Chapter 6
We arrived at the observation site in Northern Lights Village, ankle–deep in snow.
The sky was already completely dark, yet the snowy expanse was dotted with silhouettes.
Most people were like us–cameras in hand, carrying the determination to get the shot.
Minute by minute passed.
As midnight approached, the anticipated curtain of light never appeared.
Instead, a blizzard arrived.
Snow whipped against our faces, stinging painfully, visibility worsening by the second.
Unable to endure it, many people cursed under their breath, packed up their equipment, and left.
The crowd gradually thinned.
Chloe and I didn’t move.
We stood close together, stubbornly facing the wind and snow, heads tilted toward the ink–black sky.
Deep down, we still hoped for a miracle.
The young couple who’d come with us clutched each other tightly amid the raging snowfall.
Out of the corner of my eye, something stirred in my chest.
Almost instinctively. I raised my camera and adjusted the settings.
Through the swirling snow, I aimed at them.
Click
The soft shutter sound froze the moment they leaned into each other against the storm.
They noticed my lens.
Their faces, red from the cold, broke into brilliant smiles, and they even flashed a playful V–sign at me.
At the exact moment their smiles peaked, fingers mid–gesture-
The inky sky above was suddenly torn open by an invisible hand.
One streak. Then another…
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Flame–like red auroras ignited across the night sky!
They weren’t the cool, ethereal green auroras I’d seen online.
These were intense, deep, and pulsing with life–red.
Like a phoenix spreading its wings, proclaiming its rebirth.
“It’s red! The aurora is red!”
The couple erupted into cheers, jumping excitedly in the snow.
The boy reached into his pocket in a rush, pulled out a velvet box, and dropped to one knee in the snow.
He tried to open it, to take out the diamond ring inside.
But his fingers were already numb, bundled in thick mittens. He fumbled clumsily.. tugging again and again, unable to pull them off.
Looking at each other’s awkward movements, the two of them suddenly burst into laughter.
The sound cut through the wind and snow–pure joy, pure love.
I couldn’t help laughing along, though my eyes grew slightly warm.
I looked up at the dazzling aurora.
It was breathtaking.
The red light bands shifted and flowed like cascading waterfalls across the sky.
I quickly adjusted my camera and captured several shots of this rare spectacle.
Then, I lowered the camera.
For the rest of the time, I chose to take it in with my own eyes.
So beautiful.
-long ago, back when Hunter and I were still eating ramen noodles in a cramped rental
photo of the aurora in a magazine, we’d said that once we had money, we’d go see it together.
Back then, it felt like a dream that required two people to complete.
Now, I stood here, witnessing a red aurora far grander than anything in those pages.
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A voice inside me whispered softly:
“Penny, do you like it?”
“You really love scenery like this, don’t you?”
“From now on… let’s see more of it together, okay?”
The aurora didn’t last long.
About ten minutes later, the brilliant red began to fade and disperse.
Like a short, glorious dream.
Chloe leaned over to look at the photos on my camera and couldn’t help gasping.
“Penny, you really are the best photographer I’ve ever seen at capturing moments and composition!”
Her eyes sparkled. “With talent like yours, not going out to shoot the beauty of this country would be such a waste!”
I looked at the frozen red aurora on the screen, smiled slightly, and answered calmly, firmly:
“Not a waste.”
“From now on… I’ll be shooting often.”
“Anywhere there’s beauty–remember to call me.”
She froze.
After a long moment, she slapped my shoulder hard, eyes reddening.
That’s… that’s amazing.”
“You finally don’t have to keep orbiting that man anymore.”
Chapter 6
