Another two years passed. Vivian turned twenty-one this year, and as time moved on, he could feel his life slowly slipping away.
The coughing grew worse with each passing day.
He coughed up blood almost every day now.
His face stayed pale no matter how much he rested.
Hiding it from his family became harder and harder. Even smiling felt like work.
His family noticed. They took him to many physicians and healers.
Again and again, they checked his body, his blood, his breath, his pulse.
But no one could say what was wrong with him.
There was no clear answer, no clear cure.
For Vivian, that was a small relief. As long as they did not know, they would not panic.
Still, even without words, his family understood.
His face kept losing color. His body grew thinner.
His strength faded little by little. They watched him closely, worry always in their eyes.
And as for Charlotte, things had not changed.
