Chapter 4 — Cliffside Reflections

Cassie

The cliffside path stretched ahead like a slender thread caught between the rugged coastline and the open expanse of sea and sky. The late afternoon sun hung low, casting the waves below in shifting hues of steel-gray and muted gold. The crash of water against jagged rocks below was steady, relentless—a rhythm that seemed to echo in Cassie’s chest. The brisk breeze tugged at her hair, pulling loose strands from her ponytail, and carried the mingling scents of salt and the faint, earthy tang of wildflowers growing along the path.