Dominic shut his eyes and nodded slightly in agreement with Alexander, while Austin remained quiet. Guilt-ridden for causing this, Austin anxiously awaited an explanation. "It's not your fault," Dominic said, seemingly reading his mind. He raised a hand, gesturing, "Go… fetch my silver needle."

Austin nodded eagerly. "Right away!" He was determined to help his granduncle recover.

Dominic watched Austin run from the room, then turned to Alexander. Alexander anticipated the older man's next words.

"I…" Dominic began, raising his arm. Alexander, understanding, raised the arm higher and rolled up his sleeve. "I checked both your arms, and there's nothing. The mark has disappeared. I checked Austin, too; he doesn't have it. What… was it?" He delivered his findings concisely, knowing Dominic's fatigue. Dominic nodded, appearing satisfied.

"Water…" Dominic murmured, glancing at a nearby glass. Alexander immediately understood, fetching water and helping the older man drink.

Afterward, Dominic seemed stronger, leaning back before slowly saying, "It's a symbiote." He paused. "They grew it inside Austin, feeding it nutrients to accelerate its growth. It used his body as a base before spreading. Since it causes no pain, it's difficult to detect."

Alexander was stunned. Dominic's explanation was clear: the organization used Austin as a vessel to cultivate the symbiote, which then infected others. The source was Austin, but not as a pathogen, as initially believed, but as a host for a symbiote—a completely unexpected development. The research institute's focus on viruses and poisonous plants had blinded them to this possibility.

"So you're saying Austin is a tool to grow the symbiote? But I found no trace on his body," Alexander asked.

Dominic shook his head gently. "The symbiote's mother protects itself; Austin will be fine for now." The symbiote had spread through its offspring; the one in Austin was the mother. This explained Austin's seemingly healthy, even radiant appearance. "Then…" Alexander began another question, but a sound from the doorway interrupted him.