In the second half of the night, M Suthend barely managed to get any sleep.


    Maybe it was because her fever had only just broken, or perhaps it was the cramped car seat-all she knew was that when morning finally came, every muscle in her body ached, and a dull headache throbbed just behind her eyes. Archie Fontaine, on the other hand, was practically bursting with energy.


    There''s something to be said about the stamina of a neen-year-old college guy-calling it "volcanic" wouldn''t even be an exaggeration.


    Of course, it could also be the thrill of his first real road trip, the kind of adventure that had him wide-eyed and restless. He''d already been up for a while, picking up takeout and hot coffee at a nearby service station before M even stirred.


    So, over breakfast, they went through their respective routines-Archie with his food, M with her medication.


    Once they''d finished, they hit the road again.


    M tapped away at her phone, mapping out their route and checking the ETA. If all went well, they''d reach Magnolia Harbor byte afternoon or early evening.


    That was the gateway to the legendary Route 317-the beginning of their trek into the wild, winding mountains.


    This stretch of road was famous, often called "Heaven''s Road" by those who''d traveled it. It was wild and breathtaking, beautiful and dangerous all at once, and at its far end sat Sris City, a ce dotted with ancient churches and home to renowned priests and monks. The real journey wouldn''t start until they set their wheels on that road.


    But first, they''d need to gear up at Magnolia Harbor.


    By midday, after grabbing lunch at another roadside stop, M grew concerned about Archie''s stamina behind the wheel and suggested she take over for a while.


    Archie shot her down with augh.


    "Come on, M, you look like you barely sleptst night. You keep nodding off-if you drive in that state, we''ll end up in a ditch. Better rest while you can."


    M just sighed.


    He wasn''t wrong. She hadn''t really slept-not because she couldn''t, but because she didn''t dare. Every time she closed her eyes, memories of that desperate, hopeless past threatened to drag her under.


    Years had gone by since then.


    But it wasn''t until that stormy night, not so long ago, that she finally realized how much of her life had been built on a grand, borate lie-a prison with walls so high she''d never even known she was trapped.


    They left the service station and pressed on toward Magnolia Harbor.


    The afternoon sun spilled through the windshield, casting a golden haze over M as she dozed in the passenger seat. Warmth seeped into her bones, and with the medication kicking in, she finally let her guard down. Sleep pulled her under, her consciousness fading like a leaf drifting into dark, silent waters.


    ...


    She lost her schrship and her student aid.


    That summer was harder than any before. M threw herself into tutoring to make ends meet. She was at the top of her ss at a prestigious university, and her reputation for excellence meant finding tutoring gigs wasn''t hard.


    She mostly coached high schoolers in math and physics. Desperate for cash, she took on as many students as possible, packing her schedule to the brim. The pay was decent-sometimes up to thirty or forty dors an hour, even higher for advanced students.


    Some sessions were online, but most were in person-one-on-one lessons, eachsting at least two hours at the student''s home.


    To save up enough money so she could focus on her studies once the semester started, M even took onpetition prep coaching, which paid even better.


    On top of all that, she asionally partnered with education centers, giving talks about learning strategies. Those gigs were rare, but each one paid hundreds. That summer, she barely stopped moving-her feet and her voice had both been pushed to the limit, and her mind felt wrung out like a sponge.


    She was so overworked there were a few times she nearly fainted.


    But she persevered. Watching her savings grow gave her hope; finally, she had enough to pay tuition and cover her living expenses.


    It felt like dawn breaking after a long, dark night.


    Then one morning, her phone blew up with messages, and the tutoring group chat was in chaos.


    Apparently, one of the parents had used her of stealing jewelry—iming M had pocketed gold and gems during a tutoring session at their home. They called her a thief, said she was heartless.


    Other parents piled on, saying their kids were doing worse in school, even insisting she''d physically hurt them when they refused to study.


    Someone had even called the police.