A misty night enveloped the town of Gray as Alina walked back from the library through the park. The trees whispered their leaves to each other and the lanterns cast long, winding streaks of light across the alleys. Alina, a slightly introverted student, carried under her arm a strangely heavy leather-bound book that she had found by chance behind a row of dilapidated bookcases. The cover bore a dark symbol resembling a branching lightning bolt. The evening felt like it was made for reading, but as soon as Alina crossed the threshold of the townhouse, a chilly gust of wind ran through the stairwell and the lamp flicked ominously. Her room smelled of ozone. Intrigued, she opened the book - page after page, blanks began to appear in the text, right under her fingertip. She was sure it was just an illusion, but the words seemed to disappear under her touch. When she looked out of the window, she saw something unreal - a familiar old bridge, abandoned for years and surrounded by legends, suddenly flashed with scarlet light. She felt as if something was drawing her to it. So she dressed warmly, hid the book under her cloak and, with her heart beating to the rhythm of the incantatory snare drum, stepped out into the night street. The path to the bridge was long and full of repeating shadows, as if reality had begun to curve. When she finally stood on the stone slabs, the light dimmed and a figure with a cloak woven of black feathers appeared in the middle of the bridge. The mysterious stranger held out his hand to Alina, whispering her name. A silence spread around them, tense and thick as storm air. Alina felt a moment approaching that would change everything....