I woke up from a dreamless sleep to the sound of knocking on the door, followed by Anna opening it. She entered the room pushing a small trolley with a blood collection kit, a camera, a measuring tape, and a covered tray.

Setting the tray on the table, her eyes widened in surprise when they finally focused on me. A brief chuckle made its way out before she quickly covered her mouth and looked away.

“Is there something funny on my face?”

My question was all it took for the elf to lose any semblance of control she had, causing her to laugh rather loudly.

She took a few seconds to relax and finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Nora. I was surprised, that’s all. Don’t you feel, well, different?”

“Different how? Is it so hard to tell me what’s wrong in the first place?”

More laughter came in response. I followed her line of sight and brought my hands to my head, trying to see if anything was, indeed, different.

My hair! What happened to my hair!?

I stood up and ran to the bathroom, ignoring the annoying and increasing pain, only to stare at my reflection in abject horror. Not only the top of my head, my eyebrows and eyelashes were also gone! Not a single hair remained on my body.

I slowly returned to my bed, depressed and in pain, and saw Anna collecting all of my hair and placing it in a small plastic bag. She glanced at me briefly, causing her to lose control of herself once more.

“Do you laugh like this with every patient?” I asked, slightly annoyed with her behaviour.

She noticed my reaction and gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. “I’m so sorry, Nora. I… I don’t know what happened to me there.”

I sighed heavily. “It’s fine. This isn’t permanent, right?”

She paused and stared at me with a raised eyebrow. “What happened to showing your changes with pride?”

I scowled at her. “Well, you make it hard with how loud you are. Plus, there’s a huge difference between cool elf and balding at eighteen, you know.”

“I’m sorry, I just can’t help it.” She stifled another laugh. “Don’t worry, it’s normal. It means that you are going to become a draell or a vampire. They don’t have brown hair like you, so it falls out while the follicles ‘reset’.

“Your skin should start changing soon, too. If it becomes lighter you’ll be a vampire. For the draell, the most common colours are steel blue and grey, although there have been a couple of cases where it turns mauve.”

A dark elf… That’s probably the one with the biggest changes.

I could suddenly see myself hiding my appearance like Anna did the night before. Although my skin tone would make that a lot more challenging. Being a vampire was a better option. I was already pale, anyway.

Final looks aside, the present brought a much bigger concern for me. I felt too exposed without any hair. I placed my hand on top of my head in an attempt to hide it. “Hey, since you don’t seem to be using it anymore, do you think you can get me that beanie of yours to hide this for now?”

Anna chuckled again, to which I simply rolled my eyes. Noticing this, she cleared her throat and answered. “I’ll bring you my hat, no worries. For now, let’s begin by getting some measurements, shall we? After that, I’ll just take a few pictures and a small blood sample.”

I winced at the mention of drawing more blood, though it reminded me of the events from last night. “Any news on my last sample?”

As I stood up, the pain I had ignored when I first rushed to the mirror returned with a vengeance, particularly on my back and the top of my head. It was still nothing to worry about, but I realised I needed to avoid exercise as much as possible.

She took out a mini tablet from her lab coat’s pocket and led me to a scale to get my weight as she answered. “Well, there were almost no changes compared to the previous one.”

I could only shrug. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Sorry. It means the virus wasn’t acting as it should. The tests show that your mutation slowed down, maybe even stopped at some point. The problem is that the process is supposed to be fast and continuous. Just a few hours are enough to create some substantial changes in your genes.

“We think that lack of activity is the reason you could regain consciousness so soon. You mentioned still feeling some discomfort yesterday, so it’s more likely that it didn’t stop completely. Pain means change for you, after all. Your hair loss also suggests the virus does remain active. I suppose we’ll know for sure with this new sample.”

Anna wrote down the remaining measurements, frowning briefly at her tablet’s screen. Whatever it was, however, didn’t seem important enough to mention. Instead, she nodded and grabbed the camera. “Now I just need some pictures of you. Would you remove your clothes, please?”

She sighed in annoyance as I began to fidget and blush furiously. “Seriously? Trust me, you have nothing I haven’t seen before, and while I may not look like it, I am a doctor. These pictures are meant to help us monitor your changes, nothing more. It’s not like I’ll publish them.”

Honestly, she looked far too young to be an actual doctor. That aside, she was right; I was being immature. It simply felt more than a little perverted to have nude pictures of me taken. The fact that my head looked like a cue ball was of no help either.

I looked down and fidgeted some more. “It’s still embarrassing, though. Can’t I refuse?”

“You can,” Anna replied calmly, aiming the camera at the floor. “But I thought you wanted to follow your own progress. Few things compare to visual evidence.”

“Can I keep my underwear?”

She shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

I sighed as I took off my gown. Thankfully, Anna took the photos quickly, and all she needed now was the blood sample. Same as before, I looked away from the needle. I was still preparing myself for the pinch when she said, “Okay, all done for today.”

Huh?! When did she do it!?

