The final curtain is down, and Emma's ultimatum hangs in the silent theatre. Backstage, the reclusive puppeteer Gideon holds her letter, the paper a conduit for a hope he thought long dead. He can remain in the safety of his shadows or step into the single spotlight where she waits. His choice will not just determine the fate of a story, but untangle the strings that have kept his own heart captive for years.