Between Hell and Heartbeats

Chapter 27: Fragile Recovery

The dim light of Justitia's office cast long shadows on the walls as she reviewed the case files. Lately, her thoughts had often drifted to her sister, Aera. Aera had become distant, more withdrawn in the past few weeks.

Da-on sat across from her, his brow furrowed as he flipped through a report, but the unease on his face was undeniable. He had been tense for days, and Justitia knew something was wrong. They hadn't spoken about it directly, but there was an undercurrent of worry between them that hadn't existed before.

"Aera's been acting strange lately," Da-on muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, as if testing the waters for a response.

Justitia glanced up from the papers. "She's always been stubborn, Da-on. I'm sure it's nothing."

But Da-on shook his head, his gaze distant. "It's more than that. I feel like I'm missing something. Something important."

Just as Justitia was about to respond, the door opened sharply, cutting the conversation short. Mando stepped inside, his usually composed demeanor strained, his face a mask of worry. Without greeting, he looked directly at Justitia.

"Justitia," Mando said, his tone urgent.

"It's Aera. She's hurt."

Justitia's heart dropped into her stomach. Aera hurt? What happened? She shot to her feet, her eyes wide with alarm.

"What happened to her? Is she okay?" Justitia's voice cracked. Mando's jaw tightened, his eyes dark with concern.

"We don't know. Sable's with her, but she's not responding. She's... she's in a bad way. We need you."

Without a word, Justitia turned toward the door, her pulse quickening.

"Where is she?" Her voice had hardened, the protective instinct within her taking over.

Mando hesitated, glancing briefly at Da-on. "She's at the house. I... I don't think you should go alone. Sable's there."

"I'll go alone if I have to," Justitia snapped, but there was no time for further discussion.

She needed to be with Aera. What could possibly have happened? Aera had been hiding something, Justitia was sure of it, but this... this was far worse than she had imagined.

When Justitia arrived, Sable was waiting at the door, his expression grave.Justitia pushed past him, her heart pounding, her mind clouded with worry.

Inside, Aera lay motionless on the bed, her face pale and drawn, her breathing shallow and uneven. Justitia rushed to her side, her fingers trembling as she touched her sister's forehead. Aera was burning with fever, her skin unnaturally hot to the touch.

"What happened to her, Sable?" Justitia demanded, her voice barely above a whisper, but filled with urgency.

Sable didn't meet her gaze immediately. He stood at the door, his arms crossed, his face hard with something Justitia couldn't quite place. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and serious.

"The curse," Sable said simply, his words weighing heavily in the room.

Justitia blinked, confused. "The curse? What curse? What are you talking about?"

Sable's eyes darkened, and he stepped forward, his voice tinged with frustration.

"The curse Aera has been dealing with for weeks. The one tied to the search for Kylum. Bael gave her the task, Justitia. The mission to find the stone."

Justitia's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't known any of this. She had been kept in the dark, just as Aera had clearly intended. But now, as Sable's words sank in, a deep, gnawing fear twisted inside her.