∞ L A U R E N ∞

My hands are numb and I can feel the throbbing pain in my head. My body is shaking because of the cold but my attention is solely focused on Cloud. He was sitting on the cold ground with his head resting on his knees. I don't even know what's wrong, all I know is I received a call from Drey telling me that Cloud has been out of the house since I left with Frost for dinner.

I sat in front of him to level our faces but he didn't even look at me. I extended my hand to brush his hair and that moment I saw the visible blue veins on my hand. I was worried for a second, the horrifying feeling of waking up from death is still a nightmare for me. I need to pull myself together, someone needs me right now, Cloud needs me. This is not the time for me to be weak.

"Cloud, let's get inside. Please."

There was no response from him. He remained still and the rain got even stronger, the wind is getting violent and I'm starting to get scared. Climate change caused this kind of rain even if there are no reported storms, rains at this point of time are already violent.

"Let's talk about this inside, Cloud, please listen to me."

I started shaking his shoulders as I try to get his attention. My hands are already shaking because of the cold even my lips are starting to quiver.

"She's gone, Lauren."

Cloud said with anguish, his face still buried on his knees. I know who he was referring to. I felt my strength left my body the moment I heard his problem, tears began to stream down my face together with the rain.

"W-what happened?"

I don't even know anymore what's painful in my body right now. My head is aching but it seems like my heart aches even more.

"Someone killed her, according to reports it was the slave she bought from Isola. Some of her things are missing and even the slave who poisoned her is also missing."

I close my eyes in pain as I heard the news. I know they're not in good terms but she's still his mother and I know he loves her.

I just want to hug him right now, comfort him and take away the pain from him, but it's sad that I can do nothing about it. My body started to betray me, I heard the deafening sound I heard 200 years ago and fear swallowed me whole. My body was like a paper without a soul, I fell on the ground as I gasp for air, I heard Cloud screaming my name repeatedly but everything sounds like a fading echo. It was the same scream I heard from Casper before.

The thought of me slowly losing control of my own body scares me, but what scares me most are the blue veins I saw on Cloud's face when he tried to lift me up. It's the same veins I have in my body right now, there are a lot of questions running in my head but no matter how much I want to stay awake everything around me is fading and slowly turning to black.

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I heard some voices talking softly not far from where I am,  I slowly open my eyes and look around me.  The first person I saw was Cloud,  he was sitting on a chair just beside the hospital bed where I'm laying down. He's currently talking to Frost and they're both very serious as I listened to their conversation.

"That's what I kept on asking my self since that day, why would her slave kill her?  Based on the medical results  the cause of her death is aconitum poison but... "

Cloud stopped for a moment and inhaled deeply.

"But you can only purchase aconitum in the elite web. How can a slave buy a billion worth of poison?"

Frost said finishing the statement. So, it means that there's someone behind the death of Cloud's mother. I gasp for air in surprise as the informations pieced together in my mind. I also startled them causing Cloud to jerk from his seat but then followed by him pulling me in to his arms for a hug.

"You're awake!  You're fvcking awake!  You scared me Lauren, I thought I was going to lose you too. "

He said with a shakey voice with his breathing that is heavy and slow.

I look at Frost for answers and he smiled as he nod his head.

"You were asleep for 5 days Lauren. "

Frost said making me understand the reason behind Cloud's reaction. I gently tap his back as I break the hug.

"I'm fine now Cloud. Thank you so much for taking good care of me."

I saw how his face turned bright red as he looked away.

"You're such a dumbass Lauren,  soaking yourself in the rain that night.  You know you were not feeling well. "

Cloud said with an exasperated voice.  That night, a memory of Cloud's face with visible blue veins came in to my mind.  I swiftly hold both of his cheeks to turn towards me causing his lips to pucker.  He looked flustered and surprised at the same time while I examined his face... There's nothing, no blue veins at all.  He put my hands down with a frown on his face and looked at Frost like I've been acting weird lately.

"Should we... should we call the doctor? "

Frost asked before biting his lower lip. I shake my head as I look at Cloud's face once more.

"No... I'm fine.  It's just that--- the night I passed out in the rain, I saw blue veins on your face. "

I lick my dry and crack lips as Cloud raised his brows. There was a moment of silence before Cloud broke it with a chuckle.

"What blue veins are you talking about?  That's impossible,  you know that the main cause of blue veins is if the person went through... "

Cloud wasn't able to finish his statement because it was Frost who finished it.

"Cryonics procedure. Like this one."

Frost said as he pulled the sleeve on his right arm exposing his blue veins.

"It appears in some instances, just like how yours,  Lauren,  appears when you're sick. Mine appears when I'm emotionally unstable. "

I gulped down and inhaled deeply when I heard the term emotionally unstable.  I know I hurt him a lot that day,  and I also know that until now he's still hurting. I shake my head and shrug my shoulders as I look at Cloud once more.

"Maybe I was just hallucinating that night. "

Cloud and Frost nod their heads in agreement. I was so sure I saw blue veins on his face but I chose to disregard the thought, there's something much more important to discuss right now.

"By the way,  I'm sorry for your lost Cloud. I heard your conversation earlier. What's your plan if I may ask? "

Cloud and Frost exchanged looks and I know they're both thinking of the same thing. Cloud run his fingers through his hair before rubbing his nape.

"First, we need to find Joana, my mother's slave. I know she knows something."

Yes, I also think that we should find her first. Frost scratch his right brow as he look at Cloud then at me.

"If she's still alive."

Frost said, I swear those words sent shiver down my spine. What could be the reason behind her death? Who will benefit with her death? For a moment I got scared, what if they're planning to kill Cloud next?  I know he sensed my nervousness because he immediately rub my head like a little puppy.

"Don't think too much,  just leave it us.  We'll figure this out. "

For a moment I felt my heart beating madly in fear. Please be safe, Cloud. Please be safe,  always. Whoever is behind this murder surely is a powerful person.