Ever since Dryden Morris III was young, his mother has told him about the balance of the world. While she weaves jewelry to sell at the marketplace, Dryden learns how every perfect gem begs to be damaged while every bad situation will be corrected by the universe. This is why symmetry is fearful --because when something is perfect, it only sets itself up to be destroyed. Dryden doesn't believe his mother's stories until his father dies and they are forced to survive on their own. One night, Dryden ventures into the woods that surround their house. There he meets Otto, a hunter who protects him from a deranged fox and begins to sweep Dryden off his feet. But Otto is not quite who he says he is. The morning after, Dryden realizes Otto has trapped him unless he can solve three riddles in three days. With the help of his mother's stories, and the same fox that once threatened him, Dryden must now beat the monster in the woods if he wants to restore perfect balance to the universe once again.