What if the chosen ones had already failed? What if the “last chance” to save the world was already a half-cobbled, hail Mary attempt at a venture that had already ended in one defeat? The world of Akkanor is under siege for the second time in its history. It is represented by the Warriors, Mages chosen to be the physical incarnations of the world’s magic. The new generation of Warriors must rise to the occasion for the sake of their world. But something’s not quite right. In the outskirts of the Empire of Akkanor, a small settlement full of powerful mages proves to be hosting four of the nine Warriors. A highly unusual concentration. Not to mention the inclusion of a man who had been declared dead years ago, a man who looks suspiciously similar to the dead Emperor, and a woman on the wrong side of the continent. And none of them seem to remember having lived anywhere else. Jadel Nam-Kalidan, the most gifted and studious among the residents of the humble, but strange settlement, finds himself faced with an equally unusual pair sent to seek them out. An old man who knows more than he lets on and a young woman who seems to be looking for him specifically. Given their mission, the Warriors find themselves faced with impossible odds. Their world is torn apart by infighting while the enemy marches against them, united. Some of their numbers are not who they say they are. Their magic turns against them. And as more and more coincidences line up, the threads of a half-millennia old conspiracy start to unravel, unable to hide the failure of the Warriors who came before them long ago. Jadel’s loyalties to his friends, his world, and even himself are questioned as what was supposed to be a crusade against an evil empire becomes a desperate fight for survival and simple truth. A gambit to win where no one has before. Jadel’s quest will not be a coming of age nor a grand adventure. It will be a desperate struggle to maintain his grip on reality.