Chapter 5 I thought I'd fade into nothing. But when I blinked back to life, I was wrapped in this soft, glowing light. No pain. No weight. Just calm. Stronger than I'd ever felt. Then came a voice, smooth and powerful in my head: "Sera, you've passed the trial of love and loss. Your sacrifice has cleansed you. Welcome home to Aetherium." I looked down through the clouds. The manor roof exploded in cursed fire, black magic tearing through it. Julian didn't move-still stuck in the shock of watching me vanish. Behind him, Isabella and Henrietta dropped, too scared to even breathe. Julian's chest felt hollow, like something essential had just been yanked out. He shoved the feeling aside, blaming the chaos. "What are you waiting for? Put out the damn fire!" he barked, voice cracked, rage barely covering the panic. He tore his eyes from the sky, muttering, "It's just a storm. Nothing big. Yeah. Sera's behind this-used the mess to bail." But karma was already cashing in. Outside, the fountain-Aster's lucky charm-let out a weird groan and dried up for good. Inside, the assistant's phone buzzed like crazy. He picked it up, face draining as he read. The phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a sick crack. Every alert screamed disaster-Aster Corp tanking, stocks crashing, partners ghosting them left and right. The family's luck? Gone in a blink. Henrietta went pale. She stood, marched up to Julian, and slapped him so hard the sound slapped back. "See now? You wrecked everything! You destroyed your wife-and everything we built! Sera was still protecting us... but now? It's over!" Julian grabbed his cheek, pissed. "Enough! It's just a bump in the market! You really think that woman ran our fate? Don't fall for her drama again." He couldn't admit it. Wouldn't even let the thought in. *** Julian went full beast mode trying to stop the family from tanking-meetings, calls, pulling every string he had. But no matter what he did, it was like chasing smoke. The more he pushed, the faster everything crumbled, like some invisible force had it out for him. Late that night, after cleaning up another disaster, he dragged himself into his empty room. The air still clung to Sera's soft, earthy scent. It ticked him off. He yanked open a dusty drawer, hunting for an old whiskey bottle. His fingers hit something smooth and cold. 1/3 Chapter 5 A charm. Carved from Heartwood. Sera left it there eight years ago after the car crash. He'd laughed it off back then and shoved it deep in the drawer. Now, without thinking, he raised it to his nose. The scent slammed into him-sharp, familiar. Exactly like the Heartwood logs crackling in the fireplace. His pupils shrank fast, like a needle jabbed him. And just like that, a memory he'd buried came roaring back. Eight years ago, when he woke up in that cold hospital room, this same scent was everywhere. The doctors called it a miracle. But deep down, he'd felt something... not human had yanked him back. Isabella cried, said she used ancient magic from some dusty family grimoire. He bought it. No questions asked. But now-Heartwood's scent hit him like a brand straight to the chest. Burned the truth into him. It wasn't Isabella who drained her power to save him. It was Sera. The second it hit him, something inside tore loose-violent and brutal. Pain exploded in his chest, shooting through every nerve. 'Since you were so sure it was Isabella who saved you, I'll take back everything I gave you. Let her try now.' Sera's voice, cold and dead-flat, echoed in his head. "Ugh..." Julian doubled over, coughing up blood, barely staying on his feet. Whatever force had once kept him alive... was gone. The pain twisting his face was nothing next to the regret ripping him apart, He didn't see anyone else. Didn't care. His eyes locked on the slice of night where Sera had disappeared. Gone. Just emptiness now. He reached out, desperate. Nothing there. He hit the floor, sobbing like a broken kid. More blood gushed out. +15 Bonus 2/3 Chapter 5 Then black. Then silence. U Support Chapter & +15 Bonus