A Warrior Luna's Awakening (Freya and Caelum) novel Chapter 243

Chapter 243

Freya’s POV

65

+5 Free Coins

I rushed into the military compound, my heart hammering like a drum inside my chest.

The Iron Fang Recon Unit had summoned me here. My legs carried me faster than I realized, as though my wolf itself pushed me forward.

Five years.

Five years since my brother Eric vanished into the flames at the border. Five years since I last heard his voice.

And now, I stood in front of the screens, clutching the edge of the desk as though it was the only thing keeping me upright.

The recovered SD card from Eric’s drone flickered to life. Static. Distorted sound. Then–his

voice.

My brother’s voice.

The moment it reached my ears, hot tears burst from my eyes, streaming down unchecked. My knees nearly gave out. The ache that had hollowed me for half a decade suddenly came alive, sharp and raw, as if no time had passed at all.

“Eric…” I whispered, choking on the sound of his name.

His voice was calm, professional, steady–the way it always was when he reported during missions. He had been part of the Iron Fang Recon Unit, a shadow in hostile territory, braver than anyone I’d ever known. Hearing him again was like feeling the moonlight after years of endless night.

The commanding officer stood at my side, his posture rigid. “Freya… some of the footage pertains to classified missions. By regulation, we can’t let you see those segments. I hope you understand.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “I understand.” My voice trembled with unshed grief.

The officer went on. “But from the fragments we restored, we can confirm this much–your brother’s final mission was tied to the border fire five years ago. His drone captured signs of the blaze before it spread out of control. He must have encountered it mid–operation. The firestorm caused the drone to lose signal… and Eric disappeared soon after.”

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10:16 Tue, Sep 16

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65

Chapter 243

+5 Free Coins

My hands curled into fists at my sides, claws threatening to pierce my palms. I had suspected this all along–that Eric’s disappearance was no accident, that the so–called ‘border fire‘ was more than what the official reports had claimed. And now, their words only confirmed the shadow that had haunted me for years.

If not for that inferno, Eric would still be alive. He would still be here with me.

The officer hesitated. “We’re cross–referencing casualty records from Deepmoor City and the border region. With a fire of that scale, it’s possible some victims were unaccounted for. After all these years…” His gaze softened, almost pitying. “It’s likely Eric perished that day.”

My teeth ground together. No.

I refused to believe it. My brother was the fiercest wolf I had ever known. I had seen him survive bullet storms, traps set by rogues, even ambushes in contested lands. He had sworn to protect me when I was just a pup, and I could still feel the echo of his promise.

A fire could not have taken him.

Not Eric.

He was still alive. He had to be.

“I want to know the last recorded coordinates of his drone,” I demanded, forcing my voice steady even as my chest quivered.

The officer inclined his head. “That can be arranged.”

“And I want to see the footage again,” I pressed. “The part I was cleared to view.”

He nodded to a technician, who quickly replayed the segment. Grainy aerial shots filled the screen–the borderlands stretched beneath the drone’s lens, dry scrub, jagged rocks, shadows shifting with the wind. The fire had not yet erupted.

Then I saw it.

A spark. A plume of smoke curling in the distance.

My eyes narrowed. “Stop there.”

10:16 Tue, Sep 16