Are love and salvation possible at the end of the world? For war academy student Sak, they’re nothing more than pipe dreams. Bullied by his peers for his seemingly useless powers, Sak can only focus on survival. But when a deadly plague compromises the haven of his school, fantasy suddenly starts looking a whole lot more like reality. To keep safe, Sak must find his Caller—a person who amplifies his abilities and who he’ll feel an innate, deep sense of affection for. The only problem? When he finally meets his stranger, he’s convinced Sak has lost his mind…
In this world of death and decay, Sak has found his single ray of hope, his Caller Lima. As they venture through the corpse-ridden island of Ralta, Lima wants to make things explicitly clear—any acts they do together are for Lima’s pleasure only. However, as they spend the night in an abandoned cabin, the two share a bath, and soon…a kiss. But they can’t dwell on their complicated feelings for too long in this wasteland. When Hana, the first core user, brings them back to the academy, the lines between right and wrong, trust and manipulation all start to blur…
Back under the “safety” of the academy, Sak is overjoyed to hear the news that he may be the secret to stopping the virus that ravages their world. It’s a long journey from which he may never return from, but if it means saving Lima, Sak would walk through hell and back. But against this plan stands Lima, refusing to lose someone he only saw as a ticket to his next meal only a couple of days ago. Will love or sacrifice prevail in this storm of illusion and lies?
Armed with the knowledge that he and Sak are not the destined partners he thought they were, Lima’s actions become even more brash than before. With the academy still hiding their true intentions from the core user and his caller, Lima takes the next chance to escape from their grasp. But with the transmitter now broken, it’s just a matter of time before Sak recognizes that his feelings for Lima were all false—an illusion meant to keep him in line as a weapon of war. Will Sak’s previous passion for his caller win out over his feelings of betrayal?