Side effects will occur. Lazarus Pharmaceuticals has created a miracle drug. Vanidrum, was made to enhance its consumer's inner beauty, battling loneliness, depression and anxiety but something has gone horribly wrong. When events take a turn for the dark Lazarus Pharmaceuticals calls on its best. Taylor Hart is a Cleaner well versed in sweeping questionable events under the proverbial rug. The rabbit hole Taylor is thrust into only goes deeper as she discovers the nefarious specifics around, Vanidrum and the evil that has been waiting to consume. Now Taylor and the rest of her team are in a race against the clock to find a cure for a drug that wants to amplify the very darkest parts of human nature and spread.

The darkness infecting mankind has been given a name, The Dread. It’s been a year and a half since Taylor Hart and her companions fled Los Angeles, desperate to escape the infection unleashed by the drug Vanidrum, which causes bloodthirsty madness in its hosts. The survivors found refuge in a hidden Lazarus Pharmaceutical base in Alaska, codenamed The Ark, but it isn’t long before the grisly army of the infected finds them. Now, Dread Lieutenants are appearing, men and women chosen by the darkness and given horrifying special abilities. As civilization continues to erode around them, their only hope is to reach The Vault, where the last known transmission from the outside world originated… As they journey through wastelands and towns overrun by creatures of The Dread, Taylor’s power begins to evolve and she receives visions from a being who calls itself The Messenger. The visions hint that one of her companions holds a secret that could release the world from the horrors of the infection if Taylor can manage to keep her safe. When betrayal sells them into the hands of their enemies, Taylor must protect their only hope of salvation, or join dark evolution.

The Dread Army closes in. The human survivors face impossible odds. A virus that transforms its victims into vile creatures ruled by base instincts continues to threaten the remnants of civilization. So far, Taylor Hart’s special powers have kept her and the people depending on her at the Vault safe from infection. Still, food and fuel are quickly diminishing. But how long can they survive alone? She struggles to build alliances with neighboring outposts, but emerging feelings for Lu interfere. Is there room for love in a world ruled by the Dread? On the border, something is waiting. Something… not human. The latest Dread Lieutenant has created a perfect killing machine: a man-turned-monster with only one thought—Kill Taylor Hart.

This is the end. The Dread march to take the last strongholds of humankind and the defenders are too few. How can mankind stand in the face of such all-consuming power? The answer is simple. You stand as one. It doesn't matter if you're human, Guardian, Elite or whatever Cidney is. The only way forward is together. And Taylor Hart is about to discover that her world is a lot larger than she once thought. Communication with the Elites has been secured and winged allies once thought gone are about to return. They just might stand a chance after all. This is it. What we've been working toward for the entire series. A final showdown between the forces of light and darkness. Grab your stretchy pants and snacks, you're not going to want to get up once you start.