— OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST LONGLISTER—
When the walled city of the gods, Dansarun, opens its doors for trade, Xuijae's ruling clan sends its perfect representatives: the troublesome prince, Kai-Se, who wants nothing to do with palace life, and Nao-Zai, the stern soldier from the warrior clan assigned to protect him.
With them stuck in a royal tour neither of them wants to be in and with Nao-Zai's near-perfect track record hanging in jeopardy, Nao-Zai and Kai-Se must settle their differences before their mission takes a difficult turn.
Along the way, Nao-Zai discovers there's more to Kai-Se than he let on and the secret the prince is hiding may spell their doom once they reach the gods' Imperial City. When Kai-Se's mistake erupts into a full-blown rebellion, Nao-Zai is faced with a choice to save himself from the gods' wrath or save Kai-Se who is caught at the worst end of it.
From the author of the high fantasy series, The Chronicles of Fantasilia, comes a tale of adventure, friendship, and love, where every road to freedom is as dark and twisted as the last.