Grace looked slightly surprised before asking, "What do you mean?"

Dustin lifted his gaze toward the unreachable summit.

"I can't say for certain," he said. "It's just a feeling. This mountain is older than anyone can comprehend. Even its existence feels like a mystery.

"And those reclusive families, like the Quintons, clearly know things we don't. Their determination to climb the mountain can't simply be about acquiring a few treasures."

After a brief silence, Grace replied, "Whatever the