The Vanishing Path

Previously

…Elara had offered a polite, noncommittal nod, her mind already dissecting his words for metaphorical meaning. “The atmospheric conditions are certainly unusual, Elder Hemlock,” she’d replied, her voice measured. “Perhaps a unique confluence of light refraction.” He’d merely chuckled, a dry, rustling sound. “Light. Yes, you call it light. We call it… the calling. It calls to what’s lost. And sometimes, it takes what’s found too.” His words, intended as a warning, had only fueled Elara’s curiosity. What was this ‘calling’? What did it take? The questions, like persistent gnats, buzzed around the