Callum has always seen things no one else could—monsters and supernatural beasts lurking among everyday people. From an early age, he learned to keep his observations to himself if he didn’t want to be labeled insane. But the supernatural is real, and at thirty, Callum discovers that he is a mage—though one who’s never cast a spell in his life. Despite the demands of secretive magical authorities and their insistence on his compliance with their rigid system of education and duty, Callum refuses to bend.
When he escapes from the grip of the Guild of Arcane Regulation and the Bureau of Secret Enforcement, he loses the shield of anonymity that once protected him. Now hunted and exposed, Callum must confront the supernatural world head-on. Living a normal life is no longer possible, and joining the mage community on their terms is out of the question. He must forge his own path, define his own rules, and build his own defenses against a system built to control and suppress.
But standing alone comes at a cost. As his opposition to the Guild intensifies, Callum shifts from merely surviving to actively fighting back. His growing understanding of magic and the world around him fuels his resistance, pushing him toward open defiance. The time for hiding is over—he chooses to confront the tyrannical structures that govern mages and manipulate the world from the shadows.
Though he succeeds in weakening the Guild, the fall of one power invites others to rise. New players enter the arena, and while Callum is no longer running, he must tread carefully in the changing landscape he helped create. As supernatural politics evolve and the consequences of his rebellion ripple outward, he strengthens his position to face enemies old and new.