Elara spent most of her days inside her room. The curtains were almost always shut. The windows opened only a crack. She was told sunlight made her faint. She was told excitement stirred her condition. She was told rest was the only answer.

Her stepmother, Riona Quinnell, repeated the same warning whenever Elara asked to go outside.

“You must stay calm,” Riona said. “Your health cannot handle strain.”

Her father, Gareth Quinnell, traveled so often that he hardly questioned it. He returned home with briefcases full of contracts and stories about distant cities. He rarely saw the way Elara’s hands trembled after each dose of medicine. He only saw a daughter he worried he could not protect.