About

The sea never forgets. It holds every scream, every whisper, every kiss lost to the wind. They say if you stand at the edge of a cliff and listen long enough, you'll hear the stories it swallowed. This is one of them

Chapter 1 The Arrival

Evermere was the kind of village that seemed caught in time-faded fishing boats bobbed gently in the harbor, gulls cawed overhead, and the wind carried with it the scent of salt and secrets. Clara Walsh arrived on a storm-stirred afternoon, the rain cold and relentless. Her coat was soaked by the time she unlocked the rusted gate to Rosehill Cottage, the place her great-aunt Eleanor had left her.

Inside, everything smelled of lavender and dust. She dropped her suitcase by the fireplace and let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

She wasn't here to begin again.

She was here to hide.

The cottage felt more like a museum than a home. Framed photographs of long-gone relatives lined the mantle, and stacks of yellowing books leaned against the walls. As Clara walked through each room, she felt the weight of memories she didn't own. There was something oddly comforting in that weight.

She lit a fire, changed into dry clothes, and sat by the window, watching the sea crash against the cliffs below. She didn't know what she expected from this place, but she had a feeling Evermere wasn't just going to be a footnote in her life.

Something about the silence whispered that a story was about to begin.