Frank has carried the guilt of Todd’s fatal motorcycle accident for years. When offered the chance to prevent it, he acts without hesitation—only to discover that saving his brother has erased the family and future Frank once knew.

Adventurous and daring, Todd shares Frank’s passion for motorcycle racing. His death defines Frank’s original life; his survival reshapes every relationship that follows.

In Frank’s first timeline, Christine is his loving wife and the person who helps him endure Todd’s death. In the altered present, she chose Todd instead—and remembers none of the life Frank still mourns.

The last of his race, Trezzlepeg runs the Bazaar of Wonders, a shop beyond ordinary time filled with relics, essences, and memories from countless worlds. He appears to those whose need calls to him.

Created from another person’s strongest traits through the power of a master locket, Andrus has developed an identity and purpose of his own. His knowledge of the lockets makes him a vital guide through time and space.

Knowledgeable about the Gnotomites, the master lockets, and the conflicts that shaped her world, Samot acts from a complicated mixture of duty, grief, and deeply personal stakes.

Born when the desperate Mercas used a master locket after his wife was mortally wounded, Mercos embodies sorrow and rage given independent form. He now seeks the lockets and the power to dominate through fear.

The Gnotomites once subjugated the Phoenixes and harvested their feathers for generations. Now led by Mercos, their history, strength, and belief in the Blue Messenger drive a renewed conflict.

A seasoned ruler uniquely resistant to the master lockets’ corrupting effects, King Gyem has spent years defending his realm from Mercos and the Gnotomites.