As Luna slowly fell to the ground, Mytri was overcome by a sudden wave of sweat, A flash of memory: a golden-haired man decapitated mid-air, his lifeless green eyes staring as his body slumped against a tree.
Following that a man in a black robe covering his whole body with a sword and a skull necklace approached him rapidly.
Shaking his head he broke out of the flash of memory and rushed to Luna, catching her just before she hit the ground. He turned sharply to call for Theia but Luna grabbed his shirt muttering "No… don't tell her more… than she knows… don't let her know…this… she knows…. enough"
Luna's hand fell limp into Mytri's lap. In desperation he nodded and called "Theia!"
A thud echoed from the direction of their room, she stormed out of the room calling "Yes?"
"Please, bring cold water and a wet towel, immediately to your room," Mytri said as he tightly hugged Luna's head to his chest, his hands shaking.
Theia stopped as she gripped her dress asking "Is it again?"
"What?" Mytri spouted as he stood up with Luna in his arms.
"The bleeding. She said her body was always like that… She said not to be wary, that it's not serious…"
Mytri stopped as his heart skipped a beat as he muttered "Stupid…" as the truth downed on him. He furrowed his eyebrows and said "Go bring what I said, now. I'll treat Luna."
Theia, without a second thought, nodded and rushed into the kitchen, packing the needed supplies for Luna.
Mytri opened the door widely as he stormed into Luna's room, placing her onto bed. He was taken aback as the whole right side bed sheet was wet, he shook his head as he gently placed Luna's head onto white pillow and shouted to Theia "Bring it faster!"
A tremor ran through Luna. Her breaths, which had been shallow, sharpened into frantic, shallow gasps that did nothing to fill her lungs.
Sweat pouring from Luna like summer rains.
In a low tone voice, with a crack he said "Luna…" He gritted his teeth, fists clenched so tight his nails drew blood, which dripped to the floor. He fell to his knees saying "No… I can't lose you too…"
At this second Theia came running into the room with a bucket of cold water and a wet towel, Mytri took it from her and placed it by his side. He dipped the towel in the bucket, wrung it out, and gently placed it on Luna's burning forehead.
He turned to Theia and said "Run to the capital and find a healer, immediately" as Mytri said, Luna with her last remaining strength, she mumbled "No…"
Luna glanced at Them with her tired eyes saying "I… alone want… talk to … Master", Mytri gripped Luna's hand as he said to Theia "Can you leave us alone?"
"W-why?" Theia said as her hand shook.
"Theia—" Mytri said but was cut of by Luna words as she forced a smile "I promise"
With a jolt in Theia's arm, tears welling up in her eyes, she nodded saying "Y-yes…", and walked out of the room, while keeping her eyes on her "I'll wait outside the door,"
"T-thank you," Luna said.
Silence fell as only Luna's breathing echoed through the walls to Theia, who sat curled up behind a wall, burrowing her face into her dress.
Mytri grabbed Luna's hand and asked "Luna… what is happening, please tell me. I need to know… please"
Luna slowly glanced towards Mytri as she opened her mouth "It's … nothing much"
Mytri snapped, shouting "how can it be nothing much!?" He jolted in place as he gripped his fist tightly adding "... sorry"
"I'm sorry… I should've told you sooner" Luna added as she closed her eyes, "Our family doctor… Aux already… told me it's bad…"
"Incurable…"
Mytri's eyebrows twitched as he sharply looked at Luna, "Everyone knows?"
"Not even Aisha knows…"
"I see…" Mytri added, "B-but why? What is the illness?"
"Aux said… White death… he disappeared somewhere saying that … he'll find the cure… he won't"
Tears welled up in Mytri's eyes as they flew down his cheek into his beard, immediately Luna noticed as she frowned saying "that's why…"
"I just… want everyone to be happy… around me" Saying, Luna coughed up and something resembling black spores flew out of her mouth, immediately after she gritted her teeth and inhaled saying "It burns!"
Mytri's grip on her hand desperately. "What hurts? Tell me!"
"My… back"
Mytri jolted straight up saying "please turn on your stomach, I'll look at it"
So Luna did, she turned while groaning in pain, with all her strength, afterwards she tried to pull the dress zip tie down from her back, but was unable to.
Mytri pulled it down, revealing her back down to her waist. His breath caught.
At first, it was just one spot, like a splash of ink between her shoulder blades. Then his eyes adjusted, and he saw they were everywhere—dozens of fingertip-sized stains, black as charcoal and deep as embers buried in her skin. They seemed to pulse faintly with her labored breathing.
He stumbled back, a cold sweat drenching his face. "By the goddess... what has it done to you?"
Mytri gripped his face as tears tracked through his beard, onto his white shirt. He fell down to the ground saying "No… I'll lose another… beloved student… no, I can't"
"M-master?" Luna mumbled
He stiffened up right and exclaimed "Right! There is this… I have to bring it…"
"Master?" Luna asked as she turned her face to see Mytri's face, and saw a glimpse of hope in his eyes, "W-what is it?"
"I know what might slow down any illness! I will immediately depart and bring it to you… It will help you"
But at that moment something downed on Mytri, a faint memory of a conversation he had with luna flooded into his mind
"So if I master swordsmanship, would it keep my health this healthy? Luna said
"Of course it will. You just need to train properly, and you'll be like me when you master swordsmanship." Myri responded, the memory sent him onto his knees, he gripped Luna's hand and said "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that…"
"S-said what?"
"The mastery of swordsmanship… I regret saying it… I'm sorry… I'm sorry"
Luna sighed as her right hand began to twitch slightly, "don't worry… I-it's not like I… Expected much"
His eyes widen in horror as the realisation hit him like an arrow to the back of his head, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry"
Luna's mouth fell agape as she realised what she said "n-no… I didn't mean it like that… It's… that I already knew… that nothing can be done…But still… I had hope,"
Mytri tears fell down onto Luna's hand as Mytri repeatedly said "I'm sorry"