"At the Head of Discord" by Leah Arden, summary Automatic translate

This book is the first installment in an urban fantasy series, published in 2023. The author integrates elements of ancient mythology into the modern world, forcing humans to coexist with races from other dimensions. The plot shifts the focus from the banal confrontation between the forces of light and darkness to political intrigue, hidden motives, and the secrets of the heroes’ origins. Ancient gods wear business suits, and magic coexists with firearms.

The world after the merging of dimensions

The events unfold in the megalopolis of Sankt Danam, 2032, after the merger of Earth with the worlds of Daoria and Palageda. The unification occurred thanks to the Kimite scientist Danam, who accidentally opened portals using mirror monoliths and lightning strikes. The Daorians, or Radiant Ones, control the material elements. The Palageans, known as Shadow Ones, influence emotions. Humans protect themselves from alien mental influence with special metal tattoos called ahakors. The local alloys are toxic to aliens, allowing humanity to contain their neighbors’ aggression.

The protagonist, Cassia, is an orphan and university student studying the cultures of three worlds. She works part-time at the Podvorotnya shooting club, run by a stern but caring former military man named Rufus. Cassia avoids outsiders until a chance encounter brings her into contact with representatives of Palageda. While relaxing with her best friend, Saoirse, in the club’s neutral zone, she meets the radiant Mikel and influential shadowy figures: the eccentric Elion, the modest Ivo, and the cool-headed Kai. The latter is distinguished by his icy calm and an intimidating aura of power.

The Crossing Shard and New Allies

Cassia’s friend Livia finds a mysterious black necklace in the university archives. The artifact attacks her, attempting to strangle her, but paradoxically, it obeys Cassia. It is a fragment of the Crossing — a mystical boundary between worlds, woven from illusions and dreams. The Crossing’s owner, the terrifying Gatekeeper, promises to grant any wish to anyone who returns the lost fragment of the monolith. The student sees the artifact as her only chance to discover the truth about her biological parents and forgotten childhood.

Attempts to gather information about the dream world lead to encounters with the nightmarish creatures of the Crossing. In a dark alley, Cassia is attacked by an empousa and an oneir — a monster capable of stealing and copying others’ dreams. Kai and Elyon intervene just in time and save the student from being torn apart. It turns out that the shadow ones are secretly working for the Council of Archons of Palageda. They hunt down criminals and escaped monsters to prevent international conflict. Elyon is the nephew of the Archon of the House of Gluttony, and Kai serves as his loyal subordinate and bodyguard.

The Deal and Tragic Losses

The Shadow Ones offer Cassia a harsh deal. She must play the role of a naive buyer of an elite drug created from the blood of the Palagians. In exchange, Kai promises to escort her to the entrance to the Crossing. The situation is catastrophically complicated by an attack by a swarm of Oneir on the university library. The monsters, guided by a hive mind, are searching for the shard. They brutally murder Livia and later burn down Cassia and Saoirse’s rented apartment.

In the fire, Cassia encounters the Reaper, the Gatekeeper’s executioner, capable of passing through walls and erasing memories. Fleeing death, the friends are forced to move under the protection of new acquaintances. Saoirse is under the guardianship of Mikel and Dardan Hill, head of the powerful research company Meridium. Cassia, meanwhile, settles into a luxurious apartment in Aelion, under the constant supervision of Kai, Ivo, and Maeve. A mutual attraction gradually develops between Kai and the student, clouded by secrets from the past.

Undercover operation

A plan to intercept drug dealers is thwarted by Saoirse’s unpredictable intervention. Her friend secretly infiltrates a private party for the local elite, carrying a pistol. The dealers turn out to be members of the Radiant faction, testing a new drug on humans. The criminals laced Cassia’s drink with the drug, laced with the blood of Palagians from the House of Wrath. The girl loses control of her mind, descends into an uncontrollable rage, and starts a bloody shootout.

