Time passed quickly after ten minutes of waiting the woman''s eyes fluttered open, and she groaned as she moved to look around the room. Her eyes soon saw a man sitting beside her bed.


    He had his eyes closed as he seemed lost in thoughts. His obsidian black hair gently cascaded down his face, and his skin looked better than hers.


    Unlike herself who was undernourished he seemed to have come from a well-off family. They looked so world apart that she ended up laughing.


    *Pfft~*


    Asher opened his eyes at the sudden sound of laughter.


    "You have woken up. How are you doing?" I tried to ask in a reassuring tone. I have been asked to console her and I wanted to do it perfectly.


    "Urgh" With a painful moan, she tried to sit up. Seeing her struggling I gave her a hand as she sat on the bed leaning on the pillows.


    "Thank you for saving me." She said with a wary look. "I am *Sniff* really grateful"


    In the middle of her sentence, she once again started to cry.


    "Don''t cry you were just laughing a moment ago. You are safe now, No one will harm you anymore."


    Her sobs grew louder and she buried her face in her hands. The room was filled with the sound of her sorrow.


    My eyes fell on her legs, they were hidden beneath the blanket but I understand how hard it will be for her from now on. She needed to be strong to face it.


    "We have not introduced ourselves yet, have we? I am Asher, what''s your name?"


    Asher swiftly decided to change the topic as he seemed to have sensed the heavy mood.


    She looked at Asher his silver eyes gave her the reassuring look of an elder giving solace to the child.


    "*Sniff* My name is Elda, thank you- thank you."


    Her voice was barely a whisper as if saying the words out loud would break the fragile peace that had settled in the room. She took a deep, trembling breath, and with a visible effort, she pushed the sadness aside.


    "Elda have you calmed down now."


    Her nod was weak but she had stopped crying.


    "That''s....good to hear."


    There was an awkward silence, I found myself at a loss for what to say now. I had come here to console her- to tell her that her nightmare was over. That she had finally killed the monster that had trapped her.


    "You know Asher,...I had been in his captivity for at least a week. I don’t know how much time had passed since it had felt like an eternity in itself."


    Finally, the silence was broken, and she started her story. That was a good start. I thought. Sharing your past is helpful to not only her but to me as well.


    Unlike others I don''t have many stories to tell. All three years'' worth of my memories came from a happy place, my home that was no more.


    "On the first day, I was not alone. There were others with me. Many were kids or some young adults like me. The only common thing that we all shared was that no one would ever come to find us." She took a deep breath her tears once again rolling down her cheeks.


    This time I didn''t stop her from crying.


    "Ugh, One by one he started doing small cuts on them. We tried- all of us tried to scream but failed, those who showed resistance were hit by metallic bats and left to starve forever."


    *Uhm*


    Letting out a small noise she continued her story.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "After that the captives started to vanish one by one every night."


    Elda spoke through her tears, her voice a mere whisper. Asher felt a knot form in his stomach, listening to her harrowing tale. He had seen his share of horrors in this world, but the thought of such systematic torture made his blood boil.


    "Three days ago I was left along with some kids. I thought I could finally escape now. .... I had a chance after all."


    Her eyes filled with a determination that was not there before.


    "But when I tried to escape, the monster caught me, and as punishment for my audacity, he took my leg." She said, her voice steady now.


    "Then I was the only one left."


    Elda''s words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of her solitude. The room grew quiet, the only sound the distant hum of rain that had started outside.


    A strong gust of wind entered the room rustling the curtains and cooling down the room. Both Asher and Elda felt their hair move with the cold air.


    *Sigh*


    She sighed as she tried to get up almost falling from bed. Luckily I managed to catch her before she could fall.


    "Ah!"


    "You are still weak. Here let me help."


    Asher gave her his hand as she stood one leg not before long she was now sitting in a wheelchair with a blanket covering her legs.


    "Where do you want to go?" I asked.


