FLASH BACK
In the city of Redwood, winter had been long in coming, but when it finally arrived, it was not a gentle frosty season but rather a fierce and blustery affair.
Hail-like snowflakes pelted the streets, piling up in icy drifts that were as beautiful as they were dangerous.
Inside the Ashland Hospital, a young woman lay pale and frail in a ward bed, her breathing labored and her pulse weak.
Amelia Clifford was the daughter of a powerful and wealthy family, but even their money and influence could not save her from the grip of death.
"Mrs. Clifford," the doctor said, his voice breaking as he turned to face the grieving mother. "She's not going to make it. Without a blood transfusion, she'll be gone in a matter of hours."
The doctor's words were like a knife to the heart,
