Kiran's prison life revolved around Dr. Koval's "integration tests." They weren't harsh, not in the way he expected. There were no tortures, no brute force. Instead, Koval would sit across from him, asking him to focus, to feel the seed within him. She spoke of its power like a gift, a connection to the Eldritch that would bring enlightenment, not destruction. He hated every word.
But the seed itself was undeniable. It pulsed, a low, vibrant thrumming in his chest, growing stronger each day. During one test, Koval placed a single, withered plant on a small table. "Accelerate its growth," she ordered, her voice calm. Kiran focused, channeling the raw energy. He felt a surge, a blinding rush of power, and the plant didn't just grow; it exploded into a riot of twisted, unnatural green, then withered and crumbled into dust in seconds. It was too much, too uncontrolled. The crack marks on his body glowed fiercely, briefly hurting more than ever.
Another test. Koval showed him a complex diagram from the Eclipse Codex, a swirling pattern that seemed to hum with silent power. "Connect," she whispered. As he focused, his mind reeled. A new vision, or perhaps a memory, crashed into him. Not of his own life, but a fragmented flash: a blinding flash of emerald light, a chorus of guttural, ancient voices, and a searing sensation of being pulled through something vast and dark, not his own body, but someone else's. Then, a cold, sharp feeling of insertion. The "seed." It felt like a memory of how the seed was created, or how it had entered another vessel. He was seeing the event from the outside, or through another's eyes. It was horrifyingly vivid.
Kiran knew he couldn't just fight his way out. This power, this seed, was a wild beast, and Koval intended to tame it for her own ends. He had to learn to control it first. He started watching Koval, studying her routine, looking for a weakness in her calm, controlled demeanor. He also listened to the hum of the base, feeling for subtle changes, for anything that hinted at a path to escape. The raw power within him was a dangerous thing, but it was also his only hope.