“I’ll take this to the lab and come back so I can give you a tour of the place. You might need it if you’re going to wake up every day. Then I’ll take you to see Allison like we agreed. Dad granted you permission, in case it wasn’t obvious.”

“Here’s your breakfast, by the way.” She placed the tray on my table and uncovered it. “We will begin once you’re done eating. I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Don’t forget the hat!” I shouted as she exited the room.

Anna turned to look at me and nodded before closing the door. Once alone, I began eating. Despite the cover, the food was somewhat cold now.. Fortunately, I wasn’t a picky eater. It was still good enough for me

It wasn’t too long before Anna returned. Once I finished my breakfast, she handed me her beanie to cover my head, and I slowly got on my feet after putting it on.

Standing up, I slid my fit into the slippers and took a few tentative steps to test if I would hold out during the tour. My whole body hurt even after resting, but I could endure it.

Anna glanced at me to make sure I was doing all right as we walked through the hallway. Then, she took out her mini tablet again. “Yesterday you said your pain was not as intense as the first time. Can you describe it in more detail?”

I was about to answer when something caught my attention. A door with a nameplate that had ‘Dave Anderson’ written on it.

I wonder if he’s okay.

“Hey,” she called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Oh, sorry,” I replied, turning to look forward. “When it began, it felt as if I was burning from the inside out. It started like a small flame that gained strength over time. It was as if it were tearing me apart just before I fell unconscious. The pain I feel now is closer to what you would get the day after a long workout. It became stronger when I ran earlier.”

Anna took note of what I said. “I don’t really like how that sounds.” She then placed a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stop. “If movement causes it to rise, it’s probably best that you stay in bed and rest. At least until we know it’s safe.”

“What about painkillers?” I suggested.

She shook her head. “First of all, they won’t work. We’ve tried with other patients. Your body will simply burn them out. Second, I’m worried about the consequences of ignoring the signs.”

“Can’t we at least try?” I pleaded. “Staying in bed all day sounds way too boring, even with my phone.”

Anna stared at the floor in silence, her left hand covered her mouth as she pondered about it. Finally, she sighed and looked back at me. “The painkillers are still a no, but let’s go. Just promise me that you won’t hide your discomfort if your condition worsens.”

I merely nodded in reply, and we continued with my tour of the facility. The research centre was a four storey building. The top three floors were used entirely for living quarters, which had a total of one hundred and twenty rooms. Most of these were empty since the staff returned to their own homes to rest. Dr. Blake, Anna, Jack, and a few others, however, stayed here permanently. There was no mention of Anna’s mom. I was curious about it, but I didn’t want to meddle in what could be a sensitive topic.

The main floor had high ceilings, probably five to six metres tall. The cafeteria, laundry room, lobby, security room, offices and the access to an underground parking garage were all located here. The laboratory was down in the basement near the stairs. I wasn’t allowed to enter ‘yet’, so I only saw the entrance door.

There was an additional section of the main floor which was being remodelled as an extension of the living quarters for the races that required ‘special conditions’. Allison would be relocated there once it was ready for her. Until then, they kept her inside a medical tent mounted right next to that area.

If she still looks human, why does she need all this?

My question was answered the moment we walked into her tent. She was lying on top of a few mattresses placed on the floor.

“She’s huge!”

Anna smirked at my indiscreet comment. “She is currently 2.5 metres tall, and her growth shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.”

Allison was the largest person I’d ever seen. It was hard to believe she was still growing. She was completely bald, just like I was. Even then, she was extremely beautiful. Her skin was fair and unblemished safe for a tiny mole under her left eye, and her face gave out an air of gentleness. One that broke whenever she groaned out of pain. Her delicate facial features were at a mismatch with her robust frame. Taking a closer look, I discovered it was all muscle, probably to help support her new weight. Despite that, her figure was still somewhat feminine.

“A giant...” I muttered to myself.

Anna’s ears twitched. Despite my soft voice, she turned to me and said, “Although it’s not yet the official designation for her, that seems to be the case. Allison was diagnosed with gigantism when she was young. She was already 2.2 metres tall when we brought her here.

“At first, we thought the tumour responsible for her original condition had returned due to the effects of the virus. Though our analysis proved us otherwise. Eventually, we received confirmation from other facilities stating that other people with a similar medical history were experiencing the same symptoms. We also noticed how the proportions of her body began normalising to reach her current looks, as well as showing signs of rejuvenation.”

“You mean she’s becoming younger?”

“Yup. Many of the new races show some sort of change in this matter. Giants are one of the two races with the highest regression rate. The other one remains unnamed as it’s relatively new and none of its members have finished their transformation. Older elfkin like me also experience some slight changes in our appearance. By the way, ‘elfkin’ is the term we use when referring to elves, draell, and even vampires since we share so many characteristics.

“The theory, for now, is that all these races are meant to develop at a different rate than humans. They say the MAV is only readjusting our biological age to match the chronological one. Unfortunately, there is another race that is suffering from accelerated ageing, although there’s an additional factor that may be at play with them.”

I wouldn’t mind becoming younger if it means I get to live longer as a result, but I can already see a few disadvantages to that.

