Fortunately, the rain has stopped pouring when Ares opens the door of his car for Selene to get out. Under the dark sky, the two of them are standing in front of Selene’s house with a green light illuminating the front gate.

Ares has brought Selene home after a long day of worrying for Astrid. Now that they have a lead, Ares believes it is best for Selene to relax before overloading her thoughts with concerns again.

The main worry right now is that the family has left hours ago already and they still haven't notified Ares to confirm if Astrid is truly present at the specified address and if they have returned home.

“After Astrid went missing, shouldn’t you look for her girlfriend first? You’ll most likely find Astrid if you just tracked her down. But you didn’t. Thankfully, there’s a lead,” says Selene. “I mean, she’s the main suspect of this.”

“I get where you’re coming from,” Ares responds. “However, as you mentioned, we already have a lead. If Astrid really has a girlfriend and she is the culprit, we would catch her together with Astrid.”

“The girlfriend is real, believe me.” Selene exhales a sigh. “I just . . . haven’t met her yet.”

Ares crosses his arms. “I had my team check through Astrid's activity logs, and we couldn't discover any evidence of her girlfriend's existence, so it's difficult to believe she's real.”

Selene furrows her brows. “So you’re saying that . . .?”

“Yes.” Ares gives a nod. “The girlfriend might be just a figment of Astrid’s imagination, especially since you haven’t met her yet. Both of us know how tough life is for Astrid. Demeter has been keeping an eye on her since she was a child due to it.”

Selene exhales a sigh, realizing that Ares proves a point. She turns her back at him to open the front gate, but just when she is about to enter her house, a thought enters her mind. So she turns to face him again and says, “How about the lead? Who do you think sent that message and why do they know Astrid’s whereabouts?”

“Hmm . . .” Ares pulls out a thinking pose—his right hand on his chin and his left hand supporting his right elbow. “I wonder the same thing as well. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. For the time being, we must prioritize the search for my sister. She is what matters the most. She certainly did not want all of this to happen, and she desires a decent life with freedom. I’m going to give her that.”

Selene scoffs and looks down. “I find it ridiculous that your little brothers have referred to Astrid as their sister ever since she went missing. They never addressed her in that way. You are the only one who does.”

“The family has a bunch of miscreants. You can never expect anything positive from such people—though it depends. However, knowing their past endeavor towards Astrid, I found it quite surprising when they displayed even a smidgeon of concern for her. Who wouldn’t be surprised when the twins literally used to lock Astrid in the closet several times before? Cadmus has also attempted to overdose Astrid. They've done a lot to her, and their acts right now seem miraculous.” Ares shakes his head.

“I guess people just really see the importance of a person’s worth when they disappear.” Selene gives a nod. “Anyway, I appreciate you taking me home. Have a wonderful evening. See you soon.”

Ares smiles. “Likewise. Spend your moments wise, Selene. Before I bid my goodbye, please greet your brother for me. Aren’t you meeting him very soon?”

A driver scrolls on his phone while sitting in the driver's seat of a tricycle parked on the side of the road. There he sees the most recent news. The 21st disappearance thus far has piqued his curiosity, as has the bounty set on the missing person's head. “Astrid . . . Astrid Gavi,” he reads the name of that person.

Astrid, who is only a few meters ahead of the driver, holds her breath for a second after hearing it. The coldness of the air hits the very core of her soul, leaving her frozen for a brief period.

Someone knows who she is. Someone could capture her. She must hide herself.

She is outside with Athena, making their way to a private marina hotel to wait for a yacht. They have escaped her family the moment she wakes up, although she has no idea what happened to her family after that. The only thing she knows is that she’s finally far away from them.

However, this does not guarantee that she is finally free of keen eyes. People recognize her name and face. It's all over the internet now. She must be on high alert at all times if she doesn’t want to get caught.

