Timeless | rorasa

Chapter 20: The Quest and The Sacrifice

Rora stirred awake, blinking against the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. The warmth of Asa's body beside her was a comfort she cherished, one that had become more fleeting with each passing day. She turned slightly to look at Asa, her chest tightening as she took in her lover's peaceful expression. For a moment, it felt like everything was normal, like they weren't on borrowed time.

But that illusion shattered the moment Rora's phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand, pulling her from the fragile serenity of the morning. Groaning, she reached for the phone, squinting at the caller ID. It was Minju.

She answered quickly, trying not to disturb Asa. "Hello?"

Minju's voice came through the line, low and urgent. "Rora, I found someone who can help."

Rora's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat. She shot a glance at Asa, still asleep beside her. "Help? How? What do you mean?"

Minju's sigh was heavy, filled with the weight of whatever she was about to reveal. "It's not going to be easy, and it's risky. But if you're serious about keeping Asa in this timeline... you need to come to my house tonight. Bring Asa with you."

Rora sat up fully, her mind racing. She had been searching for answers, for solutions, ever since the first signs of Asa fading. Minju had mentioned something before, something about timelines and fate, but Rora hadn't imagined they would ever be this close to a real solution.

"I don't care about the risk," Rora said, her voice firm. "I'll do whatever it takes. Just-tell me what we need to do."

"We'll talk when you get here," Minju said, her tone making it clear that this conversation wasn't one to be had over the phone. "See you tonight."

The line went dead.

Rora stared at the phone for a long moment, her pulse quickening. Asa shifted beside her, waking slowly. She blinked up at Rora with a sleepy smile, unaware of the storm that had just begun to brew.

"What's wrong?" Asa murmured, her voice soft as she reached up to brush a strand of hair from Rora's face.

Rora swallowed hard, her mind still spinning from Minju's cryptic words. She leaned down, pressing a kiss to Asa's forehead before whispering, "Minju might have found a way to keep you here."

Asa's eyes widened slightly, and Rora could see the mix of hope and fear that flashed across her face. "A way?" Asa repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is that even possible?"

Rora nodded, though her heart was racing with uncertainty. "She said it's risky, but... I'll take any risk if it means keeping you with me."

Asa sat up now, fully awake, her hand instinctively reaching for Rora's. "Rora," Asa spoke softly, "we must tread carefully from here on. I could not bear the thought of you being placed in harm’s way because of me."

"I'm not worried about me," Rora said firmly, squeezing Asa's hand. "I'm worried about you. And I'm not going to sit back and do nothing when there's a chance-no matter how small-that we can fix this."

Asa's eyes softened, though the fear hadn't left them. She nodded slowly, resting her head against Rora's shoulder. "Then we'll face it together."

Rora exhaled, pressing a kiss to the top of Asa's head. "Together," she whispered.

As they sat there in the quiet of the morning, Rora couldn't shake the feeling that the path ahead would be far more dangerous than they could imagine. But one thing was certain: no matter what it took, she wasn't going to let Asa slip away from her.

As the day wore on, Rora and Asa prepared for the evening's meeting with Minju. The anticipation gnawed at Rora's nerves, each passing hour seeming to stretch longer than the last. Asa's presence was a constant source of comfort, yet the urgency of their situation kept Rora on edge.