In a world where raw magic flows untamed through every living thing, power comes at a steep price. The mages who control this magic find their bodies slowly breaking down, consumed from within by the very energy that grants them their strength. The more power a mage wields, the closer they edge toward death. Dorian Greyford, a brilliant but disillusioned Archmage, is running out of time. Raw mana is killing him—just as it has killed countless others before him. With his body cracking under the strain and his mind on the verge of collapse, Dorian embarks on a desperate quest to uncover the secrets of the ancient Ascendants, a long-lost civilization that once ruled the world with unmatched knowledge and power. Together with his loyal companion Rhea, a resourceful mage with a sharp mind for alchemy and hybrid magic, and his sceptical friend Loras, a voice of caution and reason, Dorian travels deep into the dangerous Tiaran Wastes in search of the Ascendants' ruins. Buried within the sands are the remnants of a forgotten power—one that Dorian believes can save him and unlock a new form of magic cultivation. What they find there will change everything. The Ascendants were more than just powerful rulers—they mastered the art of Genetic Cultivation, merging science with exotic energy to create a system of power that didn't destroy its users. As Dorian creates the GenoMage System, a revolutionary new way to channel magic safely through the body, he and his companions must fend off rival mages, powerful hidden societies, and political forces determined to keep this knowledge buried. But the GenoMage system comes with its own risks, and the deeper Dorian delves into the Ascendants’ legacy, the more dangerous—and unstable—his discoveries become. Faced with overwhelming opposition, a ticking clock on his own life, and the mysteries of a civilization that fell to ruin, Dorian must decide how far he’s willing to go to survive. The power to reshape the world is within his grasp—but it might also be the key to his destruction.