In the wine villages of Alsace, legends are not told-they are maintained.
When Céline 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 Céline 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, Céline 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.