"Hope is fragile. Trust even more so. But maybe, just maybe, we can learn both."
Eleven years under King Valen's rule have left Silvania ruled by fear. Faith is forbidden, hope is scarce, and survival means looking the other way.
Ian, the second prince and sole surviving heir, wields the power of water-but he has lost faith in hope, in people, and even in himself. Haunted by his family's massacre, he trusts no one... except Adrien Varon, Silvania's hero, who seeks to spark courage in a world suffocating under fear.
When Adrien enlists Ian to quietly protect the people, their mission leads him to others caught in destiny's web: a girl desperate to prove herself to her family, a sharp and observant wind Elemental trying to stop her father's deadly inventions, and a fragile boy who bends time at the cost of his life. Together, they form an unlikely team-clumsy, untested, and often at odds.
As the shadows of oppression grow long, only together can they learn to trust, to fight, and to ignite hope. Ian must decide, remain a shadow of himself... or become the Champion Silvania needs.