In the year 2145, the world has been divided into six regions, each controlled by a powerful faction. Every year, the rulers of the regions host "The Trials," a brutal survival competition where one representative from each region must fight to the death in an unforgiving arena. Only one can emerge victorious, and the winner's region is granted privileges and resources for the next year.

Solara, a 17-year-old girl from the harsh, barren Region 4, is chosen as her region's representative. Reluctantly, she enters the trials, knowing that survival means taking the lives of others. But Solara is not like the others. Instead of seeking victory through violence, she is determined to find a way to break the system that keeps her people in poverty and suffering. As she uncovers dark secrets about the origins of the trials and the corruption behind the factions, Solara must choose: survive at all costs, or sacrifice everything for the chance to ignite a revolution.