    Asher had been helping her but it was not based on any special emotions he was just being nice, and she also knew that. She was aware that people could be cruel and kind at the same time. She had not come from any privileged background, she knew how harsh reality truly was.


    "Window."


    She answered.


    "You are not planning to jump right? It''s the ground floor let me remind you."


    Asher''s words were laced with a hint of humor, trying to lighten the mood. But Elda just gave him a deadpan look.


    "*Cough* Yes let''s get you to the window."


    I chuckled slightly and pushed the wheelchair towards the window. The rain was coming down in sheets now, painting the world outside a dreary gray.


    "Why the window?" I asked, breaking the silence as we approached.


    "I need to see it''s real," she murmured, looking out into the rain. "Need to believe I''m free."


    Asher nodded solemnly, understanding her need for reassurance. He took a deep breath and stepped aside, giving her space.


    "It''s real, Elda," he said gently. "You''re safe. You''re free."


    Elda took a moment to process his words. Then, with a tremble of hope in her eyes, she leaned forward in the chair to gaze outside. The rain had picked up, turning the cobblestone street into a river of silver under the gentle sunlight. She watched droplets dance against the glass, a stark contrast to the horrors she had endured.


    The mood was serious- too serious to Asher''s liking. The constant changes from sadness to seriousness then again to hope were scarce. He truly wanted to just make her feel better.


    Therefore he will play his strongest card. The one he has learned after coming to Atlas.


    He would tell a joke!


    "Hey Elda do you know what happens to a transcendent when they are in rain."


    I said with a grin on my face trying to lighten the mood.


    Elda looked at me with confusion, her eyebrows furrowed.


    "Don''t tell anyone but they also get wet just like everyone."


    I don''t know if it''s true or not but I still found it funny. How can a transcendent someone who has ascended humanity get wet by rain? I tried my best not to laugh at my joke but a small smile still found its way on my face.


    Elda''s eyes searched my face, looking for the punchline. After a second she cracked a smile, it was faint but it was there. It was like a spark in the dark room, small but it illuminated everything around it.


    "Alright but what''s the joke."


    Her voice had a hint of curiosity to it.


    "It''s just that... well, transcendents are so powerful, right? So I thought it would be funny if something as simple as rain could still affect them," Asher said with a shrug, hoping his attempt at humor would bring more light to the situation.


    Elda gave him a deadpan look, the kind that said she wasn''t quite sure if she should laugh or sigh. "You killed the mood," she said with a smile that was more of a wry twist of her lips. Despite herself, she found his earnestness somewhat endearing.


    ''Does she also not have any sense of humor? ''Tsk'' If I had told this joke to Greth he would be rolling down the floor by now.'' Thoughts raced through Asher''s head as he saw Elda''s deadpan expression.


    "Anyway, how many captives were being held? I plan on saving them." Sensing her displeasure Asher quietly changed the topic. He would teach her about humor on some other day when he had time.


    Her smile disappeared as she looked back into the rain.


    "There were twelve of us initially. But now, I''m the only one left," she said solemnly. "The others... they just vanished."


    The rain outside seemed to mirror Elda''s mood, tapping against the window pane like a drumbeat of despair. Asher''s heart went out to her, feeling the weight of her words. He knew the pain of loss all too well, and the thought of her facing it alone was unbearable.


    She licked her lips as they felt dry. Then in a small voice, she asked. "Will you still keep them alive?"


    I didn''t answer her no it was more like I could not answer her. But still, I gave her a gentle pat on the back as I moved toward the window.


    "I don''t know." This was the only thing I could answer. My resolve is my own. Not for anyone else to decide upon.


    Elda had killed her kidnapper getting her revenge. In the process, she ended up giving me a scar- a trauma as well. But I won''t let it stop me. My desire to unravel the mystery surrounding my past and village was much bigger than this.


    I would prevail and I would rise above it.


    Someone had taken his past maybe even his present.But he won''t let them take his future no matter what price needs to be paid.


    Asher vowed he would get back what belonged to him.