Pauline's POV
The journey to Alonzo passed in peaceful silence. I pressed my face against the cool window, watching familiar Valoria landscapes give way to something gentler and more serene. The roads here curved differently, and the faces of passersby carried a quieter contentment.
This place held fragments of my childhood. My parents had brought me here during happier times, weaving through bustling markets and celebrating festivals where paper lanterns danced above the river's surface. I could still hear echoes of my laughter mixing with my father's deep chuckle, still feel the warmth of my mother's hand smoothing my hair. After their deaths, I had never found the courage to return.
