Frosted glass display cases enclosed strange mechanical schematics—diagrams of gears turning within crystal spheres. Meredith's green light revealed brittle parchment resting on rusted metal stands.
"Is that mechanical... interface?" she whispered, tracing a line of text beneath an illustration of a spherical device. "This predates our technology by decades..."
As her fingertips brushed the parchment, a muted alarm sounded within their minds.
System Warning: Interaction with Restricted Artefact. [Debuff: Visual Clarity –15% (Duration: 2 minutes)]. Failure to leave the restricted area will result in escalating penalties.
Meredith blinked, vision wavering as the snowflakes underfoot blurred. "My sight… everything's shifting."
Richard knew exactly what she meant—he was under the same effect.
He felt a wave of nausea ripple through his body as the debuff took hold. His fingers tightened instinctively around the hilt of his dagger.
