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I fall. Fall into a thousand violet leaves; into memories.

I take my time breathing in the carefully recalled details—the roughness of the bark; the woodsy scent of it; the freshness coming from the nearby river. We saved one another here, many years ago. It’s where I found my lost soldad; where I unravelled the truth.

This is a place where masks have been stripped.

Once again, I’m dressed like Quin has clothed me himself. The layers drape around me like a warm buffer against the crisp moonlit night.

I jump the last feet to the damp earth and turn from the violet oak. Rune-carved arches, dozens of them, spiral around it. I catch my breath and push against the first door.