Theo Beaufort starts his day in the opulent confines of his Lunaris Tower dorm, masking the tension beneath his usual arrogance. A looming letter from his mother, Elaria Beaufort, is the shadow hanging over his every step, its arrival stirring unease in him. As he navigates the day’s classes and mockery from his peers, it becomes clear that his rivalry with Amara Ashford is far more complicated than mere schoolyard games, his feelings are tangled, and something far darker looms beneath his casual torment. But it’s the letter, arriving at day’s end, that promises the unraveling of secrets and truths too dangerous to remain hidden, setting the stage for a reckoning that could shatter everything Theo thought he knew. What truths does Elaria speak of, and why does Theo feel the weight of them already pressing down on him? The answers are waiting, but they won’t come easily.

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