When ancient magical secrets threaten the safety of the House of Knowledge, a young scholar finds himself driven to protect it. But are the evil threats coming from the magical south or from within the school? The world of Alos is divided. Generations have passed since the supreme god, Sartum, destroyed the northern City in Blue, thus ending the mortal use of magic, or at least that was the plan. In the south, however, magic runs freely among magical creatures, places, and mortals tapping into the power that flows through the land. Meanwhile, Layten Grayread journeys to the House of Knowledge to begin his life as a scholar. But the road to his school is treacherous and filled with evil magic. Forced to travel with an Anchor for protection, he is thrust into a world he never knew existed, nor wanted any part of. When he finally arrives, Layten and his new schoolmates uncover a hidden store of books that contradict everything they know about the north. But when the books are stolen by southern rebels, chaos ensues in the House of Knowledge. Layten and his friends are forced into service as unwilling soldiers to fight against an invasion by the south. A plan, hundreds of years in the making, unfolds, threatening to tear all of Alos apart.