Joseph Paul returns to Mortgatha to understand what happened to his dad. With his friend, Bitsy Hubbs, he sets out on a dangerous journey, only to be hounded by Mortgatha's dark entities. They follow a trail of disease and disaster inflicted on Mortgatha's citizens by the Darkness's Shadowed Hands. Even if they find what remains of Michael, Joseph has no understanding how the Earth rift works to return home. It's Bitsy's unusual visions that help locate the door... until they are confronted by the Shadowed Hands themselves.