On the wild planet of Talamh, humanity thrived... ...until the alien Alfur conquered their world. Now, defeated and broken, humanity serves their immortal overlords. And pleads to the stars for a hero.

Rydian Holt is nothing, nobody. Just another human from the streets of Talamh. Or at least, that’s what he thinks—until his mother is caught up in a fledgling resistance group. Branded a traitor and sentenced to fight in the arena, now Rydian must face hardened gladiators in single combat. To survive and advance through the ranks, he’ll need the help of an enigmatic weapons master—and more than a little luck.

But after a lifetime of servitude, survival is no longer enough for Rydian. He seeks a way to fight back— not just against his fellow gladiators, but against the Alfur themselves. If Rydian can uncover their greatest secret—the truth about the mysterious Light that powers their world—he might just win his freedom.

Rydian Halt has defeated one of the immortal Alfur, the alien species that has ruled over humanity for generations. With newfound power burning in his veins, for a brief moment, anything seemed possible. Freedom for himself, for his people, for the planet Talamh.

Until the Haze struck.

Now cast into the wildlands of Talamh, Rydian struggles for survival—and his very sanity. Each time he uses his new power, the Haze threatens, tearing at his mind. But without its aid, Rydian won’t last a day against the beasts that stalk him.

He needs an ally, one that can teach him about the Light that now burns within him. The Alfur have kept its secrets close, but there is one who might aid him, an Alfur who seems too loath her own people almost as much as a human.

Rotin, gladiator of the Alfur.

The reign of the Alfur has ended. Talamh has been liberated. For once, humanity are the conquerors.

So why does Rydian Holt feel like they lost?

With the destruction of the Haze, Talamh has been revealed to the universe. But the realm beyond their world is not what Rydian and his fellows were told. The Alfur lied. It is not they who rule the galaxy, but humanity. Led by the autocratic Federation, their empire spans galaxies.

Returning to Talamh after six months training his powers, Rydian finds his former masters enslaved. Condemned to fight and die in the arena, few of the Alfur remain. Conquerors they might have been, but Rydian can’t help but wonder if this was the fate they deserved.

Afterall, some had helped him.

Some had saved him.

He can’t fight the Federation. Not alone. But there are still mysteries on his home world, powers that even the Federation fear.

Can Rydian Holt unlock the secret of their species’ shared past and finally bring peace between human and Alfur?

Or will his desperate gamble lead to the destruction of everyone and everything he has ever known?