They are upon us. It will be tomorrow or perhaps the next day, but it will not be long now. My age shows in my beard, and I cannot say what will happen when they arrive. Though I will fight to my last breath to keep them from you, that may not be enough. When they arrive, it will not matter what you see or hear. You must run. There are no words powerful enough for me to express that statement as strongly as I need to: you must run. All that I can tell you is that there will be a time for bravery, but you must stay free until you are wise enough to see it and strong enough to seize it.

I did not want to give this to you, but because we are no doubt parting, there is no other way. This story should not be. And if it must be, then it should be me telling you face to face. But as you grow older, you will learn that there are a great many shoulds. That is why these pages exist. These are my notes, my journals, perhaps the only record remaining of your story - the truth of it.

These pages - and I am sorry that there are so, it is the only thing I can do to be fair to all those involved - will reveal to you what has brought us to these bits of wreckage, sticking up like the ribs of decayed giant, through weeds and vermin and many, many years. Though looking back at my life frightens me more than I can say, I was once taught that it is not the path of honor to shy away from a task because it is difficult or frightening. We haven't much time, and it would be foolish to ignore the realities of our present situation. We are close enough to the spot.

Once, many years ago, this was a failed experiment. It was, for a very short while, a town. And though this town plays a big role in our story, it is neither a start nor an end. No, there is a true beginning for all of this business.

My name is Gyrath Bolingard, and this story – one of a regret so powerful that it curls my lips and gnashes my teeth – is both yours and mine. You should understand why I sometimes scream out in the night. You should know the source of my nightmares and vivid, horrifying daydreams. Before all of that, before this town, and long, long before you, I was also young and my world was so very small.