Jaska was the greatest witch in a generation, greater even than those fools at the Academy, so it was only natural she would turn to the dark arts and try to take over the world. There was one problem. A pesky chosen one prophesied to bring her dark reign to an end. Most dark overlords would be furious at having a chosen one rattling around out there destined to defeat them, but not Jaska. No, she decided to have a little fun with prophecy and predestination. Sarai was a young woman on the cusp of adulthood living in a small village in the middle of nowhere, because of course the future chosen one was a rural nobody far from anything interesting happening in the world. Sarai had some choices ahead of her. There was The Choice. The day when the king’s men would come to cart off the village’s young to die gloriously fighting the Dark Lady’s monstrosities in the horrors of the Twisted Lands. Which was all very scary, of course, but not nearly as terrifying as the thought of leaving without confessing her true feelings to her best friend Tiafa. One held hand, one stolen kiss, would be enough to leave her on top of the world as she was conscripted and sent off to her almost certain death. Only Sarai had a plan. Sneak out to an abandoned tower on the Choikal walls. Sure it would involve risking the unquiet dead in the Ghost Fields and approaching city walls burned to nothing by the Dark Lady’s magic fires nearly two decades back, but it would totally be worth it for that kiss. The only problem? A practical joke from an evil sorceress is about to hit Sarai on the night she finally comes of age, and it’s going to come just in time to mess with her chances with Tiafa while also changing the course of her life and the kingdom! No one ever said being the chosen one was easy. Especially for a girl who has no idea what fate, prophecy, and an evil sorceress with a twisted sense of humor has in store for her!