A gardener selects a small seed and presses it into moist garden soil. Soil is then smoothed over the seed, restoring the surface to its previous even texture.
Right after this action, the planted spot shows no distinction from the adjacent soil. The garden bed appears entirely as it did before the seed was placed.
The following days bring no observable change to the surface. The area where the seed lies buried looks unchanged under daily sunlight.
Weeks elapse with the soil maintaining its uniform appearance. The planted location remains visually indistinguishable from the rest of the bed.
Eventually, a slender green sprout pierces the soil surface. This emergence reveals the outcome of the seed planted much earlier.
The span from planting to sprouting demonstrates latency. The initiating action completed promptly, while the visible result arrived only after a prolonged interval of apparent stillness.