Astrid hides her face with her hand, pretending to fix her hair. She is wearing a colored sunglasses and a black facemask. Fortunately, the area surrounding her is dark—blue-violet tones touching the sky and the land—allowing her to disguise herself more effectively.

Shaking, she holds Athena’s hands and looks at her in the eye as soon as Athena glances at her. Athena immediately understands what Astrid is trying to tell her, and so she gives her a smile despite wearing a facemask. Astrid knows she's smiling because Athena's eyes usually dim when she smiles.

“I won’t let go of you, don’t worry,” Athena says, bringing her inside the hotel.

After they enter, Athena approaches the hotel receptionist. Astrid sits on a sofa lounge just in front of them. She doesn’t have to wait that long, as Athena has already made a room reservation for them. Astrid then wonders when did Athena make a reservation.

A bellboy assists them with their luggage and escorts them to their hotel suite. After the bellboy has left, Athena hangs her coat on the coat rack stand. She faces Astrid and says, “We’ll have to wait until the next morning for the yacht’s arrival. We'll spend the night here. Astrid, I know you're exhausted, so please take some time to relax. With just a little patience, all of this will be over.” She kisses Astrid’s forehead.

Astrid smiles. “I will. Thank you.”

“You look tired.” Athena strokes the side of Astrid’s face using the back of her hand. “Would you like me to accompany you to bed? You deserve an excellent comforter after all that has happened.”

Astrid giggles. “I’d be grateful, love. Can you sing me a song?”

“I’m not good at singing, you know that.” Athena chuckles.

“Please? I just want to hear your voice.”

“Alright, fine. For you, I guess.”

They arrange their belongings before going to bed. Then they lie down, both of them facing left. Athena hugs Astrid from behind as she sings her a song.

Now playing: je te laisserai des mots // patrick watson

As the time passes and Athena continues to sing it on repeat, Astrid’s expression changes little by little. She closes her eyes when Athena starts to hum the tune of the song. Her body feels numb as the clock keeps on ticking, as if she isn’t physically there but her soul feels alive.

Hearing how soothing her lover’s voice is, Astrid’s fears and worries begin to fade. She feels so safe and comfortable with her, that even if death will try to do her harm, she wouldn’t be afraid for her safety. At this very moment, she starts to forget about the feeling of fear. She doesn’t care anymore.

Athena stops humming, thinking that Astrid is already asleep. She gently strokes Astrid’s hair, trying not to wake her up. She whispers, “No one . . . can stop us. I’ll free you from them. You helped me once, now I’ll pay you back.”

Whispering such phrases brings back memories for Athena. People used to bully her back in the day. It was because of the numerous rumors that had circulated around the city. People used to gossip about her late mother, who was a murderer. They continued making fun of her for being the daughter of a murderer and even assumed that she, too, is a killer. Of course, Athena defended herself, but no matter how many times she told them that her mother and she were not criminals, they just wouldn’t listen.

She grew up dealing with hatred. Nobody wanted her, and she didn't want herself either. She was full of self-loathing. However, a part of her blames her father for all the things that happened in her life. She despised the fact that her father didn’t even do anything about it. He didn’t defend her nor did he accompany her through ups and downs. He wasn’t there. Not when boys at her school repeatedly beat her up. Not when she was constantly suffering in affliction. Not when she finally pulled herself together and healed herself from her past.

The only one who embraced her scars was Astrid.

Astrid didn’t change her, but she helped Athena realize how beautiful she is—that she is indeed worthy of love and attention. Athena found her motivation in Astrid. If it weren’t for her, then she had probably lost track of her life already.

She is her sanctuary.

When she learned about Astrid's background, she vowed to do the same to her. No matter what, even if it's exhausting, she must help Astrid realize her worth and embrace her flaws.

Athena smiles remembering all of it. She kisses Astrid’s temple, muttering, “I love you, Astrid. I pledge to make your life better.”

All Astrid cares about at that moment are the words Athena whispers to her before she falls asleep.