Tonight, the moonlight scattered a silvery-white glow across the ground.
The night breeze stirred, casting shadows that swayed outside the window.
Asher lowered his eyelashes, holding a cross in his hand as he stood devotedly before the altar, praying.
Since his lover’s passing, he has performed this ritual daily, seeking self-redemption and repenting for his sins.
Countless times, he did it all for himself.
But now, as he stood once again before the altar, he could no longer see his own heart clearly.
Confusion and a sense of helplessness engulfed him.
With a long sigh, Asher turned around.
Just then, the church’s grand doors burst open.
The next moment, a slender, graceful figure with fox-like eyes shimmering with mist stepped in, breaking through the desolate twilight and crashing into his gaze.
“Ash…”
Arnold stood alone in the hallway as the cold wind pierced his thin frame. Tears welled up in his narrow eyes. “You came all the way here to look for me... Why didn’t you wait a little longer? Would it have killed you to wait a bit longer?”
Asher’s heart jolted.
He froze. An unbearable emotion started burning fiercely in his bloodshot eyes.
“You idiot… Do you know how hard I’ve been searching for you?”
Arnold trembled all over, barely holding back. However, as soon as he saw his beloved, tears flowed uncontrollably. “I lost my phone... I dared not go to the KS Group’s building to see you. I didn’t dare go to Yara Park to see you… I didn’t dare to contact anyone from your family or my aunt… I was afraid of causing you trouble. I was afraid of being a burden to everyone…”
His last words came out as a choked whisper. “But… I was even more afraid of never seeing you again.”
How many times had he said the word “afraid” in one breath?
Asher recalled the carefree, unrestrained Arnold who arrived from Meridan back then. He was so free-spirited and fearless.
But now, what had reduced him to this state?
Was it the enmity between the Thompson and Larson families? Or was it Asher’s own ambivalence, his wavering indecision, and the cruelty that had extinguished the rekindled flame of desire for the sake of the greater good?
Asher stared unblinkingly at Arnold’s tear-soaked face, his heart aching as if it had been stabbed.
“Ash, I’m scared... When I looked at your back from afar the last time I saw you standing under my window, I was so scared that it would be the last time I ever saw you.”
Arnold cried uncontrollably, draining all his tears. “But how could that be… I want to be with you. I want to be with you forever. I love you, Ash… I love you!”
“Dr. Larson.”
Asher’s throat was dry as he spoke, his words stiff as if he were speaking for the first time, “This is a church. Please don’t say such things that go against God’s will.”
“But I’ve already said it! If there really is a God, then let Him punish me and strike me down!”
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