In the isolated town of Near, the wind is said to carry whispers that no one should hear. Lexi has grown up with the warning that strangers never appear—until a boy who seems to melt like smoke shows up on the moor one night. The next evening, children begin disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy becomes the prime suspect. As fear spreads, Lexi must decide whether to trust the old legends about the witch that haunts the town or to uncover the truth behind the boy’s eerie presence. Schwab blends fairy‑tale atmosphere with a dark romance, delivering a haunting tale of folklore, loss, and the thin line between myth and reality. The story’s lyrical prose invites readers to listen to the wind and question what truly lies in the shadows.