Ethan Cole falls asleep in Seattle and wakes in a besieged elven city. At first, only tiny items can cross between his two worlds. A leaf from Commander Lyra revives a plant on Earth, and Ethan shares bow designs to aid her defenders. He gathers 25,000 soldiers to help reclaim the city, seeking a World Tree seed as payment. A portal flickers open; Ethan and Lyra see each other, but cannot yet cross to meet.
