221 Secrets Brought Afloat

A single word escaped Isola's trembling lips, echoing into the stillness of the day - "Cedric." At the sound of that name, a name buried so deep in his past, a name that belonged to another lifetime, the world around Asher seemed to freeze in its tracks.

His eyes, usually as cool and tranquil as a moonlit lake, flickered with an uncharacteristic turbulence. His demeanor, typically as unyielding as an ancient glacier, was momentarily thrown off balance. 

A sense of shock and alarm replaced his aloofness, his typically unfazed features flickering with an unfamiliar array of emotions - surprise, confusion, anger, and... fear? It was a fear of the known, of the past catching up with him, of secrets laid bare and vulnerabilities exposed.