Her entire life, Kaila Dwyn has dreamed of joining the Wardens—a noble order of warriors tasked with shielding humanity from evil. By day, she studies under the watchful gaze of the Sisters; by night she trains with her father, preparing for the trials that will decide her fate. She is ready to prove her devotion to the Magisterium and the kingdom of Fresia.

But nothing could prepare Kaila for a thief by the name of Theron.

When he steals forbidden agimet crystals from Kaila’s village, she is framed for the crime. With the entire world turned against her, Kaila must make a choice: surrender herself to the mercy of the Wardens, or flee with Theron, and be forever branded as a traitor to her people.

When Kaila Dwyn discovered her Gift, everything was taken from her: her father, her home, her faith. Hunted by the very heroes she once worshiped, Kaila had no choice but to join the Elysian. But the power of the Magisterium is absolute, and the ancient enemies of humanity can do little to prevent their inevitable slide towards extinction.

Some still fight. Elysian thieves, hidden amongst the underground of Tah’raus, they find their own small ways to resist. Kaila delights in taking what revenge she can against those who destroyed her life. But it’s not enough—until the crime lord Ambrose Braider hatches a plan to steal the Aegis. It is the most powerful artefact in the Magisterium’s possession. Without it, their hold over the world will crumble. Can Kaila and her ragtag group of friends pull off the heist of the century and steal it back—or will their reckless gamble doom the Elysian rebellion forever?

Kaila’s magic is breaking—and with it, the last hope of a dying race.

For months, she has battled alongside the Elysian, waging a secret war against the Magisterium. Anything to forget what she’s lost—what was taken from her. But some pain cannot be buried. And now, the very Gift that marks her as cursed is beginning to unravel.

As the Magisterium tightens its grip and the rebellion falters, Kaila must finally face the truth about her past. Because if she can’t, her magic could do more than just break. Last time she lost control, men died in agony. Next time, it could be someone she loves.

Can Kaila master her unravelling magic in time to save the Elysian—or will it be the end of them all?

“The powerful will not go quietly. So long as they rule there can be no hope. To save this world, first it must fall…”

The Magisterium branded Kaila Dwyn a monster. She's stopped trying to prove them wrong. Broken by loss, she no longer cares about rebellions or a better future. She carves a bloody path through the countryside, slaughtering any Warden who dares hunt the Gifted. Some call her a hero. Others a heretic. Kaila alone knows the truth—she’s a coward, fleeing from the wreckage of everything she failed to save.

While Kaila drowns in violence, Theron wages a different battle. The Elysian rebellion is haemorrhaging. Someone is feeding their secrets to the Magisterium, and the noose tightens with each passing day. Desperate, he turns to the last people who should be trusted: the noble houses, now outcasts like the Elysian, have their own score to settle with the crown.

But neither see the greater game being played. Ancient powers have waited centuries for this moment, and they're not about to let a miner's daughter or a band of thieves thwart their plans. War is coming—not the one they've been fighting, but something far older and more terrible.

The girl who once dreamed of protecting her people now holds their future in her hands.

The reckoning has begun.