In the wine villages of Alsace, legends are not told-they are maintained.
When C line and her friends stumble into Riquewihr, they discover a hidden order of ancient beings who survive on the essence of grapes, each village bound to a specific variety and its unique power. At the center of it all stands Anshelm, a fading guardian holding together a fragile lattice of thresholds that separate the ordinary world from what must remain unseen.
Before he disappears, Anshelm entrusts C line with a key that has no door-an object that does not open passages, but creates them.
As parents return and the village seals itself shut, C line realizes the thresholds are no longer confined to stone walls or ancient towers. They follow. Doorways appear where none should exist. A pull draws them east. And someone from another village is already watching.
Between journeys, maps awaken. Invisible doors demand recognition. And five villages begin to reveal themselves-each with its own rules, rivalries, and dangers.
Because once a threshold recognizes you, there is no turning back.