Bloodied and beaten, Ardent wanders in a wasteland. The heat is oppressive, the desert endless. His chances for survival are slim. Betrayed, abandoned, he wonders if resistance was worth the hurt he caused. Maybe he should have listened. Maybe he should have obeyed: pretended to be happy, completed his tasks, did as he was told... Maybe he should give the Council what it wants most: his death. Only the promise that life beyond the Limits exists urges Ardent onward. Guided by the Color, he ventures east. Seeking truth, he stumbles into a world of sand, snakes and secrets. With only misery for company, Ardent learns some important lessons: losing the future brings back the past and leaving home forges a way back.