Two years ago, Nikhil lost his place among the Guardians. Now they need him back.

In India, Nikhil is trying to become a doctor. He has rounds to survive, records to finish and a past he has learned not to discuss. Then Kaia arrives with news from Auren: Guardians are disappearing, and one of the missing has returned alive—but something is terribly wrong.

To find those still missing, Nikhil must work beside the friends he left behind and retrace the expedition that cost them their mentor. Their search leads far from Auren’s Forest of Life, towards pale trees and water that flows in circles—and the possibility of another forest.