As they sat inside the tree, Aurora thought about what had transpired.
With Timothy standing in front of her, she glanced at the floor and the swaying fire. Its light burnt brightly and cast shadows on the walls while the cold breezes slipped into their trunk.
"I don't need to explain anything," Aurora answered, warming herself with Timothy's jacket, "You weren't supposed to know anything about my illness. Not even my uncle and Kheer don't know about it. You don't need to either..."
Timothy watched how she reacted, "I'm grateful, but I don't want to go into details. Can we just go back to my uncle's hut?" She inquired, raised her view, and exchanged looks with Timothy.
"Going out there this late at night could get us lost. Or we could get attacked by something lurking in the woods. It's not safe even with me by your side. If I repeatedly use fire to light up the path, it could drain me dry." Aurora listened, keeping her stare locked on the outside, "And there's a snowstorm. We could freeze to death. The best thing we can do is wait until morning."
The snow was getting tossed around and dragged with the wind, covering trees with patches of white. It lacked secure traversing, and the pathways got buried beneath the stiff and deep snowscapes.
Aurora sighed, "Then let's wait.." She placed her palm on her chest on the side of her heart and coughed. "You weren't serious, were you? Kate wasn't the name your father gave you. It was your mother. Wasn't it? That's why you despise it so much. Whenever somebody calls you by that name, it reminds you of your mother who detested you." Timothy believed, noticing different reactions to Aurora's body.
She couldn't think about it, remembering her mother, "My mother didn't detest me. It was because of my infection she became sick. When the doctors learned about my illness, she became distant. She was worried about her health, and the infection I held didn't help." Aurora didn't need to hide her sickness in front of Timothy and could cough without being suspicious.
"The infection I have is called ice cholera. It's a bacterial disease I contracted from cold, infected water supplies," Aurora explained with a weakened voice, "If you remember, I was born in the lands of Hailstone. When I was young, the water here became polluted and infected due to fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals that got dropped on the land near the rivers. I drank some of it when I was three years old. That's why I received this type of cholera."
She coughed again, having the feeling like she would vomit. "My mother didn't take me to a doctor for three years, and my father was rarely home. I was untreated for three years until my mother and father divorced. My father *cough* took me to a doctor, but because I didn't get treated for three years, my sickness became unstable." She responded.
"Unlike normal cholera, ice cholera doesn't have a cure yet. It's a rare sickness in the world but very regular here in Hailstone. It can be fatal and often disorders my body. And because this sickness is contagious, many other people can become sick too. If I told it to anyone, people would distance themselves from me. I always wanted friends, but I'm worried I'll lose them when I tell them. And I know I should, but its contagiousness is no more than 1% to act. Especially after the doctors gave me medicine." She explained, covering her mouth with her palm to silence her coughs.
"Rumors say there's a cure for it in the Cyber Refuge, but most people don't believe it exists. But I beg to differ. I know there's a city beneath the Vast Expanse, having technology even greater than the one in the East. I always wanted to prove to the people it exists, but I never had the chance. If I can find a way to enter Cyber Refuge, I know I can find a cure and help hundreds of people like me. But how my body's now, I won't make it in time. I'm on a time limit."
Timothy listened with a grave expression as if he desired to take her.
He wanted to help her.
He thought about it, seeing the determination in Aurora's eyes. They were filled with belief and hope but had hints of dejection rumbling at the corner of her eyes.
He looked at his hands, which shook.
He couldn't let Aurora's condition go untreated. He knew that helping her was the only way to go about things. Instead of worrying about her condition, he wanted to treat it.
But to do that, he would need to find the Cyber Refuge. An island: a city that people believe exists beneath the ocean.
"I'm sorry, Aurora, but I can't stay here..." She raised her eyes onto him, "You... shouldn't stay here." She became irritated, believing she had lost a friend, "See? That's exactly why I said I don't want anyone to know about it. Because people like you will become distant!"
Timothy kept stern, "We shouldn't stay here. We should find the Cyber Refuge and the cure for you together. I have my sisters and Chiaki with me, and I can contact Ayuka to help. She's strong, intelligent, and has a better perspective on the sea than I could ever. We might need her abilities, and we might need her power. And unlike others, I know exactly where to find her. She's the only person who told me her whereabouts before we departed."
Aurora became confused, and her mind became filled with complex thoughts. "You... want to help me? You can't be serious. We could be searching for Cyber Refuge for years. Do you really want to waste your two years helping me instead of letting Chiaki learn how to use soul link?"
He crossed his arms, standing confidently. "We won't. We'll find it, and if you think my sisters and my friends will distance themselves from you because of your illness, you're wrong. If the cure truly does exist, and even if it doesn't, we need to try. I can't let you suffer because of one sickness that could be curable. I'm sure we can find Cyber Refuge in less than 30 days. Just make sure to take your medicine for the course."
Aurora stood up immediately, "You... You'll really take me with you?!" She inquired in excitement but coughed in return. "I'm not going there because of me, but you. And if you want to see and prove to others that Cyber Refuge exists, it only makes sense you experience it yourself."
With her shaking eyes, she didn't believe her ears. But the reality proved her wrong.
Suddenly they heard familiar voices, "Timothy! Aurora! Are you there!? Can you hear us!?" It was the voices of Chiaki and others who came searching for them in the night and snowstorm.
Timothy spun around and walked outside, his hair and clothes getting caught in the wind swirls. "Chiaki! Over here!" he shouted as Aurora stepped next to him, enveloped by Timothy's jacket.
Chiaki heard him, but the wind currents were too strong to tell his location. "Tim! I can't hear you properly!" Chiaki's voice became shrouded by the wind and becoming silenced. But Timothy soon came up with an idea.
He closed his eyes and placed his hand on his heart.
Cassidy and Trinity looked around, "Damn it... I can't hear him anymore. If we continue like this, we could get lost."
Chiaki turned serious, "No... We won't." She closed her eyes and placed her hand on her chest, "If I'm able to sense Tim's presence and see through his eyes, I can lead you there." Chiaki's eyes became swallowed by darkness, but the next moment managed to develop a picture in her head.
It was a blurry picture of the forest that became clear to her. She saw a faded trail of golden and silver trails. She could see through Timothy's eyes and at what he was looking. She managed to coordinate his location.
"I can see him. This way." She opened her eyes and sprinted in the direction she pointed. Aurora's uncle and Timothy's sisters followed her, and in the next few moments, they came in contact.
To be continued...