In the beginning, there was only light — vast, unending, alive. It flowed through the skies of Aetheria, threading stars and hearts alike, weaving a magic older than memory. The Everharts were its guardians, their bloodline imbued with power to shape skies, summon storms, and awaken the land itself.

For centuries, Aetheria thrived. Towers of crystal and gold rose into the clouds. Rivers of pure light wound through floating cities. Spells danced like wind along cobbled streets. People spoke of the Everhart heirs in reverent tones, their courage and wisdom entwined with legends of the Veil — the border between mortal and magical worlds.

But light is fragile.

Eighteen years ago, betrayal shattered the Everhart bloodline. A child—the youngest heir, born under a foretold star—vanished. The Veil sealed itself, and Aetheria’s brilliance faded. Whispers of the Hidden Heir became legend. Some said she was taken by shadows; others, hidden to protect a power that could destroy the world.

Far away, the child grew as Luna Everhart, unaware of her birthright, living an ordinary life in the mortal world. Yet dreams haunted her nights: towers carved from light, a palace floating in clouds, glimpses of a boy with silver-fire eyes. Symbols etched themselves upon her skin, pulsing in response to feelings she didn’t understand.

The Veil had not forgotten.

On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, it stirred. Winds shifted, stars glimmered oddly, and a letter appeared — sealed with the Everhart sigil, glowing faintly beneath the moonlight.

It was a summons.

A call to a home she had never known. To a kingdom that could rise or fall depending on her courage. To a brother lost beyond the Veil.

And to Aetheria Academy, where magic thrummed in every stone, and destiny awaited in the form of a certain troublesome, infuriating student.

“Careful there, new girl,” a voice said, teasing, confident, yet oddly attentive.

Luna turned. A boy with tousled dark hair and molten amber eyes grinned at her from across the courtyard. “Name’s Caius Thorne. And you are…?”

Luna’s pulse quickened—not from fear, not exactly—but from something she couldn’t yet name. The world she thought she knew had grown infinitely more dangerous… and infinitely more thrilling.

For eighteen years, Luna had lived an ordinary life. But ordinary ended the moment the letter arrived.
The Hidden Heir was awakening. The Veil was calling. And Luna Everhart’s life—and heart—would never be the same.