John Spart, a professor of history and amateur folklore scholar, had spent many a late night digging through stacks at the university library. One day, an ancient manuscript surfaced with tales of something called the Heart of Aether, an artifact said to yield extraordinary, destructive power. Against his mentor's warnings, Professor Jameson, John becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth about the artifact and the mysterious Order of the Aether that seeks to control it.
The more he becomes engrossed in the manuscript and the black history of the town, a succession of strange, unsettling events gradually unfolds around him that convinces him of the actual power of the artifact and that he himself is under scrutiny. Still groping for answers, John contacts Professor Jameson, who warns him about the Heart of Aether and the Order, which will stop at nothing to get it. They soon come to realize that they really do need professional help, and so they turn to noted authority in the Order and the artifact, Dr. Elias Winters.
According to Dr. Winters, there are clues hidden within the manuscript to guide them into the Heart of Aether during a very particular kind of celestial alignment. The trio embarks on a perilous quest, using the manuscript as guide, until they come to an old abandoned church at the very end of town. There, they find hidden symbols and a secret door that opens into a network of tunnels underneath the town in use by the Order for hundreds of years.
The further in they go, the more tunnels appear with traps and indicators that the Order knows what's going on. Suspicion builds while it starts to be too many paths and too many misleading clues left and right. Then, tension goes through the roof as they finally turn a corner and find themselves in some hidden chamber, running into a member of the Order. It is in the course of this confrontation that John finds out that Professor Jameson has secretly been working all along with the Order, betraying their quest.
In the ensuing chaos, Dr. Winters sacrifices himself to aid John's escape with the Heart of Aether. Barely able to breathe, he flees through dark tunnels, realizing the Order has never been stronger to take him down and recover the Heart of Aether. Rattled by Jameson's treachery and the price Winters paid, John now knows he stands entirely alone against them. The Order never gives up the chase, and the dark power that artifact holds drains him.
It will then dawn on him that he needs to outrun the Order and stay ahead of them, be on his guard at all times, and decipher the remaining clues still left in the manuscript. Now, he has to race against time—must not only prevent Heart of Aether from falling into wrong hands but actually understand the purpose behind it and really save earth from the catastrophic consequences in case Order succeeds to harness the power of this magical artifact. The danger surrounds John everywhere, and he needs to use his wits and guts in order to survive and understand the truth behind an ancient legend, a mysterious artifact, and deadly secrets hidden for centuries.