An original novel set in the Halo universe—based on the New York Times bestselling video game series! Stripped of armor, might, and memory, the legendary Forerunner warrior known as the Didact was torn from the physical world following his destructive confrontation with the Master Chief and sent reeling into the mysterious depths of a seemingly endless desert wasteland. This once powerful and terrifying figure is now a shadow of his former self—gaunt, broken, desiccated, and alone. But this wasteland is not as barren as it seems. A blue light glints from a thin spire in the far distance… Thus begins the Didact’s great journey—the final fate of one of the galaxy’s most enigmatic and pivotal figures.