Flashback — Seven Years Ago, Norway, Oslo
The wind that swept through the city carried the faint chill of early spring — the kind that could bite through thin clothes and remind you how cold hunger really felt.
Thea walked along the cobblestone street of the city centre, her steps uneven, her head light. Her coat was torn at the sleeve, her shoes scuffed and stiff from the snow that had melted and dried over them too many times. She hadn't eaten properly in days; her body moved on habit, not strength.
Around her, Oslo gleamed. Expensive cars purred at the curbs, lights spilled from glass-fronted restaurants, laughter and perfume floated through the air like things from another world — a world she was too far from.
She stopped by a fountain, her eyes drawn to a couple stepping out of a sleek black car. The sight made her freeze.
