“You come back next season?” Yuki asked.

“Follow me,” Leo said, and then he dropped over the edge.

That afternoon, the clouds broke. A rare blue sky opened over the peak, and Maya chased Leo down a backcountry run called “Strawberry Fields”—not because of fruit, but because of the avalanche of light that fell over the open bowls at golden hour. At the bottom, she collapsed into the powder, spread-eagled, staring up at the endless sky. Leo dropped down beside her, panting.