Cagaster of an Insect Cage one shots

Revenant

3rd pov

Cagasters are still fairly new - 25 years - when a new type of person is found. They've got a bug of some kind attached to their heart and if they are killed - as long as it's not a heart shot - they will come back, though the time between each death varies. Some people are up in a day, maybe a few hours, and some take months to wake back up. They're not quite sure why these revenants came into existence or even how, let alone what the bug is, but they are all grateful for them.

Revenants are all encouraged to become either exterminators or part of the military, since they are considered extremely reusable. However, due to that, it's also not unheard of for a Revenant to hide their status, simply because they don't want to be forced to fight. Through thorough research, it has been discovered that the people closest to the revenant are the only ones allowed to touch their heart after they die. Their bodies don't immediately come back after death, but a little red crystal, with an occasional black or blue or gold one, will pop up where they were killed, their heart. If someone other than a person they trust touches it, the person will be either killed or infected or forced into a revenant as well.

It is in fact forbidden for people to touch the heart of a revenant unless they are sure of three things : who's heart it is, what kind of reaction the heart will have to people it doesn't trust, and if they are a person that revenant trusts. With constant reports, it seems as though there is no limit to how much a revenant can die, but they also do not appear to age, so it makes them a bit immortal, perhaps? Or just ages them slower. Also of note is the fact that the revenants can eat food, but it tastes different. They appear to have to consist of Cagaster meat.

Some researchers had wanted to tear some revenants apart, just to see what they could handle, but that was put to a stop when it started killing revenants faster than they were being born, especially since no one is quite sure why some people are born revenants and some aren't. Ms.Mario knows she is not a revenant, as does Jin. Illie appears to be one, but they refuse to kill the poor girl just to find out. Qasim, Hadi and Aisha are revenants, recognized by the black tattoos on their necks. Lizzy and Naji are getting close to the age where they do a test - not entirely accurate, but it's the best they got - to determine whether you are a revenant or not. Everyone kinda assumes Kidow is one, but they've never seen a tattoo or him die, so they can't be sure and it's not uncommon to have a human become an Exterminator, so they leave it be.

It's an honest accident that has them figuring out the truth. They had all gone out together - the kids tagging along to hang out, the military to buy some things they need and Ms.Mario's group to get some new ingredients - to the market, the place where most people get pickpocketed or stolen from. It's also a place most commonly known to have Cagaster outbreaks, since there are so many people around to feed on. Each of the group is armed - a safety precaution put on the people for in case they are near a Cagaster - just in case and they never fully leave each other's sights, which might seem a bit much but it's far better to be safe than sorry.

Kidow has just started to head back to the group, his instincts calm for the most part, when they flare up, letting him know a Cagaster is probably around. He hurries to find his group, because the lack of screaming means 1 of 2 things : the Cagaster outbreak hasn't been noticed yet, or there were so few people around when it happened they have already been eaten and it's on the move. Kidow reaches the square - the place they'd insisted be the meeting place if they were going to split up and run the chance of losing sight of someone - in time for people to start running, screams, crying and begging filling the air. An ominous feeling fills the air, as it always does when a Cagaster is free and not in sight, with everyone fleeing until an Exterminator can arrive.

Kidow races to find his group, spotting Illie's hair, Jin's jacket and Ms.Mario's figure enough to push through the crowd, heading right for them. He reaches them and does a quick head count - 3 military, 2 that work with him, 5 kids, error - and shoves his back to Ms.Mario turning to the kids.