1990, at the selection site for test pilots in an aviation academy.
"Astrella Brooks?"
"Present!"
"Are you willing to voluntarily participate in the supersonic test flight mission? The mission duration is indefinite, the location classified and once you commit, contact with the outside world will be prohibited except under special circumstances. Please confirm!"
"I confirm!" Astrella declared, her voice unwavering. "I am willing to join the test flight mission to protect the skies of our motherland!"
"Test flight missions are inherently perilous. Are you prepared to sacrifice your life if the mission demands it?"
Astrella’s faint smile carried quiet determination. "I’ve long since accepted the risks of life and death. Without the sacrifices of test pilots, the advancement of aviation would never take flight."
Test pilots were known as "the profession closest to death in peacetime."
One tiny misstep could mean a fatal end.
Hearing her response, the chief examiner gave a curt nod, handing her a sealed document. "Open this only after you return home," he instructed. "If, after reading the contents, your resolve remains steadfast, call the number inside. Our team will arrange to pick you up at the designated time and place."
He hesitated before adding, "According to our records, Comrade Brooks, you have a young son and—"
Before he could finish, Astrella cut him off with unwavering resolve. "I won’t hesitate! Yes, I have a child, but I am not officially married to his father. We’ve been separated for some time now. My family situation will not interfere with my decision."
After speaking, she gave a deep, respectful bow. Straightening her back, she strode out of the interview room with a resolve that left no room for doubt.
Her marriage had long turned into a stagnant pool, a lifeless bond without a solidifying certificate. They had been living apart for years and yet, at just twenty-six, in the prime of her youth, no one truly understood her.
When their marriage was supposed to be formalized, she had dutifully reported the paperwork to her unit. But Raiden received a phone call and, without a word, left in a hurry.
She waited in vain, lingering at the entrance of the civil affairs bureau from dawn until dusk. Even when the doors closed, Raiden never appeared.
When she returned home, she was startled to find relatives and friends gathered to celebrate their supposed "wedding."
Raiden Lancaster, however, remained silent, offering no explanation.
Astrella hadn’t cared much at the time. Her decision to marry him hadn’t been born out of love but out of a sense of duty to care for the only son of her late mentor.
She had been so young back then, sharing a turbulent wind tunnel experiment with her mentor aboard the same plane.
At that time, they braved relentless aftershocks, pushing through countless obstacles to complete the mission.
There were moments when Astrella felt death’s icy grip brushing against her. Still, her mentor’s unmatched experience and calm wisdom always pulled them back from the abyss.
When the plane finally landed, she erupted in jubilant cheers. But as she turned to share the moment with him, she froze. Her mentor had stopped breathing.
His eyes remained locked on the horizon, refusing to close as though he were still chasing the dream that carried them both.
Fighting back her grief, Astrella discovered a will clutched in his arms.
It was short, just a few lines, but every word was steeped in the aching sorrow of a father’s love.
“After more than twenty years as a test pilot, I’ve flown missions when my wife passed away and missions when my child graduated. I’ve fulfilled my duty to the skies and the land but failed the ones I hold dear.”
“If I may, I ask the organization to help cover my son’s tuition for the next semester. His name is Raiden and he is a PhD candidate in finance at Arindale University.”
Her thoughts wandered to Raiden.
Back then, she had been captivated by how melodic his name sounded.
The first time she laid eyes on him, Raiden stood at the lecture podium. A vibrant young professor radiating confidence and charisma, his words flowed like a river, mesmerizing everyone in the room.
In that instant, she decided she would give him the family he deserved.
What followed seemed like a dream woven to perfection. They married, had a child and built a life together.
Until the sixth year of their marriage, when Norella Everest returns like a ghost from the past.
