Worried Leo might be paralyzed, Zhane began a physical response check. "Prepare for a full neurological assessnt!" he barked, voice tight and cracking, betraying the panic clawing at his throat.
His body trembled. He couldn’t forget the explosion, couldn’t stop picturing Hera engulfed in that fire. He desperately wanted to rush to her side, to know she was alive, but a dark fear twisted inside him, whispering, ’What if she’s gone?’
He was spiraling into dread and heartbreak, and he wasn’t alone.
Back in Paris, Xavier fought to break free from the people holding him back. He scread and thrashed, trying to get to the burning wreck, but the flas were too strong, and the smoke too thick. Every second felt like a lifeti, each breath laced with fear that he might have just lost her forever.
"Let go! HERA!" Xavier roared, his voice cracking with desperation. Beside him, Alexandre thrashed wildly, just as frantic. Both n were blinded by panic, trying to charge straight into the roaring flas without a second thought for their own safety.
It took four n each to restrain them, eight in total, just to keep Xavier and Alexandre from breaking free. Their strength was unmatched, fueled by fear and raw emotion.
Fortunately, because this was a high-profile event, police officers, paradics, and firefighters were already stationed nearby. Danny’s ergency call had barely gone through when the explosion rocked the track.
But the responders didn’t hesitate. The firefighters rushed forward to battle the flas, police officers worked quickly to secure the crowd, and dical personnel were already waiting on the sidelines.
Even the drivers who had just crossed the finish line barely stopped their vehicles in ti, stunned by the explosion. The entire racing circuit was rattled, and no one could look away.
It took nearly ten minutes for the flas to be fully extinguished. As soon as the fire was out, one of the firefighters rushed toward the wreckage to check for survivors. Monts later, his voice rang out, shaky but loud, "N-No body inside!"
At first, no one heard him; he was too far from the crowd, his words drowned in the chaos and tension. So he sprinted back, his face no longer grim, but lit with disbelief and hope. "The driver wasn’t inside!" he repeated, more clearly this ti.
Xavier, who was still struggling to break free, froze mid-step. Alexandre, too, stopped in his tracks just outside the garage. Both n stood breathless, stunned. The words were clear, each one, but together, they didn’t dare believe what they ant. Were they mishearing? Could it be true?
The firefighter finally reached them, panting, eyes wide. "I didn’t find any body inside," he said again, excitent lacing his voice.
But then he paused, the realization settling in like a weight. If there was no body inside...
"Then—where is she?" he whispered, the question hanging heavy in the air.
"Find her!" Xavier barked, his voice sharp with urgency, but now laced with a flicker of hope. The mont the firefighter’s words registered, the four n restraining him instinctively loosened their grip, and Xavier broke free.
He rushed toward the charred wreckage, his eyes scanning every blackened inch. There were no remains. No signs of anyone being trapped or burned inside. Alexandre was right behind him, catching up quickly. Their eyes t for a brief second; no words were needed. They both understood.
They needed to find her.
Without hesitation, they split off in different directions, each scouring the area with laser focus. Around them, the crowd remained in a daze, stunned by the sudden shift from despair to uncertain hope. It took a mont before the others snapped out of it.
Seeing the determination in Xavier and Alexandre’s movents, the police and firefighters quickly joined the search, fanning out across the area, calling Hera’s na, scanning every possible hiding spot.
Then, the crash cushion moved, and Xavier froze. He heard a weak groan. "Ugh..."
He bolted like lightning, moving so fast it was as if he almost dove headfirst into the cushion. With trembling hands, he began pulling it apart, and there she was. Hera, wedged between the heavy layers of the crash cushion, was buried but alive.
The cushion, thankfully, wasn’t made of hard material; it was thick and weighty but designed to absorb impact. Still, being trapped beneath it without air could’ve suffocated her. Xavier dug frantically, his voice hoarse as he called her na. Alexandre, seeing what was happening, sprinted over and joined in. A mont later, police officers and firefighters rushed in to help lift the layers off her.
