The sky shattered.
The sound was a deafening crack, followed by a rush of wind that swept through the clearing in an unforgiving roar. Élodie stumbled, her heart pounding as the world around her seemed to crumble into chaos. The familiar comfort of the hills vanished in an instant. The only certainty was the distant whine of an engine, faltering, spiraling out of control. And then, the explosion—the world lit up in a flash of fire, followed by the sickening thud of metal crashing against earth.
Élodie didn't hesitate. Her heart had already made its decision before her mind could catch up.
She sprinted toward the clearing, the thick scent of smoke stinging her lungs. Her feet barely touched the ground as she ran, the words of her father echoing in her mind: Never let the dead find you afraid. The Resistance had taught her how to be brave, but this—this was something else. This was the moment when everything she knew, every choice she'd made, would either break her or change the world forever.
The wreckage of the plane lay in twisted shards, its fuselage crumpled like a paper doll. Flames still flickered at the edges, casting grotesque shadows on the broken landscape. Élodie's eyes scanned the wreckage, her breath hitching as she moved closer, searching. A hand. A face. A body—broken, but alive.
There, half-concealed beneath the jagged remnants of a wing, was the man.
She froze for an instant, her heart leaping into her throat. He was young—no older than she was—his face a mix of agony and disbelief. His uniform was torn, bloodied, but his eyes—his eyes burned with an unyielding fire, a fierce resolve that matched her own.
Liam Hart, she thought, the name echoing in her mind. British SOE. The memories of training missions, coded messages, whispered warnings from Resistance leaders—everything clicked into place.
"Help me," he gasped, his voice raw.
Élodie's pulse quickened as she knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she touched his shoulder. "You'll be safe. I promise." But even as the words left her lips, she knew the truth. There was no safety left in the world. Only choices. And the weight of those choices would follow her for as long as she lived.
With effort, she pulled him from the wreckage, his body sagging against hers. He was heavier than he looked, and the blood soaking through his uniform told her the time was running out. But she had no choice. Not now. The Gestapo patrols wouldn't be far behind.
She glanced around, her eyes scanning the tree line. The tension in the air thickened, the murmur of hidden voices just beneath the surface. The faintest snap of a twig. The rustle of leaves. They were coming.
Luc, she thought in a fleeting moment of panic. Her childhood friend, her betrothed, had just returned from a mission. He would be here soon, but would he be too late?
The thought was a poison in her mind, but Élodie shoved it aside. There was no time for such doubts. She had a mission now—one she had never expected, one that would bind her fate to a stranger in a way she couldn't yet understand.
She gritted her teeth and hoisted Liam's weight onto her back, staggering toward the nearby vineyard. The old cellar would have to do. It was dark, hidden, and once sealed, it could keep them both safe—if only for a little while.
As she moved through the vineyard, the cool night air wrapped around them, carrying with it the scent of wild grapes and dust, a reminder of her family's legacy. The land was scarred, the vines twisted, but the roots were still strong. The same, she thought, could be said of her people. And, perhaps, of herself.
The creaking of the cellar door was deafening in the stillness. She shoved it open and dragged Liam inside, the weight of the world settling onto her shoulders. She didn't know what the future held. All she knew was that this was the beginning. A beginning that would tear apart everything she thought she understood about loyalty, love, and survival.
And Luc... He would come, but he would not find what he expected.