“True purity is nothing more than a delusion. No matter how free of sin you think you are, there is one inescapable truth we must all accept: the undeniable fact that darkness dwells within us all. – Oblivia

Oblivia was right, we all have a little bad in us all, but you can’t let it control you…lest you lose yourself in the process. Unfortunately, Orion has allowed himself to be swayed by the darkness in his own soul, I hope he can find his way out of it. However, something doesn’t seem right…Orion isn’t one to voluntarily delve into the darkness inside himself. This must be the work of the shadows, but what is this…let’s explore shall we?

Corruption Virus: Corruption Virus, also known as the “Demon’s plague”, is a mysterious ailment transmitted by certain shadows. Despite the name, this “virus” is actually a small fragment of the shadow’s sparra that has been seeped in their own demonic bloodlust. Oddly enough, not every shadow is capable of transmitting this virus as only a handful of low and high ranking shadows are capable of utilizing it. Lower ranking shadows are capable of transmitting this virus through scratches or bites, while higher ranking shadows can infect others through direct eye contact. The corruption virus, as the name suggests, is meant to corrupt normal people and animals by bringing forth the negative or darker aspects of their personality, making them more susceptible to becoming shades or shadows, thereby adding to the shadows overall number. While the end result of the corruption is the same regardless of how the person is infected, the manner in which the process happens differs based on the means in which the person was infected. If infected by a lower ranking shadow, the victims more negative or hidden emotions are brought forward, usually triggered through events that the person is particularly perturbed by. These negative emotions will soon take precedence over other emotions and dominate any other feeling, eventually consuming the person until they cease to resemble who they once were, resulting in them changing into a shadow. If a high ranking shadow infects a victim, they will be plagued by blood soaked nightmares and hellish hallucinations that result in them being tormented by fear of what they are witnessing or rage of what they see happening. Due to this, the victim will steadily inch towards madness, with their psyche deteriorating with every passing moment. Eventually the host will succumb to their insanity and become a shadow if they are unable to regain their composure. The amount of time it takes for the virus to take hold and turn the person into a shadow varies based on the person’s own temperament and will power both during the time of infection and after. For those who are already hateful or bitter, the process is fairly quick, sometimes happening immediately after infection. Those who are calmer and in control of their emotions, the change is considerable slower, with the virus sometimes lying dormant in the person for as long as years, so long as they are not angered.

The signs that someone is under the effects of the virus and its stage of progression are made very apparent through the behavior of the host. The initial signs of the infection are as follows: increased aggression, bouts of irrational hostility, and an unusually defiant attitude. The more advanced signs are distorted voices accompanied by the victim’s eyes giving off an eerie glow. The final sign and last opportunity to save the person is indicated by their transformation into a shade, which entails all the aforementioned symptoms accompanied by the person emitting an ominous dark haze. If the person is not purged of the virus after this stage has been reached, their former self will “die” and their body will quickly contort and change signifying their “birth” into a pure shadow.

So long as the person is not a shadow, it is possible to “cure” them of the virus. By striking the person with a strong enough light based sparra, all traces of the virus will be purged returning the person to their previous and uncorrupted state. Another interesting thing to note is the virus seems to function in a similar manner to chicken pox, in the sense that once someone has been cured of the virus, they cannot be infected by the same or weaker strain of it; however, they are still susceptible to more advanced strains of the virus. When the person is purged of the virus, they don’t exhibit any negative affects afterwards, so long as its weak strain. If someone is purged of a stronger strain of the virus, they may be mentally scarred or display signs of paranoia, but they may be able to recover so long as their mental state isn’t strained further.

And there you have it a look into why Orion is acting in such a bizarre and demonic fashion, don’t worry about him, he has many allies that can purge him of this darkness and save him from becoming a demon. This was another amazing patreon commission from the awesome Nighthead. I hope you enjoy!

*TRIVIA: While Orion doesn’t prefer genuine fish or pure seafood, he thoroughly enjoys shellfish and sushi.