In a world of drifting islands and rising poison mist, survival is bought with stolen magic.

Kaelen Veyr is a thief, an exile, and now—against his will—the vessel for a power older than the sky itself. One stolen bone shard has burned its way into his skin, binding him to the sleeping soul of a titan buried deep beneath the floating isles.

Now factions hunt him: the Rune Sovereignty, who would awaken the titan to rule the skies, and the Ash Wraith, an assassin who kills all touched by ancient runes. But the Veil is rising faster than ever, swallowing islands whole, and whispers say the titan stirs in its grave.

To save what’s left of the world, Kaelen must decide whether to destroy the monster he’s bound to… or become it.

Magic has a price. In the dying sky, Kaelen is running out of time to pay it.

Kaelen was bound in the Hollow Fortune's cargo hold as the Sovereignty ship towed them toward an unmarked region of the sky. Through a small porthole, he saw the first of the chains.


They were colossal — each link the size of a fortress — stretching from one floating isle to another in a jagged ring. And at the center of that ring, a storm boiled endlessly, swallowing light.


Sera was thrown into the hold beside him, bruised but alive. She gave him a lopsided grin. "Guess we're going to see your Titan's Heart after all."


The ship shuddered as it crossed the threshold into the storm. Runes along the hull flickered, straining to hold back the winds.


Then Kaelen heard it — not a voice, not exactly, but a presence speaking inside his bones:


Sera's eyes widened. "Kaelen… what exactly is chained in that storm?"


He had no answer — but the heartbeat of something vast and ancient thudded in the air, keeping time with his own.


Chapter 10 - Chapter 10 - Chains in the sky