To Brandon Sanderson, whose stories illuminated my darkest times and reminded me of the boundless power of imagination. Your work inspires me not just as a writer, but as a guide through shadows.

  To my lovely girlfriend, whose whirlwind of personalities gave life to Raven’s resilience and Almira’s complexity. Thank you for proving that brilliance and chaos can coexist so beautifully.

  To my grandparents, Penny and Mark, whose unwavering belief in me has been the foundation upon which I stand. Your encouragement built the courage to dream.

  To my Aunt, who would kill me before I could even start the next book if I didn’t include her.

  And to every reader who picks up this tale—thank you. This story is as much yours as it is mine. It is not for everyone, with its explorations of the dark, the lush, and the untamed, but I cherish each of you who chooses to journey through it.

  Fair warning: This book dances on edges, venturing into adult themes both vivid and shadowed. It will not shy away from the bittersweet and the profound, and I hope you find it as thrilling and heartfelt as it was to create. I have pced Content Warnings at the start of the five chapters that need it most. But for those of you who wish to know some before diving in the most prevalent for most readers would be explicit sexual content. This is a book for adults. Graphic violence, torture, emotional manipution, human trafficking, and other dark themes. But do not fret for the most part, all of these are contained in the aforementioned five chapters that will also have the content warning.