In a forest of shadows, two cranes stand guard. Their slender necks curve in elegant arcs, and their feathers gleam like moonlight on water. At their feet, the Keeper stands, half-human, half-spirit, her hands woven into the air like roots searching for sustenance. She whispers to the cranes, and they respond in silent dance, a ritual that has been repeated since the dawn of time. For the cranes are her soul’s guardians, and she is the keeper of their eternal dance.
