The Kingdom of Smoke and Secrets

Eight houses. One Kingdom. A fragile peace that hides cracks deep enough to shatter everything.

Prince Augusten of House Aurelien has spent his life confined to the glittering isolation of Melchior, a gilded island at the heart of his Kingdom. As heir to the throne, he is expected to rule over all eight Houses, each with their own unique powers and traditions. But August knows little of the lands beyond his palace walls - and even less about the tensions simmering beneath the Kingdom's polished surface.
To prepare for his future, August embarks on a journey across the Kingdom - a rite of passage meant to teach him about his people, their powers, and their secrets. But what begins as a ceremonial tour soon turns into something far more dangerous.
From blazing deserts of Torrid to the vast forests of Zoetic, from the stormy heights of Zephyr to the shadowed depths of the underwater Souse city, August discovers a world far more complex than he ever imagined. Each House offers breathtaking beauty, but also rebellion, buried truths, and impossible choices.
The people he meets challenge everything he thought he knew - about his home, his crown, and even himself. But rebellion stirs in the shadows, and ancient secrets are beginning to resurface.
In a land where fire dances, water sings, and shadows keep their own counsel, the fate of all eight Houses will rest in the hands of those who dare defy their destinies.