Santino didn’t stay long.After a short while,he said he had a school meeting and left in a hurry.

When he was gone,Aurelia quietly began tidying the room,gathering everything from her years with Santino into one pile.Ten years of being stuck in this swamp had drained her completely,and only in her exhaustion did she finally decide to let go.

The table was covered with safety charms she had prayed for on Santino’s behalf.Back then,when they climbed the mountain to pray to God,she had wished for his safety,while Santino had wished for her long life.But later,everything changed.

Tears slid down her cheeks,dripping onto the back of her hand.

She threw all those memories into the fire,and the flickering flames carried away ten years of love and courage.

When the ashes settled,Aurelia opened her phone and saw a new post Astrid had just shared on social media.

The attached photo showed Santino kissing Astrid’s cheek,his eyes cold as they stared into the camera,as if declaring she was his.

Aurelia’s hand froze mid-scroll,and it took her a long time to come back to herself before she finally left a simple comment:“99.”

Just as she was about to put her phone away,a new message from Astrid popped up.

[Aurelia,do you know what Santino likes?I want to buy him a birthday gift.]

[You’ve known him for so long,you must know him better than me.]

Looking at those playful words,Aurelia seemed to see the petite girl standing shyly before her,her face touched with the blush of first love.

She agreed to meet Astrid,and when they did,she spoke smoothly about Santino’s hobbies and daily habits,as if reciting from a list she had memorized by heart.

Compared to numbers and stocks,Aurelia knew Santino even better.

Astrid listened carefully and at last raised her eyes,a trace of unease flashing within them.“Aurelia,I don’t mean anything by this,but I just wanted to ask…do you like Santino?”

Aurelia’s smooth words suddenly stopped.After a long pause,she forced a smile and asked awkwardly,“No,why?”

Santino had once said she always lied,and he hadn’t been wrong.She did lie,just as she hid her illness from him,and her love from Astrid.

Hearing her denial,Astrid finally let out a breath of relief.“That’s good,I was really afraid you liked him too.People always say you clung to Santino,that you’re a terrible woman…but I don’t believe it.You’re clearly kind and capable.If I had to compare myself with you,I’d never stand a chance.”

Aurelia found her words almost funny.“Of course not.Santino is loyal.He’ll give you all his heart.”

But Astrid’s expression dimmed.“I don’t know…sometimes I feel like Santino doesn’t really love me.When we walk together,he often just stares at his phone or at the red string on his wrist.Even when I call him,he doesn’t answer.”

The red string.Aurelia’s heart gave a quiet tremor.

That red string was the one she had prayed for during Santino’s college entrance exams,bowing step by step in the pouring rain until she finally obtained it.

Later,Santino had indeed ranked first in the exams.

She had always believed that once he began to hate her,he would have discarded it,since she had never seen him wear it again.But as it turned out,not only had he not thrown it away,he had been wearing it all along.

While Aurelia sat in a daze,Santino arrived again.Without a word,he pulled Astrid into his arms,his hostile gaze locked on Aurelia as if guarding against her hurting Astrid.

The wariness in his eyes cut deep,and she forced a polite smile.“Then I’ll be going.”

“Hey,Aurelia,since you’re already here,come sit and eat with us!”

Just as she was about to decline,Santino’s cold voice interrupted.“Stay.”

She froze.

“Stay and watch how Astrid and I love each other.”

Knowing he meant to humiliate her,she wanted to leave,but in the end,she only forced a smile and sat down.

Halfway through the meal,a burnt smell spread through the restaurant.Santino was the first to react,his expression tightening as he said,“It’s on fire,let’s get out!”

As he spoke,he instinctively stood and reached toward Aurelia.

“Fire,Santino,let’s go!”

At Astrid’s cry,his hand froze in midair before he forced it away,grabbing Astrid instead as they rushed out together.

Watching Santino’s figure disappear without once looking back,Aurelia’s heart ached bitterly.The taste of blood rose in her throat,the pressure of the pain almost suffocating her.

Thick smoke quickly filled the room,and she coughed until her lungs burned.Just then,the chandelier above came crashing down,and fierce flames erupted beside her.

