My magic isn't a gift; it's a glitch in a dying system.
On the planet Oros, we Fae are nothing but data to be harvested by our masters, the high-tech Dragon Shifters. For years, I've hidden behind a veil of traditional sorcery, masking the "Admin" marker in my blood that allows me to speak to the metal. But with the Aether collapsing and a "System Flush" threatening to erase my people, I'm out of time.
To save them, I must enter the Atonement Trials-a lethal gauntlet where magic bleeds metal and only the "optimal" survive. My goal is the planet's core. My only obstacle is Commander Jax.
He is the Spire's most ruthless weapon, a man who trusts only what he can kill. He's my assigned Overseer, the predator watching my every move. He should be the one I hate most, yet every time our brands clash, the static between us feels less like a warning and more like an invitation.
In a world of shifting platforms and digital ghosts, the most dangerous thing isn't the trial. It's the distraction of a commander who might be my silent protector-and a love that could either reboot the empire or burn it to the ground.
