CHAPTER ONE

Winter

My feet hit hard ground, the shock of the impact shooting through me. The light disappears, and I blink, trying to get my bearings, trying to be ready for whatever unknown is next.

Squinting, I study the area around me. It's night, and I'm in a wide pasture, soft grass billowing all around me.

It's also warm.

While it's late autumn back in Maine, we've stepped into someplace that feels more like spring. Did the portal take us to the Southern Hemisphere?

"Where do you think we are?" I ask Alec.

He doesn't answer. He's not next to me.

Cursing, I whirl around. The grass goes on and on, stars twinkling bright in the sky above, but there's no Alec.

My heart slams against my chest. Did he not make it through the portal with me?

How would that even be possible? We stepped through together. We were holding hands.

Nausea climbs up my chest. We can't keep getting separated like this. He's my only ally, and if I don't have him, I don't have anyone. There’s no one else to help me find the Golden Coin, no one else to help me save Hawthorn. For all I know, Alec is my only friend from school who is still alive.

"Alec?" My voice echoes across the landscape.

I frown. How is my voice echoing? I don't even see anything that sound could be bouncing against. It should carry away into the night.

I start running, going up a bluff, looking for Alec. My shoes slip against the grass, and I almost feel like I'm running on plastic. It also makes no sounds. The grass does not crunch as I walk on it, neither does the dirt below. The grass is thick, but I force my way through it, my pulse beating a rhythm in my ears.

I realize that I have no idea where I am or where Alec is. I don't have any weapons, any provisions, or anything to defend myself with.

I'm completely helpless.

I force myself to calm down, to think logically. Alec has to be here somewhere. He has to be.

I keep running, my heart racing in my chest. The grass begins to thin out, and I realize that I'm coming to the edge of the pasture.

The grass ends in a cliff, and a sea stretches out below. The cliff is half the height of a skyscraper, with white froth just barely breaking at the bottom, as if daring anyone to venture that far out.

Did Alec come this way and fall off the cliff, only for the sea to carry his body away?

A flashback of him falling from the bridge and hitting the rocks fills my vision, and I close my eyes tight. I thought I might have lost him for good then.

And now, maybe I finally have.

Whirling around, I head in the other direction. This can't be happening.

I can't be stranded in a foreign land without Alec. Panic sets in, and I start to hyperventilate. I need to think, but I can’t even get my breathing under control. What’s worse, something emerges from the dark, and it’s definitely not Alec.

It’s about the size of a grizzly bear, but it’s thinner, with a bigger head. Chills run through me, and my breath catches in my throat. As I stare, the creature rises onto its hind legs, its eyes an ominous yellow. It’s like no animal I’ve ever seen, and it looks angry.

A violent roar bellows from its mouth, and it’s all I need to hear. I’m running again, pumping my arms and sprinting across the grass.

I can hear the creature behind me, huffing and puffing as it catches up. Any moment now, it will catch me. I have no choice but to turn around and fight.

I just hope my powers work here.

It’s not like I have a choice. There’s no other option but to try.

But then I spot something in the distance, a glimmer of light. I run towards it, hoping it's Alec or some form of civilization.

As I get closer, the light grows brighter, and I can see that it's coming from a small cottage, nestled amongst the grass. Relief floods through me as I approach the door.

I try the handle, and the door creaks open, revealing a cozy interior. I throw myself into the cabin, slamming the door shut behind me. A small fire crackles in the fireplace, casting a warm glow across the room.

On the other side of the door, the creature roars again. My chest heaving, I look out a window just in time to see it sulking away into the night.

God, that was close. What was that thing, anyway?

And where am I? Who lives here?

"Alec?" I call out, but there's still no answer.

The place is cozy, but there's no bed. Just a couch, a table, and some paintings on the wall. I walk towards the fireplace, reaching my hands out to its warmth.

But there is no warmth. The fire isn't emitting any heat.

Crouching, I slowly extend a finger towards the flames.

As my finger gets closer to the fire, I realize that it's not fire at all. It's some sort of illusion, a projection of light that looks like flames but doesn't give off any heat.

I pull back, feeling a mixture of disappointment and confusion. What kind of place is this?

Suddenly, a voice interrupts my thoughts. "Welcome, Winter Grace."

I spin around, ready to defend myself, but there's no one there. The voice seems to be coming from all around me, almost as if it's a part of the air itself.

"Who are you?" I demand.

"I am the Keeper," the voice responds. "And this is my cottage."

I narrow my eyes, trying to find the source of the voice. "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing, my dear. I am simply here to offer you a choice."

