Chapter 80 The World Outside Us

• The air smelled like spring, fresh with the scent of wet earth and new leaves. Ariana hadn’t realized how long it had been since she last stood under the open sky without rushing to get away from it.
• Damien walked beside her in comfortable silence, his hands in his pockets, his steps matched to hers. They were outside the city now, somewhere quieter. He hadn’t told her where they were going, just that it wasn’t far.
• The road curved into a gravel path flanked by tall trees. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, scattering patches of gold on the ground.