Dying Light 2: Volatile Virus

The Offer of the Sun

The chamber felt heavier, the golden glow of the torches flickering against the dark stone, casting long, twisting shadows along the engraved walls. The air was thick, not just with warmth but with something deeper—something Aiden couldn't explain.

Then, Draemir spoke.

Draemir:

"Aiden… I know you are infected."

(Aiden's breath hitched slightly, his body tensing on instinct. But Draemir's voice remained steady—calm, certain.)

"I can see something in you… a trail. Almost the same color as the one I see from Volatiles."

(Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't interrupt. The way Draemir spoke—it wasn't just a guess. He truly saw something.)

"Stay here… turn. But I will change you."

(The words hit like a challenge, yet like a promise. Aiden's fingers twitched slightly at his side, but he still said nothing. He just listened.)

"I will make sure that when you leave Solara… you can go back to do what I can't. Save those who need someone to save them."

(Aiden swallowed, his mind racing. The weight behind those words wasn't lost on him.)

"I don't know how things are outside anymore, but… if you are willing to accept me… to embrace me… you must also embrace the virus. Embrace the feelings it brings, even if it hurts, even if you feel something different."

(Draemir's tone didn't waver—not once. This wasn't a demand. It wasn't a command. It was a choice.)

"With my help… I will make you change. Make you special. And you… will be able to take survivors to Solara."

(Aiden's heartbeat remained steady, but his mind was anything but. Was this even possible? Was this real? Could the virus—the thing that had destroyed everything—be something else? Something he could control?)

"Aurenshaven will grow… More villages will be born. Maybe the world is overrun by the infected, but… we don't need the whole world. Just enough for a good life."

Then, Draemir stepped closer.

His hands—gentle yet unshakably firm—rested on Aiden's shoulders, a touch that wasn't meant to restrain, but to ground him.

Then came the final words.

Draemir:

"Aiden… are you going to accept?"

The chamber seemed to hold its breath.

Aiden stood there, motionless, caught between everything he had ever known… and something entirely unknown.

This choice… was unlike any other.

Aiden:

(His breath was slow, controlled, but his mind raced. He had spent years fighting the virus, resisting it, surviving against it. And now, here was Draemir—not just infected, but something beyond it. Something more.)

(Aiden clenched his jaw, his instincts screaming at him to turn away. But deep down, he knew the truth. He was infected. He had been since the beginning. And no matter how many immunity boosters he took, it was always there. Waiting.)

(His hands slowly curled into fists. Then, finally—he exhaled.)

"I've spent my whole life running from this thing inside me." (He lifts his gaze, locking eyes with Draemir's glowing gold.) "But if there's a way to control it… to use it…" (His voice hardens.) "Then I'm done running."

(A moment of silence. Then—one final nod.)

"I accept."

The Transformation Begins

Draemir nodded slightly, softly, his glowing gaze steady.

Draemir:

"Thank you, Aiden…" (His voice was quieter now, not as the God of the Sun, but as something more… human.)

"I don't say this as Draemir, the God of the Sun… but as my true self… Marco Sanchez, the ex-GRE military specialist in defense."

(Aiden barely had time to process that revelation before Draemir continued, his tone deep with something rarely heard in a world like this—genuine warmth.)

"The Mother loved humanity, with the love that only a mother could provide and grant… I will say this with the love, worry, and concern of a father."

(Draemir's grip on Aiden's shoulder remained firm, grounding him, his golden-blue veins pulsing faintly in the dim torchlight.)

"I am proud of you, Aiden."

(Aiden felt something tighten in his chest, but he didn't have time to react.)

"All you have to do… is breathe."

(Aiden swallowed, steadying himself as he listened.)

"And focus on one thing… Stay relaxed, and hold onto the mission that means the most to you. Whatever is most important… whatever drives you."

Aiden closed his eyes.

Mia.

His sister. His mission. The only thing that ever truly mattered.

The world around him faded as he focused on her—her face, her voice, the promise he made to find her.

Then—he felt it.

A warm mist washing over his face.

Aiden inhaled deeply—before he even realized what was happening.

The golden-blue smoke seeped into his lungs, its scent unlike anything he had ever known. Not choking, not suffocating, but… different. It didn't burn—it sank into him, wrapped around his mind like a soft, creeping wave.

Then—a sudden sting.

His body jerked slightly, and his eyes snapped open.

Draemir was still there, his Volatile maw parted, still exhaling the golden-blue mist directly onto Aiden's face. But now—his right hand held an injector, its needle buried deep in Aiden's arm.

His vision blurred.

His pulse slowed.

His limbs felt heavy—too heavy.

He tried to move, but the world around him spun, twisting in slow, distorted motions. The torchlight blurred into streaks of gold and blue, and the engraved sun symbols on the walls seemed to pulse like they were alive.

His knees buckled.

The last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed him was Draemir, still holding him steady, his golden eyes unwavering.

Then—the world faded.

And just as unconsciousness claimed him, he heard one last thing.

Draemir:

"Good night, Aiden… You will become like me. My successor."

(His voice was fading, but still filled with certainty.)

"Remember… I am proud of you."

"Thank you…"

And then, there was nothing.