Chapter 54

• Tamara's POV
• The cold bite of the city wind seemed to seep into my bones, a physical manifestation of the chill that had settled in my heart. I didn’t know where to go. Everything around me felt unfamiliar—this city, this place, even the people I thought I knew best. My feet, guided by some unseen force, carried me to a small café on the corner of a quiet street. Its windows, like clouded memories, were fogged slightly from the steam of brewing coffee and hushed conversation, creating a blurry barrier between the warmth inside and the harsh reality outside.
• I pushed open the door, the gentle chime above my head doing little to cut through the oppressive silence in my mind. I ordered something, a blank utterance that left my lips without conscious thought. A latte? A black coffee? I couldn’t remember. I just needed somewhere to sit. Somewhere to breathe. The air in my own lungs felt too thick, too heavy.