The train station was quieter than Marie had expected, save for the occasional distant rumble and the metallic screech of wheels grinding against the tracks. Her suitcase sat beside her, a battered relic that held all her belongings—paintbrushes, sketchbooks, a few clothes, and the framed photograph of her family, she couldn't leave behind. her whole life reduced to one bag. a very small bag at that.
The decision to leave the city had already been made months ago. Although the reality of it hadn't hit until she handed her apartment keys back to the landlord and packed her bags. The blank walls, stripped of her drawings and paintings, all the things that made it home. With all of it gone made the place feel foreign, like it had never been hers. Maybe it never was.
Marie stared out at the platform as the sun began its slow descent. its light bathing the station in rays of amber and gold. The city had always been beautiful. She found comfort in its predictability, the familiar streets, the kindly nods from strangers, the coffee shop where the barista remembered her order without fail. Though to be fair she did go every morning for her daily hot chocolate. double Chocolate. But its charm had worn thin, and life had begun to feel stagnant, like a river run dry. She needed more. She craved the unknown.
She first heard of Valle Serena from an article tucked into a travel magazine at her dentist's office. "Hidden Gem of the Hills," it proclaimed, accompanied by images of cobblestone streets, picturesque landscapes, and folklore that felt like magic. Real magic. Marie had torn the page from the magazine. An impulsive act? yes, But tucked it into her sketchbook regardless. Where it remained for months, haunting her thoughts.
Now, here she was, leaving everything she'd known for the promise of something she barely understood. And no idea why she was doing this in the first place.
The train arrived with a rush of air, and Marie's heart skipped. She watched the passengers shuffle off, their expressions a mixture of fatigue and relief.
When it was her turn to board, she paused briefly, gripping the suitcase handle like a lifeline. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if she was making the biggest mistake of her life. But then she thought of her empty apartment, the pages of her sketchbook yearning for inspiration. The voice inside of her whispered, Go. 'What could go wrong?' and so she got on the train her heart full of excitement and the nerves that come with uprooting one's life.
The train rocked gently as it cut through the countryside, taking her farther from the life she'd always known. Marie spent the hours gazing out the window, her thoughts wandering as the cityscape gave way to fields and forests. Valle Serena felt like a promise—a place where she could rediscover herself.
By the time she arrived at the village, night had fallen, and the platform was illuminated by flickering lanterns. Valle Serena was exactly as she'd imagined, yet entirely different. It breathed with an old-world charm, its narrow streets lined with cottages that glowed warmly from within.
As she stepped off the train, suitcase in tow, a wave of apprehension and exhilaration washed over her. The village seemed to whisper secrets to her in the stillness. Marie pulled the torn magazine page from her pocket, smoothing it with trembling hands, and whispered back, Please let it be worth it.