The flat slab of Point Zero is secure, but now Mason Vance must face the vertical reality of structural physics. In The Skeleton, the 1,260-square-foot Class-II Gabled Cottage finally transitions from an abstract drawing into a three-dimensional shape. The thrill of watching the load-bearing exterior walls rise is short-lived, however, when a devastating discovery reveals that the framing crew completely misread the engineering requirements for the central carrying beam-threatening the structural integrity of the entire second floor.
With his remaining Veridian Marks dwindling and a severe seasonal gale screaming in from the Vaelen Coast, Mason and Artie are forced into a desperate race against time to square the structure, secure the roof sheathing, and wrap the timber skeleton before the storm destroys their exposed legacy.