Chapter 1
It was a frigid morning in Republic City. Almost all of its citizens are wearing thick layers of clothing to battle the chilly eighteen degrees Celsius weather. Kohana, the beautiful raven haired girl felt the soft touch of the cold wind on her skin. She is wearing her usual immaculate white dress and the black slippers that her mother gave to her on her birthday. She wanted to remain stylish even if she is shivering from the breeze. She carried a small flower pot that contained a beautiful white lily on the empty spot in the garden. That's all of them, she thought. The multiple rows of flowers being displayed on the garden was a sight to see, not only for her but for the customers who would pass by her flower shop.
Kohana hoped that more customers would buy more from her shop. Business hasn't been picking up lately. She would spend her days waiting for at least one customer to come in but to her disappointment, there was none. After a few hours in, the sound of chimes ringing usually means that someone has entered the shop. Kohana heard it from other room and was excited to meet this person. Kohana walked back to the counter and saw, not a customer, but her friend Ulva. Kohana immediately dropped her shoulders in disappointment, her frown visible from all corners of the earth.
"This is the worst day of my life!" Ulva exclaimed.
"Why what happened?" Kohana asked.
"Have you noticed anything missing from me?" Ulva asked. Kohana looked at her from head to toe, eyes squinting in scrutiny. Ulva is a very unpredictable girl when it comes to her image, so Kohana has to inspect every little detail on her body. It's kind of like a little guessing game and Kohana was not in the mood to play. Ulva is wearing a dark blue jumper skirt dress and white leggings. She adores wearing her sparkling black slippers to go along with her outfit as well.
"I can't really tell what's missing." Kohana told.
"Are you serious right now? Tell me you're joking. Tell me my best friend is joking that she doesn't remember the leather pink purse I always carry with me." Ulva told.
"Oh yeah, I remember now." Kohana told, stifling her laughter. "Why don't you have it with you?"
"Triads happened." Ulva told.
"Triads? What are those?" Kohana asked.
"You really need to get out more often." Ulva told. "Triads are groups of thugs hanging around in the city streets and goes around committing crimes against the law."
"So what happened?" Kohana asked.
"I got jumped from out of nowhere by two of them then they pulled my purse so hard that I landed on the concrete floor. See the bruises on my knee?" Ulva told. Kohana winced at the sight of her friend's wounded knees. It's all purplish and throbbing. "I tried to fight them but my knee was in so much pain, I couldn't waterbend properly."
"How many of them jumped you?" Kohana asked.
"I saw four of them and I think one of them is a girl. I can't remember what their triad name was. It could either be the Triple Threats, or the Red Monsoons or maybe an entirely different group. I'm not sure."
"We have to be more careful whenever we go outside. It's too dangerous nowadays." Kohana told.
"I couldn't agree more, so anyway what's up with you? You look a little grumpy today. Did someone asked you out on a date again?" Ulva asked, smiling from ear to ear.
"You know I have no time for dates." Kohana told.
"Oh, you must be really busy here then." Ulva told, looking around the empty room. She hears chirping crickets even though it's not night time. It's odd. Kohana sighs and sits on the wooden bench near the fabric curtains.
"Not really. It's been a struggle for the past couple of days. I can't even remember the last time that I had a real customer." Kohana told. "My mom is gonna be so disappointed in me. She'll probably think that I'm a failure."
"Don't think about that. Sure, you don't have any customers now and your shop looks like a platypus-bear's den but I know that you can figure this out." Ulva told.
"How am I gonna figure this out?" Kohana asked. A brief silence coated the room for a second and suddenly the telephone began ringing, both Kohana and Ulva jolted from the unexpected sound.
"That might be your answer." Ulva told, giving an optimistic smile.
Kohana went to answer the telephone.
"Hello?" Kohana greeted.
"Kohana where are you?" A woman asked.
"I'm here in the flower shop, mom. Everything is going great." Kohana told with a nervous laughter.
"That's good to hear sweetie. Listen I need you to come by here at the united republic hospital." Her mother told.
"Wait, why are you in the hospital? Are you alright?" Kohana asked. Her voice filled with concern.
"I'll explain everything when you get here." Her mother told. Before Kohana could respond, her mother hung up the telephone. Kohana immediately went to her dressing room and took her black leather jacket from her wardrobe cabinet. She hastily put the jacket on while closing the windows of her shop.
"Why are you closing the shop?" Ulva asked.
"I'm going to the hospital to check on my mom." Kohana told. "I hope she's okay."
"I'm coming with you." Ulva told. "I don't have anything better to do today."
When Kohana and Ulva were just about to leave for the hospital, an elderly woman enters the flower shop and asks if they are still open. Kohana could only shake her head.
"You have the worst timing madam. The shop is closed." Kohana told.
"But it's too early, oh and I really need to order now. It's for a very special occasion." The elderly woman told.
"Sorry madam but we're in a hurry. You're gonna have to wait until we come back" Kohana told. The elderly woman watched as Kohana and Ulva walk away from the shop, a sad expression visible on her face.
