Hope is the hardest road to walk-but the only one worth taking.

El and Crusoe are still reeling from the horrors River left behind-and from the moment El's mother transformed before their very eyes. Once fearless, El now questions everything: her strength, her purpose, even her faith.

Desperate for hope, they set out toward a legendary pool hidden high in the mountains-said to heal any curse. But danger follows at every turn, and fury burns in Crusoe's heart for what his brother has done. When a German man named Martin becomes an unlikely traveling partner, their journey takes a turn neither expected.

Through loss, faith, and the quiet mercies found along the road, El discovers a new purpose-one stronger and more enduring than the one she thought she'd lost.

In a world torn by darkness, can love and belief lead them to healing-or will the journey break them first?