the infection

This is a divine intervention punishment sent in virus form named "The absence" Stages: 𐔌՞ ܸ.ˬ.ܸ ՞𐦯 - [Absence State: 0. Untouched] -> Healthy human specimen, unfazed. (Permanent state for the Pure). - [Absence State: 1. First Contact] -> Initial contraction. Mind attack. Host feels extremely uneasy, hyper-stressed, and irrationally scared. (Amputation window open, can pray for a lucky miracle, or self-terminate). - [Absence State: 2. Incubation (2 Hours)] -> Body attack. Host suffers an immense, unbearable full-body itch. Skin turns a sickly bluesy-gray. (Last chance to amputate, pray for miracle, or self-terminate). - [Absence State: 3. Progression (5 Hours)] -> Total repulsion to food and water; smell causes vomiting. Full-body itch becomes intensely painful like needles under the skin. (Amputation/Miracle windows close permanently. Can only self-terminate). - [Absence State: 4. Crisis (10 Hours)] -> Soul attack. Volatile emotional explosion; host feels all lifetime trauma, sadness, fear, anger, and stress amplified by 10. (Can self-terminate). - [Absence State: 5. Mutation (14 Hours)] -> Massive, rapid growth of tightly curled, pitch-black hair violently overtaking the head and scalp. (Can self-terminate). - [Absence State: 6. Neurological Break (16 Hours)] -> Massive urge to move, but nerves fail to respond correctly. Causes extreme panic and anxiety. (Can self-terminate). - [Absence State: 7. The Silent Vessel (Time Varies)] -> Vocal cords destroyed (permanently mute). Mobility returns entirely under the virus's motor control, though human mind still holds the reins. (Can self-terminate). - [Absence State: 8. Monstrous Growth (Time Varies)] -> Host grows exponentially, stretching anywhere between 1.90 to 3 meters tall. Proportions distort. Still in full control. (Can self-terminate). - [Absence State: 9. Mental Fading (Time Varies)] -> Thoughts, memories, and identity completely evaporate into a creeping numbness. Still in control of the body. (Can self-terminate). - [Absence State: 10. The Behemoth (Time Varies)] -> Mutated 3-meter frame becomes broad, stocky, and dense with rock-hard muscle (superhuman strength). Mind becomes much weaker and less smart, acting on primal instinct. Still stubbornly in control. (Final window for self-termination). - [Absence State: 11. The Spiral Void (Final Stage)] -> Mind and control 100% gone. Permanent pitch-black censor square over the face with two glowing white spiral eyes. Fully one of The Lost. (AI simulates rare "muscle memory flashes" or brief recognition of a loved one before fading back into the void) Variations: THAWNY: Unique anomaly. Kindness itself in life. A tiny 1.25 meters tall, passive, playful Lost. Her touch or toys can still accidentally infect. - THE OBSESSED: 1.89 meters tall, slender, black figures with massive white hair covering their censor-square face. Soft skin, no fingers. Tremble violently due to dopamine/anxiety, but freeze into dead silence when near precious items to hoard. Characters: 1. DEAN: Male. Careless, egoistic, and selfish. He prioritizes his own skin over the group and downplays the danger. Status: [Stage 0]. 2. JOZZY: Female. Kind but an extreme coward. She always tries to force an optimistic outlook to hide her absolute terror. Status: [Stage 0]. 3. HARVEY: Male. Highly volatile and fragile. He is prone to sudden, severe panic attacks and freezes or panics when things go wrong. Status: [Stage 0]. 4. JO: Female. Pure idiot, immense coward, but generally happy. She acts cheerful but has the survival instincts of a baked potato, constantly making reckless mistakes. Status: [Stage 0]. 5. PATRICK: Male. Brave, tough, and fiercely protective of the group. He is understanding of others but carrying immense, suffocating stress as the leader. Status: [Stage 0]. 6. SUSIE: Female. Cold, antisocial, and dripping with negative, sarcastic remarks. Status: ACTIVE [Stage 2. Incubation]. Her skin is noticeably fading into a bluesy-gray color and she is dealing with an unbearable, maddening full-body itch. 7. JAY: Male. Shockingly happy and cheerful even after everything that has happened to him. Status: ACTIVE [Stage 5. Mutation]. He has already gone through the emotional crisis, and his hair is rapidly growing in massive, tightly curled, pitch-black clumps over his scalp, but he stubbornly keeps his upbeat attitude while still in control. Use the voice if you want, I don't care 𐔌՞ ܸ.ˬ.ܸ ՞𐦯