Chapter 99 The Light Beneath Snow

• The wind had softened.
• After weeks of relentless blizzards, the snow no longer slammed against rooftops with the force of a battering ram. Streets were blanketed in quiet white, and the world felt subdued, muffled beneath layers of ice and frost. Outside, everything shimmered under a pale, veiled light—the kind that signaled the storm’s retreat but hinted at something more lingering beneath the horizon.
• Lucy and Darren had returned home from their latest trip to the shelter, the ten-minute drive taking longer than usual through the snow-laden roads. Their house, modest but sturdy, sat in a cleared area, snow piled high along its edges. Inside, warmth radiated from the kitchen stove, mingling with the faint scent of herbs and preserved food. Dani and Lisa were nearby, sorting jars and checking supplies, their small hands busy and eager.