"It's not stone. It's an incubator," Hana explained, her mind racing at a mile a minute, the pieces of the puzzle finally slamming into place. "Before the world fell, before the virus mutated and the bunkers were sealed, the humans knew they couldn't survive on the surface."
It was the only reasonable explanation.
"They didn't just build vaults for themselves—they built these. Indestructible pods powered by the geothermal heat of the volcano to keep their children asleep, waiting for a day when the air was clean again."
She leaned closer, her eyes scanning the micro-thin hexagonal lines. "The dragons didn't inherit the volcano. They nested on top of a human nursery."
> [System Prompt: Aegis Security override required to open the seal.]
> [Authentication Method: Primary User Bio-Signature (Human Blood) & 10,000 KP.]
"System," Hana thought frantically. "Unlock the pod."
> [Biometric Scan Initiated. Place human blood on the primary interface node.]
