The cold chilly air stung Aria’s skin as she began walking down the trail. Snowflakes fell around and blanketed the world in silence.

Each step she took crunched the snow audibly. The trail ahead to the market curved downhill.

She was still close to Lucien’s cottage, but she could still hear the sounds coming from the market. The closer she got to the market, the more sound she heard. By the time she was at the end of the trail, she could hear the murmurs and the loud banters from the ...