In the mist-laced woods beyond Blackvale, where the trees grew in perfect circles and mushrooms glowed faintly blue at dusk, children were warned never to follow a wounded deer. Especially not one with

In the heart of Blackthorn Forest stood a tree older than time—Elderwood. Its bark was etched with names, each carved by someone who had heard the legend: Whisper your deepest wish to the wood, and if

In the city of Drenchford, where it rained 265 days a year, Elias Holloway crafted umbrellas unlike any others. His shop, tucked between a butcher and a boarded-up apothecary, smelled of wet wool and ozone.