After the wizard Crane breaks Yrae's Curse and leaves Deep River on a new quest, his best friend Elic is left to deal with the consequences. After a generation under a spell that stifled free thought, the village reawakens, but how can Elic trust any decisions he made before he was free? While considering whether to break his engagement to his childhood sweetheart, Elic reads his late mentor's diary, finding unexpected connections to his present dilemma, and to the mysterious figure at the heart of the curse.