Chapter 3 (Fork In The Road)

Little over a month after Rem gained her promotion. Both Subaru and Rem were able to afford a small home at the outskirts of the city in a small suburban area. They could mainly afford it because Subaru and Rem would work almost every day of every week from sunrise to sundown ever since they arrived.

The house they acquired came with a guest bedroom, something Rem was on the hunt for when they went searching for homes, mainly because she wanted her sister to visit them soon.

Subaru on the other hand grew nervous knowing he was running out of days on the facade he was keeping up, and that Rem would soon learn the truth of what happened to her sister.

For now though Rem seemed happy and at peace, except for one thing. Recently Rem had been starting to pick up a slight cough of somesort. Rem didn't pay any mind to it at first thinking it was just something in her throat, but as the weeks progressed the coughs kept coming back and were getting slightly worse.

Still though it was nothing, Rem took much notice too, and she continued to live out her life alongside Subaru.

Rem awoke early in the morning ready to start another work day. She looked over to Subarus side of the bed, and noticed that he had yet to wake up as per usual. It was always Rem who woke up first and had to wake Subaru.

"Subaru, wake up" Rem said, while shaking his shoulder.

Subaru let out a tired groan and flipped onto a different sleeping position unwilling to discard his dreamland where he was not living in guilt and was able to save everyone.

"Subaru, please wake up" Rem said again.

He eventually lifted his body to sit up in bed and rubbed his tired face. Rem let out a few coughs as she got out of bed and got changed for another day of work. Returning from the bathroom all dressed she noticed that Subaru layed back down and was trying to go back to sleep.

Rem let out a heavy sigh as she walked over to his side and shook his shoulder again with more aggression.

"Subaru! Wake up! You're going to be late!" Rem called out, shouting slightly to get his attention.

"Fine!" Subaru said as he threw himself up out of bed.

"Thank you"

Rem left the bedroom to go prepare breakfast. Subaru got up and got ready in the bathroom for another day of backbreaking work. Back breaking would be the exact word Subaru would describe his job because ever since he started that job he has always had a worn out back that never seemed to go away.

One positive Subaru's coal mining job gave him was the ability to grow his strength. Ever since he started the job he was able to lift far heavier objects.

After getting ready he joined Rem at the kitchen table and ate breakfast as the sun slowly rose in the horizon. Subaru and Rem would always wake up so early that the sun wasn't even shining in the sky.

Subaru has never gotten up so early before in his life, but he pushed through it for Rems' sake. He wanted to make her as proud and happy as he possibly could until the great disaster unleashed.

During breakfast Rem let out a few more small coughs. Rem paid no mind or attention to it, but it caught Subarus' attention. He had been noticing this slight increase of Rem coughing. It started out normal but it was slowly developing into something concerning.

"Rem, are you ok?" Subaru asked.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"I noticed that you have some sort of cough the past couple days"

"Thank you for caring for me, Subaru, but I am fine" Rem said, dismissing his worries.

Subaru continued to eat Rems' delicious breakfast she had made for them. After a couple more minutes Rem once again let out a few more coughs, these ones were more severe and longer then the last. Subaru was once again concerned over Rems' well-being, and was starting to believe she was anything but fine.

"Rem do you wanna go to a doctor and get that checked out. We could go right now and still be at work on time"

"I told you Subaru, I am fine. It's nothing concerning" Rem said.

Concern for Rem was still present in Subaru, but Rem insisted to him that it was nothing to fuss over. He reluctantly believed her and went back to finishing breakfast. It was just a cough after all.

After breakfast Subaru and Rem exited their home and walked to their jobs. Rems' coughing seemed to be at bay, she didn't let out a single one throughout their journey down the streets. Eventually the time came for Subaru and Rem to part ways.

"Alright Subaru, I will be at your workplace waiting for you to get off. I will be standing by the lamp post." Rem said.

"Sounds good Rem, see you then" Subaru said.

They took off in separate directions both enroute to their workplace. Rem walked down the short suburbs watching the sun continue to rise in the distance. She loved the house she got with Subaru; it was something she always seemed to dream for.

She sort of didn't want to go back to the mansion. She was really happy here with Subaru, but she knew she couldn't leave her sister for long. If she wanted to live with Subaru she had to inform her master in person of her wishes and intentions. Then there's the whole approval process from Rosswal and Ram, but she could cross that bridge when it came near. That was only if Subaru wanted to extend his stay away from Emilia.

The setting changed from the suburbs to the quiet city. Being early in the morning, people had yet to flood the streets of Kararagi. The city would have looked sort of abandoned if it wasn't for the odd groups of people walking around.

