The wooden wheels creaked under the weight of th carriage, rocking slightly as it made its slow, ominous journey down the dirt path.

Mama Mariah sat on the edge of the bench, wringing her hands, her rings clinking nervously. She was rarely summoned these days, and never with guards this cold and silent.

Wrenlow’s warning whispered in her ears like a ghost:

"Please, dear friend. Be careful. They will silence the ones who heal what they cannot understand."

She shook her head. Not now. ...