As the weeks passed, the afterglow of the gathering honoring Clara Hastings lingered in Blackwood, yet it also sparked a ripple of curiosity and intrigue. The stories shared during the event stirred something within Ella, Lydia, Alexander, and the man in the feathered mask. They realized that the complexities of their community's history reached far beyond Clara's disappearance; there were whispers of secrets hidden in the shadows, waiting to be uncovered.

One evening, while Ella was at her desk sifting through feedback from the last gathering, she received a message from an elderly resident named Margaret Collins. She had attended the Clara gathering and wanted to speak with Ella privately. Ella’s heart raced; Margaret was known to be a quiet woman who rarely spoke publicly. Curiosity piqued, Ella quickly responded, setting up a time to meet.