Reveal

Stepping out of the portal, Aurora's shoes clanked on the marble floor sending soft echoes around the room near-empty white room. 

"Wow. We are in your room. It's been a while." Jasmine declared, jumping out of the portal with Caris still knocked out.

There was a steel table at the far right corner of the room and a bed right beside it. Leo slept soundly on the bed, sprawling all over the bed without a care in the world. The walls of the room act as cabinets for their clothes and one section of the wall can even be opened up to reveal a foldable bed in case of guests.

There is a singular window with semi-transparent curtains, overlooking the garden below, if an entire field of grass as far as the eyes can see, be called a garden that is. 

Other than these things, the room is fairly bare and devoid of life. White and empty.

The blanket lay a heap on the floor and Aurora felt a smile come across her face as she watched him breathe softly, drool dripping from the side of his mouth. 

"Who is this now?" Jasmine asked, looking at Leo, "You are just collecting kids left and right, is that a new hobby?" 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aurora asked, getting defensive. 

Jasmine looked at her with an eyebrow raised, then she pointed to Meraki in her arm, Caris and Leo. "Don't tell me I have no right to assume anything." 

"I'm not collecting them." Aurora sighed, quickly changing her tone of voice when Meraki began to stir. "Aside from Miss, the other two just happen to … appear." 

"Really? Then, can I have this boy?" Jasmine asked, pointing to Leo.

"No," Aurora answered so quickly and with no hesitation. She then pointed to Caris, "You can have him."

"I would humbly like to decline." Jasmine said, pleasantly, "I see him more as a witness than a child I can take. Even if he is only nineteen." 

"How did you know his age?" Aurora asked, walking to the back of the room and tapped on the wall. The wall opened up after a certain rhythmic tapping, and a bed began assembling itself.

"Oh, he told me," Jasmine said, as Aurora laid Meraki down on the bed as carefully as she could with just one arm. "You seem quite used to having only an arm." 

"Yeah. Remember when I disappeared during the Dark Ages?" Aurora asked, a smile spreading across her face. 

"Yeah. But … weren't you sent away because of that thing you did?" 

"Details, Jasmine, Details." Aurora pulled the covers over Meraki, making sure to tuck her in properly. "Still, at that time, I got into an incident, which I will not tell you about, and I had to use just one of each arm. So I am kinda accustomed to using just an arm."

"Shouldn't you be telling that in more detail?" Jasmine placed Caris on the bed with Leo while a soft breeze came in through the window. 

"You know I am not the best storyteller." Aurora inspected Meraki once more before fully turning her attention to Jasmine. 

"Yes, but you only tell the important parts with no context and everyone just gets confused." Jasmine crossed her arms, tapping her heel on the floor. 

"Right. Right. I will leave them to you then, ok?" Aurora tapped her stump, "I need to get this looked at." 

"Aren't you a little too calm for someone who just lost their arm?" Jasmine stared at her than her stump, furrowing her eyebrows. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Oh, it hurt like hell. But I don't feel too much right now." Aurora beamed, "Miss did such a good job, I feel nothing now."

"I do have a question about her." Jasmine started just as Aurora got to the door, turning her attention back to her. "About her magic."

"Well, Miss was born without any magic, unlike every member of the Sagepice family. Once they have been able to make a bond with a snake spirit, they can somehow use the magic from the spirit to enhance their own." Aurora became quiet for a while as Jasmine and she stared at each other, an unspoken conversation going on with their eyes. 

"This is a strange predicament though, don't you think so?" Jasmine remarked, "For someone without Magic to be able to make a bond with a spirit, least of all, Kefi."

"Her entire situation is a strange predicament." Aurora sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "I just wanted her to be happy and live a normal life. That's why, when I knew that she is without magic, I felt happy." 

"I remember." Jasmine laughed, "You had this broad smile the entire day at work. It was greatly unsettling. Especially when you had to torture someone for information and the smile still didn't leave your face." 

