In the Solar Empire, magic is light—but the Xylo clan was born from shadow.For centuries, they've served in silence, mastering only three forbidden arts: shadow, gravity, and blood. Loyal to an empire that fears them, the Xylo assassins have always walked the line between weapon and threat.Sixteen-year-old Rylon Xylo just wants to meet his father's expectations. But when the Mages Council deploys a treacherous attack on his clan's settlement, Rylon's quiet life explodes into chaos. Forced to flee as his home burns, he must embrace the very powers the empire despises.Because the council wants them extinct. A mysterious figure pulls strings from the darkness. And the Night Silver Woods—an enemy nation of dark mages—watches from the shadows.Rylon's father taught him to live. But to save what remains of his clan, Rylon must learn something else entirely:How to become the shadow they fear.