He was trained to kill monsters—only to become one.

Lesser Prince Kaido of House Challas was born cursed. In the Keirian Empire, twins are omens of misfortune, and as the second-born, Kaido has spent nineteen years proving he is more than his title.

One day, Kaido wakes up, covered in the glowing marks of the Skarred—the very sorcerers who nearly ended the world. Hunted by his own father, branded a fugitive, Kaido flees everything he knows.

But exile is only the beginning. His journey will unearth the truth of his bloodline, the reason volcanoes scar the land, and the impossible choice that could save his empire—or seal its doom.