Chapter 40: A Caged Bird's Plea

Noelle stood before the open window with her hands resting limply at her sides as the salty breeze brushed against her skin. The wind was warm that carried the scent of the sea, of freedom mocking her with something she could not reach.

The view before her stretched endlessly. The ocean shimmered under the golden light of the rising sun as its surface shifted between shades of deep blue and silver. Waves gently ...