Elias Varn is a quiet, elderly man who spends most of his days seated near the east window of his modest home, watching the light shift across the floorboards. Once a beloved schoolteacher known for his steady voice and patient soul, Elias now lives alone in the same town where he taught for over forty years. He is often noticed by early risers on weekday mornings, seated on a specific bench along the southern path, gripping a knotted wooden cane, staring into the trees.