Ashes of the Empire

In a bipolar world where magic and political intrigue coexist, Rain Evans plays the safest role of all: an international dispute mediator who strictly adheres to neutrality.

His job is to settle the biggest troubles with the least commotion, whether he's dealing with an imperial noble or a republic envoy.

Yet only a handful of people know that the mediator has another identity: the Empire's sharpest "Shadowblade." Every "mediation" he conducts might be a silent elimination, an elaborate frame-up, or a covert channel for intelligence.

When an ordinary plane hijacking unexpectedly draws him into a direct clash between the Republic's and the Empire's covert agencies, Rain realizes that the balance he has so carefully maintained is beginning to shatter. The noblewoman he rescued carries a secret that could shake the Empire to its foundations. The organization he serves is making him carry out a top-secret plan that threatens to undermine his convictions.

As the line between light and darkness blurs completely, the shadow who knows the dirty secrets of both sides better than anyone must make a choice: remain the Empire's blade in the dark, or become the final "ray of gray light" standing between two giants on the verge of collision.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.