THE tires of the rickety truck hummed against the road as it rolled out of the city, leaving behind the towering buildings, bustling streets, and the suffocating memories of the past. Inside the truck, the atmosphere was silent, stiff, even Danica’s usual humming was absent. Everyone was wrapped in their own world. But none more than Xaniyah.

She sat at the far end of the truck’s back seat, her head leaned against the glass window. The cool surface kissed her temple as her gaze stayed ...