find him

Lucy's old car growled softly as it rolled through the blanket of white snow. Athena sat beside her, her eyes darting wildly outside the window, searching for a figure she still couldn't find.

"I don't know where else to look…" she whispered, her breath fogging up the glass.

"Don't worry. We'll find him," Lucy replied, trying to sound reassuring. "Asher's not the kind of guy who'd just… disappear like that, right?"

Before Athena could answer, the car suddenly slowed down.

"What's that?" Lucy frowned. "By the river…"

Athena immediately sat up straighter. In the distance, a group of people was gathered along the frozen riverbank. Some of them were standing on the ice, seemingly pulling something out.

Athena flung the door open and jumped out.

"Athena!" Lucy called after her, getting out as well. "Wait!" she shouted, running to catch up.

Athena pushed through the thick snow, her heart pounding in her chest. She rushed to one of the men in a gray jacket who stood near the edge of the river, looking distressed.

"Sir, please, what happened? Was there an accident?!"

The man turned to her, slightly startled by the panic in her voice.

"Someone passed out on the ice. We just pulled him out… head injury. It looks bad."

Athena turned sharply toward the center of the frozen river, and in that instant, her eyes locked on the figure being dragged by two men. That body, that hair, that jacket, it could only be one person.

"Asher…?" she whispered, her voice breaking.

She ran to the unconscious body lying still on the ice. Dried blood clung to his temple, his jacket was soaked, breath shallow, and his face ghostly pale. Athena dropped to her knees beside him, her hands trembling as she reached out to touch his face.

"Asher… Oh God, Asher! Why…?" Her voice cracked into sobs. "Why did you go out alone?! I… I should've said something last night…"

Lucy appeared beside her, crouching down.

"Athena, we have to get him to a hospital. He could have hypothermia… or a concussion."

Athena nodded slowly, wiping her tears. But as they prepared to lift Asher's body, his eyelids fluttered.

Then slowly... they opened.

Those eyes. Blue. Deep and bright, like frozen oceans under the moonlight. Not like before.

Athena gasped. "Asher… you're awake!" she cried, caught between relief and fear.

But Asher didn't speak. His eyes locked on hers, then drifted upward toward the sky.

He seemed transfixed. His expression blank, yet peaceful, as if he was hearing something only he could hear.

"Asher…?" Athena gently shook his shoulder. "Hey… it's me."

He didn't respond. But the corners of his lips curled slightly, into a faint, strange smile.

"Asher…?" Athena's voice trembled. She cupped his face in both hands—her fingers icy, though his face was even colder.

"What do you feel? What happened to you…?" she asked again, more urgently. "Why were you out here all alone?"

Asher slowly turned to face her, and in his gaze, there was no anger, no pain—just a vast emptiness, yet somehow filled with something unknown.

He parted his lips and whispered,

"I… saw a light."

Athena froze. "What do you mean?"

Asher glanced up at the sky, then at the frozen river now fading into morning fog.

"I don't know… It felt strange, they're in my head," he murmured, then looked back at Athena, narrowing his eyes like he was trying to read her soul.

"I know your body temperature isn't stable. You cried last night for twelve minutes, you fell asleep and forgot to close the window—our room's covered in snow now," Asher said, then smiled faintly and reached out to brush her cheek.

Athena stiffened, shocked by his words. How could he know what happened in their room last night, when she'd locked the door from the inside?

"Asher… how do you know all that?"

Asher closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.

"I don't know… I just know," he whispered.

Athena drew in a sharp breath, her body trembling. This wasn't just a head injury. Asher had changed. The way he spoke, the way he looked at the world—something was different.

Lucy stood nearby, watching them with concern. "We still need to take him to the hospital," she said softly.

Athena turned and nodded quickly. But her eyes never left Asher, who now stared at his own hands like he was realizing for the first time that he was living in a human body.

"Asher," Athena called again, her voice shaking. "Do you still remember me?"

Asher turned instantly. His gaze was calmer now, and for the first time, he smiled. But it was a soft smile, as if he still wasn't sure… whether he was dreaming or not.

"How could I forget… you… My wife."

Athena smiled back, her eyes welling up. Guilt washed over her again because of how she had ignored him the night before.

"Yes, I'm your wife," she said, nodding.

Lucy asked a few people to help carry Asher to the car, but he refused. He could stand. He even refused to go to the hospital, despite Athena's insistence. He just wanted to go home.

Reluctantly, Lucy and Athena brought Asher back to the old rental house and treated him there with what little they had.

Athena sat on the sofa facing the small fireplace that was already lit. Asher sat across from her, silent, his jacket off and shirt clinging damply to his skin. The gash on his temple was still visible, surrounded by dried blood.

Athena dipped a clean cloth in warm water and carefully wiped the wound on Asher's head. Her hand was gentle, but her eyes stayed fixed on his face, trying to imagine what had happened out there last night.

Asher didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on Athena, his eyes deep, calm, and unreadable, as if he could see right into her soul.

"I read somewhere," Athena said softly, trying to lighten the mood, "when people get head injuries, they usually become super-sensitive. But you… you're like… freakishly calm."

Asher smiled faintly. "I think I'm more aware now… about a lot of things."

Athena held her breath, then looked away toward the cloth she was wringing out. In the corner, Lucy scrolled through her phone silently, like she was intentionally giving them space.

Suddenly, Asher spoke—his voice low, firm.

"I'm gonna find a job. Maybe off the books, maybe something rough. But as long as I still have my temporary permit, I'll help with the finances… as long as I'm still here with you."

Athena froze, her hand mid-air. She looked up at him, eyes slowly widening.

"Asher…"

That sentence hit like a knife to the chest. It sounded like he was already preparing to leave… or be taken away.

Asher stared back. This time, Athena was the one who looked away.

Silence fell. Only the crackling of the fire filled the room.

Then Athena sighed deeply. She placed the cloth back into the bowl and cupped Asher's face in both hands, forcing herself to meet his gaze.

"I'm going to sponsor you," she finally said, firmly. "I'll take care of it today if I have to."

Asher looked at her. Long. Then gave a faint smile and shook his head gently.

"Athena… you don't have to do this just because you feel guilty, or obligated. Things like this… if forced, they only create new problems."

Athena shook her head quickly, almost angry at the implication. "That's not it. I mean it. I know you probably don't believe me, but I've never been this sure."

"Just so you know," she added, "you saved me from Carlos. You're the reason I can sleep at night without nightmares. Now it's my turn."

Asher still studied her, his gaze shifting slightly, like he was searching for a truth behind her words.

Then he asked, his voice barely a whisper:

"So… that's your reason?"

Athena froze. Her gaze sharpened. It felt like a trap of a question, because even she wasn't sure… if this was about gratitude or something else.

But after a few seconds, Athena nodded slowly.

"That's one of them."

Asher didn't reply right away. His smile faded, replaced by a softer look. He took her hand still resting on his face, and gently lowered it.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to save me."

Athena looked at him, her lips trembling. "But I want to."

"Please don't, this isn't something small, Athena," Asher said calmly, brushing her cheek with his thumb, eyes locked on hers. "Sponsoring me means binding yourself to me forever. A real marriage, not just saving yourself from Carlos or saving me from deportation. Are you ready for that? Ready to be my wife for real? The wife of someone who doesn't even know what's behind him? You ... You have to have kids with me too, if you want me to stay..."

Athena went still. Her lips went dry, her throat tight. Her eyes reflected disbelief.

Clearly, she was no longer talking to the naïve man from the night before. Now, she felt like she was talking to someone else entirely. Someone wiser… as if Asher had grown up overnight and carried knowledge far beyond what she could understand.