The city they arrived in felt nothing like Velmora. It was quieter. Slower.
Not controlled. Not guarded.Alive… in a softer way.
The roads were narrower, lined with small houses, local shops, and people who moved without urgency. The air carried a faint scent of salt, and somewhere in the distance, the sound of waves echoed gently.
Aria rolled the window down slightly, letting the breeze brush against her face.
"It's beautiful," she murmured.
Rafael didn't respond immediately, but there was something different in his expression as he drove through the familiar streets.
"This is where I grew up," he said after a moment.
Not the house or life but this city.
Aria turned to look at him, seeing something she hadn't seen before,not control, not distance… but memory.
He slowed the car near the shoreline.
