In the Kingdom of Arnis, society is rapidly modernizing with advanced ways of harnessing magic, the Breath of the World. Cerise Candlethumb, resigned to practising her outmoded methods, suddenly finds herself enrolled in capital's university, where students research new cutting-edge forms of spellcasting. As she navigates her strange new environment, the witch resolves to prove the old ways aren't outdated ... even if it has to be combined with both her closed hands.