Chapter 9

Half an hour later, Hera received the report she had been waiting for.

Morgan: [I found it. There hasn't been any fire in Astergard recently, but there's a wildfire in the mountains west of here. Reports say many firefighters from nearby towns have died trying to contain it, which is why Mr. Grimwald and his team were sent to assist.]

Hera's face turned pale as she sprang from the bed. She trembled, her fingers shaking so violently that typing a reply became a struggle.

Hera: [What is the current situation? Any casualties on his team?]

Her emotions blurred into a suffocating haze. All she felt was a choking grip from this unknown fear.

Morgan: [I'm not sure. No reliable updates yet. The wildfire is reportedly coming under control. Ms. Bishop, I'm confident Mr. Grimwald will be fine.]

Hera closed her eyes, helpless. Only she knew Sebastian had shut off his phone long ago. She feared the tone in his farewell letter hinted he might have accepted this mission with a death wish.

She reopened her eyes and texted Morgan.

Hera: [Understood. Thank you. Send me the wildfire's location. I'm going there.]

No matter their personal troubles, Sebastian remained her legal husband. She had the right to see him—alive or dead.

Morgan: [Yes, ma'am. By the way, Mr. Castle made a reservation at a fine dining restaurant for tonight. He thought you had been too busy to answer his texts. Should I inform him?]

Hera made one of her fastest decisions.

Hera: [Tell him to cancel it. I have urgent business tonight.]

Morgan: [Understood.]

Even after the call ended, Hera's nerves did not settle. She could hardly wait for Morgan to send the location. Soon, she found herself speeding west on the freeway. Five minutes later, Morgan sent the coordinates with a warning to be careful.

Hera didn't respond. She pressed the accelerator harder as her car raced forward.

"You better not be dead, Sebastian. You can't just end this without a clear reason. I won't allow it," she muttered.

The GPS estimated the trip would take an hour, but Hera arrived in 40 minutes. Anxiety tightened with every mile. Even from afar, she smelled smoke.

As she approached, the charred forest floor and blackened trunks came into view. Soot and ash covered the ground. She could almost picture Sebastian's fate.

Hera held her breath and pressed the pedal deeper.

Finally, she reached the end of the road. She stepped out, her eyes darting nervously among the firetrucks and campsites. A few uniformed figures hurried about.

'This is it!' she thought and strode toward it.

A few steps in, Hera heard people crying inside a tent. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickened her pace.

'I'm here now, Sebastian. You better be alive,' she thought, her worry tightening her chest.

She reached the camp and faced a grim scene. Firefighters stood alongside ordinary people, all gathered around tents. Each group sobbed beside bodies covered with white sheets.

She froze, her knees threatening to buckle as a chilling thought struck her. 'What if Sebastian lies beneath one of these sheets?'

Her mind blanked under the weight of emotion. She refused to accept it. There was no way she would.

Her eyes reddened. Being near death might tarnish her aura as an Awakenist, but she no longer cared. She began lifting every white sheet within reach. "Sebastian? Are you here?"

She lifted one sheet. No.

That one wasn't him either.

Within minutes, she had revealed several corpses. None resembled Sebastian. Still, she did not relax—too many bodies remained, and hope felt fragile.

As she moved from one body to the next, a young man returned to the camp carrying an injured teammate. His eyes locked on Hera.

He froze. Why the hell was she here?

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. No, my vision was clear. It was Hera Bishop—my soon-to-be ex-wife.

Was she here for me?

I stayed in the corner, watching her check every face beneath the sheets. Her panic was overwhelming. I had never seen her this worried about me before.

It felt as if all the coldness and indifference she had shown me over the years had never existed. For a moment, I thought maybe she still loved me.

Did she still love me?

I wanted to rush to her, to call out. But the moment I took a step forward, I stopped.

In my mind, I saw her and Edmund standing on the stage in Bobby's classroom. I heard her spinning tall tales about their romantic journey. I saw them kiss.

My heart stung, and my hope faded. There was no way she still cared for me. She was probably here to yell at me for wanting a divorce, since this time she was the one reacting to my decision.

My excitement drained away. Her panic no longer moved me.

I would leave her be. I had decided our relationship was over. There was no reason to look back now. Love or hate, her feelings no longer mattered.

In a way, the husband who loved her died in that fire. I was his rebirth, and she would never be part of this new life.

I turned away, left quietly, found a corner where she couldn't see me, and resumed my work.

I wasn't even worried about my teammates recognizing her. Hera never attended any work events anyway. Who would know this stunning woman was my wife?

I watched as grieving family members berated Hera for lifting the sheets off their loved ones. She left, forlorn and defeated. I looked away, uninterested in where she disappeared.

Unbeknownst to me, Hera was nearing a breakdown in her car.