Five years ago, Nova ran through the woods with blood on her hands, the screams of her dying squad echoing around her. Vowing to never be helpless again and to avenge her friends, she throws herself into training. In a world torn apart by war, where every kid is honed for a fight their parents started, Nova is determined to be part of the generation that stops the violence. Now, she’s been selected to attend Caldris Academy, where both magical and non-magical soldiers are forged into leaders.

At Caldris Academy, harsh training exercises push Nova to her limits, with live-fire simulations and constant rivalry. Willing to endure the pain to protect those she loves, while remaining brutal enough to destroy the Imperium, she must not only face deadly challenges, but also confront her fear of letting her squadmates in. But as exercises are sabotaged and students die, Nova realizes that she is about to lose another squad. With a renewed purpose to seek revenge, she must work with the same rivals she once swore to outpace to uncover the spies among them.

When a masked figure starts appearing during magical combat exercises, displaying abilities beyond anything they’ve seen, rumors say he’s the traitor they’re all racing to find. Nova knows that no matter who he is, they’ll need more than raw power. They’ll need strategy, trust, and a refusal to let history repeat itself.