A couple of minutes after running out of the House of Ignistris, Lennox and the others rushed to a nearby house. Upon entering, they saw multiple Ignistris members standing inside and outside, as if standing guard. Inside, they heard the sound of someone in pain.
Roran, sensing the urgency, hurried inside. There, he saw a middle-aged woman with black veins coursing all over her body, green fog emanating from her form, a sight that resembled a severe disease.
Roran halted, refraining from getting too close to the woman, knowing the fog could infect him. "When did this start again?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.
One of the members who had informed Roran about the woman stepped forward. "President, just a couple of minutes before I informed you," he replied.
Wrinkles of anxiety creased Roran's face. "Did anyone give her the medicine?" he inquired urgently.
"Yes, President, but it didn't work," another member answered solemnly.
As Roran deliberated his next course of action, Lennox approached him, studying the woman's condition closely. "Who is she, and what's wrong with her?" he inquired, his voice filled with genuine concern.
Roran rubbed his temple an ran his hand through his hairs in frustration. "That Sylas, mother. A couple of months ago... The initial stages of the disease are subtle, with the infected experiencing mild fatigue, headaches, and occasional bouts of nausea. We thought it was just a normal sickness. But then her skin takes on a sickly pallor, and veins beneath the surface begin to darken, resembling creeping vines. Suddenly, without warning, verdant green tendrils erupt from the host's body, bursting through skin, muscle, and bone despite all the academy's efforts. We tried everything from doctors, alchemy, talismans, and other remedies, but nothing worked. Luckily, there is a pill and talisman that holds back the progression, but that's it. We have nothing else," Roran explained, his voice heavy with frustration.
"Hmm, how is that possible? Doesn't the academy have the best Nexarc healers and even technology after exploring all the realms?" Lennox thought to himself.
"Someone go get Sylas," Roran ordered, and a member dashed out quickly.
"Can I take a look at her?" Lennox suddenly asked, shocking everyone in the room.
Roran looked at Lennox in disbelief. "Lennox, do you know medicine?" he asked skeptically.
Lennox shook his head. "No, but I do remember something I saw from my childhood," he said.
"There isn't any harm in checking. Just Sylas won't like this. Wear this mask first," Roran said, and a member brought a breathing mask, handing it to Lennox. "Wear this first. No one has ever breathed in the fog, but we have to be sure it isn't contagious," he explained as Lennox donned the mask.
Lennox's heart clenched with empathy as he watched the woman suffering, the weight of her pain almost palpable in the air around them. Despite the mask shielding him from the noxious fog, He felt an ominous feeling of danger, wondering how fog or disease could evoke such a sensation. Perhaps there was something more at play. Nevertheless, he continued forward, slowly sitting at the edge of the woman's bed he didn't know what kind of pain Sylas went through, having to see his mother like this.
Carefully, he reached out, his hands trembling slightly as he gingerly touched the woman clammy wrist. Though he was no healer, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he could do to help.
Lennox focused his Nexus energy into his index and middle fingers, recalling that Nexus energy could be used for both defense and attack. With a deep breath, he intended to use it to shield himself from harm as he entered the woman's body to investigate.
Closing his eyes, Lennox allowed his Nexus energy to guide him along the woman's veins. Almost all of them were damaged, indicating a dire situation. Her meridians were compromised, and her organs were on the brink of failure. Lennox realized that whatever medicine they had been giving her was barely keeping her alive by protecting her organs. If not for that, she would have succumbed to the illness at least two weeks ago. Despite not understanding how he knew or what he was doing, Lennox went with the flow.
As he entered her Nexus core, he encountered nothing but fog. However, he sensed something amiss, a feeling of unease. Delving deeper, he spotted a green eyeball within the fog, a sinister presence that made him sweat and tremble uncontrollably. Sensing danger, Lennox swiftly retreated from the woman's body just as two green tendrils shot out towards him. Fortunately, Roran intervened, incinerating the tendrils before they could harm Lennox.
Roran caught Lennox and placed a hand on his back. "Lennox, are you okay? What happened?" he inquired, concern etched on his face.
"I'm fine," Lennox nodded, his voice steady despite the lingering fear.
"Can you tell us what you found? It's the first time the tendrils attacked," Roran prompted.
"It's not a normal disease... It's like it has a mind of its own," Lennox explained slowly, thinking about the disease possessed a malevolent consciousness sent a shiver down his spine, But he pushed aside his fear, focusing instead on the task at hand.
Roran's expression shifted, a mixture of surprise and concern. "A mind of its own? I've never heard of a disease being able to do that," he murmured, taken aback by Lennox's revelation. "Do you have a way to heal her or get rid of it?" he asked.
Lennox nodded, his hand trembling as he reached for the paper. Roran signaled a member to bring a piece of paper and a pen, and Lennox began to jot down his thoughts. However, suddenly, he felt as if his head were being pounded with a hammer, his heart racing and his vision swimming with pain. With a sharp cry, he dropped the paper, clutching his head in agony.
"Lennox, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Roran exclaimed in panic, his mind racing with worry. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Lennox, especially not here and now. "Is it the disease?"
As everyone watched Lennox in concern, he suddenly ceased his screams, his breathing slowing as he picked up the paper and began writing once more. It was an eerie transition, leaving everyone feeling unsettled. Unbeknownst to them, inside Lennox's brain were two multiple-colored balls of bright light. One floated alone while the other was surrounded by multiple chains, suffused with a dark purple hue. As a bit of light flowed out and entered the small ball of light, Lennox's pain subsided.
Lennox handed the paper to Roran. "Can you get this pill made and 18 silver needles?" he requested.
Though unsure of Lennox's intentions, Roran hurried to fulfill the request, sensing a slim chance of saving the woman's life. As he rushed out of the house, Sylas , the House Champion, passed by, focused solely on his mother's plight, while Lennox approached him, tapping him on the shoulder.
"Sylas , calm down. Roran is bringing a new medicine to heal your mom," Lennox explained gently.
Sylas looked at Lennox with a mixture of disbelief and anguish. "Why should I calm down? Look at her, she's about to die, and no medicine has ever worked since... And who are you?" he shouted, his heart aching with pain. Sylas had always strived to do his best for his mother, who, despite lacking the abilities of other Nexarcs, managed to become a cook for the academy. Seeing her in such a state tore at his soul.
Lennox met Sylas anguished gaze with a solemn expression, understanding the depth of his despair all too well. He knew the pain of watching a loved one suffer, of feeling utterly powerless in the face of an insurmountable threat.
"I know it's hard," Lennox said softly. "But you have to believe that we're doing everything we can to save her. Roran is bringing a new medicine, one that might just make a difference."
Sylas shoulders slumped, his expression weary with exhaustion. "I've heard that before," he murmured, his voice tinged with bitterness. "But nothing ever changes. She just keeps getting worse, and I... I don't know how much longer I can bear it."