Calamity
Chapter 1: Calamity.
-"When a world takes pride in being unstoppable. When a civilization believes it holds absolute power. When a species is labeled as invincible, they tend to neglect what they cannot see. And so, they become blind to the most ancient entity — older than intelligent species, older than life itself, older than the very formation of the earth. The entity with the highest death toll of any catastrophe or war in human history: Measles, Influenza, Smallpox, Bubonic Plague, Malaria, COVID-19."-
-"This entity already resonates in the mind of every living being, this entity already dwells within the body of all, this entity is already etched as a synonym for fear among people. The name given to this entity is 'Virus'."-
A glowing speck appears in the void. Beside the tiny particle, a pair of hands emerge from that same void and cradle it.
-"You who chose to open your being to harbor chaos within your existence, and whispered to the abyss."-
-"You who chose to rid yourself of your very name, your very soul, and embrace the end of your existence."-
The entity closes its hands, and its eyes appear in the void — blazing — staring at the reader.
-"You, spectator, who reads these words and has inhaled my presence, shall witness my creation of chaos unleash despair and death upon this world."-
The entity opens its hands and lets the speck fall into the void, and the creation only falls endlessly into the darkness itself.
-"…?!"-
A tiny, sharp voice rises from the speck as it falls.
-"Where am I?"-
The creation came to its senses and its consciousness awakened, but it was confused by its situation — it had realized it was surrounded by darkness.
-"Why can't I…?"-
Upon trying to move, it realized it felt nothing in its body. It could not see its limbs, nor any part of itself. Only its very existence seemed to float in nothingness.
-"Whose voice was that?"-
While the speck searched through its thoughts, a radiant light rose from the depths of the void, shining like a sun. It was the only thing that had changed in the endless emptiness. There was something drawing that light closer.
Upon focusing on the light, the consciousness was absorbed by it without resistance. The light enveloped its entire field of vision.
-(Hm?!)-
In that moment, a vague sensation became a certain perception: a pounding heartbeat, the ability to breathe.
-(What? Can I… breathe?)-
It gently opened its eyes. Before them stretched dense trees, and the scent of damp earth invaded its senses — it was in a forest, light barely filtering through the cracks in the canopy.
-(Where is this place?)-
Confused by the sudden change in surroundings. Everything looked far too strange: its perspective was right above the ground, it couldn't stand upright no matter how hard it tried — not even on all fours should its vision be this low.
Looking around, it spotted a nearby puddle. It crawled over to observe its reflection.
Looking more closely, the reflection showed: a furry face, rounded ears, black and gleaming eyes, a small nose pointing upward, and protruding front teeth… what was reflected in the water was nothing more, nothing less, than a mouse.
-"Chu-chu?! (What the heck?!)"-
Upon touching the small gray body, it startled. A high-pitched sound escaped it. Observing more carefully, it confirmed the impossible: it was a rat.
-(Why do I look like this?)-
While lost in bewilderment and processing its surroundings, a deafening hum invaded its mind. A cold, mechanical voice resonated from within:
*New base skills have been acquired:*
**[Domination I] [Replication I] [Infectivity I] [Devour I]**
Faced with the relentless voice invading its mind, it stubbornly tried to reason with it.
-"Chu-chu?! (What? Who are you? What do you mean by new skills? Replication? Tell me what-)"-
Interrupted by the voice again, it simply resigned itself to listen.
*New skills have been acquired from the new host:*
**[Cowardice I] [Danger Detection I] [Sense of Smell I]**
*New symptoms have been acquired from the new host:*
**[Fever I]**
*New infection types have been acquired from the new host:*
**[Saliva Transmission I] [Residue Transmission I] [Airborne Transmission 0]**
The avalanche of information collapsed its processing capacity. It was only momentary, but it recovered from the sheer amount of things piling up in its mind.
It whimpered as it processed everything with its new body. But several questions rose in its head — it had to understand. Yet one question stood above the rest, one that truly disturbed it…
-"Chu… (Who am I?)"-
Upon trying to use its mind to remember, it realized it had no memory of who it was. It couldn't recall its face, not even a name. It didn't understand why.
-"Chu… (What happened to my other body?)"-
It wondered whether something had happened to its old body. But just like its identity, it couldn't remember.
-(No… wait, did I even have a body?)-
Though it didn't know who it was, it had a vague sense that it had been human.
-(Was I human? I think so. What happened to me?)-
Had it died in an accident? And upon waking, it was a mouse in an unfamiliar forest with no memories of its past life. If it ruled out the idea of dreaming, only one hypothesis remained.
-(Did I… die and reincarnate?)-
An absurd theory, but strangely logical. The concept of reincarnation appeared across cultures and religions it somehow knew. Now that it had the body of a rat, it couldn't dismiss the idea without thinking it through.
It was then that it felt something stir deep within itself — as though something dormant had been touched. Broken memories began to surface in its mind.
-"You who chose to open your being to harbor chaos within your existence…"-
-(That voice?)-
-"You who chose to rid yourself of your very name, your very soul…"-
-(Whose voice is this? It told me I chose to give up my name and soul? I don't understand what it means.)-
The fragments arrived unevenly, incomplete — like a radio signal breaking through static. They weren't clear memories. They were echoes.
-"…You who shall serve me, and in return I will grant you immeasurable power."-
-"…You who will become a calamity and end the lives of millions, in exchange for bringing Him into this world…"-
-(A deal? I gave something to that person? My memories and soul — for someone? Who was it?)-
Her mind was confused. She couldn't remember the name of whoever had spoken. There was no clear image of their face either. Only silence in her memories — a suffocating silence that clung to her mind.
But fragments of memory seeped through, only a few words drifting among the remnants — yet those words carried a feeling she couldn't quite name with certainty:
*"I will save you."*
Three words. In some way, it was her own voice, speaking what sounded like a promise.
-(Who am I supposed to save…?)-
She couldn't know to whom she had made that promise, but something inside her was urging her to make it true. Her soul, perhaps? No — it had been torn away. Her memory? No — it had been erased. It was her very existence whispering to her, telling her to fulfill that deal, that the lives she'd take shouldn't matter to her.
She tried to search for a reaction, some feeling. The nausea of that weight, or the rejection of her fate.
But nothing answered. Only that promise, floating in her thoughts.
*"I will save you."*
-(…Alright.)-
It wasn't a heroic decision. It wasn't even a deliberate one. It was simply the only thing left standing within her.
-(If I must become a calamity to fulfill it… so be it.)-
This second life was hers. She would start from the bottom, and she would not stop for anything.
-(Very well… If that is the deal, perhaps you'll give me answers if I wipe out half of all life.)
With the vague memory of the deal in her mind, she would be willing to fulfill it — and perhaps it would give her answers about who she was, and who she was meant to save.
This world did not yet know who this microscopic virus was, dwelling inside a rat — but as time passed, stories and rumors of it would grow more relevant with every day.
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