Caroline’s POV
The grayness had not moved for days. The world beyond the mountain had ceased to exist. There were only the dark silhouettes of pine trees and the endless, monotonous fall of snow. The flakes drifted down so thick and silent that it felt as if pieces of the sky itself were breaking loose, burying everything that still reminded me of my old life.
December twenty fifth.
For most people, this day meant lights, warm spices, and the safety of a family table. For me, it had always been a double burden. Christmas and my birthday. Exactly twenty years ago, on this very day, I came into the world, and every year since then it felt like fate was playing some strange joke on me. My birthday was swallowed by the holiday rush, and I was always left with whatever scraps of attention re
