"I'm home", I said after entering the house and closing the door.
"Welcome back Kiara, where'd you wander off to?", Claire asked while reading some books at the sofa.
"I just wandered around and visited the Town Hall, and it's really busy there.."
"Yeah, it's always busy at the Town Hall. I'm surprised how Mike and my husband don't get too stressed out after work."
"Eh? They don't get tired?"
"Yeah, it's like they're used to their work. I don't know if it's a bad thing or not. But I do get them to some check ups, and they don't seem to have health problems."
What are they? Not humans?
If I'd be working there, I'd get stressed out by just the 1st hour.
"If they don't have health issues then I guess they're fine right?", I asked.
"Yeah, I just hope that they're not hiding it.."
There is a possibility that they're faking it.
But since the doctor said that they have no health issues, then I guess that's that.
"By the way, where's Kitty?", I asked as I sat down at the sofa beside Claire.
"Oh, she's currently sleeping in her room."
"I see, I mean she is just a kid, so she needs her sleep."
"Yeah..", she said while flipping to the next page of her book.
Silence went on and I decided to read some books too, and I don't really understand how she can read and listen to my talk at the same time.
I grabbed a book from the table, and the cover page had the title of 'The Sun Village tour book'.
"A tour book..?", I muttered.
"Hm? Oh yeah, that book was created when we were still kids. I really loved reading that one even now. It just brings nostalgia to how the Village was once before.", Claire said.
Apparently she heard my muttering.
I continued to open the book, and there were pictures and words.
And each page I flip just brings colors for me.
Some pictures either has words that consists the catalog of that certain picture or just a picture with other pictures that have either faces or buildings.
And as I continued to flip and read, the Village in this picture doesn't seem like the ones that we have now.
In fact, some buildings that are in the pictures are either being constructed or brand new.
But, I guess this was a long time ago huh..
The next page that I flipped piqued my interest.
There was a picture of a stone, and the name that's written on it says The Sun Stone.
It also says in the description that The Sun Stone is the symbol of the Sun Village, keeping the Village from Supernatural dangers and Mythical creatures
"Mythical Creatures..?, Supernatural dangers..?", I muttered to myself.
"Hm? What are you reading now?", Claire asked after she heard my muttering.
"Oh uh, it's still the same book but in this page it says there's a Sun Stone that's keeping you from danger or something..?", I questioned Claire.
"Ohh, that's actually my favorite part of the book! The Sun Stone still exists even now and is still protecting us from Supernatural dangers and Mythical Creatures!", she said with an exciting feeling.
"Eehh, really? Now that I think about it, Mike and Steven did say something about a... Frostbite..?", I said while also attempting to get into Kitty's past.
"F-Frostbite..?", she said.
Eh? She's stuttering?
And also, she distanced herself a bit away from me..
Is this Frostbite really dangerous..?
"F-Frostbite.. Huh..", she said.
"Um.. Uh.. Claire..?"
"Mike.. And Steven.. Told you that..?", she asked.
"Y-Yeah.. But.. Umm..", I said while stuttering.
"Mike and Steven, would never say anything about something classified..", she said.
It's really that big of a secret?
Even Claire is shaking!
"I-Is it really that big.. Of a secret..?", I asked.
"Yeah.. It is..", she said.
After that she sighed and put her book down on the table and grabbed a pillow that was beside her.
"You see, Frostbites are creatures that we fear the most, especially on winter seasons. Because that's where they become stronger..", she said.
I mean, they are named Frostbites.
"We're actually lucky to have the Sun Stone to ward them off from our Village. To be honest with you, we're the remaining village in this snowy area.."
"Eh? How come??", I asked.
"The Frostbites, either killed or ate the others.."
Ehh?? Is that how dangerous they are???
I didn't know that!
"There were actually 15 Villages on our area, including us. But out of 15, we're the only ones left. And it's all thanks to the Sun Stone that was given to us by a Mythical Creature..", she said.
"Eh? I thought Mythical Creatures are the bad ones?", I asked.