Shards cut across her skin,blood gushing from her wrist.

Outside,Astrid looked anxiously at the growing blaze.“Aurelia is still inside…”

Santino’s heart lurched,but the words that left his lips were cold.“She’ll be fine.Someone like her wouldn’t die so easily in a fire.”

He ignored Astrid’s frantic cries and pulled her away,yet his grip was so tight his own fingertips dug into his palm until the skin nearly broke.

Aurelia was finally pulled out by the firefighters,but the flames had left severe burns across her back.

The doctor warned that the wounds were too deep and would surely leave scars.

She didn’t care.She was going to die anyway;what difference would scars make?

When she stepped out of the ward,she saw Santino again.He was holding Astrid in his arms,his face tense as he studied the blisters on her hand.

“I told you not to go near the kitchen,to wait for me to cook.Look at your hand,it’s burned so badly.Do you know how much it hurts me to see this?”

His voice went on in a steady stream,yet Astrid only smiled,her expression glowing with joy.

Watching them together,Aurelia felt the burns on her back sting faintly,but the ache in her heart cut even deeper.

Three days later came Santino’s birthday.Astrid had planned a party for him,inviting classmates and even asking Aurelia to attend.But Aurelia refused.She no longer wanted to be caught up with Santino.On that same day,her flight to Iceland awaited.

From that moment on,she and Santino would never cross paths again.She mailed the gift she had prepared for him,ten safety charms she had prayed for over the years,one for each year,meant for him and his mother.

Before leaving,Aurelia went to see his mother.The elderly woman lay in a hospital bed,kept alive only by the ventilator.No matter how hard Aurelia had tried to bring in the best doctors,she had never woken again.

Aurelia let out a soft sigh.Only three hours remained before her flight.

At the airport,a birthday video from Astrid arrived.Laughter filled the screen,voices urging Santino to cut the cake.He complied,taking the knife and pressing it down.

Watching this,Aurelia’s heart trembled,and her fingers tightened around her phone.For ten years,Santino had always spent his birthday with her,and it had become a habit to leave the very first slice for her.

Even after everything that had happened,even though she wasn’t there,Aurelia still held on to one last fragile hope.Would Santino think of her when he cut the first slice of cake?

She kept watching as the voices of the crowd rang out clearly through the video.

“Santino,give the prettiest slice to Astrid!”

“Yeah,yeah,you two are such a sweet couple,showing off even on your birthday.”

At those words,Santino’s hand with the plate paused.He looked up and caught Astrid’s shy expression.

“What are you waiting for,Santino?Hurry and give the cake to your girl!”

The teasing voices pulled Santino back from his thoughts.This time,he didn’t hesitate;he placed the first slice of cake firmly into Astrid’s hands.She accepted it,her face glowing with joy.

Everyone was happy,except Aurelia,who could only glimpse that joy through the phone screen.

Like a stray dog,she could never claim it,couldn’t even witness it openly,and could only hide in the dark,watching quietly from afar.

Looking at the carefree,joyful smile on Santino’s face,Aurelia’s heart sank with a heavy ache.It had been so long since she had seen him like this,and perhaps it truly was time for her to leave.

She was about to close the video when faint whispers drifted through.

“It’s only because Santino is too kind.Even after being ruined by that woman,he still hasn’t cut her off.If it were me,I would have hated her long ago!”

“Exactly.She spread those things on purpose just to ruin Santino’s name and gain from it.A woman like that…only someone as kind as Santino would still keep her around out of gratitude.”

After that,Aurelia could no longer make out the voices,nor did she wish to.She shut off her phone at once.It wasn’t only Santino;everyone believed she had gone too far.Everyone wanted her gone.

This time,without a trace of hesitation,she walked slowly yet firmly toward the boarding gate.

Before takeoff,Aurelia sent Santino one last message.[Happy birthday!Congratulations on your freedom.]

The plane lifted,breaking through the heavy clouds as it flew north across eight time zones,toward that faraway land where volcanoes and glaciers stood side by side.

For ten years,they had been tied together,torn apart,sharing both sweetness and indifference.But now,she cut the final thread.

There would be no“future”waiting for them.The promises of“forever”no longer mattered.