diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/templates/story.html.twig b/themes/intotheeast/templates/story.html.twig
index 549bf83..f725b45 100644
--- a/themes/intotheeast/templates/story.html.twig
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/templates/story.html.twig
@@ -6,9 +6,14 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
-{% set hero = null %}
-{% if page.header.hero_image and page.media[page.header.hero_image] is defined %}
-    {% set hero = page.media[page.header.hero_image] %}
+{% set hero_url = null %}
+{% if page.header.hero_image %}
+    {% if page.media[page.header.hero_image] is defined %}
+        {% set hero_url = page.media[page.header.hero_image].url %}
+    {% else %}
+        {# Fallback: media.types merge may have dropped image types; build URL directly #}
+        {% set hero_url = page.url ~ '/' ~ page.header.hero_image %}
+    {% endif %}
 {% endif %}
 
 {% set date_str = page.date|date('d M Y') %}
@@ -32,8 +37,8 @@
 
 <div class="story-hero" id="story-hero">
     <div class="story-hero__img-wrap">
-        {% if hero %}
-        <img src="{{ hero.url }}" alt="{{ page.header.hero_alt ?? page.title }}" class="story-hero__img" loading="eager">
+        {% if hero_url %}
+        <img src="{{ hero_url }}" alt="{{ page.header.hero_alt ?? page.title }}" class="story-hero__img" loading="eager">
         {% else %}
         <div class="story-hero__img-placeholder"></div>
         {% endif %}