When the northern village of Veyra's Rest is erased by royal decree, its last survivor flees into the frozen wilds. Carrying the weight of an ancient curse, a stolen execution, and a power she barely understands. As armies move and crowns whisper lies, Elira discovers that the truth behind her family's disgrace is bound to a greater rot spreading through the world: a king sustained by dark magic, rival houses jockeying for favor, and a war built on fear of what magic might awaken next. With soldiers hunting her, nobles plotting her capture, and the old powers stirring beneath the ice, Elira must decide whether justice can end a curse ~ or whether war is the only language left. Because if winter is rising, someone is guiding it. And the realm will bleed before it thaws.