Seven years ago, Leo Ryder died—or so the world believed. Once a scrawny boy who sacrificed himself to save his best friend and first love, Princess Emeney Snow. He returns as Rayne Egan, a hardened warrior with a new name, a new face, and a dangerous secret. His mission: infiltrate the princess’s elite guard and stop an ancient power from falling into the hands of a dangerous and powerful mage known only as “The First”, an Elder Mage seeking godhood.  

But getting close to Emeney proves more dangerous than any spell or blade. She doesn’t recognize the boy she once cherished, yet something about her new bodyguard unsettles her. As war looms, so does a battle within her heart—torn between her duty to marry an A-Class Mage, Xander who was also once her close friends along with Rayne. But now also she had an undeniable pull toward the mysterious man sworn to protect her.  

Rayne swore to guard her with his life while searching for the Crimson Flower and protect it also, but as old feelings resurface and deadly truths unravel, keeping his secret becomes impossible. When his past collides with the future he never thought he'd have, one question remains—will love be their salvation, or will war tear them apart forever?

The afternoon air outside the Mage Academy was sharp and clean. Classes had let out; the courtyards buzzed with students, but the great stone walls still held a hush of study and spells. Leo and Anya stood against the cool academy wall, backpacks at their feet, waiting for Xander and Emeney to come out so the four of them could head home together. They were the first two out, posted there in that small pocket of quiet, an ordinary moment that felt oddly heavy for reasons Anya kept to herself.


Chapter 39 - Distress Call