The harrowing story follows Nero, a 14-year old reluctant spy for a mysterious order, that even he doesn’t know the purpose of. He is tasked with attending an academy for mages, a place he shouldn’t be. Mages are tasked with protecting the empire from the beast that emerge from rifts and to delve into their depths for treasure. Life at the academy will force him to fight constantly to move up the ranks. If he hopes to escape the secret order and his duties to the empire, he must push the progression of his new powers beyond what others expect. [participant in Royal Road Writethon challenge]