Chapter 2

Skydiving is an extreme sport—humanity’s ultimate gamble against nature.

Every jumper signs a waiver knowing they might become a shooting star that burns out in seconds.

Unpredictable weather and sudden wind shifts over the drop zone often blow parachutes miles off course.

The rules dictate that whoever hits the target coordinates in the shortest time wins.

The other competitors were likely still landing miles away or hiking back to the staging area to check in.

That was why the medal ceremony had started early.

Chloe tried to rush toward the man who had yelled, but Julian caught her arm tightly.

An event official stepped up to calm the crowd.

"We haven't confirmed the jumper's identity yet. Professional rigs look similar, and several athletes use that same brand."

"Besides, Ethan is a nine-time champion. There’s no way he’d mess up. He probably just caught a crosswind and landed off the grid. He’ll check in soon."

Hearing this, the panic in Chloe’s eyes subsided.

After all, she distinctly remembered receiving a satellite call from me. She assumed I was calling to check in, never realizing it had been my final goodbye.

Back then, I had wanted to tell her I loved her, but her irritated voice had cut me off before I could speak.

I had died in pure, suffocating despair.

If Chloe had just bothered to call my satellite phone right now, she would have discovered the truth immediately.

With an emergency unfolding, event staff hurried off to coordinate a search.

The festive atmosphere on the podium fizzled out.

It’s funny how the world works: people are always far more interested in a tragedy than a victory.

Julian stayed behind, snapping selfies with fans and chatting up potential sponsors.

Those used to be my perks. Every single year, that spotlight had been mine.

Meanwhile, Chloe stood off to the side, staring anxiously at her phone.

We had an unspoken rule: the second my feet touched the ground, I had to text her to let her know I was safe.

This time, I had broken that promise.

Julian walked over carrying the trophy, flashing that innocent, manipulative smile of his.

"Chloe, is Ethan still mad at you?"

"Maybe I should apologize to him. I don’t want this to ruin your relationship. Honestly, Ethan is being a bit dramatic. It’s just one competition."

Chloe frowned, her voice tight.

"No... you landed over forty minutes ago, and he still hasn't sent a message. What if something actually happened?"

Julian shrugged casually.

"He's just sulking. Didn't you say he called you earlier? Once we see him, I'll smooth things over so he stops giving you the cold shoulder."

He paused, adding with mock concern, "Still, he’s already won nine times. Is a piece of metal really worth treating you like this?"

Chloe’s face darkened. "Forget him. When it gets dark, he'll drag himself home."

Julian instantly grinned. "Let’s grab iced lattes at that café down the street, Chloe."

Chloe nodded with a grim face and shoved her phone into her pocket.

Floating beside them, I rolled my eyes in disgust. Julian’s fake, helpless routine made me sick.

Yet Chloe fell for it every single time.

I had been jumping for ten years. Chloe and I had met during a competition when an unexpected gale blew me off course onto a quiet beach where she sat crying over a recent heartbreak.

She watched me fall from the sky and later claimed she fell in love with me at first sight.

Back then, I was solely focused on conquering the sky. I paid no attention to her advances.

Yet she pursued me relentlessly. Every time I had a jump, she would track my landing coordinates and wait on the ground holding a bouquet of red roses.

Time after time, I ignored her theatrics. I was never a girl swayed by sweet talk and cheap romance; I was an athlete chasing the horizon.

Until one day, a violent updraft caught my canopy, slamming me against a jagged cliffside where I hung stranded for an entire day and night.

Chloe had frantically searched the mountains until she found me and helped the rescue team haul me up. That was the moment she finally broke through my walls.

She had fought so hard to make me love her. And then she tore my life apart.

My spirit trailed beside them. She wasn't desperately searching the coast for me like she had back then.

Instead, she was holding hands with another man, walking into a beachside café.

How pathetic.

Inside the café, the barista smiled warmly at Chloe.

"Hey! Back again with your boyfriend? I just saw him on the sports channel! Wow, a skydiving champion! That’s incredible!"

"Drinks are on the house today to celebrate!"

Julian blushed modestly, thanking the barista, while Chloe offered a faint, polite smile without correcting her.

Only then did I realize that in the eyes of outsiders, Julian had long taken my place.

While blending the drinks, the barista chatted casually.

"Seriously though, man, you should convince your boyfriend to retire now that he won gold. That sport is insane."

"Did you see the news? Some poor jumper just crashed straight into the sea. Brutal way to go... look, they’re showing the wreckage on the live feed right now."

Chloe turned her head toward the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. When the broadcast zoomed in on the shredded canopy floating in the waves, her pupils shrank into tiny pinpricks.

"Julian... why does that look exactly like Ethan’s chute?!"