章 223: Chapter 223

In the bustling marketplace of Lagos, British Nigeria, Mary Adebayo adjusted her headwrap as she served customers at her fabric stall. Unknown to her, she had already been infected after a brief conversation with a fishmonger three days ago. The bacteria, having evolved in its journey from Antarctica through the marine food chain, had developed airborne transmission capabilities.

"Mama, are you feeling well?" her daughter Grace asked, noticing her mother's slight cough and unusual fatigue. Mary dismissed it as typical market dust and the day's heat.

The same evening, Mary attended her church choir practice, a gathering of thirty people in a small, poorly ventilated room. For two hours, they sang hymns, their voices rising and falling, unknowingly sharing more than just musical harmony. The evolved pathogen found new hosts among the choir members, adapting to each person's body with frightening efficiency.