This, this is a masterful submission.
One just has to adore the finesse of your world-building; how seamlessly characters, places, events, and societies are interwoven with such seeming ease and familiarity that one can't help but buy in to every bit of it.
Not content to merely 'tell' in terms of creating this world, it's beautifully envisioned — the setting itself is meticulously crafted, the characters each bring a unique voice and perspective, the allure (pun intended?) of mystery all contribute to breathing life into this work. It bleeds creativity and imagination just as much as it [spoiler redacted].
It's a halmark of a good mystery that, in answering one question, many others may be raised, and some left hanging. This accomplishes just that (while also eliciting actual, physical chills — killer line to send off on). I'm certainly going to be revisiting this one in the future.