Chapter 38: The Gift of the Sanctuary
The morning sun broke across the eastern horizon, spilling brilliant amber ribbons over the slate rooftops and industrial waterways of Oakhaven. On the expansive rooftop terrace of the Ada Sterling Medical Sanctuary, the damp night mist was already lifting, carried away by a cool breeze that swept in from the coastal river.
Ada stepped past the polished brass threshold of the glass solarium doors, her small hand wrapped tightly within Ethan's fingers. She wore a soft cream colored cashmere sweater with dark wool trousers, her hair brushed neatly into two braids that rested over her collar.
For nearly a thousand days, her existence had been confined to the foul stench of cheap floor bleach and the deafening rhythm of mechanical life support in baseme
