LORRY SPRINGSTONE'S/KELLY THOMPSON'S POV

Elowen, to whom we can be but eternally grateful, takes us to a small cottage nestled among towering trees. The structure seems to grow organically from the forest floor, its walls blending seamlessly with the surrounding foliage.

As we approach, I notice intricate carvings adorning the wooden door - spirals and leaves that seem to shift and dance in the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy above. Elowen places her palm against the carvings, and ...