It depends on how much younger it would make me in the first place.

Accelerated ageing, on the other hand, sounds absolutely terrifying. Even becoming a ghost seems like a better fate than that.

I wonder if ghosts can die again.

Wait...

“Older elves like you?”

“Yes, I’m 28. The virus made me about a decade younger. I can’t say I’m dissatisfied with the results.”

I chuckled. “I guess you won the lottery with this virus then. You mentioned most of the other giants were diagnosed with gigantism before they were infected, right?”

She nodded. “The MAV is an interesting virus. We know it works as it was intended because we have the metahumans. They are normal people with mana, which is the main reason they created it to begin with. As to why we have other races, the problem seems to originate when the infected person presents a particular condition or genetic anomaly, which clashes with its normal behaviour. We consider giants as proof of this theory since most of these patients presented some form of gigantism or acromegaly before mutating.

“Then we have the animal carrier victims, whose changes depend on the species that bit them. The five races you already know of are a lot tougher to decipher, which is why we try to keep track of the medical records of every patient and their close relatives, as well as their genetics. So far, things point to their genes. This caused my dad to be obsessed with the ridiculous idea that elfkin are descendants of actual elves. He even has a conspiracy theory going on because of it.”

“He said he had his reasons to believe it’s true.” I interrupted.

“Oh, he’s already told you about it,” She said, rolling her eyes. “Trust me, he just wants to believe he’s the descendant of a superior race; his words, not mine. He’s a great scientist, but a huge fantasy nerd as well.”

“Isn’t it possible, though?” I asked. “He seems really convinced for it to be just wishful thinking.”

“I can’t deny we’ve seen a few things that might suggest that, but seriously, it’s actually easier to believe the virus was sabotaged by someone who was just as obsessed with that stuff as he is. That would explain why it got ‘out of control’ in the first place. The one thing we agree on is that the government is hid-”

The door of the laboratory banged open, interrupting her. We turned around to see Dr. Blake and Jack rushing to the stairs.

We got out of the tent and walked back to the living quarters, mostly to avoid my pain from building up. By the time we got there, Dr. Blake was standing in front of my room with crossed arms and a nervous expression. The door was still closed, and I could hear whom I assumed to be Jack cursing and knocking stuff over. As expected, I could hear no steps.

“Is something wrong, Dad?” Anna asked.

He didn’t even look at her as he answered, “The cleaning staff found a small bat in Nora’s room, so they locked it in there for us. We don’t know how it got in.”

“Huh, now that you mention it, the window was open yesterday when I came to get Nora’s data. The bat probably sneaked in before I closed it,” Anna mentioned.

Feeling like it was my fault, I explained, “I opened it to get some fresh air while I waited. I’m sorry.”

Dr. Blake closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked a little annoyed. “Well, nothing we can do now. Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. The important thing is to catch it before it’s too late.”

I raised my non-existent eyebrow at his comment. Unlike many other people, I thought most bats were cute and rather misunderstood animals. I couldn’t see why they were making such a fuss over it. “Aren’t you overreacting a little? Why don’t we just open the window so it can leave?”

He finally turned to look at me with a worried expression. “I would be more concerned if I were you. Ignoring the danger of rabies, since you’re currently immune, bats are confirmed carriers of the MAV. We need to catch it to verify if this one is.”

The old man stood in silence and ran a hand through his hair. He glanced at me and seemed to come to the realisation of something.

“Tell me, Nora. Did you, by chance, feel anything like a small pinch after you collapsed?”

“No, all I remember is having this weird dream before waking up. I was floating in complete darkness, and I couldn’t sense anything for a long time, not even pain. Then there was a blue light and...”

Interrupting myself, I sat down on the floor and quickly removed the slippers I was wearing to examine my feet.

Anna crouched and placed a hand on my back. “Are you alright Nora? Is the pain getting worse?”

I shook my head. “I didn’t feel the bite itself, but I think something did touch my foot right before I woke up yesterday.”

Found it!

There was a small bite mark under one of my toes. It had almost fully healed, which meant it was barely visible. If it hurt, it wasn’t noticeable compared to how my entire body felt, but the small holes were there. I moved my foot so they could see.

“Here it is, look.”

Dr. Blake kneeled to see the mark and frowned. “That can’t be a coincidence... We will confirm it once we analyse its blood and saliva, but I believe this bat is a carrier, and that you were infected with the MAV variant within its body. We haven’t had a case where a patient contracted two variants of the virus, so we’re treading uncharted territory now. Your lack of hair strongly indicates that the carrier variant might be taking over. You could also become a draell or a vampire, but I’ll place my bets on the carrier being the dominant one. We will find out soon enough.”

As he said that, Jack opened the door with a wiggling pillowcase in hand. “I caught it, Doc.”

“Well done! Let’s take it to the lab!” He looked at me and continued, “I’ll let you know as soon as we find something of interest.”

I nodded, and both of them walked down the hall to the stairs with their new test subject. I sighed in exasperation once they were out of sight.

Great, just what I needed.