Winter has come to Freylar, concealing the presence of an ancient evil now released from its shackles. This unseen force seeks a way back to its homeland. To realise its goal, it must first pass through the Ardent Gate, diligently defended by its venerable custodians, the secretive Order of the Knights Thranis. Investigating the mysterious disappearance of her lover, Knight Anika tenaciously pursues Xenia, the young Knight's zeal steering her course beyond the southern lands, unwittingly following the path of malevolence.
A distraught mother desperately searches the vale for her missing daughter. Tormented by recent events, Nathanar – newly appointed Captain of The Blades – undertakes a quest to locate and bring back the missing Freylarkin. Aided by the powerful scrier Darlia, a repentant exile working to earn the acceptance of her kin, Nathanar's investigation takes him beyond the vale, to the Ardent Gate. Reunited with his former charge, their paths intertwined, both he and Anika learn of the shadow infiltrating the Knights' ranks. Accompanied by a pair of reluctant Knights, the unlikely group travel through the Ardent Gate into a new domain, far from the relatively safety of Freylar, in search of answers. Can they work together to discern the cause of the recent disappearances and uncover the mysteries trapping them in their new world?