Ghostisis

Contrary to popular belief, ghosts are alive and (mostly) well.

One of the legends that is the most believed and fear by humans all around the world is the existence of ghosts. In almost every culture exists some type of creature that is considered a soul lingering after its death. History too, has its fair share of mentions of them. Though it’s just in the last few decades that scientists working on the supernatural realized it was actually some kind of medical condition. After centuries of beliefs around these species, a few Indians scientists finally discovered the truth : Ghostisis is actually an STD.

Transmission

Transmitted through sex by Ifritas, it happens in very rare occasions and seems to be linked to at least two conditions :

the Ifrit needs to have one particular gene in their DNA that makes them especially impervious to visions of death (so when they have one, it’s really special and more often than not very daunting)

that particular kind of Ifrit needs to have sex with a human after seeing their death in a vision.

Some scientists believe that it is the unconscious way of the Ifrit to protect the human from the death foreseen, but it is a difficult theory to prove, because it is very rare to find a ghost in the early stages of their transformation or an Ifrit willing to participate in trials.
Once a ghost is fully transformed, they are fully contagious and every offspring they would have would be infected also, whatever the supernatural species they associated with.

Appearance and symptoms

The most particular trait every ghost wears is the pallor of their skin. In the early stages, they simply look sick to an unknowing eye. After a few weeks, and becoming even more pale, their heart stops completely. It is usually the time humans tends to declare them dead. After a few days of sleep, they awake and can function as normal, only without a heartbeat.
Most of them are so pale, especially after a few years of bearing the sickness that they almost seem transparent to human eyes. Legends obviously come from that particular trait. Most of the Ghosts, once they are fully transformed, realize they have one ability or another, though most of them are linked to the three following categories :

making themselves almost invisible, especially to the human untrained eye

taking on appearances that are not their own, though they still remain with the same colouring, more or less, when doing so

transgressing, which is becoming one with a person (mostly without any effect on them or the Ghost, it just feels like passing through apparently) or an object One other symptom, due to their heart not beating anymore, is longevity. Most ghosts live for hundred of years. At the end of their life, they are believed to simply vanish.

Some scientists are nowadays researching the possibility that they never die, just become so transparent that nobody, even a supernatural creature, can see them. If that were true, what humans call Ghosts would actually exist.

Treatment

Since the discovery of the sickness in itself is very recent, no cure has been found yet. Several groups all around the world work on it as we speak, but their founding is very meager. And ultimately, most ghosts don’t really seem to mind their condition. They have a strong support system in place in most cities and communicate well between each other in most communities.

Occupations

Their strange appearance makes Ghosts not welcome among humans. They have been known to be exorcised, evicted from their home, without being able to go to any court of law. Some decided to live far from human life, between themselves, in secret communities but most decided to use their skill to make a real living and big cities are full of them. Their special skills have made them valuable to life of crime, especially. Being able to stay invisible, go through a wall or taking another appearance are abilities that make them incredible thieves and very hard to catch, of course. Some uses their skill in a more peaceful way, associated with Ifritas to help people say goodbye to loved ones or make them believe in the afterlife. From real evil to parlor tricks, Ghosts are everywhere in everyday life in one form or another.