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Title: Sinister Cold: Reflecting on a Year of Devastation.
Author: Benjamin Hawthorne
Date: 15/04/2568.
It's been a year since a mysterious virus spread in our world, irrevocably altering the course of history. In retrospect, because of its sinister character and the chilling repercussions it unleashed on our civilization, I have come to refer to this terrible plague as the "Sinister Cold."
This disease, the Sinister Cold, first appeared in the year 2567, signaling the beginning of a wave of devastation that swept over our cities and towns with relentless fury.
It exacted an enormous toll, claiming the lives of millions of people and causing an ecological disaster that drove countless animal species to extinction. We were, and still are, on the verge of catastrophe, with our lives hanging in the balance.
This insidious illness caused two major symptoms: death or a terrifying decline into a permanent state of coma. With hindsight, I see the terrible impact of these symptoms as they tore through our civilizations, leaving a path of heartbreak and shattered lives in their wake.
Sinister Cold, so named because of its chilling effect, inflicts two primary symptoms on its unfortunate victims: death, in which the victims die as a result of rapid and irreversible organ failure, their bodies are weakened beyond the point of recovery, and with nothing that can be done to save them; or a terrifying decline into an unresponsive coma, buried within the depths of their subconscious, seemingly permanently lost to the world.
Because of the virus's unpredictability, scientists and medical professionals are at a loss for solutions, and their efforts to combat it are fraught with frustration.
The symptoms of those infected, before reaching one of the two likely outcomes, are frighteningly diverse, attesting to the virus's ruthlessness. There is not much to say. The Sinister Cold preys on the human body, attacking with ferocity. It causes a violent fever that consumes its victims from within, turning their skin pallid and clammy as their life force dwindles.
Delirium sets in, accompanied by nightmare experiences that sever their tenuous hold on reality. Some victims have uncontrollable seizures, their bodies shaking as their minds sink into darkness.
Fear and uncertainty abound as this sickness tightens its icy grasp on our globe. Every day brings new hurdles and heartbreaking losses while the search for a remedy remains elusive.
Our scientists and medical professionals work tirelessly, motivated by a flicker of optimism that we will defeat this wicked opponent one day, against all odds.
However, as we navigate the dangerous waters of Sinister Cold, we are presented with a sobering reality: the hunt for treatment remains complex and elusive. Despite our scientists' and doctors' earnest efforts, development appears excruciatingly slow. The weight of hopelessness falls on us, putting doubt on our chances of recovery.
(…)
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As he carefully read through the worn pages of the journal, Erik absorbed the Article's horrible tale of the Sinister Cold, the disease that had ravaged the earth many years ago.
"I didn't think I would find this information here…"
Like everyone else, Erik was aware of the disease that threatened the annihilation of the human species. Of course, he had no idea what had transpired in the past, but things weren't all that different from now, probably.
The young man kept reading, finding out the author's dissatisfaction with the seeming lack of progress in finding a cure for the virus. He also thought about the writer's feelings about the government's response, experiencing a sense of sadness for the government's inaction.
Furthermore, Erik couldn't help but make a mental comment on the journal's date. It occurred to him that this document was now regarded as ancient, a relic from a time of sorrow and uncertainty.
He closed the journal with a heavy sigh, its brittle pages whispering stories of a world forever changed. While the events mentioned in the essay may have occurred many years ago, the echoes of their impact continued to reverberate throughout time.
It was also weird to know what followed those events, with the apparition of the brain crystal and the birth of the Thaids.
<I bet that when the Sinister Cold appeared, people didn't think it would have led people to develop superpowers…> The young man thought.
The awakener stepped away from the journal and placed it back on the sofa. Nothing was exciting about it because it was mainly about scientists and the government's inability to discover a solution.
His attention was drawn away from the journal by a pair of old wooden stairs lying in the corner of the chamber.
Their presence silently invited him to explore the depths of this forgotten house. Intriguing by the prospect of more discoveries, he took a step closer, his gaze tracing the exquisite carvings that ornamented the staircase.
The worn-out stairs bore the imprints of numerous footsteps that had traveled their length. The once colorful and polished wood has faded to a dull tint and was covered by thick and heavy dust, blending with the ancient surroundings' state of decay.
