ReadWithXimena
Deep within the ancient, fog-shrouded Elderwood lies the Sylvan Institute-a hidden academy where magic is woven from the earth, and the trees themselves hold centuries of secrets.
For seventeen-year-old Evander Thorne, the forest has always been a sanctuary from a world he doesn't fit into. He prefers the quiet company of magical plants to his classmates, content to fly under the radar. But the woods are changing. The air is turning cold, the ancient barriers are weakening, and Evan can hear a dark, magnetic voice calling to him from the forbidden depths of the thicket.
When a shadow creature breaches the school grounds, Evan is forced into an unlikely partnership with Lyra Vance. Brilliant, ambitious, and sharp-tongued, Lyra represents everything Evan avoids-and she's hiding a dangerous family secret that ties her directly to the corruption threatening to swallow their world.
To save their home, Evan, Lyra, and their fiercely loyal friend Caspian must venture beyond the safety of the school walls. Together, they must navigate glowing underground caverns, decode forbidden alchemy, and face a rising darkness that feeds on magic itself.
But as the danger deepens, so does the undeniable spark between Evan and Lyra. In a forest where trust is a luxury and shadows are closing in, they will have to rely on each other to survive-or watch the Elderwood, and their futures, crumble into ash.