Chapter 172 Homecoming

• Samantha's POV
• It still amazes me that we have made it this far. Following so many struggles, heartbreaks, and near calls, we were at last back where we had begun—the small village that had once seemed like the promise of everything we had battled for.
• Caleb strolled next to me, his eyes sweeping across the known terrain as though he were experiencing it for the first time. His movements carried a fresh lightness, a peace I had not seen in him since we had set upon this road. If only somewhat, the weight of everything—his background, our worries, the betrayals—seemed to have dropped.