The next afternoon, Greyford was unusually bright.
Sunlight reflected off shop windows, and the town looked more alive than it had the day before.
Daniel spent most of the morning helping George organize books in the store downstairs. It wasn't an official job, but it helped pass the time.
George placed another stack of books on the counter.
"You're a fast learner," he said.
Daniel shrugged.
"I like quiet work."
George laughed softly.
"You definitely picked the right town."
Daniel smiled faintly.
But his mind kept drifting back to the phone call from last night.
You shouldn't have come here.
The voice still echoed in his head.
Who was it?
And how did they know he was here?
Before he could think about it further, the bookstore door opened.
Nora stepped inside.
She waved cheerfully.
"Hey, George."
George smiled.
"Back for another novel?"
"Actually, I came for him."
She pointed at Daniel.
Daniel looked surprised.
"Me?"
Nora nodded.
"You said you might visit the lake."
Daniel remembered the conversation from last night.
"Oh."
George looked amused.
"Go ahead, kid. Greyford's lake is famous."
Daniel hesitated for a moment before grabbing his jacket.
"Alright."
The lake was about fifteen minutes outside town.
They walked along a narrow path surrounded by tall trees.
The wind rustled through the leaves, creating a calm, peaceful sound.
Eventually, the trees opened into a wide clearing.
The lake stretched out before them, its surface shining under the afternoon sun.
Daniel stopped walking.
"Wow."
Nora smiled proudly.
"Told you it was worth seeing."
The water looked perfectly still, like glass.
For the first time since arriving in Greyford, Daniel felt truly relaxed.
They sat on a wooden bench near the shore.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Nora said quietly, "So… what were you running from?"
Daniel looked at the water.
"I told you. I wasn't running."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You changed your name."
Daniel froze.
Slowly, he turned toward her.
"What?"
Nora shrugged casually.
"I saw the package George gave you earlier. It had the name Daniel Hayes."
Daniel's heart skipped.
He hadn't even noticed the label.
Nora quickly added, "Relax. I'm not judging."
Daniel looked back at the lake.
After a long silence, he spoke quietly.
"I lost someone."
Nora's expression softened.
"Someone important?"
Daniel nodded.
"The most important person in my life."
The memory of the crash flashed through his mind.
Rain.
Screaming tires.
Elena's face covered in blood.
He swallowed hard.
"I couldn't stay in that town anymore."
Nora didn't ask more questions.
Instead, she simply said, "Sometimes leaving is the only way to survive."
Daniel looked at her in surprise.
"You sound like you understand."
Nora smiled sadly.
"Everyone in Greyford has a past."
Suddenly—
A loud crack echoed in the forest behind them.
Daniel instantly turned around.
"What was that?"
Nora stood up slowly.
"Probably just a branch."
But Daniel's instincts told him something else.
For a brief moment, he thought he saw movement between the trees.
Like someone quickly stepping back into the shadows.
His heart began to beat faster.
He walked a few steps toward the forest.
But there was nothing there.
No one.
Just the quiet wind moving through the leaves.
Still, the uneasy feeling returned.
Someone was watching.
Miles away, inside a private hospital room, the woman who had survived the crash slowly looked at herself in a mirror for the first time.
Her face was different now.
Changed by surgery.
Changed by scars.
But her eyes remained the same.
Elena touched the glass softly.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Daniel…" she whispered.