Chapter 104

This story is a work of fiction, but it is built on very real emotions, loss, silence, memory, trust, and the invisible scars people carry long after events have passed.

Some themes explored in this novel may feel uncomfortable, personal, or familiar. That is intentional. Stories have a way of touching places we do not always name, and this one was written with honesty rather than ease.

If you recognized yourself, a situation, or a feeling within these pages, know that you are not alone, and that interpretation belongs to you as much as it belongs to the story.

Thank you for reading with an open heart.

by Sa ii ko