He Is Long Dead

Asher slowly raised his hands, hesitating as if to return Logan's embrace.

However, the moment was fleeting, as he gently but firmly pulled back, his expression etched with a profound solemnity, "I am not...The Cedric you guys remember is long dead."

Logan and Isla exchanged bewildered looks, the room thick with tension while Amelia had a worried look, wondering if he was really going to reveal everything.

Isla, her voice trembling, managed to say, "Wha...What are you talking about? You just said-"

"Yes. I was Cedric and I died. That part can't be less true," Asher affirmed, his words settling like stones in the silent room. 

Logan and Isla shared a troubled glance while Amelia, listening intently, clutched the fabric of her dress, her face a picture of mixed emotions.