Her power will kill her... If he doesn't first. Desdemona Althenia has spent her life in the shadows, hiding the volatile magic that could kill her if it’s ever unleashed. Born into the lowest ranks of society, she’s survived by her wits and her willingness to deceive. But when fate traps her within the brutal walls of Visnatus Academy, it also offers a dangerous chance: power, for the first time within reach. Prince Lucian Aibek lives beneath the weight of a rotting empire and the ruthless grip of a corrupt family regime. Desdemona’s untamed fire could be the key to his freedom—and her chance to master the magic that might consume her. But as their fates entwine, the line between ally and enemy blurs, and they’re caught in a deadly game of ambition and desire, where trust becomes more treacherous than the magic they wield. As an ancient society stirs, Desdemona and Lucian are forced to confront the ghosts of a war that never truly ended. Caught between survival and surrender, they must gamble everything: let their connection bring them to ruin—or become their only hope of redemption.