Darkness. Cold. The faint, high-pitched hum of hidden machines. Kiran slowly became aware of his surroundings. His body still ached, but the burning pain from the cracks on his skin had lessened, replaced by a strange, tingling warmth from deep inside his chest. The "seed" was there, pulsing. He tried to move, but his wrists and ankles were held tight by thick, glowing restraints. He was lying on a cold, metal table in a sterile, white room. The air was heavy, like it was being weighed down by a silent power.
He slowly looked around the room. It was stark, empty except for a large, glass screen on one wall, showing complex diagrams and symbols that looked like those from the Eclipse Codex. This wasn't a normal prison cell. This was a lab, or some kind of research area. He felt a deep sense of dread.
The door slid open, revealing a familiar, chilling figure. Dr. Rhea Koval. She walked in slowly, her dark uniform looking neat, her face calm, almost kind, but her eyes held a cold, knowing light. She carried a small, glowing device. She didn't look injured at all from his last punch. Kiran realized with a jolt that his attack, meant to stop her, might have just been part of her plan all along.
"Ah, Code X. You're awake," she said, her voice soft, almost pleased. She circled the table, her gaze studying him with a disturbing intensity, as if he were a specimen. The name "Code X" hit him like a physical blow. It was the secret name he'd seen in the old Foundation files, the name only the highest members knew. It confirmed everything. She wasn't just a high-ranking member; she was deeply involved, perhaps even in charge of the whole "Subject" program.
"You overused your abilities, Kiran," she continued, a faint smile on her lips. "Pushing the limits of your host body. But that's good. It confirms the integration. The 'seed,' as you perceive it, is blossoming." She gently touched the area over his heart, sending a strange jolt through him, a mix of cold and warmth. "You are not merely a 'Subject,' Code X. You are our most successful fusion, the purest vessel. The bridge for the Eldritch on the Great Eclipse. Your role is... paramount." Kiran stared at her, horrified. He was not just a prisoner; he was the key to their terrifying plan.