For science. Everything Viktor did was for science. To help cure the weaknesses humanity had shown since the moment they evolved. Including... Whatever was happening here.

Was it some sort of sleep deprived hallucination, or was the Hexcore getting slightly... 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂?

It had been a few nights now that he had recorded changes in the object's behaviour and reactions. Less robotic and stiff, more slow and smooth. Tests that usually made it recoil and shudder now made it contract, expand, shift. Made it look alive. Which was impossible. Unless the Arcane was much more powerful than he previously anticipated. Unless it had some sort of consciousness. Viktor supposed that anything was possible.

The weirdest thing was when he brought his hand a little too close. Viktor had always assumed that magic--the kind they used in the lab, at least--would be cold, but the gossamer tendrils that wrapped their way around his arm felt so warm. Warm and soft, almost.

Significant change was noted after three hours. Viktor bolted up in his chair, almost passing out from the force of the movement and coughing a few more droplets of blood on the workbench, which the Hexcore greedily sucked up. Huh. How odd. It was moving faster now, so fast that he could barely see anything more than the blue glow.

And before he knew it, you were sitting on the desk.

But not you you. Not his lab partner. This strange, glowing, Hexcore-imitation of you. And you were looking at him like you just couldn't wait to put that workbench to use. Which was nice, in a way. Viktor wouldn't have minded if real-you looked at him like that. Tentatively, he stood up, eyeing you up and down. He quickly realised that it was a bad idea. His eyes snapped back to your face, cheeks a fiery red, trying to pretend like he hadn't just seen far too much.

"I--uh--" He awkwardly cleared his throat. This wasn't starting very well. You were looking at him like a cat ready to pounce. "So--so what are you?"