The Banished Ones

A slow-burn, sapphic enemies-to lovers story set against a dark academia world where every betrayal cuts deep, and twists will keep you on the edge of your seat.

In a world where potential is feared more than anything, seventeen-year-old's must undergo an Evaluation - a merciless test to determine if they are "categorically dangerous." Those who are determined dangerous are exiled to Eldergrave Institute, a shadowed fortress alone on an island where the walls whisper rumors of war... and worse.

Aster has always been the golden girl. Born in the heart of Julista, the empire's glittering capital, she has wealth, and power. But not only that. She's composed, brilliant, and a fighter. Once she hears the stakes of the Institute: at eighteen, one student will be granted clemency and return home while the rest will face conscription... or death, she is determined to do absolutely anything to be the one granted freedom.

But then there's Skye. Infuriating. Magnetic. Unapologetically chaotic. Violent. A criminal. With eyes like storm clouds and a knack for getting under Aster's skin, Skye seems to thrive on provoking her. No matter how hard Aster tries to stay away, fate - or something darker - keeps pulling them together.

True enemies, Aster and Skye are forced to navigate the Institute's twisted politics, brutal challenges, and their own tangled emotions. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, the line between hate and something far more dangerous begins to fade...