Erik's heartbeat increased with excitement as he began his descent. With each step, a gentle groan rang through the vacant house.
<The stairs are not very stable…> The young man noticed.
As he moved farther into the unknown, the air became cooler, with faint light streaming through the crevices in the walls and forming elongated shadows on the floor.
The staircase seemed to go on forever, carrying Erik further into the heart of the house. His fingers brushed against the old banister, feeling the smoothness eroded by the hands of time.
As he descended, the air grew heavier; there was much dust there, which was making his breath hard.
He finally made it to the bottom step, his eyes adjusting to the dimness of the lower floor. The scene that met him was one frozen in time—an abandoned area filled with whispers of a life once lived. Erik's gaze moved around the room, taking in the fading wallpaper, rotting furniture, and relics from a bygone era.
However, his gaze was immediately pulled to a plant that pulsated with an ethereal glow in the center of the room amidst the creeping soil that poured inside the brick structure. Its mana-pulsing existence appeared out of place among the decaying and human remnants.
The plant was tall and slender, reaching about a meter and a half in height. Its bright green stems twisted and coiled like serpents in a complex dance. Each stem was adorned with beautiful, luminescent leaves that glowed softly and enchantingly, sending an iridescent color over the room.
Clusters of small, translucent orbs draped from the branches, generating a steady pulsing of mana that echoed with a pleasant hum. The orbs had a hypnotic quality to them, moving from deep blue to shimmering silver as though responding to unknown cosmic forces.
A gorgeous flower bloomed at the plant's heart, its petals unfurling like the wings of a celestial creature. The petals were a stunning combination of iridescent blues and purples, suggestive of a starry night sky. They released a delicate smell that filled the air with a gentle sweetness, adding to the plant's charm.
"Is it this that is repelling the thaids? Maybe the scent does it."
Erik marveled at the plant, its presence defying logical explanation. Its light seemed to throb with its life force as if it were a portal to worlds beyond human knowledge. This was neither a plant nor a Thaid; it was something different from the two, yet having aspects belonging to both.
Erik could sense the gentle thrum of mana resonating inside his very own being as he approached the plant, which seemed to recognize him, to perceive his link to the natural world and the invisible powers that regulated it.
<Is this due to my new brain crystal power?> The young man wondered. It was true that, since he got it, he started feeling something weird whenever he got closer to plants. It was like he could communicate with them, and it was hard to get accustomed to it while in a forest.
At that moment, the young man channeled mana through his Plant Master brain crystal power's neural links and infused it into the plant, which began growing.
"What the…? Why does it take so much time to grow?" the young man said out loud after five minutes passed.
Erik studied the plant as he pumped mana into it, and it appeared that although his power allowed him to grow plants faster and control them, naturally, the problem was that it was taking a lot of time for this single plant to grow.
At the same time, Erik usually made things grow even meters taller in a matter of moments. The plant acted like a sponge and seemed insatiable, hence why it grew slower than normal plants.
However, as the plant grew, so did the feeling. He was drawn to the living organism, but there was something about it that disgusted him, and the feeling grew stronger as the plant grew larger.
"Yep, this must be why the thaids are far from here," the young man said. There was something in the scent that was disgusting, even him, which found it pleasant to the nose.
"Better to take this with me. With my power, I won't have problems growing it in other places, and hopefully, I should be able to sleep better with this around."
Erik carefully plucked the brilliant plant's flower with gentle hands, taking a few of its roots with him. He cradled the delicate plant in his palms, admiring its ethereal beauty as he delicately put it into an empty water bottle he had on hand.
The bottle provided a temporary sanctuary for the mystical plant, protecting it from harm while allowing its vibrant glow to shine through the transparent walls. Erik secured the cap tightly, ensuring a safe and stable environment for the flower to thrive.
He could feel a gentle buzz of energy flowing from within the bottle as he held it in his hands as if the plant itself was grateful for the newfound refuge.
The young man realized he had discovered something extraordinary. He felt safer now that he had the plant in his grasp and was determined to protect and nurture this miracle, knowing its importance to his existence. It was at that point that the building began to shake.
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