"Ashes of Crestfall: The Rise of Aaron San Agustin"

The dawn broke pale and silent over Velmont General Hospital, casting a soft glow through the tinted windows of the intensive care unit. Machines hummed steadily, and nurses moved with quiet precision as they checked IV drips and monitors. Among the rows of recovering patients lay Aaron San Agustin, unconscious but alive, chest bandaged and breathing shallow through an oxygen tube.

Outside the ward's sealed doors, Selena Fonte sat curled on a waiting bench, her knees hugged to her chest, dark circles shadowing her tear-streaked face. She hadn't slept for days. Every doctor and officer she approached offered only polite denials.

"I'm sorry, Miss Fonte, his identity is classified."

"Ma'am, that information is not available to civilians."

Each rejection chipped away at her until her desperation became a silent scream within her chest.

In the military command.

Downstairs, beyond guarded hallways and biometric security gates, a strategic conference convened in a private chamber. Velmont's regional military command sat around a polished mahogany table. At the head sat Commander Graham, flanked by high-level officers, analysts, and security officials.

Across from them sat Michael Fonte, impeccably dressed in a navy suit, hair combed back to hide the exhaustion in his lined face. He spoke calmly, though tension threaded his words.

"I understand the gravity of your protocols," he said, folding his hands, "but I'm prepared to offer a direct $200 million investment into Velmont Defense Systems. Additionally, our family conglomerate is willing to open trade channels with your state government for resource development."

Commander Graham's expression remained impassive. "That is generous, Mr. Fonte. But let me be clear. Even with that level of investment, certain information will remain classified. The man who saved your daughter is not registered as a formal operative."

Michael's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"He is a confidential individual," Graham replied. "A blacklisted asset in military records. Phantom Wolf operates outside standard unit rosters. Technically, he doesn't exist."

A silent pause filled the room.

Meanwhile, Inside the hospital. The quiet beep of heart monitors pulsed through the dimmed recovery room as dawn seeped pale and gold through half-open blinds. Aaron lay unmoving under white hospital sheets, his chest wrapped in thick bandages, oxygen mask fogging with each shallow breath. A faint scent of antiseptic mixed with the clean linen around him.

The door creaked open softly. Footsteps approached, hesitant and almost silent on the polished floor. Selena Fonte entered, her trembling hands clutching her purse tight against her chest. Her tear-reddened eyes widened as she took in the sight of the man lying unconscious before her.

She stepped closer, her knees threatening to give out beneath her.

It can't be…

Her heart hammered wildly as her gaze swept over his familiar features. Though his face was bruised and pale, and his hair tousled with sweat, those eyes—closed now under the harsh fluorescent lights—were unmistakable.

"Aaron…" she whispered, the name escaping her lips like a prayer she never thought she'd say again.

Her voice cracked the silence. His eyelids fluttered weakly, lashes trembling before they lifted to reveal those deep, dark eyes she once knew better than anyone else. The fog of pain and medication cleared just enough for him to see her standing there, her tears falling freely.

He tried to speak, his lips barely parting under the mask. A strangled, hoarse whisper emerged. "Selena…"

She choked on a sob as she fell to her knees beside his bed, clutching the edge of his sheet. "It's really you… it's really you… all this time… you were the one who saved me… Why didn't you tell me… why… why did you hide from me?!"

His eyes softened despite the agony radiating through his body. "Because… you deserve… a life… without… me…" he rasped.

"Don't say that!" she cried, her tears dripping onto his hand as she grasped it tightly. "You don't know… you don't know how many nights I prayed just to see you again… to know you were alive… all this time, Aaron… why didn't you come back?!"

He closed his eyes briefly, feeling her warmth seep into his numb fingers. "I… couldn't… I had… nothing to give…"

Her sob broke into a shaky laugh, bitter and sweet all at once. "And now… look at you… you gave me everything… you gave me my life back… while you're here… broken…"

A tear rolled from the corner of his eye down to his temple. His chest tightened with an ache deeper than his wounds. "Don't… cry… please… you're… safe… that's… enough…"

"It's not enough for me!" she whispered fiercely, brushing her trembling fingers along his bruised cheek. "I don't want safety without you. I don't want anything if it doesn't have you in it…"

The room fell silent except for his ragged breathing and her quiet sobs. Outside the window, the city woke to a brightening dawn, buses rumbling along streets, birds landing on power lines, the world continuing its indifferent rhythm.

Finally, a nurse stepped in, clearing her throat softly. "Miss Fonte… I'm sorry, but your family's transport is waiting downstairs. You need to prepare for departure."

Selena turned, her tearful gaze hardening with desperate resistance. "Just… just five more minutes, please…"

The nurse hesitated, seeing the raw grief in her eyes. "Five minutes," she said gently, stepping back out.

Selena leaned forward, pressing her forehead to Aaron's, careful not to disturb his tubes or wires. Her tears wet his cheeks as she whispered against his skin.

"Please… stay alive… don't leave me again… please… because even if I leave now, I promise I'll come back for you… I promise… I won't let you disappear again…"

His tired eyes fluttered closed. His lips twitched faintly, forming silent words she could only guess. But in the flicker of his gaze before darkness claimed him again, she saw what he could not speak aloud.

"I love you too."

Her heart cracked open with pain as the nurse gently touched her shoulder.

"Miss Fonte… it's time."

She drew a trembling breath, brushing her fingers along his hair one last time. "I'll come back for you, Aaron… no matter what it takes…"

Then, with tear-blurred eyes and reluctant steps, she turned away, leaving behind the only man whose eyes had ever felt like home.

Outside the room, the sterile hospital hallway swallowed her sobs, the fluorescent lights humming overhead as she walked away—her shadow trailing long behind her, tethered forever to the silent man lying in the white bed she left behind.