Rem moved onto the sidewalk and continued her journey to the bakery. Her destination was coming closer, as Rem passed each notable landmark she would see each time she walked herself to work. Most notably passing the big statue in the center of the city of the founding king of Kararagi.

Rem felt another cough come out of her throat, it was no surprise to her, and she continued her journey. Shortly after she felt another cough start to build up in her lungs. She inhaled the air trying to stop it, but it still unleashed through her throat.

She stopped in her tracks and held her stomach as the powerful cough rang out all the oxygen from her lungs like a towel. Rem continued her cough feeling sliva fly out her mouth and onto the ground. She began to run out of air, and inhaled, making a weird wheezing noise as her cough refused to let up.

Despite letting out almost all the air from her lungs her cough persisted, seeing no end. Rem felt her eyes water up and bulge out of their sockets with the extreme force that came with each cough. She continued to wheeze for air in a seemingly vain attempt to keep oxygen flowing to her brain, and not die of asphyxiation.

Rem felt her body grow weak from the rapid stream of coughs and fell onto the ground still letting out wet coughs on the dusty concrete. She felt extreme and unbearable chest pains as she laid there on the sidewalk wheezing for air and coughing her lungs out to seemingly no end.

Her vision grew slightly dark and the sound of her coughing still filled her ears. Her vision would clear up a bit to suddenly see a man dragging her by the leg across the sidewalk. Rem tried to hold her hand up to stop the man, unsure of what was happening. She could still feel herself coughing, continuing to squeeze her lungs clean.

She now was leaning up on a wall. The same man who was dragging her on the sidewalk was now examining her face with worry in his eyes. Rems vision was all blurry and couldn't even make out the background behind him.

"Miss, are you ok?" The man asked.

Rem couldn't respond; she felt ill and weak, unable to stand up or even move her body. She breathed rough and heavily as she felt another cough approaching, but it never seemed to unleash. It just continued to build up in her lungs, making it more difficult for her to breathe.

"Miss, you don't look so good" The concerned man said, stating the obvious.

Rem then felt the man help get her up. She struggled to stand, and without the kind man's support she would have fallen down onto the ground at first.

"Let's get you to a doctor"

The man helped Rem back onto her feet and let go of her, seeing if she could stand on her own. Her body was slightly limping down, but she seemed to have kept enough energy to still be able to stand on her own. He began to walk in front of Rem intending to guide her to the doctors office.

"Come along now, we are not far. It's just down the street"

Rem began dragging her weak body to follow the man to the doctors office. The man was faster and had to decrease his walking pace to be close to Rem and guide her. While slowly walking down the street Rem felt the ugly cough that had been storming in her lungs coming closer to her throat.

She grabbed onto a nearby lamp post preparing herself for the ugly set of coughs that were soon to come. The man stopped walking and turned to see Rem leaning onto a lamp post. She held her hand out to the man as a way of showing her attention to him.

"Give me a minute… Give me a minute" Rem called out in a rough voice using the reserve oxygen she had saved up in her lungs.

Soon after the storm of coughs unleashed. Rem coughed into her hand and felt an odd amount of liquid for a cough. Rubbing her hand on her skin she was immediately able to identify the texture of the liquid, and the sight of how it smeared across her skin. She seemed to have been coughing up her own blood.

The weird taste in her mouth further proved the already strong evidence. Luckily for her though it seemed like this set of coughs were over with quickly, and she could now resume her journey. In fact if felt as if she had cleared her lungs out of all the coughing, since she could now resume to a slightly normal breathing pace.

"I'm fine give me a minute" Rem said.

The man continued to wait for Rem to collect herself. She spat out her coughed up blood from her mouth onto the ground trying to get the weird flavor and texture off her tongue.

"There… I'm fine…" Rem said.

She began moving away from the lamp post and continued her journey to the doctor's office that was only within arms reach. The man walked forward and continued to guide her.

"It's right here behind this corner," The man said as he turned a sharp left.

Rem turned the corner and saw the man stopped in his tracks. The second he saw Rem turn the corner he pointed to a building signaling for Rem to enter.

"You head in there friend, go on" The man said.

Rem did as instructed and pushed the door open to enter the doctors office. The second she entered, she took a few steps forward and soon felt her body growing more weak. She leaned onto a nearby pillar, and poked her head into the reception office space.

The secretary working at reception was at her desk doing papers. Her desk was facing away from Rem, making it so she couldn't see her. Though she did notice someone started breathing roughly behind her.

