Chapter 2. Scarlet Fever

A modern Cinderella—that's what her friends called her. Aleysia Simon had been living in hell since her father's passing when she was just fifteen years old. Her father had married a woman who was apparently a gold digger and a leech, and once he died, she took everything that should have belonged to Aleysia, leaving her with nothing.

By the time she was seventeen, Aleysia was struggling to survive. She came down with a high fever, but her stepmother didn't bother to take her to the hospital. It was her kind neighbor who noticed her condition and rushed her to the hospital, although it was almost too late.

The high fever raged for days, leaving Aleysia delirious and weak. By the time the doctors were able to bring the illness under control, the damage had been done—the fever had robbed Aleysia of her sight.

The doctor diagnosed her with scarlet fever, a condition that typically affects children between the ages of 5 and 15, although it can occasionally occur in older children and adults. The diagnosis only added to Aleysia's despair, as she struggled to come to terms with her new reality as a blind and orphaned teenager.

As she lay in the hospital bed, bandages covering her eyes, Aleysia was consumed by despair. Her life had already been miserable with her stepmother around and her sight intact. And now that she was blind, what would become of her?

It didn't take long for her stepmother to send Aleysia away. She was enrolled in a dormitory school, where she was mercilessly bullied for three years. When she finally graduated, her stepmother callously discarded her, refusing to take her in, despite the fact that all the wealth belonged to Aleysia.

Her kind neighbor, who pitied her, decided to take Aleysia under his wing and introduce her to his family. He was about to relocate to Norway, where he had secured a lucrative job offer in a mining company.

His wife planned to open a small convenience store in the town, and they would need help with managing the day-to-day tasks. Aleysia, despite being blind, was determined not to be a burden. She promised her neighbor's family that she would do her best to contribute.

And when she turned twenty within a month after graduation, Aleysia moved to Norway with her neighbor's family to Longyearbyen, a small town with only one grocery store, where people lived in close proximity to reindeer and could spot whales swimming in the fjord from their living room windows.

Moreover, the government offered free education, and Aleysia could pursue her higher education at the local university, which had a student body of 300, and would even learn how to use firearms.

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"I'm going to go listen to the whales," Aleysia said.

"Be careful, Al. Don't go too far. The person who lives in the northernmost part of our town just built another house," Yolanda warned her.

Since they had moved to Longyearbyen, the house at the northernmost part of town had always been the most striking one. But the people in the town had told them not to pay attention to whoever was staying there.

"It's not a good thing, and the owner of the house isn't really into social life," they had said. "Only their servants, or that's how they call themselves, come out and go from the house."

Aleysia had passed the house a few times over the years, but she had never heard any sounds or detected any footsteps other than the slow, measured gait of the old man with his cane or the heavy, purposeful stomping that belonged to someone younger than him. Those were the only two people who would occasionally greet her, sometimes offering her fancy chocolates or candies.

However, aside from those two individuals, she had never heard anyone else. Occasionally, she would catch the faint sound of a snake hissing, despite the fact that the house was quite fancy and definitely belonged to someone of considerable wealth.

But that couldn't be a real snake, for snakes were ectothermic creatures that required external temperature regulation to survive, and the climate in Longyearbyen was dominated by its high latitude, with average summer temperatures ranging from 4°C (39°F) to 6°C (43°F) and winter averages of -12°C (10°F) to -16°C (3°F). The hissing sound was more likely the result of a broken pipe or some other mechanical issue within the grand structure.

Aleysia made her way towards the north gulf, her favorite spot over the years, the place where she could hear the whales' sounds and their soothing songs the most. It was as if the whales just loved to congregate in that particular area, and Aleysia adored it, as the sound of the whales never failed to soothe her.

Sometimes, Aleysia couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity about the reclusive occupant of the northernmost house. What kind of rich and fancy person would choose to live in such isolation, surrounded by the vast, icy expanse of the Arctic?

Whitney and Tyrone had always described the house to her as being luxurious and elegant, and though Aleysia knew it was likely best to heed the town's advice and avoid prying, she couldn't help but wonder what secrets the house and its owner might hold.

Perhaps one day she would muster the courage to approach the mysterious dwelling and uncover the truth behind the veil of seclusion. But for now, she would content herself with the simple pleasures of listening to the majestic whales and enjoying the peace and tranquility that Longyearbyen had to offer.

"If only I could see all those gentle giants," she muttered, sitting down on the gravel at the edge of the gulf.

Over the years, this area had been hers and the whales' alone. No one else seemed to venture to this secluded spot, and Aleysia loved the solitude and tranquility it provided. However, today something felt different. The sound of the whales was not quite right, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was off.

"What happened to the whales?" she said, standing up abruptly and starting to walk towards the water.

Something was definitely amiss. The whales sounded different, and the water felt really cold as it seeped into her clothes. But Aleysia was determined to find out what was troubling the creatures she had come to love.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms held her back, preventing her from venturing any deeper into the icy waters.

"That's dangerous," a melodious voice said. "One more step, and you could have drowned, young lady." Aleysia felt a warm, tingling sensation in her heart at the sound of the woman's voice.

"The whales, what happened to the whales?" she asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

"Don't look at me," the woman started; her voice suddenly panicked when Aleysia turned her head. "Oh, you're really blind," she said, her tone softening.

"Yes, I'm blind. So, I didn't know what happened to the whales," Aleysia explained.

"One of them just gave birth. They're overjoyed for the new baby," the woman said, gently pulling Aleysia back towards the shore.

"Oh," Aleysia breathed, relieved to hear that the whales were simply celebrating a new arrival.

"And what were you doing? You're blind, and you just walked right into the open sea," the woman chided, her voice laced with worry and a hint of anger.

"I'm sorry," Aleysia said, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Anyway, you're wet. Let's get you dry at my home," the woman said, taking Aleysia's hand and leading her away.

"But I'm fine," Aleysia protested, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Nonsense," the woman hissed softly, and Aleysia couldn't help but notice the faint sound of a snake's hissing once again, this time much closer.