Help Seeker

In the first week after his capture, the world's first Chelated Disease patient died of massive internal bleeding at a local hospital. By then, however, Chelated Disease had already begun spreading rapidly across the world.

Chelation Disease was often highly contagious from the earliest stages of infection. About two hours after being infected by pathogenic spores, a patient's bodily fluids could already infect others. The spores entered the circulatory system through the mucous membranes and accumulated around the brain's capillaries. During this process, the most striking change was a sharp drop in serotonin levels—hence why the initial symptoms so closely resembled depression.

After that, the chelating vesicle zygotes inside the spores gradually matured into oocysts. The nuclei and cytoplasm within the oocysts repeatedly divided and multiplied, producing tens of thousands of sporozoites. When the oocysts finally ruptured, they swarmed out, physically breaching the blood-brain barrier and taking control of brain activity.

The moment the blood-brain barrier was breached was the moment the patient completely lost their mind and became a puppet of the Chelating Fungus. Even if they temporarily retained the ability to socialize normally and care for themselves, it was difficult to call them "human" anymore.

Chelated Beings were born criminals, obsessed with killing. Though it did little to further the spread of pathogenic spores and could even expose their infection too early, Chelated Beings never tired of it.

Chiba drove Hesta on one last ride around Severn Mountain, slowly recounting the history of Chelation Disease. Beneath a towering tree, she pulled over, lit a cigarette by the window, and said softly, "But that isn't the most terrifying thing about Chelation Disease."

Hesta watched her and waited for her to continue.

Chiba went on. "Before the onset, Chelation Disease patients don't sneeze or develop fevers. Even when they feel exhausted and powerless inside, they can put on a positive, upbeat front around others. There is only one way for humans to determine whether someone is infected—extract cerebrospinal fluid.

"In other words, before a definitive diagnosis, it is difficult for outsiders to judge whether there are patients nearby based on any clear symptoms... This greatly intensified people's fear of Chelation Disease.

"During the period when Chelation Disease spread rapidly, no one dared show fatigue in front of others. Once someone appeared to have lost their vitality, they would be considered a potential Chelation Disease patient. In those days, that was the most frightening thing."

"Why...?"

"Lynching." Chiba spoke quietly. "All over the world, people spontaneously formed 'Chelated Being cleaners.' They tirelessly hunted down anyone they judged to have been infected with the Chelating Fungus—and many people were wrongly killed because of it. Besides the depressed patients I mentioned earlier, there were also quite a few introverted people who were poor with words.

"If mere suspects had it that bad, those who were diagnosed suffered even more. Out of extreme fear of Chelation Disease patients, many people reversed cause and effect, believing that only those with filthy, rotten hearts could be corrupted by the Chelating Fungus. People could not accept that they themselves might be capable of such atrocities. They would rather believe Chelation Disease patients had been evil murderers from birth, which was why they had been chosen by demons... But as a result, even patients who had recovered through voluntary treatment could not return to their former normal lives.

"That was also why most Chelated Disease patients who had already clearly noticed changes in themselves still refused to seek medical help before their onset. I suddenly remembered that you grew up in a convent. You must have heard plenty of those stigmatizing arguments already, right?"

Hesta recalled Sister Gurdin's warnings. She remained silent and said nothing.

"Anyway, back then, many people suffered unbelievable bullying." Chiba exhaled a plume of smoke. "There's another interesting statistic—ah, perhaps it shouldn't be called interesting. About 31% of Chelation Disease patients carried a sharp weapon after realizing they might be infected: scissors, daggers... even axes. Do you know why?"

Hesta's body trembled uncontrollably. "...Why?"

"Because they were afraid they really were infected, but did not dare confirm it. So they carried a sharp weapon, intending to kill themselves if necessary. Yet in the end, those things often became the first tools they used for evil after their onset."

The girl immediately bit down on her lower lip.

"Anyway, we once paid an extraordinarily painful price to contain Chelated Disease... In recent years, Chelation Disease has begun to run rampant in the wilderness. It looks like it may be resurging. We need companions—very, very badly." Chiba looked at Hesta. "What do you think? Are you willing to join us?"

Hesta could not say a word. She only nodded stiffly.

"Then I'll take you to the AHgA Base in Tanyi City now. You'll undergo special training there and learn how to identify Chelated Beings and fight them. Also, I contacted the psychological support division for you. If there's anything you can't process, you can speak with a therapist. They'll assess your mental state and issue an evaluation of whether you are suitable for combat training... Was that clear?"

Hesta nodded. "Miss Chiba, could you do me one more favor?"

"Mm-hm?"

"This scrapbook... could you find a suitable place to keep it for me?"

Chiba glanced at Hesta's hand. "No problem."

The two got back into the car.

Hesta stared blankly ahead. She recalled the last time she had seen the real Director Elma, when she had glimpsed traces of sorrow beneath the old woman's smile.

What feelings had Director Elma spent the final month of her life with?

Doubt, fear, regret... Perhaps there had been other emotions mixed in as well. Hesta would never know. That gentle, kind director had become an accomplice to darkness at the end of her life, forever trapped within the iron cage woven by her own hands and those around her.

Hesta suddenly remembered the thigh bone mentioned by that anthropologist. She thought of the mutual love and aid that Sister Gurdin and Director Elma had always emphasized, and of that sentence: "When we are in dire straits yet can still help one another, that is the beginning of our civilization."

Perhaps she had never truly understood those words. Perhaps she had never realized that asking for help in the face of one's own kind required enormous courage—and that the closer the person was, the harder it became to speak of it.

The cigarette between Chiba's fingers was nearly burned out. She pressed the butt into the ashtray. "Do you have any other questions?"

Hesta shook her head.

"Good." Chiba was in high spirits as the engine rumbled to life. "Then let's go."

The rear wheels of the hatchback kicked up yellow-brown dust, and the two of them set off again along the deserted mountain road.