She turned her head and was a little shocked by the shape Rem was left in. She looked very sick, and had a little of her own blood smeared around her lips. The woman couldn't stop staring at Rem and felt herself get up from her chair but still leaned on her desk.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked a little scared.

"Doc…. I need a doctor…" Rem said

"Oh, uh, just one second"

The woman regained her collective composure and sat back down at her desk and rang a tiny bell on her desk signalling for a doctor. A couple seconds later Rem heard a door open next to her.

"Come inside miss," The doctor said.

Rem again let out a slight set of coughs before she moved away from the wall and walked toward the open door and entered the doctors office. She noticed all the cabinets that held medicine or something unknown to her, but what stuck out to her the most was the chair in the middle of the office.

"Sir… Rem needs some help" Rem said as she walked towards the chair.

"So it seems…. That's Sir Doctor to you" The doctor said.

"I'm so sorry" Rem said as she sat down.

"I was only joking," The doctor said somewhat apologetically.

When Rem sat down the doctor approached her with a very shameful look on his face.

"Listen… I don't mean anything by it, but... Do you have money on you? I mean before I start treating you. I got a living I need to make"

"Rem understands," Rem said.

Rem began digging through her pockets for money she kept on her. She felt her hand brush against cold metal coins. She grabbed them and held it out in her palm hoping to have enough to treat her. The doctor took the coins from her hands and put them in his own pocket. He pulled a stool up for him to sit in next to Rem.

"Thank you. Now what's wrong? Or what seems to be the symptoms" The doctor asked.

"... Well I have been coughing"

"Any blood?"

"Only once before outside a couple minutes ago"

The doctor then reached over and laid a hand onto Rems' chest and closed his eyes.

"Alright now breathe in" The doctor asked. Rem did as instructed and inhaled oxygen into her lungs hoping not to feel another cough come up.

"And out" Rem roughly exhaled luckily not feeling another cough come up.

"One more time. Breathe in" Rem inhaled once more.

"And out" Rem exhaled and sadly coughed a bit this time around.

The doctor moved his hand away and picked up a small flat stick on the table and held it up to Rems mouth.

"Open up and let me see your tongue" Rem did as instructed and opened her mouth and let the doctor lay the wooden stick on her tongue.

"Now say ahh"

"Ahh"

A sad look came across the doctor's face as he got up from his stool and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. He didn't say a word to Rem, continuing to hold his sad expression. Rem leaned over from the chair to look at the doctor awaiting her diagnosis.

"What's wrong with Rem?" Rem asked.

"It's… It's not good news," The doctor said in a tone full of remorse.

"What do you mean? What's happening to me?"

The doctor walked away from the sink and returned to his stool to perform the most difficult part of being a doctor.

"I mean you're really sick, Miss…. The disease you have is incurable and progressive, it will get worse over time…"

"You'll be… I would give you at least… Nevermind... The best treatment for it is just to take things easy going forward… I am really sorry…" The doctor said,

"Rem understands, thank you" Rem said as she got up from the chair, and began making her way out of the doctors office and back onto the sidewalk.

Rem knew she was very sick, but she still held high hopes and remained optimistic. She was going to do everything possible to try and recover from the disease, and for as long as Subaru stayed near her, she felt like she could do anything.

Meanwhile With Ram

Ram has been made to stay at this random family's home until she recovered. She tried to get up and walk off to find Rem the first day she woke up and heard the news about the mansion, but Margret ushered her back down in bed. Ram wanted to insist on finding her, but she knew she was in no shape to even walk. Let alone set out to find Rem.

Her torso injury made walking and moving her lower body extremely painful. Even making it hard to sleep. Add that with the headaches she would get from the hit she received on the head. It would take her quite some time to recover fully.

Luckily for her, one of the family members found someone to help treat her wounds. In a place called the sanctuary. Ram eagerly awaited their arrival, so she could finally set out to find Rem.

Eventually she heard the door at the front of the house creek open and a very familiar voice filled her ears.

"Where is she I suppose?"

"In the bedroom overthere"

Ram couldn't believe it, Beatrice was alive somehow. Opening the door, Beatrice made herself seen by Ram. Her signature blank facial expression did not change when she saw Ram for the first time since the attack, though she was still surprised to see her even alive.

"Oh,You're alive I suppose"

"Lady Beatrice" Ram called out

"Yes I suppose?"

"How did you survive? Where have you been?" Ram asked.

