Orea - a world not unlike our own, but once imbued with myriad wonders and magic - now all lies decaying and desolate; the few remaining survivors cowering in fear before the all-consuming shadow that creeps across their home world. This shadow, known as Cortex Vale, commands vast swarms of poisonous Vesper gnats that take to the wing as darkness prevails to hunt and convert to his nefarious quest. An unlikely hero, Idris Change, who unknowingly harbours latent magical gifts, is abducted by the enigmatic hourglass woman and a member of the Nomad race, one of the last of his kind, in a final bid to halt this spreading evil, which, left unchecked, will consume all in its path as Cortex Vale attempts to infiltrate the Forest of Doors and spread his pestilence. His goal is to possess the Exquisite Silence - the source of all true magic in Orea and of all creation.