No one would know.
But she would know.
After a long pause, she walked outside, opened the car door, and sat behind the wheel.
She started the engine.
And for the first time in years, she began driving toward the place she had spent so long avoiding.
Chapter 2: The Journey Back and the Fear She Had Carried for So Long
At first, the drive seemed almost ordinary.
The streets were familiar. Traffic moved at its usual pace, and people went about their afternoon routines. A cyclist passed a row of parked cars. Someone crossed the street carrying a shopping bag. A delivery vehicle stopped near a small business, briefly holding up the traffic behind it.
Nothing about the world suggested that Elira was doing something extraordinary.
Yet inside the car, the journey felt far more significant than its distance would suggest.
She held the steering wheel firmly, paying close attention to the road ahead. She checked the mirrors more often than necessary and adjusted her position in the seat, trying to find a comfortable posture.
