An enemy's foe makes a dangerous friend... With the Paragon's target on their backs, Astrea and Varojin find themselves temporarily exiled from Talmaris for the safety of its people. Not content to wait until trouble finds them again, Astrea convinces Varojin and their guards to trek with her through the Novarian mountains in search of answers that will avert destruction. Arriving at an abandoned Paragon site, the group finally gets a lead on the question that's stumped them for months: what does Emperor Aelius want with the meteorite he found in the Badlands, and what does it have to do with void magic? But upon returning to Talmaris with news of their discovery, Astrea and her friends receive an ultimatum from the Emperor. If they refuse to halt their investigation, they'll suffer the consequences. So, with few choices and fewer allies, Astrea's only option is take the conniving Victor Nazarov up on his nefarious offer of support. But thwarting the Emperor's evil intentions means breaking into the Helosian Empire and stealing an elusive artifact. And Nazarov's help will cost Astrea dearly...