When Love Fades in the Flames

Alice Long and I were caught in the crossfire. When my boyfriend—a combat medic responsible for saving the wounded—came to our rescue, he pushed me aside.

Gently cradling Alice, the girl I had shielded, he shot me a cold glance and said, "Crystal, I'm deeply disappointed in you. She needs immediate care to avoid infection!"

What about me? Was I meant to die instead?

When my flag-draped coffin arrived home, he had the nerve to weep openly at my memorial.

This once-renowned combat medic, celebrated around the globe, never set foot outside his room again.

The Moment of Truth

The sound of cannon fire crashing down left me spinning in circles. Through the haze of it all, the distinct scent of disinfectant brought me back to my senses.

A moment later, I saw Sebastian.

"Seb, my head hurts!"

I tried to reach out and grab the hem of his coat. I saw the faint glimpse of his worry, but Alice Long, who was in my arms, just had to burst into tears.

"Seb, my leg hurts a lot. I'm losing a lot of blood. Will I die here? I miss my family!"

He panicked the moment she cried.

He crouched, pushing me aside to check on Alice's bones. Then, he let out a breath of relief and carried her.

As if acting on instinct, I grabbed his leg. "Don't leave."

In a flash, Sebastian shot me a cold glance, saying, "Crystal, I'm deeply disappointed by you. Even at such a time, you're still competing with Alice. You've merely scraped your arm. Plus, you're a war correspondent. Combat nurses will disinfect your wound, but Alice's different. She needs immediate care to avoid infection!"

There were more explosions before he had even finished speaking.

With a swift motion, Sebastian shook me off and left the scene.

My head was already giving me hell, so I didn't argue with him. All I could do was watch as he left with Alice in his arms.

'Sebastian, how can I stop disappointing you?' was what I wanted to ask him. 'You said Alice's like a sister, so I tried to be tolerant and protect her… but why do you think I'm bullying her?'

I had craved his love and approval, but I wouldn't humble myself to that degree to beg him for it…

'My head is hurting way too much. Oh, Sebastian, I suddenly feel so cold. Can you hold me?'

…

A group of doctors and nurses had gathered around me. I knew them well—they were my comrades. As soon as they found me, they quickly rushed me to safety.

Unfortunately, Sebastian wasn't among them.

He had never once returned.

…

Dr. John was desperately performing CPR on me to no avail. My soul slowly left my heartbroken body as I flatlined, as evidenced by the ECG.

I could see the doctors and nurses quietly sobbing at this. Gathering in a line, they bowed.

Yet, my heart felt like something was squeezing it, causing me tremendous pain.

'What the hell is going on? Now that I have turned into a spirit, can I still feel heartache?' I found myself thinking.

'I'm sorry, my comrades. I wasted a chance at medical rescue, and I wasted the life I had ahead of me. I should’ve stayed with you, continued to fight for world peace, contributed more…'

Although I had experienced countless partings and deaths, I still couldn't bear to watch my comrades paying "me" their last respects.

Guiltily, I floated off, never expecting to land next to Sebastian.

He was next to the unconscious Alice, staring blankly at the scenery outside the tent.

So, I bent down and stared at him.

Years of being outdoors had added a rugged charm to his once handsome features.

Back when the war first broke out in Xilian, he had joined Doctors without Borders behind his family. On the battlefield, he basically risked his life to save others.

Later, he was even featured in "Times Magazine" as a model humanitarian.

When I read his interview, something stirred in me. With him as an idol, I worked hard, eventually becoming a war correspondent.

Finally, I was able to be with him as an equal.

As we repeatedly fought side by side, we eventually fell in love.

Yet, who knew he would have someone else? Someone whom he called "his sister"?

She continuously caused havoc in our relationship, eventually causing his vows and promises to become my heartache.

I really wanted to yank Sebastian's air and yell, "Do you really care for her? Or do you take me as a fool?"

As soon as I was done, Sebastian suddenly met me in the eye, causing me to freeze in shock.