Breksta Vilkas has lived an idyllic, peaceful childhood in a remote town surrounded by nature, elderly neighbors, and a caring mother. But when an impromptu mother-daughter picnic is disrupted by news of the arrival of soldiers, her mother's calm demeanor turns to fear as she hastens their departure from the only home Breksta has ever known. Suddenly ripped from her mother, Breksta is forced to enter the Academy and become a cadet. Governed by its cruel director, Breksta clings to a solitary beacon of hope: her roommate, Hestia. United by a yearning to be free, the two form an unbreakable bond and promise to build a future away from the Academy's unyielding grip of death and persecution. However, a deadly disaster triggers the realization that their future dreams hinge upon the past-and the secret history Breksta's mother concealed. Neither girl understands that her identity is linked not only to their future but to the future of the entire world.