There she was, buried beneath, alive but motionless. Hera’s limbs were twisted unnaturally, her body bruised and battered, but her helt remained intact. She hadn’t suffered any head trauma. Just broken bones, a dislocated shoulder, a fractured arm, and a leg, but she was breathing. Alive.
Judging by her position, she must’ve jumped out of the car just in ti, aiming directly for the crash cushion. And they realized that the crash cushion hadn’t been placed for the vehicle, but for her. A desperate, perfectly-tid escape. Without it, she would’ve died on impact if she jumped out or burned alive in the explosion.
What she pulled off was nothing short of a miracle.
The dic quickly crouched beside Hera as the others continued removing the remaining crash cushions. With practiced hands, the dic gently removed her helt and began checking her condition. She winced in pain, but stayed conscious, a promising sign.
After a quick assessnt, the dic confird she had a fractured rib on her left side, but thankfully, it hadn’t punctured any organs. Her arms and legs were also fractured, though not severely enough to require surgery. A full recovery was possible with proper care, a few casts, and a few months of rest and monitoring in the hospital.
The team of dics collectively sighed in relief. Despite how dire the crash had looked, she had survived. It was a miracle of timing, instinct, and sheer will. And as they looked at the bruised but breathtakingly beautiful girl lying there, still alive against all odds, so couldn’t help but think how tragic it would’ve been to lose soone like her.
When the crowd heard that Hera was alive, a wave of cheers erupted throughout the circuit. Relief swept over everyone like a tide, and joy lit up the faces of racers, spectators, and staff alike. The once-tense atmosphere turned electric with celebration, and everyone rejoiced at Hera’s miraculous survival.
Everyone... except one.
The mastermind behind the attempted murder was watching from the shadows, their plans unraveling before their eyes as the target lived.
anwhile, Hera was carefully placed onto a stretcher, ready to be transported to the hospital. Only one person was allowed to accompany her in the ambulance, and without hesitation, Xavier climbed in. Alexandre, Athena, Liz, Antoine, and Minerva followed closely behind in their own car, unable to leave her side for long.
Back at the circuit, Danny Coleman remained to cooperate with the police investigation. He answered questions while overseeing the garage and ensuring no one left without clearance. Everyone involved, team mbers, chanics, and witnesses, was temporarily detained for questioning.
Due to the chaos earlier, the award ceremony was postponed until the police investigation concluded.
As soon as Hera arrived at the hospital, she was rushed through a series of tests, X-rays, MRIs, and full-body scans to check for any internal injuries that the dics at the scene might have missed. It wasn’t just protocol; it was also to give Xavier peace of mind. He needed to know, absolutely, that she wouldn’t suffer any lasting damage or complications.
Only after confirming that there were no internal injuries, no damage to her head or spinal cord, and that her condition was stable, did the doctors proceed to reset her fractured bones and apply the casts.
By the ti everything was done, several hours had passed.
Outside the treatnt room, Xavier sat with red, tired eyes, the worry written all over his face. Alexandre, Antoine, Liz, Athena, and Minerva were with him, all tense and silent, their anxiety hanging thick in the corridor air as they waited for news.
Then Minerva’s phone rang.
She glanced at the screen, and her throat tightened. "Hello?" she answered, her voice catching as she spoke. "Brother..."
Rafael’s voice ca through, gentle and concerned. "I saw online... is it true? Hera’s alive?"
"Yes... Yes, Sister Hera is alive," Minerva choked out, nodding even though he couldn’t see. "She’s in the room with the doctors right now. She just finished a full round of tests to check her condition, and they’re putting her fractured leg and arm in a cast. Aside from a broken rib on her left side and so bruises... she’s okay."
Her voice cracked, and suddenly the dam burst. Minerva broke down in sobs, as if all the fear and tension she’d been holding in since the crash finally overflowed. The image of the car exploding had frozen her heart with terror. In that mont, she’d realized just how much Hera ant to her, how much she already thought of her as family. The thought of losing her had shaken her to the core.
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