The Settings of the Novel
The places and journeys shape Alister’s adventure, carrying the reader from Chicago’s gleaming skyscrapers to the hidden abbeys of Provence. Each voyage unveils new mysteries, fuels alliances and confrontations, and drives the story’s relentless rhythm. Discovery and suspense intertwine at every stage of this initiatory journey.
United States of America
Chicago
In this story, Chicago unfolds like a jewel box of light and mystery at the heart of winter. Autumn wraps Lane Tech High School in a fairytale aura, while the Magnificent Mile sparkles beneath the glow of holiday lights and festive displays, turning the city into an enchanted dreamscape where every step rekindles childhood wonder.
As the pages turn, Navy Pier bursts into shimmering fireworks during Christmas and New Year’s Eve, igniting the polar sky and reflecting across frozen Lake Michigan — a vast mirror of icy stars. Further on, Millennium Park becomes the epicenter of enchantment: its open-air rink welcomes laughter, whispers, and wide-eyed skaters watched over by the benevolent glow of glittering towers.
The air hums with promises and secrets, bathing every scene in the magic of winter — where cold, fire, and light pulse to the rhythm of adventure and season alike. The city and its marvels emerge as a true character of their own, accomplice to every discovery, every thrill, every suspended moment.
England
Oxford / London
As the story unfolds, the novel transports the reader into the heart of Oxford University at the start of term: damp cobblestones, black gowns, the murmur of students returning after summer, and that subtle blend of excitement and unease beneath ancient arches. Cozy pubs offer warmth and laughter, filling Oxford evenings with camaraderie and confidences amid dark wood and misted glass.
Then London opens its arms — vibrant, multicultural, alive — where Camden Lock draws wanderers to its flowered canals, colorful markets, and art-filled streets buzzing with scents and voices. Tower Bridge, majestic and timeless, watches over the city’s pulse through the fog, while St Dunstan in the East — a gothic ruin wrapped in greenery — offers a haven beyond time. Each of these stops merges history and mystery, inviting awe and discovery.
France
Paris / Provence
France enters the story as a stop filled with charm and mystery. Paris, first of all, reveals its soul in the old lanes of the Latin Quarter, where Saint-Séverin Church — adorned with stained glass and secrets — shelters echoes of the past. On the Île de la Cité, between ancient stones and dark waters, the plot thickens, bathed in golden light and timeless atmosphere.
Then Provence unfolds its magic: winding roads bordered by stone walls, cypress trees and lavender, hills swept by the warm breath of the mistral. Around a bend, the Monastery of La Verne emerges — a hidden sanctuary deep in the forest, steeped in silence and promise. Finally, Plan-de-la-Tour, a small village nestled in Provençal gentleness, becomes both refuge and stage for heartfelt exchanges. Each place invites one to slow down, to listen, to immerse in the beauty of the moment — where the novel’s story draws essence from the scent of stone and the song of cicadas.
Italy
Genoa / Rome
Italy holds a unique place in the novel’s enigma, weaving a secret connection to the dawn of time. Genoa appears first — haunting and dark — as the Black Death strikes the medieval city. Its old town and port whisper with rumors, ancestral fears, and secrets passed down through generations.
In the modern era, the intrigue shifts to Rome, where the majestic St. Peter’s Square radiates the solemn aura of the Vatican. Behind the gold and light lie shadowy, labyrinthine catacombs concealing mysteries left untouched — refuges of forbidden archives and forgotten rites.
Between history and legend, these Italian settings thrum with singular