The morning after her return felt surreal.

Evelyn woke up in her childhood bedroom—smaller than she remembered, but somehow untouched by time. The faded lilac curtains still swayed gently in the breeze, and the worn dresser was exactly how she’d left it. The scent of pinewood and the faint aroma of her old lavender perfume clung to the walls, like a memory refusing to fade.

It felt like she’d stepped back into someone else’s life.

She sat up, brushing the sleep from her eyes. The ...