Zoraiya and her best friend Egres have been recruited as mages, called Ascendants, to fight in a war against the Null. During training, Zoraiya meets Arkadiy. Forced into a vow of secrecy, Arkadiy has his own mission to complete at the academy. When Zoraiya and Egres finally arrive, he throws them through a volley of obstacles that have them questioning their abilities and worth. Given strict orders to remain detached from his wards, soon he finds himself looking for any excuse to be with them...until he realizes the reason was far more selfish than he would ever admit. He wants nothing more than for the duo to succeed. But the more time he spends with Zoraiya, the more he wants to shirk his duties and absolutely ruin her.