Kai shields Cassia with his body, intercepting the revolver aimed at her. The Shadow One suffers severe chemical burns from the human metal. After the incident, Dardan Hill uses his connections and eliminates the aftermath of the massacre for the police. Kai keeps his promise and leads the recovered girl to the foggy gates of Morion Forest. Cassia throws the necklace into the gloom, demanding from the Gatekeeper the exact address of her last residence with her family. Suddenly, the fog pulls her inside, forcing her to fall through the distorted illusions of the Crossing.

The bitter truth about the past

A business card retrieved from the fog leads Cassia to Helen Raiden’s home. A conversation with the woman reveals terrifying details. It turns out the girl had only lived with foster parents for a few months. The Raidens were brutally murdered many years ago by rivals, and their house was burned down. Cassia herself miraculously survived and ended up in an orphanage, having lost all memories of the tragedy due to the Reaper’s intervention.

Dardan Hill admits that he was the one who found the eight-year-old girl in the lobby of his company. She had complete amnesia, but was still carrying a copper ahacor. Cassia’s past before her adoption remains a dark secret, shrouded in darkness. Despair gives way to apathy, and the girl intends to abandon her search and return to her normal student routine, cutting off contact with the shadowy ones.

The Fatal Reception in Daoria

Saoirse persuades her friend to attend a gala reception in the Radiant capital of Eridanus. Mikel has invited the girls to the unveiling of an important secret. The King of Metals, Melay, must shatter a glass sphere left by the Gatekeeper over 20 years ago. Hidden within the artifact is the identity of Melay’s lost child and the tragically deceased Ilira, heir to the Archon of the House of Discord.

The highest ranks of Daoria and Palageda gather at the reception. The goddesses of fate — the mute Moirai Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos — are present. Melay destroys the orb, and the resulting dark mist unerringly locates Mikel. The radiant youth turns out to be a bastard, a carrier of the blood of two once-warring worlds. The King of Metals refuses to acknowledge his son without further verification, fearing a political schism and the wrath of the other clans.

The Appearance of the Ancient Gods

The celebration is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of the Gatekeeper. The Master of the Crossing removes his hood, and Cassia, with mute horror, recognizes him as her superior from the shooting club, Rufus. Hidden behind the guise of a commoner is Hypnos, the ancient god of silent sleep. He accuses the Fates of secretly interfering with the threads of fate. The goddesses deliberately brought Melai and Ilira together, planning to create the perfect heir for both dimensions.

Dardan Hill then arrives in the hall, casting off his human guise forever. The influential billionaire reveals his true identity — Moros, the god of death. The ancient patrons of Palageda have returned to seek vengeance for the long-ago death of their brother, Thanatos. Moros coldly kills Lachesis with a shot to the forehead. The hall descends into panic, the remaining goddesses screaming in insane grief, shattering the marble architecture of the palace with sonic waves.

Illusions of the Crossing and the True Heritage

The screams of the Fates cause a piece of stone molding to fall from the ceiling onto Cassia’s head, knocking her unconscious. She falls into a terrifying nightmare, wrought by the power of Hypnos and the Crossing. In a realistic vision, she witnesses a bloody massacre: sharp spikes pierce Saoirse, Maeve’s throat is slit, and King Melai decapitates Kai. Distraught with grief, the student attempts to shoot her attackers until the illusion reaches its climax.

Within the nightmare, Hypnos orders Cassia to remove the invisible spell from her left hand. The girl erases the spell and, instead of her usual skin, sees two black stripes — the sign of her affiliation with the House of Discord. She realizes she is Ilira’s daughter. Melay and the archon’s heir had twins. Mikel survived, but the girl was stillborn. The mother sacrificed her own life, persuading Hypnos to save her daughter at any cost.

The Gatekeeper granted the dead infant breath, infusing the body with the illusion of life and a portion of his Crossing. Cassia awakens with difficulty in the poppy fields of the dream world. Nearby are the living Caius, Hypnos, and the goddess Vesta. The girl finally understands her true, great legacy, realizing that the nightmarish massacre was only a vision, and that the real trials are only just beginning.