Despite surviving betrayal, capture, and a deadly challenge to reclaim her position as high chieftain, Elaysia faces a nation torn apart by her actions. The looming threat of invasion from Az Zar further divides the tribes of Neharem, fracturing their faltering loyalty and deepening the vengeance shadowing her reign. The stormbirds, having not yet come into their powers, remain as much a vulnerability as they are a symbol of hope.

​

To strengthen her forces, Elaysia agrees to an arranged union with a noble from Orillon, forging a precarious alliance. Meanwhile, unrest brews in Cadar, where the oppressed rise against the All-Sovereign’s iron-fisted rule, igniting a rebellion that threatens to engulf Az Zar. Zavik, striving for a sustainable use of weaponized nevethium, uncovers the devastating costs of progress. In the north, Jakki learns the true nature of her magic parchment and the people it originated from. Lumira steps up to lead war efforts in Agaas, reawakening painful memories of her past. And Konar’s fate hangs in the balance. 

​

As past transgressions and suppressed truths resurface, Elaysia and her companions find themselves haunted by their histories, their darkest secrets threatening to unravel their delicate unity. Beneath Quinaria’s surface, an ancient power stirs, ready to shatter the world’s fragile peace. For the land they’ve called home is no longer the place they thought it was. 

​

Maybe it never had been.