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Sebastian’s fingers tensed. 

He gripped the single slip of paper between his fingers, his gaze darkening as he stared at Maverick. Then, with a sharp motion, he tore the paper in half and tossed it onto the table. 

“I don’t believe in God, and I sure as hell don’t believe in the supernatural.” 

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, his expression cold. 

Maverick’s face was lined with age, his cheeks marked with age spots, his hunched frame draped in worn robes. Yet his smile remained gentle, almost saintly. Looking at the torn slip, he sighed. 

“Young man, you’ve got quite a temper.” 

Valeria followed Oliver down a narrow corridor until they reached a small room lined with countless little cubbyholes. 

Oliver carefully checked the numbers and pulled out a wooden box. Whispering a quiet blessing, he placed it gently into her hands. 

It was a plain rectangular wooden box–not too big, not too small. 

Outside the church, Sebastian stood beneath an oak tree, irritation lingering in his eyes from Maverick’s words. 

Valeria walked up to him. 

Sebastian lowered his gaze to the box in her arms. For reasons he couldn’t explain, something inside him twisted sharply. 

“What’s that?” he asked. 

From this close, he noticed her fingers trembling. Without thinking, he reached out and held them. 

Her hands were cold. 

Even in the heat of summer, her fingers were ice–cold. 

“Valeria,” he called out to her. There was concern in his gaze as he looked at her. 

“Sebastian, just leave your car here. Let’s grab a cab and go somewhere.” 

Sebastian’s gaze locked on the box in her arms, and a sudden chill ran through him. He didn’t know what was inside or why it filled Valeria’s eyes with such sorrow, but there was an unshakable weight pressing on his chest. 

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At 1:30 pm, they arrived at the harbor at the far south end of Verdanci District. From here, they could take a ferry to Broburgh City. 

The weather was dull, and only a handful of passengers were scattered across the ferry. 

On deck, Valeria held the wooden box in her arms and lifted her head toward the gray sky. The ocean breeze stung her eyes and blew her hair into her face, blocking her view. 

She looked at Sebastian, who stood beside her. 

There was a profound sadness in her clear eyes. 

Sebastian slipped a hand into the pocket of his slacks, where the velvet ring box pressed against the fabric. He looked into her eyes, hidden beneath her hair, and felt his chest tighten with pain. 

His voice wavered as he asked, “Valeria… what’s inside this box?” 

It felt like whatever it was could break him apart in an instant. His words trembled. He had a sick feeling he knew what it was. 

Valeria leaned back against the railing, her fingers tracing the edges of the box as if she were touching a little boy’s cheek. 

“When I was four months pregnant, I found out it was boy–girl twins. I gave them names. The boy was Louis, and the girl was Selena. I chose names that carried everything I wished for them.” 

Her voice was so soft the breeze almost drowned it out. 

“But Louis only lived for 38 minutes. All I have is one photo of him. I was lying in a hospital bed, too weak to move. He was so small they had to keep him in the freezer. When my recovery ended, I took 

him to the cremation center. 

“On the big screen listing the names for cremation, he was the only one without a name. He was the 

youngest of them all. It just said ‘Son of Jane Carlson,‘ with the time marked down–December 21st, 

10:10 am. 

“Because he was so tiny, they told me the cremation wouldn’t take long. That day was cloudy too, just like today. But it was winter then, and it was bitterly cold.” 

Valeria lowered her head, and a tear slipped through her hair, falling onto the urn. She reached out and gently wiped it away. 

“He was too young to be buried anywhere. I wasn’t married, so I couldn’t lay him to rest in the family plot at Cranary. I was young, and I didn’t have money for an expensive cemetery. Father Jacobson was kind–he comforted me and let me keep Louis‘ ashes here, under the care of the church, surrounded by prayer and Scripture.” 

Valeria lowered her head, pressing her cheek lightly against the wooden box. She closed her eyes, as 

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if she were saying goodbye to Louis. 

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Tears streamed down her face as she held the box out to Sebastian, who was standing in front of her. His body shook so violently he could barely stay upright. 

The wind whipped through Sebastian’s hair, but it couldn’t dry the tears on his face. 

Valeria looked at him, her voice raw as she said, “Sebastian… hold Louis.”