"Well I joined Rosswal and Emilia in going to a place called the sanctuary once the mansion and the forbidden library burned down I suppose"

A small wave of relief and hope came over Ram, hearing that Rosswal somehow survived the attack on the mansion. Ram was starting to think he was still alive and couldn't be more happy.

"Masters Rosswals alive!?" Ram asked. Beatrice shook her head.

"No. That idiot tried to attempt the sanctuary trials and disable the barrier that surrounded the sanctuary, but what he failed to realize was he wasn't compatible. That moron ended up dying from his injuries I suppose"

Sadness then again consumed Ram; she now got from a first hand reliable and trusted source that Rosswal was dead. She felt a couple tears leak out of her eyes, sure she had time to already come to terms with Rosswal being dead. Though she still felt distraught and disappointed, having her already small hopes crushed so quickly.

"Emilia eventually after many failed attempts was able to complete the trails and disable the barrier. She returned to the capital, and…. Got herself killed after getting kicked from the election. That leaves me not doing much. The forbidden library burnt to ashes leaving me only with the books the sanctuary has to offer. I got nowhere else to go really." Beatrice said.

Beatrice then got close to Ram and lifted her bandages to reveal her wounds to Beatrice. Ram flinched a little when the bandages pressed up against her injuries as Beatrice examined.

She lifted her hand and began to heal her wounds using her magic. Healing the cut open bloody wounds back into smooth skin. Ram was still sad hearing that Rosswal died, but then she knew Beatrice could help her in finding Rem and reuniting them.

After ten minutes, Rams battle injuries were completely healed and she was now fit enough to get up out of bed. Ram immediately threw the covers over her and tried to stand up. Being bed ridden for so long made it very awkward for her to stand at first. Her legs felt like weak noodles, but she was still able to stand up. She walked around the room in circles for a bit to get her blood flowing through her legs.

"Sit back down. I still have work to do on you." Beatrice said.

Ram sat back down on the bed curious as to what else Beatrice needed to do. Beatrice walked up to her and held her hand near the scar on her forehead to give Ram a mana infusion that was mandatory for her survival since she didn't have her horn.

Rosswal was usually the one that did that for her at the mansion, but Beatrice was also capable of giving one to her. After a couple more minutes, Ram's mana infusion was complete.

"Thank you," Ram said.

"Are you hundred percent better now?" Beatrice asked

"... I guess I'm fine"

"Alright then heading off I suppose"

Beatrice turned her back and began walking out of the room, but Ram still had one more important favor to ask of her.

"Wait! I still need your help!" Ram called out.

"What do you still want I suppose"

"Can you please help me find where Rem is? I don't know where she's at." Ram asked. Beatrice let out a heavy sigh.

"Fine... close your eyes"

Ram did as instructed and closed her eyes.

"Now use your twin synesthesia, and search for her signal to connect into her vision. You should be able to make out where she is from her surroundings. Remember to focus or else you will lose connection I suppose" Beatrice said.

Ram forgot about her twin synesthesia. She had connected to Rems vision before, so she had experience and knew what she needed to do. She began looking for Rems' signal, but she had so many things on her mind she found it hard to completely concentrate on finding her. After a minute she was finally able to fully focus and tap into Rems vision.

She could see Rem walking down the streets of the suburbs. Ram was so relieved seeing her sister. Who seemed to be doing alright and was standing up on her own feet having no battle wounds or injuries of anysort, but she had to keep her excitement at bay or else the connection would cut off.

"Do you see her yet?"

"... Yes"

"Focus on her surroundings and find her I suppose"

Ram watched as Rems' setting changed from the suburbs into some big city. She passed many notable sights and landmarks. Unfortunately for Ram, she still wasn't able to make out her location yet. There was simply still nothing that could tell her where her sister was exactly. The only thing she knew for sure is that Rem was in a big bustling city of somesort.

Finally Ram got lucky when she saw Rem pass by a statue of a king. At the bottom of the statue Ram was able to read out "The founding king of Kararagi" Ram now knew her sister was to be found in Kararagi.

She bolted her eyes open with a growing smile on her face. Beatrice stepped back and started to walk back out of the room, knowing that Ram knew where her sister was from that giant smile on her face.

Ram exited the hastily shoving Beatrice out of her way, and went to talk to the woman that found her over a month ago, and say her thank you's and goodbye's for saving her found her outside in the garden, and said her formal goodbye and thank you giving a courtesy bow.

The woman smiled, happy to see that Ram had fully recovered from her injuries, and wished her luck on her adventure to find her sister Rem.

Ram then ran off to find a means of getting to Kararagi and reunite with her sister.