The weekend arrived, the sun a bright promise in the clear sky.
Aziel, true to his word, made his way to the Glenwood Clinic.
He found Dr. Hana in her usual spot, amidst the clutter of her office.
Dried mushrooms hung from the ceiling, and stacks of books and papers threatened to spill onto the floor.
She looked up as he entered, a mushroom skewer in her hand.
"You're here."
She stood, finishing the food in her hand, brushing off her simple, practical dress. "Let's go. We don't want to waste any more time."
"Where are we going?" Aziel asked, falling into step beside her as they left the clinic.
"To the Glenwood Hall," Dr. Hana replied.
He trailed behind her, his mind buzzing with curiosity.
He'd seen the hall in the distance, a larger structure than most in Glenwood, but he had no idea what its purpose was.
They walked in comfortable silence, the only sounds their footsteps on the dirt path and the distant chatter of villagers.
Glenwood Hall, as Dr. Hana had indicated, was located to the south of the village center, set back slightly from the main thoroughfare. It was a sturdy building, constructed of the same timber and thatch as the other structures in Glenwood, but on a grander scale.
They reached the hall, and Dr. Hana pushed open the heavy wooden doors.
Aziel stepped inside, his eyes adjusting to the dim interior.
The hall was vast, the thatched roof high above, supported by thick wooden beams. Sunlight streamed in through several high windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air.
A few villagers were scattered throughout the space, some engaged in quiet conversation, others seemingly just taking a moment's respite from the midday sun.
Dr. Hana moved purposefully through the hall, not pausing to greet anyone.
Aziel hurried to keep pace, glancing around at the quiet activity.
At the far end of the hall, to the right, was a single wooden door. Dr. Hana headed straight for it, her hand already reaching for the simple latch. She pushed the door open, revealing a room beyond.
Aziel followed her inside, his curiosity piqued.
This room, while still large, was more crowded than the main hall. And it was filled with beds.
Aziel blinked, his eyes scanning the rows.
There were at least thirty of them, each occupied by a person lying prone, eyes closed or staring blankly at the ceiling.
A few of the beds had visitors sitting beside them, holding hands or whispering quiet words.
The air here was thicker, heavier with the scent of herbs and something else, something indefinable, sickly.
It felt like a hospital ward, a place of quiet suffering, although there was none of the bustle of medical equipment around.
Trying to keep his voice down, Aziel whispered to the ring on his finger. "Blackie, what is this place? Why is everyone just lying down like this?"
Blackie, the voice in the ring, responded in Aziel's mind. "Hmmm… judging by their condition, this must be Necrotemporalis Syndrome patients."
Aziel furrowed his brow. "What neko?"
"Necrotemporalis Syndrome, or NT Syndrome—easier to say," Blackie clarified. "In simple terms, this disease… uh, how should I put it… it's kinda like, when a patient coming back to life from death."
Aziel's eyes widened. "Coming back to life? You mean like… necromancy?"
"No, no, not necromancy," Blackie corrected. "Necromancy involves magic, right? This is different. NT Syndrome… happens naturally. A mystery of nature, as some would say. And it doesn't happen to people who have passed away, but to those who are still alive."
Aziel was still quite confused by what Blackie was saying.
Blackie continued. "This disease has three main phases. The first phase is 'Gradual Shutdown.' The body starts shutting down bit by bit. First, they lose the ability to move, then their heartbeat and breathing slow down so much that even doctors can barely detect it. This whole process takes a few days."
Aziel, trying to piece it together, pictured the slow, creeping horror. "So… kinda like slowly becoming paralyzed… before—"
Blackie interrupted, "The second phase, 'Temporary Death.' This phase is really confusing. The patient looks completely dead. Their heart stops, no breathing, their body turns cold and stiff like a rock. But… they're actually not dead yet."
Aziel paused for a moment and asked, "How can people tell that they're not actually dead?"
Blackie replied, "That's the thing. People can't tell. They really do look dead at this stage."
Aziel felt a chill run down his spine. "Whoa… if people didn't know about this, they'd definitely declare the patient dead for real."
"Exactly," Blackie confirmed. "That's what happened in the early days when this disease first appeared. There were even cases where patients had already been buried. But later, when people realized the pattern of this disease, they started digging up those graves again to check… and they found scratch marks on the inside of the coffin, meaning those people were actually still alive when they were buried."
"Damn…" Aziel muttered, a grimace twisting his features.
"Okay, back to the lecture. After 'Temporary Death' comes the third phase, 'Revival'," Blackie went on. "After six to twenty-four hours in the 'dead' state, suddenly… their heart starts beating again! They start breathing! And… they just come back to life, fully recovered! Imagine that—no blood flow to the brain for hours, no oxygen… and they wake up as if nothing happened! Crazy, right?"
Aziel shook his head, struggling to grasp the concept. "That makes no sense… Absolutely no sense. There's really no side effect at all?"
"It's not that there are no side effects at all. In terms of major changes, like the person's physical appearance, well… there's really no change. They look exactly the same as before they got this illness. But in other aspects, there are two changes that happen to them.," Blackie admitted. "First, their personality shifts a little—not too much, but noticeable to people closed to them. And second, if the patient was a magic user… unfortunately, their mana manipulation ability is completely gone after revival. They went back to being like normal people."
As Blackie continued its explanation, Aziel's gaze drifted towards the people lying on the beds.
He scrutinized them, attempting to identify the tell-tale signs of NT Syndrome that Blackie had described.