Two years have passed. Two years since the Mark, since Merythalis changed the shape of the known world. Life since the "Incident" has been anything but normal. Lasting changes to the physical world have led to a dramatic rise in tensions and turmoil in the system has put the relatively new Seri government on the brink of collapse. What began as an underground movement to revive the Old Empire has gained in strength, threatening a revolution and using both Merythalis and Piri as their rally cry for change. With Neph on the front lines of the political upheaval, consumed with trying to stabilize the situation, and Piri struggling to handle an increasingly volatile and secluded life in which he has been branded a social pariah, along with serious lingering physical repercussions from Merythalis, their world has begun to fall apart. The relationship strained nearly to breaking and life collapsing around them, the two are thrown into an untenable situation, caught between political ambitions and supernatural forces, all focused on Piri and an ancient order that could destroy everything they know.