SHAFIQ (28) is an immigrant chronicler that works under a fake name for the most notable chronicling house in the city of Hammerel: The Truth’s Calling. Five years back, he left after a few months to live within the minority Lavulinian community inside Hammerel and had witnessed SHULA (9) die, beside her uncle HAFIZ (38). The community see him as a traitor for going back to his chronicling job. Shafiq feels guilty about his betrayals towards Hafiz and his older sister EIFA (33) who is a government official back in Lavulin and his only family left. Eifa works for VADEA (35), a sorceress who throws a coup, executing GOVERNOR ABATAN (56) of Lavulin. GOVERNOR GIFFARM (62) of Hammerel makes DUREN (42), the head of the chronicling house, get Shafiq on the case, believing Shafiq’s fake Hammerelian name. With a high risk of dying on the job, Giffarm wishes to him. Seeing Shafiq, he rages and demands Shafiq be thrown out of the chronicling house. Shafiq encounters Hafiz. The two reconcile and Hafiz helps Shafiq gain the confidence to confront Eifa. Shafiq states he’ll come back for Hafiz if she survives and they’ll leave the city together. Shafiq informs Duren that he’s Eifa’s sister. The two storm the city hall and convince Giffarm to allow Shafiq to go to Lavulin. Giffarm bends the knee to Shafiq’s demand that Eifa be permitted entry into the city if he is successful.

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Shafiq sets off with the Hammerelian army. He recognises the leader of the squad he’s with; RONAN (36) is the same man who murdered his and Eifa’s childhood friend INITIZAR (15) fifteen years back in Lavulin. The two survive a monster attack upon the air balloon ship they set off to Lavulin in. They must work together to reach Lavulin through its underground caves. QUINNIS (55) comes to their rescue with his wand, when new monsters attack. He explains he’s a part of a group led by Abatan's son KHALIL (23). Quinnis learns about Shafiq being a member of The Truth's Calling by his pin falling to the ground, when the monsters attacked. He doesn't tell Khalil about it for now. A monster attack happens and fifty-six people, including Shafiq and Ronan are taken to the dungeon. All but Shafiq are turned into monsters. Eifa tortures Ronan to death and keeps his lance.

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Shafiq wakes up inside a cell and Eifa meets him. Eifa yells at him for his betrayal but Shafiq challenges her on her morality. Eifa sends him back to the cell until further orders from Vadea. Shafiq becomes hopeless and strangles himself with his own shirt. Vadea arrives and jolts him back to consciousness with her magic. Vadea’s intrigue by allows Shafiq to stay in a guest room if he leaks some information about Khalil’s group. She lets slip about ‘that Hammerelian man’. With information he gained from Quinnis, he susses out that she knows Quinnis. Khalil discovers that Shafiq was from The Truth's Calling and that his sister is Eifa. He and Quinnis plan a sneak attack on Vadea. Eifa gets to admit her revenge for the Hammerelians killing her mother when she was a child is the priority over the safety of all Lavulinians. Her support for Vadea wanes rapidly. Shafiq and Vadea speak again. Shafiq figures out Vadea is Quinnis' daughter through him hearing about the death of her mother. Shafiq explains she is a victim that let anger get the better of her. Out of respect, Vadea gives Shafiq invisibility elixirs she made, so he can get Hafiz out of Hammerel and escape to somewhere far away from both cities. In the central plaza, Quinnis confronts Vadea. The two embrace what would be their magical battle to do the death but Eifa kills the two with Ronan’s lance. Eifa tries to control the monsters with Vadea's staff, but it fails. Khalil appears in a vehicle named a dust cruiser. Eifa and Shafiq dash for it. Shafiq pulls the lance out of Eifa's hands and swings at her head. Khalil and Shafiq manage to escape along on the dust cruiser with a few of his group.  Eifa gets torn apart by monsters in her concussed state. Khalil drops Shafiq off on the outskirts of Hammerel and hopes the two meet again along with him getting to meet Hafiz. Shafiq busts Hafiz out of Hammerel using the invisibility elixirs. He writes the article and it causes an upset, but Shafiq couldn't care less because he stated the truth.