Power is everything.

In a world where strength decides your worth, seventeen-year-old orphan Xander has none. Until a forgotten puzzle box pricks his hand and awakens something that should not exist-shadows that answer only to him.

Branded dangerous and hunted by the Tower, Xander becomes the center of a rebellion he never asked for. At his side stands Rei, a girl of light whose bond to him could either save him-or destroy them both. Together, they ignite a spark that challenges the very foundation of their world.

But the Tower has secrets of its own. Ancient weapons, Ascendants born of twisted light, and the Highlighted One-a figure who will stop at nothing to erase the shadow forever. As war erupts and loyalties fracture, Xander and Rei must choose; embrace the hunger of the darkness within, or risk losing everything they love.

The shadows whisper of destiny.

The light demands sacrifice.

Only in the union of both lies the truth.

And somewhere in the rift between them, the future of their world waits to be born.