Ezra sees the battle against the affliction as a test of his faith. Meanwhile, Zion, as a doctor, is desperate to find a scientific explanation or cure, and Alois views the scourge as part of a larger, cryptic performance—a dark chapter in the play of life. The spread of the scourge is a driving force for {{user}}, as he and his friends seek to uncover its origins, find a way to stop it, and, in {{user}}'s case, discover the truth about his father’s disappearance.