Stan took a deep, deliberate breath.
The Divine Bronze Bone-Tempering Pill sat in his right palm, dark and warm and slightly heavier than it should have been for its size. He turned it over once between his thumb and forefinger, studying the faint, almost invisible script etched across its surface.
He set the jade elixir aside for now. The bottle could wait. Whatever it did, he wanted to take the pill first.
He weighed it once more, exhaled, and brought it to his mouth.
Though he didn't let it linger on his tongue, the instant the pill touched its tip, a sharp, electric sting spread across his taste buds. It wasn't the fiery burn of spice or the harsh bite of alcohol, but something far stranger, more invasive. It felt as though the inside of his mouth had been brushed by a low-voltage current, every nerve ending simultaneously numbed and set ablaze.
He swallowed almost immediately, more out of instinct than intention.
A wave of intense heat followed the pill down his throat.
