NinaMy mom’s eyes immediately filled with tears. She crossed the room without saying a word and wrapped her arms around him.I thought I was hallucinating.My dad followed, gentler than I’d ever seen him, placing a hand on Asher’s back as my mother cried softly into his shoulder. Asher stood still, blinking, then slowly allowed himself to lean into the hug. I could tell he was confused, but not frightened.I stood frozen in the doorway. I had mentally prepared myself for yelling, betrayal, disownment—heck, maybe even them dragging him away themselves.But this?This was… something else entirely.“He’s alive,” my mother whispered. “He’s alive, he’s really alive…”“I told you,” I said quietly. “I told you he was still in there.”Dad looked up at me and nodded, his expression serious now. “Where has he been all this time?”“Locked up,” I said. “Under the school. Ronin kept him there. He was being fed like an animal.”My mother pulled back slightly, cupping Asher’s face with both hands.
Last Updated : 2025-04-16 Read more