A wide-eyed Sophia Carter stood at the edge of a cliff, holding a camera to her face and adjusting the lens to gaze out at the view below. The sea was endless, and waves hit gently on the rocks. As the sun began to set, hues of orange and purple kissed the sky and cast long shadows across the rough divide between land and sea. It was a scene she'd photographed a dozen times before, but ephemera is never the same as ephemera, and each moment is new, each frame a different story.

She fired the shot, the shutter click resonant in the still air. When she brought down the camera, tranquility flooded her. This, she realized, was why she did it — this peace, this connection to the world through her lens. Photography was, for her, more than a way to pay the bills; it was a lifeline, a means of grounding herself in a world that frequently felt chaotic.

A buzz came from her phone in her pocket, disrupting the silence. She sighed; she knew it was probably another request for a commercial shoot, the type of work she was always careful to avoid. The last thing she desired was to be tied down to yet another contract, another project that had nothing to do with her creative sparks. But when the phone buzzed again, she couldn't help but wonder.

Taking it out of her pocket, she noticed the name flickering on the display.

Olivia Bennett.

Sophia smiled. Olivia was her best friend, her lifeboat, the one who always seemed to know what Sophia needed to be told. They had been through it all together — school, breakups, job changes, long nights of talking and eating takeout over wine. Olivia had a knack for bringing her out of her shell and nudging her toward things she might not otherwise have tried.

"Hey, Liv," Sophia said, squinting at the sun.

"I've got the very thing for you, Sophie," said Olivia, almost bubbling. "You're not going to believe this.

Sophia laughed, reclining against the rugged cliff stones. "What is it now? Another high-end resort gig?"

"No, no," Olivia interrupted. "This is bigger. Way bigger. There's this beautiful, luxury retreat down in the Caribbean. It's all eco, sustainable, the works. They'd like you to take a photo. They're asking to fly you out, all expenses, your flight, your stay, food, everything."

Sophia blinked; she was caught flat-footed. "Wait, they want me to do it?"

"Yes, you! It's perfect for you, Sophie. Think about it. It's paradise out there, and you're working, not stressed out, and you're helping pumping sustainability." "This could really put you on the map.'

Sophia has an unreasonable number of wave like doubts. She liked the idea of travel, of new places, but the word "luxury" made her twitch. She had avoided so much of her career anything that was too polished, too commercial. It wasn't her style. She preferred to shoot in the raw, the unfiltered. The notion of collaborating with a corporate entity that cared more about profit than authenticity felt wrong to her.

"I don't know, Liv," she said after a moment, peering out into the distance. "I've sort of built my career upon the idea of avoiding the mainstream, you know? The concept of a luxury retreat sounds so … not me."

Olivia's voice softened, excited but understanding. "I get that. But it's not like those other too-expensive, faux-luxury places. This one is different. It's a lot of eco-tourism, sustainability. You will have the ability to tell the kind of story that you love. And the exposure you're going to get from a gig like this can lead to so many doors."

Sophia hesitated. Olivia had a point. This may be a turning point in her career. She had built a name for herself, but there are always bigger opportunities just out of reach. And yet whenever she was on the verge of something big, she couldn't help feeling that it wasn't her — that she would be exchanging something authentic for something fake.

"I don't know," Sophia murmured, gazing down at the village below, so small the houses had melted into the landscape, timeless. "I like it here. Quiet, simple. No expectations."

"You deserve something better, Sophie. Something that pushes you, something that helps you grow," Olivia asserted. "This could be that. And imagine the places you'll see! You have so many stories ahead of you."

Sophia sighed. And that was tempting, more so than she wanted to admit. "Okay, okay. I'll do it. But only because you're kind of begging me."

Olivia gave a triumphant laugh. "I knew I could convince you! I'll write you a text with the specifics, and we can discuss in more detail when you get the chance. You won't regret this, I swear."

Sophia smiled, despite herself. "I hope so."

She hung up the phone and turned back toward the ocean, her camera dangling at her side. The sun was now low, its last rays streaming into the sky in soft purples and pinks. Sophia did not know what the future had in store for her, but she felt a glimmer of excitement for the first time in a long time. She couldn't tell if it was about the trip, or about the new chapter that waited in front of her — but whatever it was, it felt like progress."

"Let's see where this takes me," she said, more to herself than anyone else.

Sophia was standing in the busy airport terminal a few days later, with her carry-on bag over her shoulder and her camera bag on her back. It was a long flight to the Caribbean, but she didn't mind time alone. It made for an opportunity for her to work through the truth of it all — of her decision, of how she felt about leaving behind the simple, solitary life she had come to know.

She carried light, only packed the necessaries. A few changes of clothes, her camera, a notebook for recording thoughts, and, of course, her phone — though she wasn't sure how much she would actually use it while she was away. She had always been a traveler who unplugged when possible.

When the flight attendant started calling for boarding Sophia walked to the gate. She couldn't help but feel a thrill in her chest — for better or worse, she was about to do something new, something big. Whether it was the right decision, only time would tell.

Her phone buzzed again and she looked down. A message from Olivia.

Olivia Bennett: "So I have one more thing to tell you... you might run into someone while you're there. A guy named Ethan Walker. He's a bit of a big shot CEO, but I can bet you he's not your standard businessman with a suitcase. You'll see.

Sophia smiled to herself. Olivia was always trying to set people up anyway, and she had no plans to get involved with anyone on the trip, but the curiosity was unavoidable. The name Ethan Walker did strike her in a way, however she couldn't quite say why.

She put the phone back in her pocket and boarded the plane, eager to see what the next chapter would hold.