Kiran pushed himself to his feet, his body still protesting, but his mind sharp. "We need to go. Now," he said, looking around the eerie chamber. Dr. Koval was unconscious, but he couldn't trust it. She was too smart, too careful. Elena nodded, grabbing her small backpack. As they turned to leave, something caught Kiran's eye. Hidden in a small, hidden shelf built into the pedestal of the ethereal Eclipse Codex, almost swallowed by the shadows, was a dark, plain object. It was barely visible, camouflaged against the dull metal.
Kiran walked over, a strange pull guiding him. His hand reached out, and as his fingers brushed the object, the faint hum inside him grew stronger, a clear vibration that made his teeth ache. It was a book. Not the glowing, shifting form on the pedestal, but a physical, old-looking book, bound in dark leather with no title on its spine. It felt ancient, heavy, almost cold to the touch, yet a faint energy seemed to radiate from it. He opened it carefully. The pages were thick, yellowed parchment, filled with strange symbols and complex diagrams. These were not words he could read, but he recognized the Zero Cabal symbol etched into some of the illustrations. This was the secret, physical Eclipse Codex that only three high-ranking members knew about. And now, he held it.
"What is that?" Elena whispered, her eyes wide with awe and fear. "Is that… another part of it?"
Kiran's gaze fell on a small, data chip, almost hidden beneath the book. He picked it up. It was from Dr. Koval's personal console. Elena quickly plugged it into her encrypted device. A log file popped up, showing a list of names and projects. One line made Kiran freeze. It was a record of his own file, marked with a chilling code: "Subject 07 - CODE X: Prime Vessel Candidate."
"Code X," Kiran read aloud, a bitter taste in his mouth. "That's my secret name. Only the very top people in Neo-Eclipse knew it." His eyes flickered to Koval's still form. She knew. She had known him, planned for him, since he was a child. The realization sent a cold wave through him. The "seed" in his dream, the physical book, his secret code name – it all connected back to Koval, to the Eclipse Codex, and to a horrifying plan that had been set in motion decades ago. They had found the book, but they knew nothing about how to use it, or why Koval guarded it so closely.