The dead monarch Charon was destroyed at Elzinga Asylum, but its impact on the Hourglass strike team continues to affect them, particularly Clyde Williams. With his necromantic powers acting up, he's under the watchful gaze of the Median's rulers, who fear he could be a risk to their kingdom of sleep and the countless souls therein. But when a familiar and bitter enemy resurfaces, attacks a secret Hourglass facility, kills a high-value Hourglass member, and steals sensitive intel, Clyde is pulled back into service. Now, Clyde and his teammates must find and stop a powerful new threat: a troubled Spark whose anger issues could potentially lead him to being swayed by the Cairnwood Society's dark agenda. Meanwhile, somewhere in the creature-filled wastes of Erebus, Kozlov continues his perilous search for the Firmament Needle. A quest whose reverberations will be felt by Clyde, his teammates, and most of all, the volatile new Spark.