“…this apathy of yours is a poor shield. You think it’s keeping your pain at bay, yet I can see the cracks. One of these days it’s going to shatter.”

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Six months ago, a mysterious illness took the lives of Nevaharday’s king and queen, yet Prince Jaycent refuses to take his father’s place on the throne. After tossing the crown into his cousin’s lap during his own coronation, he sank into a realm of apathy and solitude that no one could touch. Not even his cousin. Rayhan tried to reach him, even as he struggled to balance his demanding roles as general and steward of Nevaharday. Yet the harder he tried, the more Jaycent pulled away.

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Then the nightmares began. Terrible and brutal, they crossed the threshold of Jaycent's dreams into reality. He awoke late one night to find the wounds he had sustained in his dreams were real. Sleep became impossible after that, and the life of Nevaharday's only heir began to teeter in the balance. Desperate for answers, he seeks out an unlikely ally: a young apprentice from the royal stables named Levee Tensley.

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Together, they unravel several startling truths. The prince's dreams are more than just nightmares, and his parents were never ill. They both were connected to the magic and lies of an illusionist bent on seizing Jaycent's kingdom and extinguishing the Connor line. The more they uncover, the more he begins to wonder...

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Can he find it in himself to become not just a king, but a hero?

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Or will he shatter himself trying?