When the past refuses to stay buried, even paradise can become a battlefield. Radyn has found contentment at last: a pregnant wife, a thriving settlement, and the promise of laying down his blade forever. But as Underhill's harvest festival reaches its peak, a devastating shadow attack brings every manirah to their knees, shattering his dreams of peace. The assault awakens ancient monsters that humanity has spent generations fleeing, massive nuddu that inexplicably bypass the nearby city of Nightkeep to march directly toward Radyn's home. When Kaya, the gifted young Singer who holds the key to healing their dying world, is captured and dragged into the heart of darkness, Radyn faces an impossible choice. To save the one person who might restore their civilization, he must venture into hostile territory. But some victories come at a price too terrible to pay, and in a world where the line between salvation and doom grows thinner each day, failure means not just his own destruction, but the end of any hope for his unborn child's future.