Morning light filtered softly into the room.
Aux sat across from Luna, his face visibly concerned. Her demeanor didn't resemble that of someone who'd just been told they would die soon.
"Doctor, is there anything known on the White Death?" Luna asked, her expression cheerful and bright.
Aux paused, his gaze drifting to the ground, lost in a distant place.
Silence stretched between them for seconds.
"My lady… there is some knowledge, but it's not much. Would you want to hear it?" Aux said in a slow, saddened voice.
"Of course! I'd love to hear it!"
"Then... it will take a while, my lady."
Luna nodded, listening intently as Aux steadied himself with a breath.
"The White Death... its origin came from a place called the Northern Rode, an elongated island that borders the northern ocean."
He leaned back slightly, collecting his thoughts.
"It's a frozen land, covered in snow forever. As far as we know, that island was always under snow. There never was a summer there. It's a place a man can never live in."
Luna listened with growing interest, her small hands clenched excitedly in her lap.
"It was four centuries ago. A group of explorers from the Duchy of Arcanis set sail into uncharted waters. Very brave men ventured there."
"The waves back then were over ten meters tall," Aux said, momentarily forgetting himself, his voice shifting from saddened to excited.
"Or maybe foolish, depending on how you see them. They stumbled upon the Rode during their voyage."
He paused again, clearing his throat before continuing.
"It's said that the island's environment is wild, dense forests of spruce and pine, ground frozen, surroundings silent. And there, they found... something."
Luna's eyes flickered with excitement.
"A creature. A dead, decomposed creature, like nothing they'd ever seen before," Aux said, his voice sinking back into sorrow.
"Later, they'd come to call it Lavriv."
Lavriv? Weird name, Luna thought, excitedly.
Why am I excited? It is cool and exciting but... eh, once I bury my emotions, they're gone. Somehow. Heh.
Inwardly, she made a self-deprecating comment.
"They brought its corpse aboard their ship. Curiosity couldn't help them. 'Curiosity kills the mage,' they say." He chuckled under his breath.
"They thought it might be valuable for research. But once they set sail again... something began to change with the body."
Luna leaned forward, her breath steady, excitement brewing.
"Its body... bloomed."
"Bloomed?" Luna asked, confused.
Aux nodded in affirmation.
"From its chest, a flower emerged. A white lily. Delicate, beautiful... in a completely unnatural place."
White lily!? What? That's the same thing I said back then...
Luna leaned in, confusion and intrigue rising.
The room suddenly felt colder. A shiver ran down her spine.
"They picked it. Started studying the body. But soon after, things went really wrong. One by one, the voyagers began to fall ill."
Aux looked directly at Luna, his expression serious.
"It started simply, nosebleeds. Then their skin began turning black. And once the blackness spread enough... the white lily began to grow from the blackened spot."
Luna's breath hitched. That's...
"No one understood it. Not the healers, not the alchemists, not the magicians, no one could help," Aux said, lowering his voice to a saddened tone.
"The worst part? It wasn't contagious. There was no pattern. No touch, no blood, no bodily fluid passed it on."
"Then... how?" Luna asked, confused.
"I don't know." Aux shook his head.
"They were careful. Precise with the body. Yet... it still spread."
Aux looked away from Luna, ashamed.
"But the disease did something worse than spread and bloom... it decayed them. Slowly. Their muscles gave out. Their senses dulled. All slipped away, one by one."
"No one understood it. Not the healers, the alchemists, the magicians, nothing helped." His voice grew thick with memory.
"And the worst part? It wasn't contagious. There was no pattern. No touch. No blood passed it on."
Luna's lips parted in disbelief. "Was it painful…?"
Aux couldn't answer her. His guilt didn't allow him. So he continued.
"They were trapped. Locked inside their..."
"Miss Luna, I can't. We should end it here," he said, looking away, shame and regret clouding his voice.
"Doctor, it doesn't hurt me, nor am I scared. So please, continue," Luna said with genuine kindness and eagerness.
Aux stayed silent for seconds. Finally, he looked at Luna. Her expression was gentle, kind.
Her smile encouraged him to continue, brushing aside the shame.
"They were locked inside their bodies. Still fully aware, feeling everything, yet unable to move. But it varied... some could still move, others couldn't move at all."
"As if the disease was picking who should suffer more."
"They said they were in agony... for years. Some lasted only weeks. Others longer. The last of them died after ten gruesome days... waiting for a cure that never came."
Aux stopped again, collecting his thoughts.
"That's all, my lady. Please... I am sorry." His gaze stayed fixed on the floor.
"Is that all, doctor?" Luna asked, trying to clarify.
Still looking down, unable to meet her eyes,
"To my knowledge… yes. That's all there is to be known."
Luna exhaled softly.
"Thank you."
Doctor, you're overreacting. You already said yesterday there's no cure, so why should I be scared or fear it?
Clearly, if anyone has an incurable, terminal disease, it's bound to be painful... as far as I know. Heh.
Hearing Luna's soft "thank you," Aux made up his mind.
Grabbing his cane and small suitcase where he kept his documents, he prepared to leave.
He stood and bowed.
"Where are you going?" Luna asked, confused.
Aux, resolute yet regretful, replied,
"I'll meet with colleagues. There's a chance, just a chance, they might know more than I do."
He hesitated.
"Then... I'll go to the Northern Rode. To search for the source of it."
Luna's eyes flickered. She was about to speak,
, but stopped herself.
Looking to the side, she thought:
There's no way Dad will allow me to come. Well... just forget about it.
Aux jolted slightly as he realized his rudeness.
He turned to Luna and bowed once more.
"Thank you, then, Miss Luna. I'll be on my way. So please, be healthy for a long time," he said, the regret and sadness in his voice clear as day and night.
"I'll do everything there is to make sure this journey brings the fruits I need!"
Gripping his cane, he turned toward the door and opened it.
"Then... thank you, my lady."
"Wait! Call me whenever you'll be departing, I'll see you off, Doctor!" Luna cheerfully said.
Aux nodded with a regretful smile. Stepping out, he bowed and closed the door.
Luna waved until the door shut.
I hope this journey brings some good fruits, Doctor. I really do.
Her hand slowly lowered. She sighed and chuckled to herself.
Right. As if he'll find any cure when no one could back then. Heh...
Let's just hold onto that dim light of hope. Heh.