A Candle Snuffed

In Chapter One, Lacey is sharp, ambitious, and unapologetically self-serving. She manipulates a roommate, pushes her way to the top, and views her career as a means of proving herself. Her fascination with history is real, but her motives are primarily rooted in recognition and status. She is clever, but not yet wise; driven, but not compassionate.

As the story unfolds, the supernatural mystery forces Lacey to look beyond herself. She begins to respect Norah, whom she initially mocked. She grows to value Sophie's steady presence and begins opening her heart to legacy, not just success. The discovery of the truth about Agent 355 awakens something far deeper: empathy, purpose, and the burden of truth-telling.

By the conclusion, Lacey has risked her life, endured betrayal, and survived a terrifying encounter with Jacob Lyman. She does not emerge triumphant in a worldly sense, there is no book deal, no public praise, but she does reclaim a silenced woman's voice and finds a higher calling: to bear witness.

Where she once pursued history for acclaim, she now tells it for justice.