The Hollow Plague

Here are the Stages of the Infection | Stage | Name | Physical Symptoms | Mental Changes | Control Level | Notes | | ----- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | I | **Exposure** | None | None | ? Full | Host is infected but unaware. | | II | **Irritation** | Headaches, fatigue, watery eyes | Mood swings, anxiety | ? Full | Minor symptoms; often mistaken as flu. | | III | **Pulse Disruption** | Veins pulse dark, heartbeat erratic | Paranoia, slight memory gaps | ? High | Eye flickers and heartbeat instability begin. | | IV | **Mutation Begins** | Hardened nails, minor bone growths, blood darkens | Aggression increase | ? Moderate | Physical strength improves. | | V | **Psychological Drift** | Skin temperature drops, slight twitching | Hallucinations, obsession behavior | ? Moderate | Often drawn to darkness or light. | | VI | **Partial Hollowing** | Eyes glow faintly, skin turns pale/gray | Split thoughts, internal arguments | ? Low | Still aware but begins to lose empathy. | | VII | **Fragmented Self** | Bones distort, voice echoes, hair loss | Second personality fully forms | ? Minimal | One side wants to survive, one wants to infect. | | VIII | **Hollow Form** | Fully mutated body, elongated limbs or claws | Still intelligent but monstrous | ? Trace | No longer resembles former self. | | IX | **Lost Echo** | Hollow mask-like face, mi