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 Aera had become distant, more withdrawn in the past few weeks.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.

Sable continued, his gaze never leaving Aera's still form. "Aera's been working alone, fighting something far beyond her control. I've tried to help her, but this curse... it's too strong. It's affecting her physically and mentally, and I'm afraid she won't survive it unless we find a way to stop it."

"Aera never told me," Justitia said, her voice thick with emotion.

"She never told me what was going on. Why didn't she say anything? Why keep this from me?"

Sable's expression softened slightly.

"She wanted to protect you, Justitia. You don't know what she's been through. The weight of this task... it's crushing her. But the worst part is, she hasn't had time to recover. It's been too much. I've been trying to keep her stable, but I don't know how much longer she can last."

Justitia looked at Aera, her heart aching with the weight of her sister's secret. She had always tried to protect Aera, always been the one to take care of her. And yet, Aera had shouldered this burden alone, hiding the pain and the danger from her. The anger inside her was quickly overtaken by guilt.

"I should've known. I should've been there for her," Justitia whispered, her voice cracking as tears began to well up in her eyes.

Sable placed a hand on her shoulder, a rare gesture of comfort. "It's not your fault, Justitia. She never wanted you to know. She didn't want you involved in this, but now we're all caught in it. We need to help her, and fast."

Justitia nodded, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. She wasn't going to let her sister suffer alone. She wasn't going to let the curse win.

The air inside Justitia's office felt heavier than usual, the weight of the silence pressing down on Da-on as he paced back and forth. Mando's words still echoed in his mind: Aera's hurt. His heart clenched at the thought, each step in his restless movement only deepening his unease.

What does this mean? he thought, but the question was met with an unbearable sense of helplessness.

Da-on's thoughts spiraled. She was supposed to be fine, wasn't she? She was always the strong one, always the one who could take on anything. But now, she was hurt, and he wasn't there for her.

I need to see her, he thought desperately, as a sudden sense of panic rose in his chest. He couldn't just sit here. He couldn't let her go through this alone.

A low knock at the door startled him out of his thoughts. Mando entered with his usual stoic expression, but Da-on noticed the way his eyes kept flickering to the side, as if he were holding back something.

Da-on didn't wait for Mando to speak. His voice cracked with urgency. "Mando, what the hell happened to her? Why is Aera hurt? What's going on?"

Mando hesitated, his gaze darkening.

"She's not in a good state, Da-on. Sable's with her, but she's weak—feverish. We don't have all the answers yet."

Da-on felt the room spin. His legs nearly gave out beneath him. Weak. Feverish. Aera, the one who never showed weakness, the one who always stayed strong... No.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Da-on's voice shook, rising with anger, confusion, and the suffocating feeling of being left in the dark.

"I need to see her. I need to know she's okay."

Mando's expression softened, but he remained calm.

"I get it, Da-on. But rushing in there won't help. We don't know the full extent of what's going on, but right now, Sable and Justitia are doing everything they can. You need to stay here and let them work. We can't help her if we panic."

The words hit Da-on like a wave, pushing him back but not providing any comfort. He wanted to shout. He wanted to run to Aera's side and shake her, demand answers. But Mando was right. He couldn't afford to let his emotions take over—not now.

But the thought of Aera, alone and vulnerable, made him feel sick. The thought of her hurt, in pain, with no one by her side—it tore at him.

"I can't," Da-on muttered, his voice low but filled with a quiet desperation.

"I can't just sit here and wait while she's out there. What if something happens to her? What if—"

"You're not useless, Da-on," Mando interrupted, his voice softer now.

"We're all in this together. Aera wouldn't want you to fall apart over this. Right now, you need to trust that Sable and Justitia know what they're doing."

"I need to do something," he whispered, more to himself than to Mando. "I have to see her. I need to know she's okay."

Mando's expression softened, understanding the torment in Da-on's eyes.

"I know. But right now, the best thing you can do is be ready to act when it's time. Sable's got things under control, and Justitia... she's handling the situation as best as she can."

Da-on stood there, the ache in his chest growing stronger. His mind raced, but his body felt paralyzed. There had to be something he could do, but every step he tried to take felt like one closer to despair.

As he stood there, torn between wanting to be by Aera's side and knowing he had to stay calm, Mando turned to leave.

"I'll keep you updated, Da-on. But for now, just... hang in there." Da-on nodded stiffly, though his heart wasn't in it.

The door to Justitia's office suddenly swung open, and Justitia stepped inside, her face taut with tension. She was about to speak when she saw the pain in Da-on's eyes and the visible strain on his face.

"Da-on, I know this is hard," she said softly, approaching him, "But we can't do this alone. We all need to work together, for Aera. She's depending on us."

He looked up at her, his gaze haunted.

"I don't know what to do, Justitia. I can't sit here and wait while she's hurt. What if—what if it's too late?"

Justitia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her grip firm.

"It's not too late, Da-on. But we have to stay strong for her. She needs us now more than ever."

Da-on closed his eyes, the weight of her words sinking in. His body shook with emotion, but he held himself together.
For Aera.