Chapter 76

** The Pull of the Past**

Athena wandered through the crowded mall, a low buzz of unease humming beneath her calm exterior. The memories—or were they dreams?—had haunted her all night, vivid but elusive, slipping away each time she tried to pin them down. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore, but it was impossible to ignore the growing sense that she'd left something unfinished, something that lingered just beyond her reach, taunting her.

As she stepped out into the open-air section of the mall, the scents of blooming flowers and freshly baked bread wafted through the air, grounding her in the present. Yet, there it was again, a fleeting vision flashing before her eyes: a dark-haired man holding her hand, guiding her through a garden under a star-studded sky. She shook her head, trying to clear the image, but it clung to her, vivid and achingly real.