Chapter 9: The Awakening
"Breaking news!""To everyone watching, according to investigations by scientists, the strange rain seems to have revitalizing properties!""This could be a gift from a more advanced civilization!""If you have any illness… it is recommended to go outside and you will be completely healed."
The television had become a total death trap. Since Richard had returned, carrying Emma and her family to their rooms, he had turned on the TV to see what the authorities were doing now. The silence consumed him from within, and he longed to divert his attention… but what he discovered did not bring him relief, it only worsened his headache.
The presenters gave the impression of repeating the same message, as if all of them were being manipulated by an outside force. That thought sent shivers down his spine. If he hadn't been at the beginning of the epidemic, maybe he would have believed it was the work of some mutated leech. However… how could that be true? A leech, here in America, at this very moment?
He was in the middle of the United States. What were the chances that a leech had been brought here and just happened to mutate into some kind of hive-type mutant?
"If it really turns out to be true that a mutant leech exists in this city…" he murmured in a grave voice, covering his face with his hands, "…then I'll have to take everyone to another place."
The desire of the past, when he first experienced everything, was rising again from the depths of his heart. The same longing that had been his driving force in his previous existence: to survive, no matter the consequences.
He had to become stronger, otherwise he would remain nothing more than a paper boat against the immensity of the sea. He wouldn't be able to survive if a hive of infected was to form.
The infection core he held in his palm pulsed as if it could sense his thoughts. Its toxic green glow lit up his hands. It didn't look appealing in the slightest, yet his stomach rumbled violently. It was as if his very body craved it.
Richard swallowed hard. The core radiated heat, energy, strength. Just by holding it, he felt his body being revitalized. Never, not even in his wildest dreams, had he imagined having one in his possession. And now, he was hesitating.
He knew how dangerous it was to eat the core in his past life. For a normal person, it was like swallowing fire that melted your insides from within. But for him it would be much worse, because he had never had a trace of innate talent.
Richard chuckled bitterly, a harsh laugh escaping his lips.
"You know what…? To hell with everything!"
He threw his jacket onto his bed. The core trembled between his fingers before he brought it slowly to his mouth. Carefully, making sure not to drop it, avoiding a disastrous mistake.
CRUNCH.
The echo rang in his head. It was solid like iron. It burned like boiling liquid. Nearly impossible to bite with human teeth… until the unthinkable happened. The rock, firm as a bar of steel, softened in his mouth as if it were some tender food. It crumbled between his molars with a moist and pliable consistency.
The taste… was indescribable. Like consuming hot blood mixed with rotting fish. Like ingesting toxins. His throat spasmed shut, but there was no turning back.
Once swallowed, he felt it descend like a burning spark.
The epiglottis closed, while the muscles in his throat pushed it toward his esophagus. Each contraction felt like a fiery jolt tearing through his insides.Richard gasped for air, arching his back against the wall.
"Damn it… it burns like hell!""I'm burning!""Water… I need water!""Water!"
His nails tore into his chest, carving bloody marks into his skin. The experience was unbearable: heat, itching, suffering. It was as if his flesh was dissolving from the inside out.
The esophagus writhed, contracting violently. The core sank downward like a ball of fire. Richard clenched his teeth.
The stomach received it, but instead of being dissolved by gastric acid, the opposite happened.
THUMP.A heartbeat.
THUMP… THUMP.Two. Three.
Richard doubled over in pain. His hands gripped the edge of the bed with such force that imprints of his fingers appeared in the metal frame. His muscles burned as the core began to dissolve, seeping through the walls of his stomach into his bloodstream.
His heart pounded violently, as if it wanted to explode.
"GHHHAAAAH!" he roared, collapsing to his knees.
Richard spat saliva mixed with black blood, the byproduct of the virus within the core. He breathed in ragged gasps, as if on the verge of giving up. Every organ, nerve, and cell in his body screamed for him to stop.
His entire body was beginning to reform under the virus's influence. "They told me this would be painful… to hell with those liars, this is so much worse!" Richard collapsed unconscious.
[Congratulations, the first human has been born on the path of evolution.][This calls for a grand celebration. The Third Plague has been eliminated.][We hope humanity will manage to survive.]
The message appeared once more in the sky.
"…"
"Alert!""Alert!""All channels have been interrupted to report something important!""In the last few hours, a massive attack has occurred on all media outlets!""We don't know who was responsible!", "! But a team has begun spreading false information about the so-called blood rain."
"All channels are being interrupted for a presidential announcement." The initial message reappeared.
The screen showed static for a few moments before presenting the president. He was seated behind a desk, surrounded by flags. His face looked serious, projecting false calm. He was flanked by a pair of ministers and commanders from the special forces.
His hands trembled, shattering the illusion of composure. Alarming those watching him on TV or social media.
The president let out a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Citizens, I am speaking to you today to address something that has divided the nation. I want to make one thing clear: we are doing everything possible to discover the origin of the blood rain."
"But a well-organized team seems to have taken control of the major news channels… they are making people believe the rain is some sort of gift from the heavens: something it is absolutely not. Because biological agents have been discovered in the rain that can cause hallucinations and other problems we have not yet identified."
The president closed his eyes for an instant, inhaled deeply, and continued:"So far, we have no evidence that the rain brings any benefits. On the contrary, there are reports of individuals behaving strangely after exposure. That is what these terrorists want! For people to go outside, to give in to the illusion. We don't want to cause alarm, but this could be a biological attack."
The broadcast flickered. For a moment, the president's face seemed to dissolve into static. When it returned, his tone was deeper, as if he had aged ten years in a single minute.
"Citizens… remain in your homes. Do not pay attention to anyone but us. Do not take risks. Your government will not abandon you."
The camera unintentionally zoomed closer to his face. His lips trembled, his eyes shone red, bloodshot, as if something else was eating him from the inside.
Finally, the broadcast ended with white text over a dark background.
"No signal…"
* * *
Room.
Richard woke up suddenly, gasping for air as if he had been submerged underwater.
His body was drenched in cold sweat, his shirt clinging to his skin like a second, soaked layer. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest — THUMP, THUMP, THUMP — with such intensity that for a moment he imagined the core was still inside him, crushing his guts.
He placed a hand on his chest. The fire that had almost caused spontaneous combustion was gone. Richard clenched his fists — he felt stronger. Much stronger than the first time he had ever become an Awakened in his previous life.
"So this is what it feels like to have a talent…" The difference in life for an Awakened with talent was like heaven and earth. Right now, he felt invincible. Even if he didn't yet know what kind of ability he had awakened.
At this moment, he was like a child with a new toy. Though the best part was that he could now step outside during the rain.
"The time has come to hunt those plagues…" Richard smiled.