The sound of laughter echoed down the alley as children chased one another, their footsteps quick and careless. Emma watched from her balcony, a smile tugging at her lips. She remembered the days when she, too, would run through those same streets, her heart light and full of wonder. Now, the city seemed different. The buildings taller, the roads more crowded, and the faces more unfamiliar. Yet, watching the kids, she felt a brief flicker of nostalgia. Some things never changed, even as everything else did.