For centuries, the world has been drifting away from fear, superstition, and the unseen forces that once lurked in the dark. Shadow, an ancient spirit of fear, has been losing ground in the quiet war between belief and progress. Then, in the ruins of war, he finds something rare—a mortal soul teetering between life and death, ripe for transformation. It’s a fae deal they make - but the results are unexpected. Now known the Apiarist, a spirit of despair, walks the boundary between grief and catharsis. Her name becomes a whisper, a superstition, a lullaby sung to keep the darkness at bay. But as she learns the rules of this world, she begins to see the cracks in it—the lies Shadow has told her, the enemies who watch her, and the terrifying truth of what she really is. Fear is failing his purpose. Belief is unraveling. And bees of despair fly high in the air.