Chapter 266 Athena Is Leaving
Evie’s heart skipped a beat as she heard the words. She had no idea why, but a chill ran down her spine. Her mind instantly flashed to Athena. Her eyes widened in panic.
“Forganto City… Girard City…” she murmured, her voice shaking.
She quickly fumbled for her phone, dialing Athena’s number repeatedly. There was no answer. Panic settled deeper in her chest.
“Athena, please pick up,” Evie whispered urgently, her fingers trembling as they hovered over the screen.
The airport around her was in chaos. People were rushing to find out more information, and a few security officers were already moving quickly, talking in hushed tones. But all Evie could focus on was the silence on the other end of the line.
Minutes felt like hours as Evie stood there, staring anxiously at the phone, but it never rang again. She couldn’t sit still anymore.
Without a second thought, she started walking towards the gate, her thoughts a whirlwind. “No, no, this can’t be happening. Athena, please…”
She had barely moved a few steps when her phone buzzed in her hand. It was a message, not from Athena, but from Byron.
“Are you with Athena? There was a crash… I’m trying to reach her. Please tell me she’s okay.”
The words hit Evie like a slap to the face. Her heart skipped yet again, a feeling of dread slowly sinking in. She tried calling Athena again, but still, there was no answer.
“She’s not answering,” Evie texted back to Byron, trying to keep her voice calm, but it was clear from the words that she was terrified. “I don’t know where she is. I’m trying to reach her too.”
Her fingers trembled as she typed, knowing the words would only make the situation worse, but there was no time to waste. The thought of Athena on that plane, or somewhere in danger, was too much to bear.
Then, just as Evie was about to give up on trying to call again, her phone finally rang.
Athena’s name flashed on the screen.
Relief flooded Evie’s chest, so intense it made her dizzy. Without hesitation, she answered the call.
“Athena?!” Evie practically shouted, her voice cracking with worry.
There was a long pause before Athena’s voice came through, quiet and distant, as if she were far away.
“Evie, I’m okay,” Athena said, her tone calmer than Evie had expected. “I’m fine.”
Evie let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you. I heard about the crash… Are you safe?”
“I’m at the airport,” Athena replied. “I saw the news, and… no, it wasn’t me. The flight you heard about was on the way to Girard City. But I’m here. I’m fine.”
Evie closed her eyes, still not completely convinced. “You scared me,” she whispered. “I thought—”” I know,” Athena interrupted softly, her voice carrying a quiet sadness. “I’m sorry.”
Evie let out a shaky laugh, partly out of relief, partly out of frustration. “Just don’t do that to me again,” she said, a little more sharply than she meant to. “I thought you were on that plane. I thought you were… gone.”
Athena was silent for a moment, and then she spoke again, her voice tinged with something vulnerable. “Evie, I… I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Evie felt a pang in her chest, and despite everything, she couldn’t help but smile softly. “Well, you’re not going to find out,” she replied gently.
Athena’s voice softened, and for the first time in what felt like ages, Evie could hear something like warmth in her words. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.”
After a brief pause, Evie nodded to herself, as if confirming something only she could understand. “I’ll be waiting.”
The call ended, and Evie leaned back against the wall of the airport, her hand still clutching the phone. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm her racing heart. She knew the danger was over, for now. But the thought of everything that had almost happened—the unknown, the fear—left her shaken.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t over yet.