toe throbbing less—he resolved to open it properly.
He clamped the vessel in one hand, gripping the cap with the other, and strained to twist. His muscles tensed, the serum-enhanced strength of his cultivation flaring to life, but the cap remained immobile—solid as if fused to the body. He tried again, gritting his teeth as his forearm muscles bulged, but there was not so much as a flicker of movement.
Shock washed over him. He'd expected to pry it open with ease—his months of the Unnamed Gene Calibration Protocol had boosted his physical strength far beyond that of a typical ten-year-old. Yet the vessel resisted, unyielding. He twisted once more, harder this time, until his wrist ached, but it was useless. The cap might as well have been part of the same mold as the rest of the vessel.
Kael set the vessel on his desk, rubbing his sore wrist. He examined it closely, searching for hidden latches, energy seams, or biometric locks—any sign of how it might open. But the surface was flawless, the leaf motifs decorative rather than functional. No buttons, no grooves, no faint glow of a digital interface. It was a mystery wrapped in an enigma, forged from an unknown material and sealed tighter than a cryogenic storage unit.
Frustration mingled with fascination. If the vessel was this difficult to open, whatever was inside must be invaluable—perhaps a lost gene formula, a sample of ancient bio-material, or even a fragment of the Immortality Codex Dr. Thorne studied. He couldn't give up now.
A thought struck him: Gareth. His friend's Bio-Armor Technique had already enhanced his physical strength to extraordinary levels—enough to crack synthetic steel with his bare hands. If anyone could twist the cap off, it was Gareth.
Without hesitation, Kael grabbed the vessel and headed for Gareth's cabin across the bio-dome's residential sector. The wait for his friend was agonizing; each minute felt like an hour as Kael paced the small room, his eyes fixed on the door. Finally, he heard the familiar creak of the hatch sliding open.
Gareth stepped inside, his synthetic tunic soaked with sweat, his chest heaving from his latest training session beneath the gravitational cascade. The Bio-Armor Technique left him perpetually overheated, his enhanced body radiating warmth like a small reactor. He blinked in surprise at Kael's presence.
Before Gareth could speak, Kael held out the vessel. "Gareth, can you help me? I need to open this."
Gareth's eyes widened as he took the object, turning it over in his hands. "Whoa—this is cool. Where did you find it?" The leaf motifs caught the cabin's soft blue light, shimmering as he rotated it.
"On the walkway near the gravitational cascade. I tripped over it," Kael said, omitting the part about his injured toe being caused by it. Something about the vessel made him want to keep its details private—a instinctive urge to guard his discovery.
Gareth grinned, gripping the vessel firmly. "Let's see what we've got." He braced the body against his palm, wrapping both hands around the cap, and pulled with a low grunt. His muscles bulged beneath his tunic, veins popping as he poured his enhanced strength into the task. The vessel trembled slightly in his grip, but the cap remained steadfast.
"Damn," Gareth muttered, shaking his hands. "That's sealed tight. What the hell is this thing made of?" He tried again, 咬牙 ing harder, his face reddening with effort. For a moment, Kael thought he saw the cap shift—but it was just a trick of the light. Gareth let out a frustrated huff, handing the vessel back.
"I can't do it, Kael. It's like it's welded shut. Maybe ask one of the senior apprentices? They've got better gene augmentations."
Kael's heart sank. If Gareth couldn't open it, what chance did he have? He nodded, forcing a weak smile. "Thanks anyway. I'll figure something out."
Gareth frowned, noticing Kael's limp for the first time. "Hey, your foot—are you okay? Did you hurt it when you tripped?"
"Just a bruise," Kael lied, shifting his weight. "Nothing serious. Dr. Thorne's serum fixed it." He didn't want to elaborate, not when his mind was racing with disappointment and determination.
After a brief, distracted chat about Gareth's progress in the Bio-Armor Technique, Kael took his leave, the unopenable vessel heavy in his hand. Back in his own cabin, he set it on the desk, leaning forward to stare at it intently. The leaf motifs seemed to glow faintly in the dim light, as if mocking his failure.
He wouldn't give up. Whatever secrets this vessel held, he was going to uncover them—even if he had to spend every free moment of his apprenticeship figuring out how.