When scholars who read fragments of the Pinakes vanish, Dalia reluctantly teams up with historian Karim Beladi and nine-year-old Amara, a child prodigy with perfect recall. As they collect fragments across continents, Dalia discovers her father didn't die in an accident years ago but became integrated with the Pinakes consciousness. The Alexandrian Society, an ancient organization dedicated to controlling dangerous knowledge, hunts them relentlessly. When Karim is captured, Dalia uses the fragments to make contact with her father's consciousness within the Pinakes. She learns Amara is more than a child—she's a convergence point deliberately created by her father, part human and part Pinakes.