Chapter 4 — The Mentor’s Challenge

The Dreamer

The streets of the Marais district were a patchwork of light and shadow as the Dreamer crossed the cobblestones, her scarf fluttering lightly in the spring breeze. Paris was alive in the late afternoon glow, the golden light softening the edges of wrought iron balconies and illuminating the pastel hues of the shutters lining the narrow streets. She clutched a leather portfolio under one arm, its weight a constant reminder of her looming exhibit and the stakes that seemed to grow heavier with each passing day. Yet her thoughts were elsewhere, tangled in the turbulence of the last few days.