The world is about to unravel ... Dan Barker and Aaron Flanagan left the office that morning headed to an appointment. Dan seemed particularly anxious about it, and Aaron couldn't help but wonder why. As it turns out, Dan is part of a plot and Aaron will soon find himself tumbling down a hole. At the bottom he will land on an island surrounded by darkness, and there he will encounter his first goblin, a white staff, and Michael Maccini, the King of Hearts. Aaron, like Dan before him, is about to be offered an apprenticeship. If he accepts, it will change his view of the world completely and place him in a position of great power. That is, if he and Dan can survive the tests of Mimgardr.