Chapter 20
A few days later, Fabian set off alone on his journey to Eleyburn.
Worried about him, Shane decided to tag along.
Throughout the trip, Fabian remained eerily calm. He sat by the plane window, staring out at the endless stretch of clouds, but his eyes were empty.
Upon arriving in Eleyburn, Fabian headed straight for the site of Valerie’s sky burial.
The burial platform was perched on a desolate hillside, surrounded by towering snow–capped mountains. The air was solemn and heavy with an unspoken reverence.
Fabian stood before the platform. His gaze was fixed on the faint traces left behind. His voice was low and steady, “What was it like?”
Standing behind him, Shane hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Are you sure you want to hear it, Mr. Porter?”
Fabian didn’t shift his gaze. His voice was calm as he replied, “Tell me.”
Shane took a deep breath and began. “That day, as per the ritual, the sky burial specialist made the first incision along Ms. Hartman’s spine, methodically dismembered her limbs, and crushed her bones with stones.
“The vultures came quickly. They devoured the organs first, then the bones, and finally the flesh. It was… swift. Clean. The specialist said Ms. Hartman was pure in life, and her soul would find peace.”
A faint, bitter smile flickered across Fabian’s face. His voice was barely above a whisper. “So she really left me with nothing. Not even ashes.”
Shane’s chest tightened. An uneasy feeling crept over him, but he couldn’t find the right words to say.
For the next few days, Fabian remained unsettlingly composed. He wandered through Eleyburn as if he were just another tourist. He visited scenic spots and took in the scenery. As he stood at the base of a towering mountain, he gazed up at its snow–covered peak, yet his eyes remained hollow.
He visited a shrine. He stood before the deity’s statue and stared at its serene face, but he never kneeled.
Shane, who was trailing behind him, gradually started to relax.
Maybe Fabian truly was just here to take a look. Maybe he had already come to terms with Valerie’s death.
But on the third night, Fabian stood on the hotel balcony. His eyes were locked on the distant mountains. His voice was so soft it was almost carried away by the wind. “Wait for me, Val.”
Shane felt his blood run cold when he heard that. He parted his lips, but he found himself unable to speak.
The night breeze carried a sharp chill. Under the moonlight, Fabian’s figure looked impossibly lonely. It was as if he might disappear into the darkness at any moment. Shane’s unease deepened. Fabian’s eerie calm over the past few days scared him. It felt like the stillness before a storm.
Calls from: Matthew came one after another. His voice was thick with urgency. “The company is in chaos! When are you two coming back? Fabian isn’t fully recovered. He can’t stay there any longer!”
Standing in the hotel hallway, Shane gripped his phone tightly. His gaze was fixed on Fabian’s closed door. Anxiety gnawed at his gut. Finally, he took a deep breath and knocked. “Come in.” Fabian’s voice was calm and indifferent.
Shane pushed the door open and found Fabian sitting by the window with a cup of tea in his hands while staring at the distant mountains. His figure looked almost out of place under the morning light.
“Mr. Porter,” Shane started cautiously, “things at the company are piling up. Don’t you think it’s time we head back?”
Fabian didn’t turn around. His voice was so calm it sent a shiver down Shane’s spine. “We’ll leave tomorrow.”
Shane was caught off guard by how easily Fabian agreed. Some of his tension eased, and he quickly nodded. “Understood. I’ll make the arrangements.”
That evening, Fabian left the hotel alone.
Shane instinctively wanted to follow, but Fabian stopped him. “I want to walk by myself.”
Standing at the hotel entrance, Shane watched Fabian’s figure fade into the setting sun. That same unease clawed its way back into his chest. He shook his head and tried to reassure himself that Fabian had agreed to return. Nothing would happen.
