Dominic woke right on schedule, according to the body clock he'd developed during his student days. But here, it seemed a little too early. Daylight in the mountains was still searching for a way through the overlapping peaks, and only a faint glow outlined the looming silhouettes of the rocks.
Unexpectedly, when they arrived at the stonemason's home, they found that he'd prepared to leave even earlier. He sat on the stone step by the door, wearing a local-style straw hat, with a basket of miscellaneous items beside him.
Setting out early had indeed been necessary. By the time the three of them had followed the riverbank through a vast stretch of wheat fields and entered the wooded foothills, where few people ever ventured, the blazing celestial body overhead had already begun its climb toward the highest point in the sky.
They had to stop for a brief rest, wash down some food they'd brought with water, and prepare for the climb ahead.
To be honest, the two of them were already starting to regret agreeing to inspect the site in person. There was still a long way to go, it seemed, and the actual distance was often greater than it looked—so great that even the village behind them was beginning to feel remote.
They'd never realized that those abandoned farmhouses and overgrown field ridges had been what made them feel safe.
At the edge of the area frequented by people, there was only a narrow, intermittent path. The grass on either side seemed to lean toward it, as if pulled by some invisible force, making it hard to distinguish from the surrounding landscape. It looked like a cotton thread that might snap at any moment.
"We don't come here often, which is why it struck me as odd that