The ride to the hospital was smooth. There wasn't any traffic or any crazy altercations on the road. When Kohana and Ulva got inside, there was a nurse waiting for them by the nurse's station. He is a tall guy with a tan skin. The nurse greets Kohana with a bright smile.
"Hi, you must be Kohana. My name is Bao. I am your mother's personal nurse." Bao told.
"It's nice to meet you Bao. I'm kind of nervous, is my mother okay? Where is she?" Kohana asked.
"She's right at the sixth floor. If you would follow me, I will lead you there." Bao told. As they follow the nurse, Kohana couldn't help but notice her friend Ulva's trembling hands.
"Ulva are you alright?" Kohana asked.
"Of course I am." Ulva told. "Why'd you asked?"
"It's just that you look a little pale right now. Are you scared of hospitals or something?" Kohana asked. Ulva shook her head and a smug smile appears out of nowhere.
"Are you kidding? I'm not scared of a little hospital." Ulva told. "In fact, this happens to be my happy place. Whenever I'm inside of a hospital, I enter a state of calm." When they reach a corner up the sixth floor, they see a nurse trying to lift up a corpse that fell off a stretcher. Ulva fainted onto Kohana's arms. The nurse asked Kohana if her friend is alright. She answered with an unsure shrug.
The nurse kept walking until he approached a door with a room number 404. Kohana entered the room while dragging her friend Ulva's unconscious body, startling her mother.
"Goodness, what happened to Ulva?" Her mother asked.
"She saw a dead body and fainted like a little girl. I think she'll be alright." Kohana told.
She then turned to the nurse and thanked him for accompanying her to her mother's room. Bao nods his head and exits the room. Kohana's mother checks on Ulva's pulse. She looks like a corpse herself, she thought.
Kohana gave her mother a tight hug and kisses her on the cheek.
"What happened mom? Why are you here?" Kohana asked. Kohana's mother sat on the side of her bed.
"I was just cooking dinner last night while listening to the radio when all of a sudden, I felt weak. I felt dizzy and nauseous. I couldn't see straight." Her mother told. "So I quickly called an ambulance. Thankfully they were quick to respond to my call."
"How are you feeling now?" Kohana asked.
"I'm feeling better than I did last night." Her mother told.
"Do you want me to take you back home?" Kohana asked.
"I can't just leave yet. I'm waiting for the doctor's permission to discharge me."Her mother told. The conversation was interrupted when the doctor comes in the room. Kohana and her mother immediately bow to the doctor and the doctor bows back.
"I think I'm ready to go home doctor. I'm feeling a lot better now." The mother told.
"Not quite, based on your medical results, your immune system is weakening dramatically." The doctor told. "I'm sorry to tell you this but I'm afraid you have some form of terminal illness."
"Hold on, this doesn't sound right doctor. I can't have terminal illnesses. I have a lot to live for." The mother told. "And I don't feel like I'm sick or anything."
"Even if you don't feel it, the disease is spreading rapidly in you as we speak. If we don't treat it, you might not last a week." The doctor told.
"This is awful, mom. Why is this happening to you?" Kohana asked.
"I don't know, sweetie. This is all happening so fast." Her mother told. Kohana catches her mom as she loses her balance. Kohana helps her mom to sit on the bed and calm her down.
"You need to cure her, doctor. I don't want to lose my mother over some terminal illness or whatever you might call it." Kohana told. "Can you please treat her?"
"Yes of course but before I begin the necessary procedures to heal her, you'll need to pay all of the medicines and the medical equipment first." The doctor told.
"How much money do we need to pay?" Kohana asked.
"You need to pay a total of one hundred thousand yuans." The doctor told.
"One hundred thousand yuans? That's insane!" Kohana exclaimed. "Where am I gonna get that kind of money?" Kohana's mother grabbed her hand and looked at her sad yellow eyes.
"I don't want you to worry about me too much, sweetie. I'll be okay." Her mother told. "Please go back home."
"Mom, didn't you hear what the doctor said? If they don't treat you immediately, you could die." Kohana told. "I can't let that happen."
"I know but how are you going to get the money to pay for the hospital bills?" Her mother asked.
"I'll figure it out. I'll do whatever it takes to get the money. I'll even kill someone to get it just so I won't lose you." Kohana told.
"Kohana, I know that someday, you're gonna have to live your life without me. Losing someone you love is part of life." Her mother told. "I have experienced it and I have a feeling you're gonna experience it soon."
"You're talking as if there is no hope for you, mom. Please understand that my life won't be the same if I lose you this early in my life." Kohana told. Kohana kissed her mother's forehead, tears streaming down her face. "Trust me mom, by the time I get the money, your illness will be cured and you will live until you reach a hundred years old." Kohana felt the warmth of her mother's tender embrace as they hug each other.
There is only one thing in her mind right now and that is the impossible task of making a hundred thousand yuans in a short amount of time. She prays to the spirits to guide her for whatever crazy things she might do to accomplish such a daunting mission.