The empire unravels from within. Since the king's death, Queen Vikena has ruled with ruthless vengeance, tearing through rival lands and burning every alliance in her path. Whispers of civil war ripple through the streets. Above it all, the twin moons of Yold draw closer each night... an omen the world has not yet learned to fear. Rip was never meant to be a hero. He's a thief, with quick hands, quicker exits, and just enough luck to see another sunrise. But when that luck runs out, he's captured, condemned, and dragged into the orbit of the Grand Sorcerer-a man whose belief in the empire is beginning to crack. Then everything changes. A dark act binds Rip's fate to the queen's own daughter, and in that moment, the world shifts. Escape is no longer a choice. It is survival. Hunted by soldiers, giants, and creatures better left unnamed, they are forced to flee across a land steeped in ancient magic and buried secrets. But the farther they run, the more the world closes in around them. Because some forces do not threaten empires. They unmake them.