The Boundless Prophecy

Chapter 1 (1.8(a) Venretin - Revive the unsalvageable)

Bogen, who was plump and short, looked visibly distressed as all eyes turned toward him. His face reddened, indicating embarrassment or unease, while Schell, despite the attention, remained composed. They sat across from Wallace, the reports in front of them untouched.

"Um... We... It was a busy night," Bogen stuttered, clearly caught off guard by the sudden focus on him, his embarrassment apparent as his face flushed deeply.

Schell cleared his throat, signalling his intention to take charge of the conversation as his colleague struggled with his words. "We received the patients managed from the emergency hall. Almost half of them sustained serious injuries requiring intensive medical care. Some underwent surgery, which our colleagues from the Aetherblade Department can elaborate on. Initially, after the patients arrived on the wards, they appeared stable. However, within the first hour, a sudden change occurred. The wounds, which had been bandaged and cleaned, started to liquefy, emitting a foul-smelling yellow-blackish fluid that soaked through the bandages, almost as if the flesh was melting away."

Schell paused, allowing the gravity of his words to sink in. The attendees, including Wallace, used that moment to conjure mental images of the horrific scenes Schell had just described. Bogen's visibly distressed expression made it evident that it was not something they wanted to visualize first thing in the morning.

"To our horror, as we unwrapped those bandages, the wounds were disintegrating before our eyes. Flesh melted away, and a viscous black fluid oozed out. The more severe the initial injury, the faster the disintegration occurred. It was a literal flesh-eating process. The internal organs started to disintegrate in tandem. That's how we lost ten patients within five minutes after their return from the operation theatres," Schell spoke, his voice tinged with forced composure, betraying the shock he felt.

Schell then mimicked a rubbing motion between his fingers and thumb, an expression of confusion on his face. "And we discovered some spawn-like substances among the discharges."

The significance of the spawn-like substances mentioned by Schell seemed to be overshadowed by the shocking and mysterious deaths that had transpired. All attention was focused on the inexplicable nature of the victims' demise.

Bogen continued the story, his tone weighted with gravity. 'We exhausted every method to halt the wound breakdown process. We applied every treatment, administered all available medications, including Venretin,' he stressed the word for emphasis, underlining the gravity of the situation. 'But nothing yielded results.'

Wallace's forehead creased slightly at the mention of Venretin.

Venretin was invaluable, reserved only for the rarest of circumstances.

The discovery of Venretin was itself shrouded in myth. Rumour had it that a merchant stumbled upon it in a remarkable twist of fate. Chased by bandits and cornered at a cliff's edge, the merchant had no choice but to leap into the abyss several thousand feet below. As he fell, he grasped at a massive rock, shattering all his fingers but miraculously saving his life.

Dangling precariously, he spied an eye-catching, pink-hued plant adorned with bright orange spines flourishing on the cliff face. In a stroke of luck, he glimpsed a ledge just ten feet below him. Summoning incredible courage, he released his fractured fingers and plunged onto the ledge, breaking several bones in his feet. The ledge's size barely accommodated his stance, offering him a precarious foothold.

Intrigued by the proliferation of these peculiar plants despite his dire circumstances, he couldn't resist reaching out with his uninjured left hand to touch them.

Despite their innocent appearance, the bright orange spines proved harder than expected, inflicting small cuts on his fingers. A searing sensation coursed from his feet to his head, followed by a tingling feeling that spread across his fractured fingers and feet.