Vanessa woke to the warm rays of sunlight streaming across her bed. She blinked a few times, her vision clearing as the golden light bathed the room in a soft glow. Stretching her arms over her head, she let out a long sigh and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

Padding across the cool wooden floor, she made her way to the large window. She pulled the curtains open fully, letting the sunlight flood in. The view of the busy city stretched out below, alive with the early morning hum of cars and distant chatter. Vanessa stood for a moment, taking it in, before turning toward the...