A century has passed since the Reservoir Cascade, when the atmosphere split open with a deafening hum, bringing the apocalypse and killing 1.4 billion people—70% of the world's population. The known world of Icosa and the Garden had collided, bringing magic to the previously grounded reality. The world has entered the Midnight Century, resetting the clocks back to zero.   The story follows two central characters. Moss is a hunter from the gothic city of Olkmore, determined to get revenge for the arm and eye he lost in an encounter with the vampiric daema known as Adrienne Valliant. Nicole is one of few remaining people of the old world, stuck in a space created by the parasite that dug into her neck moments after the Reservoir Cascade—she's named her Paratio. This creature plays a dubious game, seemingly helping Nicole while also limiting her actions and attempting to contain her in the Beyond. While she attempts to break out, Moss is investigating leads on Adrienne, using monster hunts as his excuse to get out into the wild and follow the trail.