The sacrifice was supposed to end it. Instead, it changed everything. Christopher Shadowheart made the ultimate choice-dragging the Hollow Queen into the Nameless Black and sealing the gate behind them to save his family and the world. But death is not always an ending, and some prisons have no walls. In the nightmare realm beyond reality, Christopher fights alongside the enigmatic Hellequinne against Ancient Ones that predate creation itself. For him, eight hundred years have passed in endless battle against horrors that would shatter mortal minds. For his family, it's been only weeks-but every moment without him is agony. At Shadowheart Manor, Selaria struggles to hold her shattered family together while raising their son Robert, whose awakening powers are broadcasting their existence to the entire world. What was meant to stay hidden is now public, and humanity's response is as chaotic as it is dangerous. Angels, demons, ancient guardians, and desperate humans are converging on their doorstep-some seeking salvation, others seeking destruction. But Robert's gift has awakened something else: a voice crying out from impossible distances, begging for help with a desperation that suggests time is already running out. When Hellequinne finds a way to communicate across the void, the family learns that Christopher is still fighting, still holding back the darkness-and still hoping for a way home. But the Ancient Ones are stirring, drawn to the man who refuses to hollow and the family who refuses to break. Now the Shadowhearts must navigate a world that knows their secrets, forge alliances with beings who kneel in reverence and terror, and find a way to bring Christopher home before the fragile balance between worlds shatters completely. Some sacrifices echo forever. Some bonds transcend even death. And some families will tear reality apart to be whole again.