Ayesha Altugle is a young herbalist who runs a modest workshop, quietly carrying on after the loss of her grandfather and the mysterious disappearance of her younger sister, Nio. When she glimpses an apparition of Nio near her supposed grave, Ayesha becomes convinced her sister is still alive somewhere. A chance meeting with a wandering alchemist reveals that mastering the nearly forgotten art of alchemy may be the only way to bring Nio back, and that she has just a few short years to succeed before the chance is lost for good.