22 years old
By the time Tara realized something was off, it was already too late.
She had walked into her apartment after class expecting silence, maybe a microwave dinner and some last-minute case study revisions. Instead, there was a note taped to her door.
Clue #1:
Some traditions are too good to outgrow. Start where the light hits first.
Her lips parted.
No.
She stepped inside cautiously.
The blinds were open. Late afternoon sunlight spilled across her desk.
Another envelope.
Her fingers trembled as she opened it.
Clue #2:
Where ambition keeps you up at night.
Herthroattightened.
The library.
She grabbed her coat and rushed out, heart pounding in a way she hadn't felt in years.
The next clue was tucked inside one of the business journals she always complained about. A librarian gave her a knowing smile as she retrieved it.
"You're lucky." the older woman whispered.
Tara's pulse skipped.
