After her life had become a series of tragedies, Maya suddenly woke up in a hospital, finding herself a victim of an extraordinary lightning strike. Strange, inexplicable occurrences begin to unravel around her, and her once-dull world feels increasingly surreal. Before long, a mysterious woman arrives at her doorstep with a startling revelation: Maya’s suffering has granted her a new power. With nothing left to lose, Maya follows her into Mellgrah—a hidden world where witches and magic found their sanctuary long ago. In Mellgrah, Maya is offered a coveted place at the prestigious Amellan Academy. Thrilled by the promise of an extraordinary new life, she eagerly embraces her newfound path. However, as she navigates the competitive and enigmatic world of young mages, Maya begins to uncover dark secrets lurking beneath Mellgrah’s surface. The further she’s drawn into this realm’s tangled history, the more she realizes that her arrival may have been no coincidence. Bound to a fate larger than herself, Maya must decide whether to embrace her role in Mellgrah’s uncertain future—or risk losing everything. [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]