The tires rolled gently over the gravel, sending a faint crunch through the quiet landscape as Bryan steered the car toward the secluded lodge. The building rose slowly into view, framed by tall pines and soft afternoon light. The world around them felt untouched, as if the space had been set aside for a single purpose.

Violet watched the long stretch of wood and glass come closer. The structure wasn’t grand in a way that tried to impress. It held a different kind of presence—quiet, intentional, deeply rooted. Her pulse warmed at the sight of it, and she felt a shift inside her, subtle but undeniable.

Bryan slowed the car,...