Chapter 25 Echoes Between Us

• The city did not sleep. Even in the quiet neighborhood where Camille lived, its pulse could be felt: the distant call of a vendor hawking roasted chestnuts, the hum of tires on wet pavement,the faint strums of a guitar from the corner. Élise heard it all, but it came to her muffled, like she was listening from underwater.
• Her hands shook as she fumbled with Camille’s keys. The heavy door gave way, opening into the modest but warm apartment that smelled faintly of lavender and books. Camille hovered behind her, careful, like she was guiding a wounded bird inside.
• “Sit,” Camille urged softly, setting her bag down and taking Élise’s coat. Her voice carried a steadiness Élise envied, a quiet strength that made the air feel less fractured.