Chapter 4 — First Glimpses, First Impressions

Third Person Limited - Alternating between Claire and Jason

Jason stood frozen in the riad’s airy courtyard, the filtered sunlight slanting through the leaves of an orange tree casting intricate shadows across the mosaic tiles. The soft gurgle of the fountain in the center should have been soothing, but instead, the unfamiliar quiet pressed in on him like an unwelcome intruder. The juxtaposition between this tranquil oasis and the churning chaos of the streets just outside the riad’s heavy wooden door left him feeling unmoored, as though Marrakesh itself were conspiring to strip him of his bearings.