"A choice?" I repeat, feeling skeptical.

"Yes. You can stay here and wait for your friend, or you can venture out and explore this world. The choice is yours."

"What happens if I stay here?" I ask.

The Keeper chuckles. "You are here for the Golden Coin, are you not? You won’t find it in this cottage. I offer you a choice, as I have done for countless others before you. What you do with it is up to you."

I'm not sure if I trust the Keeper or not, but the idea of waiting around in this cottage for who knows how long doesn't sound appealing either. Plus, I need to find Alec.

"I want to see Alec," I say finally.

"Very well," the Keeper says.

Suddenly, I hear a noise from the other side of the room. I turn, my heart racing, and see a figure standing in the shadows.

"Who are you?" I demand, taking a step back.

The figure steps forward into the light of the fake fire.

"There you are," Alec says with relief.

I throw myself into his arms. "Oh my God. I thought I'd lost you."

He buries his face in my hair and hugs me tight.

"I'm right here," he whispers. "I would never leave you."

I pull back and study him. It’s really him, dark hair that falls in his face and hazel eyes that seem to see into my soul—eyes that are filled with a mixture of concern and something else that I can't quite place.

“Hey.” He tugs on a lock of my thick, brown hair.

“Hey.”

He touches my cheek, and warmth spreads through me. I want to press closer to him, to lose myself in his embrace ...

But I don't.

I pull back to look at him, relief at finding him still flooding through me. "What happened? Why did we get separated?"

"I'm not sure." He frowns. "I was right behind you, and then suddenly, I was somewhere else entirely. It was like I was in a different room and then I walked through a door and ended up here. I heard a voice. It called itself the Keeper—"

"And asked if you wanted to venture out on your own or wait for me."

"Yeah." His eyes widen.

"It asked me the same thing." I step a little closer to him. "Okay. We're not splitting up while we're here. Not even for a second."

Alec nods, his eyes fixed on me. "Agreed. I don't want to lose you again."

The Keeper's voice interrupts us. "Very well. As you wish."

I turn to face the source of the voice, but there's still no one there. "What do you mean?"

"You have made your choice," the voice responds. "You will stay together throughout your journey. But be warned—this world is dangerous. You will face many trials and tribulations, and not all of you will make it to the end."

Alec steps forward, his hands balled into fists. "What do you mean, not all of us will make it to the end? What kind of sick game is this?"

The Keeper's voice remains calm. "I am the Keeper. I do not play games. I offer choices, and you have made yours. The rest is up to you."

I nod, still feeling shaken. "Where are we, anyway?"

The Keeper doesn't answer.

"Hello?" I ask, but there's still no response.

Alec looks around, taking in the illusionary fire and the cozy interior. "So, there's a Keeper ... whatever that is ... but it doesn't seem like anyone lives here."

I nod, still feeling a bit shaken. "The fire isn't real. It doesn't give off any heat."

"I think we should stay here for the night. Rest and figure out our next move in the morning."

I nod, still feeling shaky from the ordeal. "Okay, but let's keep watch. I don't trust this place."

The fire isn't real, and the grass outside doesn't feel like normal grass. Plus, there's a spooky voice coming out of nowhere. It's like we're in a dream world.

I can't shake the feeling that something is off. The fake fire, the echoing of my voice, the strange warmth in the middle of autumn. It all feels like we're not in the real world anymore. Is the Golden Coin really somewhere in here?

The paintings on the wall catch my eye, and I walk over to examine them.

They're beautiful, depicting scenes of nature and animals, but there's something off about them. The colors seem too vibrant, almost unreal. Like they're somewhere between photographs and paintings.

Suddenly, one of the paintings catches on fire, the flames spreading quickly across the canvas. Alec rushes over, trying to put it out, but it's too late. Apparently, the Keeper doesn't like the idea of us spending the night here.

"Get out of here!" Alec yells at me over the roar of the fire.

I hesitate, not wanting to leave him behind, but he pushes me towards the door. "I'll be right behind you. Just go."

Reluctantly, I run out of the cottage and back into the field. The stars are gone now, replaced by a thick fog that obscures everything around me. I hear Alec's footsteps on the earth behind me, but instead of growing louder, they grow softer.

"Alec! Over here!" I try to shout, but it comes out as a whisper. Like I've lost my voice.

I touch my throat. Oh, no. This is bad.

The fog is so thick that I can't even see the fire I just ran out of. Holding my hands in front of myself, I walk in what I hope is the direction of the cabin. For all I know, though, my next step will take me over that cliff and into the sea.

"Alec?" My voice trembles. "Where are you?"

