Elena turned her head sharply.
> "Wait… what infection?"
Turichie didn't answer right away.
Elena stepped forward, her voice more serious.
> "You said if the infection reaches Germany. What did you mean?"
Finally, the voice in her head returned — low and steady.
> "A virus. A real one. It spreads by blood. It turns humans into something… unstable. Mindless. And it's already out of control."
Elena blinked.
> "What kind of virus?"
> "One they uncovered recently in Antarctica. Ancient. Unlike anything modern medicine can handle. It started in France. And now… it's spreading."
> "How do you know all this?" Elena asked.
> "I can sense it. One of the few instincts left from my full self. It's called Proximity Blood Sense. It lets me feel changes in living blood — even from hundreds of kilometers away. And what I feel now... is chaos."
Elena looked shocked.
> "So… people are dying?"
> "No. Worse. They're surviving, but changed. Infected. Their blood becomes something else. They lose control of their minds, turning violent, empty. I've felt it before… thousands of years ago."
Elena went quiet.
> "Is it like me?" she whispered.
> "No. You are something rare. Something between life and death. The infected… they're the result of failed evolution. The virus doesn't give them power. It takes everything away."
She sat back down, the cool forest floor grounding her.
> "How long until it reaches here?"
> "Soon. France couldn't hold it. And China is already falling apart. Airports, borders, even rivers can't stop it now. This virus was hidden by governments. But it's loose now — and unstoppable by normal humans."
> "Why would they hide it?" Elena asked.
> "Fear. Panic. Politics. They always hide the truth. But truth doesn't stay buried forever."
---
Meanwhile… on the Streets of Southern France
Two officers found a man collapsed in front of a grocery store.
He stood up slowly, eyes bloodshot, mouth twitching.
He bit one of them before they could speak.
The second officer screamed for help.
But no one came.
---
Back in the forest, Elena stood up and looked through the trees.
> "So what do I do now?"
> "You train. You get stronger. Because this virus isn't stopping. And soon, you'll have to make a choice."
> "What choice?"
> "To survive… or to lead."
---