Aura and Caecilius' friendship soon blossomed into a forbidden love. They would spend hours together, talking about everything and anything, sharing their deepest fears and hopes. Caecilius' blindness meant that he did not see Aura's cursed beauty, and he loved her for who she was, regardless of what the villagers thought.
But their love was not meant to be. The villagers still despised Aura, and they would often hurl insults and rocks at her whenever she ventured into the village. They could not understand how someone so cursed could possibly find love.
Despite the villagers' hatred, Aura and Caecilius continued to see each other in secret. They would meet in the forest, hidden from the prying eyes of the villagers. They would hold hands and steal kisses, knowing that their love was forbidden but unable to resist their feelings for each other.
But one day, when they were caught in a tender embrace, the villagers discovered their secret. They were outraged and demanded that Caecilius stay away from Aura. They threatened him, warning him that if he continued to see her, he would suffer the same fate as her.
Aura was heartbroken. She could not bear the thought of losing Caecilius, but she knew that the villagers would stop at nothing to keep them apart. She begged Caecilius to stay away, for his own safety, and he reluctantly agreed.