“So this is the place where they brought Astrid?” " Eros comes to a halt in the woods in front of an abandoned building.
After Ares receives the message, the entire family, with the exception of Ares and Selene, chooses to go to the given location with the $3 million incentive. It leads them to an abandoned hotel, living under the shadow, shielded from the sun's rays. The walls and the wind in the area are both frigid. The structure is enormous, as if it were designed to house a thousand people. One could tell it used to be progressive before it was abandoned.
The family has not brought any reinforcements, as advised in the text. However, to ensure everyone’s safety, Ares has a backup following the trails of his family just in case things go wrong.
Demeter takes a look around. “For them to bring my daughter to this kind of place, it’s obvious that she has been abducted. Was she and her girlfriend kidnapped? Or was she kidnapped by her girlfriend? Whoever did this to Astrid, how dare they bring her in this filthy place! I’ll make sure they’ll pay for what they did to my daughter!”
Orion replies, “We should be more cautious if that’s the case. I believe we should split up in order to find Astrid more easily. I’m going with Demeter. Boys”—he gazes at his sons—“ you three must go together to find your sister. Make every effort to avoid starting a fight. Astrid is the reason we've come. Please reunite just for the sake of your sister.”
Cadmus, Eros, and Eryx exchange glances. They couldn't make an objection, no matter how much they wanted to. However, simply not objecting does not imply that they would obey their father's commands. Cadmus chooses to go on his own and take a new route as soon as Demeter and Orion leave. The twins are unconcerned with their brother's actions and continue on their quest to find their elder sister.
Astrid trembles, her eyes wide, when she learns that her family has arrived to look for her. “H-how come they found out I’m h-here?” She covers her mouth with her hand, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Hey, hey”—Athena holds Astrid by her shoulders and looks at her in the eyes—“Astrid, breathe. We’ll be just fine. Everything will be fine. Nothing will go wrong. We just have to wait for Damon to fetch us and we’ll escape from them. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
“No!” Astrid pushes away Athena’s hands on her, her tears starting to fall down. Her vision becomes fuzzy, and her heartbeat quickens. “I have something to be afraid of!”
Astrid walks back and forth, massaging her head. She continues her speech, “Do you even know . . . what my mother can do to me?! To you?! Do you realize what she's capable of doing to us?!”
Athena sighs. “Your mother will not harm us. She has no power over us. I can guarantee you of that, so take a deep breath and relax.”
“You don’t understand!”
“I understand!”
“No, you don’t!”
Athena is taken aback, her eyes wide. Even when they are arguing, Astrid never raises her voice to her. Even if she raises her voice, she will still appear calm. However, the tone of her voice is louder this time, and she appears to be losing her sanity at any minute.
Astrid chases her breath. Her legs are gradually getting weak. “My mom would do anything to crush your life and ruin our relationship if she catches us! She’ll take me away from you, Athena!”
Athena doesn’t respond. The sight of her beloved— a bright sky engulfing the darkness, roaring with thunderstorms—has become a deadly thorn to her heart, in such a way that her body gradually weakens with each word she hears from her sweetheart. But no. She must not act vulnerable in front of her.
“I never wanted any of this to happen at all,” Astrid remarks. “I just want a normal life. I just want to be normal . . . If I hadn't been born this way, none of this would have happened. Why am I like this? Why am I not perfect as my mom wants me to be? I hate myself! I hate everything about me! I hate that I’m too foolish and weak. I hate the fact that I am constantly trying to please others to the point that I am unable to be myself! I hate the fact that no matter how many times I kneel, praying and begging God to fix me—I just couldn’t change!”
Hearing such words, Athena couldn't believe it. She has told her several times that she is not strange or odd simply because she is attracted to girls, but Astrid is having difficulty convincing herself of this. If only Athena could change Astrid's perception of herself, she would recognize her beauty despite her flaws. It’s sad that Athena thinks that Astrid is starlike in radiance throughout the cosmos but Astrid sees herself as a scarred gifted kid doomed to fail because of her imperfections.
Athena finally speaks, “Do you perhaps . . . regret being with me?”
The clinking sound of small droplets falling upon the floor reaches Cadmus’ ears. He's been strolling about the abandoned building by himself, and he hasn't uncovered any indications as to where his sister could be staying. It's as if no one is in the building and someone is simply toying with them.
He walks in front of a door. Beside it are cluttered broken woods and dead leaves. On his right is a little window that lets in a sliver of warm sunshine.
Then he hears a tread of someone’s shoes, reverberating across the room. He turns around, his defenses up, to discover an old gentleman smiling at him.
It is Theodore. “Hi,” greets he.
“Do you perhaps . . . regret being with me?”
Astrid turns to face Athena. Her cheeks and eyes are flushed. As the heat of the air touched her skin, her chest tightened. She feels her throat closing up, making it hard to speak. “Y-yes . . .” Her voice breaks.
Oh.
Oh.
“I . . .” Athena moves her gaze away from Astrid's stare. As she clenches her hand, she notices her shoulders tense. “I couldn’t believe it . . . How . . . Why?”
Astrid has a weak grin and drowsy eyes. “Of course, you weren't believing it. How could you possibly understand me if you don't care about your family or your father? You don't care, and you'll never understand what I'm going through.”
Athena scoffs and shakes her head. She looks at Astrid, eyes watery. “What is family if they don’t even accept who you are? Why would I care about him if he doesn’t care about his daughter at all? Does he even know what I went through just to get everything I have right now?”
Astrid gulps and averts her gaze.
Athena walks up to Astrid and softly brushes her face, facing her. “Aren't we here to help you get away from them? I’ve already told you that nothing will happen bad to you as long as I’m here. They will not catch us—not even your mother. We will be okay. You will be free.”
“They’re here . . .” A tear escapes from Astrid’s eye. The world seems to her like a whirl. She couldn't see anything clearly around her. Then her body becomes unsteady, particularly in her limbs, as if she wants to tumble to the ground.
“Then put yourself together as we wait for Damon’s signal. If you’re going to stay here without doing anything because you are too afraid to move, do you think everything will be okay? Wake up. Will you keep living in their shadows forever?”
Before Astrid could even respond, she shuts her eyes as her body falls in Athena’s arms. She falls unconscious, too tired to deal with the situation.
Damon enters the room a few seconds later, drenched in sweat. He’s the man that Astrid found strangely familiar the day before. While chasing his breath, he says, “We are ready to depart.”
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