Winter has come to Freylar, concealing the presence of an ancient evil now released from its shackles. This unseen force seeks a way back to its homeland. To realise its goal, it must first pass through the Ardent Gate, diligently defended by its venerable custodians, the secretive Order of the Knights Thranis. Investigating the mysterious disappearance of her lover, Knight Anika tenaciously pursues Xenia, the young Knight’s zeal steering her course beyond the southern lands, unwittingly following the path of malevolence. A distraught mother desperately searches the vale for her missing daughter. Tormented by recent events, Nathanar – newly appointed Captain of The Blades – undertakes a quest to locate and bring back the missing Freylarkin. Aided by the powerful scrier Darlia, a repentant exile working to earn the acceptance of her kin, Nathanar’s investigation takes him beyond the vale, to the Ardent Gate. Reunited with his former charge, their paths intertwined, both he and Anika learn of the shadow infiltrating the Knights’ ranks. Accompanied by a pair of reluctant Knights, the unlikely group travel through the Ardent Gate into a new domain, far from the relatively safety of Freylar, in search of answers. Can they work together to discern the cause of the recent disappearances and uncover the mysteries trapping them in their new world?

Freylar has once again been ravaged by war, with the future of the domain now balanced upon a knife edge. Mirielle’s rule has become fractured, her judgement divisive, causing many to question the suitability of their queen and her capacity to deliver them once again from darkness. The Freylarkai, now restless and uneasy, are wary of what lies ahead. Nathaniel, Marcus, Kirika, Aleska, Rayna and the now vindicated Darlia each find themselves in a position to affect allegiances. Yet a familiar evil, lurking in the shadows, also has designs on Mirielle’s future; though previously thwarted, it embarks upon a new and more insidious course of action, seeking to incite further division and unrest amongst the people, courting the demise of Freylar’s queen.With her loyalty divided between Nathaniel and Marcus, Rayna must discern the truth behind the Freylarkai’s current internal plight. Caught between Mirielle's hardening rule and the changing mood of the people, The Guardian and her companions are called upon once again to light the way. However, as more of Freylar’s concealed history reveals itself in the wake of Nathaniel’s revelations, where will loyalties ultimately lie?