In the age of myth, the world ended. The Titan Dethous and his son, Caydis, miraculously pulled it from the ashes, and then created the fragile paradise known as Elysium. Two centuries later, that miracle is failing.
A slow, agonizing rot consumes the land, baffling The Vathnaer, the ancient stewards tasked with its preservation. Their leader, Mikhari, launches a series of desperate, last-hope expeditions across Elysium, including one to the uncharted continent of Grandis.
Ethan Baker lives a simple life as a Hunter, but his quiet days are a poor leash on his insatiable wanderlust. When the Grandis expedition launches, Ethan, alongside his best friend Emma, sees a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, despite their apprehensions. Leading the charge is Iris, a Vathnaer burdened by the weight of a dying world and a deep, lonely need to help correct the decay her people cannot understand.
The expedition swells to include a group of would-be pioneers setting out to forge a new frontier on Grandis. Upon landing, Ethan, Emma, and another skilled Hunter, Wade, are paired to form the core team that must guide the settlers deeper into the unknown. But Elysium’s condition worsens—monsters grow violent, the landscape turns hostile, and the expedition's morale fractures.
When a catastrophic event known only as The Sundering strikes, their mission becomes a desperate fight for survival. Thrust into leadership following a devastating loss, Ethan must fight the external chaos while struggling against the profound, forbidden connection forming with Iris.
When tensions reach the boiling point, Ethan must confront the crushing reality: The growing dangers of this new, broken world may demand a sacrifice too great for any leader to bear alone.