Rue had a simple plan for her life: forget she had a powerful family, blend in with the citizens, and chase her dream of becoming an architect. It was working -- until she caught someone sneaking into a wasteland where nothing grew. It shouldn't have been her concern, but Castor was still her country... and pride often led her straight into the kind of trouble she tried to avoid. Haynes is a Shadowguard in his final year at Velora Academy, trained for intergalactic missions. After a disastrous assignment, Magister Evighden summons him and his team for a top-secret mission personally requested by His Apexness of Castor. The secrets he keeps could cost him everything, and in a country that watches every move, trust is a dangerous luxury. Difficult was what he'd thought first, but it was almost impossible when a mysterious girl Zyran calls "Goddess Girl" appeared in the wasteland he was meant to guard. Rue was a light in a world of obsidian; she hides a secret that could crush what is meant to be, and spin Haynes' world into chaos and doubt. Will he stay loyal to his purpose, or will her presence -- and her secret -- force him to rethink everything he thought he knew about duty, trust, and survival?