Bryce
The shadows have always been with me—silent, waiting, and dangerous. After the accident that took my parents, they became my curse, my secret. Now at the Academy, surrounded by other summoners, my control is slipping. The memories I buried are clawing their way back, and a stranger’s touch has stirred something I can’t explain. I should leave before I hurt someone, but how can I when the only thing darker than my magic is the truth hiding in my past?
Winnie
Empathy is supposed to be a gift, but sometimes it feels like a curse. Every wound, every ache, every shard of pain—I feel it all. Especially his. Bryce’s shadows should terrify me, but they don’t. They call to me, like his pain is something I was meant to heal. But there’s a darkness in him even he doesn’t fully understand. Can I risk my own soul to save his?
Xander
Bryce has always been more than a friend—he’s family. I dragged him to the Academy hoping it would help him heal, not break him apart. But the shadows are growing stronger, and the memories he’s unlocking might destroy him. Then there’s Winnie, whose magic draws us all closer to answers—and to danger. I’ll do anything to keep them safe, but this fight might be bigger than all of us.
