I was jolted from a dreamless sleep by urgent knocking at my hotel room door. Groaning, I forced myself to sit up, my body still leaden with exhaustion from the pill creation earlier. The knock came again, more insistent this time.
"Coming," I muttered, dragging myself out of bed and stumbling to the door.
When I opened it, I found Killian Moreau standing there, flanked by two silent attendants. His normally composed face showed uncharacteristic urgency.
"Mr. Knight," he said with a slight bow. "I apologize for the late intrusion."
I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my mind. "Mr. Moreau. This is... unexpected."
His eyes swept over my disheveled appearance and the dark circles under my eyes. "I see the rumors of your expenditure of energy were not exaggerated." He snapped his fingers, and one of his attendants stepped forward, presenting an ornate wooden box.
"The Ganoderma you requested," Killian said. "A hundred-year specimen, as promised."
