The Boundless Prophecy

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

Sage Lachlan Rigg, presiding over the meeting, felt compelled to inquire, though he already had an inkling about the cause behind Sister Onnee's unabashed display of distress. "Sister Onnee, what has happened?"

Reluctantly, Sister Onnee lowered her hands, revealing a pallid and worn countenance marked by profound exhaustion. Tears streamed down her face, unabated. "The wards were a nightmare. Bodies... melting, flesh and bone dissolving, bed sheets drenched in blackened pus and blood. They cried out in agony until their very lungs dissolved. The stench of decaying flesh lingered throughout the wards."

Her words were disjointed, interspersed with tears and sobs, yet the sheer horror reflected in her eyes transcended any coherence. It was evident that what Sister Onnee had experienced overnight was beyond the realms of a mere nightmare.

Her nostrils twitched as though still catching the putrid scent of death.

Sister Onnee, typically exuding confidence in her late fifties, usually spoke with assuredness. However, the recent events had taken a toll on her. A typically petite and slender woman, the strain and trauma she had endured made her appear as if she had aged a decade overnight.

"They were barely recognizable, hardly half their original form when they passed. Organs devoured and disintegrated—blackened intestines, hole-ridden lungs, skeletal legs stripped bare. I have never borne witness to such horrors in all my years," Sister Onnee recounted, her voice trembling with the memory.

Her detailed descriptions of the deceased bodies evoked expressions of disgust across the room. Wallace, deeply affected, could almost sense the nauseating stench of decomposing flesh merely by visualizing her harrowing account.

Sage Lachlan Rigg, who had also witnessed Sister Onnee's disturbing account, maintained a composed expression. Despite his efforts to remain collected for the continuation of the meeting, a faint furrow appeared between his brows, betraying the haunting effect of the distressing revelation. "I am sorry you had to endure this," he murmured, his voice thick with unspoken emotions, unable to conceal his empathy.

Meanwhile, Sage Ector, seated adjacent to Sage Saito, twisted his neck and cast a sour expression in her direction. Sage Saito had started her journey in the sanatorium under Ector's tutelage and remained his favoured student. Now serving as the deputy dean's right hand, she emulated Ector's administrative approach rather than focusing on clinical practice. Her countenance, perpetually inscrutable, shielded her emotions from others.

Sage Saito briefly exchanged a glance with Sage Ector, yet she remained impassive, refusing to acknowledge his sour expression.

Sister Onnee's heartfelt testimony left Sage Ector grappling with internal conflict, preventing him from pressing the sanatorium dean further regarding the use of Venretin. His residual sense of compassion kept him silent, contributing to the solemnity that enveloped the meeting room once more.

The weighty silence, however, was short-lived, disrupted by Caren's pertinent inquiry. "Where are the five survivors? How are they faring now?" Her expression remained stoic, devoid of any visible emotion.

Sage Lachlan Rigg visibly relieved at the emergence of a pertinent query, recomposed himself and nodded in acknowledgment of Caren's question. "As indicated in the report, three werewolves, one imp, and one elf managed to survive. However, their conditions remain critical. We've relocated them to the old Revivify Wing on the seventh floor."

The dean's response elicited hushed murmurs among the attending healers, sparking whispered discussions regarding the survivors' conditions and the gravity of their situation.

He didn't wait for questions to arise from the attendees. "The rationale behind this decision was due to our uncertainty regarding the nature of the affliction. We're still in the dark about whether the infection is contagious. It wasn't prudent to risk potential outbreaks within our wards. Hence, we repurposed the old Revivify Wing and transferred necessary medical equipment there."