Chapter 67: She can’t be dead

"Fuck! I cannot feel any sensation in my entire body! Let’s just pull through the live report before I put on a few more layers!"

A group of journalists were gathered around a shattered bridge amidst a raging blizzard.

[Reporting from site! The rescue team is delayed and we still have two people under the shattered bridge by the mountain pass of Bellhaven... Their current condition remains unclear.]

The moment the man finished reporting, cameras turned off and a few crew members draped a blanket around him, "Have you contacted their family?" the man asked.

"We couldn’t unlock the phone but we dialed the emergency contact. Speaking of it, we are worried it might be of no use!"

The senior reporter frowned.

"The number was saved as ’Personal demon’ and when we informed them about the situation, there was no response from the other side before the call went off. It seemed like we accidentally reported the victim’s enemy instead of their family..."

Everyone around whispered about it. After all, their hands were tied in such a situation.

"I am afraid we will have to wait it out till the police arrive before we can get in touch with the family."

"Why would someone save their enemy’s number as emergency contact?" The senior reporter had never encountered such a bizarre situation, "Let it be. I’m afraid the family would make it in time to see the bodies..."

"Bodies?" A crisp voice cut through the crowd.

The small group parted, whispering amongst themselves as they looked at the man emerging from the darkness.

While every person present there was clad in layers upon layers of clothes to shield from the cold, the man had donned a classic grey suit.

His appearance made every head turn in his direction. But there was something unsettling about his aura as he stood in the biting chill, his skin resembling the shade of a paper.

"I am not being pessimistic but I heard these two people were stuck here for four hours before our team even arrived. It’s unlikely for them to survive," The senior reporter shook his head.

"One of our people nearly got crushed himself when he went to check on them," he pointed towards a reporter who was limping towards them, "Their family would be lucky to have their bodies intact."

Callahan glanced in the direction of the shattered bridge.

Noticing the man’s disheveled appearance, the senior reporter spoke up, "Sir, are you stranded here too? You can stay with our team till the storm passes..."

"She can’t be dead," The words left the man’s mouth in a whisper and before anybody could make sense of what was happening, Callahan had already walked past them as he headed straight towards the shattered bridge that was buried under the pile of snow.

"Could he be the family?"

"You mean he is the person you called?"

"Who else will show up here amidst a storm?!"

"Look! Look there!"

"Turn on the cameras!" The senior reporter snarled, "He is digging through the snow like a madman. This might be our breakout news of the month!"

"But sir, what if something happens to him? Shall we try to stop..."

"Hmp... Who is going to risk their lives by going there? Let’s wait it out for the rescue team. Stay sharp!"

...

Kneeling in the snow, Callahan dug through the pile of debris and snow with his bare hands.

Suddenly, he seemed to have gone years back in time. The night she had looked at him with eyes full of hope when he told her he would meet her at the hospital.

A wooden shard cut pierced through his skin but the man showed no signs of stopping.

The dignified man who never lost his bearing seemed to have become another person entirely. His eyes had a tinge of red as he looked in the darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of her.

He could see the woman walking into a nightclub with a bouquet of roses as she asked him to marry her.

’I knew I shouldn’t yet I went to you again...’

Callahan dug through the pile of snow and bridge debris for a long time yet there were no signs of Sienna. And his movements became more panicked and hasty.

’If you want her in your life, don’t make her guess it. Or you might just end up losing her.’

Callahan’s fingers trembled and his chest heaved.

The man clutched his chest, feeling a searing pain spreading through his entire body.

He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t stop. He desperately dug into the snow again, yanking away every wooden shard, ignoring the pain as they cut through his skin...

"Callahan?"

Callahan’s entire body froze. He tilted his face to the side and looked over his shoulder.

Sienna felt her heart being suspended the moment she saw him. The phone flashlight in her hand shook slightly.

A pile of snow had gathered around the man, the sleeves of his grey suit were soaked in blood and his eyes... his eyes were bloodshot as they met hers.

Before her mind could register it, her feet had moved. Sienna knelt in front of the man and dusted off the snow from his body before grabbing his bloodied hands.

The moment she touched his hands, she almost let it go. His hands were so cold that they burned her skin.

But she caught his hands again, tightening her hold this time.

"We need to get it treated before it gets infected..."

Her words trailed off when he pulled a hand back and cupped her face.

In the next moment, his face enlarged in front of her eyes as he leaned in towards her.

Almost like the wings of a butterfly, his lips grazed over hers in a soft, careful touch.

And before she could fully feel it, the man had retreated. His eyes grew focused gradually, ’’You are here."

"Did you think you were hallucinating me...?" She did not finish her words because she saw it in his eyes.

He was afraid that she was not real.