"Most of them are, but the one that gave us the Sun Stone, is probably the good one. And it's name is the Phoenix.", she said.
"Eehh.. But, why are you all still so vigilant about the Frostbites? When there's already the Sun Stone that's protecting you from danger?", I asked.
"I.. I don't know if I should say this.. I haven't said this to anyone after it got classified. But, I'm going to say it to you. Since I can trust you to keep a secret."
"Eh? I don't know if I can keep a secret.."
"Please.. Most of the Villagers either know this incident and are just hiding it, or they're just ignoring it. So if you want to stay in the Village until the Sun Festival, at least know a bit about our history.."
I mean, because of that tour book I did know a lot about your history now.. But, if this includes Kitty's past, then I should take it.
"S-Sure..", I said.
"You promise?", she asked while raising a pinky finger.
"I.. Promise.", I replied while holding her pinky finger with my pinky finger, to symbolize a promise.
"Okay.. Kitty, isn't actually the type to isolate herself before..", she said.
Yeah, I kind of noticed that. I thought she would've been the type to be friendly.
"When she was just 7 years old, she, her friends along with Steven and her friends' parents. They went along on a tour outside the Village. It was actually a school trip to learn more about the outside world.", she said.
To learn more about the outside world? Does that mean they've been isolating themselves from outside? If so, how did they even go out for vacation in the first place?
"Kitty was enjoying her time with her friends, until one got wounded because of a tree. Steven helped aiding that kids wound, and by the time Steven finished aiding the other kid. Kitty got lost."
"EH?!"
"Steven told the parents to bring their kids back inside the Village and brought some Guards with him to help him find Kitty, and by the time they found her. She was facing, a Frostbite."
EEEHH???!!!!
"Steven and the Guards tried to stop the Frostbite. And in doing so, some Guards died but Kitty got rescued successfully."
"Then.. What happened after that..?"
"Apparently, the Guards that died got buried in secret. The Guards that witnessed everything got told by Steven to never talk about that event. But as Kitty's mother, I was allowed to know what really happened."
"Does Mike know about the incident too?", I asked.
"No, but.. He does know that it's classified. And when he knows it's classified, then he'll never touch that.", she replied.
I see. Well, Mike did act a bit harshly towards me when he tried to protect this story. Even though he doesn't know it himself, he still knows how to keep a secret.
"After that event, Kitty got traumatized. And she shutted herself from the rest of the Villagers. Steven and I did everything we could to bring back her old and cheerful self, but we always failed."
No wonder Cassidy said that Kitty had no friends..
As she kept continuing to talk about the story, her tears started to drop.
"E-Eh? Claire? Are you okay??", I asked.
"Y-Yeah.. It's just, as a parent.. It's really hard to accept, that our cheerful and sweet daughter.. Would turned out this way, and.. I couldn't do anything to help her move on from it.."
"I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have talked about this!", I apologized with my head bowed down a bit.
"I-It's okay, I'm also the one who forced you to listen to me anyways..", she said while wiping her tears.
Is there anything I can do to help Kitty? In return for telling Claire this story to me?
Ah! I know now!
"Claire, maybe I can help.", I said.
"H-How..?", she asked as she wiped her last tear.
"In return for telling me that classified story, I can at least help you. Not by bringing back the old Kitty, but by rebuilding her!", I said.
"Rebuilding.. Her..?"
"We can never get her old self back. But at the very least, we can try to rebuild her trust and confidence, right?", I explained to her.
"Y-Yeah.. But how do you plan on doing that..?"
"I got an idea but I'll be needing your help on this one. Are you with me?"
She used her time to think, but it didn't take long for her answer.
"Sure, I'm with you.", she said with a face of courage.
"Yes! Then, let's help your daughter together!", I shouted.
"Shh! Kitty might hear us...", she said.
"Oh yeah, sorry..", I replied in whisper.
After that conversation, we both laughed.
And so, we started to talk about our plan and strategy to help rebuild Kitty's confidence and trust!