Chapter 71: Freefall Into Darkness

The explosion lit the night sky like a dying star.

White light.

Golden fire.

Thunder cracking across the clouds.

Then—
silence.

A heartbeat later, the shockwave slammed into the jet.

The aircraft lurched sideways—

metal groaning, alarms screaming—

and dropped like a stone.

Lena was thrown against her seat, the belt cutting into her ribs.

“Alexander!” she screamed, reaching for him.

He grabbed the nearest latch, swinging violently as the jet twisted.

“Hold on, Lena!”

The world tilted.

The floor became the ceiling.

Loose equipment flew like bullets through the cabin.

Cassandra fought to stabilize the jet, fingers flying across the controls.

“We’ve lost the left wing! Engines failing—altitude dropping—brace yourselves!”

The lights flickered—

darkness—

Then emergency red lighting filled the cabin.

The jet nosedived.

Lena’s stomach lurched into her throat as gravity yanked her downward.

She gasped, breath ripped from her lungs.

“ELIAS!” she screamed into the night—but there was nothing outside the shattered hatch except blinding clouds and falling debris.

Alexander slammed the hatch shut before the wind could rip anyone out.

Then he grabbed Lena’s seat, bracing himself beside her.

“Lena—look at me!”

She forced her panicked eyes toward him.

He cupped her face with shaking hands.

“I’ve got you. I’m not letting you go. Do you hear me?”

Her voice broke.

“What about Elias?!”

Alexander shut his eyes, pain tearing through him.

He didn’t answer.

He couldn’t.

The jet bucked again—dropping hundreds of meters in seconds.

Cassandra shouted from the cockpit:

“Altitude critical! We’ll hit the ridge in sixty seconds!”

Alexander pulled himself into the seat beside Lena and yanked the harness tight with trembling hands.

“Head down! Hands over your neck!”

Lena did as he ordered, sobbing silently.

The roar of the engines dying filled the cabin with an awful, final certainty.

Alexander’s voice softened through the chaos.

“I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you… I promise.”

Lena’s fingers found his.

“Don’t leave me,” she whispered.

“Never,” he breathed.

He squeezed her hand—

—and the jet slammed through the clouds.

Outside —

The mountain peaks rose up like jagged teeth, waiting for impact.

Sparks burst from the cracked engines.

The right wing tore free and spiraled into the night.

Cassandra cursed.

“We’re going down—HARD!”

She tried to angle the nose upward, but the aircraft fought her—dead, unresponsive.

Alexander shouted, “Brace! BRACE!”

Lena pressed her forehead to his shoulder, tears soaking his shirt.

“Alex…” she whispered, terrified.

“I’m scared…”

He kissed the top of her head, voice breaking.

“I know. I know, baby. I’m right here.”

The ground rushed toward them—

snow—rock—darkness—

Ten seconds.

Nine.

Eight.

The jet clipped a ridge.

The world exploded.

Metal shrieked.

Windows imploded.

Debris shot through the cabin.

The floor tore open beneath them.

Lena screamed as cold air rushed in, pulling at her legs.

Alexander threw his entire weight over her, shielding her from flying steel.

The jet spun—skidding, tumbling violently down the mountain slope.

Cassandra’s voice was barely audible over the roar:

“IMPACT!”

The jet slammed into a snowbank, splitting in two.

Alexander and Lena’s section tumbled end over end—

crushing metal, shattered panels—

until it finally hit a tree line and came to a grinding, brutal stop.

Silence.

Snow fell through the broken cabin.

Smoke rose from the twisted wreckage.

Lena coughed, her ears ringing, vision blurry.

Pain radiated through every bone.

“Alex…?” she whispered weakly.

No answer.

Her heart stopped.

“Alexander?” Louder this time. “Alex!”

She turned her head—

And saw him slumped over her, unconscious, blood matting his hair.

“Alex—no, no, no—Alex!”

She shook him desperately.

“Please—wake up—Alex, please—”

He didn’t move.

Her breath shattered.

She tried to unclip herself, but her arm screamed in pain—possibly broken. Tears blurred her eyes as she reached for him anyway.

“Alex,” she whispered, voice trembling. “Stay with me… please…”

A soft crunch came from outside.

Footsteps.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Lena froze.

Her blood turned to ice.

Someone was approaching the wreckage.

She turned her head toward the gaping hole in the side of the jet—

And saw a figure step out of the falling snow.

Tall.

Elegant.

Black coat whipping in the wind.

Silver hair pulled back.

Eyes sharp as blades behind dark glasses.

A scar down the jawline.

Lips curled into a cold, knowing smile.

Lena’s heart stopped.

Sable.

She stepped closer, boots crunching softly.

“Well,” Sable said, her voice smooth and calm.

“Isn’t this convenient?”

She tilted her head, studying Lena like prey.

“You survived.”

Lena could barely speak.

Her voice broke with fear and fury.

“Where… where is Elias?”

Sable smirked.

“Right where he belongs.”

She knelt in front of Lena, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with chilling familiarity.

“And if you want him back…”

She leaned in, voice a whisper of poison.

“You’ll have to come with me.”