Chapter 3

Everyone was talking at once, all vouching for Adeline. They kept chanting, "Apologize to the Adeline!"

Their cold, accusing faces spun around me, and before I knew it, everything went black—I collapsed.

"Aurora, don't you dare fake fainting just to dodge responsibility!" Julian's voice was harsh. "As your boyfriend, I'm not covering for you anymore. This is for your own good."

Then came the swimming coach's voice, panicked and sharp. "Aurora! What's going on? You're burning up. Somebody call an ambulance!"

When I came to, it was already the next morning.

The coach was there, eyes full of concern, then hurried off to get me breakfast.

Julian came in a moment later, eyes dark with anger. "Aurora, I don't know how you managed to fool the coach and the doctors, but I'm not buying it.

"I won't let the others get dragged into your mess. That'd be plain wrong."

He paused, jaw tight. "When you're discharged, you will apologize to Adeline. In person."

I looked at him, exhausted to the bone. Why couldn't he—or Adeline—just let me go?

Then Gabriel, the planning instructor for the Warfield Medic Program, appeared at the door holding a sealed confidential file.

I forced a faint smile and said softly, "Fine. I'll do it."

Julian finally looked satisfied and turned to leave. He noticed Gabriel at the door and greeted him politely, suspicion flickering in his eyes. Gabriel quickly hid the file behind his back and gave a vague chuckle to brush him off.

Julian shot me a wary glance. I smiled faintly, pretending everything was fine, and only then did he leave, brushing past Gabriel in the doorway.

After he was gone, Gabriel stepped inside and handed me the file. Inside was a new identity card—and an old, torn photograph of my parents.

"The organization conducts background checks on all our field medic volunteers," Gabriel explained gently. "Turns out, your parents once served on the same mission. They asked me to return this precious photo to you."

A lump rose in my throat. "Thank you," I whispered.

My parents had died in battle when I was just a child. Their faces were a blur in my memory. I pressed the photo to my chest, pretending they were still here with me.

Gabriel continued, "The school's hosting a small farewell ceremony tomorrow—just a cover. Attend as an ordinary student. Afterward, we'll take care of your secret departure."

I nodded.

*****

The next day, rain drizzled down in silver threads. I sat in the dim auditorium, waiting for the ceremony to start. A shadow fell over me.

"When this is over," Julian said, tone deceptively gentle, "come with me to apologize to Adeline, okay?"

It sounded like a question, but it wasn't.

Once, I might've mistaken that for care—for love. Now, it just felt suffocating.

Almost time. Just one more hour, and I'd be gone for good.

I nodded numbly.

Adeline stepped up to the stage as the student representative.

"As a student from Bluehaven Medical Institute," she began, her voice clear and honey-sweet, "I want to express our highest respect to the volunteer field medics. Thank you for bringing hope and peace to a world torn by war. You are our inspiration."

Julian's eyes practically sparkled as he gazed up at her.

"Adeline's amazing," he whispered beside me. "She's done so much research on war medics—she really gets their struggles. That's why she's so passionate about helping them. She's just… good-hearted, you know?"

He glanced at me, his voice soft but patronizing. "Aurora, you've never really looked into their stories, huh? Maybe that's why you can't quite empathize. You should learn from her."

Adeline stepped down gracefully, her curls bouncing as she hid her face shyly in Julian's arms. "Oh, stop it," she giggled. "I'm not that great."

The photo pressed to my heart felt like it was on fire. Julian was clueless about what I was feeling.

I stood abruptly, unwilling to argue anymore. But then—Adeline reached for something on a nearby chair.

"What's this?" she asked.

My stomach dropped. I checked my pocket. The photo was gone.

"That's mine." I rushed forward. "It's my parents' photo—give it back."

The moment I caught that malicious glint in Adeline's eyes, alarm bells went off in my head. She let the photo slip from her fingers, and it drifted down, landing right in a muddy puddle.

My heart stopped. I dropped to my knees, trembling, and picked it up—wet, ruined, the faces already blurred beyond recognition.

I stood up, locking my gaze on Adeline, my anger burning so hot it felt like it could burst out of my chest any second.

Julian stepped between us protectively. "Aurora! What the hell are you doing? It's just a photo."

Just a photo. That was all my parents had left me.

Tears blurred my vision as fury surged through me. I tore off the matching ring on my finger and hurled it at his face.

"Get lost!" I shouted.

Julian froze, stunned.

From behind me, Gabriel was signaling—it was time to go. My departure window was closing. I swallowed the fire in my chest, carefully tucked the broken photo away, gave one last cold glance at Julian and Adeline, and turned to leave.

Dad, Mom, I was sorry. I couldn't protect you.

Julian didn't chase after me—he couldn't afford to cause a scene. Instead, he turned to Adeline with an easy smirk. "She's been acting up lately," he said. "Don't worry. We've got time. I'll make sure she learns her lesson."

The others around him burst into laughter, elbowing Julian playfully. "Oh yeah? What kind of lesson, Julian?"

Their laughter hadn't even faded when someone came running breathlessly down the hall. "Julian! Bad news! Aurora—she's on the volunteer transport!"

Julian froze, his smug expression collapsing in an instant. "What? What the hell is she doing?!"

He jumped to his feet and bolted toward the volunteer convoy.