My heart races as I walk blindly through the fog, my hands outstretched in front of me. I can't see anything, and the silence is unnerving. It's like the entire world has been swallowed up by the fog, leaving only me behind. The only sound I can hear is my own breathing and the pounding of my heart.

As I walk through the thick fog, I hear a voice that sounds like Alec's, but it's distorted, like it's coming from a faraway place. I quicken my pace, trying to reach the source of the voice.

"Alec?" I yell—or try to. Again, my voice hardly works.

Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I jump in surprise. I turn around and see Alec, his face etched with worry.

"Thank God," I breathe, relieved to see him alive and well.

He pulls me into a tight embrace, and I feel a sense of safety wash over me. "I'm sorry," he says. "I lost you in the fog."

"It came out of nowhere." Surprisingly, my voice has returned.

He doesn't say anything, but I can feel the tension in his body. Something isn't right.

"Come on," he says, pulling me forward. "We need to get out of here."

We walk for what feels like hours, the fog never lifting. Something about this place feels off, like if we make too much noise, something terrible will happen.

Finally, we come to a clearing, and the fog starts to lift. I blink rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. As the last of the fog clears, I gasp in shock.

We're not in the field anymore. We're in a forest, and it's unlike any forest I've ever seen. The trees are tall and twisted, like they've grown around each other. It looks like something out of a fairy tale.

As we walk deeper into the forest, I can't help but feel like we're being watched. The trees seem to close in around us, and the only sound we can hear is the crunch of leaves under our feet.

Suddenly, Alec stops and turns to face me. "I have to tell you something," he says, his tone serious.

"I think I know what this is." His brow furrows. "I read about this in one of the books in the school's library. I think it's a pocket dimension."

"A pocket dimension?" I shake my head. "What does that mean?"

"It's an intentionally—magically—constructed space. One with limits. Boundaries. Usually, they're set up to trap someone or protect something."

"Like an all-powerful relic." I exhale all the air in my chest.

"Exactly."

"Well ..." I lick my lips and try to gather my thoughts. "That's a good sign in one way. It means the coin is probably in here somewhere."

"Somewhere," he says grimly. "We have to be careful. Stick close to me, and don't trust anything that seems too good to be true."

We should probably find somewhere to sleep for the night, but with all this adrenaline pumping through me, I don't feel tired. I'm not sure I could close my eyes anyway, considering everything that's happened here so far. It feels like this whole place is out to get us.

And maybe it is.

I touch the trunk of an ancient tree. "Can pocket dimensions be designed to mount defenses?"

"I don't see why not." He takes a seat on some of the tree's thick roots and frowns at the ground.

I spin around in a full circle. Somehow, the stars seem even closer here, even with the canopy blocking some of them.

"Good job with the lighthouse," Alec says.

I shrug and sit next to him. "As soon as I saw it, it's like it hit me. I understood what Igor meant, and what my ..."

"What your mom meant," he finishes for me.

I can't even look at him. I still feel so embarrassed saying that I heard my mother's voice. It was so clear, though, and somehow, I knew it was her.

What’s more, the riddle she said led us to the lighthouse, which led us to the place we are now. If it weren’t for my mom telling me to seek a door, we wouldn’t have gotten this far.

"Is there a chance that it was her?" Alec asks.

"I just don't see how that would make sense." I’m lying to both of us. I’m sure it was her. I just feel crazy saying so.

"Does anything make sense anymore?"

I guffaw, thinking about the last week, which has completely turned my understanding of reality upside down. "No."

I take off my jacket, realizing for the first time how warm I am. "I'm glad that whoever made this made it spring here."

"That's another thing I don't trust. I'm expecting a blizzard or a tornado at any moment."

"Yeah," I sigh. "But let's at least enjoy it for now."

My thoughts drift back to the well when I heard my mom's voice and then back to the lighthouse. Right as Alec and I were stepping into the portal, I thought I heard a call. Someone saying "help."

But it was more like I felt it than heard it. Which doesn't make sense.

And what's even crazier is that it felt like my dad. Like he was calling out from inside of me.

I close my eyes, feeling like I'm going crazy.

"Something else happened," I say, opening my eyes.

Alec holds up a finger for silence, and my breath hitches in my throat. Oh, no. What now?

And then I hear it. There's a rustling in the bushes. Someone is close by. Or something.

Alec and I stand, our hands curling into fists. We've been through so many fights at this point that it's a wonder we're even still alive and that we have the strength to go on.

I swallow against a lump in my throat as the bushes shake. A second later, a creature launches itself from the leaves and flies right at my face.