The sun shone brightly in the vast blue sky, bathing the countryside in golden light. Spring was in full bloom, transforming the pastures into a shimmering sea of buttercups, their yellow petals swaying like tiny lanterns in the breeze. This was what Camille loved most about springtime—the season of rebirth and renewal. The world seemed alive, brimming with warmth and possibility, as if even the earth itself had forgotten what it meant to fear.

Lying in the grass by Blue Water Lake, Camille f...