Jasmine shivered, recalling the memory, "Everyone thought you had finally gone insane and were getting ready to take you out." 

"Really? I don't remember anything like that." Aurora said, sheepishly. 

"Of course you didn't. Rose and I had to intervene otherwise, well, you wouldn't be here now." Jasmine pulled the chair out from the desk and sat on it, back straight, posture perfect. 

"Thank goodness I told you guys and thanks for stepping up for me." Aurora still held the door handle as a dark shadow came across her face. "For such a powerful organization, they sure are easily paranoid."

"I think it is because they are so powerful, that's why they can be paranoid easily," Jasmine added, looking at the sleeping Meraki. "Think it was such a good idea to bring her here?"

"What do you mean?" Aurora narrowed her eyes at her. 

"You know exactly what I mean," Jasmine said, nudging her chin to Meraki. "If word gets out …"

"Word won't get out," Aurora interjected, releasing her grip on the door. "I trust both of you with my life and I know you wouldn't do anything to make me think otherwise."

"Of course we won't," Jasmine answered, still sitting prim and proper on her chair, hands on her side. "But this is a big secret, Aurora. How long are you going to be able to hide it? You won't be able to protect her as much as you want to."

"Well, I'll just have to try my hardest, now don't I?" Aurora's hand is on the doorknob again, "I will do whatever it takes to make what she desires the most come true and to protect her."

"Even at the cost of your life?"

"My life isn't worth much, Jasmine." Aurora side, a sad smile on her face, "But if it's worth something that can be beneficial to Miss then I don't mind."

"You need to stop thinking like that, Aurora." Jasmine stood up from the chair, frowning at her.

"After living this long, Jasmine, you tell me, what even is the point sometimes anymore?" Aurora asked, looking at Jasmine with a heavy expression on her face. 

"You see people live and you see them die daily. Just because we are a little bit different than them, we do not have the same fulfilment they have at the end of their days." 

Aurora leaned against the door, playing with her hair, "If you were to die right this moment, can you say, for a certain that you do not have any regrets or that you have done all that you wanted?"

Jasmine looked at Aurora and relaxed, falling back onto the chair "I understand where you are coming from. I really do. But you can't put your entire life on that child. I'm sorry if I sound harsh but, you do know that she will die one day right?"

Aurora's expression remained the same but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. 

"I know, Jasmine. I know that this isn't healthy. I also know that I should let Miss be." She said, softly, "I Know you are only saying this for my sake. And I couldn't have asked for a better friend than you, and maybe Rose, she's still up for debate." 

"Then …"

"But I can't and, honestly, I won't." She pushed herself off the door and stood determined. "I may seem obsessive and creepy to lots of people but, they wouldn't know my reasons for being this way to Miss."

"I saw her die once." Aurora clenched her fists, "That feeling … I can't describe it, it was so painful. If death came for me at that time, it still wouldn't have been enough."

"Aurora," Jasmine whispered, remembering the day Aurora got the news. It was so painful to see, she couldn't even approach her. To this day, she regrets not doing anything that night. 

It was difficult for the entire team to see the strongest person they have ever known for years and years, break and that badly. 

It was terrifying. 

"But just like a second chance, Miss, came back to life and with no memories." Aurora beamed with happiness, "It's like in a game. I get the chance to correct my mistakes and I am determined not to let it slip anymore." 

"That doesn't guarantee that she will live much longer, Aurora." Jasmine argued, "With the way you are right now towards her, what will happen when she dies?" 

 "Don't worry about that. I've taken care of it." A contented smile came across Aurora's face as she asked that, throwing Jasmine off guard.

Jasmine's hand flew to cover her mouth as she stared at her in horror. "You didn't. Please tell me you didn't!" 

Aurora turned the doorknob and opened the door, walking out with a wave to Jasmine who could only stand there, stunned. 

She did it, she definitely did it. Why?