“I have wonderful news!” John’s mother exclaimed as she entered the house.

“What is it?” John’s father asked. She brought him to a more secluded part of the house, and then she started to whisper something into his ear. “No way, really?” John’s father said in a surprised tone mixed in with joy. John’s father then ran out of the room, “I’m gonna tell John, I’ll be back.” he said, dashing out of the house.

John was sitting on the ground outside near the house, contemplating what he should do with this “gift” the crippled man gave to him. Seeing his father emerging from the house, John quickly put the necklace in his pocket and turned his attention to his dad.

“Son, you’re going to be a brother.” he said excitedly.

“I am? That’s great.” John replied, being slightly off put by his father’s overwhelming excitement. John’s father then dashed back into the house and gave his wife a hug and a kiss. After a while, John decided to go pay Aoi a visit.

At Aki’s house, John knocked on the door and waited a bit before the door opened revealing Aki, “Oh, hello, John.” she said sweetly.

“Hi, Aoi, how are you today?” John asked.

“I’m fine, but my father isn’t doing very well.”

“Sorry to hear that, is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’m afraid not, but I’m sure my father will be ok in a few days; he just needs rest.”

“I see; so, you wanna just walk around with me?”

“Sure, let me just go ask my father and give him his medicine.” she said, closing the door.

John waited for a few minutes until Aoi opened the door and said that her father approved of the two of them spending some time together. The two then started walking off together, not in any specific direction, just forward. The two then arrived at the top of a small hill where they both sat down and laid back, looking up into the clear blue sky.

“One day, when I’m older, I’m gonna go to the city of Oreana so I can make enough money to take care of my father.” said Aoi.

“Is this not the first time he’s been sick?” John asked.

“He’s been sickly most of his life; he just kept it secret from everyone he met.” Aoi sat up and a few tear leaked from her eyes. “I’m worried, he’s been getting worse. Yesterday, he was coughing up blood, there was nothing I could do; all I could do was watch him suffer.”

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John sat up and put his arm around her to comfort her, “I’m sure things will get better.” he said, holding her close, “Poor thing, she’s pretty shaken up, her father must really not be doing well.”

The two stayed up on the hill until nightfall, John holding her close like a parent would hold their frightened child. After the sun disappeared behind the far away mountains, John walked with Aoi to her house and once they arrived, Aoi hugged John and headed inside. John then left for his home and went to sleep, wondering what he could do to help Aoi.

The next morning, John awoke from his bed and made his way down the stairs. Once he reached the bottom floor, he saw his mother sitting on a chair and his father standing next to her, his mother was cradling a crying Aki in her arms, Aoi was tightly gripping at John’s mother’s sleeve.

“Aki? What happened?” John asked, walking closer to her.

Aki then looked up at john, her eyes pierced into his soul as he looked at her distraught face. Then at that moment, John realized what had happened, “Wait, Aki’s father is…Dead?” he said, a shocked expression taking over his face as he kept his gaze on Aoi.

Later that day, the Berus and a few other families helped with the burial of Aoi’s father at the funeral. After talking it over for a while, the Berus decided to make the decision to take Aki in as their own. John took on the role an older brother to Aoi and made sure to always look out for her. However, John’s entire world was about to face a grim change.

A few weeks after Aoi’s father’s death, a person in the town developed symptoms of the same illness that Aoi’s father had suffered from, soon, many more people from the town started to develop the illness as well. Day by day, the symptoms of the people got increasingly worse, eventually leading to the deaths of many of the townsfolk. John’s father and a few other people did everything they could to help the town, but all their efforts were in vain; there was no way to stop the spread of the illness.

John’s parents made the decision of leaving their home with the townspeople that also planned to flee the town, John’s father strongly advised against it at first, but was persuaded due to them having no other option. After a long day of packing the Berus had one last dinner in their house, knowing that this would be their last night in the house.

John went into his room, quietly, he slipped into his bed and looked up at the ceiling. Just before he closed his eyes, Aoi walked into his room and said, “John, are you awake?”

“Yeah.” answered John, sitting up. “What’s wrong?”

Aoi then walked up to John and sat next to him, “Are you going to die too?” she asked timidly.

“What, what does that mean, of course not. Why would you ever say tha…?”

“You promise!?”

John paused and looked Aoi straight in the eyes.

“Promise you won’t leave me?” she asked, tears falling from her eyes.

John then hugged Aoi and said with a bold tone, “I promise, I’ll never leave you. You’re my only friend, and I would never forgive myself if I let you go. I vow to always protect you.”

The two held each other closely for a while before John’s mother came into his room and took Aoi to where she slept, leaving John alone in his room. Early the next morning, the Berus left in a carriage and made their way to the city of Oreana.